<p>I grew up in Orange County, so Disneyland is in my blood, so to speak. We used to spend summers watching the Dland fireworks from our roof. Kids were born when we lived in the outer bay area, but all of our family is/was still in the OC so they visited Dland at least every year when we were in CA. Since moving to NY in 2000, we’ve been back perhaps once or twice.</p>
<p>The best time the kids had was probably the last time we were there… maybe 2004 or so… so Manga girl would have been 8 or 9 and MICA girl would have been about 12 and Aspie girl would be somewhere in the middle – it was the summer so she would have probably been 11. The girls, their three cousins, and their uncle were selected to be in the Dland parade. Their uncle donned a pink tutu (which the girls and their cousins thought was a hoot) and they piroutted their way down the whole parade route. Even Aspie girl was enamored of being in the parade – she was really focused on ballet then, so she took it very seriously. She even hates going to crowded places like malls and Dland, but she still talks about when her Uncle Rich was in the parade with them.</p>
<p>I’ve only been to Dworld once, and that was long before kids. I’ve always meant to take the girls down to FL to see epcot and Dworld… but somehow the time was never right… we had to go to CA for vacation to see ailing relatives or we decided to go somewhere else for the summer trip… or, like last year, we took no summer trip at all.</p>
<p>I had (since being gainfully employed) entertained visions of one last family vacation this summer after my employment is terminated in June… Alaska in an RV maybe (DH and I had done that in 1989, pre kids) but taxes are ominously looming and I think that there really isn’t an Alaska trip, or any other sort of trip next summer, in our future. Dworld in the summer sounds… well, uncomfortable. Maybe we’ll go to Dland in CA with cheap family passes the OC family gets at Xmas time. MICA girl wants to go to Magic Mountain for the roller coasters though.</p>
<p>We took D1 and D2 to Disney world when they were three. I wasn’t a big believer, but the Grandparents were there and it was the thing to do. October, so there’s no line for Space Mountain, but huge lines for everything that toddlers like, like the Dumbo Ride. D2 (Mica) had a crying fit and had to leave that line.</p>
<p>But after she went on “it’s a small world”…she came out with stars in her eyes and kept saying, “I’m happy. I’m just so happy, I’m so happy!”. It was very sweet.</p>
<p>Now I hear they have to redesign that ride. Not to change the cute 60’s style of the characters, but to change the boats because Americans are getting heavier and the boats would occasionally get stuck on the bottom!</p>
<p>We went back when the girls were about 10 and it was awful in comparison. Horrible crowds for February vacation, chanting groups of tour girls from Argentina, and construction on some of the pathways that made it even narrower. We got stuck in the Brer Rabbit ride and sat in there for 45 minutes before they made everyone climb out. So, we got to walk down the stairs and see the “backstage” part of Disney that you never see. One kid took pictures (blackmail?) and we got back into the park but it had all closed.</p>
<p>Now if we go to Orlando, we’re more likely to go to Universal’s Islands of Adventure since it has better roller coasters (and now, Harry Potter world).</p>
<p>^Gmom - we were in Orlando last August. Ugh. Went to Islands and Harry Potter world and it was quite hot. Luckily, they have many opportunities to get wet there. We were visiting family and just when I thought it was ghastly hot my BIL would say, “wow, we’re lucky, there’s actually a breeze!” (there was a hurricane off Bermuda) and when I thought the crowds were ghastly my SIL would say, “wow, when we came here in May we couldn’t even get INTO Harry Potter world”. </p>
<p>It seems it’s always a bit of an endurance test. Be glad you don’t have to do it with a stroller anymore!</p>
<p>^Gmom, and G, that’s the spirit!!
now I remember that he read carl Hiaasen’s “Team Rodent” long before we hit Disney.
sometimes I wonder I am doing more harm than good.
I heard Salman Rushidie talking on the radio, his 13 year old LOVED " One hundred years of solitude" which the interviewer said, " but it’s YOUR kid"
He said then, if magic is in it, kids would get them, thus he wrote new YA book.
