Last Week of November

Tuesday, November 18th, 2003
Jeremy and I both had the day off. When we were hired, they gave us 2 free one-day passes to the parks, and one pass to Disney Quest, which was not free for Cast Members. Neither of us had used our passes yet. So we decided that we would spend this day at Disney Quest. We had never been there before.

Jeremy drove us that day. The first place we went was McDonald’s for lunch. Then we went to Downtown Disney, West End. We got there about 2.

Having never been there, and only sorta heard about it, I didn’t really know what to expect. All I knew was it was in a big ol’ building across from the House of Blues, and it had video games or something in it. The first thing you do when you go into this Disney Quest thing is go into an elevator. On one of the walls of the elevator is a big screen where the Genie from Aladdin talks to you about the different areas of Disney Quest.

When we were actually inside the “Interactive Themepark” we were on the 3rd floor. This was the “Create Zone” where you could make stuff then buy it. For example, design your own toy like Sid from Toy Story would have pieced together from other toys. Then after you designed it, you could purchase what you created. They had a couple other things like this; a drawing thing, a music thing.

I had to go to the bathroom, which was on the bottom, so we had to go back down again.

By going down, we found ourselves in the Explore Zone. This was like an Adventureland area. The first game we tried was probably our favorite. It reminded me of the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland. There were a bunch of little cars, about the size of remote control cars that looked like hummers or the jeeps on the Indiana Jones ride. They rode around on an area in the ground that looked like a maze. There was a glass over the maze, and a walk way on top of that, so people could watch the cars driving around. Consoles on kiosks, like arcade video games controlled the vehicles. Inside each of the jeeps was a camera that projected what where the vehicle was going. The inside of the maze looked like an ancient temple, like one from Indiana Jones. The objective of the game was, in a limited amount of time, find as many treasures as you could by driving the car through temple maze, making your way into chambers where treasures were held, as directed by signs, and then leave. Jeremy and I both really enjoyed this game. The only problem with it was the cars didn’t always turn the direction you were turning the wheel at the console.

The next game Jeremy and I tried was not that exciting. It was called the Virtual Jungle Cruise. What that meant was there was a big CGI screen of a Jungle (and the Disney World Castle) in front of us. We sat in an inflatable raft on a big blue cushion of air. We were given oars. When the game started, the screen went back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. We were paddling down river rapids past dinosaurs. The raft moved up and down on the rapids. Every once in awhile, a few drops of water would fall on us. It was interesting, but not terribly exciting. For some reason, I think we did it twice.

Also in the Explore Zone was a Pirates of the Caribbean inspired attraction. What this entailed was us going into a little room. We had to wear earphones, and some sort of thing over our face to make the CGI look 3-D. Inside the room was the helm and bow of a ship. There were a couple cannons on either side. The objective of the game was to, by one person driving the boat, and the other firing the cannons, destroy the other ships in the area, and take over their treasures. Then, at the end defend the treasure you collected against some ghost pirates.

The first time we did it, Jeremy drove and I fired cannons. For some reason, during the first time there was a sea monster in the game. After we were done, the operator came into the room and said that he didn’t turn on all the special effects and let us do it again. For this, he and I switched places. The difference between the 2 times was this time, the boat shook when it was hit by a cannon from another boat. Neither of us thought the difference was that significant.

We then went back upstairs to the Create area. There, we went to the Virtual Space Mountain. That is where one can build their own roller coaster by piecing together parts on a computer screen. You can even pick the setting for your roller coaster. Then, you go to a line and you can “ride” the roller coaster you just built in a flight simulator. The ride was pretty cool. Then, of course, you can buy the video of yourselves riding the ride. This is particularly interesting if you have long hair and are going upside down. It just looks like your hair is flying up for no apparent reason.

We then went into the Score Zone. I think this is where we ended up spending the most time. Here, they have free arcade games. Elaborate games specifically for Disney Quest, or arcade games as old as the technology with monochromatic 2-bit graphics, like Pong, Breakout, and Space Invaders (actually, the Space Invaders one was broken).

