Novella (not really) about Productivity

Boston has been hit with wave after wave of snow. Have you heard? Maybe here? or here? Well it's true. And from how all the long term locals are acting I'm starting to believe that this may have been the most evil winter, even for the North East. And with all my snow days and all the time where I'm cooped up inside, you would think that I would be all caught up on blogging by now. Yet, here I am struggling to write about a weekend from a month ago.

I could apologize or promise to make up for it but the problem is that I've been in a rut. It seems melodramatic I know but winter is hard, and I am a person who is most happy when I am productive. I really think all people are. Many times I tell myself that productive looks like grading a set of papers or trying a new recipe or even a new blog post but I can get beyond my type A personality and see how with intentionality, most things can be productive. An intentional watching of an episode with my husband can be productive. (But the struggle with snow days is that we sat on the couch and finished the West Wing far too quickly). Spending an extra two hours with girl friends than expected can be productive. (But with the 8 feet of snow we've gotten it's increasingly more difficult to meet with these friends). Even walking our town aimlessly can be productive. (But with the windchill, good luck getting me to leave the house). I guess with my ramblings I am trying to say that all things can be productive if they work toward the good and produce fruit. I think it's good for me to see this shift in mindset, definitely still an area for growth, that a successful day is not measured in how many things remain on my to do list and instead on the good that comes out of the few things I do. 

It's the small moments that are able to make me feel like their really might be a spring to this evil winter and to this strange season of my life. It's the moments when I feel lazy and tired and bored and cooped up and anxious and selfish that I tend to praise God that I married my best friend. The one who never complains of how much we eat mac-n-cheese and hot dogs when I don't have the energy to cook. The best friend who calls you on your seasonal apathetic mood and makes you get off the couch to do something, anything outside regardless of how cold it is. The man who knows that as we work next to each other, silently and independently, that all it would take is playing this song to wipe the scour off my face. It was in this particular moment that I realized how selfish I was really being in this season of my life and how he was loving me unconditionally and I spent all of my time loathing anything and everything in my presence. As I put away my computer and started to dance (how can you not get up and dance to this song while wearing socks when you have hardwood floors?) I registered his shock and then joy. I think we listened to that song maybe six times. And it was good and I felt more productive dancing in my socks with my husband around our apartment than I had in weeks.

All this to say, I'm trying, struggling but striving, to find joy in every cooped up moment and recognize the times in my daily life that can bear unexpected fruit. I would close this not-so-short essay with the promise to get back to the blogging grind but you must remember two things:

       1. regular blogging for me tends to always be at least a week delayed, maybe months.

       2. I just admitted that for the past two months or so I've barely left the house so if I do blog I highly doubt you'll find my at home adventures enjoyable.

All this to say, if you read this kudos, if you keep checking back here at My Life, My Sweetness I may or may not have fun new things for you. Who knows.

Disney: Day 2

Day Two; we all slept in because Day One had really taken it's toll. Tim and I checked out of our hotel and walked the Disney's Boardwalk to find some delicious early bird lunch. We then continued walking, Epcot bound. We were so glad we used the back entrance because holy insanity, talk about crowds. The one ride Tim really wanted to go on at Epcot was Mission Space and we knew my family would not have the patience to wait through the line I am too embarrassed to admit the length of, nor the stomach for more intense "Orange Team." So we hoped in line and met up once the rest of the crew arrived. Then we were using our signal to find the fam and panic at crowds together. The Ellen ride had been closed in the morning and reopened as we happened to be in passing so we got right on that and then headed to the single riders line of Test Track (new and improved). It was an interesting morning in Future World marked most especially by finding the shortest bathroom lines. 

Epcot was even more crazy for the sake of their family friendly New Years celebrations. They had a 6PM firework show for the parents who are wise enough to get their kids to sleep before midnight.

So we kicked back and found our way through the countries. While everyone else was staking out vantage points for fireworks we made through the crowds for assorted drinks, snacks, and treats from around the globe.

Now, normally Epcot is my favorite park because it tends to be least overwhelming in my opinion. New Years Eve? All bets are off.

They did give out free hats, which is a plus, but there were also free noise makers which are every sane persons nightmare.

We went back to the Boardwalk for dinner at the ESPN Restaurant before catching the boat to our final park, Hollywood Studios.

