The Life and Times of a Safari Driver

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time there lived a boy that made a promise.  That boy is me.  Along time ago, that boy wished to be more hip and cool with technology and social media.  So he started a blog, along with getting a smart phone, Twitter, and Instagram.  Because those last three go hand in hand.  And on a side note, he thinks that Twitter looks better if typed in all lowercase. twitter.  So the few people that do read about his life may have noticed, or not noticed, that he didn't hold up his promise of writing a new blog post every so often.  And this is his story of why:

My alarm goes off at 5:52...  I lay in bed until the second alarm goes off at 5:53.  "Time to get up!" I tell my self.  Or as my mother would say, "The sun is up, so up with you!"  But that is not entirely true this morning...  I get up and groggily shower, eat faux Fruit Loops, and make my lunch.  Ugh... My lunch has been unchanged for years.  PB&J, CapriSun, crackers, and a snack.  All contained in an old fashioned paper bag.  Gotta make my mark somehow at work and school.  "Oh, you know Samuel?  He's the one that brings lunch in a plastic bag."  I'm a proud owner of that title.  Well, lunch is made.  I finish getting ready, lace up my boots, button my shirt, and put on my belt and buckle.  It's a pretty cool belt buckle, makes me wonder if I want to actually buy belt buckles...  But I don't cause that's extra money I don't need to spend right now.  Well, time to leave.

Luckily this morning I can see as I make my way to my car.  Stopping briefly to pet the stray cat.  It's name is Cat.  She always runs away from me.  "Stupid Cat, this happens every morning."  Maybe that's why she runs.  Probably shouldn't call her stupid.  Every morning in Florida, you need to de-fog your windows.  I have a squeegee in my car for such a purpose.  Most of my friends in Utah made fun of me for this, but I chuckle as I use it.  "It makes so I can drive and it's fun to play with when bored in the car." I tell people.  I usually listen to a morning radio show.  Does that make me old?  I have the same show I listen to in the morning and then at night I usually listen to Delilah...  Yeah, that puts me in the higher realms of age.  Gross.  The morning show usually consists of mindless banter that I use only to keep me mildly entertained as I drive 45 minutes to work.  I always tell myself eventually I will call in and win some prize...  Cause I have some good stories that could win those stupid competitions they have.  But alas, since I am telling you a story about my life, obviously I have not called in or won yet.  

Even though I make it to work half an hour early, I still have to park a mile and a half away!  Actually, it's only half a mile.  Just Google-mapped it.  Some days I hate unicorns.  That's the name of the parking area...  I have to go through a cheese grater turnstile for security.  One of these days I'm gonna get stuck.  One of my greatest fears at work.  I can relax a bit before I clock in, saying hello's and small talk here and there.  Yet there seems to be a recurring conversation.  "Did you see the sunrise this morning?!"  But I seem to be the only one that notices stuff like that.  (Thanks mom!)  This morning and like most mornings, the sun in Florida is a bright red disk right at the horizon.  There are also plenty of clouds in the Western sky that look like cotton candy.  This sky looks best when the clouds are just beginning to turn white cause the sun is too high.  That usually marks the time I clock in.  I'm all clocked in and I have my truck assignment.  I do my safety checks and clean the truck and then it's out to the ride path!

This is the best part of my day!  We call it 'Dual Speed'.  But it is when we can take our Safari truck 20 miles an hour.  I know that is super fast!  When I hit 20 with the wind in my hair, I let out a verbal, "Yee-Haw!"  Ahh!  I love it!  So the truck I drive is 40 feet long, about 10 feet wide.  Very big, and they still terrify me.  But, I am alive to tell the tale!  All day at work I say the same thing every half hour.  Things like, "Yikes!  Look at all of those Nile Crocodiles!"  "Oh boy!  Can you imagine if that thing fell down with us on it?!"  "Aww, look at the baby elephant!"  "Sit down, please!  Can you please sit down in the back?"  "Karibuni - Jambo - KwaHerini - Twende - Asante Sana - Karibu Sana" And many other Swahili words "Giraffe hearts weigh about 25 pounds!"  "Catching even a glimpse of a black rhino is very rare!"  "A group of flamingos can be called a flamboyance!"  "Tigers don't live in Africa, they live in Asia.  There might be a problem if we saw them here in Africa!"  "Springbok are some of my favorite animals found here on the reserve!"  "Jambo everyone!  I'm gonna be your driver on today's safari through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve!"  

