Afternoon Tea at the Grand America

I just returned from experiencing an afternoon tea at the Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. I'm sure that many of you manly-men might wonder why another guy would ever consider being within 100 yards of an afternoon tea, but it was really enjoyable.

This place is a 5-star hotel and is incredible. We (me, Heidi, my sister Erin, her husband Jared, and my mom) sat just off the main lobby where we were served finger sandwiches, scones, desserts, and of course tea. I chose a white tea, which I have never heard of before. It was great -- had a bit of a spicy, peppery flavor. Very unique taste.

While we sipped and ate, we listened to a very gifted harpist playing music in the center of the room. What is most interesting is that the harpist was Elizabeth Smart. You may remember a few years ago that she was kidnapped from her Utah home and forced to wander around the west in a disguise as one of the wives of some very bizarre self-proclaimed prophet/savior/messiah. She was rescued about a year later -- something that almost nobody could have predicted.

While listening to her play her harp beautifully, I began to feel bad for her situation. Here she was playing elegant music in front of people who recognize her and whisper comments to the people around them about what had happened to her. I'm sure that all the people who make comments do not mean to be rude or hurtful or judge her about anything, but I imagine that she feels a tremendous burden while she sits in front of people in such a public setting.

I imagine that each time she makes eye-contact with someone she wonders if they are thinking or talking about what had happened to her. Replaying bad memories on your own is problem enough, but I would guess that being reminded of your past in the eyes of a perfect stranger has to be even more difficult. I pray that she is able to live her life without the past constantly haunting her.

All things aside, she is an amazingly capable harpist and it was a pleasure to hear her play.

Devils, Black Sheep, Really Bad Eggs

I just learned of a very interesting online sweepstakes -- one that I would absolutely LOVE to win. If you go to www.disneypirates.com, you can enter a drawing to have your likeness added to the next ride update of Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. Added as in have a new animatronics character that looks like you placed in the ride.

Wouldn't that be the most amazing thing -- to have thousands of people a day, from all corners of the globe, float slowly by your pillaging likeness? To remind friends and family to watch for you singing, "Drink up me hearties, yo ho!" while your new buddies dip the mayor into the well ("Don't tell heeem Carlos. Don't be cheeekin".) Or better yet, what if you got to sail by and see yourself place a bid at the wench auction to have that redhead as your bride (We want the redhead!)? That would be awesome.

In addition to the chance of becoming a part of Disney history, the winner will also get:

• A 3 day/2 night trip for four to Glendale, California where all members of the party 16 or older will receive a tour of Walt Disney Imagineering, the winner will sit with an Imagineer to do the artwork necessary, and the party will have lunch with an Imagineer.

• A 3 day/2 night trip for four to Disneyland, including the Pirates of the Caribbean suite at the Disneyland Hotel, use of a VIP tour guide at the park, park hopper tickets, covered meals (including one lunch at Blue Bayou), and a $100 gift card for buying merchandise.

I am so winning that.

Stick-on Bullet Holes

My amazingly great friend from college, Jason M. Hammond, recently participated in a stand-up comedy program for Disneyland cast members who had, at one time or another, worked as skippers on the world famous Jungle Cruise. This is a hilarious routine and I wanted to share it with you.

Please pardon all the filthy language (just kidding).



Hilarious Jay, just hilarious.

I'm Over it Now

Thanks to all of you who took the time to not only read my blog, but also offer up encouraging words to me. I really debated on whether I should post my last entry after I wrote it because I knew even at the time that I was being more emotionally-driven than clear-headed-driven (amazing, a three-hyphen word!). I decided, though, that writing down and saving feelings is rarely a bad thing -- even if they are the sort of feelings that are self-centered and melancholy.

What is interesting for me, is being in a good mood and going back and reading something that was written when I was in a depressed mood. I am not typically the sort of person who feels down too often. Generally, I am happy -- and that happiness is 100% genuine. I am a blessed person and I know that I get much more than I deserve from life. Sometimes my feelings get the best of me.

Feelings are funny things. In today's world, we always hear about how valuable our feelings are and how someone's feelings should always be validated, and never criticized. That is a load of stinky poo-dung.

I find that most of the time, feelings only serve to distort reality and promote a self-centric view of the world. I generally do not like to be around people who are always talking about their feelings because all they talk about is themselves and blame everyone else (or just life in general) for picking on poor little them.

You know these people -- they are the ones at your workplace who shuffle in each day with a pathetic Bassett Hound look on their faces. When you ask them, "How's it going?" they just sigh their heavy sighs and say something that corners you into asking them more questions out of guilt because you don't want to be known as the heartless guy who doesn't validate the feelings of the guy in the next cubicle/classroom/office/urinal over. These people are draining.

Now having said that, please know that I do not mind the occasional rough day or the occasional venting of feelings, which is what I believe that I did. By writing my feelings out, I got a chance (as did a handful of other people in my life) to see how obnoxiously selfish my feelings were, and I was able to get them out of my system within a few days.

It felt good to vent my feelings, but I'm over them now.