March 2012

Repeat.

Here is a shot of Earl and me from the same set of stairs at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as the shot on the front page of jpnearl.com. This photo on the main page was taken in 2005, this shot was taken on Monday.


I tried to snap a few photos at “Fantasmic!” but without a tripod and the unwillingness of the audience member in front of me to tolerate my using his head as a steadying stand, the long shutter speed proved to be a bit of a challenge. These photos were taken with my Canon Rebel.


Daylight shots are so much easier. Here’s Earl, Jamie and Scott waiting for me to take a photo. We don’t know the woman in pink.


I have been using my iPhone for photography more than anything other purpose on this trip and this has contributed to the feeling of relaxation that I am enjoying this week. I hear that it’s just as warm at home as it is here in Florida. Quite a contrast to a few incidents of our return home in previous years, where we couldn’t get into the driveway due to the amount of snow we received.

Yesterday was spent at the Magic Kingdom where we enjoyed the entire park, ending the night at Tomorrowland. I would share the photos from that adventure but the Photo Stream syncing thing that Steve talked about last year doesn’t work as well as one would expect. The photos are sitting on my iPhone waiting to be shared with my other devices when they’re not just on the same wifi, but apparently on the same better wifi.

I think Tomorrowland is best enjoyed at night. Space Mountain is a great ride to enjoy right before going to sleep. I’ll have to share the photos when the wifis are speaking to each other.

Today we are headed to Epcot, Part 1. I love Epcot. We choose to divide Epcot into a two day adventure; today we’ll enjoy the front half and then tomorrow we’ll enjoy the World Showcase Pavilion (or something like that).

I often wonder what life would be like if Disney had gone forward with Walt’s vision of Epcot as a real community. I think it would have been awesome.

– Proudly posted using BlogPress from my first generation iPad

14 March 2012 by Fun and Games Dept 4

Noodle.

Jamie and I are just back from our spa and massage experience at the Saratoga Springs Spa. Margi has hands of wonder. It has been much too long since I have given my body the honor it deserves and at the end of the massage and subsequent steam room visit, my body said, “Thank you. Thank you very much.” It didn’t sound like Elvis.

Tomorrow I go back to the exercise routine I have started. It is certainly helping with clearing my mind and giving me the centering and balance I have been missing for quite a while. I need to remember to be kinder to my body. I feel much better when I do so. It only makes sense.

13 March 2012 by Spiritual Stuff. 0

People Watching.

I love people watching. I simply adore the sport and quite frankly I could spend hours and hours in my own little place of a busy space and watch the people go by going through their routine, wherever it may be. Whether it be a busy airport, a restaurant, the shopping mall; these are all wonderful places to do some pretty good people watching. Walt Disney World is no exception.

One of the things I find fascinating about Disneyworld is the mixture of cultures that is found here, both from folks from different parts of the country and from folks around the world. This morning I watched a family come trodding through the bushes to the bus stop, wearing what looked like Hefty bags for rain gear instead of the Disney-branded rain ponchos just spontaneously start conversing with a family that was wearing high-end foul weather gear that had arrived in a decked out Escalade. Forced to sit next to each other on the bus, it was only a few moments where the matronly woman of the Hefty bag set was talking to the Grand Dame of the Escalade set and before you know it they were talking like they were long lost friends. The southern accent and the New England lack of “r”s were contrasting in the conversation, but they found a common ground and seemed to be getting along really well.

I find this fascinating.

I watched a couple that appeared to be my age play on the bus with their two children. He looked like the business type, she looked like the well groom mother of the 00s type and they had two daughters that appeared to be adopted as they were both from differing ethnicities. That made my heart warm. No worries about color or the like, just lots of love.

Wonderful.

A waiter at one of the restaurants today commented on my moustache and how he used to have one until he moved to the states, where at 21 or 22 years old (quite a while ago) he shaved it off to fit in better. His father was dismayed as he felt that a man should always have a moustache, at least where he is from. I didn’t know that there was that much importance on moustaches elsewhere in the world.

You learn something everyday.

The weather has been soggy for most of the day. It’s the only day of our vacation where the weather forecast indicates rain and the showers have been right on cue. Watching how people find ways to still enjoy themselves in the rain has been interesting to me. Some choose to just wear their regular clothes and go all out wet, others make it a wet t-shirt contest and the majority of park guests don the ponchos and still stand in lines to see the attractions. It’s good to be in an atmosphere where the spirits are high.

My heart and mind are soaring.

– Proudly posted using BlogPress from my first generation iPad

11 March 2012 by Fun and Games Dept 0

Walt Disney World’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.

Well we are settled in safe and sound at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa at Walt Disney World. This was after about 22 hours of driving. I found the drive enjoyable.

We made a side trip to visit my godparents for a little bit on our way to Orlando. They live about 40 minutes outside of the city and have become Upstate New York snowbirds. These are the folks that find a place to retire to during the more harsher months of the year back home. They found a quaint little trailer in a small retirement community. The visit was enjoyable; we had not seen them since before the holidays. It’s always good to visit with the relatives from time to time.


