New(-ish) Hidden Mickeys at Disneyland 2022

 

One of the magical and whimsical things adults love about Disney movies and theme parks is that they aren't just made for kids - there are references and subtleties that really only speak to the adult mind, or take repetition and minute attention to uncover. These mysterious gems can reveal themselves after the 20th time watching a favorite film, or elude us despite spending hours in a queue. They are generically known as Easter Eggs, and specific to Disneyland, we know there are hundreds of Hidden Mickeys.

There are some great reference books available on Kindle that detail the vast majority of known Hidden Mickeys, and I strongly recommend them. (You can get hard copies too, but I recommend the Kindle version because you can always have them with you on your phone, making it very easy to pop open in a queue so you can see what to look forward to for the current and next attraction. Also, many Hidden Mickeys in that book are at the start of the queues, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead towards your next destination.)

This post will not be a repeat of those you can find with the help of those books, but rather, amend the Disneyland book due to the new attractions and park updates which have brought forth new opportunities for crafty Imagineers to work in new Hidden Mickeys, and for regular visitors like my boyfriend and myself to discover them.

First, however, I'd like to outline what we consider to qualify as a legitimate Hidden Mickey. Because some are more obvious than others, there have been many a Mickey which was questionable as we observed and debated. So, here are the rules we play by in our quest for identifying Hidden Mickeys:

1.  The most common Hidden Mickeys are signified by three circles (outlined or filled / found objects), two smaller ones for the ears and one larger one for the head. However, two ears over an arch like a Mickey ears hat are acceptable.  

2.  The ears must be proportional to the head and at the approximate angle. In other words, three same-sized circles do not a Mickey make.

3.  Minimal separation between the circles for the ears and the circle for the head is acceptable, as long as the proportion and angles are accurate. 

 
4.  Repeats of the Mickey shape are no longer hidden unless they are truly well disguised (i.e. it takes a long look before you realize there's a Mickey there).
 

5.  Mickey can be oriented in any direction, could be upside down from the perspective you're allowed!

6.  A Mickey which has lots of detail, accurate coloration and is a prominent figure in whatever structure or piece it is in is not hidden.

Alright, so here are the new Hidden Mickeys I believe I've uncovered in Disneyland and California Adventure.

Queue of Rise of the Resistance at Galaxy's Edge: We often start our day by rope-dropping Rise of the Resistance, so this is a great place to start at Disneyland. At the start of the queue inside the rock formations, look right, there's a cutout that looks like Mickey when you get to the correct angle.

 

 

 

Central Plaza: There's a pond near the entry to Frontierland from the Central Plaza. If you look across the pond to rocks along the edge, there's one set of rocks which looks like a pretty well-proportioned Mickey.

 

 

 

 

 

Avengers Campus' WebSlingers queue: This new attraction had to have a throwback to the Mouse, and indeed, but I knew it wouldn't be as literal as other Hidden Mickeys, likely. While in the queue, take a look around and find the electrical box decorations between the colored brick wall and grey brick wall. The blocky screws seem to form Mickey proportions.

Bonus: Otherwise unreported Easter Egg from a recent Pixar film!

I don't talk about my day job very often on here, but it is not often when the specific knowledge from my work relates to my Disney fandom. One of the products I support at work is the F-22 fighter jet. As I was re-watching Soul one day, I caught a glimpse of a fighter jet that looked awfully familiar. There's a scene in the montage of the main character trying different theoretical "sparks", where a rocket launches. In the foreground on the right side of the screen, there's an airplane. So get this, I think it's an F-22, and the character's called... 22!

A Google image search confirmed it as an F-22, but I haven't seen anyone else confirm this Easter Egg, so, you saw it here first! Actually, I saw it on April 22, '22 in this tweet.

May Be The End

 You know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe this is the end. Because even when I was trying to help you see how you're hurting me, you somehow managed to BLAME ME for it. So, maybe it's hopeless. Am I thrilled with everything I've ever done? No, of course not. But I've also put up with a lot of shit. The eye-rolling when I remind you to do something that will help you with YOUR goal. Letting to live with me for zero rent for months or years, in exchange for a limited amount of housework and cooking. When I was single before we met, I had given up on love. I had thought that I had achieved so much success and all I wanted was someone to share it with. I think the issue is that my sharing had no bounds, and you took full advantage of that. Did I let you? Sure I did. I excuse it as exhaustion from work, I don't have any energy to fight you. But I'm not sure I'm right about that. You've been passive aggressive in so many ways, I wonder if this was another mental trick you're playing on me. You may not even realize it. Somehow, I have let you walk all over me while I'm too exhausted or confused or befuddled to fight it.

Andrew's relationship with Tiffany is very instructive. It's not the same, but it has similarities. He has been dealing with a ton of crap at work, and having broken up with his last girlfriend, Tiffany managed to snake her way into the position. Andrew allowed it, of course, but even as Tiffany dreamed she could demand Andrew stay here in California, and Andrew insisted he would not, she still somehow became a "love" for him.

Way back in the day, I had pretty shallow criteria for a boyfriend. I wanted him to be tall, like swing dancing, musicals and football, and you fit the bill. Before that, I thought I wanted someone more ambitious, to challenge me, be my other half in a power couple. I know and am grateful that I've been able to move around the country for my job due in large part to the fact that you didn't have a really important job - most of the time you were generally pretty stoked about quitting, even if you weren't sure what you wanted to do. And you helped with the moves, which was super helpful for me.

I guess I'm at a loss now, because none of that other stuff seems super important, whether you like the same things that I do or whatever. I mean, we rarely swing dance anymore, and even that feels like a "chore" I am making you do. We haven't gone to a football game in forever, partially due to COVID but even before then we weren't doing a lot of it, and I actually found weekends plopped in front of the couch watching football to be far too much, too boring, too unproductive, too lazy and the season seemed to last too long. We have gone to see musicals, and I do value that, and your knowledge of the performers.

What seems to be important now is you being a partner and I don't think you've been like that in a long time. I really honestly struggle to remember our first year or two, because it felt like a permanent state of honeymoon fever, we were inseparable and I don't think we fought much. We managed to go on this massively long road trip together without killing each other.

I still want someone to travel with and have fun with on the weekends. Maybe I like being in a relationship because it guarantees a friend and travel buddy, and maybe that's not the right reason to be in a relationship. But honestly, even that has been bothering me - when we're travelling it seems so hard to get you out of bed some mornings - unless it's a theme park and then you are up at the crack of dawn to rope drop. When we were with my family most recently in North Carolina, and the trip pivoted because of Matthew's injury, you seemed to want to make it all about you somehow. It was very selfish. We overrode you, to be sure, but I just couldn't even believe you would suggest things that put your interests ahead of what the group wanted or needed to do.

So I'm sitting trying to think if I'm going to regret breaking up with you. Will my life be that much worse off that I'll want you to come back? I'll probably read more, with the TV not always being on. I would hopefully exercise more, not needing to tiptoe around your sleep schedule and again not being deterred by the TV being on. But I would be lonely. I won't have someone guaranteed to go out to dinner with. I'll have to make plans with friends and colleagues. I won't have someone to give me back massages and foot massages - I'll have to go back to Massage Envy or another place for that. I won't have dinner ready-made for me when I walk in the door, I'll have to plan and cook my own meals - it will probably be a lot more microwaveable stuff. I won't have someone doing the dishes, so I'll have to do that on my own, which sucks because I know that will hurt my back. I won't have someone taking care of spiders and bugs, so I'll have to be brave and toughen up a little. I'll need to hire a gardener and a pool guy, because I know I won't keep that stuff maintained on my own. I'll have an extra empty room, maybe I'll get a roommate? But that would be weird - most people I work with are lower levels and moving in with a "boss" might be strange. I'll probably listen to Christmas music sooner and much more often.

But it will be lonely. I won't have someone to vent to when I get home. I won't have someone to plan weekends with, or projects, or tell about my next crazy idea.

You help me decompress by choosing entertainment things so I don't have to navigate or think through that. That helps. But I also have a big mental burden in carrying all the mental lists of chores, plans, schedules, helping you to achieve your professed goals.

It's kind of ironic timing to break up now. I had visited San Fran a couple times before meeting you, and that was one of those things we always talked about doing, so that you would have a better experience. We just finally went. To me, some of it was repeating the experience with the new person in my life, although we did do some things that were new to me.

How To: Custom Curtains

One of the aspects of the "Long Tail" which the Internet and companies like ebay, Etsy and now Spoonflower ushered in is that there is almost no limit to the ability to find (or make) exactly what you want. In other words, if you can dream it, you can find it (or make it with relative ease). Taking advantage of this, I'm going to talk to you today about designing and buying or making custom curtains. Curtains are, I think, an underrated opportunity in a room to bring a real splash of color, personality, and theming to a space.

In a recent blog, I shared with you how to design and paint a giant Lego mural, a project I undertook as part of my own home project to transform my unused dining room into a Lego gallery! The next phase in my project was to make curtains. While I kept the mural fairly neutral, using only shades of gray, so that the Lego projects themselves would pop, I don't intend to have anything in front of the window so the curtains could afford to be a bit more bold. I'm leaning towards a gray with yellow accents color scheme here, so naturally, I put that pop of yellow in my curtains.

For reference, here's an inspiration picture I am using. While I'm not going to mimic anything specific in it, I like the modern, adult look of the color scheme. My worry is that Lego lends itself to a childish look with the primary colors - yellow, blue and red, being predominant brick colors in most Lego-themed rooms (and indeed at Legoland and Lego stores, etc). I don't have kids - by choice - and therefore I want my Lego gallery to have a little bit of class and maturity about it.

Alright, back to the curtains. I actually got the idea of the fabric design while designing my mural wall. As with all my designs, I had started with sketches (in PowerPoint, my design hack tool of choice) to play with the look and feel of various ideas. So the "winning" design for my mural easily translated to a design I could upload into my Spoonflower shop and buy.

Pick a Design, Have it Made

For the less handy/DIY people out there, this could be where the blog stops. Spoonflower has an array of home goods that can be custom made with any of the 1000s of designs on the site. It is a bit more expensive, than, say, curtains you might find at Ikea or Target, but you get to have the EXACT design and dimensions you want. You can simply browse the Spoonflower fabric designs, and when you find a design you like, straight from a fabric page, click the link that says "Also available in Wallpaper & Home Decor", as shown here.

