Rainy Day Fun

What is a stage manager to do on a rainy day? Why, get my picture taken with my cast! Here are my favorite Dark Side friends! The show was rained out all day (a first for me) so we had plenty of time to play together. The show has such an awesome cast - I'm truly blessed to work with fantastic people.

It helps that this is the coolest show! I love that this Star Wars fan gets to work on a Star Wars show. And I'm now indoctrinating my nephews into "a galaxy far, far away".


On the less than fun side, the rain wreaked havoc on our stage. Once it was all said and done, the venue was drowning in 2 inches of water. We had leaks everywhere. But again, I work with really terrific people & the techs had it all cleaned up lickity split. I can't wait for the next rainy day though - it's just too much fun to see the Guests interact so closely with the cast.

Raspberry War!

I got to have a raspberry war with my nephew Shane this evening. It was just what the doctor ordered - lots of laughing, tickling, giggling, and raspberries on tummies! The innocence of youth is so refreshing & uplifting to the cynical mood that has haunted me recently. It was pure joy - totally in the moment - beautiful!




"Thank you, Shane! I love you!" ~Aunt Shannon

Mood Remedy - Thanksgiving Dinner

Today was not a good day. There was no good reason why today was not a good day but mostly likely rather a combination of small things - a bit under the weather, stress at work, etc. Regardless, in hopes of shaking the blues I thought I would upload photos from our Thanksgiving dinner celebrated yesterday (yes, on Sunday).

My nephews had just watched the orginial Star Wars trilogy (episodes 4-6) the day before and were enamored with Return of the Jedi. So we put it on again. Now, somehow, I only have these movies on VHS. Needless to say they are a bit grainy on a big screen television. The boys don't seem to mind. But I got a cool shot of Brandon standing in front of the TV with Darth Vader behind him.

Halfway through the movie, it was time for eating. Mom makes the best turkey dinner - turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, Jello, mashed potatoes, rolls - its a carb overload & SO very yummy. I had way too much but I think of it as I don't get the leftovers at my house so I have to eat as much as I can while I can :) Brandon had a simple meal of turkey, Jello, and a roll. Shane attempted Jello but really only played with it & a roll. They'll grow to like it!

After the meal, it was back to Return of the Jedi. We all loaded up onto the couch to finish the movie. It was great fun. It is so much fun experiencing a movie I have such fond memories for with the brand new eyes of my nephews. It exciting all over again. I'm thankful I have a wonderful, supportive, loving family - made even better by being in the same location!

P.S. The mood is better :)

Thanksgiving @ Disneyland

Since I was able to sign in my family on the Thanksgiving holiday, we decided to play at Disneyland & save turkey dinner for Sunday. We had a lot of fun, especially now that the boys are tall enough for more "big kid" rides! Shane rode the Matterhorn for the first time and said "Whee" duirng the ride! p.s. - he's only 3 1/2! Of course, both boys participated in the Jedi Training Academy - they both dueled Darth Vader & Brandon was chosen to demonstrate the "force push" on the Stormtroopers. We saw the Christimas Fantasy Parade & Santa Claus. We took pictures in front of the festive Sleeping Beauty Castle. Then Karen & the boys went home while my parents & I stuck around to view Fantasmic! It was the first time they'd seen the new elements introduced this past summer. Overall, a wonderful day was had by all! Follow this link for the entire gallery of pictures from our Thanksgiving day at Disneyland - http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=976348557211%3A282489240

Random thoughts on work & friendships

It's always amazing to me after all these years of working shows & events, that I am still surprised at the rollercoaster of emotions I experience throughout the process. This past week of work on the 20+ Service Awards at Disneyland was no exception. This truly is one of my favorite events I've been a part of for the past four years. We spend a week in rehearsals with 8 singers, a narrator, then 15 (ish) Disney Characters join for 3 days and a 12 piece band for the final 2 days. Add a terrific technical crew for the tech/dress rehearsals and event - it's a GREAT bunch of people involved. Over the course of the week, I'm happy, excited, cranky, overworked, underworked, tired, silly, and so on. I (and many others) work our butts off to put together a wonderful show for the Disneyland Cast Members who've worked 20 or more years with the resort. The time comes for the show & all the hard work pays off & everyone loves it and had a terrific time. And then all of a sudden its over. Everyone goes back to what they were doing before - sometimes I see those I've worked with & sometimes not again until the event the following year. There is a feeling of sadness now. A time in my life is over, again. The euphoria and satification of a job well done are gone. The day seems just a little bit empty.

