Life Lately

It's been a while since I posted. Things have been a little busy and stressful and it's tough to sit and write how I'm feeling. I'm finding it more difficult to keep life out of work and just enjoy the fun. But thankfully I have some fantastic fellow cast members that take my mind off of things. It's nice to go in and hear that I've been requested at Pixar Place. Or to be able to share a hug with people I haven't seen in a while and get exciting news from them. Last Friday I got a nice surprise to train 3 new trainers on how to shoot JTA. They are great guys and it was a lot of fun hanging out with them. And of course they did a great job! 
And then on Monday I got to see three ladies that I hardly ever see because they aren't shooting in our park anymore but they are so much fun and so awesome! And they were so cute in their Ewok hats. I love how we are like a family and we stay on touch and connected even if we go to separate parks and wander a bit from home. 
Thank you to all of you for helping me through my day!

Family - What Does it Really Mean?

I see families come through work every day. Big ones and small ones. Happy ones and grumpy ones. And I ponder just what it means to be part of a family. I mean, I know what it means to have a biological family. The one you are born into and are related to and all of that. But there are those that you become so familiar with and so close to that they become closer than friends. They become your family.
 I have had a few that I have grown up with and have gotten me through some rough times. And they know more about me than almost anyone. And stick by me and support me no matter what!!!!
 I work with a group of people who live in the magic of Disney every day. Who enjoy the comfort and familiarity of of Disney and the comfort of the stories and the characters. These people have become family to me as well. They can see my mood and tell when I need a hug. They joke with me and know how to make me smile. 
These past few weeks have been pretty challenging for me in several different respects. And usually going to work helps to take my mind off of my troubles. But it has taken some pretty strong doses of pixie dust and pretty broad shoulders to lean on to get me through this. I am so thankful for my family, my whole family, for sticking with me and giving me the strength to get through all of this!!!

A Day Made For Little Boys!

Today was a day made for little boys. They were every where, running and jumping and bouncing all over the place! Full of excitement and amazement as they met some of their favorite movie heroes! It was exciting and exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. 

But one little boy stood out among the rest. He was so sweet and loving and excited all at once. He loved Buzz and Woody and hugged them and checked them out and touched them to see if they were real. He was autistic and easily distracted but every time I called him "Nathan, smile!" He looked right at me and gave me this huge smile! It was so wonderful to see. Woody and Buzz pulled his parents into the picture as well it was just wonderful how they did that! I love those guys!
 And my day got even better when he came to Cars to see them and I was there too. He would turn around and smile and even wave when I called him there. His parents were so amazing with him. Encouraging and patient and loving yet helping him to move on so that others could have a turn. My heart goes out to these families that struggle not only with children of autism but on top of that Nathan was a Make-A-Wish child which I'm sure was a double whammy for them. 

They made my day with their wonderful attitude and helped me see life through this young man's eyes! Exciting and fresh and full of wonder!

Unexpected Trials

Today seems like a good day for this post. Just as I was heading home I got the news about the bombings at the Boston Marathon. It's such a tragedy and makes one think about how fragile life is. I've been wanting to post about some people I know that are suffering some unexpected trials and today's events shows just how quickly they can happen. 

My friend Sammi has a friend that has been suffering from an unexplained disease for a while now. She had gotten sick and they diagnosed that but further complications are now slowly wracking her body and confounding the doctors. Sammi shared her story with a large group of people and I am sure that they have shared it with many people just as I have. So many people are lifting this young lady up in prayer. I see so many photos of her and she always seems to have a smile on her face. I try to follow her example in being that smiling light for those I encounter during the day because I know people are always struggling with something in life.

Another lady that I have worked with had an accident a while back and is having to learna new way to live life because it has changed her so dramatically. She had started staying home and shutting herself off from people because she now has a handicap which is difficult to overcome. I talked with her the other day and she is slowly learning to move forward and come out of her shell again. She is such an outgoing and fun loving person that I hope she is able to come visit us very soon. She reminds me to try to enjoy every moment of life because you never know when some accident may change things drastically. 

Then there is Jan, a lady I work with, that fell and bruised her face very badly. She is such a sweet lady and she jokes about being clumsy but I know it must hurt like crazy and I'm sure she is a bit embarrassed by the whole incident. This reminds me to cherish those I love because it reminds me of my father in law and his passing. I am so thankful that she is ok. And it reminds me to love those dear to me every single day because they won't be around forever. 

