75 Days!

So as of today I'm only 75 days away from checking in for my College Program.  A lot of the Fall Advantage participants are already checked in and training for their new roles as Cast Members.  And I know several people who will be arriving mid-June so I'm excited for them!  And it's got me feeling a combination of anxious, excited, jealous, and un-ready.  I am really enjoying reading others' blogs about check-in and Traditions.  It's nice to have a clearer idea of what to expect in those first days.

I'm still debating whether or not to request a work location.  Some part of me does want to be completely surprised, and since a request would not be guaranteed I could still be surprised anyway.  Also, when considering where I would ask to be placed, I cannot come up with many solid contenders.  It's funny but I am actually having more success at coming up with a few places where I hope I won't work.  I could go a broader route and request one park, or even something a bit less vague like "Frontierland."  Or maybe I could come up with my top 3 requests, vague or otherwise, and send those in.  Even if they end up denying my request it wouldn't hurt to ask!  I think that I will focus on narrowing the request possibilities down over the next few days and e-mail them by the end of the week.  I doubt that it is too late in the game to do this.

Until next time, dear readers!

Disney Photo of the Week: LOST!

Happy Sunday!!  I hope that you are all doing really well this week.  Best of luck to all of the CPs who either just checked in or who are checking in soon!  I don't have a lot of time, so let's get right to this week's photo.

Week 11: LOST!

My apologies for a badly-taken photograph!  I will hopefully have time to edit and repost it later.

This picture was taken at MGM Studios (back when it was called that) in April 2006.  Rob and I were wandering around the park and came across this poster.  Since we are both huge fans of the show (and by "huge fans" I mean "LOST-loving, Drive-Shaft-tshirt-wearing nerds") we had to stop for a photo.  Since the LOST finale is tonight I had to make this my photo of the week.  I know most people are huge fans of various shows, but this is the first time I've ever followed a show through from start to finish (okay... I started watching during the second season.  Shame!) with such excitement.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm on my way to a finale party with Rob's family!  I've got my Dharma wine ready!

Linking You to Deliciousness

So this evening I decided to finally tackle my Google Reader.  It's been pretty neglected since final exams with only the occasional blog post already read.  I decided I needed to whittle it down a lot.  Now I'm down from about 130 posts unread to 71.  Wish me luck!

Anyway the purpose of this post is to link you to some delicious-looking baked treats.  This post was made yesterday so it was back a bit in my Reader.  But once I found it, I knew I must share!  Warning: Clicking this link may result in immediate cravings for cake or other such goodies.

Bakerella - Winnie the Pooh and Hunny, too!

Image from Bakerella.com

Hope you enjoy checking out the pictures!  She has several other yummy-looking posts you should check out as well.  Everyone take care!

Disney Photo of the Week: Halloween at the Magic Kingdom!

Hello there, readers!  I hope that everyone's month is going well, whether you're finishing up school, getting ready to leave for the CP, or just getting by day-to-day.  It's a week into my summer and I'm enjoying it!  Although soon I'll need to start the process of cleaning my bedroom out completely.  This summer I'm staying at my parents' house and we're redoing my room here.  They are considering moving in the next year or so, and the room desperately needs to be cleaned and painted before that.  So now is as good a time as any to get it done.  I just dread purging the room of clothes, junk, and other miscellaneous things that I don't need anymore.  It's too bad I don't have three good fairies to help, right?

Anyway, it's time for this week's Disney photo!  There wasn't one last week because I was just too busy.  Hope that you enjoy this picture!

Week 12: Halloween at the Magic Kingdom!

I can't wait to see Disney World decorated for Halloween again!  You may remember that Rob, my sister, and I went to WDW this past Halloween for the party, and I loved seeing the decorations everywhere.  We only saw the Magic Kingdom, and I really want to explore all of the other Halloween decor this fall.

This week's photo shows one of the scarecrows on Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom.  There are so many cool elements to check out on Main Street this time of year, including the scarecrows and jack-o-lanterns along the windows.  I am very excited to be there later in the year to enjoy the Halloween atmosphere!  And I certainly want to check out Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party again!

Graduated!

Sorry I've been MIA for a little while!  The past two weeks were really exciting/busy/stressful!  But now I have plenty of time to relax, and even catch up on blogs.  So while I watch this week's episode of The Tudors (for the third time, I admit... Showtime has aired it every night this week and I can't help myself), I'll write a quick update for anyone interested.

Biggest change is that I graduated!  I officially hold a degree in History now.  In case you missed it, I got an A on my senior thesis!  As for the rest of my classes, some went really well and some just barely scraped by.  Several family members flew/drove into town for the graduation ceremony and it was great to have them there to share it with me.  I'm not a football fan, so the ceremony actually marked the first time I set foot into our stadium. :)  I admit that I actually was not very excited about the ceremony for awhile.  The undergraduate class was so large that I knew it would be very impersonal and just an overall day-long fiasco.  But looking back, I'm glad that I went.  I even wore my hot pink Converse sneakers so that I would be comfortable, and this turned out to be a good decision because my family was able to spot me among the huge crowd.  Some aspects of the day were pretty tedious, but it was still a fun experience.  My relatives took some photos during the day, but I haven't seen any of them yet.  I was able to use my cell phone during the ceremony to text updates to friends/family, send news to Twitter, and take a couple of photos (such as after my college turned our tassels).