Alternatively, grab the fabric design number from the URL, as shown above, and add it to this URL:
https://www.spoonflower.com/en/products/
 

 

In the above example, it would be https://www.spoonflower.com/en/products/645453 and
would look like this:

Make a Design, Have it Made

You can take it one step further without being handy still, and upload your own design, and do the same thing! Now, if you're not experienced in designing fabrics, I would strongly recommend that you proof the fabric first ($5 or less per proof, depending on how many you buy), before investing in the full set of curtains or other products.

One of the best things about buying from the Spoonflower products is that the curtains come with both rod pocket and tab hanging options (one on each end). So you get some flexibility in how your curtains will hang, and can even change it up later if you want a slightly different look.

Sew it Yourself

Whether you're picking a design someone made on Spoonflower, or designing it yourself, the rest of this post will talk about the ease of sewing fabric into curtains yourself. For this project, I used my own design "Yellow Brick Road" and bought 6 yards (56" x 216") of Cypress Cotton Canvas. (Fabric page here: https://www.spoonflower.com/designs/13210876-yellow-brick-road-by-lowa84)

For comparison of cost, two 96" panels would have cost $288 from the Spoonflower products page (using the same material - you could also save some by switching to Linen Cotton Canvas). My purchase of raw fabric set me back $204. If you are using someone else's design, it will cost a little more because that designer gets the commission - in this case, instead of paying myself commission, Spoonflower simply knocks that off the price since I was the designer.

Since I already have a sewing machine and all other supplies, I saved about $84 by making the curtains myself. If you're thinking about buying a sewing machine and all the associated supplies ONLY for this project, the savings might not be worth it. But, I also would vouch for the impressive power of inspiration that comes from a small, successful project. I'm a big believer that people enjoy things more when they make them themselves, and that seeing your handiwork empowers and inspires you to do more. If you're a first time crafter and you might want to do more in the future, I say go for it!! Making matching pillows, hand towels, table runners and all sorts of others things are just as easy (or maybe easier)!!

Alright, back to curtains again (also - don't laugh at my craft room, I haven't painted or redone it yet, so it still has awful pink paint from the previous owner's granddaughter, complete with a cringey "Live Laugh Love motif on the wall"). One last thing - I'm going to share here what I actually did, which I'll refer to as "my hack", as well as what the expert advice says. The expert advice should in theory result in a more finished look, especially on the back of the curtains. For my purposes, I have blinds behind the curtains also, and I was a little nervous with sewing such thick fabric, so I went with a less polished look in the back, which still looks great from the front.

Step 1: Cut the fabric to size

Getting started on a new project, especially if it feels a little daunting, is often the hardest part. Once you've measured your windows and decided how big you want the curtains, measure out how much you need from the fabric.

Another consideration before you start cutting is how you want to attach the curtains to the rods. If you use Clip on Rings, you just need to sew a straight panel. Loops or tabs that extend beyond the curtain panel are another approach, and you'll need to consider how to incorporate those into the top of your curtain (a great tutorial for that is here: https://www.onlinefabricstore.com/makersmill/how-to-make-tab-top-curtains/). A fairly straight-forward approach is to leave the sides of your top stich open and put the rod through the entire thing - that's a rod pocket design. For my hack, I made loops or tabs but hid them behind the top of the curtains so they aren't visible from the front.

You'll want to give yourself at least four inches on the bottom and at least two inches on the top, plus and inch or two on both sides (so make sure to double whatever you choose for the sides). Cut the fabric into the rough size panels.
When you get  fabric from Spoonflower, you'll have some white borders around the design. You'll want to trim this off.

For reference, the windows I'm covering span a total of 62" across, and 70" tall. Hanging just above them and reaching close to the ground, the 96" length was the look I opted for.

Step 2: Sew the sides of the panels

Using an iron and pins, fold each side of each panel down about an inch, and iron that seam to make it nice and crisp. The experts recommend you fold the fabric over once more and do that again, however, my hack got away with just one fold on each side.

Curtains are great sewing projects because they involve a lot of straight stiches. Once you have your sides pinned and ironed down (pin optional, but I preferred it given the bulky material and sheer length of the hem), simply sew as straight as you can along the fabric fold. Truth be told, if you're worried about  getting this absolutely straight, I'd advice not to stress to much. The finished product is so much bigger than these small lines, that it will be hard to notice minor flaws like that from afar - and most of your guests won't be examining the stitch lines along every seam - I hope.

Step 3: Make the loops / tabs and sew the top

Again, this part will vary depending on which style you want. I used some of the white border fabric, and cut 10 evenly sized strips about 5 inches long and 2 inches wide. They don't have to be perfect, in my hack.

Taking the top of the panel and folding it down a couple inches, just as you did on the sides but with a little more length, I also pinned the loops down so that the tops of the loops were just below the fold. After pinning and ironing all of that, I again just sewed a straight line across, making sure that the loops were straight as I got to them.

Step 4: Pin and sew the bottom

Since in my hack I winged it a little bit, decided to get the bottom length just right, I would hang the curtains to see just how much to fold. So I hung the curtains, selected the length and pinned them right there while they were still hanging. Then I brought them back to my craft room and ironed that fold as before, adding additional pins. While I did this for both panels, it may be most important to do this on the second one, to make sure it lines up with the first.