Now, if I wanted to, I could give you my entire spiel here.  But I figure it would be better in person, so come and visit me!  When I do get a break, it mostly consists of us Safari drivers telling stories of our adventures out on the Reserve.  "Oh, did you see this animal do that?"  "I had a guest say this..."  "I had a guest do this..." "It's so hot today."  "How come so and so animal isn't out today?"  "Did you hear about this?"  "What's for lunch?"  You know, just normal break room talk.  Eventually, it is time to go home.  Here is when I get another burst of joy!  Do you know why?  It's because I get to go 20 MPH again!  We close the trucks down and clock out.  "Goodbye, Mickey!"  He waves goodbye to us every day!  What a good boss!  

And here is where I come to the reason why I have not kept my promise.  You see, I don't have internet at home right now.  So I have to put in extra effort to find internet.  So I thought to myself, "where do hip people go for free wi-fi?"  Well, I had two answers.  Starbucks and Laundromats.  Now, I'm not gonna write a blog post while sitting in a laundromat, so I go to Starbucks!  So most days I get out of work too late to go to Starbucks. This location isn't the most popular so they have shorter hours of being open.  And in the off chance where I get out early, I usually have plans to hang out somewhere.  And now you see my dilemma.  I have no easy access to internet to set up my laptop and write.  And that has caused this long hiatus.  But, fear not!  Although, none of you will.  I will write on occasion.  That is my new promise to you.  

Well, it is currently raining and I don't want to leave Starbucks just yet.  But I figure this post is long enough.  So my plans for this evening are as follows.  Finish driving home about 25 minutes.  Stop at a Redbox on the way home and get a movie I haven't seen yet.  When I get home I will eat a frozen pizza.  Not frozen, I'm gonna back it first.  And I will watch a movie.  So until then, KwaHerini!

My Bucket List

So I just scratched off another item on my bucket list!  I went a saw Wicked the Broadway Musical!  This has been something that I have wanted to do for a very long time!  Hence the reason that it is on my bucket list.  Or rather, was on my bucket list.  Now this isn't a review of the play itself, so if you are looking for my thoughts, there is no need to proceed.  Wicked is something that almost everyone knows what it is about and at least one song.  So it was good to see it so now I can say that I saw it.  So some people say that is the purpose of a bucket list.  So that you can say this is my life and this is what I have seen.  But it is more than that.  It is something that shows your values as a person, your adventures in life, and even some of your fears.  It is something that should show your heart and soul.  For this to be possible, our bucket lists cannot be tangible.  They are objects that are constantly changing depending on where we are in life.

Growing up, my bucket list basically contained places in the world I wanted to visit.  Uluru Rock, the Notre Dame, Angkor Wat, the Great Wall, Yosemite, Antarctica, Lake Baikal, the Red Square...  You get the idea. But now that I am a little bit older, I realize that a bucket list should be more than that.  I have since added things like try and be a better person every day, finding beauty in everyday things, learning new things even though I am done with school.  Things that aren't tangible, things that are felt instead.

So take a moment to look at your bucket list and find new things to add.  Things that will help you grow as a person, things that no one else knows you are doing.  Find some way to grow into a better you through your bucket list.  Include your dreams and your fears.  Dreams are what make the world go round.  Without dreams, there would be no future, no tomorrow.

                                         "Dream, Believe, Dare, Do."     ~  Walt Disney

DREAM that you can achieve something, BELIEVE that you can do it, DARE to do it, and finally, DO it!

