The Sillys Journey into the Heart of Dorkness (new 12/15 - p. 23 criminy crackerswog)

[AshClan]

Mr. S, I agree with Kimmie. This was an especially entertaining chapter.

What struck me the most, though, is how LITTLE Max and Sophia look!! Was that only a year ago?! Oh, my!!!! ONE of us is getting old!!

 

[Philadisney]

Dudes, sweeeet trip report. Anyway, I was going to say how rad it was to hang with you and everything, but I just got a report from April. She just found a very important clue. So we all gotta jam. Catch you later.

I think it says a lot about my generation that my very first crush was on Donatello of TMNT.

And I have to agree with Kim:

Max picked up a strawberry with his hand and slowly but carefully maneuvered it towards himself. It fell. It hit the table and made a surprisingly loud sound. He picked it up again, and dropped it on his shirt where it made a surprisingly bright stain, then bounced on his shorts where more surprisingly bright pink stains appeared. That strawberry was really full of surprises.

This latest installment, especially the above passage, was hilarious! Bravo.

 

[Hedy]

 

[Mr. Silly]

Mr. S, I agree with Kimmie. This was an especially entertaining chapter.

What struck me the most, though, is how LITTLE Max and Sophia look!! Was that only a year ago?! Oh, my!!!! ONE of us is getting old!!

Thanks. Yeah they are growing at a really disturbing rate. I was looking at pictures from this vacation and the one prior to it and it's scary how much they have matured. But I have decided that I am fine with being old, because otherwise I would be distraught. I still think of Sophie as this little girl with the drool on her chin:

I think it says a lot about my generation that my very first crush was on Donatello of TMNT.

And I have to agree with Kim:

This latest installment, especially the above passage, was hilarious! Bravo.

Glad you liked it. I remember when TMNT came on for the first time I knew that I had to watch a show about ninja turtles, and the first season was really amazing, though it Hanna-Barbera-ized over time...

As far as the TR goes, I am a little worried now. The tea was sort of the thing that I had prepped for a little. Post-tea it's so hard to say if we did anything amusing again. I'll need to check the notebook. I think that there was one other lunch where Alice was present that was really funny. We got some characters to write some great things in the books.

Glad you liked it.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Mr. Silly, that is the sweetest pic ever of a father and daughter! And you know I love your report, just ask Haley (hi Haley! )

I borrowed your sign to post over on the moovers thread, I hope you dont mind.

If you are around on a certain beach on a certain Friday in September, we might run into each other (sans Ninja signs)

 

[celerystalker]

But let's not let reality confuse us.

This is one of the reasons I love reading your trip report.

Have you seen the mythbusters where they test all the ninja skills. pretty good stuff there.
I love mythbusters.

There are three kinds of people in this world. Those of us who can count and those who can't.

Besides Epcot, he means. We all know Epcot is a vast depository of high culture. They even have fountains and stuff.

I had to add - this was me when I read that sophie chose eros I was scared to try it.
I'll try it this time.
Maybe.
after I have a drink.

 

[Mr. Silly]

Did you know that this trip report is about a trip in October of '06. I think we are still on day 3. Maybe it's day 4. It's remarkable. In the words of noted critic Keanu Reeves, "Whoah." Well, that's just one word, but still...

In case anyone wondered (not that I'd expect anyone to) whether we spend a whole lot of time on each segment or if we're just utter and complete flakes, the latter is the case. I had about half of section 20 done on 9/16, and then just kind of got distracted by stuff. I can't even remember what. Except that I read Confederacy of Dunces. Which was well worth reading. I think that the unparalleled shining brilliance of Django Reinhardt was also involved with some of the distraction. Because that's not just another obsessive phase, but something that has infused my being, and is something that helps to contribute to a rich inner life. But anyway I am going to crack the whip and make myself finish the rest of the report real soon now™. No, seriously.

Oh, also, hi celery. In addition to being the slowest trip report writer yet known to humanity (though I do prefer to think of myself as the most leisurely trip reporter known to humanity), I am also the slowest comment responder ever.

