Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The One where I turn 21 (in a manner of speaking)

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My birthday this year was on the verge of being tragic. Having made plans to go away to the condo in Clearwater for the weekend and then having those plans ruined by a demanding work schedule, I had all but conceded to stay in on my birthday, get in pajamas and watch a movie. All by myself. Just for dramatic effect. 

However, thanks to an amazing co-worker who switched days off with me so I could at least have my birthday off (Thanks, Ayumi!) and thanks to some amazing friends, I managed to have a very memorable birthday celebration after all. It was called Alliepalooza.


For those of you who couldn't be there, I made this for you...don't get too excited. I am no Oscar winning documentarian. 

I could tell you about how fun the party was, or I could show you...

 We started out the night early with a little game of Cranium...
 Some people were more into it than others....
 

Let's not forget there was karaoke...kinda...we didn't have a karaoke machine but I had music playing and a lollipop for a mic so I'm pretty much set. 
 

Now keep in mind, the singing all happened BEFORE this next video...
If you don't know the whole story, then here is 25% of it. In High School I decided I never wanted to drink. Ever. Now for the past year I've been thinking hmmm, maybe I should just TRY it one time. Cross it off the list and call it a day. Well when you've waited 24 years to try alcohol, you can't just like grab a beer on a Thursday because how uneventful is that!? Very. So after much contemplation I figured I would possibly have a drink on my 25th Birthday IF and only IF the moment felt right. If it didn't, then no worries because I didn't promise anyone anything. But when Tim showed up with Pink Champagne and I was surrounded by friends who are the antithesis of peer pressure, I felt comfortable enough to give it a whirl...and it tasted horrible but now I can cross it off my list!

The whole birthday crew...minus Chris, who was late. =)

I am told by my roommate that the baker thought she was picking up this cake for her child, hahaha eventually I will grow up and be all sophisticated, but until then, I will enjoy my pink cake with a tiara, thank you kindly!

All in all, it was a great birthday. Obviously there are a lot of family members and friends I wish I could have celebrated with (holla Minnesotans!!) but as cheesy as it sounds, I could feel your Birthday wishes all the way from home and I can't wait to see you guys in January!! 


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The One Where I Get All Caught Up!

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Oh my word it's been over a MONTH since I updated. What is wrong with me? I've been overwhelmed with SO MANY good things to discuss that I simply didn't post at all. I am not kidding. I wanted to do an individual blog about each and every topic below because it was all so awesome, so here is the Cliffs Notes version I guess! 

The biggest change in the last month? I don't work at Animal Kingdom Lodge right now! Say what?!!? 

Well, the week I started at Animal Kingdom Lodge was the same week they posted a hiring notice for Guest Relations. Now, Guest Relations has been a job I've had my eye on for some time. It is the whole reason I went to Concierge as Concierge does a lot of similar things to Guest Relations (GR), the major difference being that one is at the resorts and one is at the theme parks. Anyhow, hundreds of people apply for GR and from the power of prayer and pixie dust, I was chosen! And at Magic Kingdom, of course! (Magic Kingdom is always where I am placed, it is my home I feel like.) The job, as of now, is a temporary assignment through January 1st. There may or may not be room to make it a permanent placement, so only time will tell. I love Animal Kingdom Lodge and I love Magic Kingdom. I feel like I am in a win-win situation right now.

Having a job as a Concierge though over the past month has proven to be quite advantageous. 

I went on 2 fireworks cruises....
Nothing beats seeing the fireworks from the water. There are no distractions. No annoyingly tall people blocking your view (ha, who me?). It's just so calm and beautiful.

 Had a private tour of the Savannahs at AKL...


Saw Cirque Du Soliel from the 3rd row.....
That is my friend Marianna, she is an ICP from Mexico. She is precious. I feel lucky to have her as a friend!

Did the Tom Petty Driving Experience....
That guy was trying to be nice helping me get in the car, but I was a pro.



Even outside of my work-provided fun, it has been crazy! My mom and her friends came to Florida to celebrate her 50th Birthday. I had a great time showing them around the Magic Kingdom. We also got in some much needed relaxation time at the condo in Clearwater. My mom and her friends sure know how to have a good time...



In addition to seeing my mom, I also got to see my good friends Jon and Shanelle. We surprised Jon at Hollywood Studios with a Birthday Party! It was pretty epic. Jon says he didn't cry. A picture is worth a thousand words, but I only need 3: Yes he did.

As a part of the birthday celebration, we got seated in VIP at Fantasmic. We ever so discretely took photos of Jason Castro from American Idol who happened to be sitting behind us. (He's the one w/the dreads for you "too cool" people who claim to be above watching Idol =)




Funny story: that GR CM in the photo, yep, totally one of my trainers this week and I just noticed that. It's a small world after all! I will have to tell her about this lol



Bonus Features - Picture Edition!! 
I made a friend named Kyle, he was 1 of my Concierge trainers. 
And I bought a Mickey straw, both epic in their own ways. 

I wanted to go to the Halloween party as Tinker-Belle. Essentially Princess Belle in fairy form, but I couldn't find yellow wings so I was Summer-Time Belle instead. It was fun!
I learned it is funny, yet frowned upon, to give Cinderella Bunny ears in a photo.

Never take for granted sitting around a table for dinner with Family. I couldn't remember the last time I had this, so when it happened in Clearwater with my mom and her friends (who are practically family), I just had to take a photo. It's the simple things in life that matter =)



Coming Attractions:
I made a fort with Becca and Cory, I broke my camera, I replaced my camera, I saw the Cinderella Castle Suite, I went to Drag Bingo. (Disclaimer: Not all events stated just now happened in 1 day, but what a day that woulda been, right?!) Stay tuned friends. I won't keep you waiting so long next time! I promise!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The One when I became a Concierge

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"A concierge is the Winnipeg equivalent of a geisha. This is a woman who has been trained in the fine art of fanciness and pleasure. And when you meet one it is intoxicating. Just what the doctor ordered" -Michael Scott

After about a month of working front desk, yesterday I finally finished my last day of on-the-job training for Concierge at Animal Kingdom Lodge. My job title is now OFFICIALLY Concierge. The job description is pretty close to what Michael Scott described above haha almost. Basically, I answer random questions, make dining reservations and sell tickets. Surprisingly, Disney uses a computer system straight out of the 80's, so for the first time in my life I use the function keys at the top of keyboards. I am not kidding when I say the screen is black and the font is green and you CANNOT use a mouse to navigate. The TAB key is my new best friend. Guests have NO idea the crazy weird steps I have to take just to sell them a ticket, and they shouldn't know, because it's not very magical, but I am telling you, I am not a fan of 1980's computer systems.

