March 14, 2013: It's Pi Day. I like coconut creme.

Today, as most students would know, is Pi Day. March 14^th, 3/14, has the same value as the first three digits of pi, 3.14. Children all over the country will make pie to celebrate Pi Day, they will make presentations featuring pi and generally get creative with the number 3.14. A couple of years ago, my son, Matt, created a short “film” called Pi-zilla. Go watch it. As a matter of fact, here is a link:

PIZILLA

Go to Disney and eat pie for Pi Day or, more specifically, go ride Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom to honor Matt’s cinematic masterpiece (he’s my son and I love him).

Today is International Ask A Question Day. We have discovered a few things about Walt Disney World by simply asking questions. Almost everyone at Walt Disney World is well versed, not only in Disney culture, but also in the back-story behind the specific attractions that they work on or near. A janitor at Animal Kingdom told us tons of stuff about the apes that hang out near Kali River Rapids. Go to Disney World and ask a question. You’ll be amazed at what you can learn.

On this day in 1920, Hank Ketcham was born in Seattle Washington. Ketcham started out working for Walter Lantz and then Walt Disney. Hank worked on Fantasia, Bambi and Pinocchio. That’s pretty good credentials to start but in 1951 Hank Ketcham created a comic strip based on his own 4-year-old son. Ketcham called the strip Dennis the Menace. I think Hank did pretty well for himself. There are a number of ways to honor Ketcham at Walt Disney World but let me suggest lunch at Pinocchio’s Festhaus in the Magic Kingdom. This not only honors Hank’s work for Disney but I bet that Dennis would have loved the food.

Right after you pass this sign, look up and to the right.

Those people you see looking through the window are in Pinocchio's.

It’s Mike Wizowski’s birthday, well, it’s Billy Crystal’s birthday. I love Billy Crystal. He attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia where I used to live. When I worked in radio, I called on Monty’s Pizza in Huntington, operated by Frances Aldridge. Mrs. Aldridge had an autographed picture of Billy Crystal on her wall in Monty’s, a souvenir of Crystal’s time in Huntington. My first real memory of Billy Crystal is on the prime time comedy, SOAP, it was hilarious and it still is. Watch it if you get a chance. Billy Crystal will always be Mike Wizowski in my household. My kids are true Pixar fans and Monsters, Inc. is a beloved story in our house. Honor Crystal by visiting the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, hosted by Billy Crystal, well, Mike Wizowski.

John Jones was born on March 14, 1864. Jones became famous as a railroad engineer for the Illinois Central Railroad. Jones’ fame rose not from his life but from his death in a spectacular train crash on April 30, 1900 at Vaughan, Mississippi. Jones sacrificed himself to slow the train and save the lives of every passenger on his train when it crashed into the caboose and several cars of another train that had not completely exited the mainline tracks. Jones became immortalized in story and song after his death but he is known by his nickname. John Jones spent a lot of time in Cayce, Kentucky as a boy and he gained the nickname Cayce, which he chose to spell Casey. Casey Jones. Let’s honor Casey Jones by visiting the Casey, Jr. play area in the New Fantasyland area of the Magic Kingdom. Casey, Jr., the train from Dumbo named after a famous hero and folklore legend.

Don’t forget, your best excuse is always: waiting for your dreams to come true.