Monday, July 26, 2010

Zack-a-man

The first time I met Zack, he scared the tar out of me! He was this loud little yappy dog that belonged to my Aunt Tracy. I remember running away from him when I walked through the door of my Aunt's house in Virginia. I love dogs, but he was just so LOUD for such a little guy.

The next time I met Zack was when he came to live with my mother and I when my brother Noel came. I thought it was so funny because they looked so much a like. They both had the rugged look with the graying beard and they both smelled like saw dust and the inside of Noel's truck. It was so endearing to see how much Zack worshiped Noel. He never left him alone and he always had to sit near him if not on him. But Zack was stubborn; he didn't give his affections easily. It took a while for Zack to decide that I could pet him and that it was ok to sit next to me. He didn't even lick me until months after moving in. But he loved howling at the fire trucks as they drove past the backyard and he loved hanging out of the passenger window of Noel's truck.

Then came Pippin. Zack did NOT like Pippin when he first arrived. Zack would watch him from a distance and huff and puff every time Pip came near him. When baby Pippin tried to snuggle next to him, Zack would get so offended and leave, only to have Pip follow him ten minutes later. Eventually Zack got over it and the two of them were hardly ever separated. They were best friends and Zack was definitely the boss but Pip never minded.

Zack loved to cuddle. Whenever it got cold out he HAD to sleep under the covers. He loved to burough and he always had to be touching someone while he was sleeping.

He loved to eat ice cubes! He would roll them around on the floor and throw them into the air before crunching them. They were treats to him. In the summer time we would fill up a kiddie pool and put ice cubes in it too cool the water, but Zack would always get in it and eat all the ice!

He ALWAYS barked! We never could get rid of that habit but when he barked, it was so manly and it felt like he was laughing at you.

I'm a total dog person and kind of a sentimental, so this is blog is dedicated to Zack. One of the best companions there ever was. I'm gonna miss you Zack-a-man!



grumpy old man!



Pippin's best friend


Loved to play with 'Wilson', Zack would only bark and watch as Pip scurried around for the ball


Miss you!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Star Wars Weekend!!!

These have been a REALLY long time coming, especially since it was over a month ago. But I have been so busy with work that I've literally had no time to even eat more than a granola bar!

But Star Wars weekends were the highlight of my Disney Summer. Every summer around the end of May, Disney's Hollywood Studios hosts four weekends dedicated to purely Star Wars!! They bring in actors from the movies and they have special characters for meet-n-greets. It was SO cool. All the dorks come out in their home-made costumes and people will start lining up at 4 in the morning to get a ticket to go see people like Billy Dee Williams or the original Boba Fett to get their autographs. I was FAR too tired to get up early enough to get those fast passes but I did get to see some from far away!!

These are the awesome pictures I was able to get. They're from two different days... my first day I wore my Chewbacca t-shirt and I went with my roommate Alyssa and met up with her friend Nitin. The second day I wore my Millennial Falcon t-shirt and went with Alyssa and a friend from church.

Peter Mayhew!! He's HUGE!! Notice the Chewie shirt he has on...


R2-MK was wheeling around the park with a Jedi-clad Mickey


Vader ended the Star Wars parade! For some reason all my photos were added backwards


The true Fett


Boba looking very much intimidating


Greedo!!


The Bounty Hunter


Jango Fett leading a troop of Storm Troupers through the parade


That weird chick from Clone Wars... never seen it


Clone Wars?


Another Clone Wars... not as cool


He's giNORMous!! His hands are bigger than my whole head!


Ray Park!!! He was there all month and he'd do a martial arts show but it was hard to get into


R2... he's so cute



Mace Windu is the man and I LOVE that green guy


Jedi gal


Chewie!!!


The Ewoks are freaking awesome


Sand people and the Leia/Bounty Hunter


More sand people with sand babies





Ooo-chi-chi


Some of these guys looked like they'd seen actual battle




This is an actual fan club that help put on Star Wars weekends and they get to do the parade in their own costumes





My niece Susanna was convinced these guys were ninjas


501st Legion was the name of the club


True nerds here


Their costumes were crazy detailed




I think these two guys didn't get the memo that there was only ONE Anikin









Storm Trooper Donald and friends started the parade


Darth Goofy wears Mickey Boxers?


Princess Minnie


Master Mickey riding an X-wing fighter with pilot in front


This Darth Maul was crazy thin and kept jumping out at me and freaking me out


In the front of the park they had storm troopers patrolling the roof of the entrance. Here they're arguing about the peculiar small droids the people are holding that are flashing (aka; cameras)


Alyssa and Will... we were all so excited that we couldn't stop taking pictures... we all wore Star Wars shirts too


Storm trooper patrolling


Me, Darth, Alyssa, and Nitin


Jango... Boba kept running off on a Bounty


HAUTT storm trooper! We wanted to kiss his face off!!


C3PO actually talks to you and R2 moves, beeps, and moves his gadgets to you!! I actually had a conversation with C3PO, he's very polite


C3PO smacking R2 for running me over


Talking with C3PO


He's admiring my shirt



Chewie is my fave... totally cried when I saw him. We waited 45 minutes in line to see him


He loved my shirt


HUGE hug... Wookie Hug> Bear Hug


REALLY excited about my shirt



Alyssa and I arriving at my first day of Star Wars week!!!