Morris Day and The Time
That's what Time It Is!
I was extremely fortunate to be able to see Morris Day and The Time last night at the Furniture Market in High Point. My brother's girlfriend worked at Market and had a pass to get into the show. Erica and I enjoyed the food and the music.
Morris was in great form--the pimp from North Minneapolis rocked the stage and kept the crowd moving all evening. I took some pictures, which came out fuzzy, and a lot of clips of the show. Check my YouTube account as I upload the videos.
I was great to see Jellybean and Monte (the other original members of The Time) and the guitar and bass player really helped move the show along and kept the audience pumped.
Morris Day and The Time start the show with Skillet from the album Pandemonium.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Early Disney Photo's
(for me, anyway)
In May of 1994, my wife and I made our first trip to Walt Disney World. It was my first trip and her 6th or 7th. My memories of planning the trip were simply thinking about going to Disney and reading the Official and Unofficial guides to WDW. The Sehlinger book was a little more daunting to me. I was really not familiar with anything in Orlando and relied on the guidebooks to give me all of the information. Since the Official guide had pictures, I have always had a soft spot for it and still recommend it to newbies.
My wife handled most of the arrangements for the trip. She booked it with the travel agent and kept up with most of the details. Most of that has flipped. We make the decisions together, but I handle all of the bookings and other travel related chores.
It had been a lifelong dream to visit WDW since I was about four or five. I remember that a friend came back from a family vacation to WDW and had viewmaster slides of the vacation kingdom. I remember the exact moment I saw the slide for the Haunted Mansion and thought how amazing it would be to see it. It would literally haunt me for the next 20 years. We had friends that moved to Florida (can't remember where) and my parents always regretted not taking us. Me, I'm not so sure. Without any planning, visiting WDW between 1982 and 1986 might have caused us not to enjoy the vacation and therefore, not instilled a love for the theme park.
But back to the 1994 trip. We were both sort of inexperienced and we weren't sure what to think. We stayed at the Port Orleans (when it was just Port Orleans) and we really enjoyed the food court and the sit-down restaurant (hey Andy, want some strawberries and cream?). To us, the rooms were amazing and the grounds/theming were meticulous.
Our first thing after checking in was to drive to the Magic Kingdom. We had a rental car and it was about 3:00 in the afternoon. As we were pulling out of the Port Orleans resort, the sign said "All Guest Areas" with an arrow pointing left. Well, being a guy, I knew we hadn't seen the Magic Kingdom during our drive to the resort, so it must be to the right. We drove past the security at Ft. Wilderness, under the water bridge at the Contemporary and suddenly noticed that we were behind Space Mountain. Teresa exclaimed that she had never parked behind Space Mountain before and that maybe we should turn around. We did. It only took us a few extra minutes to get there.
After parking and riding the ferry (which was recommended for the first time visitor--one of the guidebooks), we entered the Magic Kingdom. It was awe-inspiring. We were both starving and had dinner reservations for the Liberty Tree Tavern at about 5:00. So, we got popcorn and ate it while strolling down Main St. USA and into Liberty Square. I do remember being amazed and excited about finally being there. Teresa did mention how my excitement was contagious. We didn't ride anything. I wanted my very first ride to be the Haunted Mansion.
We ate at the Liberty Tree Tavern and we both agree that it was a perfect meal that has not been replicated since. We still talk about the fried cheese platter that Teresa got as an appetizer. They have changed the menu since then and each succeeding visit has paled in comparison. Our experiences at the Tavern have gone downhill.
After the meal, we walked across to the Haunted Mansion and got in line. I have to admit, the ride was phenomenal. It is still one of my favorites. Splash Mountain, the Haunted Mansion and MuppetVision 3D are the big three for me to this day.
The only other things I remember about that first day:
I was inspired to write this post from a couple of other blogs that I read (i.e., devour) whenever there is a posting (in no particular order):
They have been sharing stories, old photo's and really cool posts about the Disney theme parks. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Also, I thought it would be fun to reminisce and talk about where my fascination started.
