If you are looking to buy an annual pass for Disneyland, I've found a method that potentially saves money. So here goes.

1. You don't buy a pass until you are planning to go to the park anyway. This starts your 365 countdown as late as possible.
2. You buy a regular one-day admission ticket to one park and upgrade to an annual pass once inside. This way you avoid all the "black-out day" non-sense for your first visit. You will only have to pay the difference between your one-day ticket and the annual pass of your choosing.
3. Choose the lowest level annual pass available to you, so your upgrade will be less expensive. Note: you can add parking to any annual pass for $60-ish. If you are a couple or family, try just adding parking to one of your passes since you will most likely be together.
4. If you want to return to the park on a "black-out day", simply upgrade your pass again to whichever pass will allow your visit. Again, you will only pay the difference between the pass you have and the one you are purchasing.

With this method, you may be able to avoid the cost of upgrading to a Premium pass, since you may never end up going to the park on a day that is blacked-out anyway.

Disclaimer: I do not work for Disney, nor do I have insider knowledge regarding their policies. I've just had an annual pass for the past 8 years. As far as I know this will work just fine, but there are no guarantees in life. So happy trails!

For ticket prices etc, visit the Disneyland website: Disneyland.com

Labels: annual pass, Disneyland, tickets, tricks and tips

On to another year...they just keep coming, don't they? I guess that's better than if they stopped.

2008 was an interesting year:

- Started Twittering
- Tackled the most projects ever in one year
- Ate escargot (not bad at all)
- Joined Facebook
- Went to Chicago, Napa and Austin
- Programmed my first ENTIRE website with web standards
- Installed my first vinyl signs
- Experience the coldest weather of my life (14 degrees)
- Discovered Gelato, namely Frati Gelato
- Witnessed 9 double-yolked eggs in one carton
- Lost a dear family member
- Made my first trip to the OC Fair
- Got a skin biposy, benign
- Witnessed the greated economic downturn since the great depression
- Participated in my first election since moving to SoCal
- Laughed
- Cried
- And all the rest, thank God.

Happy New Year, everyone...the beat goes on.

Labels: 2008, 2009, New Year

We bought our Christmas tree on Sunday. I love getting a tree and decorating it, but the hunt is not really my favorite. We looked around the lot a bit, Merc pointed out a few good options. I liked the first one he pointed out, so I considered it for a few minutes, checking it out from all sides. Yep, this is the one. So I told the worker, I found a tree and showed him where it was.

"Oh, you pick a good tree!" he said.
"Thanks!"
"Some people look and look and they pick the worst tree, but not you. You know trees!"
"Well, thank you" I said.

Never really been complimented on my tree-choosing skill before.

Labels: Christmas Tree

Our last day in Chicago was a blustery 14 degrees. We woke up at 9:00am and checked the weather...feels like 0 degrees. So we went back to sleep for an hour.

When we finally did step outside, the wind caught my breath. Merc uttered his now famous line, "It's not that bad." But before we had gone 1 block, we were searching for a warm place to duck into for a break from the arctic climate. While waiting for a light to change, we heard a little girl crying behind us. "Mommy, I'm cooooold!" Now that was truly sad. Poor kid. Not surprisingly, they ducked into the restaurant behind us and we chatted for a bit.

Merc and I hit the streets, ducking into buildings for warmth about every 2 blocks and finally made it to Michigan Ave. We headed to Ethel's for my favorite hot chocolate in the whole world. After that we hopped a cab to the Threadless store (our yearly homage) and then headed next door to Pastoral, a cute little wine and cheese shop. We grabbed provisions for the night and headed back to the hotel.

Cold, yes cold for sure, but it was still fun. Love that place.

Labels: cheese, Chicago, cold, Ethel's, Threadless

The last few days of our Chicago trip were the coldest I have ever experienced. I know that a lot of people live in freezing places and think nothing of it, but I am from California...and now that I am from Southern California, I am an even bigger weenie when it comes to the cold.

On Thursday night hubby and I ventured out to dinner, it was 1.2 miles to the restaurant and we walked. It was 20 degrees, but I was a good sport and hoofed it with my hubby who likes to walk. By the time we reached the restaurant, I was practically a popsicle. I pulled my gloves off and my hands swelled up and turned bright red. After we ordered our food and some hot tea, I looked at Merc and said, "We're taking a cab back, right?" He answered, "Oh, hell yes."

Labels: Chicago, cold, weather

Well, I am loving this cold weather, although I have not been so brave as to venture out into it for very long. I am glad that Snow did not lame out on me like Rain did back in Cali. We're not having crazy storms or anything, but I caught a few flurries/flakes and it is quite lovely. I don't know that I could live in it, but to visit once a year is quite nice...and sets me up just right for Christmas.

Baby, it's cold outside...

Labels: Chicago, snow, weather

Well, we've made our 3rd trip to Brazzaz in Chicago and it did not disappoint. Brazzaz is a Brazilian Barbeque restaurant. Basically, you sit down and they bring several (16, I think) different types of meat on huge skewers and carve it right onto your plate. They also have a salad bar of side dishes that are equally yummy. It's not cheap, but it's an all-you-can-eat extravaganza. I am, of course, stuffed.

While I love the food, this place is also great because of the good company. We always seem to meet up with some people that work for our client (often people we've never met before) and we just eat and talk and laugh.

I love meeting cool people. It gives me hope that all of the idiots I see on TV are not really what the world is made up of. Oh, Gerbner, what we've cultivated.

Labels: Brazzaz, Chicago, Food, people