California Fun Part Two: “Closed For Business”

August 26th 2006 by E..

Because were in Anaheim for a longer period of time than the passes we got would allow us into Disneyland, we took a day off on Thursday to go to some places we had wanted to visit…this included Knott’s Berry Farm (well, the gift shop, at any rate…I swear, that place is creepy…it’s like if Mayberry had a theme park), and a few collectibles stores in the area…the first place we went to was a consignment shop-style store, which (naturally) had a lot of Disney-related collectibles…there was a lot of cool stuff to buy there, and we bought lots of it…the second store was not as cool, even though they had a waaay overpriced figure of the Hatbox Ghost…this second shop obviously expanded into the next store area of the strip that it was in, and the second “half” of the store (where the windows and door for another store would be, if they were separate businesses) had the grates drawn, which reminded me of the sign that Dante makes in “Clerks”: “I Assure You We’re Open”…

That night, we went to an Anaheim Angels game…sorry, make that a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim game…wait, that should read a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California, in the United States Of America game…obstructed view from deep right field sure makes for a boring game, but at least we got to see the field security guard get some exercise…

Friday found us in Disney’s California Adventure, where we saw some Muppets (well, I didn’t, but my parents’ word is as good as any), went on the delightful new ride themed to the Disney/PIXAR movie “Monsters, Inc” (which featured costumes made by Sister Ruthie, so bravo to her), and went on the Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror, which made a little kid “pee-pee a little”, in case you were wondering…

Since Disney’s California Adventure mostly still resembles the parking lot on which it was built, we spent the rest of our day in Disneyland, going on things that we had yet to do, and seeing some of our favorite attractions again…It was then that I found out that the only thing that sucks more than when “Pirates Of The Caribbean” is open and has a really long line is when “Pirates Of The Caribbean” is closed, and everything else has a long line…Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the lines seemed to never end!…we ducked away into the Golden Horseshoe to catch the “Good” Billy Hill and the Hillbillies perform a great show…Friday and Saturday nights during the summer, Disneyland hosts the Jump, Jive, Boogie Swing Party at the Carnation Plaza Gardens (or Gardens Plaza, who can tell?), which is just off of Main Street…featured each night are swing band who perform several sets throughout the evening…last year, we saw Stompy Jones, and came one week short of seeing The Swing Kings…this year the bands were not ones I had heard of, but when have I ever been the one to say no to a lively bunch of hepcats swingin’ it hard?…NEVER, that’s when!…the bands we okay, but they sounded very generic…as I had said before, it was like the kind of swing that a commercial director says “I need some swing music for this part; bring me a swing band”…very unlike a few other swing bands I know (hint, hint)

Saturday morning we went to the Bats Day Black Market, where dead-looking people sell things to other dead-looking people…a family affair if ever I saw one…I got the Ghastly Ones new record and a 7″ vinyl single of theirs (both highly recommended)…also got some buttons from Toxic Toons

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