"I'm Going To Walt Disney World" PT. 2

What a weird week it has been. First, the near conflagration at the cabin, then there was an accident over on the oil producing side of my land involving a truck sliding over a hillside and, now, I find out I have to go to Orlando to relocate some things I have in a storage facility to another storage facility (or possibly move the stuff up to Charleston). I have mixed feelings about even going to get the stuff, but there are some family heirlooms I just can let go….yet.  On top of that, I live alone and am solely responsible for the care of my livestock. Leaving my cabin for a week is a difficult thing to do.

I hate to impose on people especially since the weather has been so bad and just getting to the cabin is difficult, but I don’t really have a choice. I have emailed Edgar about the possibility of his son looking in on things a couple of days. Firewood Kenny has already offered to help but he can’t stay at the cabin for a full week. My other poker buddies don’t know anything about chickens or goats. Why can’t Dooley the dog run the place for a week? Because he is going with me.

 Although flying would be quicker and make more sense if I decide to move my stuff up to West Virginia, I have decided to drive so Dooley can come along without having to ride in a baggage compartment. He has never been outside of the county and it’s time he sees a little more of the world.

While I’m there I will be visiting the Disney Parks with an old friend who lives in Tampa. Since I am a former Disney employee I still get a Silver Pass every year in the mail. A Silver Pass allows me to get into the parks and bring three guests with me every day (except for really busy holidays). I also get 4 free tickets every year that I can give away friends and family. They typically don’t allow dogs in the parks, but I know a few people who might be able to allow me to give Dooley at least a glimpse inside the Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, Dooley doesn’t meet the height requirements for any of the really cool rides. In fact, he doesn’t meet the height requirement for any of the rides. That’s too bad, because I think he would really enjoy the Big Thunder Mountain Railway runaway train. He loves trains.

My friend from Tampa is an interesting person. She was my “girlfriend” while we were in elementary school. She and her mother moved away right after grade school and I didn’t hear from her until I saw in the newspaper she had become Miss Florida. Later that year I watched her in the Miss America competition and she got second runner-up. I still didn’t make any effort to contact her (not sure why). Three years later she came to Disney World as the opening act for Kreskin the mentalist at the Top of the World Restaurant at the Contemporary Hotel. I left several messages for her at the hotel but never heard back. The night of her last performance I went to a play in Orlando. When I got home there was a message on my answering machine from her inviting me to the show. I was already dressed appropriately so I rushed to Disney. She had a table reserved for me. I felt very important.

After she performed (she was a singer/ pianist) she came right over and sat with me. Now I really felt important. After a few minutes of “hellos” she suggested I watch Kreskin while she got out of her show clothes. We met later the lobby of the hotel and spent hours reminiscing. I found out she had also been Miss New Mexico, had been married and divorced from a crazy rich guy, and wrote songs for Lee Greenwood. A very talented young lady.

At first I didn’t see much of her after that night until she called and said she was moving from Palm Springs to Tampa. Turns out a drunk singer she was playing piano for in Tahiti (you would recognize the singer, but I can’t reveal the name) stumbled and fell onto the piano keyboard injuring her hand. There was a long, nasty lawsuit after that and her performing career eventually dwindled away. Once in Tampa, we became good and frequent friends. She loved coming over to Disney and playing in the parks. I look forward to seeing her again.

 (I wonder if she would be interested in living in a small cabin in the woods with a clever dog, goats and chickens…..?)

More about our trip to Orlando later.