D23 Expo

My friend Michael invited me to the D23 Expo yesterday. I wouldn't have been remotely interested in pushing through crowds of people with children infatuated with Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Princesses except that there were going to be a couple of my namesakes' showings and artifacts. But I almost didn't make it. My students' germs invaded my body on Wednesday creating a waterfall out of my nose. I had chicken tortilla soup for two days straight and drank my way through a bottle of Tylenol Severe Cold liquid medicine. I woke up better than new before the sun was up on Saturday morning. I'm driven by perseverance, what can I say?

We were inside the convention center two hours after our arrival despite being upgraded to VIP status. Our first stop was the "Let the Adventures Begin" panel where we snuck in as Press but not before sealing our cell phones in baggies. All of the upcoming summer blockbusters through 2015 were revealed. We saw never before scenes from Thor, Captain America, Maleficent, The Muppets, Tomorrowland, and the only film I was interested in, Saving Mr. Banks. Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins made an appearance, as well as Chris Evans and two of his castmates. Angelina Jolie surprised us with her presence too. But none of them made my day like Mr. Richard M. Sherman, one of the composers of the Mary Poppins songs, who sang "Let's Go Fly a Kite" alongside the two actors who play him and his brother in Saving Mr. Banks. I think I teared up. I was about to start dancing, pretending to be holding a kite of my own, when the lights came on. I could've gone home after that. But there was still much more to see.

Here's a preview of Saving Mr. Banks coming out in December. I promise to wear my Mary Poppins costume if you accompany me.

After having some grub, we continued the experience by sitting in the "Disney Legends Awards Ceremony." Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Jobs (one of Michael's many idols), and Ed Wynn (Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins, the man laughing in the ceiling), amongst others, were honored.

Tom Bergeron

Sulley congratulating John Goodman. I miss Roseanne :(

Billy Crystal greeting Mike Wazowski. "This is what happens when you wish upon a star," he said at the conclusion of his speech. Reminded us to keep on dreaming... 

Leaving hand impressions...



...for the Disney Legends Hall of Fame.



Next, we sat in the "Crash Course in the Force: Star Wars Saga 101." Michael et al were hoping for major reveals about the next three films but Pablo Hidalgo, the "Lucasfilm resident authority," didn't say a peep. I, on the other hand, was very pleased with the presentation. In just 45 minutes, I was all caught up on a story that is more than 18 hours long, have no interest in watching, and could easily sleep through. Pablo promised me that due to his crash course, I will be able to follow the storyline in the future if I decide to put myself through that misery. I am very appreciative of the fact that I do not have to waste an entire day catching up on this "worldwide phenomenon."

I love Mickey and Minnie here!

And finally, at the end of the day, I didn't think it could be possible, but I turned into the typical girly-girl all-things-Disney fan inside the "Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit." That's where there was "a wide array of iconic display[s] from the Academy Award-winning 1964 film," Mary Poppins. Enjoy, although I know you won't as much as I did :)

The Wizard of Oz is part of Disney's treasures, too. Let's not discriminate.

Tin Man and Scarecrow

Serious movie adaptation taking place.

Mary Poppins storyboard

Original sign



After fighting Mr. Disney for over 20 years, Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers caved and thanked him in a letter.

P.L. Travers

Friends don't let friends pose for pictures without first saying, Suck it in.



I saw a carrousel horse in a front yard the other day. I'm going to do that when I get a house.

I need a carpet bag and the parrot umbrella and I'll be set!

"Jane and Michael Banks."

If anyone finds something similar in a thrift store, please, I beg of you, let me know.

Sister suffragette

The Sherman Brothers with Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) and Bert (Dick Van Dyke)

A picture of Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins and Walt Disney

My future family portrait, cuter kids, hopefully.

My personal artifact. Recognize it? Look left.

Baby Steps

Susanna texted me on Tuesday evening: What are you doing tomorrow, friend?