After ironing and sewing, the final sewing begins, once again straight across, like an old pro by now.

Step 5: Hang the final curtains gloriously and admire your work

With the tab arrangement I used, simply sliding them onto the curtain rod made them look a little frumpy, but it was an easy adjustment to get the top of the curtains to stand up right. Additionally, I adjusted and played with the pleats to make them hang right. In the end, none of the hack choices I made seemed to show or make much of a difference. The bright, bold yellow makes a real statement in the gray room, and I'm darn happy about it.

How To: Lego Mural

My house is a Lego house. Not literally, but only because we haven't built our dream house yet (which will most definitely incorporate a Lego feature). Anyways, we have a lot of Lego sets and MOCs (My Own Creations). Since we eat dinner on the couch primarily, we don't have a functional need for our dining room. So I'm transforming our sad pastel old-person dining room into a Lego Gallery. Before I get the furniture and textiles, I'm painting the walls and adding a couple murals. I thought I'd take you along and provide some tips for those wanting to do something similar.

Pre-work: Choose your design. I had my friends on social media vote on my mural design, and the consensus was between options 3 & 4. Feel free to take inspiration from any of these designs! 

I plan to put a shelving unit for a Lego gallery in front of the wall, so I thought the yellow would be too distracting. Thus, I selected the gray design.

The key to this mural is that the base color is the same as the brick color and the top of the studs. So in all reality, after the base coat is up, all I'm going to paint are the highlights and the shadows. It's a negative space trick! Neat, huh?

How to Paint this Lego Mural

Step 1: Paint the base color. I actually brought to Home Depot a giant Lego block to do an exact color match (more precisely, I brought the gray Lego wall hanger). For the shadow I needed a darker gray, and I used a swatch that went well with my lighter gray color. I had white paint lying around, so planned to use that for the highlight color (later, I decided  that the white was too stark, so I mixed some of it with the wall color).

Step 2: Cut a pizza pan-shaped circle in an old Lego box. The mosaic kits are great square boxes for this purpose. I'll refer to mine as Marilynizza (you'll see why later).

Step 3: Measure Marilynizza, representing the size of the stud, and then determine relative dimensions, including room for shadows and highlights. These are rough dimensions I measured by using PowerPoint (because I'm a weird nerd and use PowerPoint for all visuals).

 

Step 4: Tape a grid on the wall. Notice it's not a perfect grid throughout. I've made room in between my "bricks", as indicated by the green tape. I started with the bottom to make sure I had my technique down, and also because I got tired of taping and wanted to dive into the painting!

Step 5: Line up the bottom and left edges of the taped square with Marilynizza.

Step 6: Trace the outside left and bottom. With paint. Specifically, a darker shade than the base coat, to create the illusion of a shadow. A smaller, artistic brush, is recommended for this.

Step 7: Slide Marilynizza over and fill in the gap with the shadow-colored paint. Just for fun, the color of the wet paint in the darker grey looks almost exactly like the dry color of the lighter grey, making an additional challenge in ensuring coverage. The good news, shadows can be a little fuzzy, so it's okay if it's a little imperfect.

 

Step 8: Remove Marilynizza and watch the paint dry. Just kidding! You have a million more studs to do, keep going! 

Pro Tip: I noticed the paint started getting on the back of Marilynizza and then transferring to the next part of the wall where I didn't want it, so I started wiping the paint off the back of her after each "stud" was complete.

Step 9: After the paint has sufficiently dried, use the other side of Marilynizza to paint the highlights of the studs. Line her up with the top and right edges of the box for the first trace in a lighter color or white, then slide her over and fill it in, just like before! 

Pro Tip: Once the tape is up, painting the crescent shapes for the stud shadows and highlights went pretty fast. For the upper ones, I needed an extra pair of hands so my love supported by holding the paint while I was up on the step ladder with my Marilynizza and paintbrush. For studs at height, definitely a good idea to have a partner to help you out! 

 

Step 10: Remove the tape for the stud sections, and put any more tape down as needed to line out the shadows of the Lego bricks. 

Step 11: Paint the shadows in the darker color. (This also goes quite quick. I was too excited so I forgot to take a picture of the tape before painting.)

Step 12: After the paint dries, remove your tape and do any touch-ups as you see necessary.

Step 12.5: Enjoy your new mural! Or, immediately cover it up with all your more intricate Lego builds! 

I am thrilled with how the mural turned out! Even with some imperfect measurements I noticed half way through the project, I think the objective of the vision was achieved. My technique was certainly inconsistent from stud to stud, repeated over 28 times on both sides, but none of those details really show when you look at the broader picture. 

Stay tuned (and subscribe) to see how the Lego Gallery room comes together. Lights, curtains, furniture, and of course, the Lego sets and MOCs, still to come! 

Next up: Lego curtains!

Hadestown Reflection: Relating to the Toxic Grind at Work

There is a grind at work that feels hopeless, and a toxicity that seems to have no antidote. The songs of Hadestown resonate on so many frequencies as a result. Particularly, questioning whether we should just accept our place in life as workers on the line - there is no hope of truly freeing ourselves of the pain and relentless shoveling - "Is this how the world is?"  Hadestown seems to put in stark contrast a daily grind of work that seems hopeless - there is purposefully no end to the work in sight - and the poverty of the hippie-dippies who are "Livin' it Up On Top", celebrating their life and freedom but also facing constant hardships. You can have food and shelter, but the price is that you're chained to your work, you lose your  humanity, you lose yourself. Or you can have freedom and sunshine, but the price is you're always hungry, tired, and cold, always running, always wanting.