It's the one thing I don't like about my ever-changing job as a stage manager. Inevitably, the job always ends. The people you've come to think of as a small family disperse. And even if you see them in another capacity, it's just not quite the same. You can never reclaim that feeling. I've made a lot of "friends" throughout the years but they are always in my life for a short while. I don't claim to have many life friends, those who are or will be around longer than my current job/show. It's a double edged sword - I get to meet & know so many great people; it's just usually for a short time only.

I don't know if there was a point to all of this but it was on my mind so I shared. I am thankful for the friends in my life & those who've touched it, if only briefly. I do believe certain people are involved in our lives at certain times for a reason. And once that reason has passed, perhaps we no longer need them quite the same. I suppose, if we kept all the people in our lives that we've ever met, we wouldn't have the time to get anything done! :)

Dreams...

This past week I've been working on the 20+ Service Awards event for Disneyland... lots of singing & Characters - it's one of my favorite events to work each year. Randomly, one of the lyrics caught my thoughts today - from Cinderella, "A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep; in dreams you will lose your heartaches, whatever you wish for you keep".

Now most of my dreams are about work - I can't say this is exactly what my heart is wishing for - more work! And sometimes the dreams cause heartache rather than allowing me to lose them. So then I thought perhaps the problem is me. Perhaps, I need to better mentally prepare myself for dreams so that I might do as the lyric suggests. So that's my goal tonight, to think on losing my heartaches & keeping the things my heart wishes for whilst fast asleep.

Wish me luck!

Moving

I got word today that pending an unforeseen breakup, my current roommate will be moving in with her boyfriend when our lease is up May 1, 2010. That means it's moving time for me again this coming April. Which is about on par for my time at an apartment (apx 3 years). However, this is the first time in a very long time that I currently don't have a plan - no planned new roommate, no new apartment in mind, nothing. Granted it's still many months away but with the holidays fast approaching, meaning lots of work & little personal time, moving day will be upon me sooner than I realize or anticipate.

In many ways, I hate moving - the sorting, the packing, the schlepping, the unpacking, the sorting. I am such a pack rat that it takes me months to get everything together & ready to go. However, it is also a time for clearing out - getting rid of all the crap that I don't use/need/want anymore. It is a fresh start in a new place with new challenges and new memories. That's what I have to keep telling myself - because in reality, change scares the living pieces out of me & stresses me out to no end. Eventually I get over myself and embrace it but getting to that point takes a lot out of me. I've got lots of time to begin to adjust - in fact, I think I will try to start packing at the first of the new year; all the stuff that just sits around looking pretty can be boxed & ready to go. I can sort through the clothes I don't wear & give them to Good Will.

Now I just need to find a roommate & an apartment willing to take me, my bad credit, and my washer & dryer. No worries - easy!

Music

I love music! I can't imagine life without music. I can't think of a day when I don't listen to music - I wake up to it, I drive to it, I often walk to it, I work to it - it penetrates every aspect of my life. And the truly great thing is the variety of music I enjoy, from Gaelic Storm (Irish folk/pop) to Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Christmas rock) to Three Dog Night to Bon Jovi and on and on.

During a break the other day at work, I stepped outside on the streets of Hollywood at DCA to listen to the Delta Daddios (4 piece a cappella group). I remembered how much I loved the sound of a good a cappella sound. I came home & pulled up The Nylons on my iPod to continue the theme. I'm jealous of those that are able to use their voice as an instrument.

Then today, I got to work at the Jedi Training Academy & thoroughly enjoy the music of John Williams. It's so amazing the themes he is able to create and the emotions he can invoke with his instrumentation & composition.