 

[UtahMama]

CRIMINY CRACKERSWOGGLE did catch on! I have proof! ((In a joke gone wrong)) THIS was the night I was s'posed to meet Mrs. Silly for the first time...The Nebo Meet at Poly Beach. But NoOOooOOOoo!
Luckily the letters peeled right off...NOW, I look like an even bigger Loooser. Ok, so every ONCE IN A WHILE I have a reeeeeally bad idea for a joke.




Moi with Lynda aka DisneyFreak the cutie-patootie:

 

[cmp1111]

I suppose we'll forgive you if you're getting a fulfilled inner life.

UMama, that's a TERRIFIC shirt!

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

Hey Silly.

Long time.

But anyway I am going to crack the whip and make myself finish the rest of the report real soon now™. No, seriously.

Seriously??

Except that I read Confederacy of Dunces. Which was well worth reading.

I read that back in 1985. And then again, and again.

So, you are excused.

 

[Mr. Silly]

Criminy Crackerswoggle! That's brilliant!

I suppose we'll forgive you if you're getting a fulfilled inner life.

I am glad I'm forgiven. I'm sort of trapped in my inner life, so I try to keep things there reasonably nice.

Seriously??

Hey Y&K, I actually saw your comment this morning and felt kind of guilty since I felt I might not have actually been serious. But I battened down the hatches and have just sent the draft to H. Who is out running errands. But who will be back. But then we are going to go to Target with the kids and get a toaster (we have a Mickey toaster we got at the Disney store a few years ago which is cool since it burns a mysterious Mickey face onto toast that can confuse and awe strangers with the miraculous Mickey face, but which also is falling apart). But I am sure she will be adding commentary before too long. So it won't be that much longer now. So my guilt is assuaged.

 

[kpk89]

So with Haley's cold, and everything she has to do, you are piling on yet another task?

Seriously?

YAyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!

(NOH, but I can't wait to read the next chapter!)

 

[cmp1111]

Just wanted to say hi to The Sillys, and hope all is well.

 

[Mr. Silly]

Trip Report 20

Hello dear reader. After a few minor delays, we now have this section ready. Except we skipped the pics. Sadly, since we are going on another trip to WDW in about five days or so, we probably will just finish this thing with one last post with some hilights and leave it at that, since the guilt from being late on two trip reports would be too great to bear. I am going to try to make H. take notes for part of the upcoming trip which might help to increase the frequency of posting stuff. Though judging from history it might make no real difference.

Hello from me too.

For a while we were in kind of a bad place. Not a really bad place, but a kind of bad place. Due to the tea. You see I had been looking forward to writing on the tea for long enough that I kind of built it up in my mind a bit too much, to the degree that there seemed to be little point of really bothering with even talking about the rest of the trip. In our minds it so eclipsed by the rest of the following trip that there seemed little point to say anything but "and then some other less interesting stuff happened." But happily we came to our senses and recalled that we needed to be more balanced in things, that overemphasis on one bit of the trip distorted the whole. Then we remembered that one character breakfast that was still to come where we got the CMs to write funny stuff in the notebook. And we forgot about balance altogether, for once again had something to plough towards to the general neglect of all else.

A notable thing that also doesn't have to do with describing the trip, Marketing liked the puzzle. They went on about dynamic pro-something-or-others that they thought were realized, and that we've really past the magical milestone. So we might put one in and we might not, and part of the puzzle might be to figure out if there is a puzzle, if there is a puzzle. But I'm not saying whether there's a puzzle or not, since that would give it away. But I guess that means there is still a puzzle of finding out if there's a puzzle. But it is a two part puzzle, where part one is to work if there is a part two, and there might just be no part two. That makes sense, right? Sure it does.

Yes, dear.

Marketing also liked the breaking of the fifth wall. They liked it enough that they sent us an email saying that in section 20 we needed to break the sixth wall. Apparently they think very incrementally over there. At first we weren't quite sure what that would entail. What is a sixth wall? In a world with three dimensions if you are in a box you have four walls, a ceiling and a floor, but the fourth and fifth wall were both metaphors. You could pretend that the ceiling and floor were walls, but if you suddenly had everyone travel out through a back wall or a roof or something that would not be very pleasing to the audience.

I paused for a moment, and then sent them a chat: "Look, sorry, but there's no such thing as a sixth wall."

