Random thoughts, ideas, rants and posts from my mind
Author: Chris Budd
Hello. I'm Chris. I'm a good ol' Canadian boy from New Brunswick. I love Disney, the WWE, movies, books and music. I love to cook. I am a happy-go-lucky kind of guy who enjoys life with his darling wife, Isabelle, and his kitty, Roxie.
Following our day off, our next stop was Animal Kingdom. Before leaving for the park, I finally got to try something that I’d heard about. We were staying at Pop Century, as we always do, and there was a new addition to the menu… The Pop Tart Breakfast Sandwich. This item had apparently been available in the past when people requested it, but never on their published menu. But that had changed. What more could one ask for in a breakfast? Eggs, bacon and cheese sandwiched between two strawberry Pop Tarts. While I wouldn’t eat this daily, it did make for a fun experience. Plus, it gives me a great story to tell people.
One thing we do on every visit to Disney World is to schedule an “off day” mid-visit. This allows us to rest up a bit and just relax since the other days are what you could call loaded. We typically leave the hotel around 8AM and often return around/after midnight. So we need a little downtime to recharge and get ready for the second half.
Epcot was the next stop on our trip. This was a break from our usual pattern as we typically would visit Epcot on our first day. It was also a chance for us to continue with the new adventures. Continue reading “Day 3 – Epcot”→
Day 2 of our 2016 Disney adventure was a special day for me. It was my birthday! There is no better way to spend your 38th birthday than being at Disney World. This is now the 3rd birthday I’ve celebrated at Disney, and they each get better and better. We even have my 40th planned to be visiting Disney yet again. (I’m still working on getting my birthday twin, James Corden, to join us. We were both born August 22, 1978.) Continue reading “Day 2 – Happy Birthday, Chris!”→
Apologies for the delay in this series of posts. While I had all the good intentions to have them done when I last posted, real world got in the way. No excuses. And really, I don’t think anyone’s been clamoring for the posts. LOL. Continue reading “Day 1 – Let the Memories Begin!”→
I like to think that everything in the universe is imbued with some form of consciousness. Whether a living creature, a plant, an inanimate object, or even smells. Smells are a marvelous thing. They are the equivalent to a time machine. They link us to specific places, specific times. All it takes is a small whiff of that particular aroma to propel you back to that memory.
I find that the aromas that trigger me the most commonly are the ones related to Disney World. (Surprise, I know!) Working in the downtown core, I often will find myself transported back to that magical land simply because of a passing bus. Suddenly, I find myself standing outside of Pop Century, just waiting to get on the next shuttle to one of the parks.
Disney’s Magical Express bus outside of Pop Century
It does not work on command though. No matter how intently I go somewhere trying to trigger these memories, it won’t happen. This is why I think smells have some consciousness to them. I seem to find myself getting transported at those moments when I need a little escape. It’s like the universe is trying to say “Hey, you’re seeming to be a little stressed, overwhelmed. How about I help you take a moment of happiness and bliss.”
Thank you universe. You take care of me so incredibly well.
In my previous life, I was well-connected. From morning til night, I found myself in front of a computer for nearly every instant that I was not working or sleeping. Actually, even sleep did not always dissuade me as I’d often pull my laptop next to my bed in case someone would message me in the middle of the night. (I did have friends in Australia, Europe and on the West coast after all!) I would get up in the morning and the first thing I did was sign in. I would get home from work – sign in. I had even set up my apartment so that while seated at my computer, I could watch TV. My life consisted of being online. I had become an extension of the internet.
It was during these years (the majority of my 20’s really) that I “disconnected” from the real world and connected electronically. All of my friends were chat buddies. I would spend countless hours in chat rooms, or just messaging my friends. I’d communally watch TV with people, chatting about the show during commercials. (How many “OMG can you believe that?!” conversations about Lost did we have Nat?) Continue reading “Disconnected”→
It’s been well over two months since I’ve had my trip to Disney World. Two months, and I’ve not yet written a word about the trip. Since I’m sitting at work with all of our systems down (over two hours now!), I thought I’d take some time to write a bit. I didn’t know what to write about, so I thought Disney would be a good way to start.
It had been 4 years since Isabelle and I had been to Disney World. While we did make a visit to Disneyland in California a couple of years ago, the magic is definitely not the same; to the point where we debated taking a trip to Disney World as a palate cleanser. But it did not come to pass. Continue reading “Disney World – August 2016”→
There are certain smells, certain tastes, that take you back to another time and place. I’ve just had one of those moments while making banana bread.
Over the past two years, my wife has renewed her love of baking and, as such, she’s done the majority of it in our household. But tonight I am in the kitchen. Continue reading “Cookbooks and Memories”→