Despite the computers, I don't know when it happened exactly, but at some point in the last month and a half, I started loving Animal Kingdom Lodge. At first I felt out of place in the African Safari, just out of my element I suppose. But my co-workers are great, the managers are amazing and being indoors is excellent too! Work-wise, everything is dandy and with the exception of a promotion, I can see myself at AKL for a while.

Jon and Shanelle just visited from Nashville. I always love seeing them. We had a fun, but much too fast 3 days together. We celebrated Jon's 25th Birthday at Hollywood Studios with a mini surprise party. We even got VIP seating at Fantasmic, the view was just about the same as anywhere else but it was just nice to have reserved seats and lots of space!

Anyhow, the MTV Video Music Awards are on tonight and friends are coming over, so until next time. =)

Friday, July 23, 2010

The one with my Pink Palace

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I can't believe I have lived in my new place for almost 5 months and not shown you! I did a whole spread on my crappy room in Kissimme and now I am in love with my room and I don't post it at all? That's just not right! So, without further ado....

Welcome to My room:
 I painted 1 wall in my room "Rasberry Splash". Until I left for college, I lived in a room with blue and beige walls. And I won't submit my future (and hopefully not imaginary) husband to living with pink walls, so essentially, I saw this as the one opportunity in life to have a pink room and I seized it!

I am also a fan of Tiffany Blue, so you can see splashes of that in there as well. This is not a complete tour of my room, I can't give you the complete run down of where everything is (like the pricless art and jewelry) because it's just not safe! lol I am kidding, my closet and desk just aren't that interesting...

On a different note, I am 3 days into my job at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It's too soon to tell if I will like it so I will refrain from making any snap judgments. It's stupid because I enjoy being in the A/C but I miss the outdoors. And I enjoy not being rejected by guests but I am stressing over messing up their reservation now. It is kind of fun when I look out the window and see a giraffe just hanging out. I imagine people that work at a Zoo feel like this all the time. But to look up from my computer and see a giraffe is just so crazy!

Until next time,
Allie B

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The one about the Sexy-Accent-Kind

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My days in research are officially over and somehow it doesn't feel real. I am expecting to wake up tomorrow and go to Epcot, pick up my strat and a tablet and go survey people again. I miss the people already and I know I will miss the freedom to wander around the parks. But for now, I am enjoying the A/C and meeting new people!

Yesterday, I had a resort tour of Animal Kingdom Lodge which consists of the Jambo House (which is the main lodge) and Kidani Village (which is the Disney Vacation Club resort and the lobby is WAY small). I will be working at both, I think. It was a quick resort tour and I was the only concierge in the small group. I met 2 guys that will be doing Front Desk, so I assume I will be working with them for the first month at least because my first month is at Front Desk. I like making new friends =)

Today was awesome for so many reasons. It was Day 1 (of 4) of a class called "First Impressions" which is required for Concierge and Front Desk cast members so it was a big group of people who will be working at all different resorts.

First of all, I think I was the last person to arrive and I was still 10 minutes early and then I figured out why...every single person in the class, except me, is on the International College Program and therefor had to take the bus and therefor they all arrived at the same time. I was also the only American in the class. Which was a feeling I've never experienced before but I didn't mind AT ALL because the entire class was from either Australasia or New Zealand. In case you aren't aware, Australians and New Zealanders (is that right?) have just as awesome accents as people from England. Although, I was informed today that technically, in that room I am the only one with an accent lol. Tis true I suppose. Anyhow, I picked the first chair I could find and resolved to try to blend in. Soooo did not happen!!! The first thing someone said to me at break time, "So, you're the only one from the states, eh? Must feel like a foreigner in your own country!" Up until this point, despite the group introductions and my complete lack of a sexy accent in my "Hi I am Allie", I was hoping it wasn't that noticeable that I was the only one from America. I was wrong.

We were given an hour and a half lunch, and having made no progress with the sexy-accent-kind and not wanting to fumble through a lunch with them, I was like, hmmm let's go over to MK and see my research friends!! (I am having withdrawals afterall and I can make progress with the others later). To my luck, I found Katy and had the most perfect lunch just like the good ol' days one week ago.

Lunch with Katy must have been the perfect refresher because immediately when I got back, one of the New Zealanders started talking to me!! ::insert excited face here:: He was so nice and I felt like FINALLY I am not a social outcast of the group! Normally, I would just strike up a convo with them, no biggie. But from the beginning, they all knew each other and they made fun of Americans a lot so it was a little intimidating. (They also all look like they are some English soap opera, but their TV is apparently so much better than ours they probably don't have soap operas.) I tried to smile at everyone so they knew I was nice, and didn't take offense to the fact that they picked on Americans a lot, and I guess it paid off because at our next break I talked to 4 more of the sexy-accent-kind!! If I ever become friends with them on Facebook, I pray they do not find this blog. (Although, I guess if we become friends mates, we'd have a good laugh over it.)

I am thoroughly looking forward to my next 3 days of training with them, especially since I fully plan on brushing up on my Australian/New Zealand geography tonight so I don't look like a complete fool and/or arrogant American who doesn't know about any country other than their own (which is another thing they discussed). I am also going to see if I can sneak in the words/phrases "dontchya know", "pop", "out and about" and every other stereotypical midwestern saying just for the heck of it and see if I get any puzzled looks. They already picked on the fact that Americans say "What's Up?" and apparently we pronounce Pokemon weird too (We say poke-E-mon, they say poke-eh-mon, I am not the greatest at phonetics but I am thinking you get my point. We emphasis the E, they do not.) I am excited to learn what else they think about Americans! I will report back!

