Ok... I've been sufficiently tardy. Here. Time to pick up this trippie. Again.
'Cause I'm committed. TFI.
I think I left off... years ago...with myself and Tommy in the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom.
Or did I?
No matter. Because that's where I'm pickin' this dog up. At. In the parking lot. Right NOW.
The red and blue happyhaunts are in the parking lot. The Magic Kingdom. Standing beside our Chrysler Pacifica. Pretending like it's really OURS. And celebrating the fact that it doesn't smell like poop. (NOZ) And, also, like our old dirty van.
And, actually, we've been standing here for a LONG TIME. Like about...errrr... four months. And we're really sunburnt. And our lips hurt real bad. And. I'm really skinny. I look alot like Nicole Richie. Except for the slutty part. (NOParisHilton).
Anywho...I had a bunch of carp to haul to the MK today. My DVC trip planner's backpack, a big bag of our Hallowe'en costumes, water, Tommy and a Partridge in a pear tree.
This time it was Shirley.
Usually we try to bring Danny. Along. He's more fun. But this time I think he was in rehab. And so it was Shirley. Which was, in fact, easier than hauling the two different Chris's. Along.
You DO realize... don't you? That there were TWO Chris Partridges?
B/c that's important.
Also... is anyone else out there struck by the similarities between Reuben Kincaid and Bosley from Charlie's Angels?
Where was I?
Oh... yes: I think that Susan Dey got pretty skinny there for awhile, too.
Alrighty.
COME BACK!!!! COME BACK!!!! Y'all.
Tommy decided, upon getting out of the car, that he didn't feel like walking. Maybe he was still a little tired from our very late arrival. Or else he was trying to make Me(l) crazy(ish). But... he asked me if I could carry him too. Along with everythang else.
No dice. Strepfiler.
But... I looked left. And right. To make DARN SURE that I wouldn't be overheard. Or caught on tape. Like Alec Baldwin. When giving a similar PEP TALK to my child. The funny thing is that it appears that Alec Baldwin has ALSO trained at West Point. Under the strict empathetic tough-love methods of The General.
Or has he?
No. He's just a complete donkey. But... hairier. And mean.
Anywho... I gave Tommy a pep talk not unlike hundreds of eerily similar EXACT pep talks I have received. Growing up. From My General.
You can insert the bracketed phrases. And see what I mean.
It went like this:
Me (or The General): "Tommy (Melancholy)! If you don't grow up (smarten up/pull it together) RIGHT NOW... I will leave you right here in the parking lot (toy dept. of Sears/ C.N.E./ the woods/the ice capades in Hamilton) where eventually buzzards will pick your sorry bones clean. (gypsies will take you/ bears will devour you) Now... I don't have time for this carp (rubbish). So git wit da programme (buck up!)! Or die tryin' (or die trying)!"
Tommy (or Babymel): " You're (giggle) kidding again, Mommy! (Fine. Leave Me(l). I think the gypsies are runnin' the circus anywho! Sir.)!"
What I'm tryin' to say here is this: The best man won. Out.
I carried Tommy to the tram. Along wit everything else.
But... to get even... I seated him on one of the outside seats. And encouraged him to wave his arms and legs outside the vehicle.
Plus... I yelled, "DRIVER ALL CLEAR!"... as he was climbing up.
Or did I?
Actually, he sat in the middle and while we waited for others to load up... we talked excitedly of our plans for the day. Tommy said he wanted to do Zipply Doo Da. First thing!
He said it about FOURTY TIMES.
While poking me in the thigh with his tiny cute sharp finger.
Then he asked me, "Mommy? Why are you and I at Disney this time?"
I answered, " Because I love you Bama."
He replied, " I may love you too!"
And so I sad, " In that case, my love: I may love you as well. Almost as much as I love Calvin and Beth."
Heh heh.
What I really said was this: "You keep using that word, Bama. I do not think it means what what you think it means."
By then we were at the Front Gates of the MK. And were going to head for the monorail.
Just as soon as I found out where I could get our Annual Pass vouchers validated.
I didn't know. Didn't a even a tiny clue.
I was clueless. Is what I'm tellin' y'all.
So... I accosted and asked seven people. If they could help me. It didn't matter who they were. I didn't care. I was desperate. And I asked whomever was closest. To me. I wasn't choosy. Or successful.
