...I was running off of fumes. I had been up for three days in a row and I was bringing my baby girl home for the first time. I remember that first night we had to wake up to feed her every two hours...not that I could sleep that long. I kept waking up to look at her, so peaceful in her co-sleeper bed, next to ours. A year has passed and it seems to have gone by so fast, and yet I don't remember life before her. It's like she has always been a part of our life.

I am going through what can only be described as withdrawals. I am craving a hand dipped corn dog and a dolewhip float. The waiting is killing me. Our next trip is going to be all the more special because it will be our daughter's first visit. She turns one on Saturday and she amazes me everyday with how smart she is. She is so happy, so loving and already very creative. I can't wait to see just how she reacts. I get the priviledge of seeing Disneyland with new eyes. I get to experience it again for the first time, through my daughter.

To help with the withdrawals while I wait for that next magic filled trip, I thought I would pass the time by periodically posting a new memory of the "Happiest place on earth". They are all so special that I can't really pick a favorite memory, so they won't be in any particular order.

The memory that is jumping out at me most right now is of something simple. Oranges. Sunkist oranges to be precise. Sunkist oranges being freshly squeezed into orange juice on Mainstreet to be even more exact. No morning at disneyland was complete for me without it. Now the shop is another relic in the yesterland museum. It actually reminds me of all the wonderful and unique touches that made Maimstreet such a special place. Slowly they have been stripped away in favor of huge, mega, homogonized retail centers housed behind facades that no longer have meaning. Thanks again for nothing Paul and Cynthia. Don't get me wrong, the charm of Mainstreet isn't gone completely, but it used to be so much more. The candy shop remains a shining example of what is right with Mainstreet. Oscar is still cooking away, making his special daily, as he has done for half a century. The horse drawn trolley and the vintage vehicles and their drivers continue to bring a vibrancy and living energy to this often overlooked land. I still can't help but miss the Mainstreet that was.

Life has been doing it's best to kick the hell out of me. Owning your own home is a LOT of work. Since I last gave everyone an update I was sued (unsuccessfully...in fact they ended up owing me), got injured, became sick with a really bad flu and I'm pretty sure I lost my part-time second job...I won't know until tomorrow...as of now I am just suspended. That extra money will be missed, that's for sure.

I am looking forward to Gabby's 1st birthday, and an October trip to Disneyland. They are ramping up the Halloween time offerings again this year, adding a new (possibly modeled after Hallowishes)fireworks show, and they have just officially announced a Space Mountain overlay (possibly modeled after the Ghost Galaxy overlay from Hong Kong Disneyland). Meanwhile at DCA the World of Color Show continues to grow, and the infrastructure makes it look like it will give Fantasmic a run for it's money. They have broken ground on the Little Mermaid D++ Ticket ride and Carsland. Soon work will start on the new main entrance. I'm really excited about the things happening in Anaheim.

Well...I'm exhausted...so I'm gonna go pass out.

I was tagged...and I don't generally do these things, because they force me to be introspective and present the findings for all to see. Really, truth be told I don't think I'm all that interesting, but I guess we are about to find out.

1. What does your deviantart name mean and why?

Well, my best friend and I grew up watching the Blues Brothers. We can qoute every line, sing every song, duplicate most of the driving stunts when we have a junker car or two to bang around, and we dressed up as Jake and Elwood for our senior prom. JakeBlues is always taken when I go to sign up somewhere, so over time it became bluejake, and then I forgot my password to several sites and had to create bluejake01, so now it's my login name for everything.

2. What fandom were you obsessed with when you joined and what are you into now?

This is a tough one for me. I have obsessions, but never considered myself a member of any fandom. The concept is way too social for me. I am a very introverted person, and it takes a long time to get to know/see the real me. I mean seriously, ask my friends. I have heard more than a few times that people are surprised when they finally see past the crunchy candy coating. As a result of being as solitary as I am, I tend to be the type of fan that can tell you lots of little trivia, and being that I am a very detail oriented person I get obsessed with the minutia. I can draw a fairly accurate diagram of all the components on the Time Machine Delorean from Back to the Future from memory. I can tell you the differences between the NCC-1701 and the NCC-1701 A, both the models, and the fictional blue prints. I have never been to a convention, and don't think I would enjoy one. Uhm...I don't think I'm really answering the question am I?