Bonus Features:
1.) I will fall instantly in love with anyone who realizes that I am wearing tiny old-fashioned key earrings because as Front Desk Hostess for a month, it will be my job to hand out room keys. If anyone makes this connection, I will love them forever. If you are reading this (and aren't a stalker), I already love you, so don't worry when I say you do not qualify because I already told you story behind my earrings lol
2) My dog died. I don't want to be a downer, but she deserves some recognition for her passing. I took this picture of her last Christmas (hence the snow village in the back). Her name is Buffy, I named her in like 5th grade when I was obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am not gonna cry because she is gone, I am lucky to have had a great dog for 14 years, especially one that protected me from vampires =)


Until next time,
Allie B

Friday, June 25, 2010

The one about June 2010

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June is almost over and somehow I managed to not blog at all despite the fact that a lot has been going on! The biggest news is that I am switching jobs at Disney, thus diversifying myself in preparation for when I take over the company in like 2040 =). When you talk to managers and other higher-ups here at Disney, they will give you a whole list of different roles they've had throughout their Disney career. Now I am on my 3rd role (Merchandise, Research, now Concierge) and I'm sure it will not be my last. I am very excited about my new role as a Concierge at Animal Kingdom Lodge for several reasons....

Reason #1: Yeah, I'll be working there. Cool, huh?

Reason #2: Air Conditioning! This can be seen as a pro and a con.... mostly a pro but pretty sure I've sweated off like 5 pounds so far this summer. Now I might actually have to work out again when I have an indoor job.

Reason #3: I don't have to survey people anymore! Woohooo. No more "May I have your zip code please?"

Reason #4: I get to help people and make magic much more than I could in research.

All in all, I think this will be a good change for me. I am a little hesitant to venture out of the theme parks. I especially liked the fact that I worked in all 4 theme parks in Research, but I think I will actually be able to enjoy the theme parks again when I don't think of them as my place of work.

In other news, I signed my lease at my apartment for another year so it looks like I'll be a Floridian for another year at least. Obviously, things can change, but it is a good indicator of me staying put. If I applied for and got a job elsewhere that paid well, I'd leave in a heartbeat but the chances of that happening look pretty bleak.

Bonus Features:
1) My little sister, Elise, got engaged! I am very happy for her and have little to no jealousy over the fact that she is younger than me and engaged haha. Her now fiance went with us to Las Vegas and he seems like a cool guy and he fit in great with the family. The count for weddings I cannot miss in 2011 is now up to 3.
2) I so did NOT cry at the end of Toy Story 3, maybe I am more cold and heartless than I thought?? lol
3) I saw Jordin Sparks in concert (see other blog)
4) I bought the new Miley Cyrus CD and am not that impressed.  It's good but not like WOW.
    Jordin Sparks' Battlefield > Miley Cyrus' Can't Be Tamed. Just sayin.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The one with the Finale Madness

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While May means college graduation to many (I graduated 2 years ago, yikes!), for the last 8 years, it's meant the crowning of a new American Idol! (Kelly Clarkson, the first Idol, won her title in September and then they changed it from there on out).

Anyways, normally I'd make a big spectacle of watching the Idol finale with friends. I went through the effort of requesting an early shift in order to ensure I could watch the finale episodes, so one would think I'd make plans to watch it with some friends. But I didn't. So I settle in to watch the antics of Simon's last Idol and what ensued really made me stop and go "hmmm times really are changing." Let me explain.

Although technically I watched the American Idol finale alone in my room, I felt as though I were watching it with several different people due to the marvels of modern technology. Every commercial break I received a phone call (ground breaking technology that phone lol) from someone (usually Emily) with comments about what had just happened. During the show I received and sent commentary text messages to friends watching it at their homes (I counted roughly 100 texts received in the 2 hour time span and countless sent). And I had a real-time discussion of the night's events with my friends Autumn and Drew via Facebook. All of the chatting, texting, calling made the finale way more entertaining and after it was over, I felt like I had experienced the finale with my friends even when some of them were back in Minnesota.

Essentially, when technology bridges the gap from MN to FL and makes it feel practically non-existent and allows me to continue with friendships despite the distance, I can't help but think it's a good thing. It is when technology starts becoming a substitute for actual in-person communication that I will begin to worry. But anyways, I am getting too in depth for my own good and literally just spent the last 20 minutes debating with myself  the future risks of relying too much on technology.

So on that note....lol


The best part of the night though was right after they announced that Lee had won, I called my friend Emily and told her that for her birthday, I bought us 4th row tickets to the American Idols live tour! I was going to wait to tell her on her actual birthday, but with the excitement of Lee winning, the timing was just right!

Anyhow, despite my desire to write more (I have news I am dying to share, but when the time is right!), I must continue onto other things on this wonderful sunny day in Orlando. Thanks for checking in, my friends =)

Monday, May 3, 2010

The One where I'm a Floridian, I guess

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April was a pretty insane month with a lot going on. I've wanted to write about but no time to really do so, my apologies!

First and foremost, I bought a car! And this time I'm keeping it! =) It's a 2007 Saturn Ion and she is a beauty. I named her Marilyn for 2 reasons. 1st, Marilyn is the name of the lovely woman I bought it from and 2nd, the fact that the car is white reminds me Marilyn Monroe so I thought it was fitting. Alfred (the husband) and Marilyn, the couple I bought it from, are the nicest people ever. They had no reason to sell the car other than the fact that they just didn't need it because as a retired couple, they go everywhere together so don't really have a need for 2 cars. So really, it was the ideal situation for me because buying a car from a person can be questionable since lots of times used cars have problems. However, after the last fiasco with the car dealer, I really did not want to buy from a dealer again so I searched high and low for a good deal on a used car and I am fairly certain I found THEE best deal in all of Florida. It's so nice to finally have the whole car situation figured out! Now let's just hope this one runs for a long, long time!