It is hard to draw lines nowadays. My hope is that he’d be back again when he knows more, so he won’t keep believing, say, there was a tiger on the boat and man eating tree for Pi.
then again, maybe there were. who am I to tell there is no such thing?
books books books</p>
<p>^^Switters
big bad B&N doesn’t stock “Repeat after me” but I tracked down the copy in the library.
will be a fun holiday weekend!!</p>
<p>People we know think we always go all the time. I live an hour and a half from Orlando, and have been to Dworld once when my S was 9, while I was still living in Maine. D has been to all the parks, mostly with her dad, but I have only been to a couple. Summer here is horrible. People who are not used to the heat and humidity do not hydrate and it becomes not a good time anymore. No one who lives here goes out for extended lengths of time from May to September.</p>
<p>I love reading everyone’s Dland memories–good and bad. The difference between me and my boy is that I’m pretty jaded and S2 is the opposite. We live an hour away from Dland, and he still loves it. He doesn’t fear the fake. lol. He sees magic in styrofoam if it’s really really well done styrofoam. He took a landscape arch class this summer in international resort design (UCLA) and met several legendary Imagineers including Marty Sklar. So now he’s inspired to go for it. </p>
<p>When he asked the Imagineers what college, what major he should follow–they all said–ahhh, well, it’s an interesting story how I got where I am. No one got there on a straight path, bears and dogs. A few Theatre majors. A few Film school guys. A few who studies Studio art, or creative writing, or whatever. Some no college–just big talent, great portfolios and a few wild breaks. So S2 stopped thinking he must go to a B Arch program which had felt too structured/24-7 brutal to him, and now he is looking at other things.</p>
<p>S2 would have loved that insider look behind the scenes at DWorld, b&d. And he would have appreciated the extraordinary detail in your Cinderbear. As for Dland breakdowns, both my boys have been on their share of broken down rides. S1 was on a boat in Pirates for over an hour. They turned on all the lights. Not so pretty then. ;)</p>
<p>8,200 views and going.
Sorry if you are looking for more informative bit of Cooper’s eh… graphic design course.
Tuesday 23rd, 12:45 PM !!!
I have loosely scheduled self conducted lunch/break time sometimes more than once or twice during day, trade off to occasional long hours and weekends when I can’t even pee on time.
No rain but no sign of Turkey run. I thought it could have been canceled for many other Cooper vortex-sh reasons.
I went to get Mamoun’s falafel ($2.50) -see page 10 post #140- anyways and came back. ate it standing near parked city busses on the street along with the Foundation building just in case I’d miss any action.
The bus had on huge advertisement of new holiday movie with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. Is this mean Angie is going to leave Brad for real? what does MICA girl say, Gmom?
Then, few kids with running attire are started to gather in front of the foundation building.
I walked over to the Cooper park for better view.
around 1PM, there were 20 or so kids, given numbers each, then the old man who obviously the initiator of the whole thing gave out the signal, race was on.
they went around the tip of Cooper triangle (park) running on sidewalks, continued around foundation building. five or six girls and one middle aged guy, other than that all boys looking as if they mean business - one even had some sort of cooper uniform - there are sports teams, you know, I have seen few trophies and photos in the old engineer building.
It was so very low profile compare to the NYC marathon. Kmart shoppers, few bums, dog walkers, pizza, office supply, cases of beer delivery people were nonchalantly crossing in and out between runners.
The boy in the red Nike T was heading the pack from the start and when I lost count who have done how many laps, he was already way way ahead and passed few kids over lap.
He won with big margin. congratulated, everyone got free bottles of water and souvenir T-shirts for the occasion; It said, math or physics formula here I don’t know how to type but must be total of 5, which " I survived 16 (with square root thing) + i ( with small 4 for powers) laps around the foundation building" on the back, with cartoon turkey carrying Peter on its back, and words “Cooper Mile” printed in the school color (maroon and gold) on front. It was some awful graphics for nation’s most selective (art) school event. could be done by the hands of eng. kids, concerning the scientific formula and crosshatching. I don’t know why but brain kids love crosshatched drawings and really good at it.
20/1000 or so student body would participate in something like this while art kids sat around in front and smoked or drunk Mud coffee ( see page 7 post #101)
very Cooper.
