Blog swap and other news!

Hey there my lovelies. I know I've been rather absent the last little while and I'm SORRY! Sickness and a busy week at work do not for good blogging make.

However, I am back in action today with plenty to tell you! First, GO NOW and check out my closet sale! We're moving and I'm getting rid of some REAL gems.

Second, I will be blogging today over at Alissa's place, Thunked and Befuddled for the 6th Annual 20SB Blog Swap! And in return, she is posting here! Please give her your warmest welcome and she talks about her super awesome job!

My place of work is extremely popular. When I tell people I tend to get reactions of “Lucky!! I wish I worked there! It must be the best job ever!”, although occasionally I get “I’m sorry. That must be insane.” Every day I deal with thousands of people (a lot of them children) who have spent a lot of money to be there, and therefore assume that they are the only ones there (who matter, anyway). At my job I see celebrities on a fairly regular basis. Noah Wyle (from ER and The Librarian) visited just the other day, and we made physical contact. I’ve met an actor from Heroes, seen George Lopez wandering around, and talked to some basketball player (I don’t follow the sport, otherwise I’d know his name). But the most famous celebrity that I work with, and on a regular basis, is Mickey Mouse. That’s right, I work at Disneyland.

Before you get too excited, remember that people tend to check their brains at the door. A man once left his baby sitting in a carrier by the exit of my attraction and went to wait in line. Kids run in front of moving ride vehicles and their parents just chuckle (“Oh, isn’t [s]he adorable? He’s just so excited to ride!”). Guests with wheelchairs act like they are entitled to all the wonders of the world, when they already get a shorter line (and technically we don’t even have to grant them that.) Even co-workers get frustrating. We have to work hand in hand with different departments, and sometimes we butt heads. And there are strict limitations on what we (the Cast Members) can wear, how we can do our hair, and how we can behave while on Disney property. It’s for this job that I got rid of my blond bangs that I loved so much.

All that being said, it really is the best job ever. Some days are worse than others, and some days it seems like no one wants to listen (the other day every single child on Roger Rabbit was standing up in the ride for some reason), but the good usually outweighs the bad. For every guest that ignores me, calls me stupid, curses me out, or attacks us with video cameras (true story), there is a parent that tells their child to listen to me, an adorable and sweet child, a guest that compliments me or thanks me for my help, or someone who is truly amazed by the fireworks. That’s what it’s all about. That’s why I love working for Disney.

I’ve always loved anything Disney, and Disneyland especially. It’s always been my favorite place to be, but I remember the first time I realized how much I loved making magic for other people. A few years ago, I learned that my friend Brad had never been to Disneyland. To me, this was a crime against happiness, and I decided that me and a couple friends were to escort him to the Happiest Place on Earth. Now, none of us particularly wanted to go with him, but he was moving out of the area soon and we figured we do this for him. The day started out with us getting tired very early on. We’d semi-argue over who would have to sit next to him on rides. I somehow always lost, but I’m glad I did. The whole day was worth it for the small moment on Pirates of the Caribbean. I don’t know how familiar you are with the ride, but there’s one part where you are in a “tunnel” of sorts and it opens up to a big room where you see the pirate ship attacking a fort. At that point Brad uttered, in a voice full of awe, a quiet “Woah…”. The whole day was worth it, and that’s where it began.

Every day I see children meeting the characters that they love, Mickey most of all. Every day I see kids get to fly in a magic pirate ship (Peter Pan), soar in a flying elephant, spin through downtown Toontown, travel the world in 15 minutes, visit Wonderland, etc. One of the best things, although it is one of the most frustrating shifts, is seeing kids (and sometimes grown adults) go crazy over the fireworks. One girl, maybe about 15, kept practically screaming “Magical!!” every two seconds. When Tinkerbell flew she started jumping up and down and clapping…it was a little funny, but it was also awesome.

Every day I help make dreams come true, and that is why my job is the best job ever.

Isn't she great!? I've missed you all. What have you been up to?