My Nightstand(s) ~ A Self Portrait

I did a project in my photography class at SUU where we had to create self portraits without our actual image in the picture.  So I took a picture of my nightstand explaining that it had things I use everyday as well as items that are important to my past as well as possible future.  So here are my two nightstands.  Think of them as a picture of me.

The one next to the head of my bed has a pack of 5 gum, my clock, change jar, Disney discount booklet, bus schedule, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards and map, 6 light up ice cubes, two post cards, a shirt for my friend Alex, stickers, chap stick, keys, ID's, wallet, watch, and my Kindle cord.
     Gum has its usefulness of clearing up stinky breath, because "Ain't nobody got time for that!"  My clock is pretty self explanatory, but to clear up any misunderstandings, it tells me what time it is (currently 10:33 PM.)  My change jar has lots of coins in it, possibly one from Canada.  Now that I have used up the free popcorn coupons in my Disney Discount booklets, they are kinda pointless to keep around, but I do nonetheless.  If I don't have my bus schedule then I can be late to work, and that's not good!  I honestly don't know why I have Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards and map there, I have a binder for that.  Seriously though, it's like a binder for Pokemon cards, but Disney-fied.  Light up Ice cubes are possibly one of the best things to keep you entertained in dark places as well as let you see while your roommate is sleeping.  I suggest getting one or two, or six...  But two of those will be mailed out to my friend Noresa because I sort of somehow managed to keep hers...  I will send  out the two postcards to the first two people that ask for them.  Send me a message on Facebook, or leave a comment on this blog, or even a text.  On the 6th of December, I attended the Grand Reveal of the New Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom.  My friend asked that I bought a shirt for him.  I did...  Giving it to him is a different story.  The stickers are Buzz Lightyear and Daisy Duck.  Chap stick for my chapped lips in the Florida humidity.  I shouldn't have to explain my keys, ID's, wallet, and watch.  And last is my cord for my Kindle.  Any thoughts on books to read are greatly appreciated!  On to the second nightstand!

Oswald Ears, broken paper towel dispenser handle, pin lanyard, Disney pins, Mickey watch, Maleficent picture, an Eyes&Ears magazine, microwavable popcorn, shot glass, tin cup, Disney gift cards, old Tel-A-Casts, a calendar, and various thumbtacks, pins, and paperclips.
     Oswald Ears are possibly one of the coolest things that the Disney Company has created and everyone should get a pair!  The broken paper towel dispenser handle is a good example of the random things I find and keep.  Disney pins are my guilty pleasure and I need a way to show them to the world with my lanyard.  The Mickey watch is for special occasions where I dress up.  My friend Shannon drew me a picture of Maleficent who is the coolest and most evil of all Disney Villains second only to Chernabog.  Eyes&Ears is the magazine for Disney Castmembers and this edition is a 3D StarWars issue!  My mom gave me microwavable popcorn as part of a Christmas present, a must have in my opinion.  The shot glass is from my cruise to Alaska with some of my best friends!  The tin cup is from Downtown Disney and that is all that you need to know.  I have started a collection of Disney gift cards.  Don't judge me, they look cool!  Tel-A-Casts are cheat sheets for Castmembers so that they know what all is happening.  The calendar is from one of my closest friends Gianna!  It has pictures and memories of Disney, Ballroom, and School!  I can't have a cork board without a good assortment of pins, tacks and paperclips.  And that is my second Nightstand.

So there is my self portrait.  I am OK with what I see there.  After all, they are my nightstands.  I choose what goes on them, and you can choose what goes on yours.  The things that I put there are important to me and that is what matters.  I made my nightstand (literally, I made one out of boxes and covered it with a blanket) what it is today.  Although it is slightly out of order and cluttered, that's how my life is.  There may be piles, but they are organized piles.  I have made my nightstand my own.  You should do the same.  It is your self portrait, don't be afraid to be you!

Everyday things are beautiful!