The day I picked up my car was also the day I flew out to Las Vegas for a little family reunion! It was me, my Mom and Step Dad, my sister, my 6 step siblings, my siblings' spouses and my Grandma, so a total of 16 of us and it was technically just the immediate family! My parents didn't allow any grandkids on the trip so it was the first time in at least 10 years that we had all been together without any kids running around. It was a fun but really quick trip! We jam packed all the sight seeing we could into 2 days! The highlight had to be seeing Miranda Lambert in concert. I took the video below when Blake Shelton came out for the finale to sing a little song called Hillbilly Bone.



All in all, things are kind of feeling to start like they are falling into place here in Florida. I'm officially a Florida resident, so says my Florida drivers license, but I will always be a Minnesotan. It was so weird in Vegas because a guy asked us where we were visiting from and my sister said "Minnesota, but she's from Florida" No I'm not!! I'm from Minnesota too! I just happen to be living in Florida! As you can see, I'm still adjusting to the idea that I'm a Floridian. Having yet to survive a Florida summer, I feel as though I cannot rightfully call myself a Floridian just yet, or if I'm even sure I want the title. My mom thinks I'm allergic to Minnesota because my allergies are a lot worse in MN than here, it's an interesting hypothesis.

Speaking of my madre. She made a quick visit here for 3 days to see me and take her death trap convertible back to Minnesota. I was worried the car wouldn't make it back to Minnesota but it did, shockingly! I think the car is a little Christine-esque and prefers my mom and therefor only breaks down in my possession.

Anyhow, I must get going! I start training tomorrow for coordinator and 7am is insanely early so I am going to attempt to go to sleep at a decent hour. Wish me luck.


Bonus Features:
1) I just watched the first episode of the new show Happy Town. It's set in Minnesota (which is the only reason I wanted to see it) but filmed in Canada (which is abundantly obvious to a Minnesotan) and I just gotta say, I love the show portrays Minnesotans as crazy and/or socially awkard. Minnesotans, so poorly understood by the outside world haha
2) I got asked to be a bridesmaid in my friend Shanelle's wedding!! It will be my first time as a bridesmaid and I couldn't be more excited!
3) If you haven't heard by now, Nashville is flooded like mad and I just saw pics of Tami's neighborhood (the neighborhood I lived in while in Nashville) and I cannot believe how high the water is! The entire neighborhood is filled with water at least 4 feet deep. I feel so bad for Tami and everyone else in Nashville. Not gonna lie, kinda glad I'm not dealing with that right now if I still lived there!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The One about my Favorite Hobby

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When you do something BIG, like move, usually it is newsworthy. However, part of the definition of newsworthy is something that is a rare occurrence. So, with that in mind, it should not be news at all that I am moving, again. No joke, I really am moving, but before you go thinking I am too crazy, it's just a move across town!

I lasted 4 LONG MONTHS in Kissimmee, a suburb of Orlando I guess you could call it, the ghetto of Orlando is more like it though. I grew tired of the commute to work really fast. I probably spent about $100 a month in tolls, easily, since there are 2 tolls to and from work. Toll roads are called Tolls because they take a toll on your bank account. It's highway robbery!

Anyhow, the decision to move was not an easy one as my current roommates are as awesome as they get and I felt like moving them would be ditching them, which I did not want to do at all. But with my need-to-buy-a-car deadline approaching fast, I needed to make some changes that would save me money and thus make buying a car more affordable. So by moving closer to work, cutting out the toll roads and my commute by 75%, I will be saving enough to make a huge dent in a monthly car payment.

To top it off, I will be living with my former roommates Becca and Sheena and 2 new roommates Mel and Amber and for that, I am very excited! But wait! It gets better! For the first time in my entire life, I will have a WALK-IN CLOSET!! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I am so excited! I looked at it today and screamed like a little girl on Christmas who got a Barbie playhouse. Built in shelves, so much storage...it's amazing what a walk-in closet can do to improve a girl's mood.

Anyways, I've been moving my stuff over all week and will start living there for real April 1st. It's a great apartment complex pretty much 5 miles from work. Life is going to be so much easier being closer, or at least I'm hoping so! With the 40 minutes a day I'm going to save on drive-time, I might actually get my butt to the gym on a semi-regular basis. Let's hope! Anyhow, time to pack up a few more things and get to bed.

Bonus Features:
1) My computer was freaking out on me again, randomly shutting off for unknown reasons (kind of like my car, lol funny but not really, anyhow...) so I wiped it clean and reinstalled the Operating System (yikes!) and am currently working on restoring music, photos and other documents. Pray it works. It's such a headache!

2) I just checked, my music is SAVED!!!! That's just about the best news all day right there. The bad news is that my play counts on iTunes were erased so now I will have to recreate my top 25 most played which was 2 years in the making of some of my all time faves. The good news is my Top 25 most played will no longer make me cringe because of that one summer I listened to a little too much Miley Cyrus. =)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

The One about Epcot (and other various changes!)

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Today I got 2 pieces of job-related news to wrap my mind around..... Shift bids were this week (that's where everyone in my department re-picks what park they work at and what their days off will be). Being low on the totem pole I don't really get to pick, I'm moreso just told what's left for me to have. Having only ever worked at Magic Kingdom, I clearly hoped that Magic Kingdom is where I would be placed. However, since that is what I wanted I should have known that is not what I would get, because that's just how my life goes you know? lol If you couldn't guess from the title of the blog I got placed at Epcot.



Epcot's Pros:
Closer Parking (at Magic you have to park like on the moon and then take a bus)
Nicer guests (the mood is more relaxed than at Magic and guests are willing to talk more)
Shade (stand under the big ball, avoid the sun, it's that simple)
Wind (their is a wind tunnel created by the big ball, which will come in very handy on a hot summer day)
No interuptions (At magic kingdom, you have 4 parades, numerous marching bands, a flag retreat and goodness knows what else that make talking to guests impossible, Epcot as no such interruptions)

Epcot's Cons:
NO FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know if you realize this but my job is made 100% better by my co-workers and for the most part, they all work at Magic Kingdom! No Jason, No Ariel, No Jordan, No Tracey, No Andrew, No Sarah, No Angela, the list goes on and on. I will miss you, my friends, come visit me. With my luck, the Epcot ball will come loose and roll me over and squash me like the Disney-slave ant that I am. If that happens, please feel free to play Hanson at my funeral.