Upon our arrival at the room, we freshened ourselves up (I had been wearing the same clothes for three days) and headed over to the Magic Kingdom. This is a tradition in our family; we always spend the first night at Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom. The first ride is on the PeopleMover.


We made our way around Tomorrowland, enjoying the Carousel of Progress, Space Mountain and the Buzz Lightyear attraction before calling it a night.

Now we are just waiting for our groceries to be delivered so we can pop some corn before hitting the hay.

– Proudly posted using BlogPress from my first generation iPad

10 March 2012 by Fun and Games Dept 3

Midtown Savannah, Ga.

Tonight we have stopped at the brand new Hampton Inn in beautiful midtown Savannah, Ga. We have done little more than drive and eat. States passed through include Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

Interstate 81 is more congested with trucks in Virginia than I like. The trucks like to get side by side and climb hills together. The problem is that they like to take the challenge slowly, which backs up traffic behind the coupled trucks. This does not make for a pleasant driving experience for the rest of the motoring public.

We thought we had a reservation at the Hampton Inn at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport but we did not. A few quick fingers on an iPad and we had the last room at the next closest Hampton Inn. Apparently it was the last room, period, for the entire city of Savannah because Bike Week is gearing up and people are staying in this area on their way down to Florida. I-95 should be a hoot tomorrow.

I’m going to get some rest.

10 March 2012 by Fun and Games Dept 0

Top Of The 80s.

Well we are settled in at the Top of the 80s for the night. We have stayed at this Hampton Inn before, it seems to be a popular stop for our drives. We are going to get up bright and early and keep heading south tomorrow. I’m hoping to make it to Savannah or even farther.

I have hopes.

As usual, it’s raining in Pennsylvania as we make our way along our vacation route. It would not be a vacation unless it was raining through this part of Pennsylvania. It doesn’t rain when we go to Philly, but it rains in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton. It’s just the way it is. I’m without complaint. I know it doesn’t sound like I’m without complaint, but I just make observations. That’s the way it is.

As promised, I am using nothing but my first gen iPad as my computing device of choice for this vacation. I’m excited by the challenge. And based on the number of messages I received since blogging this afternoon, I may really get the “I’m a first gen iPad owner!” t-shirts printed up with a retro Apple logo on them. I could make a mint.

– Proudly posted using BlogPress from my first generation iPad

8 March 2012 by Fun and Games Dept 0

Resolute.

Ok, so I wrote two blog entries yesterday. In the entry titled “Resolution“, I mentioned that I was still not interested in the new iPad that was announced yesterday. Then, after the announcement of the new iPad that’s called ‘the new iPad’, I admitted that I wanted one.

Now I have mentioned that this blog, amongst other things, functions as an insight to the way I am in real life. While it is a controlled atmosphere of sorts, I still am pretty open with the way I function in the real world with my writings on this blog. What you see is what you get. And this flip flopping back and forth regarding the new iPad makes Mitt Romney look like he’s got his mind made up about everything.

How embarrassing.

This morning as I was driving into work, I went into daydream mode and hashed out what’s been floating around in my head for the past 24 hours or so and I came to the determination that in reality, the new iPad (which is called ‘the new iPad’), while very nice, makes me more ornery than anything. You see, there is nothing wrong with my first generation iPad. Nothing at all. When taken out of it’s case it’s still looks all shiny and new. I don’t have the need for a camera on my iPad and in the one instance that I saw a person using an iPad2 to take a photo I pointed at them and made a snorting noise that was meant to resemble mockery. The only reason that I would need the new iPad (which is cleverly called ‘the new iPad’) would be to run the new iPhoto app, because Apple released that yesterday and to run the new iPhoto app, you need a front-facing camera because apparently someone wants to watch you use the new iPhoto app.

I kind of find that weird.

I often talk about using older computers and gadgets and the like until you can’t squeeze any further porn productivity out of them. We shouldn’t fill landfills with electronics that still work when we’re not going to be around to deal with these landfills to begin with. That’s just silly. And quite frankly, it’s time for me to starting walking the walk instead of just talking the talk.

So now the ornery in me is turning into it’s own resolution. Write this down or take notes if you give a damn.

1. I have a 2008 MacBook Pro that is going to continue to be my laptop until it costs more to support it than buy a new one or I can’t use it anymore because it’s just not compatible with what I need to do on a laptop.
2. I am keeping my current iPhone 4 at least until I am eligible for an upgrade, which isn’t until February 2013. And I might keep the iPhone 4 around longer just to prove that I can.
3. I am going to use my current iPad in all it’s delicious glory until it’s impossible to get anything accomplished on it.

And to take this stubbornness one step further, for the vacation that we are about to embark on at 1600 EST today, I am taking ONLY my iPhone and my iPad and I am going to blog and share pictures using these outdated devices to prove to the world that it can be done no matter what Apple says. I love my Apple products and I absolutely believe that they have the best hardware out there, but I’m not going to upgrade just because they have decreed it to be so.

And that, gentle readers, is me not flip flopping on the issue anymore.