There's a haunting undertone sung by the chorus / mine workers, if you don't listen carefully enough, you may miss the profundity of it.

    What's the purpose of a man
    If he turns his eyes away
    Just to throw up both his hands
    What's the use of his backbone
    If he never stands with pride
    If he turns his back on everyone
    That he could have stood beside

We are lectured at with regards to ethics and safety, that if we see something, we should say something. But there are certain "untouchables" whom cannot be questioned or challenged or stood up to, even when everyone clearly knows they are in the wrong. That "untouchable" status is weirdly awarded to those quick to throw you under the bus for not adhering to oddly specific, irrelevant playbooks, but the minute you fight back, call you into the principal's office with HR. It is also awarded to anyone with high up in the ranks, especially those who have even higher-powered sponsors. What we end up hearing is, "Speak up against unethical or unsafe practices, unless they come from me, in which case, sit down, shut up, and do as you're told."

This hypocrisy goes hand in hand with the "If It's True" lyrics, that go like this:

    I'll be on my way
    If it's true what they say
    But the ones who tell the lies
    Are the solemnest to swear
    And the ones who load the dice
    Always say the toss is fair
    And the ones who deal the cards
    Are the ones who take the tricks
    With their hands over their hearts
    While we play the game they fix
    And the ones who speak the words
    Always say it is the last
    And no answer will be heard
    To the question no one asks
    So I ask you as a brother
    And I ask you as a friend
    And I ask you as a lover
    And I ask you once again
    Is it true what they say?

We continue to be reassured with words, but the evidence lies in the contradictory actions. What's worse is that this constant churn of being told lies and being tricked and played and betrayed over and over again makes us start to question whether we're not really the insane ones. When you're the only sane person in the asylum, you have no comparable person against whom to validate your sanity. That doubt isn't so far from the "Doubt Comes In" that leads to end of the tale of Orpheus and Euridice.

Perhaps, Hadestown resonates most with me, because it tells me the end of the story, and also tells me that we're going to sing it again.

    Cause, here’s the thing:
    To know how it ends
    And still begin to sing it again
    As if it might turn out this time
    I learned that from a friend of mine

I've seen the end of this story. Shutting down my greenfield plant in Panama City, laying off all of those employees,, dashing hopes of our community of bringing good jobs and business. All of that essentially because, like Orpheus, we thought we had done enough, but we were set up to fail from the beginning - we were never going to bring Euridice home. And now, the mothership site, and likely other sites, are going to shut down or be reduced, in part, because of that contract we were trying so desperately to save. We felt like we had gone to hell and back, and for naught. Yet, having seen it play out, I willingly came back to the exact same world, as if it might turn out this time.

I've always believed myself to be results-oriented, but if the logic tells me I won't get results, perhaps I'm more hope-oriented than I thought. I've always believed where there is a will, there is a way. Find another way. How many times must I sing the sad song before I will learn? And when I learn, which will I choose? To sell my soul, lose my humanity and work on the chain gang? Or live free but poor? Are there truly no other options?

California Bucket List: San Francisco annd Bay Area

A California Bucket List could hardly be complete without some icons of "the city", "the Bay" and/or wine country. This trip was especially significant to Jaiman and I, because we had both gone separately before we knew each other, and I found some absolute gems I wanted to encore, while his trip was largely a bust in his opinion, so we had strong urges for different reasons to go back and do it right, and together. Moving to LA county afforded us the shortest road trip from home ever for us, so it was decided that we'd finally go! We picked a weekend and I took Thursday and Monday off (I have all Fridays off already) to make it an extended weekend. We did some rather unique things as well as some typical touristy things, and I hope this post helps you find some gems as well as prepare for what to expect in the touristy things.

 

Day 0 - Wednesday

We actually left Wednesday evening when I got off work, to break up the drive. It afforded us the opportunity to stop in Paso Robles, a last minute recommendation from one of my employees that ended up being a fantastic idea. I might go so far as to add Paso Robles to the California Bucket List - it made that big of an impression on me! We arrived pretty late and checked in to the hotel before venturing out for some dinner, so our options were limited. That ended up not being a problem at all, as it led us to The Alchemist's Garden, where the way-too-cool-for-me bartenders weren't the only ones brewing up amazing concoctions! Notably, they have a fancy setup for the absinthe Jaiman wanted to try, and my mojito cocktail was also quite delish. But the food was the most interesting, there. We started with a Sweet Potato Quasadilla which wasn't too sweet potato for me, and very cheesey. I got the Duck Chalupa with spicy slaw, and Jaiman got the Coffee Rubbed Skirt Steak with sweet potato mash. There were at least a half dozen other tantalizing options on the menu that we'd go back to try. And that was just one place in the picturesque downtown Paso Robles!

Day 1 - Thursday

I wanted to split up the drive for two reasons - for one, there was something very specific on Thursday evening that I wanted to make sure we go to (more on that later), and two, I was hoping to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway a bit, which takes a lot longer, but is so much more scenic. We compromised, and decided to drive direct to Santa Cruz, and take the scenic route from there. This allowed for an unplanned stop to get additional roller coaster credits in Santa Cruz.