These trials of everyday people remind me to live, love and laugh often because you just don't know what tomorrow holds. 

Inspiration!

Inspiration! I look for it everywhere. Trying to keep life moving forward, keep life exciting and positive! This is not always an easy thing. People and circumstances are out there to drag you down, discourage you and just flat out try to break you. But if you look in the right places you can find that pixie dust out there. I have several people in my life that help do that for me, Cami and Sammi to name just two. Both have had some struggles over the past few years yet are moving forward take life full on and working to keep such positive and great attitudes and it really helps to keep me looking forward.

The past two days I was scheduled as Facilitator. I was so nervous because it was my first time alone with Day 1 and Day 2. Then I found out it was a gentleman that has been with Disney before and held many different positions including manager on duty at Epcot, manager on one of the cruise lines, helped start of Disney World, Disneyland Paris and is now working as manager with all of the costumes for Disney! NO PRESSURE!!! I was to cram 4 days of training into 2 and give him a general feel for what Photopass is all about. He knows John Cole and Rachel Lyons and Dan Cockerell(?) among others. Came up through the company with them. Gah!!! Several departments want him as a manager so he is checking them out to see which he likes best. Great position to be in.

So I decided to try and go through the days as usual except not quite so much detail since he wasn't actually going to be a photographer. We went through the PowerPoints and did a lot of talking. We really clicked. He had left Disney about 9 years ago because his mother got Alzheimer's and then got cancer. So he went home to take care of her. He's been back about a year and trying to get back into the swing of things. His story is so amazing and he is trying to leave it in God's hands as to where he goes from here. To me that was pretty cool. The days flew by and really gave me a push to be excited about what I'm doing. He is quite an inspiration.

Heroes Serving and Surviving!

This week has been pretty stressful for me personally and I went to work feeling sorry for myself and stressing over my problems. Then I get to work and get a few wake up calls that help put things into a different perspective. 

First I was at Cars shooting photos of families and having a decent time. I tend to look at shirts and read buttons and stuff to keep occupied there. The "characters" aren't very interactive with the Guests. I noticed one lady having her husband take a photo of her hand with the car so I got a little closer. She showed me her nails and they were decorated as different characters so she was having a photo taken with each one! I thought this was so cool. Then I noticed their buttons that they were celebrating. Hers said "He's home!" And his said "I'm home". So I took a moment to ask where he was back from. He had been in Afghanistan and had just gotten home. She was so relieved he was back, you could tell. I thanked them both for his service and realized that as rough as my life is, I don't have to worry about my husband being in such a dangerous situation all the time. He has a nice cozy job in an air conditioned office. 

Later in the day I got pulled from Handy Manny to take photos of a Make A Wish family at Jake. It was a large group with a young man in a wheel chair and on oxygen. He wasn't totally aware of what was going on, you could tell but we took our time with him and the family. Jake gave the little girls in the group extra big hugs. Then gave the young man some extra attention. There was a young man in his 20s that wasn't coming in for the photo so Jake went out to help coax him in for the family photo. He finally came in and we got the entire group in for a couple of photos. Yet another group that helped put in perspective that my life really isn't so bad when you come right down to it. 

So at the end of the day I'm thankful for all I have. I love my family and any problems we have we will get through. And I have great friends that help pull me through each day as well and lift my spirits when I need that too. 

It's Been A While

I've been off work for a little bit so no fun stories from there. But I sure miss Disney and the family there. Back to work soon though. Funny, while I've been on vacation and tell people where I'm from and where I work they ask what the heck am I doing in Michigan? Visiting family of course. We've decided March is not a good time to go. Too cold, dreary and wet.

I've realized that we in Photopass see life differently, through the lens, through angles, and crop lines, and lighting. Smiles and expressions and poses. Every time I was with my grandbabies I wanted to grab my camera and take photos, and just keep shooting, to remember those precious expressions as they went through their days. And it reminded me anew of why our job is important. The families and friends that visit our parks want to experience all of that and they rely on us to capture it all. And that's why it's a good thing we do see life "through the lens" so to speak. So that we capture those moments for them.

