David Wallace

Disneyland Updates: Disney To Revive ‘House of the Future’

I am too young to remember the original “House of the Future” that debuted in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland in 1957 and closed its doors in 1966 (one year before I was born). The walk-through attraction provided park visitors of that era a glimpse of how they might be living in future. As you can see by the picture below, it looked like something out of a Jetson’s cartoon. The space-aged looking home featured futuristic gadgets such as handsfree phones, wall-sized televisions, plastic chairs, and electric razors and toothbrushes, things that we are all too accustomed to now.

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Caring For Newborn Babies For Dummies

Now that we have a newborn in the house (our first grandson), I’m finding myself having to brush up a bit on how to properly care for him. Even though we have raised three children, it has been what seems like a lifetime since they were infants.

Therefore I found a humorous look at this - what I’d call “how to care for babies for dummies” - represented in the 26 cartoons shown below. I am not sure who created them, but I found them at FunCollector.com. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two.

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The Difference Between Dogs & Cats

The Dog’s Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Cat’s Diary

Day 2,563 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a “good little hunter” I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of “allergies.” I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. She is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. She is obviously retarded.

The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe… at least for now.

Horse Limousine?

Okay, I’ve seen some pretty wild stretch limousines in my time — everything from Hummers to PT Cruisers. But a horse stretch limo?

Disneyland Updates: Disneyland Dream Suite Complete & Ready For Guests

I originally wrote about The Disneyland Dream Suite in October of last year and how Disney Imagineers were converting the former Disney Gallery into a luxurious suite where Disneyland guests could stay overnight in the park. The suite is now complete and ready to house the fortunate few who will have the opportunity to stay in this wonderful place.

The original plan for this space was to house luxurious accommodations where Walt and Roy Disney along with their families could stay in the park. They also planned to use the suite to entertain dignitaries and celebrities. Unfortunately, Walt died before the suite could even be started and the space was used for several other purposes throughout the years, including housing the Disney Gallery for 20 years. Only now is that space being used as Walt himself had originally intended.

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The Coffee Lover’s Prayer

I love coffee. In fact, I often joke that I hook myself up to a coffee IV before I get out of bed each morning, which of course is not true. However, it is true that the first thing I do each morning is make a pot of java.

In addition to my love for good coffee, I also like a beer that has a hint of coffee taste. I recently enjoyed such a beer called “Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout,” a dark beer that is brewed with Sebastapol’s own Hard Core Coffee. On the bottle itself, I found a slightly different version of “the Lord is my shepherd” prayer, this one more along the lines of “coffee is my shepherd.” I thought I’d share it here.

Coffee is my shepherd; I shall not doze
It makes me to wake in green pastures
It leads me beyond the sleeping masses
It restores my brain
It leads me in the paths of consciousness for its name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of sleep,
I will fear no artificial sweetener
For you are with me
Your cream and your sugar, they comfort me
You prepare a carafe before me in the presence of my zzz’s
You anoint my day with peppiness
My coffee mug runs over
Surely richness and flavor shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the House of Coffee forever

Amen

If You Are Under 30 Years Old - You’re Spoiled!

For those of you who are over 30, do you recall the days of our youth when our parents used to tell us how hard they had it when they were our age? They’d say things like, “When I was young, I had to walk to school barefoot, in the snow and uphill - both ways.” Heck, I used to tell my kids that very same thing, jokingly of course.

And while kids do have it rougher as far as the moral decay of our society as well as the cost of living, technology wise, they have it pretty good. They are quite spoiled in fact but then again, I guess we are as well.

This is a humorous look at the differences between the time those of us over 30 were kids compared to kids today.

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Proper Drive-Thru Etiquette

We all use drive-thrus - fast food, banks and even pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS. I love the convenience - I can make a deposit at the bank, pick up a prescription and grab some Super Tacos at Jack in the Box, all while in my pajamas. What spoils the whole experience of a drive-thru? Those who are either too stupid or just too self absorbed to follow what I like to call “proper drive-thru etiquette.”

You’ve seen them - people that have major banking problems and instead of going in to the counter, they decide to use the drive-thru and hold up those looking to get in and out quickly. Or how about the people at a fast food drive-thru ordering for their family of ten or wanting to know how everything is made on the menu. I even came across a person the other day at a CVS drive-thru who waited while their prescription is filled (you are supposed to drop it off and come back). I have two word for you kinds of people - you suck!

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I’m a First Time Grandpa!

It’s a boy! Yesterday at about 2:12 pm, Irma and myself became first time grandparents as our daughter gave birth to a healthy baby boy. His name is Andrew Joseph Ruguone, named after his father, uncle and great grandfather. He weighed in at 8 lbs., 5 ounces and is 21 inches long. Baby Andrew is perfectly healthy and gorgeous.

I have included a few pictures below but will upload more later to my Flickr account. Both mom and baby should be coming today. With no further ado, I introduce to you Andrew Ruguone.

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Taking Next Week Off - What Will I Do?

All client work is finished for the year so we are taking next week off. What will I do with myself? While it would be nice to get out of town, that is next to impossible as my daughter is due to give birth to our first grandson any day now. One thing is for sure - I will try to stay away from the computer. My body and eyes need a rest from sitting in front of a monitor 9 plus hours a day. I’ll probably spend 1 -2 hours each day monitoring email, catching up on RSS feeds and following my Twitter friends. But what to do with the rest of the time?

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