And continuing the idea of marking time - music is similar to sports which I mused about previously. I hear Neil Diamond and am instantly transported to thoughts of Mom and summer vacation. We used to listen to the Hot August Night album as she took her turn driving. I loved to sit up front & listen with her. Toto makes me think of my sisters & I in the upper part of the camper singing our hearts out as we passed the time on the road. Guns n' Roses takes me to my teenage years & Motley Crue to my pre-game pump up sessions.

I am so grateful to be blessed with the ability to hear. Music takes me places & colors my life in so many ways.

Sports, Seasons & Other Thoughts

It's amazing to me how much of my life and time can be counted in the sports I watch and/or participate in over the years. For me growing up the sports year began in the summer - July meant beginning to train for the upcoming soccer season; August was all the pre-season tournaments; fall & winter the actual soccer season - albeit club or high school; spring was the playoffs; June a month off if playoffs didn't go well.

No longer a player, my sports year now begins in March with MLB Spring Training. Following the Angels requires all summer long in hopes of acquiring a playoff berth in October. But it doesn't end there, in fact in August the NFL sneaks in & enjoys a pre-season leading to a September opening. So it's double duty for a while. But as soon as baseball is over, football can take center stage. For me, it's about the NFL but a college game every now and then is good. Otherwise, how can I prepare for Bowl Season? Now Bowl Season isn't quite what it used to be growing up, now they spread it out over too many nights. I long for the past when a family could park in front of the TV for the entire day of January 1 (unless it was a Sunday) and watch bowl game after bowl game after bowl game - often several games at the same time. My family ate nothing but snacks & cheeses & mini-sausages & crackers & whatever else didn't constitute a "real meal". New Year's resolutions didn't go into effect until after Bowl Day. So it's been a bit of an adjustment to Bowl Season - still fun, but will never be the same. Not to be forgotten, the NFL then goes into postseason & playoffs leading to Super Bowl Sunday near the beginning of February.

American sports then takes a backseat for the Academy Awards season, EPL postseason (when I get a chance to watch), and hockey postseason (admit it, hockey is not truly an American sport). It's crazy but I know what time of year it is by what sports I'm watching. Throw in family & friends birthdays, special events, & work - and holy cow, where has the year gone? But I can look back & count memories connected to sports throughout my life. As the Angels lost tonight to the Yankees on the quest to another World Series, I thought about the last time they were at the Series & how Mom, Dad, a very pregnant Karen, & I all sat around the TV cheering on our boys in red! I will never forget that - all thanks to sports in my life.

ASM Safety Celebration

So the ASM team at Disneyland just completed 2 years injury free. To celebrate, management took us to Tortilla Jo's at Downtown Disney. Good (free) food + good friends + interesting yet sometimes wandering conversation = fantastic time... even if it was a work activity!

Phil & Renee

Sean & Marcie

Miss Holly

Sarah & Sean

The "other" table: Sandy, Heidi, Chris, Britany, Karen

Catching up on Summer fun!

Since I've been quite absent over the summer months... here's a bit of what I've been doing besides working... hanging out at Disneyland with old friends, hitting local spots (Wild Rivers, movies, etc) with the family, & of course the road-trip to Idaho for the big Betts Family Reunion. Good times had by all! :D


Crystal, Francesca, Me & Stormy in line for Big Thunder Mountain on Labor Day!



Shane at Wild Rivers Labor Day weekend.



Brandon at Wild Rivers Labor Day weekend.

Shane & Grandpa washing the car before the roadtrip to Idaho.

Some of the extended Betts family!

Pumpkin Patch Time!

The family went to the local pumpkin "patch" at the local mall tonight for Family Night! I came away from the night with some fun pictures & a small pumpkin. I love having most of my family nearby - it makes the holidays much more enjoyable! Even better with the autumn weather because it actually feels like fall now. After playing at the pumpkin patch, we went to dinner at the mall - Ruby's! The family loves Ruby's!

Who Knew...

that I could be this tired. I don't remember always being this tired when I worked my early mornings at UPS - but then I was a younger gal then! :) And after 5 weeks of this, I am tired of being tired & exhausted; and not seeing my family; and not having a life. But I think the end is at least in sight now. We are finally done with dress rehearsals & have only 2 contingency rehearsals left for next week - meanwhile, performing 2 or 3 shows each night. So now comes the tortuous task of transitioning to sleeping at night again (in 3 days no less, as I have a day shift scheduled for Thursday).