The main planned event for Thursday was an adults-only evening at the immense immersive science museum, the Exploratorium. I had visited before, but during the day while they allowed those short people to run around. Given our dislike of other people's kids, we were both stoked to have an adult bevvy and kick it kid-free. Jaiman's only complaint: 4 hours was not enough time! And truly, it's the kind of place at which you could spend all day. We had no problem parking at a meter across the street, and booked the first entry time reservation to maximize our time (and still left wanting more). If I were to do it again, I'd have dinner before the event because the meal wasn't super special (although it did hit the spot after we worked up an appetite playing with the exhibits) to devote more time to the museum. I thought dining there would be nice with a view, but it was too dark to see much anyways. The gift shop is a lot of fun, too, but you could also do that outside of the limited adults-only hours to maximize time in the museum.

Day 2 - Friday

For Friday we knew we wanted to do Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. We have annual passes to Six Flags, so parking and admission were free, but if you have to buy one-day admission, this is one of the cheapest parks. The annual passes are good deals, though, if you're going to go to more than one park or go a few times, they pay for themselves pretty quickly. Labor Day weekend has the best deals.

Our focus was getting on the rides, which we were successful at early in the day, even waiting out the testing of Batman in anticipation of it opening. But unlike other Six Flags parks, this one has animals, too. We touched the rays, watched the sea lion and dolphin shows and laughed at the penguins waddling around. Unfortunately, we missed the land animals, they had gone in for the night by the time we made our way over there. So if I was going to do it again, I'd pop over there first thing and then worry about the rides, so I could see some giraffes!

The bag / loose item policy is always vague and often inconsistent for theme parks, so here's some ride-by-ride info to help you plan.
    • Superman - Had cubbies - Can only have one train so you're pretty safe to leave things
    • Batman - Had cubbies - the ride is loading / unloading continuously so leave items at your own risk
    • Medusa - Had cupholders, some people left hats and other items - Can run more than one train so leave items at your own risk
    • Kong - Had cupholders - Can have more than one train so leave items at your own risk
    • Cobra (family ride) - Had cubbies, but it's mild enough you can probably just keep things in pockets or a bag at your feet - Only has one train so relatively safe
    • Joker - Had big bins to hold items

That was also the order we rode the rides in, notably, Joker was closed almost ALL DAY... we wrapped up our day - we thought - with shopping and then literally were walking out of the final turnstile when we saw the Joker run - with people on it! The staff was kind enough to let us back in since we had just exited, but normally you would need a stamp. So, if you're interested in riding something that's been closed, get that hand stamp just in case. We couldn't believe how late it had opened, we thought certainly if it hadn't opened by two hours prior to the park closing, it wouldn't open at all that day. Six Flags showed us! Again, it worked out, and while that was the longest wait all day right around 45 minutes, we were grateful to snag that coaster credit.

For dinner, we drove over to the Fisherman's Wharf area for reservations at the Bistro Boudin. The food was incredible from start to finish. The Argentinian Empanadas appetizer could easily be an entrée, and they were served with beets and cauliflower which I really enjoyed as well as  a creamy avocado-cilantro mousse, which Jaiman really enjoyed despite neither of us liking avocado normally. I went with the Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich, with amazing coleslaw which I don't usually like. Jaiman had the Angel Hair Pasta with Herb Grilled Shrimp.

Day 3 - Saturday

After a late night, we slept in maybe a little too late, and groggily made our way back to the car for one of my favorite drives ever. The drive up to Six Sigma Ranch and Winery is quite a haul, but it is gorgeous, packed with windy, hilly, tree canopy-covered roads and mountainy landscapes. We saw two deer on the way back. Once you turn in, there is a 2 mile dirt road passing by the vineyards and sweeping views with opportunities for wildlife sightings. There are hiking trails at the property, they just ask you to check in with them. We opted for a low-key visit with the day's special tasting, seated on the patio eating street tacos paired with Sauvignon Blanc. As we indulged, we were treated to the sights and sounds of dozens of blue birds and woodpeckers.

I like Six Sigma Ranch in particular because of the namesake certication which has been a major enrichment and part of my career professionally. Also, my first experience here has been other-worldly. One of these days, hopefully I'll make it for an actual tour.

After buying a case to bring home (I was gladly upselled), we made our way to Lagunitas Brewing Company. I had tentatively planned both Russian River Brewing Company and Lagunitas, but given the late time of day, we only really had time and energy for one, and Lagunitas was my preference between the two. Partially because I'd been to Russian River twice and Lagunitas only once with a tour, and partially because I prefer their beers and knew their food would be off the hook. I was right, suffice it at that.

Day 4 - Sunday

We managed to get home Saturday night at a decent time so we could get up earlier on Sunday. Our first planned stop was the Walt Disney Family Museum. I had visited this museum on my first trip to the area 10 years prior, and I tell everyone going to the area about it for this reason: I am not a museum person, but this museum moved me to literal tears. Plus, it's about all things Disney: the man himself (and his family), the start of an empire (and how it adapted over the years), and the theme park projects. Mr. Disney's vision for EPCOT is immensely more elaborate than the park we've come to know and enjoy, and while his vision was not even close to realized, I still find a lot of inspiration in it.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is located very near the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, so for planning purposes, if you're going to be taking in the site of the bridge, this would be a great addition to that outing (or vice-a-versa).