Them: "Hey, that's excellent news. Now you are completely free to develop something without the burden of anyone's preconceptions dragging you down."

Me: "Yeah, but that includes my preconceptions being on empty here."

Them: "Huh?"

Me: "I don't know what you want."

Them: "Yes you do, I need you to break the sixth wall."

Me: "Since I don't know what a sixth wall is (metaphorically or otherwise), that inhibits my ability to break it."

Them: "Think of it as a roof. Break up and out."

Me: "Um, if someone in a play went through the ceiling that would just confuse people."

Them: "That's why it's a metaphor. Do it metaphorically."

Me: Ye, but what's the "it?"

Them: That's for you to work out. You're the expert.

Me: I am not an expert in something that you just made up that doesn't exist.

Them: Those are details that you are supposed to be dynamically working through. We need to set our milestones, and then dynamically and proactively realize those within at least a ballpark. You do some kind of streamlined upwardly mobile directed brainstorming or something. Are we on the same page?

Me: That depends. Is it a blank page?

Them: Exactly, you are empowered by that blank page. Grab whatever low hanging fruit you can.

Me: So there are fruit trees on the page?

Them: Yes. Metaphorically. You do the brainstorming or I'll do the blamestorming...

Me: I don't like you. Can I quit now? Can you just fire me right now?

Them: No. Sorry.

I realized that I had lost. I'd keep getting emails every few days asking about progress, and they would keep asking me to do things like work on, "an approach to action-centered and dynamic focused content proactively."

But then it hit in a slightly market-driven epiphany. If dragging the audience in as actors is the fifth wall, then having the free will of the audience actually determine the direction of the drama must be the sixth wall. Hence this next section will be a Choose Your Own Adventure Trip Report. This is slightly worrying. Usually these things are understood as a narrative, and we are going to break that convention. Those who are not comfortable with convention mangling, please be forewarned. In a similar way to how people who are pregnant or have bad backs or are prone to spontaneously dying should not ride that one ride in Epcot that is all about space travel and going to that one planet, and that Gary Sinise does the intro. for. The one with the hypersleep (isn't that an oxymoron). That ride. Anyway, in the same way, this trip report is not recommended for those made uncomfortable by sudden plot movements, interactive fiction, or those on certain medications. If you are taking medications and you aren't sure if they are the appropriate sort to be taking while reading trip reports, you have already answered the question - you are on meds far too strong for this.

Let us begin...

You are crouched down inside a very cramped passage. The passage continues to the east and west.
Uh, oh! Your torch has burned out!

>light lantern
That does nothing. It appears the lantern's batteries are dead.

It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

>Look east
You see nothing but blackness.

> East
Invited by the darkness, a horde of Adventurer-hungry Grues sets upon you, and you are promptly devoured.

* * * YOU HAVE DIED * * *

No, sorry, wait, wrong interactive fiction... Let's try that once more...

You are sitting in a chair in the Tangerine Cafe, on the patio, looking at the fountain. The chair seems strangely comfortable. You reflect on this and are briefly uncomfortable at how comfortable the chair is, fearing it is trying to lull you into an off-guard state. This seems kind of paradoxical so you sit there and think about it while the rest of your friends/family/whatever have gone to pee. A mysterious stranger appears suddenly. You forget about the chair. He looks like an unshaven haggard slightly old man somewhere in his 30s. If you can picture a cross between Benjamin Franklin and Johnny Cash, he looks almost completely unlike that. He has his vacation stubble grown in. He is wearing an aloha shirt, beige shorts with these really cool side pockets that don't have flaps for instant park map access, and a blue DisneyLand ball cap. You see several park maps poking out of one of the cool side pockets in his shorts. He is also wearing gym shoes and white socks. And some other things, but his clothes are not really important here, so you shouldn't dwell on them so much.

He says something or other which once said makes it seem like it would be a perfectly sensible thing for him to give you an account of an earlier trip that he took to Disney World. You suddenly notice that he has two pieces of baklava on a plate and a cup of tea.