I replied (in Spanish): I'm going to wake up, go to work, and then do whatever Susanna wants.

She loved my response and went on to suggest that we take a salsa class at club Sevilla's the following night. That's when my memory rewound to circa 2003:

Sophia and I were watching Selena's last concert on VHS in my apartment. I believe the purpose was for me to teach her the "washing machine." We were having a blast imitating Selena when one of us thought out loud, Why don't we go to Sevilla's? We changed from our gym clothes into something more club-worthy and away we went. We dodged men all night, explaining how happy we were dancing on our own.

It didn't matter that the outing was scheduled for the middle of the workweek. I accepted Susanna's proposal and obsessed over what I was going to wear for an entire day. I settled on the most comfortable (for lack of a better term) dancing shoes I have, a previously featured pair of Jessica Simpson stilletos and a new (to me) Jessica Simpson dress Sophia bought me, a treasure found in a thrift shop for a couple of dollars.

We arrived at the club only to find valet parking available within walking distance. Susanna started exiting the lot when I said, We are valet-worthy! A u-turn later, I had a guy opening my door as I kept my legs as closed as possible while I descended the vehicle.

As Susanna debated between a pair of heels, I made small talk with the valet guy. He asked if we came often and I admitted I hadn't been there for a salsa class in about ten years. He didn't think that was possible since the club didn't allow 14 year olds into the club. Very sweet. That was the second time in two weeks I've been mistaken to be in my mid 20's, which I have to thank Lancome for. After describing the restaurant/lounge next door, he let us be on our way.

While we waited in line, Bert and Ernie (mnemonic device I came up with so we could remember their names), introduced themselves. After they got past security, Susanna gave the girl in the ticket booth our names that were supposed to be on the guest list (the guest list!) and ten dollars later, we were in. I felt like a lady-lady, with valet parking under our belts and our names on a guest list. I knew it was going to be an awesome night.

The club was pretty empty. Next to the bar in the back, a man in a white button-down shirt with short sleeves and black slacks was doing something with his shoes. I assumed immediately that he was a bartender by the way he was dressed. I told Susanna that he would know if we could sit at the booths. But when we were within hand-shake distance, we noticed the paper bracelet on his wrist as he tied the laces in his dancing shoes. We made small talk with Steve, the non-bartender, and then walked away but not before he stated that we owed him a dance before the night was over. 

The lesson began soon thereafter and the first half of the class consisted of learning individual steps. The second half we practiced with partners. Women were reminded by the male instructor that we had to let the man lead. It was something I was not accustomed to but for the love of dancing, made an exception. After high-fiving our partners, the females were asked to rotate clockwise to the next man. That was how I came across an Asian guy slightly shorter than me who complimented my Jessica Simpson's: "You win the award for sexiest shoes tonight." What can I say, he has good taste. 

The class ended quickly and the sounds and lights of the night life took over. Susanna and I grabbed Mai Tais and had just enough time to take a sip and quench our thirst before "the conceited guy" took her away. A few minutes later, the instructor took me onto the dance floor. I don't think I met his standards, though, because he never asked me out again. But that was okay because for the next three hours, Susanna and I were able to sample what was out there. I danced with hairy men, short men, old men, and stinky men, although most smelled very good; they all deserved an A+ for effort. 

There was one man's "sensual" moves that I didn't know if I should have interpreted as sexual harassment. Another I think another put his head on my shoulder instead of the other way around, but to his defense, I did tower most of the men there. But my craziest partner was Steve-the-non-bartender who had already taken Susanna out to dance. He kept placing his hand on my chin and pushing my head back. I didn't know what kind of move he wanted me to accomplish and even though I asked, I could not hear him over the sounds of the Caribbean. After the longest song of the night was over, I politely said, Thank you, and walked away.

With sweat at my hairline, Susanna and I grabbed over-priced but much needed water. We danced one or two more songs and called it quits at 12. It was a work night, after all.