After we played those artifacts bit, we went on this ride that was like bumper cars, but not. It was called Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblasters. There is a big ol’ Buzz Lightyear hanging from the ceiling in the corner overlooking the game. You, and a friend, drive around on these little cars in a small space and you have to shoot the other cars with “cannons” that looked like Nerf soccerballs. You drive over a ball, to get it into your car to load and shoot. One person handles the artillery; that was I. The other handles the piloting; that was Jeremy. Supposedly, if you hit another car on certain targeted areas it puts them out of commission temporarily. I don’t know that we either hit or were hit by anyone.

From here, we moved into another area with more of the same but different. It was right about this time Jeremy and I kinda split up. This room had slightly more advanced videogames in it, like Donkey Kong and Q*Bert. Near these were my favorite arcade games, pinball machines. And from there, was everything else you would expect to find in a typical arcade today; combat games, sports, air hockey. Jeremy and I played a racing game; he won. I played a couple of different skateboarding games. They even had a fishing game which was kinda bizarre.

There were a couple of Disney Quest games here too. There was one on the lower level where you had to stand on little platforms and bounce around to make the flippers that appeared on a big ol’ screen in front of you move. There was another game called Ride the Comix. No comix in particular. Just typical comic book heroes and villains that you had to wave a sword around at to kill. The big boss villain sounded like Eartha Kitt. They made us wear this headgear that made me feel like I had cerebral palsy and was very heavy on the front of my face. And we had to wave these sticks around as our swords. It’s a lot funnier to watch people with these big ol’ things on their faces waving sticks around at the air. I didn’t do well in that game, no one did. We also saw one game that was based on Alien Encounter where a couple people have to run around on an alien planet saving people in bubbles or something.

I was starting to not feel too good by this time. Jeremy and I walked around in the building a little bit. We walked past the food counter and the Cheesecake Factory thing.

We eventually went back down into the Explore Zone. Jeremy played the game with the Jeeps. We also played a virtual reality game based on Aladdin and the Cave of Wonders. Didn’t get too far collectively in that game either. I’m not good any video games other than Tetris.

I was getting a little bored by this time. Jeremy had I think hoped to stay all day. I wanted to go outside for a little bit, knowing we could come back.

We started walking down the West End. We decided we would like to go see a movie. We narrowed and narrowed the options of what we could most tolerate watching down. We finally settled on Kill Bill, which I knew a very little bit about. It was an extremely disturbing, and unrealistic movie. About the only thing I liked about it was the anime part. I truly do hate anime since having to put up with Ahmed talking about it incessantly. But I thought it was a clever tool in retelling the story of the Japanese chick. But it was unrealistic. For example, just the fact that if someone has a limb cut off, they spray blood like a sprinkler, that one can keep talking after being scalped, that one woman can take down the entire Japanese mafia, none of whom are armed with weapons more technologically advanced than samurai sword, which is led by a ½ Japanese, ½ Chinese American woman. Anyway, it was just gruesome and disturbing. The worst part was, they couldn’t even tell the whole story in a single movie!

After the movie, we didn’t go back to Disney Quest. It was Monday night, so we went ot PI, just because it was there, it was free, and we could. We didn’t dance or do anything. All we did was go into the Nightmare store there.

We walked back out to the car. There was a little kid screaming in the parking lot about not getting something he wanted. The parents did very little to calm him. Jeremy thought it was funny. For me, it reiterated why I don’t want to have children…possibly ever.

Having a family here, and a boyfriend around, and a full-commitment job, and being in the most distracting place on earth make it difficult to keep up a journal.

What am I going to get that boy for Christmas? He’s not making it easy on me. Every time I ask him about a favorite something, and ask him if that’s what he likes, he says, “No not really.” Having no information what-so-ever makes it extremely difficult to buy for him for Xmas, which I fully intend to do.

Friday, November 21st, 2003
Expiring minds in his family have been as dying to know about me as mine are him (get all that?).


So he e-mailed one of those Steven Tyler pictures with me in them. So now they can not only see who this strange person that has attached himself to him and is whisking him away to CA, but also what she is capable of. (So now I am completely exposed).