Do you:

1) Say, "Look, I'm kind of busy with this whole vacation thing, maybe you should go be creepy to someone else."
Turn to the section labeled *#*#*#*T*#*#*#*. (this section is way towards the bottom)

2) Say, "Yeah, that sounds strangely interesting. Things are somehow different here in the big D., so listening to a haggard slightly old stranger sounds like a swell idea."
Turn to the section labeled *#*#*#*A*#*#*#*. (this section is just a little down from here)














This is the section labeled *#*#*#*A*#*#*#*

He offers you some baklava.

Do you:

Have some Baklava.
Turn to the section labeled (^##BAKLAVA##^). (it's just a little bit down from here)

Otherwise turn to the section labeled -#%$%#NOB#%$%#-. (it's a little ways down, scroll slowly)
















(^##BAKLAVA##^) (<- section label)

The Baklava is pretty good.

Turn to the section labeled ::##STORYBEGINNING##::
















-#%$%#NOB#%$%#- (<- another section label)

Yeah, it's not a good idea to take food from weird strangers.

Turn to the section labeled ::##STORYBEGINNING##:: (it's just a little ways down)





















::##STORYBEGINNING##::

The stranger turns to you and recites all the stuff in this trip report up to section 19 (but in a way that would pretty much make sense if you were listening rather than reading, and where H.'s comments seemed to just kind of blend in naturally). (If you are unfamiliar with sections 1-19, feel free to review, but don't worry, there won't be a quiz).

Do you:

1) Say, "Look, this sort of sounded interesting, at first, but umm, this whole rambling for hours thing is maybe a little... excessive. My friends/family/whatever have been peeing for hours, which is a mystery I need to go solve."
Turn to the section labeled *#*#*#*M*#*#*#*. (way at the bottom)

2) Say, "Yeah, that sounds strangely interesting. Things are some different here in the big D., so listening to a haggard old stranger sounds like a swell idea."
Turn to the section labeled *#*#*#*B*#*#*#*. (just a little ways down)














*#*#*#*B*#*#*#* (this is that section)

The stranger says the following stuff which is written out in a more traditional form since quoting the whole thing would be confusing:

The whole tea thing was so awesome that we were happily sailing along, full wind in our sails, hearing the harmony of the spheres, and seeing that it synched along with Duke Ellington really well. And some Gershwin. Yeah, he wrote some show tunes, but, well, its different. Our pin situation had dramatically improved.

Except that I think this is where we traded away Sophia's 'Dot' pin, which , it turns out, is fairly rare. Apparently there are no Bug's Life pins to be had in WDW. You have to go to Disneyland to get them.

We were in a good place overall. We'd been looking forward to the tea, and then we went there and it was really good (even if we were utter philistines and they will probably never let us back in ever again).

Well they better, because that is the plan for Christmas afternoon.

This whole expectations being pleasantly fulfilled thing was kind of new to me, and had a nice air about it. And then getting some really cool pirate themed lanyard pins right afterwards.

Floating off from there, we took a bus to Epcot to catch the light show. We went into the park. We were unsure about construction-related things that might require relocation, so she separated from us and headed off in an power-walk-like-manner towards that one place.

That 'she' is me. And that one place was the bridge between the International Gateway and France. This is a great place for a large group to watch Illuminations ("the light show") , TFI.

We wandered in in a more leisurely pace, and got some kind of snack, though I forgot what it was, did not record it, and H. was unwilling to divulge the details of it to me personally, but will reveal them here:

Actually, I don't think I remember this. Unless it was frozen Lemonade.

Not cool.

The haggard old man inserted H.'s comment and the reply in a way that seemed somehow perfectly natural for the narrative. His deft use of puppetry really helped.

Earlier, Max's cool toy with the spinning string and black light had quit working. We went to some vendor type and tried to get a replacement. They said that they weren't a vendor, but were a guest in the park. We apologized for the mixup. When then tried to find another vendor-type, but this time looked for one at a cart that had the appropriate point-of-sales systems in place, and made sure they had that little name-tag. I inspected their tag and noted that it did not have their city of origin on it, and walked away disillusioned that we would ever find an employee where we could do an exchange. Then Sophie mentioned that they had quit something. Sadly this part of the report was obscured, so I am not sure what they had quit, or even who they are. But as it turns out we did find a cart and reported out toy had died. The person at the cart suggested that the batteries were dead. This seemed strange since we'd only recently gotten this thing. He asked if perhaps we might have inadvertently left the light on all evening. Max said, "ohh..." We asked for directions to find a shop that sold batteries.