Also, another con, the cafeteria is like a million miles away. But that could be a con hidden as a pro because it will motivate me to bring my own beverage to lunch and not buy anything, hence it will save me money. (I always bring my own meal, I just usually buy a beverage because fountain pop IS the best! Aren't you glad you know that completely useless fact about me now!?)

I also cannot explain directions at Epcot if my life depended on it. I am usually really good at getting a visual map in my head of any place I go after walking around it 1 time, but not Epcot. Where is soarin you ask? Head that direction and find the next cast member so they can tell you. That will be my answer. lol The closest smoking section? Heck if I know. I can tell you the location of every single smoking section in the Magic Kingdom, the menus of almost every restaurant (quick service and sit down), the food served at every cart in the Magic Kingdom, the location of every bathroom with detailed directions on how to get there no matter where we are currently standing and pretty much anything else you want to know. Basically, I rock the face off of Magic Kingdom and pride myself on knowing it inside and out. Epcot is a mystery to me. I like to tell myself that I need to figure out Epcot like I have figured out Magic Kingdom so that when I am President of Walt Disney World I know all the parks well haha and then I woke up from my dream...

Today I also found out that I did not get the Research Coordinator position that I applied/interviewed for. I interviewed last week and it went really well, I was pleased with how I did and really went into it with the attitude that interviews are always good practice and I had no expectation of actually getting the position. So I was not surprised to hear that I did not get it. I did, however, get relief coordinator! Essentially, whenever one of the coordinators has a day off or calls in sick, the pull a relief coordinator to fill in! So that is exciting and will bring on some new challenges that I can tackle!

So a lot of changes at work and in life but more about the life changes LATER. I am off to bed, gotta get up early tomorrow and open Epcot, go figure!! Until next time...

Bonus Features:
1) Only my Minnesota friends will get this most likely...today I met one of the co-founders of Cub foods! How insanely random, huh? I just saw this old man walking with a Mall of America hat on so I started chatting with him, turns out he started the biggest Grocery store chain in all of Minnesota!
2) Who watches American Idol? This season kinda blows, not going to lie, but I am all about Casey and Lee. Those 2 are probably the only 2 that I would buy a CD of, maybe Crystal. It's just a world of different from last season when I loved the whole top 10 practically.

Friday, March 5, 2010

The One Where Everything Went Wrong

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The title is no exaggeration, everything that could possibly go wrong lately has gone wrong. Let me explain.

If you've followed along, you know that car trouble to me is regular occurrence. So when the car I've been driving (my mom's white convertible) started breaking down AGAIN, I thought to myself, "I really need my own car ASAP!" So I started car shopping. Before you know it I'm at a dealership signing papers for a 2005 Toyota Corolla. I had looked at this car forever online and in a whirlwind of activity at the dealership, it became mine...kinda...see after I drove off and the reality set in, I realized that the car didn't have everything it was advertised as having. No keyless entry, no power seats or power windows and no MP3 hook-up. Shocked at my discovery, I (along with my friend Sam, but it was mostly Sam who did the talking cuz I am a baby) brought it to the attention of the dealership that they falsely advertised their car, to which they responded "Too bad so sad" (I am paraphrasing).

Their rude behavior and deception was too much! On top of it all they were unable to deliver a low APR as promised. So I did what every 24-year-old who is in over their head would do. I called my parents. For days it was a back and forth phone-call marathon between my mom, me and the dealer. The dealer would call and bug me relentlessly at work, my mom would call them to get some answers and I would just cry, all the time, but mostly at the most inconvenient times like at morning work meetings (awesome). The situation was out of control, my mom threatened to get a lawyer and they pretty much laughed in her face. Finally, having reached the end of her rope, she handed the phone to my step-dad. Now, if you have ever met my step-dad or been unlucky enough to make him mad, then you know, this is just not something you do. The dealership had the nerve to imply he was a bad parent by not being there with me when I was there buying a car so it was his fault or something. Insanity!! That, rightfully so, made him really mad, so my step dad said, "You take back the car, give her all of her money back with no fees or I will see you on Monday with my attorney!" And he meant every word and I think the dealership knew it because before you know it they agreed to take back the car and give me all my money back! Hooray!

So after that headache was over it was time for the next one. Since the whole reason I bought a car was due to the fact that the convertible thought it was fun to shut off randomly while in use, I brought her into a Mitsubishi dealer for the diagnosis. $740 later, she runs great (for the time being) and it bought me a little bit more time to shop for cars until my mother takes the car back to Minnesota for another summer.

With the car fiasco behind me, I felt like it was only UP from here but I was wrong, Oh so wrong. I had about 4 days in between the end of car-gate (like watergate but not...lol) and my trip to the ER (say what!?!?) Yes the ER And in that 4 day time span, my computer decided to up and get a virus because my life was getting a tad too easy and that's just not OK I guess but let's get back to the ER story.

The pain started on the Wednesday of my work week (not an actual wednesday, just MY wednesday aka the 3rd day in my work week). It basically felt like cramps but times 100. Seriously. I worked through it but when it came to my Friday night, I was in so much pain. My friends Jon and Shanelle were in town from Nashville (yay!!!)  and Jon was planning on purposing to Shanelle during fireworks at the Magic Kingdom (triple yay!!!) , so despite my pain, I couldn't miss seeing that! It was magical and amazing and she said YES, obviously, but I headed out ASAP!

