Surviving College: adventures in costuming

I started writing my last post on July 22nd, and only got around to posting last night... So there’s a little catching up to do as far as blogging goes… I promise I’m back on track and the updates will be regular again. I PROMISE.

So, my wife left me. I guess that means we’re… separated? :( Basically the story is, we’ve both debated self-terminating for quite some time now, but neither of us have ever actually done it. Her mom has been begging her to come back home, and Erika has seriously just been miserable here I guess, they pay us nothing (when she’s used to working full time at $25 an hour) and the hours are ridiculous in her area. So I mean, I don’t blame her for leaving… I’m not happy about it, but I don’t blame her. I wrote a parody of Bowling For Soup’s “Ohio” today at work… and I plan to somehow make a music video of it and send it off to her. So if that ever works out, I will more than likely be posting it here.

She’s begging me to come to Maryland and live with her. The idea is definitely tempting… I mean, free rent, living with her and her mom, a good job that pays $25 an hour (her mom is the boss) and a performing arts college down the street?... Like I said. Tempting. But I’m kind of a pansy and I’m nervous to move to Maryland on a whim. Plus, it snows there. Not as much as Logan and Park City, Utah do… BUT STILL. We all know how much Alexa LOVES the snow.
I also know that if I quit the program this early on, I’ll feel like an absolute loser for not at least trying to stick it out. So I’m gonna keep plugging away at it for as long as I can, I suppose and see where it takes me.

I have to put in a sidenote here really quick... I know everyone is sick of the Miah topic. But they play these four damn songs at work every blasted day… “Lights” by Journey. “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison. “Best Friend” by Queen, and “Faithfully” by Journey. Every day. And every time I hear one of the songs, especially “Lights,” A little bit of me dies and my memory is flooded with him. It’s been a year now, for heaven’s sakes! A YEAR. I should be past it by now. Would someone please hit me?

Oh yes. Wife and I took a road trip last week, by the way. To a little town called McDonough, Georgia, located about 45 minutes south of Atlanta. IT WAS A GREAT 3 DAY TRIP. First of all, we had to stop at a Walmart in Georgia to pick up the Now 34 CD (yes, they’re still making those) and Miley Cyrus’ new album “Can’t Be Tamed.” DON’T JUDGE ME. I actually really like the CD. A lot. It’s catchy. And she does a pretty great job. Anyway… oh. By the way, We took Andrew’s car. And he gave us his credit card for gasoline and “emergencies.” We got a hotel.The three of us had a fantastic time. I miss him so much. He's such a doofus for getting termed.

So I have this terrible Starbucks addiction… I’ve literally been there almost every night this week after work picking up a caramel frappuccino. First of all, I AM GOING TO GET FAT. Second of all… so much for kicking the coffee addiction I had junior year of high school. Bah. I even have one sitting next to me here as I type… Badnewsbears.

…ALECITA!
That’s what the Spanish people at work call me.
“Alecita, you have a boyfriend?”
“No, Irene. I have seventeen.”
“Ohh. Alecita are you not Mormon?”
“Yes, Irene, I am.”
“Oh so it is okay to have many husbands.”

Oh, so my mom has a boyfriend… his name is Eli and she met him online. (OH MY HELL. I thought we learned our lesson…) But she seems really REALLY happy. And he seems like a nice enough guy, so I’m okay with it. I still have yet to meet him.

I’ve widdled down my boy situation… I really only speak to Matt, Andrew, Alexander, Cory, Sota and Dan… I mean, if Frank counted as one in the first place, we still randomly text every now and again, and Robbie is like, once every week and a half… Scotty is of course at the top of my list no exceptions… so I’ve gone from seventeen to eight. Which, I think, is a lot of progress. I was losing my mind.

Random Disney tidbits-
So I learned that if you have an injury that could potentially keep you from being able to wait in line for rides, you can go to Guest Services and ask for a card (the GAC… Guest …something Card) that is basically a fastpass to any ride whenever you want and however many times you want. Incredible. Sometimes they’ll ask for paperwork but if you go to Magic Kingdom and play dumb and helpless you’ll more than likely be able to get one.
I’ve found it interesting that anyone can play any costumed fur character. Women play men, like Mickey and Donald, and men play women, like Minnie… I met a Tigger who is hyperactive a gay black man, and that really threw me off… Girls play Rafiki, Pluto and King Louie all the time. Interesting.
What’s even more interesting is when you get to experience talking to a fully costumed fur character, with their head on and all. I’ll be carrying a huge bag of laundry out of a dressing room and I’ll see Minnie walking toward me, and she’ll wave, and I’ll smile and wave back. And she’ll randomly say something like, “I really like your sunglasses. Where did you get them?” And it really takes you aback at first… Sometimes you’ll see characters walking away from their set fully dressed but with their head in their arms. That makes you feel pretty weird too.

PS- don’t tell anyone I’m telling you all of this. I could get fired for disclosing any of this information. Disney wants everyone to believe that there is only one Mickey Mouse and he is magically in every corner of every park at every hour of the day. They want you to believe that all of the characters are really the characters, and not just lifeless costumes when there isn’t someone inside of it. It’s really depressing to walk into the character costuming room where I work. There’s an entire aisle full of Mickey and Donald costumes, with six or seven heads of each character on the shelf staring back at you. It really ruins the magic. But when you go out to watch the parade, somehow, even though you KNOW it isn’t real, it still is, well, magical. The most magical part, though, is seeing all of the little kids’ faces when Mickey Mouse is suddenly in front of them. It is really amazing.
My next plan of attack? Stiltwalking workshops. I’ve already been to one, I can walk on stilts and do a few very basic dance moves. Disney entertainment is desperate for stiltwalkers and that’s the best shot I have at getting my foot into the door at this point. Here are some pictures of the stiltwalkers in Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade...