LATE NIGHT GIGGLES

Everyone needs a couple of things in this life.



I think we all fall in love and gets our hearts broken at least once. It's the only way we can comprehend what love can be.

We lose a friend in some way as we grow to become different people.





All we all need someone we can totally, absolutely, be ourselves with. Someone that accepts that evil, dark side of us without judgement. But also brings out the laughter and high spirits and yes, mania of certain late hours.

I'm very lucky that I have a friend like that.



It's even nicer that she's my daughter.

RUNNING AWAY... AGAIN

I like vacations, but not like most people enjoy vacations.

At least to me, most vacations seem to be packing up a lot of your own stuff, dragging this stuff to a hotel or resort or cruise liner or someplace near a body of water.


You then unpack all of it, become involved with complete strangers over games of chance, stand in long lines waiting for entertainment, purchase expensive tokens, souvenirs, and fast food.


Then you pack everything back up and return home to unload your dirty laundry plus a whole lot of sand from the beach.

My main considerations for a vacation?

Where am I going to sleep, and how comfortable is the bed, and what books am I going to read as I lounge in aforementioned resting place.

Forget going anywhere; I'm just happy to hang.

Of course, everything about this upcoming vacation is (fortunately) turning into somewhat of a normal-what-everyone-else-does vacation.

I am planning on going to Disneyland.

I am going to insist I get my toes at least wet in the Pacific Ocean - I have been landlocked too many years now in Arizona.



And I am going to stand in as long a line as necessary for as long as necessary to see the "Star Trek: Into Darkness" premier (and yes, it is to see Benedict Cumberbatch).



But hopefully the rest of it will simply be hanging with my daughter and grand-kids at home.

DISNEYLAND PERSONALITY

I don't always assume the best when I see people.

I've lived with someone who looks at life from a terrorist point-of-view for over thirty years now, so I think I've heard about all possible negative aspects of life.

And although I am still an optimist in many ways, I have seen parents do incredibly horrific things to their children.

So when I see someone berating a child, I can't help but think, "If they are doing this where everyone can see, how much more do they do when at home and in private?"

And I fear for the child.

But last week at Disneyland, I saw remarkably few upset parents, and only a sprinkling of any discipline problems.

And since there are few more public places than an amusement park, I wondered a bit if it might be the reason.

However, I observed something far worse than over-disciplining a child.

Total and complete neglect.

A toddler was making his energetic way into the crowd, and I looked to make certain there was some exasperated parent charging up, following his path.

And there wasn't.

A thousand scenarios raced through my mind - none of them good ones - and I turned to follow the little one myself to make certain he was safe.

And then I finally heard a bored female voice: "Hey, get over here."

I turned to face a woman with an empty stroller who was leisurely coming through the crowd, but obviously could not see the child.

Now, I'll admit I might be an overprotective parent. I still wish my kids as adults had to hold my hand while crossing a street. I simply don't let my grandchildren out of my sight when we are anywhere in public. I might appear as some sort of pervert as I hover outside the public restroom stall door waiting for them.

But I think almost anyone, when taking a small child to a place that daily averages 40,000 people in the park, would at least consider a harness.

Disneyland does have a sterling reputation for getting lost children safely back to their parents - look at http://www.mouseplanet.com/akrock/akrock7.htm for more details, if you are interested.

And Harmony, just for you, see http://www.mouseplanet.com/potties/ ;-)