What a great day, December
22, 2012. Three days until Christmas, the last shopping Saturday before
Christmas and I am finally over my stinking virus. All of this means that the
family and I are hitting the road to the Huntington Mall to do the last bit of Christmas
shopping. We had planned to do this Thursday but the virus cancelled that,
along with last night’s Christmas party, which has now been rescheduled for
next Friday. We also learned that my nephew Troy has a particularly nasty bug
that will keep him out of commission for the next few days, which reschedules
Christmas with Mom and my brother. Hey, hang loose, take it as it comes and
just remember, NBD. (Read the blog from November 20, 2012 for an explanation of NBD, it’s not
only a good way to approach Walt Disney World but also a pretty good way to
live life.)
By the way, speaking of
earlier blogs, go to yesterday’s blog, December 21, 2012 and read my Christmas
story, “Bright Winter Solstice.” Remember, God’s word will find a way and the
Truth is the Truth even if no one believes it.
Excuses…
First, Chef Mickey’s opened
in the Contemporary Resort on this date in 1995. We ate at Chef Mickey’s for
the first time in 2006 and we have eaten there every trip since, five times
total. We love riding the monorail to the Contemporary, disembarking in the
Grand Canyon area and moving through the resort to Chef Mickey’s. The food is
buffet style, so everyone can get what they want and the fab five are there,
coming around to your table to spend time with you and your family. Celebrate a
birthday, celebrate an anniversary, celebrate a first trip to Walt Disney
World, celebrate at Chef Mickey’s and hundreds celebrate with you. Hey, you’ve
got to eat, have fun!!!
When we go to WDW, we
usually drive. We have geocached on the way to the World, we like to spend a
day in Savannah, Georgia, one of our favorite towns, and we love to get an
evening at the beach before driving over to WDW the next day. Driving means
that we pass through the state of Georgia (see Savannah above) and in 1696 James
Oglethorpe, the colonizer of Georgia was born. Oglethorpe established Georgia
as an alternative to debtor’s prison, Oglethorpe wanted a place for the “worthy
poor” of England to have a way to get their footing. Few “worthy poor” ever
moved to Georgia but, in 1732, Oglethorpe arrived in South Carolina and settled
near present day Savannah, Georgia (see Savannah above). Celebrate James
Oglethorpe by stopping for a visit in Georgia on your way to WDW (see Savannah
above). Did I mention that we really like Savannah, Georgia? Oh, eat at
Corleone’s.
When you go through Georgia,
notice that you will see signs that mention, “Georgia On My Mind.” On this date
in 1899, Hoagy Carmichael, who wrote “Georgia On My Mind,” was born in
Bloomington, Indiana. Carmichael also wrote: “Stardust,” “Heart and Soul,” “The
Nearness of You,” and dozens of other songs. What I remember about Hoagy
Carmichael is his inclusion in The Guinness Book of World Records. When I was a
kid, Hoagy’s song, "I'm a Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank on the Streets of Yokohama
with my Honolulu Mama Doin' Those Beat-o, Beat-o Flat-On-My-Seat-o, Hirohito
Blues," was listed in the Guinness Book as the longest song title. To make
this a legitimate Disney excuse, Hoagy recorded an album titled,”Havin’ A Party,”
which included a track titled, “Walt Disney’s Song Parade.” How do you get
cooler than that? Don’t forget to visit Georgia on you way to WDW, may I
suggest Savannah and eat at Corleone’s. Can you believe that I am not being
paid to say these things?
For country music fans,
Frontierland offers a number of ways to honor Country music and notable Country
musicians. I used to live in Huntington, WV and we still live close by, and on
this date in 1921, Hawkshaw Hawkins was born in Huntington, WV. Hawkshaw
started out on local radio stations in the Huntington, WV / Ashland, KY area,
playing a guitar he acquired by trading five trapped rabbits. From humble
beginnings, he advanced to the top of the music charts but only reached number
1 after his death, which may be what most country music fans remember about
Hawkins. Hawkshaw died in the 1963 plane crash that also took the lives of
Cowboy Copas and Patsy Cline. Hawkshaw’s song, “Lonesome 7-7203,” reached #1 on
the Billboard charts for four weeks and was on the charts for 25 weeks after
his death. How about lunch at Pecos Bill’s in memory of Hawkshaw Hawkins,
Cowboy Copas and Patsy Cline? Amen.
Remember, your best excuse
is always: Waiting for your dreams to come true.
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