Okay...I dug and still dig Disney (with emphasis on the early shorts and the theme parks), Star Wars, Star Trek, Back to the Future, Dr. Who, Futurama, Masters of the Universe, Transformers, Voltron, The Blues Brothers, anything Jim Henson Studios has made, Robocop, Quantum Leap and old school Scooby Doo (Harlem Globetrotters and the Addams Family episodes for the win)

3. How many watchers do you have now?

Dunno??

4. Name 3 of your favourite artists on DA.

I don't play favorites...

5. Do you comment, fav, or both?

I comment when I have time. My 9 month old daughter takes up most of my time these days, but I try and at least comment on everything I fav.

6. Do you participate in clubs' contests here on DA?

I have once...and I won said contest. Again, that's a pretty social thing, and I don't do well in social situations...even virtual ones.

7. What is your most popular deviation?

Sora in Star Wars attire, with a lightaber key blade.

8. What are your favourite non-anime TV shows?

True Blood, Scrubs, Boston Legal, Reaper, and Bones.

9. What are the things you wish you could draw better?

Everything. I would really like to become more dynamic in my art. It's fairly static. I have a lot of technical skills, but no real vision.

10. Summer or winter?

Winter...I can bundle up in winter, but in summer I can only take off so many clothes before it's illegal, distasteful, and downright frightening to those around me.

11. Rain or Sun?

Rain

12. What's your favourite type of music?

I like music that moves me to an emotional response. My playlist is very ecclectic. It's also a bit confused.

13. PC or Mac?

I like Justin Long and all, but give me PC any day.

14. Anime or Manga?

Too lazy for extended Manga reading.

15. Coke or Pepsi?

Dr. Pepper or Root Beer. I would say I lean more towards Dr. Pepper. It contains 23 different flavoring agents. It is a little known fact that the more flavors one has, the more bad-ass they are. Chuck Norris has 426 flavors, where as George W. Bush has only one, and it isn't very pleasant.

16. Read or TV?

I used to read...a LOT. Now I don't have the time or energy.

17. How many hours a day do you spend on DA?

Very few

18. Name a hidden talent.

Hidden from me, or hidden from strangers? I hide most of my talents.

19. Flash or traditional cartoons?

Ink and Paint please...or at least tools in a computer that emmulate ink and paint.

20. What is your favourite fast food restaurant?

In-n-Out

21. What are your top 3 favourite books?

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers and Frankenstien

22. Wii or Playstation?

NES

23. Name 3 of your favourite bands.

Duran Duran, Queen and The Beatles

24Medium

25. Do you like Denny's?

At 3am beggars can't be choosers.

26. What is your favourite emoticon?



27. What is your favourite type of pie?

Pumpkin

28. Have you ever stayed up for 24 hours?

Lots and lots. I remember one time I drove down to Ventura from Sacramento, spent a couple of hours there and drove back to Sacramento. I seem to recall that being a 28 hour stint. When my daughter was born I didn't sleep until CJ and the baby were home safe...about 78 hours straight. I was not well afterwards.

29. Do you go on YouTube a lot?

nah

30. Are you a member on any other sites besides DA?

plenty

31. Do you cosplay?

Just the once, and I used protection...pepper spray I believe.

32. Fruits or sweets?

Fruit...but every once in awhile I have to have a Leatherby's sundae. they make their own ice cream and hot fudge right there in the store...it's really, really, really good.

33. Buttered, plain, or salted popcorn?

Salted

34. Have you skipped school?

School?

35. Have you been on a plane?

Many times when I was a kid, but I developed a fear of flying somewhere along the way.

36. Have you swam in an ocean?

Yup, and I got stung by a sting ray once.

37. Have you been ice skating?

I've been ice "falling while wearing medieval torture devices on my feet".

38. Favourite vacation spot?

Disneyland (The original, and the best...thouigh I do want to see all the Disney parks before I die)

39. Ever been on TV?

Once or twice. We had a cable access sketch comedy show in Phoenix for awhile. My work does end up on TV and in theaters a LOT though.