When I got home I tried to just relax and sleep it off or something, but I was in so much pain it was impossible. I was literally laying in bed just crying because it hurt so much (mostly in my lower back but not my back per-se but the organs located in that general location were clearly not happy for some reason). Fearing I had a kidney infection or that my appendix was going to rupture or something else awful, I went to the Emergency Room. After about 3 hours, a doctor finally saw me for about 5 minutes. He diagnosed me with a bladder infection and told me to come back if I throw-up (kidney infection sign) or if pain on my right side worsens (appendix gone awry sign). Well in the next few days I did throw up and I did feel pain on my right side and I tried to get into a doctor without going to the ER again and I had an appointment and wouldn't you know it? The doctor canceled on me. So I waited it out for another day because I had no other choice and now we are caught up to the present. I am writing this from my sick bed. I attempted to blog earlier on but my nausea was so bad I got dizzy looking at the letters fly across the screen as I typed lol. I had to call into work because I couldn't stand for 5 minutes without getting dizzy and I figured that me fainting while doing a survey isn't so magical so I'm best staying at home. The antibiotics and pain killers seem to be doing their job but I fear that some of the things I've been experiencing (nausea, dizziness, fatigue, etc) is actually because of the meds! So I am waiting until I am back at 100% before I get back to work and the earliest the doc could squeeze me in was Wednesday (like 4 days away!!) So pray that my appendix doesn't explode before then I guess... (really bad joke, I'm sorry, I don't think it will).

lol But to be honest, the severity of my car situation and my health situation, really put life in perspective. What may seem like the end of the world is actually a very manageable problem usually.

If you know me at all, you know I always try to look at the bright side of every situation. With an avalanche of "bad" thrown on me, it has been hard to keep my sunny outlook on life but the amount of friends and family I have had help me through each situation has shown me beyond a shadow of a doubt how many great people I have who care about me. When I didn't have a car for over a week due to car-gate, I didn't miss a day of work due to the help of friends and co-workers who either brought me to work or switched with me so I could ride into work with a roommate who was also working at the Magic Kingdom. My mom, dad, stepmom and step-dad were all there for me the best they could be from Minnesota My roommate Will brought me to and from work AND waited in the ER with me. My roommates Emily and Jessi both let me borrow their cars in a pinch. My co-worker Tracey let me sleep at her place, bought me dinner and brought me to work the next morning. My friends Jon and Shanelle drove me home when the meds I was on made it very dangerous for me drive. And my friend Michelle pretty much did everything under the sun from driving me places, picking me up, sharing her mom with me, letting me stay over, not getting mad that I threw up on the side of her car....lol...gross, I know, and that's just the beginning. I am so lucky to have so many people care about me and I can only hope that I can be there for you guys as much as you've been there for me. So while I still don't have my own car yet and my computer is in the process of backing up files as I type and my body can't decide if it's healthy or sick still, I know everything will eventually work out just fine. And to ALL my friends and family, I love you, thanks for being there.

Bonus Features:

1) On the way to return the car a really funny thing happened. It was raining and the paper temporary license plate the dealer put on the car was falling off because it was completely soaking wet. I knew this already because Michelle, who was following behind me, called to tell me so. But just as I was at the light to turn into the dealer's lot, a nice man in the car next to me on the right started waving at me, he looked all concerned and yelled "Your tag is falling off!!" but, since I didn't have power windows and couldn't reach the window to roll it down, I just waved back and tried to mouth "I know!" but I was smiling because the whole situation was so ironic that I think he thought I didn't hear him right! But I did, and I laughed.

2) This is probably the worst news of all my bad news: My FAVORITE BAND in ALL OF FLORIDA - MARK & JAMES - SPLIT UP! I probably got sick because the news of this was so distressing. I loved going to see them play like whenever possible and not gonna lie, pretty much thought James was the coolest guy ever. Alas, no more. I seriously listen to them (along with the Fray and some Jon McL) every night before bed. I am sad that the last time I saw them play, James was tipsy being socially awkward and I am sad to think about never hearing "Just Because" ever again.

Monday, February 8, 2010

The One with Bizarre Guest Behavior

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I'm not sure what it was about today, February 8th 2010, that was so crazy, but it was definitely a day of out of the ordinary guest behavior today in the Magic Kingdom. Sure, on any given day, I may have one unique encounter with a guest that sticks out for some reason or another, but today was so strange for so many reasons that I just have to share with you. 

First off, to set the stage, I was surveying rides/attractions/shops in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland today. My first stop was the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. As I'm approaching the ride's exit, I notice a VIP tour guide with a couple and their kid in a stroller. You know me, I stare until I can figure out who it is when I see a VIP tour guide with someone. Most of the times it's nobody famous, just someone with money who doesn't want to wait in line, but this time it WAS someone famous! If you read my facebook status already, the surprise is ruined, but it was Nascar driver Jeff Gordon! And it totally made me laugh that he was getting off of the indy speedway and I just watched all of the oblivious people getting off the ride after him and I wanted to be like "Do you realize you just were on a race track with one of the best Nascar drivers EVER?????" But I couldn't do that, OBVIOUSLY. So, while I was supposed to be asking people about their experience on the ride, I just watched Jeff and his wife stroll towards the teacups with their kid and their VIP tour guide in tow. Surprisingly, Jeff was pushing his own kid's stroller versus having the guide do it, which is rare if you ask me. 

Anyhow, my next stop is Space Mountain. Now let me give you a little background. When I am surveying rides, one of the questions we ask is "Why did you give (insert ride name here) a rating of (insert number 0-10) for your likelihood to recommend it to a friend?" 99% of people answer this question with "Because it's fun" or something to that effect. I'm not even kidding you. It doesn't take a genius to predict that people will say Monster's Inc laugh floor is funny or that they like to control the ride at dumbo. So today, when I asked a man in his 20s why he gave Space mountain a rating of 9, I was expecting him to say "Because it's awesome! And it's in the dark!" (the typical Space Mountain answer) But alas, he did not. With a total straight face he pauses, clearly thinking of his answer and begins, "Well, if you look at the ride's history. It opened in 1975 so it's a considerably old rollercoaster compared to other rides at Disney World but even so it is one of the best rides in all of Disney World, which is really saying something. The refurbishments they made too are notable. The ride is smother, the theme fits better with the whole vision of tomorrow..." and before he can say anymore, his girlfriend stops him and goes "It was fun" and I just started laughing because I couldn't help it! He did proceed to tell me more too as I did my best to remember it all. The whole encounter was simply fabulous and hilarious too because even during the longest and most thoughtful space mountain verbatim EVER, I still received the standard answer of "It was fun".