I wanted to see what kind of turkey the winner’d get, but it seemed be done later. only overheard the announcement of “1st prize to so and so minutes and seconds - 15lbs” or something.
Is it a big bird?</p>
<p>^madbean, I been there. looking over the vista of UC of LA from the balcony of the art building was quite inspiring, along with almost the Magic Mountain-sh ride of the LA city bus from downtown thru Beverly hills and what not, I even saw HOLLYWOOD sign from the window!! gawd they drive crazy fast no care of sharp turns and drops, I was sure we’d crash and die.
so you are (yet another) sunny Californian? no Evergreen State in-state then. </p>
<p>^^redbug just curious, how Marlines and Rays play, let alone win? how folks endure whole length of the games? even Yankees get bad during summer heat.</p>
<p>group edit
fee ride on Disney meant of course “free ride”<br>
me and any kid, meant “me and kid” I got only one, thou didn’t know redbug had S. you seemed, so, like, mom of girls.
studios are shared or cramped, not “clumped” (aren’t they about the same meaning thou? like, too tight or something?)
glass slippers are blown, not brown (is a color, and the school duh how did I miss?) - blew (to make air move, whistle, glass) not brew(coffee, beer, witches’)
“L” and “R” haunt me forever and ever</p>
<p>I have never been to a Marlins/Rays game, in the summer or any other time. The ballfields are too far away, Both Miami (I think that’s where the Marlins play) and Tampa are 3+ hours away. We go to the minor leagues, Brevard Manatees or when they were here, the Vero Beach Dodgers, always at night. Dodgers stadium is an old stadium, much nicer, very hometown feeling. I think right now they are between teams. Manatees stadium is new, not as homey feeling, more steel, less stone.</p>
<p>My S is 14 years older than D, married and living in the Chicago area. Started out in architecture technology but ended up office manager of car dealership, just finished his degree in business. I always said I had 2 only children. You could keep either of them happy with a pencil for hours.</p>
<p>Happy T-day and 8,300 views
so that was my Thanksgiving
reading while boiling simmering baking. missed supermarket (stupidly assumed open 24/7 as usual) for the last minutes items but miraculously 7-11 had it rather cheap.
just finished " Repeat After Me" switters recommended. (see page 14 post #205)
how anyone could write these books if one (or someone close to the author) had not lived thru?
bet she did, I can not be certain from “acknowledgments” list usually these clues are to be found.
then back flap bio suggests she must be the one I heard interview on good ol WNYC radio while ago, who became accidental TV show actress in Beijing. about that experience was her first book. I better read that one. too.
anyways, if based on real person that is herself, her friends, family. would that be fine to tell whole universe while she got to still maintain relationship to such “characters” in her real life?
I’ve heard that when Zadie Smith was at Harvard, then in “On Beauty” supposedly used faculty’s profile for this character who is having an (made up) affair. the faculty was furious, which Zadie supposedly responded
" well I am a writer and use everything, you should know that"
which is what Capote said when his circle of friend beat him up after " kate McCloud" was published, those same girl friends who fought over who was the supposedly the model of Holly Golightry when he was flying highest of hight.</p>
<p>loveblue, if you can read it and tell us what you see.
G, does your job have a copy? wanna know what you think.
I wish I could read it as an American or Chinese, or at least non-NYer.
when I was less jaded and did believe in novels in deferent way, I would have just appreciated how good it was and go get another one.
now I just have to second guess everything.
did she watch the whole “Ju Doh” ( Chinese film mentioned in the book)? maybe not, saw bit and pieces while taking Chinese lit or culture class at Columbia? Even if she did, she just didn’t get it, did she?
isn’t this ninja bit or " Kitchen" (this Japanese chiclit) reference atypical of Upper Westsider? or it is just me? (Japanese and did lived in Upperwest)
the book is very good, nonetheless. couldn’t put down, switters, sure.
why don’t B&N stock it, wonder… while way awful commercial bestsellers seems forever piled up anew every weeks, if not days, the same B&N where Zadie Smith is coming for book talk soon.
of course I’m gonna go see her!!
will report.</p>
<p>Gong Li is just one actress, but what an actress! It seemed for awhile that she was the only Chinese actress whose movies made it here. She’s like Samuel Jackson - always good!</p>
<p>While waiting for loveblue to read the book of the month pick,
back to the topic!!! (or not?)
