Jan 23 - Jan 29, 2011 (MMY Opening)

 This week was all about opening the new projection show at "it's a small world" - The Magic, The Memories, and You!

Colorful facade

The facade pushes itself out and in

Many long hours were spent standing in front of the attraction this past week.  I didn't 'do' any of the actual programming - I was just out there to figure out the operational aspect of the show.  My partner in crime was Annalisa and we spent many a late night going over what we thought would need to happen each night.  Obviously, it is a work in progress.  As much as we'd like to know exactly what we are doing before opening a show, it just doesn't work out that way.  It keeps it interesting after the show has opened!


On Thursday, we opened the show to Guests - they really seemed to like it.  Really, the show is quite spectacular visually.  The projections are phenomenal.  You are looking at this facade and thinking the building is actually moving at times.  Add in actual Guest photos from the day and it's a one of a kind experience each night!  

"it's a small world" section of the show

Of course, as with any new show, bugs pop up.  And doubly of course, they pop up the night I am scheduled.  So last night, I got to cancel the show for the first time.  :(  One thing about a technology driven show is if the something fails, you are doomed.  But on the bright side, the guys seemed to have figured it all out last night & we should be good to go for tonight.  Tonight's wrench is the rain.  We can do the show in the rain, it just may be without the finale pyro.  However, the powers that be did plan for this and there is an "alternate" ending!  Happy day!  

"Pirates of the Caribbean" section

Throughout this process the past 10 days, I've realized I truly don't like working overnight shifts.  I'm okay until about 3am and then I'm done.  Even worse if I have to arrive at work after the sun has gone down and leave when the sun in coming up.  I just don't function well in those situations.  Thankfully, this doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to for me.  Now, I just need to get myself back to a 'normal' schedule.  Currently I've progressed to getting to sleep by 3am and up by 10:30am.  

Family Tree

It's also time to get back into life.  I've got laundry piled up, dishes in the sink, and a house to clean.  Not to mention the grocery shopping and regular errands that need completing.  And I haven't seen my family in weeks - got to get to their house & see all the upgrades in preparation for their move.  The boys have probably sprouted inches as well.

So if you are in the SoCal area, with an ability to get into Disneyland, I highly recommend stopping by and checking the show out.  It plays nightly at various times depending on fireworks! Hope to see you there!

Chalk drawing - one of my favorite sections

Jan 16 - Jan 22, 2011

This week I started to feel better, recover from my cold bit by bit.  I still have an investment in Kleenex and an occasional cough but I'd say I'm all done being sick.  This week was busy but not - it was mostly about work.  Though I started my week with my days off on Sun/Mon.

Sunday I helped my friends Ryan & Anna move for a couple of hours.  My cold was still fairly present on Sunday so my energy only lasted so long before I was just of no help to them.  But after Ryan has helped me move every time in the last 10 years, it was the least I could do.  And congratulations to them on their new condo purchase!  How nice it would be to own my residence... someday it'll happen for me. Sunday night I hunkered down & watched the Golden Globes.  They were okay - I'm not a huge Ricky Gervais (sp?) fan but enjoyed seeing some of the 'underdogs' win. 

Monday was my last day off until Jan 28th (well I was supposed to have today off but as you'll see that plan changed!).  I spent the day catching up on some me time.  I went and saw "The King's Speech" at the theater and very much enjoyed it.  Colin Firth & Geoffry Rush were amazing.  Seeing Dumbledore as King George V was a bit strange but all in all a great movie.  Monday night I finally played in my first softball game of the season.  I went 2 for 4 (grounded out twice and 2 singles) but we won.  I don't know many people on this new team for me but I'm looking forward to getting to know them throughout the season.  And it's a nice warm up for the upcoming Disney seasons for coed & women.  

Beginning Tuesday, my work focus became on finalizing the new show "The Magic, The Memories, & You!"  It's going to be amazing.  But since it's a projection show with pyro, we can only 'rehearse' at night so I've become a vampire this week.  Getting home at 3am is early!  We're a bit behind but really what opening production is ever on time!  But that means I get to work tonight (on a day off originally).  In addition to rehearsing the new show, last night & tonight I am calling fireworks.  I suppose it keeps me out of trouble! :)  

Shane, Karen, Brandon Nov 2010

This morning I signed in the entire Osgan family to Disneyland.  They are spending the day enjoying the park while I went back home & went back to sleep.  I might see them tonight if they stick around for fireworks.  It was a bit strange leaving them in the park - it's not often they play without Aunt Shannon.  Just something to be grateful for when I don't have to work & can join them. 

12 on 12 January

My lovely friend Jessica did this last year and I thought I'd give it a try this year.  The idea is to take 12 pictures of your daily life on the 12th of each month.  Granted on the 12th of January I laid in bed all day so all the pictures would've been of my bed and nightstand.  So I decided to use the 15th (a 5 is sort of a 2 backwards,right?).  That being said... here is my photo documentation of my life on January 15th...

 I started the day with some laundry.  I was a little behind because I'd been sick all week.  It was to the point of do laundry or go to work without pants.  I figured it'd be best to do laundry :)  I'm not always great about putting the laundry away right away - it seems a easy thing but since I live alone, if it stays on my couch - well, I'll sit in the chair. 