It's been an interesting experience this remount process for Fantasmic this year. A lot of things that could go wrong - did, which made every day a little or big challenge. The new element I was to be working on for the ASM piece (new Dragon & Brave Little Tailor scene) was extremely behind. Honestly, I don't know who thought the project could be completed in 9 weeks and signed off on that, but whatever - not my call. Needless to say, the Dragon was quite behind schedule. And once we finally got it installed & ready to program (a week before shows), she decided to fail in a big way (I can't say how or why on a public sight). So we opened shows without the new Dragon. Of course all this drama wreaked havoc on our planned rehearsals - we were constantly cancelling & adding rehearsals. The poor cast didn't know when they were scheduled or what we were doing or where we were doing it each night.

We also added some other new elements to the show, Flotsam & Jetsam (Ursula's eels from The Little Mermaid) and a new Tic-Tock Croc (Peter Pan). And of course, they had their own drama (which I can't talk about) but they did open with the show last week. They look pretty darn neat in the show (when they work - which is 9 times out of 10). Now we just wait for the Dragon to come back to us and then go into rehearsal mode again. So while I might be done with being tired soon - it's only temporary, soon enough I'll be working overnights again. I'll enjoy my reprieve while I can!

Some old photos

Here are some photos I scanned from albums... Mom & Grandpa (at Brian's wedding?); Mom & Dad at Bear Lake in Utah 2004; Chip & Dale circa 1995?

Too much

It's all just too much... I mean really, how many sites do I need to continually post to in order for everyone to keep in touch! And obviously, I've been a bit remiss in my contributions to my blog. So for the latest & greatest doings in my life for April & May, you've got to check out my facebook site.

Now that I'm going to be regularly working overnight shifts for Disney the next couple of weeks, I figure I'll have some down time when I can't sleep when I can update the latest & greatest on ALL the various blogs, facebook, twitter, etc.

Birthday Celebration Photos

Here is the link to the kodak gallery where I have posted the photos from Karen's 30th Birthday extravaganza! It was a 3 day celebration - two days at Disneyland... one for the girls only, the other with the entire family; and a day of shopping & movies & dinner & presents. The photos encompass all 3 days. It was a lot of fun to ring in the 30's for Karen! Enjoy!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=2re720l3.c0qldbl7&x=0&h=1&y=-k1x254&localeid=en_US

More Vacation Photos!

Here are more pics from the Vacation! Stories to come...

Marcie & I at dinner before Mystere
The Girls at Mystere
Rob & Michelle Cowan

Michael Gardner

Brian, Lacey & Aspen Gardner

Mom & Aspen

Kacey Gardner
Katie Stelzner

Betts Family Photos

So I had a great vacation... more details to come... but I wanted to get these photos my mom & Aunt Bonnie found posted for everyone. It was really great to see my grandparents in their teenage years. What a treat! Especially not having known my biological grandmother, seeing her in her youth brings her into sharper focus for me. I also threw in a photo of my late Aunt Diana with me at my graduation & the Grandma I knew with me at graduation.



Alden Laney Betts 1940, age 17
Alden Laney Betts 1940, age 17

Alden Laney Betts High School Graduation 1940, age 17

Alden Laney Betts High School Graduation 1940, age 17

Alden Laney Betts High School Graduation 1940, age 17

Aunt June (Evelyn's sister) on the back of the photo reads, "Me in Sonia's garden. That's a sunflower by me"

Aunt June with Connie, 17 Dec 1944 Crawfordville, Florida

Aunt June with Connie, 17 Dec 1944 Crawfordville, Florida

Mug n Burger March 1961 - Alden opened this restaurant in Huntington Beach, CA on Beach Blvd. Homemade root beer & burgers - doesn't get much better, too bad it didn't thrive like he'd thought!

Ruth Evelyn Elster

Ruth Evelyn Elster

Aunt Diana & Me at my high school graduation June 1993

Grandpa (Alden Laney Betts), Me, & Grandma (Margaret, actually my Step-Grandma but the only Grandma I knew) at my high school graduation June 1993