8,400 views</p>
<p>New York public library’s famous lion building had went thru many changes and renovation, face lift, even name changes. now it is named after some dude or some money firm or .org, I don’t know what, will look up when I could.
it is massive gorgeous building on fifth Ave. atrium inside now got real pretty Christmas tree. there is a new kids’ library while the other main one is under renovation or omitted up to budget politics etc.
few galleries mount classy shows, like “On the road” original scroll or old photos,maps, baseball cards costs million dollars of sort.
Third floor has main reading room, where they hide good stuff, not to be trusted to be taken out by us lowly citizens of NY.
there I can read one and only copy of Peter Cooper’s biography published in 1949.
You’d have to have library card, then fill up request slip (using your pen -they only has those midget yellow pencils- hand write call number and the title, come out clean who you are and where you live) give it to the guy at the window which is like, old Penn station-sh round intricate wood curved facade. it takes 20-30 min while mystery oompa loompas in some other part of the library would get your book and put it in the tray that come around on belt conveyer thing airport style.
until your given number on the slip shows up on the screen, sit on the bench and wait.
high high ceiling is all these curved flying angels and pink cloud, Hogwarts worthy goth light fixtures (but missing few bulbs. how many librarian it takes to change light bulbs?)
then they’d zap your library card, hand you the precious book only to be used in the room and returned properly the end of the session -or they’d know who you are and where to find you, and never ever forgive you. brrrr</p>
<p>from “Peter Cooper, Citizen of New York”
by Mack, Edward, Clarence
call number JFD 98-10895 </p>
<p>Peter Cooper could have been dead many times. It was a miracle he lived to be a grown man
when four or five year old, fell from the wood plank he was walking across one house to the other that his dad was building, cut forehead to the bone hitting iron pot below
few years later, swung axe on the clothesline which bounced axe back and hit him in the head
kid using curving knife struck Peter in his cheek by accident, passing thru his cheek to his mouth
trying to get ripe cherries from high branch with iron hook and fell from the tree with hook in hand, which landed before he did and hook scraped out one of his tooth.
plus dozens more.
mom gave up to protect him saying, “he will try anything no matter what the physical consequences”</p>
<p>^^ ouch, that just reminds me of what might have happened had I not watched my high-risk, wander out alone at age 3 S1 like a hawk. I feel anxious just reading about Peter. And yet–did I rob S1 of the Peter genius factor? Did P’s mom enable him to achieve by standing by, allowing him to get mangled just short of death? Inquiring minds want to know B&D. Please keep us informed.</p>
<p>hello 8,500
my kid’ old HS art teacher had his painting showing here
[The</a> National Arts Club - History](<a href=“http://www.nationalartsclub.org/pb_About_history.htm]The”>http://www.nationalartsclub.org/pb_About_history.htm)
he is maybe 5-7sh years younger than me, makes it was mid 80s he graduated same art voc-magnet school he now teaches.
those were rough but fun times in the city and the HS’s history. the school were there for kids who will do commercial art (AKA graffiti) as occupation upon (during) schooling. no college prep, no regents req, no nothing.
The teacher as a boy must have been misfit, being classic serious kind of painter, loves Rembrandt, Singer Sargent. He graduated top of the class, went straight to Art students League and become “painter” because, he knew that’s what he meant to do.
I asked during parents teacher conferences
“have you ever wonder or in doubt?”
“never”
“how long?”
“13-14years, maybe”
but bills had to be payed so went back to school to get masters so he can teach.
and we were lucky to have him.
he would drag every ghetto kids to the Met, made them look at his beloved paintings, spoke with passion why and what make him love them so.
He sent kids to selective artschools when they had numbers (few and far in between), help fundraise when they didn’t have $ (always)
The RISD kid I mentioned somewhere was, like 9K short. The teacher made that happen with getting commission for mural painting with students.
cynic in me had to ask, thou
“how about next year, you know, it only goes up?”
