October 5, 2013: Inter-American Water Day, World Teachers Day, Chester A. Arthur, Ray Kroc and Boo.

Today is Inter-American Water Day. This is a day when all American countries pay tribute to water as the basis of our existence. If there is one thing that is absolutely necessary for life, as we know it, it’s water. Don’t forget, at Walt Disney World you can ask for ice water at any counter service restaurant and they will give you a cup free. Try it, it works, and there’s not that much free stuff at WDW.

Today is World Teachers Day. I’m a teacher, my wife is a teacher, my sister-in-law Angela is a teacher, my sister-in-law Kemra is a teacher, my niece Cayla is a teacher and my nephew Brad is a teacher. Get the idea; celebrate it by going to Walt Disney World and learning something.

Chester A. Arthur, the twenty-first President of the United States was born on this day in 1829 in Fairfield, Vermont. Upon the death of President Garfield (from wounds suffered at the hand of an assassin convinced that his death would put Arthur in office, who would give him a job) Arthur was sworn in in his home, the first President to be so confirmed. Arthur’s legacy is one of honesty and freedom from the corrupt, machine politics of the day. Yes, Hall of Presidents please, just go there any time you get to The Magic Kingdom.

Ray Kroc was a milkshake machine salesman who noticed that a pair of brothers in California had ordered eight of his Multi-mixer machines. Knowing that no one ordered eight machines, Ray went to check out their restaurant, became so impressed that he began to franchise locations, and, in 1961, he bought out the brothers for $2.7 million. The McDonald brothers have gone down in history as being the victims of one of the worst business deals ever but the McDonald’s empire was not what it would become. Ray did that. In 1918, Ray was in an ambulance driver training school in Connecticut where he made the acquaintance of another young ambulance driver, Walt Disney. In 1996, McDonald’s signed a ten-year global marketing agreement with Disney to promote both companies. Ray was born on this day in 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois, ten miles from the birthplace of Walt Disney. Ride Dinosaur in honor of Ray Kroc, look at the picture, you’ll get it.

Boo is 17, the same age as my son. Mary Gibbs, the voice of Boo in Monsters, Inc., was born on this date in 1996 in Pasadena, California. Her dad, Rob, was a story artist on Toy Story 2 and a story supervisor on Pocahontas. Looks like a visit to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor is in order.

October 5, 1969: The first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus airs on the BBC. Python Eric Idle is the director of The Imagination Institute in the Imagination Pavilion at EPCOT. Go visit Eric and Figment.

Remember, your best excuse is always: waiting for your dreams to come true.