We went to that one shop in front of the World Showcase that we pretty much have always ignored. We found some batteries with fancy names and went to the counter with them. They ran up at about $20. For two AA batteries. The CM said, "you know, those are really expensive batteries. They are really for cameras that need long life. We have some standard batteries that might work out better for you that are much cheaper." Score. We actually felt good about buying a pair of batteries for $5. Perhaps this is all part of a clever ploy. Whatever the case, we put the new cheap batteries in the toy and it worked beautifully, merrily firing off its mysterious glowing string thing in a looping motion.

We walked along, and saw some really horrible mom and dad hit their 5-ish looking daughter and screamed at her for complaining about something. I wanted to hit them, but I was outnumbered, and they were scary. So I was just outraged. They disappeared before I could say something snarky implying what horrible parents they were to Max and S. while standing near them just loud enough that they would hear. Too bad there's not Disney insta-Child Services button you can hit where Disney would take the kids away from the parents and CMs would take them around the park and they would have a really awesome time while their evil parents were put in an education center and lectured at for the duration of their visit period. Because if there was some way to have summoned them, I totally would have.

On the way to the bridge where we were to meet everybody I got some raspberry wine from the Poland booth. It was really good.

We then went to Canada and hung around for a little while talking to the Canadians. I noted in the notebook that they spoke English really well, and as far as I can tell I told Max and Sophie that Canadian was the language of Canadians, so this was surprising.

We told the one joke that we say every time we meet a Canadian:

How do you spell Canada?

C, eh, N, eh, D, eh. (I enjoy pointing out the blindingly obvious, so I'll point out that this is a phonetic representation of what is said...)

I wanted to get the Ice Wine. It sounded really food. But the price was just a little too high for me to bear, so I didn't.

The Ice Wine is worth the price, TFI.

We saw a FastPass pin that a CM had and made haste to them, only to find that it was one we already had.

In the shop we got Swedish fish and Aero bars. Aero bars are really good.

Heh. Maybe I should just let this memory stay faded. Because I am sure that if he remembered this, he would have reported it. When they caught up with me at the Illuminations viewing spot Mr Silly handed me an Areo bar. So I ate it. After I ate it I discovered that he was sharing it with me. I am not good at sharing chocolate. Poor Mr Silly got none. Sorry dear.

Then we really headed out to the bridge.

But first we got some popcorn.

I am not really a social person, so I might have been deferring meeting a throng of people my wife knew from the Internet, and that I suppose I kind of also knew a little, but not really that much at that point.

But there were few reasons I could come up with to justify deferring any longer, and we were just late enough that H. couldn't really say anything yet, but close to the edge of late enough that she could say something.

So we met up with everyone at the bridge to go see Illuminations with everybody. After meandering along and not buying anything, we found H. and all her friends hanging out. Some were drinking. Some were not drinking. H. was drinking. I was not drinking (save one glass of raspberry wine from earlier). The people we barely knew were strangely happy to see us. This was probably because they knew H.

I gave H. half my Aero bar. I think she'd gotten her own Aero bar and eaten the whole thing. Or maybe I just ate it and forgot to give her half. Whatever the case, there was some kind of interaction between me and Aero bars that also involved H. in some way where she may or may not have had one. Maybe I gave her the Swedish Fish. I don't really like those, while Aero bars are a rare and delightful treat. But I am pretty sure now that I gave her half an Aero bar.

Maybe there were more Areo bars than I thought?

No, it turns out my memories were imperfect, and I actually did give you an Aero bar to share and you mowed the whole thing. And there was only one.

I think I mostly hung out with Grammy, but I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure I talked to Yak, and Jami, and a few other people. But not in an extended way, but more of a brief clipped, slightly uncomfortable way while I examine my shoes, as I usually do when with people I don't know really well.

We talked to people a little and the Illuminations show went on which was very illuminating. H. very much enjoyed hanging out with everyone, and probably has many things to say.