“well. I just have to believe in him, or RISD” -meaning, we won’t know the kid would make it thru RISD BFA, but it is whole another story. </p>
<p>so the National Arts Club is located in Gramercy park, the building is used to belong to Samuel Tilden, gov of NY, 1876 prez candidate who beat Peter Cooper.
The Club is founded by this NYT critic and his friends in 1898 and counted members as such, Woodrow Wilson, Teddy Roosevelt. artist wise, Saint-Gurdens who made Peter in the park, Steiglits for photo, now Scorcese and Uma Thuruman for film.
What you see is this old, low ceiling-ed, narrow staircase-d, faded carpeted dark, gloomy mansion once had been.
The teacher must be one of its “artists member” -had to put volunteer times then submit works to the juries to be in the “club”
there were about 150 or so works were in the show, mostly serious old fashioned paintings drawings, with sales price if they want to sell (few had red stickers) price ranges from couple hundred to 10K sh.
The teacher’s work is a large portrait of one of his students, his favorite subject and awarded some memorial award seal but unsold.
I proposed to my mommy friend there, should we split and pay for what he meant for our children, rotate painting every month or so for its ownership?
“hahaha…” weak laugh. she had to come up with possible huge sums if her kid get into dream school this year. I could pay three month rent for that amount.
“I would”
she said " out of any of these paintings I would pick this one, anytime, if only I could"
feeling was mutual.</p>
<p>^asked by madbean
did mom not hawking over helped Peter?
it was a different time all together, moms had as many kids they get and often lost as many as they had.
my kid was reading the book for the class and said,
“In Brazil so and so tribe (some mystery names) mothers intentionally neglect kids because it won’t live long and attachment hurt them”
I don’t think it was so for Margaret Cooper, but concept of childcare or parenting skill had to be something we could barely relate from today’s standard.
I was impressed though, for the old book of 1949 when Dr. Spock is new and not yet Dr. Mom of sort, the author says
“Peter had prime essential of successful beginning of life,
parents who believed in him.”
it was said, John(dad) heard voice walking in the night on Broadway, to name the baby Peter, so he will do the important work for the world.
and
“mother gave him a love that conquered fear.”
what was he scared of?
Peter as a boy
1.saw hanged man for theft at Washington Square (now NYU is)
2. slaves forced to flog each other for the entertainment, which started just pretending and careful not to hurt each other but gradually escalated to full fight no regard any longer to the audience
3. at City hall park (now out of mayor Bloomberg’s window) criminals whipped at bloody whipping post
how mom would talked him out so he can sleep and have no nightmare anymore, we don’t know.
now there is only one thing left that Peter was scared of
DEBT !! to be continued</p>
<p>Between this thread and the McSweeney website, I am piling up books faster than I can read them. For those of you not familiar with McSweeney, it is a small publisher that specializes in not run-of-the-mill stuff. Altho some things you can find at B&N, most you cannot. Amazon does have some things cheaper, but most times you can’t beat McSweeneys hurt book prices or the specials they run from time to time. They just sent me an email about their Advent Calendar (every day another great book deal!). [McSweeney’s</a> 2010 Advent Calendar Sale](<a href=“http://store2.mcsweeneys.net/advent]McSweeney’s”>http://store2.mcsweeneys.net/advent) I’m doomed, because now I have to watch the calendar and read at the same time!!
I have the head of the Liberal Arts Department at KCAI, Phyllis Moore, to thank for introducing me to McSweeneys! It’s my favorite place to shop!</p>
<p>8,600 and going
Peter’s dad, John Cooper fought against British and wanted action through rest of his life, moved family around trying many things.
brick making, brewery, grocer. All the while extending credits and gave away what he had.
family suffered, struggled to survive. It was not the only reason but big one for Peter went school only for three or four quarters half day at that.
18th century, people are sent to jail for debt. it meant sin and damnation for religious standard.
Peter said later
“waste makes want”
“intemperance was the parent of poverty, vice and crime”
not much changed, now, this holiday season.
thou redbug^ books are never waste, pile of them is not intemperance(wow big word!!) Peter would have approved for he also said
“If I could have had such advantage as we can give the poorest boy now, how much more could I have done?”</p>