(for me, anyway)
In May of 1994, my wife and I made our first trip to Walt Disney World. It was my first trip and her 6th or 7th. My memories of planning the trip were simply thinking about going to Disney and reading the Official and Unofficial guides to WDW. The Sehlinger book was a little more daunting to me. I was really not familiar with anything in Orlando and relied on the guidebooks to give me all of the information. Since the Official guide had pictures, I have always had a soft spot for it and still recommend it to newbies.
My wife handled most of the arrangements for the trip. She booked it with the travel agent and kept up with most of the details. Most of that has flipped. We make the decisions together, but I handle all of the bookings and other travel related chores.It had been a lifelong dream to visit WDW since I was about four or five. I remember that a friend came back from a family vacation to WDW and had viewmaster slides of the vacation kingdom. I remember the exact moment I saw the slide for the Haunted Mansion and thought how amazing it would be to see it. It would literally haunt me for the next 20 years. We had friends that moved to Florida (can't remember where) and my parents always regretted not taking us. Me, I'm not so sure. Without any planning, visiting WDW between 1982 and 1986 might have caused us not to enjoy the vacation and therefore, not instilled a love for the theme park.
But back to the 1994 trip. We were both sort of inexperienced and we weren't sure what to think. We stayed at the Port Orleans (when it was just Port Orleans) and we really enjoyed the food court and the sit-down restaurant (hey Andy, want some strawberries and cream?). To us, the rooms were amazing and the grounds/theming were meticulous.Our first thing after checking in was to drive to the Magic Kingdom. We had a rental car and it was about 3:00 in the afternoon. As we were pulling out of the Port Orleans resort, the sign said "All Guest Areas" with an arrow pointing left. Well, being a guy, I knew we hadn't seen the Magic Kingdom during our drive to the resort, so it must be to the right. We drove past the security at Ft. Wilderness, under the water bridge at the Contemporary and suddenly noticed that we were behind Space Mountain. Teresa exclaimed that she had never parked behind Space Mountain before and that maybe we should turn around. We did. It only took us a few extra minutes to get there.
After parking and riding the ferry (which was recommended for the first time visitor--one of the guidebooks), we entered the Magic Kingdom. It was awe-inspiring. We were both starving and had dinner reservations for the Liberty Tree Tavern at about 5:00. So, we got popcorn and ate it while strolling down Main St. USA and into Liberty Square. I do remember being amazed and excited about finally being there. Teresa did mention how my excitement was contagious. We didn't ride anything. I wanted my very first ride to be the Haunted Mansion.
We ate at the Liberty Tree Tavern and we both agree that it was a perfect meal that has not been replicated since. We still talk about the fried cheese platter that Teresa got as an appetizer. They have changed the menu since then and each succeeding visit has paled in comparison. Our experiences at the Tavern have gone downhill.After the meal, we walked across to the Haunted Mansion and got in line. I have to admit, the ride was phenomenal. It is still one of my favorites. Splash Mountain, the Haunted Mansion and MuppetVision 3D are the big three for me to this day.
The only other things I remember about that first day:
- getting caught in the horrible exodus from the Magic Kingdom. I know that it must have taken us a good hour to get back to the hotel,
- ordering pizza from the Sassagoula Express and confusing the operator by ordering a cheese pizza with cheddar cheese (and getting one with only cheddar--no mozzarella), and
- being overwhelmed and thrilled at the same time.
I was inspired to write this post from a couple of other blogs that I read (i.e., devour) whenever there is a posting (in no particular order):
They have been sharing stories, old photo's and really cool posts about the Disney theme parks. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Also, I thought it would be fun to reminisce and talk about where my fascination started.
Monday, March 12, 2007
"I finally see the light; I've opened my eyes."
Brad Delp, lead singer of Boston, passed away on Friday, March 9th.
My cousin, Cheryl, introduced me to Boston in 1986 when Third Stage was released. At this time, I was still purchasing records and most of my music ran towards Prince and his musical family. I know Cheryl was trying to get me to listen to other artists and I thank her for all of the albums that she bought me. She always had great taste in gift-giving.
Boston is one of my super groups. Almost everything they did, I loved. There are very few bands in this list: Prince, Jellyfish and Boston.
What drew me to Boston? The sound.
Simply, it was mind blowing. Tom Scholz 's writing and recording techniques were flawless. Each of the three albums done with Brad singing were amazing. The harmonies, guitar leads, bass and drums...inspiring.