We planned this one perfectly as much of the Disney crowds flock to Epcot or Magic Kingdom for New Years fireworks and completely miss the fact that there are live performers and fireworks at Hollywood too. It was a breath of fresh air, probably mixed with the fact that it was now about 10PM and our expectations were the lowest. Still happy though, it's Disney!

We got on rides and saw shows for all less than 30 minute waits which was unheard of for this particular week. It's also a relatively small park so we were able to walk it in it's entirety which was wonderful.

As the fireworks brought in the New Year, some of our group paused to take in the magic. Others (myself included) headed to the magic of getting on the Rock'n'Roller Coaster twice in the matter of 13 minutes total just before 2014 ended and just after 2015 began. We then got to ride a few more coasters with our extended magic hours before calling it quits and calling it exhaustion. Thanks for reminding us how to build dreams Disney, I can't imagine a better way to start my 2015.

Disney: Day 1

Have I mentioned already that my family went to Disney. I'm sure I have, and finally I have the posts to prove it. After Christmas we got in the car con mi familia and traveled south. We had four parks to cover in two days while it rained (it always rains on the Magee's in Orlando) and was as crowded as could be for the New Year. We only complained minimally as we were in the Happiest Place on Earth!

Day one started with Animal Kingdom. Can you spot Everest in the background?

By the time we got to Disney, Ryan was not with us anymore, he was back at work, Meghan was babysitting for family friends, and Dad avoids these parks like the plague so our crew was 7 deep (at it's biggest) and dwindled at other times when people were to exhausted or wet.

Speaking of wetness, Tim's hand umbrella for me was much more effective than my standing on my tippy toes to attempt the same service for him.

After waiting in line for about 17 minutes, we realized that time passes like molasses when there's nothing to do so we looked to Ellen for some entertainment. Heads Up was the best investment we made all day. It meant that we had to conserve battery on phones and make sure one phone was always charged and never used for the game but again, minimal complaints because at least we had something!

Naturally, we hit up the Safari (and avoided the It's A Bugs Life 4d movie) just before leaving Park #1 to get Tommy home to see the ND football game.

As I am sure one reader has already noticed (cough* Ryan *cough), most of these pictures are from my Mom's camera which marks a considerable quality increase in photo. Excitement for now, until it returns to normal in a few posts.

The necessary picture with the Tree of Life before moving along to Park #2.

The Most Magical Kingdom.

This is what dreams are made of. We experienced more lines than normal but still so much joy. When I started to get a little whiney about my feet hurting or being wet and tired, I remembered my experience of the Canonization in Rome. At least in the States we know how to not only form a line but also Disney knows how to make every line and every little thing, from the sidewalks to the trash cans, part of the Magic.

As night fell we were able to get to more rides in a shorter amount of time. We are people who try to time these things as best as we can so we go for the longest line just as people are watching a parade. We were able to get on all of the roller coasters for my fearless brother and visit every part of the park for everyone else. Fantasyland comes with the highest recommendations and the new Seven Dwarfs ride is perfection. Of course we will always have a soft spot for Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain and, my personal favorite, The Monsters Inc. Laugh Lab.

My parents are so very generous and gifted us, as a partial Christmas surprise, a hotel room to stay on property for the night. In serves a few purposes, namely that we were all able to get the Extended Magic Hours, but they also told them that we were newlyweds so Disney upgraded our rooms, treated us to chocolate and champagne, and gave us these stellar pins! Such treatment! We can't thank my parents enough!

Tim and my pins were the Happily Ever After ones for all newlyweds and everywhere we went staff kept congratulating us. Shafer's most exited about his pin; he maxed out during the Buzz Light Year Space Ranger Spin Laser challenge to a score of 99,999 and got a modified birthday pin naming him a Galactic Hero. He took his new role quite seriously.

The most magical, the most tired, in the most pain. Ready for bed. Nothing can bring as much joy and pain as Disney.

The final crew at the end of Day 1. When we walked into Animal Kingdom my sister Maddie said we needed a signal to find each other and Tim put his hands above his head and started flapping like a bird. If ever you got lost, look for the people foolishly doing this. If you were trying to find yourself in the picture from the ride, look for the people foolishly doing this.

We love you Disney, even when you dump rain on us, and we will dance off the pain all the way to the car (not posed).