Girl Time, Fun Time

I hung out with two of my favorite gals last weekend. Susanna was a complete trooper when she agreed to come and see Save Ferris with me at the OC County Fair on Saturday. She had no idea who they were yet she didn't pull an MP by saying something whiny like, I don't like that music. She's always down to try new things.

We arrived and The Giant Horse display was strategically placed at the entrance. Only one dollar to see? Sure!

As we waited for the crowd to clear to get a good view of the supposed humongous animal, I told Susanna that I wanted to see the two-headed lady because I felt like we had traveled back in time to see things that belonged in the Guinness World Records. 

We came out laughing and there it was, next to The Giant Horse booth, The Giant Steer. Another dollar? No problem!

This guy did scare me. I placed my hand over my heart when I caught the first glimpse of it. The first thing that popped into my head was the legend I read to my students every year, Paul Bunyan. The steer was Babe. I wish the kids would've bee there. 

After handing out dollar bills, we strolled hunting for fair food. I had warned Susanna that I was serious about scarfing down authentic fair food. She wanted something fried but the sole image of oil dripping down her chin grossed her out. I told her I've had fried ice cream and then suggested a fried Oreo but we dropped the subject there. 

We are SO cute!

I wanted anything so I let Susanna choose. She hit the BBQ cart and ordered a Brisket Sandwich. I got this:

BBQ Ribs Basket with bread hiding in the wrapper.

Real girls get dirty. But sitting on a hay bale also contributed to that. I'm telling ya, we kept the concept of "fair" very real. We downed our food with Straw-ber-ritas-- yum!

Next, we walked the food. I was surprised to see a very little amount of kids but Susanna reminded me that we were no where near the rides and games. Still, there were a lot of adults, drinking. It felt like a grown-up fair, you know, where no one under 25 was allowed. Pretty cool.

Then we made our way to the amphitheater. I bought dessert there, a pink cotton candy. We found our seats and chatted until Save Ferris came on. 

So Save Ferris is a band my sister got me in into in high school. Although I will proudly state that I was an alternative rocker, this band fell under the ska category. Everyone in the audience was our age and some had brought their children. The singer, Monique Powell, made a crack about how it's been ten years since she'd seen us. The concert was full of tattooed punks and I felt right at home with my fellow rocker peeps. No teenagers or college students to steal the attention from great music. 

It was a full house. 

Doing her thang. 

Wardrobe change numbero deux.

Wardrobe change numero trois.

I wanted a funnel cake after the show but knew there was no room for it. So we got dizzy looking up at nasty twirling-backwards rides and called it a night. Which worked out well because Susanna had papers to write and I had a hike to look forward to the next day. 

The following afternoon, I found myself at my friend's Sophia's near Big Bear. She wanted to change up her workout by taking a hike. I needed to resume my exercise routine so it was kind of perfect. 

After grabbing an Adventure Pass (because one is not allowed to have adventures without permission), we headed to Forest Falls. My friend Lilia had taken be there before only to find it closed; it was too early in the season. July, though, seems to be good timing.

The hike itself was not long. But we wore our hiking boots anyway. Sophia, actually, broke them in that day and I think she loved them. 

Just as we started the climb to the water fall, we encountered three guys who warned us about the slippery walk. I worried but Sophia said they were wearing Nikes. There were others wearing Vans and chanclas. Does the following picture look appropriate for non-trekker shoes???

I don't think neither Sophia nor I knew how rocky this hike would be. It took effort and careful planning of foot placements to get to the top. We lost our breath once or twice. At one point I didn't think Sophia was going to make it up a boulder and I almost pushed her nalgas up. I banged my right knee on a log we had to climb over. I was so proud of the physical evidence of this trip on my body.

Looking great, amiga. 

The devil's log. 

Love this!

Pictures of pictures. What is the world coming to?

The beautiful falls.

You gots skillz, Sophia.

Real hikers wear hiking shoes.