If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you will know that I sometimes use the hashtag #everydaythingsarebeautiful and #artineverything.  I feel like things that we always see are overlooked and forgotten in today's world.  Things as simple as a chair, salt and pepper, a walkway, or even a trashcan.  All of which I have taken photos of.  So this is just a reminder that there still is beauty in the world, even where we least expect it.  Find that beauty and share it, use these hashtags to spread the beauty.  Partially I just want to see if anyone will use it, but mainly, I feel that people need to find things that are beautiful.  It's how I get through my days.  If I see something of beauty, I feel a calm assurance that even in this hectic world of school, work, and life in general, there are things that are constant.  One constant in the world is beauty.  Beauty is something that will always exist and always has.  Find what is beautiful to you and share it with the world.

New Year Resolution A Tad Bit Late...

So as a few of you may know...  I have a blog.  I forgot about it for a while and I am bringing in back!  I will try to write something more meaningful and on a more scheduled basis.  I feel that this way people can see what is going on in my life more.  So, to start over on my blog, welcome to Sleepless Sam v 2.0!

A Day In The Life Of Me!

A quick recap - I am currently working at Walt Disney World Resort as a Custodian at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  That is not the park with the Harry Potter stuff, different company...  I am 23 years old and I have already graduated college.  Southern Utah University with a Bachelors in Outdoor Recreation in Parks and Tourism.  What will I do with that you may ask?  Well, I will tell you!  National Park Ranger, or Adventures by Disney Adventure Guide.  Or both, why only pick one? So, now back to my day.

Each morning I have three alarms set.  9:00, 10:00, and 11:00.  Call it overkill, I call it not oversleeping.  I live in a two bedroom apartment on the second floor - with a porch!  There are four guys in my apartment, and we don't talk that much so it's pretty quiet.  I don't know why I set three alarms because I usually get up on or before the first one.  I get up and eat breakfast and then waste time waiting until I have to work.  This time wasting usually consists of perusing the social media hubs of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Follow me on all of them if you want - Sleepless_Sam.  After I finally shower, I make my lunch which always consists of a PB&J, cheese crackers, a fruit of some sort, a Kool-aid Jammer, and a hostess type dessert, and this is all contained within a paper bag.  Next is my commute to work!

I can either take the bus to work with other college kids working at Disney, or drive.  I prefer the latter.  The bus ride itself takes about 45 minutes with five stops, the fifth being Hollywood Studios.  On said bus, I chat it up with the other Custodians or Ops Castmembers.  and by chat it up, I mean that I usually try and get a quick nap in.  Driving, on the other hand, gives me more time to waste in the morning because it takes 15 minutes to drive to work.  So three other Custodians and I have started a carpooling system where we take turns driving.  Look at us being all green and what not!

Once I am at work,  I get my costume, or uniform to non-Disney workers, and wait to clock in.  Once I clock in, I get my keys and radio and head out to my location for the day.  This usually is a restroom or two, and on occasion I get to work in the streets in charge of the trash cans.  For restrooms I just keep them well stocked and clean all day long. And for streets I walk around sweeping up trash and emptying trashcans.  Some days this can make for a very long day.   When it is time to clock out, I turn in my radio and keys, and clock out.  I then will wait for the bus, or make the long exodus to my car across the parking lot.

After work is when things become a little less standard.  I may just go home and straight to bed, or I might do things with friends and co-workers.  Splitsville for pool and bowling, Raglan Road for late night food and Irish entertainment, Applebee's for half-price appetizers...  Usually there is food involved if we are hanging out after work.

So that is a standard day in the life of me.  Living the dream at Walt Disney World.  So now I leave you all with the promise that will hopefully not be broken of more blogs closer to a weekly or bi-weekly basis.  Until next time, have fun!  And maybe I will come up with a witty tag line...

The place that I write stuff...

So I haven't really posted anything in this recently because I figured I had nothing to say... but I guess I have something to say now that I am writing in this blog yet again...  Once again, this might just be me rambling on and on and on, but that's the whole point of a blog, right?  Hopefully I will be able to type this all grammatically correct because Facebook has ruined grammatically correct typing for the world.  So far I have corrected three apostrophes and four capitalization errors...  I am failing.  But back to the blog.

