Following Up

After some time away from the blogosphere, I figure I owe anybody still reading this an update on subjects from past entries:

Going to Disneyland: I did in fact go to Disneyland with Rick, Kathy, and Dave last October. The boys flew down while Kathy and I drove, making the trip in two days each way. Due to Kathy's careful planning, we managed to see pretty much everything we wanted to see at both Disneyland and California Adventures in the few days we were there. I emerged from the experience exhausted and slightly sunburned, but otherwise unscathed.

Disneyland was every bit as surreal as I was expecting, but it surprised me by feeling more magical than disturbing. The editor in me particularly appreciated the attention to detail in the way everything from light fixtures to bathrooms reflected the theme of the surrounding area, often in clever ways. My foodie side found plenty of well-prepared and interesting things to eat, though I suspect this was because Kathy knew where to look. I was also pleasantly surprised to find Disneyland includes several very talented wandering musical groups, who frequently entertained me while the others were off riding "scary" rides (meaning anything that could trouble a motion-sick three-year-old). And I even enjoyed most of the rides I dared go on, particularly the Peter Pan one, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and the Haunted Mansion, which was done up with a Nightmare Before Christmas theme, including gigantic jack-o'-lantern-headed snow angels that freaked me out just a little.

Really, the only things that annoyed me about Disneyland were the unavoidable: it takes too long to get there (or requires flying), lots of other people go there too, and that big, shiny thing in the sky makes it too hot and bright for this Seattle girl. I strongly suspect I'll be back, particularly since Derek's mom has promised him he can go when he's five, which will happen next December.

Shakti is a Good Girl: Most of you know by now that Rick and I lost our good girl to chronic renal failure in February. There are no words to say how much we all still miss her--though Morgana tries daily to invent them, and comes closer than I can with her mournful yows. I am glad my blog is there to celebrate and remind us what a good girl Shakti was.

The Girl Who Ate Eggplant: Not unlike my blog, this project started with more energy than it got later on. I did discover that savoy cabbage is good if braised in the juices of nicely roasted meat, though I seriously doubt I will ever cook well enough to duplicate this feat. I also found a cauliflower dish I liked all right; apparently if you smother the stuff in garlicky alfredo sauce and melted cheese, thereby chucking it clean out of the vegetable food group, it will taste fine. Several vegan curries taste good but do bad things to my digestion, so that's a wash. And I fully admit I never really gave eggplant and oranges a fair try.

The one big success in all this was finding the right brand of brown rice pasta: Tinkyada, available at PCC stores or online. It doesn't work well cold, so it's no good for pasta or macaroni salads. But its mouth-feel is surprisingly good if it's hot or even reheated, and I like it well enough to replace all the wheat pasta in the house. Now wheat-allergic Rick and I can eat pasta together again, and I can feel less guilty about it.

Now that you're no longer in suspense about how the Disneyland and food-appreciation experiments turned out, I can return you to the suspense of wondering when, if ever, I'll get around to posting more blog entries :)

The Best Disneyland Ride Ever

Aunt Beverly: When we went to Disneyland--

Derek: Me too! I goed to Disneyland!

Aunt Beverly: You did?

Derek: Uh huh. I tell you the best ride ever?

Aunt Beverly: Okay.

Derek: First you get in the boat and you go up all the way of a big mountain. And after that, inside the mountain are lots of animals.

Aunt Beverly: Real ones?

Derek: No, pretend ones.

Aunt Beverly: And they sing songs?

Derek: No, they try to bite you. But I hit them with my brother's baseball bat and they ran away.

Aunt Beverly: I guess it's lucky you were there, then.

Derek: Uh huh. And after that, you go down a big slide into the water.

Aunt Beverly: Does it splash you?

Derek: Yeah, all over you with water. And after that, you go up another big mountain and into a dinosaur's mouth.

Aunt Beverly: Really? What's it like inside a dinosaur?

Derek: It's ucky. You get oil all over you.

Aunt Beverly: That doesn't sound very nice.

Derek: No, it's ucky. And after that, you go down a big slide and out him's tail.

Aunt Beverly: He has a hole in his tail?

Derek: No, in his butt. It's ucky. And after that, you go through a big volcano, and you get lava all over you. But you don't die because it's pretend lava.

Aunt Beverly: What's it made out of?

Derek: Water. And after that, Chewbacca comes and you go in his spaceship and fight Darth Vader.

Aunt Beverly: How do you fight him?

Derek: With your thing like this. [Makes slashing moves.]

Aunt Beverly: With your lightsaber?

Derek: Yeah. And after that, after you die him, Chewbacca takes you to Mickey's house.

Aunt Beverly: Oh, dear. I bet Mickey doesn't like having lots of ucky, oily people in his house.

Derek: And after that, you take off all your clothes and take a bath. And after that, Mickey gives you new clothes and makes you dinner.

Aunt Beverly: That sounds nice. What do you have for dinner?

Derek: Ice cream.

Aunt Beverly: Really? What kind?

Derek: Chocolate. And any flavor.

Aunt Beverly: So, two scoops then.

Derek: Uh huh. And after that Buzz Lightyear comes and you go in his spaceship way up in the sky. And after that, the aliens come and you shoot them with your blaster.

Aunt Beverly: Sounds like you really get your money's worth on this ride.

Derek: Uh huh. And after that, you land in the parking lot and after that, you go home.

Aunt Beverly: What did you say this ride was called?

Derek: Disneyland Magic Kingdom Ride.

Aunt Beverly: I don't remember seeing that one when I went to Disneyland last year.

Derek: Oh, I saw it a long time ago.

Aunt Beverly: You're four years old. It can't have been all that long ago.

Derek: It was when I was a baby. That's why I can't remember it.