There's been a lot of news but the biggest and best news is about Genevieve's new job. She just finished her first week as a senior manager at Disneyland. Yes that's right, you read that correctly. Genevieve's group is responsible for show elements, basically all the stuff you see in the park that's part of the environment they are trying to create. She has a lot of artists and artisans reporting to her and couldn't be more thrilled, as Jack and I are, of course. It's a really huge break.
The only bad news is, we went to celebrate her first day at Disneyland and as jack and I walked through a very, very busy park someone unzipped the back pouch on my backpack and STOLE OUR DIGITAL CAMERA! Can you believe it! So as infrequent as updates her have been they are going to be a good deal less frequent until we can buy a new camera, which won't be for a little while, I'm afraid.
But back to good news . . . Jack's Nanny and Pop (Daddy's Mom and Dad) were out in early June for my graduation from AFI. Note, you can save the laurels, asses' milk and fatted calves until the autumn since my thesis films will not be delivered until then and, like 90 out of 115 of my classmates, I will thus not be graduating until then. Pretty stupid, to have a graduation ceremony when literally 90% of the students aren't graduating for at least six months, but hey, it makes the school look legit and it's real convenient for the board of directors so that's the important thing, right? And I wish I could say the ceremony was great but it really wasn't. There was one really good speaker, and then a series of honorary doctorates given out to largely bemused and not particularly impressed folks like James Earl Jones and Sydney Pollack. It was cool that George Lucas introduced JEJ though. Even more cool was James Earl Jones signing my Darth Tater.
I got pretty much the exact reaction I was hoping for when I asked him, "Mr. Jones, would you sign my Darth Tater?" Just a kind of quizzical stare. He signed it on the helmet with a silver marker I brought with me. He mentioned it was the first time anyone had ever asked him that -- imagine that! -- so this is a very rare item.During Nanny and Pop's visit we went to the El Capitan to see the restored version of Dumbo with the whole family. It was Jack's first theatre experience and of course he promptly fell asleep during the Winnie the Pooh featurette and didn't wake up until Dumbo was complete. (A few days ago, though, we brought him to the El Capitan to see Cars, and he was absolutely rapt and engaged throughout. He kept reaching out to touch the cars on the screen. He was very well behaved although those who know him will not be surprised to hear that!) Pop got a big kick out of the beautiful theatre organ there, rescued from San Francisco's Fox Theatre and played to perfection before every film at the theatre.
Then it was off to Philadelphia to stay with G's Mom and Dad, a/k/a Grammy and Grampy. Grampy scored his ace corporate seats to the Phillies' lovely new park and we saw a Mets/Phillies game which ended well for the Mets. I could really get used to hanging out in the Diamond Club. Then, Grammy and Grampy watched Jack for us for a couple of days while we headed up to Jersey to a friend's wedding. Jack came down with a little illness for a few days but as usual on the flights he was such an angel the other passengers were amazed.
So now we're back, G's job is going great, Daddy's picture-cutting time is done so he can start looking for paying work and a big summer/fall of change is upon us. More updates to follow of course, but for now, here are a few snaps of Jack's recent adventures.
Random shots from home: Jack loves this dancing, vibrating, giggling pig. It is activated by pinching its nose. So Jack sticks it in his mouth, bites and, and his jowls vibrate.
Jack peeping over the railing in the El Capitan . . .
Pop checking out the El Capitan's awesome pipe organ:
A quick family shot at the El Capitan:
On to Philly: The Philly Phanatic startled Jack a bit at first, which surprised me considering how much he's juggled around by all the Disney critters. But of course, Jack was reaching for him the second he left.
Daddy and Jack, ready for the big game!
Note the full-on Lightning McQueen Cars ensemble, complete with light-up sandals:
We ask a guy sitting behind us for a group picture, and we end up with a great souvenir shot of his buddy's silly sun hat. Great.
These shots of Jack atop the Phillies dugout clapping and dancing around were all so great I couldn't pick just one.
Afterwards in the Diamond Club some total stranger came up -- like a lot of people who approached us, he was smitten with Jack -- and gave him a souvenir baseball he had just bought! Of course it went instantly into Jack's mouth. I realize we must sound so full of ourselves the way we talk about Jack but seriously, we constantly have strangers coming up to us -- I mean, it is all the time. Sometimes, it is creepy, like the toothless, evil-smelling crone who approached me today in Long Beach, but mostly it is very flattering, of course, and he makes an awful lot of people smile and feel good. Note to Ray: after the game I got it signed by Endy Chavez and Ron Darling.
After the game, oh heavenly heavenliness, it was off to South Philly for a good old family-style Italian feast at the Villa de Roma. Awesome.
Jack and Grampy say, "Buono!"
