Fire and Ice

­Few things motivate my workouts more than kick-ass music. It seriously is the difference between an ok workout and an awesome one and I have been known to cut runs short if my music suddenly dies on me! So making playlists for my workouts has become something of a necessity – I even have a playlist just for races! My playlists are very, very long and sometimes I include tracks that don’t always work out as well as I thought they would so there is a lot of editing to do, to save me from having to find the NEXT button on my MP2 player. I am always trying out new things but I do have a bunch of tracks that are my reliable ones and any workout playlist will include all of these. So, in no particular order: My life would suck without you I have two versions of this song (Kelly’s and Glee) and they are both awesome, with a great beat that perfectly matches my comfortable running pace. Telephone I have a bunch of Lady Gaga’s songs in my workout playlists but this one is my fave...

Yet another set of questions but these ones come from one of many Disney blogs I follow. Imaginerding have a series where eminent Disneyphiles answer these questions, which I thought was fascinating. I’m not enough of a Disney fan to feature in their blog but I thought it would be fun to answer them in my own blog! So, with thanks to Imaginerding here we go: What is your earliest Disney memory? I have vague recollections of Disney characters in my nursery when I was a baby – but these memories could come from seeing photos of what my nursery used to look like. I was apparently conceived while my parents honeymooned in Disneyland and my first trip to WDW was when I was very, very little: 2 years old. For the record, I was terrified of Mickey Mouse! What is your single favorite attraction? This is one of those questions where the answer probably changes daily but a trip to WDW doesn’t count if I don’t get on Spaceship Earth. I haven’t yet experienced it post-refurb but everythi...

(Two posts in one day! After this morning's very fluffy one, here is one that is a little more thought-provoking) Yesterday I was driving from work with my MP3 player on and I was merrily singing along to a pretty eclectic collection of tunes… and then one particular song came on, one that I know well and have heard many times, and I suddenly started to really, really listen to it. Look at me I will never pass for a perfect bride Or a perfect daughter Can it be I'm not meant to play this part? Now I see That if I were truly to be myself I would break my family's heart It hit me hard. All of a sudden the real meaning of those lyrics became very apparent and I started to cry. In my car. With other people watching but I didn’t care. I suddenly felt Mulan’s pain when she realizes she is only playing a part in life but deep inside she knows she is someone totally different. I have been questioning my own role in life lately and I’ve noticed that who I am in public is not really...

A few days ago someone shared this video with me. I don’t know why but it really made me smile and made me feel good about the future. Seeing all these people from all over the world just dancing and having a great time made me remember also one of my favourite Epcot songs: Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand. Put your hand on the future Share a dream together around the world With a voice from every country And a face from every land We'll celebrate the future hand in hand This song was part of the Millennium Celebration and I actually don’t think I ever heard it on site but I discovered the song in the Millennium Celebration CD . It’s a happy song, that makes one get up and dance but also looks towards the future with hope: The future is coming We've got to catch it if we can The magic's unfolding You can hold it in your hand We can touch tomorrow today To make some memories That will never fade away It is really all about celebration, coming together and dancing and it do...

Sometimes Disney songs surprise me by how deep they can seem: We can reach for the stars we find along the way Dreaming as we learn to love everyday Promise you will take my hand As tomorrow comes, we'll go on. They can also seem surprisingly romantic even though the song itself isn’t used in a particularly romantic setting: We'll go on growing closer through the years Moving on through the good times and the tears Ever on another thousand circles around the sun A new life has begun The two of us as one We'll go on. If you don’t already know what song this is, it’s “Promise” which is one of the songs that formed part of the Epcot Millennium Celebration. I believe this song played after the main Illuminations were finished and as guests were exiting Epcot, in the dark with the country pavilions brightly lit and Spaceship Earth glowing up ahead… so it is a little romantic but the song is surprisingly tender and loving. I wouldn’t be surprised if people have us...

Running isn’t something that comes naturally to me – I have to work at it and fight my natural tendency to be lazy. There are three main things that motivate me to get out there: The desire for sunshine and to be out on a lovely day (which makes treadmill running extra-hard) The knowledge that I need to exercise to get fitter and to lose some weight, especially if I don’t want to go on one of those restrictive diets The need to take some time out and listen to my music I really can’t control the weather (I've tried) and the improved fitness takes care of itself once I’m out there, so the one thing I can control 100% is my music. As long as the MP3 is charged up, that’s one less thing to worry about and very often, the choice of music is what pushes me through a less-than-great run. So what music do I listen to? I’ve written a little before about my eclectic music choices when I am running. But what does my playlist actually look like? Well, I’m actual...

While it’s not exactly super obscure, not many people outside of Disney fans have truly heard “Destiny”, one of those pop songs that feature in Epcot. I think it’s the theme tune to Mission :Space which I can’t really figure out (why does a ride need a theme tune?) but in any case it really is a truly lovely song. I know it mainly because it’s included in The Official Album of Walt Disney World which I own and do listen to a lot (I’m telling you, I really DO like obscure theme park music!) I've never actually heard it in the parks, at least not that I remember. I believe it's played in the exit corridor of the attraction which must be grating to the cast there, if it's true! In any case, there is just something about this girl’s voice though, that makes the lyrics seem especially inspiring: …Destiny begins with you and me Through all space and time The achievement of mankind As we sail the sea Of discovery On heroes' wings we fly Flying high we're soari...