I realized that it has taken me over a week to write this post. How do you share something as personal as music? Especially if you haven't experienced Boston. Boston is not a heavy metal band. Definitely rock-n-roll with very pop influences.
I want to look at each album. I'll start with my first.
Third Stage (1986)
Amanda--a love song. Many Boston songs were about love. Whether they were as open as this one, you would have to listen for yourself. It is a more mature love song and deals more with a relationship than with just being in love.
We're Ready--Scholz said that Third Stage was meant to be listened to in order. This song continues what started in Amanda. Moving on and taking it to the next level.
The Launch: Countdown/Ignition/Third Stage Separation--the longest title with the shortest song. Boston's signature instrumental. Amazingly heavy keyboards/organs. Very arena rock.
Cool the Engines--the most reminiscent of the first Boston album with the signature guitar sound.
My Destination--simplistic. Brad singing, keyboards and drums at the end.
A New World--it does feel like we've landed. Great instrumental. Powerful
To Be a Man--the answer to "A Man I'll Never Be" from Don't Look Back. I still worship this song and try to hold it close to my heart. Search for the lyrics and ruminate on them.
I Think I like It--big guitar and even bigger vocals. This song has the tightest vocal harmonies and one of the first "ear-gasm" moments I can truly remember: the final chorus. Nuff said. Probably one of Brad's best vocal works.
Cant'cha Say (you Believe in Me)--Great harmonies, great chorus and great build-up after the first verse.
Hollyann--can you say power ballad? Real honest to goodness power ballad! This has some soaring guitar and vocal work on it. Great way to end an album. Love through the ages.
Overall, a very impressive album. This is one of my perfect albums. Every song is great and could stand on its own. The weakest song is till better than most songs on other albums.
Brad, you will be missed.
Brad Delp, lead singer of Boston, passed away on Friday, March 9th.
My cousin, Cheryl, introduced me to Boston in 1986 when Third Stage was released. At this time, I was still purchasing records and most of my music ran towards Prince and his musical family. I know Cheryl was trying to get me to listen to other artists and I thank her for all of the albums that she bought me. She always had great taste in gift-giving.
Boston is one of my super groups. Almost everything they did, I loved. There are very few bands in this list: Prince, Jellyfish and Boston.
What drew me to Boston? The sound.
Simply, it was mind blowing. Tom Scholz 's writing and recording techniques were flawless. Each of the three albums done with Brad singing were amazing. The harmonies, guitar leads, bass and drums...inspiring.
I realized that it has taken me over a week to write this post. How do you share something as personal as music? Especially if you haven't experienced Boston. Boston is not a heavy metal band. Definitely rock-n-roll with very pop influences.
I want to look at each album. I'll start with my first.
Third Stage (1986)
Amanda--a love song. Many Boston songs were about love. Whether they were as open as this one, you would have to listen for yourself. It is a more mature love song and deals more with a relationship than with just being in love.
We're Ready--Scholz said that Third Stage was meant to be listened to in order. This song continues what started in Amanda. Moving on and taking it to the next level.
The Launch: Countdown/Ignition/Third Stage Separation--the longest title with the shortest song. Boston's signature instrumental. Amazingly heavy keyboards/organs. Very arena rock.
Cool the Engines--the most reminiscent of the first Boston album with the signature guitar sound.
My Destination--simplistic. Brad singing, keyboards and drums at the end.
A New World--it does feel like we've landed. Great instrumental. Powerful
To Be a Man--the answer to "A Man I'll Never Be" from Don't Look Back. I still worship this song and try to hold it close to my heart. Search for the lyrics and ruminate on them.
I Think I like It--big guitar and even bigger vocals. This song has the tightest vocal harmonies and one of the first "ear-gasm" moments I can truly remember: the final chorus. Nuff said. Probably one of Brad's best vocal works.
Cant'cha Say (you Believe in Me)--Great harmonies, great chorus and great build-up after the first verse.
Hollyann--can you say power ballad? Real honest to goodness power ballad! This has some soaring guitar and vocal work on it. Great way to end an album. Love through the ages.
Overall, a very impressive album. This is one of my perfect albums. Every song is great and could stand on its own. The weakest song is till better than most songs on other albums.
Brad, you will be missed.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
A Fond Farewell...