Note to my dear husband: feel free to print this blog entry out and shove it in my face the next time I mention buying something new just for the sake of buying a new Apple gadget. Gifts, however, are always welcomed.

– Proudly Posted using BlogPress from my first generation iPad

8 March 2012 by Geek 4

Resolution.

It is 55F in Central New York today. The snow is melting rapidly and the sunshine is shining brightly. Today is the cooler of the next few days, tomorrow it’s suppose to reach 60 and for that there is much rejoicing. Tomorrow night Earl, Jamie and I leave for the House of the Mouse, with our actual stay starting Saturday until the following Friday.

Life is so very good.

As the sun beams into the Jeep as I write this, I can’t help but wonder why we try to kickstart our healthy living habits and the like with the onset of the New Year, when we should be doing it at spring time. I don’t know about any of my gentle readers, but I don’t really like the idea of trying to lose weight when the snow is (theoretically) piling up outside, daylight is at a minimum and it’s very, very cold out. Trying to shed a few pounds by hitting a gym in the dead of winter is crazy. Now is the time that I want to start being healthy again. With the onset of this spring like weather, now is the time that I want to get the extraneous details of my life that I have been ignoring back in order. With the impending rebirth of life after a (theoretically) long, hard winter, now is the time that I feel like really living again.

I think part of this has to do with suffering from the winter blahs. I try so hard to not get feeling glum in the winter time, and while the winter season is in progress, I think I’m doing an ok job at keeping a chipper spirit around but then a day like today comes around and I realize that I was feeling the same sort of seasonal depression that I feel every year. No matter how much I bathe myself in natural light or down Vitamin D tablets, I just don’t feel overly enthusiastic in the winter time. Spring rolls around and then I feel enthusiasm again. I’m thinking that I’m going to try to hit the gym at Disney a couple of times. I’m going to walk more than I need to. I’m going to limit my popcorn intake to “occasional” and I’m going to make sure that I make smart choices when choosing from the delights flashing on the overhead menu. It’ll be a challenge, but it’s something that I think I can do and I feel enthusiasm about taking this approach to the vacation.

When we get back from vacation, Daylight Saving Time will be in full swing (though I despise the practice of moving the clocks around very much) and I will be able to ride my bike after work again. I haven’t done that as much as I’d like to since starting my current job a few years ago, I’m going to make that change this year.

I just heard the ghost of Michael Jackson whisper “Make that change” in my head and it was really creepy.

I’m 43 years old so I’m a realist about what I can obtain health wise, but on the other hand, I’m only 43 years old. And I’m going to start a Spring Resolution right now to enjoy life to the fullest, feeling the best I can by doing the things I want to do to make it all happen.

I think Spring Resolutions are the ticket for me in the future. Let’s see how this first attempt at it goes.

And as a quick sidebar on the resolution thing – still not buying the latest incarnation of the iPad, no matter what they announce today, unless it comes with a daily full body massage.

7 March 2012 by Ponderings and Musings 1

Sleep.

So a couple of weeks ago I remarked about my sleeping habits and how I was going to try something a little different with my sleep patterns. Historical evidence shows that in the past some folks would have “two sleeps” every night with a waking interval in between and my body has been showing signs of wanting to do the same thing so I decided to try that approach.

In the past 10 days I have had three nights where I woke up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. Instead of having some sort of silent fit, whirling around in my bed to find a new comfortable position and then flipping my pillow around to find the cool side, I would sit up in bed and see if both eyes were functioning. If both eyes were open and functioning, I would get up and walk a lap around the bedroom and then the rest of the house. Ok, I’d pee too, but only in the bathroom. I’d then calm my mind by telling myself that my forefathers could have been doing this very exercise of walking around in the middle of the night and they did it with wood teeth and everything (why I think this I have no idea since it’s a completely unrelated point). I’d then do another walk around the downstairs and then head back up to bed, where I’d put my headphones back on and give the sleeping thing another whirl. I’d end up sleeping right through to the alarm.

I feel better than I did before I started this approach. I haven’t had to spend one moment trying to find a private napping spot in my cubicle during the afternoons at work (don’t tell my boss).

Now this little experiment is completely unscientific and there could be a million and three other contributing factors as to why this is working better for me but I’m not one to complain, as long as I feel well rested and productive during the day.

Yesterday I ended up taking a small nap during my lunch hour and it was enjoyable. I think this was a recharge of Monday more than a need for actual sleep, however, as the nap was more meditative than actual deep sleep. But I think I’m onto something and that can only be a good thing.

Now last night I tried a new soundtrack for the headphones that I wear when I sleep and it helped me have some very vivid and lucid dreams. I love it when I can steer the scenes going on in my head during my dreams. It’s a skill I pretty much mastered when I was a kid and I consider myself quite lucky to still have the ability to do this on a regular basis. Perhaps that’s why I am in such a good mood today.

6 March 2012 by Geek 2

About J.P.

Just a guy with a husband. We’ve been together 28 years and he still makes me see fireworks on a daily basis. Hiker. Storm Chaser. Private Pilot. Tech Guy. Hackerish.

Weird? Eccentric!

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