I guess I should start a new paragraph now...

So the other day I had a very interesting conversation with a guest at work that questioned me about having OCD...  She said it was OK because she had it too.  Now the reason she asked me this was because I was being extra careful in picking out cigarette butts out of the ashtrays because I did not want to get burned.  Because I was being so meticulous, she thought that I might be OCD.  Now, this was  revelation to me that I may or may not have some sort of psychological disorder!  Too bad I cannot get a handicap sticker for my car because of this.  So thank you random lady for making me worry about having OCD...  And to all of you reading this, I'm pretty sure I don't have OCD.  I count my steps on occasion, have the volume on an odd number, and talk to myself while cleaning things.  Does this make me OCD, I think not!

School... Say What?!

Well, it's that time of year again where everyone starts school.  Guess I should be getting my things ready.  Books, pencils, class schedule, things of that nature.  Oh wait!  I graduated and have the diploma to prove it.  (Or so my mother says... Since I cannot verify that it was actually sent to my home in Utah, I will have to take her word for it.)  Either way, I did not sign up for Fall classes.  So to spend my Fall semester, I will still be employed by the Walt Disney Company in one of the more glamorous roles that I can have at the Florida Mecca of Disney.  Being a Custodian is great fun.  I know people might say I'm crazy that I would choose to have it as my job, but what can I say?  I love to clean up Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Although my school career is at a close, I can still learn new things!  (See my previous post about words)  But I also have learned a great deal about Water.  My Mom once made an analogy about water.  "Don't be like water because it always finds the easiest route.  The easy way is not always the best way."

My roommate had this to say on water last night.  Needless to say, it is a lot longer and more cryptic.  (And took me two hours to edit!)

A Water Droplet doesn't know what it wants to be, but it does it the right way.  There are three things in the world Water, Ice, and Steam.  Water is in the middle of both Ice and Steam.  Water turns to Steam because of man finding fire. Then the refrigerator and freezer are discovered, well actually the Ice Box was found first.  Water and Ice are similar - (When you freeze Water you get Ice.) - but Water and Steam hang out too - (When Steam occurs it's all wet and stuff). Steam is like, "Hey we aren't making tea right now so you need to freeze up a bit." Water likes this idea, likes ice cream and all those things and is not sure about life.  Water and Ice have a friendship.  So Water has to see if Steam is OK with this 'cold' idea thing.  "I dont want to be warm, I just want to tell warm what is happening."  So, Water and Steam are hanging out and Ice gets mad. Ice meets up with Snow and says, "Lets hang out cause we are really, really similar; ice storms and snow storms see? Everything freezes"  Now Water is jealous, "I'm friends with Ice and Snow, so maybe I made the wrong choice of hanging out with Steam."  Water decides to see Snow and says that it is wrong and wants to move to the North, where Ice and Snow hang out. Ice is fun and makes Water happy and slows it down in a good way.  Molecules aren't moving and neither is Ice.  Ice is scared because it knows that Summer comes once a year. "I want to freeze with you later," says Ice, "but you need to tell somebody. You need to tell Steam that this is gonna happen."  So Ice is gonna hang out in their cool crib, chillin'. You know, being Ice and all.  Ice wants to know what's happening with Water.  (2 hours later B-T-Dubs.)  "It's complicated", says Water as it is turning to Steam.  Ice knew this was gonna happen, a self full-filling prophecy so to speak and it's OK with it.  Ice's heart is broken though, not because Water and Steam are together.  What truly, and really, upsets Ice is that water told Ice that it wanted to be frozen.  Now Ice went back with Snow.  The moral of the story is sometimes the winter comes, but at the end of the day it's going to melt and the river is going to run.

So to all of my friends that have just started school up again, take the advice of my Mom.  Don't take the easy way out like water.  And if you can find a meaning in Michael's story then you can use that too.  (Don't worry I got his permission to use this.)  Good luck in school my friends!  And may the Odds be Ever in your favor!  See what I did there? (Don't judge, it's 4 AM)