To infinity and beyond...........

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 14, 1995--In continuation of its long-standing relationship, Burger King Corp. Tuesday launched its third movie tie-in with Walt Disney Pictures this year and its eighth in five years.

The promotion with Toy Story, Walt Disney Pictures' first completely computer-generated animated film, is Burger King Corp.'s biggest holiday movie tie-in ever. From Nov. 16 through Dec. 31, 1995, participating Burger King(R) restaurants will offer Kids Club Hamburger Meals featuring one of six exclusive Toy Story character toys for $1.99, while supplies last. These superior toys spark kids' imaginations with their equal boy-girl appeal and playability.

And just in time for stocking stuffing, participating Burger King(R) restaurants will offer Toy Story hand puppets for $1.99 with the purchase of a Value Meal between Thanksgiving and Christmas, while supplies last. All of the toys and puppets are modeled after the movie's lead characters.

I bought these cute toys for Meredith and Colleen back in 1995. We went to the Movie and loved Toy Story. I also bought a second set of Buzz and Woody. My plan was to save them, and resell them or give them to my grandchildren sometime in the future. Now, 14 years later, things have changed. The original toys that Meredith and Colleen had have been sold at a garage sale along with hundreds of toys from happy meals in the 80's and 90's. But the Buzz and Woody I bought, are still in their bags like brand new....waiting for some kid to want them.

This morning Jack said..." I know the name of the guy I was thinking about, the space man....Buzz" Pam and I looked at each other. "You mean Buzz Light-year?" Yes, Buzz Light-year. I told Jack, I think I have Buzz down in the garage. After some looking I pulled out the bag with Buzz in it from way back in the Twentieth Century, 1995. Long before Pam and certainly long before Jack. Back at the Burger King in Florissant. Jack's eyes lit up. "Buzz Light-year" he said. It was so cool.

We went to school with Buzz and Jack playing in the back seat. When we walked in, Jack said, "Dana, guess what? I have a Buzz Light-year." Dana, the Assistant Principal ,said, "You mean the toy? From back in the 80's? My son had one of those."

Ya, Buzz Light-year, from back in 1995, from a time warp into 2009 to make a little boy smile. And, Woody is still in the Bag.

LAKE MARY 2009

No photo of our trip is more telling than this one of Pam and Jack. Jack spent three weeks talking about going fishing and then about ten minutes on the boat before he said, "OK, let's go back."

Jack the Woodsman in his natural habitat among the trees and bugs.

This is Jack and Shawn [aka Shawnee] and what's her name.....Shawnee's girl friend.

Give a boy a fish and he eats for a day....teach a boy to fish and...well, he may not have the patience for fishing.

Jack the "tuff guy" ready to face down the bears. Are you talkn to me?

WALLY WORLD October 3-7, 2009

I just got off the phone. I made reservations at the Grand Floridian for Jack, Pam and me. They asked me if I had ever stayed at the Grand Floridian or been to Walt Disney World. Yes, many times with Meredith and Colleen. We had some of the best vacations of any family on earth. Julie deserves the credit. She wanted us to take the girls to Disney World. She was right.

Now Jack will get the full Disney treatment for the first time. Staying at the Grand Floridian just two minutes away from the Magic Kingdom on the Monorail. This will be an adventure he will never forget.

If you have time in October, come with us to watch Jack on his first visit to Disney World. I will take photos and post them after we get back. Nothing will be as much fun to watch as Jack on Sunday, October 4.

Tour de Woodbury

This weekend was the 4th of July. We were predominantly concerned with the return of Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, the start of the Tour (http://www.letour.fr/indexus.html), and Tiger playing in his own tournament. But we did have some time for sports of our own.

Perhaps it was the opening stage of the Tour that did it. Jack said he was ready to learn to ride his Big Bike. He wanted to be like Lance Armstrong. Grandma and Grandpa bought Jack a Tonka Mighty Tough Bike last year, and he had yet to feel big enough to ride it. He has preferred his Big Wheel with the motorcycle sounds and songs, and his Radio Flyer Tricycle. But his knees have now started bumping the handlebars of the tricycle. To make matters worse, the 2 big boys down the block get their big bikes out almost every night and go for a ride. It was time to move up.

Saturday we practiced and practiced. Jack’s main problem was that he would peddle 2 rotations forward, and then one back…which put on the brakes. He worked hard to avoid doing this, and by Saturday afternoon, he rode over to the park & back. He wore his stretchy winter gloves as his bicycle gloves. He was riding Stage 1 in the Tour de Woodbury. But he had one question:

“How come you guys aren’t riding your bikes, too?” Mike explained that he still needed a push every now and then, but if he kept practicing, we could all ride our bikes up to get ice cream very soon.

That evening, Jack kept sneaking down to the garage to check on his bike. When he woke up Sunday he wanted to ride first thing. But we had one problem to solve: The gloves. So we got dressed and drove up to our local bike shop to find him some proper riding gloves: A pair of high-tech women’s cycling gloves with no fingers and gel packs in the palms. He was thrilled.

That afternoon, after more practice, we were invited to a neighbor’s BBQ. Jack rode his bike over so he could show everyone the bike, the helmet, and the new gloves. Mike mentioned that our neighbors’ toddler would be a good candidate to receive Jack’s tricycle. Without hesitation, Jack dragged me back to our garage to get the tricycle, which he rode over and presented to his new little friend. The baby loved it. Jack now had a fan.

But Jack wasn’t into the BBQ, and besides, he was still waiting for the ride up to get ice cream. We knew it was probably still too far for him to ride, and the entire trip was a slight incline. So I walked behind the bike, giving only the occasional push, and Mike went back for the car (the Sag Wagon). Jack bent down over his handlebars. He pedaled and pedaled. People in their cars slowed down to watch and smile as the little boy rode up the street.

The Sag Wagon was parked at the top of the hill, and when Jack made it up there, he loaded the bike in the back, took off his gloves & helmet, and strutted into the ice cream store, leaving us behind. He was quite proud of himself. He doesn’t actually like ice cream, and so he didn’t eat his, but that was never the point. Vive le Tour.