We then ubered to Fisherman's Wharf to let our inner tourists out. Jaiman found a place called the Codfather at which he wanted to eat fish 'n chips, and I ate some of my own "chips" there as well. Jaiman ranked the fish very high in his taste, and that's saying something because he's quite picky in that arena. But the highlight for me, not being a fish eater myself, was the deep fried Oreos.

We wandered to Pier 39 and visited shops to our liking, most notably a Christmas store at which I found a Torii Gate ornament I just had to have.  We walked to the north west part of the pier to find the viewing area for wild sea lions. It was super windy and a bit chilly, but we braved the cold to watch and listen to the ridiculous creatures fight and bark and wrestle and cuddle.

Jaiman wanted to shop at a specific store in JapanTown so we decided to uber that way and maybe eat some Japanese food for dinner. We were a little unpleasantly surprised to find that there was a Cherry Blossom Festival that was just wrapping up when we arrived, so there were lots of crowds everywhere in JapanTown and we were too late to join in on the festivities. Nevertheless, Jaiman got into the store he wanted to go to, but they were sold out of many of the items he was interested in because of the festival. We had not brought jackets for the day, but it started to get a little chilly so we visited a Japanese grocery store and then ubered back to Fisherman's Wharf for dinner. We called it a night early, but had snagged reservations for Monday morning to go to Alcatraz.

Day 5 - Monday

I hadn't intended to do anything in town on Monday, just leisurely pack up and drive home. But instead, we got up early, packed up in a rush, checked out and left our bags at the hotel, then ubered over to the Alcatraz ferry terminal. It was a small boat over, so there weren't enough seats for everyone, but we managed to make the most of it by getting a look outside. It was chilly and rainy at the start of the morning, but the short hike up the hill to the prison got us warmed up and the sun came out by the time we finished the audio tour. The audio tour was free / included in the price - you can either use one of their devices or download the tour on your phone using the QR code and wifi at the dock. Jaiman opted to use their device while I opted to download it on my phone. I wished I had headphones, but it was just fine without. I stopped my tour to take lots of pictures. Unfortunately, Jaiman's tour restarted and there was no way to fast forward, so he missed out on the backend of the audio tour, but otherwise got most of it. After our audio tours, we walked around outside where, even though the sun had come out, it was very windy and chilly. We watched for birds and identified a few species, but the peregrine falcon alluded us.

Since we got back to the pier around lunch time, we opted to eat lunch before leaving town, so we trekked up a couple terrific San Francisco hills to a pizzeria Jaiman found on Google. "Sometimes you have to let Google take the wheel," he said. Google did not disappoint! We landed at Tony's Pizza Napoletana and were floored by the menu. It had so many different styles of pizza, let alone different and pretty unique ingredient combinations. We had Tony's Double Roasted Garlic Bread with cheese, Classic Italian Diavola pizza with hot red pepper oil (hot oil pizza, anyone?), and the Detroit Rosa. All were incredible, and I wish I could try about ten more pizzas!

Sadly then, it was finally time to turn south. We took the fastest route home to Palmdale, which took us through farmlands, and got home in time to unpack and unwind just a bit before going to bed. Back to reality Tuesday. All in all, it was a well overdue trip that lived up to our long-standing aspirations, and we are already thinking about our next San Francisco visit!

Planning Tips

1. Pick the main things you want to do, at least one per day, and then arrange your travel dates and activities around the specific activity restrictions. 
• Alcatraz tickets can sell out, so you may want to plan and buy those in advance. We lucked out, but had to stay longer than I expected on Monday as a result.  
• The adults-only Exploratorium events only happens every Thursday evenings.
•  The Six Sigma tours happen only on Saturdays. We didn't make it for a tour, but landed ourselves at an event anyways.
•  For difficult-to-get-in restaurants, look at what reservations you can get on OpenTable if it's available.   
2. Check for festivals / events that may alter your ability to visit areas and/or may be of interest to add to your itinerary. 
3. Then arrange other far-flung activities around geographic proximity. 
• The two breweries I wanted to visit (Lagunitas and Russian River) were both relatively on the way back from the winery, so we opted to them the same day (even if that did imply a lot of drinking - ah well, vacation, right?).  
• The Charles M. Schulz Museum is in the same area (Santa Rosa), so if that's of interest, you may want to plan that in.  
4. Finally, arrange the remaining items based on expected crowds.
•  We opted to do Six Flags on a Friday which would limit the crowd because some people would be in school or at work. Monday or Thursday would have likely been even better, but it was minimal on Friday so that worked out nicely.  
• We went to the Walt Disney Family Museum as soon as it opened on Sunday to minimize interactions with crowds, and then dedicated the rest of the day to the tourist stuff at Fisherman's Wharf. 