Over at the Disney Blog, John Frost has posted about the closing of L'Originale Alfredo Di Roma in the Italy Pavilion at Epcot. He raises some excellent thoughts about why this beloved and cherished restaurant is closing. The biggest? The Disney Dining Plan.
Personally, I experienced this restaurant in 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2001. We didn't visit it in 2004 or 2006 for different reasons. At each dining opportunity, I always ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo, the signature dish. I found it to be absolutely perfect and ruined me for life. (Just like my wife's lasagna.)
We didn't visit the restaurant in 2004 because my mom didn't want to spend a lot of time in restaurants or eating heavy meals (during that May trip, we did eat at Sci-Fi, Prime Time, and Olivia's). When we visited Epcot, we ate at the Electric Umbrella and the Rose & Crown (for my Dad).
In 2006, we did the Dining Plan (DDP). It was just us (me, wife and both kids) and it really wasn't worth it for us. Our kids are very finicky and they had just changed the DDP kid's menus. Honestly, we were shocked. Our first meal was at the Rose & Crown and there was nothing on the menu that either one of our children would eat. I am not kidding. We begged the waitress to make a grilled cheese and they couldn't accommodate us.
The rest of the week, as far as dining was concerned, went very downhill. Sure, we saved money and ate in restaurants we would never have tried. But, we ate way too much and left a lot of food on our plates. We talked about it the whole trip. We looked at the menu and discussed what we would have shared to save money. We decided with the kids, it would have saved so much time and effort to eat all of our meals at counter service locations. Our favorite meal of the trip was at Pinocchio's Village Hause in the Magic Kingdom.
I started this post to commiserate and celebrate Alfredo's. I have digressed, but I always do that when I mention the DDP. Here are some shots of our 2001 visit to Epcot. (the shot at the top of the post is of my mom and dad.)
This is Connery trying to take a nap...or us trying to get him to take a nap.
Here is my youngest brother, Stacy, in front of the fountain.
Connery entertaining himself in the lobby of the restaurant.
Good food, good times. Alfredo's, we will miss you. I do wonder what other restaurants at Epcot might suffer the same fate.
Over at the Disney Blog, John Frost has posted about the closing of L'Originale Alfredo Di Roma in the Italy Pavilion at Epcot. He raises some excellent thoughts about why this beloved and cherished restaurant is closing. The biggest? The Disney Dining Plan.Personally, I experienced this restaurant in 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2001. We didn't visit it in 2004 or 2006 for different reasons. At each dining opportunity, I always ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo, the signature dish. I found it to be absolutely perfect and ruined me for life. (Just like my wife's lasagna.)
We didn't visit the restaurant in 2004 because my mom didn't want to spend a lot of time in restaurants or eating heavy meals (during that May trip, we did eat at Sci-Fi, Prime Time, and Olivia's). When we visited Epcot, we ate at the Electric Umbrella and the Rose & Crown (for my Dad).
In 2006, we did the Dining Plan (DDP). It was just us (me, wife and both kids) and it really wasn't worth it for us. Our kids are very finicky and they had just changed the DDP kid's menus. Honestly, we were shocked. Our first meal was at the Rose & Crown and there was nothing on the menu that either one of our children would eat. I am not kidding. We begged the waitress to make a grilled cheese and they couldn't accommodate us.
The rest of the week, as far as dining was concerned, went very downhill. Sure, we saved money and ate in restaurants we would never have tried. But, we ate way too much and left a lot of food on our plates. We talked about it the whole trip. We looked at the menu and discussed what we would have shared to save money. We decided with the kids, it would have saved so much time and effort to eat all of our meals at counter service locations. Our favorite meal of the trip was at Pinocchio's Village Hause in the Magic Kingdom.
I started this post to commiserate and celebrate Alfredo's. I have digressed, but I always do that when I mention the DDP. Here are some shots of our 2001 visit to Epcot. (the shot at the top of the post is of my mom and dad.)
This is Connery trying to take a nap...or us trying to get him to take a nap.
Here is my youngest brother, Stacy, in front of the fountain.
Connery entertaining himself in the lobby of the restaurant.