40. Favourite salad dressing?

Ranch. Mmmm.... ranch. (Yeah...I stole it...but...but...Becky stole it in reverse first. She knew what I was going to say and beat me to it...uh-huh)

41. What do you do to relax?

Relax?

42. What is the last film you saw in the theatres?

Star Trek. GO SEE IT!!!! (Uhm...yeah...I steal...it's habitual now, doesn't make it any less true. Star Trek was a fantastic reboot/homage. Karl Urban was excellent as Bones as was Simon Pegg as Scotty)

43. Favourite Sandwich?

Pastrami Rueben

44. If you could go anywhere in the world...

New Zealand

45. Favourite time of the day?

When my daughter wakes up at about 7:30 every morning with a big, big, big smile for me.

46. What did you want to be when you were little?

I wanted to be anything, or anyone, as long as it wasn't me. Now, I still don't like being me, but I love all the people that like being around me...so i'm pretty much stuck being me. That's alright, no matter how badly I screw up anything else in life, I helped create the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen, and that's worth a lifetime of living in my skin.

47. What do you want to be now?

I... have no idea...(Thief!!!!!!)

48. If you could eat with one person, who would it be?

I totally misread that. I swear you were asking me who I wanted to eat.

49. What character would you hate to be stuck in a room with?

Nurse Ratched

50. When is your birthday?

May 30th

51. Favourite type of ice cream?

Rainbow sherbet. (You did this on purpose didn't you Becky?)

52. Last book you read?

I...can't...remember

53. Which store would you max out a credit card at?

Walmart

54. Do you buy / sell / both on eBay?

nah

55. What is the most annoying thing people ask you?

"What's wrong?": My at rest/idle mode/complacent/contented face is, I guess, very similar to most people's annoyed/perturbed/unsettled face.

56. All time favorite movie?

Ask a hard one next time...man...I don't have a favorite per say. I am very fond of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Wizard of Oz, Star Trek 2 and Star Trek 4, Harold and Maude, A clockwork Orange and Dawn of the dead (Original)

57. What was your favourite show when you were a kid?

My Secret Identity...or perhaps The Get-a-long Gang.

58. What are you listening to right now?

The hum of Kat's computer.

59. What is the last thing you ate?

I cooked a really nice dinner. New york steak with portabello mushrooms and a red wine reduction. I served three cheese and spinach tortelini with artichoke hearts and alfredo sauce on the side. It was really yummy

60. If you were a crayon what colour would you be?

black

61. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?

Eyes. It's also the first thingh I notice about the same sex too.

62. Favourite sport to play?

Is sleeping a sport?

63. Favourite Day of the Year?

August 29th from now on.

64. Hugs or Kisses?

sure

65. Vanilla or Chocolate?

vanilla with hot fudge

66. Favourite Board Game?

Clue

67. Favourite smells?

The smell of the loading area/limbo room of the Haunted Mansion.

68. What inspires you?

Life

69. Do you have any piercings?

Nah

70. How many siblings do you have?

3 half sisters and one half brother.

71. Bacon Bits or croutons?

meh

72. Favourite Day of the Week?

Any day that ends in Fantasmic!

73. Favourite phrase?

Kill things.

74. Favourite Restaurant?

My Kitchen

75. Favourite animal?

Gorillas

76. Favourite thing to do outside

swim

77. Favourite thing to do when it's raining?

swim

78. Favourite Disney character?

The goof

79. Do you like coffee? If so, what is your favourite brand?

I love 100% Kona coffee when I can find it...I will settle for a kona blend though.

80. Tag 6 people.

I'm not fast enough to catch anyone when we play tag, so I usually just don't play.

...home, there's no place like home.......


We finally have a real home of our own!!!!!!

We aren't renting, we don't answer to landlords, we have to do our own repairs and yard work...it's fantastic, and exhausting.

We won't have internets until Sunday, and we are still getting settled. Things feel a little strange, having new furniture and new surroundings. Gabby is having some security issues and has been a bit clingy. Other than that we are reasonably well...if not drained. I hope everyone else is doing well.