So I want to start a new thing at work and I need help. I know we can enter our photos for photo of the week and that's great. I would also like to get input for the slideshow in the training area each week. I want great photos to put up there from everyone in our park so if you have a photo you took that you really like let me know!!! I'll pull it and try to get it up there. I want the new cast to see what we do and I want everyone to get a chance to see what each and every one of us gets to do. So please spread the word and give me those photos!!!

Vacationers!

It's seems funny to work at a place where so many people come for vacation. I have met so many people these past few weeks from Michigan. It's so cool to meet them and say "where are you from?" And they say and if I don't know they hold up there hand and point! I love that about Michigan! Everyone from there gets it! We are a mitten! But even better I love it when people are from around where we used to live and we can say the street names and people get it!!! Most people have heard of 8 Mile Rd. so when we talk about 16 Mile or 18 Mile we know exactly what we're talking about. But it also gives those people who ask about the area some idea of where I'm from that haven't been there. Because its kind of well known at this point. That familiarity helps bring a little bit of home and comfort to me when I'm homesick and longing to be with those who understand the whole culture and lifestyle of Michigan. The drives north on the weekends, and camping and hiking and skiing and ice fishing and going to Frankenmuth or Traverse City. Cider mills and donuts, Great Lakes and the Soo Locks, and hockey and ice skating in the neighborhoods in the winter. The potholes and construction and all 4 seasons on the span of 24 hours. There are days that I miss Michigan so much. The people and the culture and the nature. So when I get to visit with them on their vacation it makes my day and brings me a little bit of pixie dust.

All It Takes Is A Smile

Today was an ordinary day at work. I started at Mickey and moved on to the Speeder Bike and ended at Phineas and Ferb. I met people from different places and got to talk with little kids and adults alike. Nothing outstanding happened except... That I wasn't really smiling much apparently. Because as I was heading to one of my locations Heather smiled at me and said "hey you need to smile more! Are you okay?" And that comment got me to thinking. I'm usually walking around with a smile and greeting people as they pass, wishing them a nice day. But today I wasn't doing that. My mind was elsewhere, thinking about other things and not thinking about those around me. I was so absorbed in my own little world that I wasn't paying attention to others. WOW! Now that isn't a good thing to do where I work! And not the attitude I want to project. Thankfully Heather was there and paying attention and snapped me out of things. 

One of the things I like to do is greet people as they pass and give them a smile, especially if they aren't smiling. I notice that it pulls them out of their thoughts and helps bring them back to fantasyland of Disney and to enjoying their vacation. I love to see people smile and enjoy themselves at Disney and if I can help in some small way, even if it just takes a smile, then that is a good day for me.

Swords At The Ready!

These past few weeks have been pretty emotional for me. I've been training some new cast members with some facilitators that I either haven't worked with before or have only worked with once. I love the role and I love the new kids. I think they will do great! They have all been eager to learn and excited to be at Disney. But sometimes I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. 

This last group was a bit challenging for me because they weren't the chatty type. There is usually at least one in the group that is but not with this group. So we ended up sharing more stories and I got to hear a really good one. 

A little girl had come to Disney with her family and was waiting in line to see the princesses. The attendant was admiring her hair and said that one day she could come back and work here because it was so beautiful. This made the little girl doubt that the princesses were real. She went home and took down all of her princess decorations in her room, got rid of all of her dolls and was very upset by the experience. Her parents wrote to Disney about how this cast member had broken this little girls dream and that she should be more careful when talking with children. So Disney went above and beyond to fix this situation. They asked the family to come back on a  certain day and come to the castle. Prince Charming met the little girl and her family in the castle and sod someone was waiting to meet her. They all got into the elevator and went up to Cinderella's apartment. The little girl went in and waited. Cinderella arrived and greeted her and showed her around. Showing her her jewelry and dresses, her bed and closet and shoes. Then she told the little girl that the Fairy Godmother had left her a surprise. So the little girl started looking around for it. She finally found a dress and shoes and magic wand in the little girls size. The little girl got dressed and sat with Cinderella when they were joined by several other princesses. They all sat around talking about their princes and their castles and got their photos taken with the little girl. And helped that little girl get the magic back! And what started out bad turned into a beautiful recovery (and probably a very expensive one too).