Or not. It was a fantastic night for Illuminations and we had scored a great spot. Many of the other's were heading out to Jelly Roll's afterwards, but we were not (due to the kids being with us and all).

Then we left. We took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, since it was Mickey's Halloween party that would go later so we knew the bus lines would be short. This was due to H.'s careful obsessive compulsive planning.

But to get there we could also take a Ferry. Max and Sophia debated Monorail vs. Ferry. We flipped a coin. Monorail won.

We went to the Monorail station. There were already people waiting for the front position. Dang. So we just waited to ride in one of the normal boring cabins. Then a really amazing thing happened. We saw the track switch over from one line to another to let a Monorail train switch tracks. It was very cool. The Silver Line came and we rode it.

Max: We should stay at a hotel with the Monorail service.
Mom: When you have a job you can take us.
Max: I'll take the grandparents.
...
Max: I like this train, but they should have a bucket for puking in... I would put a piece of tape on my bucket.

I have no idea what that means, but I recorded it in the notebook.

As we went along the train actually switched as we rode it. Perhaps it's common for the trains to switch tracks, but I'd never seen it before, and it was really cool to the uninitiated, and suddenly there was all this switching going on, which seemed very cool to me at the time.

I recorded that Max and Sophie had ridden in the front of the Monorail for 4 out of 5 trips today. I noted: "Yowsa!"

We queried about favorite things of the day:

Max: Epcot China and seeing guy blow glass.
Sophia: Four monorail front rides.
Mom: Tea, Meet, Seeing monorail switch tracks
Me: Tea w/band playing brilliant jazz tunes, then getting three perfect pin trades, also seeing Monorail switch tracks.

Then we got to the Pop, did the zombie walk back to the room and collapsed. I don't really remember any of that part, and was too tired to take notes, so that's speculative, but highly likely.

I think that this was the Monorail ride where we met the guy (who was with his daughter) who had just been hired to be a part of the "Dream Team." He told us a little about how people were selected for prizes, and that while all the big prizes were XX person in XX place at XX time, the small prizes he could just pick people for. He said he liked to give things to people that struck up conversations with him when he was sitting by himself. For some reason that little bit of info has stuck with me. WDW is one of the places where I talk to strangers a lot. I don't normally approach people I don't know. For some reason WDW brings out the talker in me. I have to tell people, well, stuff. If I overhear some little girl wishing she could find 'Belle' I have to tell her where to look. It is a compulsion.

*#*#*#*M*#*#*#* ( <- this preceding stuff is a section label, please do not interpret it as part of the story. )

The stranger says, "Hmmm, a mystery? I know a certain dog who might be very useful for just such a thing..."

Turn to the section labeled *#*#*#*T*#*#*#*.















*#*#*#*T*#*#*#* (<- that's a section label right there)

Just then your friends/family/whatever appear. The mysterious stranger mysteriously disappears. You go about your way.

 

[UtahMama]

Quelle Suprise! Hopefully there's more than just me left

I think I need more than the normal 3% of my brain to read the first part, Silly...but Haley helps (thanks for the translation, H!) NO ONE but Mr. Silly and Jeff Foxworthy make me feel quite this under-educated

OH!!! (before I fergit) Yes, Haley take notes for your next TR! ((*Pretty Please!*))

Or not.

It's fun to watch you try to remember inconsequential details or decipher an odd remark written in "the notebook".

I never share chocolate either.

and...

You traded a "Dot" pin?????




Have fun for your Christmas trip!!!! Take lots of pictures, k?!

 

[HaleyB]

We did, in fact, trade away a Dot pin.
It is so rare I can't even find it on Pinpic's right now.

However.
A wonderful, beautiful, hip, cool, loverly, lady known as Sid/Sas found one, since then, so Sophia has her Dot pin again.

 

[HaleyB]

CRIMINY CRACKERSWOGGLE did catch on! I have proof! ((In a joke gone wrong)) THIS was the night I was s'posed to meet Mrs. Silly for the first time...The Nebo Meet at Poly Beach. But NoOOooOOOoo!
Luckily the letters peeled right off...NOW, I look like an even bigger Loooser. Ok, so every ONCE IN A WHILE I have a reeeeeally bad idea for a joke.