He told his mom I was a talented artist (even without knowing I heard him, so I know he wasn't humoring me; he'd say I need more confidence).

His mom says not only am I cute, but I am a great painter who is going to be famous and make a lot of money. (Guess she's never heard of the term "Starving Artist." Of course, it makes it worse when you are also a "Starving Student").

Monday, November 24th, 2003
This is the only day off I have this horrible 6-day, 59 hour-week. (Grrr…) Jeremy managed to get the day off too, somehow.

Jeremy and I decided to go on a driving trip today.

In 9 more days I’m going to see Kiss and Aerosmith! I’m so excited.

Back in September, I asked everyone, including Jeremy, who I’d barely known at the time, if they were interested in going to the concert. I was greeted with “Yes, but…” or “No.” So I figured I would go by myself. No big deal, not as much fun either. He later found out that I couldn’t get anyone to go with me. So he suddenly wanted to go with me. This I knew would be a challenge, since I wasn’t sure on the availability of tickets at this point. I knew for sure, if I got him a ticket, the assigned seat would not be anywhere near mine. But maybe in the cheap seats no one would be looking that carefully.

So today, we drove Tampa. I had no idea where we were going. But I thought if I went into downtown, we could “figure it out when we get there.” (Famous last words for me).

We actually managed to find the arena without any trouble. It’s right on the water. I didn’t realize how close it was to the Florida Aquarium, one of the places I went last year. (It’s a nice deviation from the usual Floridian themepark tourist trap crap). What we did have trouble with was parking. It took us forever to find any that was close by and free. We found a Publix grocery store in driving around. We remembered where it was and said we would park there for the concert.

When we got out, we walked along the water to the arena. We went to the box office and asked them about tickets. I failed to bring my ticket with me to see if there were any seats still available close by there. The lady at the box office said only in person could they specifically give a seat. Jeremy still was looking to find the funds, and undecided about going. I would be willing to sit in a seat that was not a good as the one I got to be with Jeremy. I hope he can go.

In trying to find parking, we found a shopping center with a Hooters in it called Channelside. We walked over there, and found that the Hooters was not open yet. We were both disappointed about that. We walked through Channelside a little bit. He and I were pretty hungry by that time. We went into a restaurant that was completely empty, and more expensive than we thought. We shared an order of Buffalo wings.

We left soon after. It was getting dark. We tried to get back onto the freeway. But somewhere along the way, I missed the turn to the freeway and we ended up driving through the ghetto part of Tampa. That was a little disturbing. We did finally manage to get out of there.

I had figured since we were so close, I wanted to see Lucy. We called her up on the cell phone and she gave us directions to her house in Valrico. I thought I got lost on the city streets on the way. But it turned out I just didn’t go far enough.

It was about seven by the time we got to her house. She was very glad to see us. We talked for a little bit at her house. She then invited us out to dinner. We followed her to a new little Greek place by her house. It was pretty good.

Lucy said she liked Jeremy and that he seemed like a very nice boy. And Jeremy said he thought Lucy was pretty cool.

From the restaurant, we followed Lucy down a bunch of dark residential roads that eventually came out by a McDonald’s and a gas station. Right by this was the entrance to I-4. She pulled off, and we went on our way.

On the way back to Disney, we stopped and got gas at a Love’s and went to the bathroom.

Getting back to familiar territory took a lot less time than I thought. Before I knew it, we could see the overabundant searchlights from PI, and soon after that, we came up on the big Mickey Mouse head power line tower.

In 3 months from today I will be of legal drinking/gambling age! (Now we're really in trouble...).


Tuesday, November 25th, 2003
I was on Fry Cart register for the first half of today. I thought I was going to spontaneously combust. I had an incredible headache.

When I got fry cart assignment this morning to open it, I was told, “We’ve made some changes in there. Just a little cosmetic change. You’ll see what I mean when you get in there.” (I already don’t like the sound of this). Somebody had the brilliant idea to switch the machine that drops the frozen fries into the little frying baskets with one of the refrigerators that keeps milk and bottled water.