 While the laundry was washing, I did a little farming.  It's true - I'm a FarmVille fan!  It's helps clear my mind of my work while I figure out what I want to plant or as I harvest trees and animals.  I never claimed to be a complex person - simple FarmVille is just right for me.

 After spending time on the farm, I decided to update my blog.  I'm determined to keep a weekly online journal.  Over the years, I have gotten pretty good about writing my daily life experiences on my calendar.  Now I'm taking it a step further and putting it together week by week.  Again, nothing exciting or philosophical will be discussed or revealed.  It's just a documentation of Shannon - something to remain in the world after I've passed through it.

Done with my blog but not with my laundry, I sat down to watch some television.  Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium was just starting and as I'd never seen it, I thought "what the heck!".  It was cute though I didn't much care for the ending.  The movie just sort of ended - I wanted another 15 minutes of closure.  I forgot to take picture while the movie was on so I got this afterward from the Tivo search feature.  Good thing I watched it as there are no upcoming showings! :)

 Laundry continued so I put on the football game while I started folding.  Ravens vs Steelers.  I was rooting for the Ravens but expecting the Steelers to win.  It ended up being a pretty close game.  Though I didn't get to see the end of it - had to leave for work. 

 I just liked how this turned out on the camera - such a great shot of the football game!  Don't mind my little tv - even though it's small, it's HD so I love it!

On my way in to work, some life supplies were needed so I stopped at my local Target.  Who doesn't love Target?  And now they sell groceries, it's like I never need to shop anywhere else (I do though).  You can sort of see my eclectic collection of reusable shopping bags - go green, save the planet!

 After leaving Target, I was headed to work when I realized I hadn't eaten all day.  A quick stop at the local der Wienerschnitzel changed that - gotta love the corn dogs! Yum!


Arrived at work - my shift today was refreshing on "Remember...Dreams Come True" fireworks spectacular!  I had last done this shift in May so I needed a day of refreshing to remember (haha) what it was I was doing.  It's a great cast & crew and they are always fun to work with each night.

 Somehow my formatting has gone out the window and I can't figure it out so the rest of this will be hit & miss with the pictures aligning with the summary.  While at work, I needed to take my cold medicine - it was Alka-Seltzer Plus for me.  Even with the 'orange zest' flavor, it's still a bit hard to get down but I feel so much better afterward. 

This is a view from the rooftop of Main Street East, where I call the show.  I'd forgotten my actual camera so this is the best my Blackberry Tour could manage :)

And finally I was home from work and ready for bed.  None of my bedding matches currently but the flannel sheets keep me warm.  It doesn't matter if they don't coordinate with the rest of the color scheme.


And thus ends my day of 12 of 12 (though really Jan 15).  I'm looking forward to see what happens in February!  =D

Jan 8 - Jan 15, 2011

This week was all about fighting a cold.  It is no fun what-so-ever!  I haven't been sick for many, many months.  It's probably the longest time I've been healthy in quite a while.  This cold decided to present completely backwards so I was completely unprepared.  I usually notice the sneezing and running nose first, followed by the sinus congestion which then develops into chest congestion and a cough.  Near the end I start to go hoarse but then I know I'll be better soon.  Monday I woke up with no voice & chest congestion.  Today I have the running nose and sneezing.  Go figure!   I can only hope the sneezing will abate soon because it is really annoying.  Alas, being sick doesn't keep me from life.  So...

After I posted last week, I went to work for a couple of hours.  When I got home I started playing on the computer again.  My old friend Matt Olsen started a chat with me.  We ended up chatting online for over 2 hours.  It was so great re-connecting with him and hearing about his life and family.  Online chatting/instant messaging is an amazing phenomenon.  I do love it though I think because I was never much of a talker on the phone.  Don't get me wrong - I can talk for hours on the phone with those closest to me but just those "occasional" friends I end up feeling awkward.  IM is perfect for me.  I've been using it for years.  Plus, back in the day when you had to pay for long distance on the phone, it was the cheapest way for me to "talk" with my long distance friends.  And even though I no longer have to pay for long distance, I just feel more comfortable chatting online.  I suppose that's the shy introvert in me talking!  I can keep feelings in check by typing words rather than speak them.  Alas, I have veered onto a tangent.  

Monday I finally took my Christmas tree down.  It was overdue but I really liked the addition it made to the room.  The house just seems a bit emptier without the tree.  I still am working on re-packing the remainder of the Christmas decorations.  It's incredible how quickly everything unpacks and goes up but how much longer it takes to remember what came out of what and how it all fits back into the storage bins.  It's a work in progress.

Monday evening I had dinner with friends Sandy & Chris at Chili's.  I love eating there.  I know it's not fancy or anything but I just enjoy their food.  Mostly I enjoyed catching up with my friends.  We haven't had a night out with the three of us in quite a while.  Of course, they did most of the talking as I didn't have much of a voice and/or would start coughing when I tried to laugh.  But it was great!  After dinner we went to see "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader".  It was better than I thought it would be; I don't know why but the Narnia movies are always a pleasant surprise.  Which by the third one now I should know better but it was still surprising.  


