Kidless Disneyland

So, I disappeared for the weekend. I dropped down the rabbit hole, but I'm back now. Once a year, a friend and I escape our kids for a few days at Disneyland to get our grooves back. This time we took my sister with us. We left Saturday morning... really, really, really early. We got back last night (Tuesday) --really, really, really late. So, it was four full days of the Disney experience. It rocked hard-core.

The first day, we were exhausted as none of us really slept much the night before, but adrenalin and caffeine kept us going. Saturday meant that the park was packed. I can't remember what time we gave up, but we didn't wimp out and put in a solid day. I think we got to bed around one a.m. So, we didn't "close" down the park that night, but give us some credit for a twenty hour day... and our voices were raw from screaming by the end of it.

Sunday, we slept in... seriously. My sister took off to go visit family, so it was just Steph and I at the parks. We went on some of our favorite rides "Screamin Mickey" and a few others. Heidi joined us that night for the fireworks--which were fairly impressive and we closed down Disneyland Sunday night... including going on some rides like Pirates of the Caribbean in our own boats. (Three of us... with a whole boat to ourselves.)

Monday, we met up with Di (who was full of awesome) and we went and did all the rides that you can't do with kids (so Di had never been on them.) We did the Tower of Terror and Screamin' Mickey. The picture from Tower of Terror was fantastic. My sister got sick on Screamin' Mickey... and loathed the ride. (Di loved the adrenalin rush... which was my reaction, so as my other half of the brain... that was expected.) After, we went and split garlic fries and the best Monte Cristos on the planet. Di had moved heaven and earth (aka arranged babysitting) and had to split, so she took off. We went back to riding rides and closed down Californian Adventure (their parade is really cool, btw.) Then, we went to buy souvenirs in downtown Disney and eat beignets at the Jazz Kitchen there. (We didn't know that we could get beignets at the same place we ate lunch in Disneyland.)

Tuesday, we were at California Adventure at opening. We went on Tower of Terror again. There was a lady who sat beside me, behind her group, that was on it for the first time. Apparently, she hadn't been warned that the elevator would do several free-fall drops and jumps. Not only did she scream in my ear, but she grabbed my bicep in a death-grip while doing so. Everytime the elevator would level out... she'd apologize profusely, before doing it again when the elevator dropped again. I had her handprint on my arm. I was laughing hysterically at it... even though I did put her hand on the metal handgrip to save myself some bruising. In the picture, she is looking at me in horror (realizing she was clutching a total stranger and I'm laughing hysterically.) Then, Steph and I went on Screamin' Mickey and the rollercoaster car hit a bird. Feathers flew all over everyone even though we couldn't see their source (thank goodness) and we periodically got sprayed with feathers the whole ride. I thought they were petals and someone in the front was doing it. No one knew what had happened until we got off and one of the people said they'd got feathers stuck in their hair. (Heidi said she saw us hit the bird, though.) I keep telling myself that it had to be a really, incredibly stupid bird to fly in front of a moving coaster. Still... gross.

The last ride we went on was Indiana Jones. (I love that ride.) We went back for one last Monte Cristo. Mmmmm. Then, we hurried back to meet a shuttle ride back to LAX. The ride in the shuttle was, by far, the bumpiest and vilest ride of the whole trip. The people in LAX were scarier than most of the rides too. (We've flown into Long Beach before... and hopefully we'll do that again next year.)

When I got home, the kids and the husband had made a big sign for when I walked in and a shower of balloons fell from the skylight where they'd been trapped until I triggered them by opening the door. LOL. It was pretty cool. My husband also bought me beautiful pale orange roses.

The son woke me up this morning to pass out souvenirs. After I'd given them all their cool stuff, brushed B's hair, and the wonderful husband made sure they made the bus... I crashed hard. The weather here and lack of sleep caught up with me. I have a weather migraine, but I slept in until around one p.m.

That was my weekend... It was full of awesome.

I finished the book "I kissed a Zombie and I liked it." I'll do a commentary on it tomorrow. I loved it, though, and immediately passed it on to Steph. It was the only book I managed to read on the trip. Steph was reading the Forest of Hands and Teeth, though, and I started The Dark Divine. Anyway, I'm going to go tie on some more meds for this headache. It's good to have gone... and good to be back... and THAT is the sign of a good vacation.

Last year, the son said, "OH NO... NOT YOU!" in irritation when I got home... as his time with just Daddy was over. (He adores his dad.) So, while the kids didn't miss me (and I'm used to that) it was really nice to have them not disappointed that I'd returned. Plus, they were so excited to have rigged a shower of balloons... and that I'd tripped it. (The anticipation of that and souvenirs was "almost" as good as being missed.) Autism makes for a funny kind of world, but I'm used to it... and the husband was wonderful at taking care of them and he even took them to see the circus. Having someone else step in and even out-do me for a few days of the year is so nice. Having it be someone I trust and my co-parent is the best gift in the world. I can walk away from my life and have someone fill my shoes completely. I don't worry about the kids or the husband the whole time. It's amazing. I love this trip. I feel alive again when I get back.

I do have some really, really impressive blisters and my body aches in every joint and muscle... but it's a good solid "I rocked Disneyland hard" kind of pain.

Have a good Wednesday everyone!!!