Anyways, as I finish Tomorrowland attractions, it's time to head to Mickey's Star Traders (a store in Tomorrowland). I'm standing there, minding my own business, waiting for guests to come out of the store and this guy walks out of the store looking all mad. (Clearly, I do not intercept that guy I thought to myself.) His little girl, about 3 years old, comes running after him but before she leaves the store, she grabs a bag of candy and continues out the store. They don't pay me enough to stop shoplifting toddlers so I just watch the chaos instead (I know, I'm horrible, right!?). The dad walks the girl back, puts the candy down and yells something at his wife and continues to stand next to me in the doorway for a bit. Then, out of nowhere, the wife comes over and starts yelling "Look what you started! You let her walk out of the store with candy in her hand and now you're checking out those girls! They're little girls you perv!"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

He must be used to this because he just shrugs and goes "They're old enough and I wasn't do anything." It took all of the power in me not to let my jaw drop. It was the most insane couple ever. For the record, the wife was referring to a group of high school girls that were there for a dance competition. (There were huge groups of high school girls all over the park today due to said competition.) But wow, the wife accusing her husband of checking out high school girls, loud enough for the girls to hear it, while her daughter shoplifts was quite something to see. I did my best to look oblivious, and as soon as they weren't looking, I moved to another door haha.

My next stop was the Tea Cups, which I usually hate because I always end up watching the Tea Cups spin round and round and then feel dizzy. I always tell myself to remember NOT to watch them spin, but I always watch and always feel light headed but anyways, I have to of surveyed the teacups like a hundred times now but today was the first day I saw the Queen of Hearts and subsequently the White Rabbit take turns riding the tea cups with guests! I've heard that sometimes Alice will ride with a guest in the morning, but this happened in the afternoon and all my hundreds of times surveying there, I've never seen it happen!! It was fun and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the little girls face light up because she was riding the tea cups with the White Rabbit. So precious. 

Later on, I was waiting for guests to come out of Pinocchio's Village House and a woman walks up to me to ask me a question. She sees my nametage, which says I'm from the "Univ of Minnesota Duluth" and she goes "oooh! We're from Minnesota! Do you know the  Duluth bus joke?" I didn't and told her such and she proceeds to tell me this really corny joke that doesn't translate into writing because it's all about the stereotypical Minnesota accent, but it was fun none the less. I don't think I've ever had a guest tell me a joke before. Sure, I get lots of guests who think they're funny with their quick comebacks, and I laugh politely, but this lady was down right awesome (as are most Minnesotans! =) 

Finally, on my way from It's a Small World to Winnie the Pooh (my last survey to do for the night!!!) I hear this guy yell "Touch me and I will put you down!" Talk like that sticks out like a sore thumb at Disney so I whip my head around to see what's going on and these two grown men are in full on death-stare-mode and yelling at each other for some unknown reason and I'm like frantic- looking around for a manager or ANY other cast member and see NO ONE. So I'm like crap, crap, crap, what do I do if this gets physical!?!? But praise the Lord for wives because two women just step in and the two guys walk away from each other and all is calm again. I then proceeded to find the location of the nearest phone, just for future reference, because I don't want some guy to get punched out as I stand there and go, hmm, sucks to be him. So now I'm prepared for future throw downs but only if they happen right in front of It's a Small World again haha. 

Anyhow, today was a day like no other. I think everyone stayed up to late watching the superbowl or something and it made them crazy. Just a theory lol It's funny because the big event of the day was that Drew Brees, the superbowl MVP, was doing a parade down mainstreet USA and I completely did not care enough to try to go watch it and somehow a bunch excitement seemed to find me anyways.  

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The One Where I Explain Recent Vague Status Updates

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So a lot of things have happened recently that are a big deal but do little to effect my day to day life...if that makes any sense. And sometimes, whatever it happens to be, is all I can think about and somehow finds it's way into an annoyingly vague facebook status.... and I apologize but i can explain.... Sometimes you want to share news with your friends, but when you've accumulated 600 friends from your entire life, it's like, do I really want to conveniently place my life's latest news for all to see on their news feed? Or do I want only the ones who care enough to come read my blog (or call or text me) to know the whole story? And The answers are no and yes respectively. 

So, without any further ado. Let me explain these two from January 27:  
"  Just finished a really annoying chapter. Onto the next one! But first, an interview...kinda..."

This one is about two completely different topics. I don't really care to elaborate on the first half. But the second half is of some interest. I've tried very hard to enjoy my job in Research and have succeeded for the most part, with the help of some great co-workers who make going to work fun for me. However, the job is clearly draining my energy and I dread going to work everyday so I decided to do something about it. I went to casting at Disney World and applied for a transfer to be a Concierge in the Resorts! For now, this has potential to be a perfect role for me because the part I thoroughly enjoy about my current job is the time in-between surveys when I can help answer questions for guests and talk to them as ME instead of someone who is reading questions verbatim like a Disney Robot. The interview went very well but there are not current openings, so I have to be patient and wait for an opening to come up. When an opening occurs, I have to interview for the position still, so I have a ways to go, but it's a start. It might be a month or it could be 6 months before a job opens up, so patience is going to be essential. The concierge role would be a great stepping stone so feel free to pray for an opening for me sooner rather than later!

"  Being unready and ill-equipped is what you have to expect in life. It is the universal predicament. It is your lot as a human being to lack what it takes. Circumstances are seldom right. You never have the capacities, the strength, the wisdom, the virtue you ought to have. You must always do with less than you need in ...a situation vastly different from what you would have chosen"

This quote just really spoke to me because so often in life we make excuses for why we aren't where we want to be, who we want to be with or doing what we want to do. And sometimes you have to stop and realize that if you'd rather make excuses for not going for something then you must not really want to go for it, because if you did, there would be no excuses. You would just do it, even if the circumstances weren't perfect. When you are truly passionate about something, you'll go for it, no matter what.


