We had a great day in MGM. In the morning Connor and Kelley added hats to the family's collection of Who Wants to be a Millionaire hats. Kelley had been in before but this was Connor's first time. We rode some rides, played around and had a good old time.

Kelley wanted to take the boat back. Kim & Connor walked. We could see them on the path Connor was bouncing up and down, waiving his arms around like a nut and generally having the time of his life. The hot seat does that to you the first time.

Then you want more…

Walking back to Boardwalk is WAY faster than the boat; we got off at the Swan and walked back form there. Our room was WAY DOWN THE HALL. Kim & Connor went in the back door up the stairs and were in the room way before us. The kids were tired, even Delaney who is typically a spinning top of doom in the afternoon. They actually chilled out and some took naps!

Kimball and I took the opportunity to go talk with Nancy at the concierge desk. We had PS at Whispering Canyon. The ZIA (Zurg Information Agency) was careful to make these PS on a day when our old pal Bobby would be working. Just in case we asked Nancy to call over to check to see if he was on. No point in going all the way over to the Wilderness Lodge unless the varsity was playing.

Bobby is the very best. An all star. Disney World MVP.


Nancy confirmed not only that our boy Bobby was working at Whispering Canyon but had made sure we would be at one of his tables. Now that is service. We gave Nancy a ThankShoe pin as reward. We also met Alfonso a front desk manager. We chatted pleasantly with him for a few minutes explaining BadShoe. Very nice guy, he didn’t even have us arrested.

Now we have had a few trips to Whispering Canyon. If you have been there you can see it is our kind of place; Quiet, Respectful, Understated – NOT!

Our friend Bobby wears a Tigger on his hat, so we wore matching obnoxious orange Tigger shirts as a tribute. We take BadShoe stickers and cover him with them. We make fools of ourselves and he plays right along.

We check in and the wait is about 25 minutes. OK we can cope. After taking Delaney to the restroom I realize – We forgot the stickers!

ZW and I confer. The kids are chilling - Delaney is still a little groggy from her nap. I have time.

The BadShoe stickers are a tradition, I’ll run back to BWV for them. I jump into trusty Zurgmobile (the single most booked and rebooked rental in the history of automobiles) and take liberties with the posted speed suggestions. Dash down the hall and back, my buddies at Bell Services didn’t touch the Zurgmobile and I fly back.

Some where along this little journey, I found a good radio station. Good is a word that here means real rock and roll (real old that is.) Once again I am considering the signs as suggestions for people who a) don’t know where they are going, b) need a map c) are reading it while driving d) all of the above, D final answer.

Have I mentioned Connor is diabetic - insulin dependant? What happens in a Type I diabetic is they can’t get glucose (energy) into their cells because their pancreas doesn’t make insulin. The way you spot this in your kid is they get tired easy, drink a lot, pee a lot, and sugar makes’m lethargic not energetic.

Connor has it. To get insulin into him, we use a hypodermic needle just before he eats. So if we eat out I carry the needle with me until - just before he eats.

Now for a variety of reason I don’t put it in my pants pocket.
1) It is sharp, and if the little protector fell off it could be fairly painful in a region I would really prefer avoid pain.
2) The plunger thing could get pushed in and the insulin pushed out in a region I would rather not have looking like I just peed myself.

Also I would like to save the insulin for the diabetic. These are all good reason why I carry the needle on my ear, like a pencil.

Jimmy Hendrix came on the good radio station. I turned it up, way up.

Let’s review:

1. Loud Jimmy Hendrix.

2. Hypodermic needle on ear.

3. Rental car, near warp speed, approaching Magic Kingdom Toll Booth.

I pointed at the DVC Members parking pass on the dash. Mr. My-Job-is-to-Collect-$5.oo-parking didn’t even look twice. I guess hypodermic needle in the ear, mini van speeding, Hendrix fans are a dime a dozen round here.

Walking in I still thought was a riot and found it so amusing I couldn’t even say 'Jimmy Hendrix' when relating the story to Kelley in the Wilderness Lodge lobby. She wasn't too impressed by my tale but thought my speech impediment was hysterical.

Can you trade teenagers in when they get to smart?

Delaney came back from yet another pit stop.

Kelley was still mocking me. Delaney enjoys mocking me as much as any of the kids (brats) but she was still a little mellow and eased up on me uncharacteristically early, must have be an early Christmas present. She sat on my lap.