Good food, good times. Alfredo's, we will miss you. I do wonder what other restaurants at Epcot might suffer the same fate.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Book Review
The Disney Queue Line Survival Guidebook by Kimberly Button. 2006 ed. Infinity Press. 386 p. 0-7414-3268-4 $19.95
Kimberly Button, a former Walt Disney World (WDW) and Disney Cruise Line cast member, has written a handy guide to easing the time standing in all of those lines at WDW. She states in the introduction that the book “gives you only the essential, straightforward information that you need to simply enjoy Disney’s theme park attractions along with plenty of entertaining fun and games so that your entire day, even the time spent in queue lines, can be purely magical.”
This sums up Ms. Button’s work pretty well. She has divided the book by theme park and then by individual land. Within each land, she describes the rides; approximate time of each ride, helpful hints and if there is a fear factor or other important information. The real fun and excitement begins after the ride overview. For each attraction, there are several pages of trivia, scavenger hunt items and word scrambles.
At first, I was a little unsure of the value of the book. Would I really take this into the park? Would my kids enjoy it? Would I enjoy it?
I thought back to my last trip to WDW and realized that the guide really would have come in handy while waiting for restaurant seating, downtime at the hotel, waiting for the bus and for planning the trip with the kids in mind. I am a trivia hound and often the tidbits and facts that I spout don’t seem to interest my eight year old. This book has various levels of trivia…there were questions to make you laugh and ones that befuddled me! The kids would have loved the word searches and I know that it would have been fun to help them find the scavenger items while waiting in line.
The real questions are whether I would recommend this title and to whom? Wholeheartedly! I believe that this guide does offer something completely unique and worthwhile. I would suggest taking post-it notes and marking the specific areas you are going to visit for that day. Another idea would be to highlight the correct answer for the trivia questions or make a small notation next to the answer. It will make it easier to figure out who is right while you are standing in line. Almost anyone would benefit from this book. WDW veterans will find new things to discover and first-timers will be able to use the book to keep their sanity during long waits.
The book is approximately 8”x5” and about an inch thick. It is a backpack book. I would expect it to be rather dog-eared by the end of a week long vacation at WDW. You will be shuffling it in and out of your bag whenever you find yourself with more than a 5 minute wait anywhere!
The Disney Queue Line Survival Guidebook by Kimberly Button. 2006 ed. Infinity Press. 386 p. 0-7414-3268-4 $19.95
Kimberly Button, a former Walt Disney World (WDW) and Disney Cruise Line cast member, has written a handy guide to easing the time standing in all of those lines at WDW. She states in the introduction that the book “gives you only the essential, straightforward information that you need to simply enjoy Disney’s theme park attractions along with plenty of entertaining fun and games so that your entire day, even the time spent in queue lines, can be purely magical.”This sums up Ms. Button’s work pretty well. She has divided the book by theme park and then by individual land. Within each land, she describes the rides; approximate time of each ride, helpful hints and if there is a fear factor or other important information. The real fun and excitement begins after the ride overview. For each attraction, there are several pages of trivia, scavenger hunt items and word scrambles.
At first, I was a little unsure of the value of the book. Would I really take this into the park? Would my kids enjoy it? Would I enjoy it?
I thought back to my last trip to WDW and realized that the guide really would have come in handy while waiting for restaurant seating, downtime at the hotel, waiting for the bus and for planning the trip with the kids in mind. I am a trivia hound and often the tidbits and facts that I spout don’t seem to interest my eight year old. This book has various levels of trivia…there were questions to make you laugh and ones that befuddled me! The kids would have loved the word searches and I know that it would have been fun to help them find the scavenger items while waiting in line.
The real questions are whether I would recommend this title and to whom? Wholeheartedly! I believe that this guide does offer something completely unique and worthwhile. I would suggest taking post-it notes and marking the specific areas you are going to visit for that day. Another idea would be to highlight the correct answer for the trivia questions or make a small notation next to the answer. It will make it easier to figure out who is right while you are standing in line. Almost anyone would benefit from this book. WDW veterans will find new things to discover and first-timers will be able to use the book to keep their sanity during long waits.
The book is approximately 8”x5” and about an inch thick. It is a backpack book. I would expect it to be rather dog-eared by the end of a week long vacation at WDW. You will be shuffling it in and out of your bag whenever you find yourself with more than a 5 minute wait anywhere!
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