After graduation was finished, I had a couple of days to visit with my family members.  They live in Texas, Wyoming, and Colorado, so we don't all get together often.  Then last night Robert and his family prepared a delicious birthday/graduation feast for me!  We had a great evening full of yummy food and reruns of The Office.  I've really been spoiled on food, fun, and family this week!

And now that school is officially over, I've got plenty of time to relax and prepare to leave for Orlando.  It's weird knowing that I don't have any classes to go back to in the fall, or even later this summer.  I've been a full-time student for seventeen years and now I'm suddenly not one.  There's this strange "Well, what now?" feeling that comes with it.

Now I need to get to sleep, so take care until next time!

How to Cheat at Five Facts!

As you may have noticed, this "Five Facts" vlog thing has quickly taken off.  And in her "Five Facts" vlog, Jenn "tagged" a nebulous group of us who blog but don't vlog.  I'm taking this an an invitation to cheat at the tradition. :-)  I considered making a vlog for the first time, but honestly the idea of putting myself on YouTube gives me the creeps at this point.  That's a lot of eyes to be peering at me from their screens as I try to articulate into the webcam.  Live audiences I can handle.  Virtual viewers, no way!  So sorry, but you must continue to enjoy (or loathe) me in written form for now!

Five Fun Facts about Anna!

1. I've lived in Georgia my entire life and have no southern accent.

It's true that people are often surprised to hear that I've never lived anywhere but the South because I have no trace of an accent to indicate it.  Sometimes I throw in a "y'all" or two just for fun.  But if I want the fun(ny) accent, I have to fake it.  And when I try to fake it, it's usually not very good.

2. I can't whistle.

And of course this means that every person I've ever told was sure that they could be the one to teach me!  It's never worked.  There's no music in these lips, I guess.

3. My car is named George Boleyn.

History geek alert!  That and I'm a huge fan of naming cars.  This includes naming mine and everyone else's.  My first car was named Elphaba because she was too big, awkward-looking, and had a strange green tint.  But a few years ago she died. :(  So for the past five years I've been driving around in George.  And he's all decked out with Tinkerbell gear!  At first I didn't care for George and just missed my old car, but now I love him.

4. I love to travel.

Most people do, right?  I really enjoy going on trips, both to new places and old favorites.  So far I've been to numerous states around the U.S. including Hawaii, as well as the Bahamas, France, Italy, Sweden, Malta, and the Netherlands.  I can't wait to go back to some of these places, and there are many more on my list for future travel!  One of my favorite ways to kill time is to hop on the internet and plan fantasy trips to various locations.  Unfortunately though, I hate flying.  I wish we could travel everywhere by car, train, and ship.

5. I hate walking anywhere barefoot.

I have absolutely no idea how this preference got started, but at some point over the last several years I've practically developed a fear of floors and the ground in general.  So I can't walk anywhere without some kind of footwear, even if it's just socks or slippers, unless it is absolutely necessary.

And if you want to cheat at Five Facts, you need more than five facts!

6. I was involved in several theatre organizations and productions.

My first play was at age 10, when I got one of the lead roles in the school Christmas play.  I'm guessing the main reason they picked me is because I'm loud. :)  But I loved it, so until the end of high school I was heavily involved in school theatre stuff.  I even served as the Public Relations officer in my high school's Drama Club!  Last time I checked, they still use the format that I introduced for their programs/playbills.  Robert and I even met at Georgia Thespian Conference 2005!

So there you have it,  random facts about me!

Now on an unrelated note, I made an A on my senior thesis!  Confetti time!!

Disney Photo of the Week: Finding Brer Fox!

Good evening, dear readers!  I can't believe that graduation is this Saturday.  Unreal!  Unfortunately I have three very difficult final exams between now and then. :-/  My mind is just all over the place getting ready for this week.  But on a happier note, there is another countdown to acknowledge!  I'm now officially in the double digits in counting down to the WDWCP!  Very exciting, indeed.

Week 14: Finding Brer Fox!

For this week, I chose a photo of myself and Brer Fox!

This picture comes from May 2007, when Rob and I went on our first Disney trip alone.  We picked a great time to go, because there were hardly any crowds!  On this particular morning, we got to the Magic Kingdom around 9:00am (if I recall correctly) and Frontierland was practically empty.  We rode Splash Mountain and even got our own log because we were the only ones in line!  After the ride we were wandering around leisurely, and spotted Brer Fox standing around waiting for guests to approach.  I think the character attendant said they were about to leave because no one was coming up to him.  So Rob and I ran up with his autograph book and then I got my picture taken.  They say he's not very rare around Frontierland, but I'd never seen Brer Fox before in the park.  It was great to get a photo with him!  And it was just one of many great memories from this trip.