Why I'm a Disney Girl

I like Disney. I've taken a Disney Cruise and I've been to Walt Disney World. In fact, Disneyland in California is on my to-do list for late 2012. (They're opening a new Cars themed park area there.) But I'm no princess.

I'm certainly no Cinderella. Though we have the work ethic in common... LOL, I haven't been to a ball in ages. I don't have any really special shoes and I don't have any mean step-sisters.

Belle, is my 6 year-old's favourite princess. She's lovely in that yellow dress (and I look terrible in yellow), but we've never even seen Beauty and the Beast, so I can't be Belle.

Sleeping Beauty... nope. I get five or six hours sleep a night. I'm more likely to be steam-rolled or woken by a crying child or a barking dog than a kiss.

Jasmine. Hmm, I really don't know much about her but I've never worn mid-riff shirts or been on a magic carpet. I just can't relate.

Snow White is considered one of the original princesses. She is worshipped by the seven dwarfs, so that's pretty nice for her. They seem to look out for her. It is one of my favourite movies and I can whistle while I work, so there are some similarities. I have won trivia contests by naming the seven dwarfs.... Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Dopey, Sneezy, Bashful and Doc... and I DO wear a Grumpy t-shirt to bed, but still no. I'm no Snow White.

There are some "new princesses" or wannabes, but I don't count them. Tiana? Rapunzel? Those movies are still too new to be classics or universally known.

Why do I love Disney? As an organization they prove there is still magic. So many things are instant, and "good enough" and generic and discount now-a-days, but Disney is still first class. They hold themselves to a higher standard. They endeavour to put a smile on every child and every adult's face. They make movies you can take your kids to. Movies like Cars, that I could see over and over and over with my kids and still enjoy.

Disney is preserving that little bit of 'kid' in all of us. Yes, their marketing, their merchandising, their parks and their offerings are scientific. They have studied the consumer and refined their organization to deliver what we expect and when we expect it, but with a dash of magic.

I will not forget how my kids absolutely lit up to see Chip and Dale characters in the park. The smiles were pure and genuine.  On every corner there were characters the kids recognized and wanted to meet. They were always greeted with open arms and animated joy.  My kids loved the characters. Genuinely loved it.

For me, the magic touched my heart when I stood on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom and saw THE CASTLE for the first time in real life. There it was, the castle from every Sunday night at 6PM on TV. I grew up on Disney movies on Sunday nights after dinner. If our family had a tradition, that was it.

I stood in awe of the castle, its iconic form, in 3D just as it was in 2D at the beginning of every Disney feature. It brought tears to my eyes. I never saw it in person or visited a Disney Park as a child, but was absolutely moved and satisfied to be able to bring my own children to the place I'd dreamt about. Even as an adult seeing the castle, just the castle, moved me and stirred happy emotions.

Disney represents quality to me. It represents dreams and it represents magic. Corny as some of it is, as predictable as their movies can be, it sets the standard and has spanned generations. And while I am surely no princess, I am a fan and will continue to enjoy each and every Disney moment I can share with my kids. Disney has the magic I just can't create on my own.

Winter ready

I may never truly be ready for the harsh winter blast of reality, but at least my vehicle will be. Though there's no snow on the ground, there really is no time like the present to get the car fixed up and stocked with the right supplies.

I made a trip to the dealership today for winter oil, transmission fluid and even winter windshield wiper fluid. Nobody needs the grief of having their windshield wiper fluid freeze solid and crack the reservoir. That's unnecessary and costly.

While getting your oil change, make sure to have your tires evaluated. Are they the right tires for the conditions? Is there sufficient tread? Are they properly inflated?

Every young driver I know personally has had to suffer through my "don't buy cheap tires" speech. I think it's self-explanatory... discount tires or summer performance tires just may mean your life on icy winter roads. It may not be the most exciting speech, but I do feel strongly about tires. Buy the right tires!!

