Mimi's Velvet Hammer

You might be surprised at what compensation

or relief you get if you lower the boom on

perpetrators of injustice with a gentle touch!

For years I tried to sell this idea to Jack.

If you ask various of his sub-contractors or employees, 
you would probably find that
 I did not have much success.

So now I'm going to try to sell it to you.

As an example, remember when I wrote 

American Airlines about ruining my brand new

suitcase between DFW and Heathrow?

It was water soaked in spite of the fact there was
no rain here or there!
They sent me a check for the price of my bag!


One of my best was when a bottle of toilet cleaner
from the Dollar Store leaked in the trunk of
the car I was driving at the time (a BMW!) and ruined
the trunk mat!
I wrote and gently explained complained, and they
sent me about $125 as I remember to replace it!


So here's my latest.
If you read about Susannah's and my trip to
Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter,
you will recall that Susannah was stuck on the
ride for an hour and a half.
After we got home this became a burr
 under my saddle!
This day was ridiculously expensive, and Harry was
a big part of the motivation to extravagate.
I had even read the first book so I would know what
I was seeing.
Well, we didn't really get to see much of anything.
We were rushed through the castle, able to observe
 very little,  so Sus could get on the ride.
She did get a really long view 
of the Whomping Willow,
cause that's what she was facing when the ride stalled.



I decided I would call Universal today and ask to
whom I should address comments about our visit.
(Notice I did not use the word "complaint.")
I got a very nice gentleman who wanted to 
"start a file for me," which I hoped meant
I wouldn't have to write it all down,
even though that is my forté.
After one hour and fifteen minutes (it was kinda
like the salesman having to talk to the manager
when buying a car)
I received two offers--one of which was for a 
25% refund of both our tickets, which was 
just $25 short of what I rather timidly requested.
The other offer was for two free park entrances
anytime within the next two years.
I decided "a bird in the hand..." 
and was given a sizable refund, thus removing
the burr from under my saddle quite satisfactorily!

"Let your gentleness be known to all..."
Philippians 4:5

Another Unforgettable Day!

Our third day we ventured over to...

I got VIP tour passes for the grad and the Mimi.

We started with an unbelievable breakfast spread.

Just a partial pic:

(Best cheese Danishes ever!)

Then we boarded a bus and toured the lot.
We got to go onto the working set for 
Superstore starring America Ferrera.
Susannah had watched the show, so it was
especially interesting to her!
But it was totally fascinating to me, too.
We couldn't take any pictures, though.


We also stopped and were allowed to enter
Universal's prop warehouse.
We saw furniture marked for use in future productions,
and items that had been used in movies we had seen.
For instance, this throne chair was in...something?

I kinda want to rent this for my next birthday.


We saw the still smoldering wreckage of a Boeing 747
which was purchased and destroyed for 
what I think was a five minute scene in
Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds.

Boeing demanded that their name not be readable,
but I thought it interesting you still can see the "B."


Here's Norman Bates carrying his victim out of
the Bates Motel in the movie Psycho,
which Susannah knew nothing about!

#mademefeelold


Here's something Susannah loved!
Hairspray live was filmed here, and she is 
pointing to Mr. Pinky's!

And this courthouse was used in
Back to the Future and To Kill A Mockingbird.
(However, in one or both it had four, more 
massive columns.)

We were served one of the best lunches ever
al fresco with a view and a visitor!

After lunch...

Then the two animal lovers went to the Animal
Training Show!
We were fascinated by trained dogs, cats, owls, birds,
and even rats!!!
Afterwards we got to stay and get up close and 
personal with some of the stars.

This trained but scary owl is named Harry Potter.

 I found my souvenir!!!

His name is Lincoln.



Then we went to the massive Harry Potter Land,
the highlight of our day!

I had already bowed out of several rides, and since
the Harry Potter ride is the most intense,
I was the holder of the purses...
for the purportedly short (5 minute) but scary ride!
Fortunately I found a bench on which to sit.
This was my view.

