Thursday, 26 June 2003...
0000 Hours: Go to bed, setting alarm for 0330.
0315: Cell phone rings, with brother on other end of line, asking us to bring his forgotten gameboy along. Go back to bed.
0330: Alarm sounds. Smack it across the room, crawl groggily out of bed and collapse on floor.
0345: Arise from floor. Cell phone rings, answer to Dad stating that they are leaving within a few minutes.
0355: Splash cold water on face. Pull on grubby yet comfy clothes, throw toiletries into pre-packed suitcase, stumble out door.
0400: Realize I've forgotten something. Back into the house.
0405: Forgot to get something out of the car. Rustle through car in the dark.
0410: Inadvertently wake up baby next door. Hit head on car door frame.
0415: Finally pull away from the driveway, already in a foul mood for the day.
Things didn't get off to a smooth start, but what can you expect, it's four o'clock in the frickin' morning. Dad has this thing about leaving super early in the morning, to "drive in the dark". He's done this since we were little kids. It didn't really accomplish much for us this time but missed sleep and crankiness.
After missing a meal at Andersen's (they were still closed at 0530 when we arrived in Santa Nella), we stomached a breakfast at Lenny's Denny's and continued on our merry ways.
A few potty stops and millions of smashed bugs upon the windshield later, we were in Southern California. A few hours of weekday traffic were magically bestowed upon us, with much luck. It was getting hot, I could feel the backs of my knees getting sticky. Eww.
We arrive at our destination (Orange, CA) at around 1300. Lucky us, check-in time is not until 1500. Tell me why we left so early again? We had to sit tight for a few hours while our rooms were prepared... my sister and her family were able to secure a room earlier, so we just hung out in their room until the nazis front desk crew waved us into our humble suites.
Kevin and I participated enthusiastically in a much-needed nap for a couple o' hours, while my parents ventured out to a local military base to purchase theme park tickets. Then it was to Joe's Crab Shack in Garden Grove for some eatin' and burpin'. What a whacky place. The waitstaff line dances, and birthday guests prance around in cow costumes, complete with rubber neeples.
We go for a quick walk down at The Block, only to have my Mom and Seester sucked into Old Navy for some reason, whilst the rest of us enjoy a scoop or two from Ben and Jerry's. Kevin and I depart for the hotel a little bit earlier than the rest of the shoppin' crowd. Gotta get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us.
Tomorrow: The Mouse is in the House.
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