Moi with Lynda aka DisneyFreak the cutie-patootie:

heh, I think that shirt was brilliant.
And.
I totally blame Sheridac for missing that meet ((big grin))
Because she can't defend herself
No. Really. That and sloooow service at Le Cel (worth the wait).

 

[UtahMama]

The letters just peeled right off...so you don't think I'm too stalkerish.

Sid is hip isn't she? I feel like the purse-holder-friend when I'm with her (not really).

Really glad you got another Dot.

Our big pin-tragedy was after running all over Epcot, doing the Kim Possible adventure that took more than half the day, we received KP pins. Lets just say, we only have ONE (out of 4) and they are HARD to get, I tell you what. I didn't know that my boys traded them till later that night. I actually tried to hunt down the tradees!!!!

 

[cmp1111]

Sadly, since we are going on another trip to WDW in about five days or so

Yes, that's very sad.

I am going to try to make H. take notes for part of the upcoming trip which might help to increase the frequency of posting stuff. Though judging from history it might make no real difference.

Either way, please let us know when you start the next.

You are crouched down inside a very cramped passage. The passage continues to the east and west.
Uh, oh! Your torch has burned out!

>light lantern
That does nothing. It appears the lantern's batteries are dead.

It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

>Look east
You see nothing but blackness.

> East
Invited by the darkness, a horde of Adventurer-hungry Grues sets upon you, and you are promptly devoured.

* * * YOU HAVE DIED * * *

No, sorry, wait, wrong interactive fiction... Let's try that once more...

This is something I've not thought about in a long, long time.

2) Say, "Yeah, that sounds strangely interesting. Things are somehow different here in the big D., so listening to a haggard slightly old stranger sounds like a swell idea."
Turn to the section labeled *#*#*#*A*#*#*#*. (this section is just a little down from here)

Yes, I choose A.

He offers you some baklava.

Do you:

Have some Baklava.
Turn to the section labeled (^##BAKLAVA##^). (it's just a little bit down from here)

Otherwise turn to the section labeled -#%$%#NOB#%$%#-. (it's a little ways down, scroll slowly)

I don't know why, but I don't like Baklava.

-#%$%#NOB#%$%#- (<- another section label)

Yeah, it's not a good idea to take food from weird strangers.

Turn to the section labeled ::##STORYBEGINNING##:: (it's just a little ways down)

Pshew, I made the right decision.

2) Say, "Yeah, that sounds strangely interesting. Things are some different here in the big D., so listening to a haggard old stranger sounds like a swell idea."
Turn to the section labeled *#*#*#*B*#*#*#*. (just a little ways down)

I pick this.

The CM said, "you know, those are really expensive batteries. They are really for cameras that need long life. We have some standard batteries that might work out better for you that are much cheaper." Score. We actually felt good about buying a pair of batteries for $5. Perhaps this is all part of a clever ploy. Whatever the case, we put the new cheap batteries in the toy and it worked beautifully, merrily firing off its mysterious glowing string thing in a looping motion.

Wow, a CM steering you towards the less expensive item? Disney Magic!

We walked along, and saw some really horrible mom and dad hit their 5-ish looking daughter and screamed at her for complaining about something. I wanted to hit them, but I was outnumbered, and they were scary. So I was just outraged. They disappeared before I could say something snarky implying what horrible parents they were to Max and S. while standing near them just loud enough that they would hear. Too bad there's not Disney insta-Child Services button you can hit where Disney would take the kids away from the parents and CMs would take them around the park and they would have a really awesome time while their evil parents were put in an education center and lectured at for the duration of their visit period. Because if there was some way to have summoned them, I totally would have.

This is not a good story, and I think you should submt the Insta-Child Services button to the people in charge.

I recorded that Max and Sophie had ridden in the front of the Monorail for 4 out of 5 trips today. I noted: "Yowsa!"

Indeed!

I do so enjoy your report. I hope that you have a wonderful trip, if I don't "see" you again before you leave.

 

[kpk89]

Just be sure to let us know when you've officially abandoned this report in favor of your new Christmas trip report, 'kay?

Love ya, Sillies!