After the hour to the top, we chilled on a large rock and ate fruit. It was so relaxing, chatting under the sun and the cool breeze. 

But hunger crept up eventually. Luckily, Sophia is a self-made chef. 

Chicken and avocado tostadas with lime juice. I craved those into Monday. Oh yeah, Sophia made watermelon and cucumber juice. So refreshing after that hike. 

I got to use the "special guest" glasses for my beer and water. 

Not wanting to overstay my welcome, I headed home exercised and fed. I also felt dirt on my face which called for a second shower. Ugh, water, what a waste of time. Unlike spending time with friends at concerts and hikes. 

Pooped.

Rrrrrum Punch

It was time for our semi-annual Girl's Night Out. Susanna drove me and another pal, Adriana, to Morongo to meet Maria and other friends. All I did was choose something cute yet reserved enough to leave some things to the imagination. I didn't let my hair down because A) it's hot and B) it's not long enough to curl or accomplish any other feminine hairdo; I believe personality plays a much bigger role than a mane (at least I hoped mine played in my favor).

Ignore the mess and focus on the deep blue something or another.
Earrings and bracelet: Compliments of Sophia per Macy's
Dress: Macy's clearance
Belt: I think it came with a shirt
Shoes: Jessica Simpson via DSW

Of course, Susanna, Adriana, and I arrived fashionably late but not as fashionably as red-carpet Maria. But it was all good. We dined at Serrano's where the complimentary bread was as good as the stuff from The Olive Garden and the chicken quesadilla a welcomed distraction from starvation. 

We ordered drinks--beer for Suz, a Long Island Iced Tea for Maria, and Mai Tais for Adriana and me. Susanna asked me what was in a Mai Tai and I said, let's ask. Pineapple juice, bla bla bla, rum. Got it. Maria requested a second round before dinner was over and the waiter took my drink before I was finished with it so I could just start anew. How thoughtful! Not. Since I was paying for that, I wanted to suck every dollar's worth out of it.

Just as we were paying, three more gals showed up to partake in the dancing portion of our night. But of course, we had to have proof that we were still young, beautiful, and desirable:

Because the three girls were behind on the drinking game, Maria, Susanna, Adriana, and I decided to let them catch up at the bar. To avoid any repercussions, I sipped on water. But I shouldn't have because the waitress came to inform us that "the gentlemen over there" had bought our first round of drinks. We all stretched our necks with pretty grateful smiles and tried very hard to speak with our eyes, "Keep them coming." One of the men stopped by before he left to tell us that we deserved those drinks because we are all beautiful and no one disagreed. 

To get back into the game, I ordered a Strawberry Daiquiri. Sussana inquired about the ingredients because she's allergic to Vodka like am I to onions but once again, the secret ingredient was rrrrrrrum. I put the drink to rest by tying a knot with the cherry stem.

You can start at the 1:00 mark to get to my point.

After an hour or two of belly-aching laughs accompanied by streams of mascara, four guys approached us. They were Army brats who wanted to buy us a round of shots. We were a little hesitant at first but caved in when one of them asked us for Patron Silver or Gold. Silver, one of us said.

We were having such a good time catching up we forgot we were supposed to be getting down on the dance floor. But the lounge we had so much fun at last year was replaced with more slot machines and there was a band playing at the Vibe club. So we continued hanging out instead and asked the guys to guess our ages. They knew they could get in trouble but one of them said he'd try his best. We were all supposedly in our late 20s but I was described as the youngest one in the group to which I responded, "Yes I am! Yes I am." Then Army guy predicted that I was 24 and again I said, "Yes I am! Yes I am!" Cute guys, just like my first graders.

Once Maria and Susanna made around $200 at the Blackjack table, it was time to return to our mundane lives. It was also 2:30am. 

P.S.

I don't want to leave out the other girls who were a part of my weekend. 

Congrats, Ivette, on baby girl #2! Miss ya, amiga.

Happy 24th Birthday, Liz!