So, rather than going basket, oil, heat lamp/salt, and then back around to the front of the line, and keeping the fridge right behind the cashier so all they have to do is turn around and grab it out from behind them. Instead, it goes, back around from the baskets to the oil, then the lamp, then back to the basket. The idea is that is supposedly, it’s a smoother motion, and it gets less grease on the floor, which it really doesn’t matter. No one likes it.

I hate the holidays. I hate tourists. I hate how they seem to be intentionally running me ragged; I have not talked to anyone else with as many hours as I’ve got. I’m so bloody tired!

In addition to all this crap, I was trying to register for classes over the internet. Not only can I not register for classes, I can’t even look at the bloody course catalogue! I love it when people improve things! I tried to call the school to have them manually get me into classes. But it’s not helpful when you don’t have any course or section numbers, and don’t even know what you want. Plus it seems like everything I asked for was full. Stupid San Jose State!

The GT’s are whiny. I called them up, and asked them for one kind of change. They didn’t bring it. So I called them again. When they came back, she started complaining about how she’s not coming back out there again. Stupid bitch! It's your job! You should have done it right the first time. I’m sorry for interrupting your cigarette break.

Man, I have to come back tomorrow morning at 10:45 and do this all over again, only worse.

Creative inspiration struck me last night and I wanted to paint. But I couldn’t because I didn’t have any gesso. So I couldn’t paint/draw on the surface I brought back in September. I can’t believe it! I brought my whole art career with me 3000 miles, barely touched it, and now I can’t use it.

I'll try and cheer up. After I get back to work, I'll only have 3.5 more hours left to work. *Whimper!*

I look at it this way, after today, it will be only 37 hours and 15 minutes left in the week (nevermind that that is more than what I work in a typical week). Well, I will have the money for...for... what's the point of all this money again? Oh! I know what I will have the money for. To wave that approximately $250 paycheck in front of Jeremy's nose when he's only getting less than $100. (I think I'll take a picture; it will last longer)

*Sigh!* Back to work!

Wednesday, November 26th, 2003
Today was a hellacious day. I'm not sure which was worse, my almost-11-hr shift, or yesterday. It started off where someone decided I was competent enough to train someone (who, me?). So I trained this older lady named Andrea. All we did was not bus all day. (That is, it was so busy we couldn't wipe down any tables).

I was supposed to train for 3 hours. 5:30, (more than 3 hours later) I finally went back and asked when I was getting my break. I was told "I'm on the top of the list." I figured yeah right, he's probably just saying that to make me shut up. A little while later, I saw someone looking to give someone else a break, and it wasn't me. At 6:30, I asked again, "When am I getting my break?" "Didn't you already get it?" (Yeah, I just love coming back here and bugging you to see if I can trick you into giving me another break because it’s part of my slackerish nature). So he gave me my break. The best part about training (of course they would’ve done this since they gave me my break so late anyway) is you get free food.

When we came back, Andrea only had to work for 1 hour, and I had to work 2, in that time, we worked in 3 different places. I felt really bad for her, having this happen on the first day. I don't know what I would've thought had I had my break after working for 6 hours on my first day.

Thursday, November 27th, 2003
I'm not looking forward to today, and I'm especially not looking forward to the day after. The day after is the 2nd busiest day in Disneyland, preceeded by New Years which I also dread.

It's Thanksgiving. That means that that stupid park is going to be busy as hell. I can hardly wait. Bloody tourists. Don't you have families that you want to be spending your day with?! At least I don't have to work until 12:30 like Jeremy...or 2:30 like Jeremy a few days next week for the Mickey's Not-So-Merry Christmas party (or whatever it is).

How many more hellacious days in my week? 3 hellacious ones, 4 days total. Then I get time off! Then I get to go watch Steven Tyler wiggle his butt and Joe Perry wail on a guitar.

I think I am going to get Jeremy airline gift certificates. Now I just gotta make my way over to the airport.

Back to when my parents came
Forward to the beginning of December
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