Winter safety kits should include a cell phone charger, a blanket, flares, bottled water, gloves, toque, matches, an empty can, and something to eat. Try to stay away from the "emergency" chocolate bar in the car. Seems I have to replace those weekly... somebody in my life is always having a chocolate emergency!  It's also a great idea to have a shovel and some (ugly) winter boots. Why ugly? They are generally warm and if someone sees you wearing them on the side of the road and waving, they should instantly recognize, by your ugly boots, that you need help.  Even if the only thing they do is drive you to a shopping mall to buy nicer boots, you'll be safe and warm. You can even call a tow truck from a mall.

If you live on the Canadian prairies I would strongly recommend heated car seats. In winter, you must protect your assets. I also can't live without Starbucks. If I didn't have Starbucks and heated seats I probably would not live through a Canadian prairie winter. I AM that sucky. However... my vehicle is good and ready. But that being said.... winter can take it's sweet time getting here. No rush. Seriously.

I want to remember

There are people that pass through your life. Some are here for a short while, others remain close for decades and others still, share a lifetime, if you're lucky. There are wonderful moments and vignettes that stay with you even after a person has moved or left your life for whatever reason.

I randomly remember birthdays of childhood friends. I remember eating blue "daquiri ice" sorbet at the Baskin Robbins at the shopping mall before I worked there.  I remember being so exhausted from working 16 straight hours (2 jobs) that I fell asleep at the Def Leppard concert.  And I remember impulsively buying a little bunny from Petland and naming him Gizmo.

I remember throwing an apple core up to the sky as Val and I drove to Grand Beach in my convertible. I remember how that felt... being without a roof and being young.  Having nothing but blue sky above us was an awesome feeling.  Val and I had other adventures in that convertible. We discovered you really can drive in the rain without getting wet. (It's the stopping part that's miserable.) We discovered that the very nice RCMP officer at Maple Creek really didn't know how fast we had been going or was too polite to say.  I remember he wrote us a warning.... on a piece of pink paper and we taped it to the wall of the apartment like it was art. I'd like to thank him for that warning. To this day, I have an unblemished driving record!

I remember a Saturday afternoon at Lee River when a friend uttered "this day is perfect. It just doesn't get any better than this."

I remember my dad pacing and tapping his watch on my wedding day. "Are we going to do this? I thought we were supposed to start at 6:30?"

I remember finding the perfect wedding dress with Val, Paula & Tessa in tow.

I remember Lenore in her yard with her fuzzy slippers on and sipping coffee. I remember the first time we met. That was Christmas eve. She blew me away with her kindness and preparation.

I remember how Jason used to be my best shopping buddy. I remember the time we went to Folklorama.
I remember the time that he and Rick got me drunk on stupid Old Stock beer and that car ride home took "like... forever!"

I remember my Grandpa's teasing at cribbage and my grandma's love of TV ice skating.

I remember walking Leroy the dog, when I was a child.

I remember Jeff bubbling with excitement at the release of a new collector comic book and timing his walk to the store so he could make it there on a work break. I remember laughing so hard I cried when Jeff pointed out my typo, telling gardeners to plant their carrot seeds 3-6 feet deep.

I remember taking my first MS Kenora cruise as the Captain's wife and I remember the first time Harry tried to take me on an island picnic.

I remember dancing under the tent at Tracy and Chris' wedding. And being so nervous about making that wedding cake!

I remember being scared to cook at the restaurant I'd newly purchased. I remember being so grateful that I'd inherited an employee (Tiffany!) that knew what she was doing... and could show me. I remember the first time she & I made a milestone sales mark and celebrated with pedicures.

I'll never forget my childhood pen pal's first address.

I remember family reunions and laughing all night.

What I don't remember is anything about the last time we argued, the gifts we may have exchanged or whether or not you had new shoes. I can't ever remember what the grocery bill was or who spilled what on the carpet. Some days, I'm lucky to remember an appointment, an address or my store loyalty card.

Life is just a sequence of events, a billion numbers and a never ending to do list. So much data is coming at us constantly. Information is in.... and information is out. Lucky for me, there are still vignettes that stick. Memories I cherish. Happy memories I want more of.