Man this kid is skinny.

I like the Wilderness Lodge Lobby. It is big. It has cool theming. There are all kinds of loud noises coming from Whispering Canyon.

There was a regular revolving door of people taking pictures by the Christmas tree. We were sitting right next to it and found the parade of photographers amusing. Most have little clue how to use their cameras. From time to time, I volunteer to take the shot for families.

I do this a lot on vacations, so a whole family can be in the picture. There is a protocol to follow. First you take the picture from where they were going to, inevitably this is WAY to far away and the people look like ants. I take one there anyway because they want the whole lobby in their picture, even if you can’t see them in it and they are outside the flash’s effective range. Then I walk much closer, frame the picture so you can see them and still tell it is some place cool and ask, “How about one a little close where we get a good look at your faces?” and burn off a shot real quick.

I am willing to bet cash money the pictures I take like that are the best picture of their whole vacation.

A particularly brilliant author, over at Deb’s AllEarsNet.com in the Digital Photography section, suggest this tip sheet for photographers, Top 10 Tips for Great Pictures. They guy is brilliant, so is the tips article, go read both.

There is a marked increase in the din of noise coming from Whispering Canyon. Our buddy Bobby the Kid has spotted us and is yelling across the restaurant and lobby to say hi. I love the subtly of this guy.

Our pager thingy goes off and it is time to be seated. This is convenient as it is the direction of the bathrooms and Delaney needs to go again. What has this kid been drinking?

We are led to our table and arm ourselves for Bobby’s arrival. Everyone get stickers ready and the kids cover him as he walks up. Bobby takes the microphone and introduces us to the rest of the restaurant. Then he makes formal introductions with us and his other tables. “Old tables, this is the new table, they are one of my favorite family but they will take pictures of your shoes. New table, old tables.”

I sometimes feel sorry for the people around us, we play this place WAY up. We clink our glasses for the newlyweds at the next table. The other wait staff catches on real quick that we are fair game and they all come over for a yell or two. We yell back.

We have certain rules of engagement in this place. Number one is we always bus Bobby's tables when he isn’t looking. If necessary we swipe the bussing trays from other unsuspecting waiters. One bluffs that we should clean one of his tables and off we go. Duh you think we are gonna be embarrassed or something? Bobby comes back yells at the other waiter for poaching his guests.

Bobby recruited us to help take the guy at the next table oceans of ice tea. Kind of like the ketchup gag only with mugs of ice tea. Seem he was ordering a lot of the stuff.

Another time bobby brought the guy a bucket with a huge tea bag in it. At one point Bobby was chasing the guy around and he turned and pick up Bobby effortlessly. I looked at the guy’s wife and asked if he was a firefighter, nobody else is that graceful and effortless carrying a waiter.

 MYRON! We found the fireman's kid's Toy Story toy cleaning under their table. Make sure it finds its way back to the kid. (Myron did.) Least we could do for a fireman.

Delaney was drinking chocolate milk almost as fast as the fireman was chugging tea.

She needed a refill. Bobby brought a half a jug. Delaney was thrilled. Funny she didn’t get jazzed by the sugar, quite the opposite she didn’t even want dessert. (Hey look this stuff is 25 carbs a cup.)

We carried on for about two hours. It was a blast. We should have a meet there some time. Bobby won the immunity challenge alto the fire guy was a clear contender in the waiter carrying event.

Tribal council met and the vote was unanimous. The Fed Ex went to Kate Cubbage, Bobby never got it. Her crime was not making sure Bobby got the scroll the kids made. Later in the week we would find a worse manager. Still, the tribe spoke and Kate is off the island.

Bobby gave the boys his waiter’s apron and a few Whispering Canyon check presentation folder thingies. Delaney got a stack of brand new napkins. Back at the hotel Connor was doing Bobby imitations. I was planning the morning with the kids ( Kelley would be in charge while Kim and I ride Seaways in Epcot.)

Delaney was still not feeling right and Kim put the pieces together.

She got out Connors backup blood glucose meter and tested Delaney’s glucose level.

Delaney was off the chart high – hyperglycemic with ketones.

That counted as an unexpected twist.

She wasn't too bad yet but if a few days will be.

Good thing I have two ears, I’ll need’m for needles - We have another diabetic kid.