 

Ringing in 2022 - Resolutions in the Pandemic

I usually start all New Year's posts with a reflection on accomplishments for the last year, and general status of my well-being. But it's no secret that 2021 kind of stunk, and much of 2020 was about the same. Nearing two years in a pandemic means we've missed out on some really big Bucket List / Life List achievements, we're limiting travel and get-togethers, and we're meeting more virtually than in person at work. For an extreme extrovert, it's been rough. And despite some positives like my new 4/10 schedule, I'm not healthier or more productive in my personal life than usual. I'm tired and anxious and bored and stifled. 2021 will be the first year since I started my Life List in which I didn't complete at least two things off my list. One of those items was literally cancelled because of COVID-19. So, while I'm usually the eternal optimist, I'm coming into 2022 a little defeated.

 

Not all is bad, as my 2021 photographic recap indicates. 

 

In January, I treated Jaiman to a falconry experience for his birthday that was pretty neat. Then the San Diego Zoo re-opened and we were there 45 minutes after little Eleonor the giraffe was born, kicking off one of my favorite things to do - visiting and walking around the huge local zoo. 

 

In February, I went to the zoo a lot, and with the mask mandate in place, I got a cute giraffe mask! 

 

In March, we fed the giraffes at the zoo, and my friend Laura visited from Phoenix. We then found out that we wouldn't be going to Japan for the Olympics due to COVID, so we went to the Japanese Friendship Garden at Balboa Park as a tiny consolation. 

 

In April, we went to Yosemite and Disneyland, and in a little bit of foreshadowing, I visited the Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park and took a picture by an old Skunk Works airplane part. 

 

In May, Danielle and William came to visit and we went to multiple museums and the zoo, as well as fun places to eat and drink. We also went to Las Vegas and ate at Hell's Kitchen. 

 

In June, my sister Linda and her family visited, and we rented a boat and explored Coronado Island with them. We househunted in Palmdale and visited Sea World, and had countless farewell dinners with colleagues and team members as I departed GKN. Then I started my new job at Skunk Works. 

 

In July, we checked off Life List #11 by renting a tandem bicycle back in San Diego and rode that around for the Fourth of July weekend. Then we went back to Phoenix to celebrate Grandma Clote's birthday and see Jaiman's family. Jaiman's cousin Brittney and her sister came to Six Flags with us. 

 

In August, we went out with my colleague, Andrew, and his girlfriend, and visited Tucson to see my family for Dad's birthday. We got the keys to our new house in Palmdale, and started working on it right away. 

 

In September, we went to a show at Hollywood Bowl and got great tickets for Hamilton at the beautiful Pantages Theater. 

 

In October, I took a business trip to Marietta, GA to meet with some of my employees and colleagues. We also went to a local arts festival with Andrew and Tiffany and went to an Air Show in LA to see (and hear) F-35's among other great showings. My sister, Christy, and her friends came to visit and board their cruise, and we showed them around Rodeo Drive and went to an NBA game. 

 

We started November with a Lego Brick Fest and then traveled to Orlando for IAAPA and Universal Nights, then onto Raleigh to celebrate Thanksgiving with Christy and Matthew. 

 

In December, Andrew, Tiffany, Jaiman and I went to the California Science Center to catch the Lego exhibit before it left. Dinner with my boss and Andrew ended our short business relationship, as my boss is retiring. My parents came to visit for Christmas, and we hiked around the Vasquez Rocks. 

 

 

 

 

 

2021 by the numbers:

1 Life List Achievement Completed for Me 

(Tandem bicycle ride)

1 Life List Achievement Completed for Jaiman 

(IAPPA)

3 California Bucket List Achievements Completed 

(Yosemite, California Science Center, Vasquez Rocks)

7 Theme Parks Visited 

(Sea World, Six Flags, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Universal Orlando, Disneyland, DCA)

8 Museums Visited 

(Balboa Park: Model Train Museum, Art Museum, Automotive Museum, Air & Space Museum, Museum of Us, Museum of Natural History; California Science Center, Blackbird Air Park)

12 New Roller Coasters

(Air Grover, Cobra's Curse, Kumba, Montu, Scorpion, SheiKra, Tigris, Velocicoaster, Manta, Electric Eel, West Coast Racers)

43 Roller Coaster Rides Total

 

31 Books Read

(See list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2021/50404019) 

 

All in all, I guess it's not been terrible. Nevertheless, I am hoping for 2022 to be an improvement over the last ~two years.

 

Here are the things I want to work on in 2022 (dare I say, Resolutions):

• Improve my Vocabulary and Professional "Polish"
  
• Double savings (and manage investments to minimize potential losses if stocks go south)
• Work on "Smart" innovations / automation
• Complete at least 3 Life List items 
• Could include:
• Recumbent bike
• Penny farthing bike
• Golf in Cabo
• Press grapes
• Ice skate in snow
• Be an extra in a movie
• Send in a Postsecret
• Drive a race car
• Ski in Colorado
• Learn to use a slide rule
• Underwater hotel
• Eat at a Winger's
• Complete some "moderate"-level home improvement projects
• Such as:
• Staircase railing / front room - paint
• Downstairs full bath – wallpaper and replace light
• Laundry room – wallpaper
• Dining room – paint and replace light
• Craft room – Paint and organize
• Office area – Organize and fix up cabinets
  

 

 

What are you hoping to do in 2022? Given the pandemic, I suspect resolutions will look a little different this year. Maybe you want to reconnect with family or friends, or get engaged with charity or mentoring. Maybe you want to get your home office organized with a refreshed style. Maybe you want to try something new, cook a new dish or try a new art form, take an online dance class or study a language. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!