Wednesday I tried to go to work but my voice was just not cooperating.  I was supposed to call Disney Channel Rocks & Disney Dance Crew - it was going to be my last shift there for a while and I was really looking forward to it.  But I just couldn't make my voice work and I felt like ka-ka.  So I had to have fellow stage managers take my shift while I went home and rested.  It was crucial I not get any sicker as my shift on Thursday couldn't be covered by anyone else.  

By Thursday I had my voice mostly back but still felt sick.  The show must go on though, so in to work I went.  Disneyland was having a private party for a company and I was in charge of the operation of all the entertainment.  It was probably the biggest event I've covered by myself.  All in all, it went fairly well.  As with any large event, there are always issues but I had a great team and I have to believe the client didn't notice and was happy.


Friday, I got to re-fresh on fireworks, "Remember...Dreams Do Come True"!  Being back on fireworks was like walking into a family reunion with the crazy family you forget you have - lots of fun.  I finish my re-fresh tonight.  I hope the winds cooperate.  It's been a bit windy the past couple of days.  Alas, the wind died done by show time last night so I can hope tonight will be a repeat.  


My parents, Karen & the boys left for Utah yesterday for the holiday weekend.  I am super bummed I couldn't go with them on the road trip.  They are going to look at houses in the SLC area while visiting with family.  It's becoming more and more real that they will be moving - sooner rather than later.  I'll be the sole family member left in California.  This is when I wish there were more entertainment job opportunities in Utah so I could be closer to my family.  Thankfully, they won't be too far away and I love a good road trip!  I will just have make sure my days off fall in a long weekend manner every couple of months. 

Dec 31, 2010 - Jan 8, 2011

After a busy work week, I decided to end my 2010 relaxing at home alone.  I had no desire to get dressed up or to go dancing or to be social in any sort of way.  I wanted to be a hermit.  So I did some shopping early in the day but was snuggled at home by 1pm.  I made up a batch of my own version of Chex Mix, had a bottle of sparkling peach juice chilling in the fridge, put the frozen pizza in the oven, and settled down to watch a marathon of Castle on DVD.  I finished season 1 with all the extras and had just started season 2 when 2011 began.  It was low key and mellow and just fine by me.

I started 2011 working at elecTRONica at Disney California Adventure on Jan 1 and Jan 2.  Surprisingly, it was not at all crowded on Jan 1 - I think most people were at home watching the Rose Bowl or at least inside out of the cold.  Jan 2 decided it wanted to be rainy day.  Which wreaks havoc on outdoor entertainment.  After much discussion, we were moved inside.  However, the rain was so bad that everybody was leaving the park.  By 8pm (2 hours before park close), we only had about two dozen people inside the venue (which holds several hundred).  Needless to say, we closed early. 

Monday was supposed to be the first softball game of Orange City League.  However, due to the continuing rain, it was postponed.  And it was the "New Year's day holiday" at work, so working in the TDA office building was like working in a ghost town.  It was actually great because it was quiet, but several of the answers I needed for my upcoming event couldn't be answered as the rest of the world had taken the day off. 


January 4th was the day nephew Shane had surgery to remove his tonsils.  He had gigantic tonsils that interfered with his sleep so out they came.  The surgery went fine but he didn't do well recovering.  Anesthetic doesn't play well in our family.  I visited him in the PICU and brought him a new Tron toy (both nephews are obsessed with Tron currently).  But they discharged him figuring he would be fine once at home.  Unfortunately on the way home he vomited up blood so it was back to the hospital where they kept him overnight for observation.  He went home the next day and is recovering as well as can be expected.  It's just tough to be 4 1/2 and not understand why he can't have chicken nuggets and other foods he likes. 

I spent Wed/Thurs working Disney Channel Rocks! and Disney Dance Crew.  It's one of my favorites shifts currently.  I get to work with 2 great Tech crews, a great Cast, and they're just fun (in the cheesy Disney Channel genre).  Of course, I still had my challenges.  There is rarely I day of work when I can just come in and do my job without dealing with anything unusual.  These days included dealing with Cast Health & Security, canceled show due to casting, and my favorite, a most random rain shower.  The rain literally came down for 5 minutes exactly 5 minutes before the show was to begin.  Making it impossible to get the stage dry enough for a performance before my performance window closed. 
 

Friday, nephew Brandon was given the Student of the Month award for excellence in Mathematics.  He's our math/science guy.  A few months ago, a fellow boy asked him what his favorite sport was - Brandon replied with "does science count?"  And what was he wearing in his award photo - he new Tron t-shirt.  I'm telling you, these boys are obsessed.  Shane recently told his mom that when he grows up he's "going to be the 'real Tron: Legacy'".  Before this he wanted to be the 'real Batman'. 

Fri/Sat were to be days off for me but with the late information coming in for my event next week, I'll be going into the office a bit later today.  This is when the temporary salary assignment is not working in my favor.  All in the name of advancing my career I suppose.  It's just what we do as stage managers - work until the work gets done regardless of the hours.