Days of Wonder

It's been a rough week and Friday I was hoping to get off work early and just go home and try to relax. I didn't figure I would really get off early but boy was I surprised to find out that I was actually scheduled later than I thought! Good grief!!!
I read a post from a friend today about going to the store and going to purchase his "Perry" binder. He told the cashier he found him! When she didn't get it, it really made him miss his Disney friends. For those who don't understand you need to watch Phineas and Ferb. I got it right away. 
Anyway, back to Friday. The day started rough as I walked into work when I was greeted with "you've been requested at Pixar!" That cheered me up! I love shooting Buzz and Woody and figured it would be fun. They were very silly and really made the time pass well. After break I went to Monsters, Inc. That was a lot of fun as well with Mike and Sulley trying to scare the Guests and Sulley covering their faces when I was trying to take their photo. They are funny as well. I ended my shift with Mickey Mouse. It was a lot of fun there as well. A kid came by with a Mario Bros. shirt on and Mickey got on a roll about that pretending he had a controller. So I was pretending I was Mario and hoping and "growing" with his actions. It really helped to pass the time. We also had some adorable babies come up and see Mickey and they were soooo cute!!! 
A friend posts often "what made your day awesome?" And I try to respond to that every day. These are the things that made this day awesome and filled me with wonder that in the midst of the turmoil and stress in my life I can go out and enjoy a day at work. 
Thanks to all my fellow cast members for helping me through the day. You are all awesome!

Swords at Arms

So today had one heck of a bad start! And it took quite a while for it to get better. Definitely needed my swords out to help combat the overwhelming feelings and emotions of the morning. 

First of all it started way too freaking early! I got up at 5:00 am. I should have gotten up earlier but just couldn't make myself do it. I was supposed to start at 6:45 am to train on the new equipment we have. However, unbeknownst to me the person I was training had his training already and so had the managers adjust his schedule to come in at 8:00 am. But no one told me and no one changed my schedule. So there I was, way to early because no one else comes in til 8:00 am either. I had nothing that I needed to do. 

So I decided to try to be productive and put together a slide show of the Photos of the Week for 2012. So I turn on the computer and log in. However, none of my icons are on the screen where they should be and the menu bar or whatever you call it wasn't on the screen either. What a mess! Thankfully Adrian came to the rescue and we got it rebooted and working finally. Then I put the DVD in to burn the photos to. But when it was done I couldn't get it to eject. Yet another wrinkle! It took me about 20 minutes to finally figure out how to get the stupid thing put of the computer because there is no eject button. UGH!!!!

So those two things get working and I move to the TV thinking this would be easy. Turn it on I'm ready to try the next step. But alas, this doesn't work either! Surprise! Surprise! The TV starts turning itself on and off and repeating a beeping sound that just about drives Adrian crazy. So I unplug that and sit around hoping for something to go right and for someone to come along for me to train. 

Thankfully two people come in and I am finally able to work. I get them trained on the new equipment and send one of them on their way. Then I visit with the other for a while and we have a good conversation which helps my mood. 

Things get better after that. Adrian decides to replace our photos for managers, coordinators and trainers with animal photos so we went through and chose some for the slide show that seemed appropriate. And I visited with people and helped get people set up with the new equipment. 

Thankfully Adrian, Jen and Kimberley helped lift my spirits and wield my swords safely to get through this crazy day! Here's hoping the training goes better next week because I have 4 more days of it coming up!

Chewbacca Came To Visit!

Today has been an extremely rough day. But a visit to Monsters, Inc. helped to make me laugh and lift my spirits for a little while.

I love some of the characters I work with! They make it so much fun! I had a day of chatting with Ali about all the cool shoes people were wearing. And we did some dancing with Mike W. and Sulley. But the part that really brought the Pixie Dust and gave me a boost to make it through the day was Sulley being very silly. When Guests came up to greet him he would sometimes cover their faces. And when I told him that wouldn't work he covered his own!
Then he started turning around every once in a while and scratching his butt! 
But the funniest thing that got me was when he started sounding like a Wookie!!! 
Oh my gosh! I couldn't stop laughing! It was so funny. And every time he wanted my attention he did it! I did enjoy myself and I hated to leave. He gave me a big hug as I was leaving which made me feel very good!