Yesterday:   

" Hmmm interesting news I'm not quite sure how to process."

 There's no easy way to say this so I'll just get right to it. I found out that my former Uncle passed away yesterday. He couldn't have been more than 45 and he has 3 kids, my cousins, who are all amazing and much too young to lose their Dad. He is technically not my uncle anymore because he was married to my Aunt and they divorced a few years ago but it's sad nonetheless. He was always a cool Uncle and easy to talk to and laugh with. I mostly feel horrible for my cousins and I wish I was home more but I have been seeing less and less of them ever since I went away to college and being at Disney the last year and a half, I've missed quite a few family events with them. So I just pray for my cousins and my Aunt and I hope they are all coping as best as humanly possible.



I don't want to end on a sad note, so here's a good one from January 22: 

"  I can't believe tonight is actually happening!"

Do you know who the 1 person I text more than any other person in the world is? His name is Billie and I can count on one hand the number of friends I have who even KNOW about him and that's because it's an unusual friendship but one that has lasted for approximately 10 years. Remember back in 1999, when we dialed up to the internet using AOL and sleepovers involved spending all night on AIM with your girl friends saying stupid things to boys in chat rooms!? Well I do because that's what me and my friends did! Well I don't even remember how it all started exactly, in some random AOL chat room I presume. I used to lie about who I was in those, because I was scared that there were creepers out there, but I could tell Billie was genuinely just a nice guy from California therefore I felt okay to be honest and that I was just Allie from Minnesota. Billie and I were middle school internet friends that only chatted on AIM and somehow turned it into  High School internet friends who texted every once and a while (since it was the new trend afterall, duh!) and then he was my College internet friend who I would call on my drives back to Duluth from concerts in the cities. Neither of us can explain WHY or HOW we've managed to stay friends for so long, it just happened. I think it helped that it has always been a very platonic relationship in that we both tell each other about our crushes. And after so many years, you forget that you've technically never met the person. So on January 22, Billie was in Orlando with some friends to go to a Magic Game (he's currently in Daytona Beach for an umpire camp) so we finally met, how insane is that?! My friend Michelle went with me just in case Billie turned out to be a weirdo (he's not) and it was like meeting a friend you've known for 10 years, completely comfortable. It's funny because, there aren't many guy friends in my life that have sent me birthday cards every year on my birthday or texted me till I fell asleep in Nashville when I was scared and felt alone in a strange city, but Billie did all that and I'm grateful to have him as a friend! 

 

 Anyways, hopefully I am no longer guilty of "Vaguebooking" as it is called these days because I dutifully explained my vague statuses but on the other hand, sometimes it just seems tacky to wear your heart on your status so I ensure there will be more vague statuses in the future. But as always, you can get pretty much the whole scoop here! (It's not the WHOLE scoop because I have never and will never talk about boys in my blog, because that takes all the fun out of girl talk ;)



Thursday, January 21, 2010

The one with my new casa

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Yay for a new update, right?! Only like a 22 day gap! I wasn't feeling very inspired to write at times then when I was, I had no time!! So instead of writing about my last 22 days, I decided to just show you my life in photos. More fun I think!

New Years Eve 2010!!! It was a Black & White party and we girls had a fun time taking pics, clearly.



Home for Christmas! Only a two weeks late, but whatever! Home sweet home!



Got to see my little brothers, Lucas (L) and Jared (R). They are adorable, I know.


Church with my mom and Sis - nothing feels more like home than a Sunday with family. PS How am I the only one NOT wearing pink!? Everyone take note, history was made and this pic is proof.



Got to see my friends who I love and miss a lot when I'm in Florida! This pic is with Lily (L) and Jenna (R). I love those girls! Christine, Nate and Mike were also there! And I got to spend a whole day with Trisha and a wonderful afternoon with Emily! Sadly I didn't get to see my friends still up in Duluth! Next time, I promise!

Back to life...back to reality...

I took back 2 full suitcases of things from home so I could finally make my room in Florida a little more "me". So here is a tour of my room! We start at the beginning...seriously...here is my door:


 Yes, I did make door decs for me and my roommates (RA for life!)



Is it too much pink!? Hahaha. I really don't think it is. Seriously. It's more white if you ask me.



This is the view from my bed. I am very proud of that bookcase, because I assembled it myself and it was harder than the desk I assembled the week prior. Don't ask me how!



I am even more proud of this collage than I am of the bookcase. I found this quote card (center) and was inspired to make this. The quote says "Good friends are like stars. You may not always see them but you know they are always there." So I printed off pics of some of my closest friends (emphasis on the ones I don't always get to see, like the quote implies) and made this collage. (See yourself!? Autumn, the first pic I took, there was a glare right on your face, but I re-took the pic just so you could see that you're there! Love you!)


And I don't know why I felt compelled to show you what our bathroom looks like, but it's cute and all color coordinated (pink, purple and brown!) so I'm like, sure, why not!? I'd show you the rest of the house but it's not nearly as exciting. We're thinking about painting the walls and decorating, so until that happens, you'll just have to wait in suspense. =)

Anyways, not much else is new! I loved being home, it felt like a real vacation and it was amazing. I miss everyone there so much but the cold weather and scary winter driving was a good reminder as to why I don't think I want to deal with winters like that for my ENTIRE life. So even if I just take a few years break from winter, that's better than nothing.

If this is the only part of my blog you read, you'd know everything that's going on in my life right now:
Work = I'm surviving
Career = always a work in progress, hopefully I'll have news in the coming months
Friends = Fun and much too spread out across the globe
Roommates = I have a new one, Jessi, who I used to work with at the Emporium and is AWESOME!!
Family = Miss them
Faith = Stronger than ever
Concerts = none on the horizon ::picture me, looking very sad right about now::
Boys = let's not go there
Rock Band Talent (Drums) = Decent
Rock Band Talent (Singing) = Laughable

As always, thanks for reading!