I have noticed that today is turning into an 80s day – from the music I’m listening to at work to some stuff I’ve seen online to the emails I’ve received, lots of things today have something to do with the 80s. 1985 was a long time ago, over 20 years, but somehow events from this year and the rest of the 80s have shaped my life in different ways, subtle ways. I started (and finished) High School in the 80s and this was a time when I grew up, took more responsibility for my life and made some amazing discoveries about myself. For example, I decided to join the Drama department – even though I’d never really done anything like this before. I just heard that the cast parties were awesome so there I was… I ended up spending the rest of my academic life in theatres and surrounded by actors and dancers. I gained a new perspective on musicals and it led to a love of the live theatre that survives to this day. I also noticed that most of my friends are people I met during these days ...

As my four readers know, I have a ‘thing’ for Disney theme park music. There is something happy, cheerful and yes, cheesy about these songs and I find myself always searching out recordings so that I can add them to my MP3 player and feel like I’m in a Disney park even though I’m at work. Another reason I like these songs is because, unlike the more mainstream scores and soundtracks, theme park music is a little bit more obscure. In the old days (read: pre-Internet) one would have to travel to the theme park in question to purchase the music for it. Sometimes it wasn’t even available to purchase for years! These days it’s a little easier to find these CDs with the help of Internet sites and of course, eBay. Disney has also started releasing more and more of their park music so it is getting a little easier to own these songs but I feel that these songs still remain relatively obscure and of interest mainly to Disney geeks like me. So we’ve established I have lots and lots ...

Last night my husband was out with some friends (he went to see Derren Brown, which those of you in the UK will recognize as the famous magician-mentalist-psychologist-illusionist. It was a fab show, apparently). I took the chance and sat down and scrapped and scrapped and scrapped: for 3 hours! I had fallen behind, not only in my Florida album, but in my ER episodes so last night I caught up with both: I scrapped while I watched all the goings-on in this TV show. I can’t believe how much has happened in ER! I’m sure the season finale will be an explosive one… But anyway, I got on with the scrapping really well too. I completed 9 layouts (NINE) and some were simple while others were very simple. I am absolutely adoring those PDQ Bisous papers – and I’m sure I’ve said that before. They have allowed me to progress with this album very quickly as I don’t have to make so many design decisions and giving me more time to journal and embellish (or not). As the papers are double-sided an...

The power of music is amazing, isn’t it? It can make me feel energized or relaxed; happy or quiet, proud or uncomfortable. I love music and definitely can’t live without it. I hadn’t actually realized just HOW powerful music can be until this weekend. I was in the gym, pounding on the treadmill and generally struggling. The past few marathon training sessions have been disappointing because I’ve got a cold and a really bad cough that I can’t shake. This means that I can’t train as hard as I’d like and I feel like I’m wasting time just having “easy” workouts. Very frustrating, and makes going to the gym feel like harder work than it should be. Anyway, there I was, about to start what I knew would be a tough session and put my Mp3 player on, headphones firmly in my ears. Unusually, I set it to play my Disney playlist (very valuable motivation in my case, preparing for the Disney marathon!) and off I went. I normally work out to a mixture of songs, from Pop to Barry Manilow going through ...

The power of music is amazing, isn’t it? It can make me feel energized or relaxed; happy or quiet, proud or uncomfortable. I love music and definitely can’t live without it. I hadn’t actually realized just HOW powerful music can be until this weekend. I was in the gym, pounding on the treadmill and generally struggling. The past few marathon training sessions have been disappointing because I’ve got a cold and a really bad cough that I can’t shake. This means that I can’t train as hard as I’d like and I feel like I’m wasting time just having “easy” workouts. Very frustrating, and makes going to the gym feel like harder work than it should be. Anyway, there I was, about to start what I knew would be a tough session and put my Mp3 player on, headphones firmly in my ears. Unusually, I set it to play my Disney playlist (very valuable motivation in my case, preparing for the Disney marathon!) and off I went. I normally work out to a mixture of songs, from Pop to Barry Manilow going through ...

I have of course very fond memories of my time as a Disney Cast Member. I loved spending time alone in the parks, when off-duty. It may sound a bit sad but it is very hard to feel lonely when surrounded by happy families on vacation and all enjoying the warm sunshine and the blue skies, while making memories that will last forever. My favourite thing to do in the parks was to sit and eat a hot dog while watching the Fountain of Nations in Epcot while it performed it’s explosive and watery shows. Seriously, I loved to do this (plus, I really love hot dogs and it’s the one thing I miss now that I’m veggie!) and I sometimes would hang around so that I could catch two or more shows. I loved it. Thinking about it now, I think what I really liked about this was that it was a chance for Disney music to shine. I am talking about all that background music that you can hear everywhere on property as well as the music from the rides. I have always found it interesting that these pieces of music –...

I hate silence. As I sit here in my office writing this, I am really aware of how quiet it all seems – just the soft sounds of keyboards tapping, a few quiet conversations, footsteps along the corridor... and it is distracting. I just can’t concentrate on anything when there is no music on! Let me go and grab my MP3 player... ah that’s better! Now with my head full of music (Barry Manilow, since you asked) I can concentrate better, focus and feel the creative juices flowing for this entry. Silence, for me, is loud and really distracts me. Music, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. So whenever I can, I scrap to music. I find that I actually produce better work when I do it to music. It isn’t always possible as it isn’t very sociable at crops to wear my earplugs and sometimes at home I’m in the dinning room scrapping and my husband might be watching TV or something, so we keep that on instead. But scrapping to music, in the words of Mr Manilow, could be magic. As I have said befo...