After 20 minutes or so, this became my view.

Out of ALL the trips and ALL the riders,
 it had malfunctioned when Susie was on there!
Our lovely guide was so kind to me (as was everyone)
telling me "It will probably be just another 
 couple minutes."
It was an hour and a half!


I couldn't understand why she wasn't texting me.
I finally opened her purse and found out--
she had left her phone in there.
She tried valiantly to text on her Apple watch
without success.


I didn't want to call Susan and Rob and tell them
their baby was stuck on the HP ride, but
after 45 minutes or so I HAD to talk to somebody.
So I called Jay and Terri.
They reassured me BIG TIME and said they were
actually very jealous they weren't on there with her!


Here she is after escaping the ordeal!

And here WE are!

Yes, everyone, the Mimi made it okay!


It was now 6:10 P.M., and the park closed at 7:00.
Our guide said that dinner was on them at 
the Three Broomsticks Cafe.
We could have had anything we wanted,
and this is what we got:

 Two kid's plates of mac and cheese--but with...

 two Harry Potter BUTTERBEERS!
(It's like cream soda, and we had been wanting it
since we walked through the gates!)


Susie talked to Nick and her parents from our Uber
all the way home to the Grand Californian!
An unforgettable trip had just become even more so!


I guess now we have to go back.
She didn't get to really ride the star attraction!



*********************

Thanks to my friend Becky Leffler for telling
us about Universal's VIP pass!
She had discovered it for her granddaughter, Jordan.
We waited in no lines, which was very good for moi!  

Susie and Mimi Celebrate in CA

The Baylor grad chose Disneyland 

for her celebratory trip!

She hadn't been there since 8th grade.

The Mimi was thrilled!

She thinks her last trip there was in the 1970's!

Our travel arrangements were made by

Doc Terri Stovall of Doc's Magical Travels.

They were spectacular, beginning with our hotel--

the Grand Californian!

Her button says "Just Graduated" and was frequently

 acknowledged by the "cast members" and others!

Soooo fun!

Uncle Jay and Aunt Terri had gifted us the 

best thing--a max pass with photo privileges.

So many of our photos are taken by the park pros!

Like these:

But we did some pretty good photography ourselves:

This castle reflection one by Susannah...

and this of the cutie pie by yours truly!

 These were Radiator Springs dancing cars!

So much fun!

Now the Mimi doesn't do many "adult" rides!

The grad did a lot of rides by her sweet self!

But I am very proud to announce that I did conquer

the Indiana Jones ride--well, sort of by accident.

Susannah hadn't ridden it yet, and we failed to

run the idea by Jay and Terri.

It was pretty horrifying, but here is visual proof.

Shaken but still standing!

Disneyland is smaller than Disneyworld, and 

California weather much more pleasant than Florida.

This was good for the Mimi 

with the four month old knee in the 80 year old body!

And our hotel room was only steps from an entrance

to the park--and one to Downtown Disney!

I still managed to rack up

 that's miles on the old Fitbit!

When we were walking to Disneyland the second day,

eagle-eye Susannah spotted this tile:

It's very hard to see, but just above my right foot

it says "Mimi!"

We had wonderful soup in bread bowls

(recommended by our travel agent)

And we saw the live version of Frozen--twice!

Inside the theatre, which was spectacular!

Great shots of the grad...

Clever shots by the pros...

Click on this one to enlarge!
See us reflected in Susannah's shades?

and perhaps my favorite shot of us--

staged by Susie and taken at her request by a stranger!

I may have footed the bill for this celebration

(thank you Gaga!)

but the grad definitely took the Mimi to Disneyland!

She took care of me, watched after me, navigated for

us, and did all the scheduling of fast passes, etc.!

Between Susannah and "Doc Terri," I was just

along for the ride! 

And what a great ride it was!

Tomorrow if you're up for more,

I'll tell you about what we did on our other day

in California!

It was spectacular, too!!!

*****************

Read about Maddie's and Mimi's Celebration
of her graduation two years ago by clicking
HERE