No one could. Or wanted to. Help me.
Apparently, I was hideous.
So I decided to do the obvious.
Finally.
I asked a CM.
For help.
I went up to the Ticket Wicket and found myself staring face to face with... Klaus Nomi.
Don't you just HATE when that happens?
I do.
Happens alot... to me... anyways.
He told Me(l) that I had to jump a ride on the monorail. Go to the Guest Services area by the train station. Exchange my vouchers there for annual passes. And, also, that DING DONG! The witch was dead.
Tommy and I headed for the monorail. And our (read: MY) huge emotional dilemna.
Should we head clockwise on the monorail? Into the MK. And risk the almost certain Castle Cry. Combined with a missing the family happyhaunt cry. Too.
Or should we try something new? Go directly counter-clockwise, bypassing the resort stops, to the MK. And hope to feel differently. Upon faced with the Castle.
Because I'm a crier. By nature. I decided the best plan was the new plan.
We decided to go counter-clockwise.
And Tommy just wanted the "Black Monorail". It's his present favourite one. But, I'm fully expecting that he'll get a bee in his bonnet and want the green or pink one next.
We loaded on. With a massive group of others.
Ick.
This new plan is crowded. Really crowded. And we had to stand to one side and hold on. Tightly(ish).
Tommy immediately started talking to a stranger. A lady sitting down beside us.
"Hi! My name is Tommy happyhaunt. You look like my Baba. She's really old too."
Yep.
He was charming the stretchband-waisted polyester slacks. Right off her.
Or was he?
(I really like the word: Slacks. Tho.)
I cut my eyes at him. And showed him... The Teeth. Also opened my eyes really wide. To get the message across.
Its my non-verbal method of communicating displeasure. Or, sometimes, shock.
TFI.
And THAT'S when it rang out. LOUD and PROUD!!!!
ROLL TIDE!!!!!
I didn't immediately react. I was frozen. Actually, I had temporarily spaced the fact that I was wearing my Alabama Crimson Tide shirt.
But... then it hit me. Someone was hailing Me(l).
I heard it again: ROLL TIDE!
And looked up across the monorail car. To see who was yellin' at me.
Then I saw them.
Three guys. They were smiling at me. MY ANGELS!!!! Charlie's Angels. Sorta. Or not. One of them was the yeller. The Roll Tider. He was heavyset, sweating a storm, with a goatee and some sort of unsightly heat rash on his face. But, all the same, he was pretty cute. And had on a pair of nice pants. Or slacks. Whichever you prefer. The other guy, beside him, was grinning like a fool. And had crazy curly blond hair, a great tan and sadly... was missing a tooth. Up front. The third guy was also blond. Really cute and baby-faced. But... he had his long hair stuck up in some goofy loopy ponytail. That he shouldn't had been out in public. Wearin'.
Still... I looked at my Alabama yellin' friends. Southerners. I supposed. And felt immediately connected.
I don't really know why?
But I did.
And I liked the three of them. Instantly.
Perhaps only for distracting me from a good/horrible Castle Cry.
But... I did.
And I yelled back, "ROLL TIDE, BAYBEES!!!!"!
Right at them.
And then, 'cause I was overly excited, added: " Go BAMA! Big elephant! Big elephant!!! Woof woof!!!!"
Which just startled and upset Tommy.
And confused everyone else.
Anywho... it was quite good. Pretty satisfying. A new experience.
My FIRST ROLL TIDE! On a monorail.
I felt not unlike Tom Cruise on the train. In Risky Bidness.
Or did I?
No. No.
I could never feel like Tom Cruise.
We're too different.
My genetic code reads: Human.
Anyway... we arrived at our MK stop. And bounded out of the monorail. With the rest of the vacationing rabble. Rousers.
Minus: ONE CASTLE CRY!!!!!
Thanks to my Charlie's Angels.
I waved goodbye at them. As they were heading down the ramp.
And thought hard about slapping the one with the goatee on the butt.
Or else kicking him hard in the knee.
But... I wisely chose not to.
Because I didn't want to get that close.
Sweaty Guy smelled a little ripe.
Cheers, Mel.
P.S. Sorry. I didn't get to Flowerschild yet. I had really meant to. But I ramble. On. Hang in tho. I'm committed.
