A Big Disney Anniversary

If I say the word ‘Disney’, what comes to mind? Of course, you immediately think about Mickey and Minnie mouse, an AMAZING children’s store, wonderful theme parks (or lands) ,and the man who made it all possible, Walt Disney. The name is so well known that I attempted to write Disney with a lowercase ‘d’ and it immediately capitalized it. No squiggly red line, nope. Microsoft Word simply knew what I was talking about. Yesterday marked the anniversary of the opening of Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. Being the only theme park designed and under the supervision of Walt Disney himself, the opening day was a disaster. The day the park opened, it was a hot day, with a shortage of food, a gas leak, and high traffic.

Another fact about Walt Disney is that he was the creator and first voice of Mickey Mouse. Mickey first appeared in 1928 as Steamboat Willie.

 

It is amazing how he has changed throughout the years and is still holding strong. The latest appearance of Mickey had to be in the children’s show “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”. Sporting the catchy “Hot Dog” tune, this show is sure to keep the children quiet for a while, engaging them in tasks and the interactive set up of the show. If I were to make an educated guess, Mickey is here to stay.

I don’t know if you have heard, but soon we will be able to experience one of the many victories Walt Disney has had. I am referring to the movie, “Saving Mr. Banks,” the story of how Disney turned a book into a classic movie, including the challenges he faced. Disney is played by Tom Hanks, who sports Disney’s classic mustache and attitude throughout the film.

 

See any similarities? Are you going to go see “Saving Mr. Banks?” You have got to let us know!

So, in the memory of Walt Disney, remember who you grew up watching and remember who started it all. As Walt once said, "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse."

Do You Agree?

Or this one:

Which is your favorite?

Jacka&% 3D Movie Trailer

At the 41 second mark, you will see the portable toilet stunt.  Not for the faint of heart!

Site Visits

I made this video last week, as a way to show you how we do site visits and event deliveries.  Excuse my horrible commentary but I hope it gets the point across. 



Have a great weekend and enjoy this great weather!

PS-  Good luck to all the runners at the NYC 1/2 Marathon, the DC National Marathon, the Virginia Beach  Shamrock Marathon and the LA Marathon.  It will be a great weekend for running!

Only in South Korea

Would you find a toilet shaped house???

Click here to watch the video Toilet-Shaped House

Fred Lebow Movie

Fred's Statue in Central Park

Last night I watched the Fred Lebow Movie. It is a movie by Judd Ehrlich, that tells the story of Fred Lebow, the founder of the New York City Marathon.

The movie was amazing to watch and so moving. Because it was filmed after Fred's death, in 1994, the movie consists of interviews of friends, family members, members of the New York Road Runners and various winners of the NYC marathon, such as Grete Waitz and Alberto Salazar.

The movie chronicles how he started the marathon in Central Park. It was originally four laps of the park. In 1976, he was able to move the race, as it is today, to encompass all of the five boroughs. It was amazing to see how the marathon started with just 55 finishers in 1970 and became one of the world's largest marathons, with 37,899 finishers this year.

You can visit the movie's website by clicking here. Be sure to pick this one up, especially if you are interested in running.

This Old House

Here is another article, from the New York Daily News, about This Old House coming to Brooklyn:

Longtime PBS show 'This Old House' finally fixes up home in city

BY RICHARD VANDERFORD and CARRIE MELAGO
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

General contractor Mike Streaman (left) and PBS hosts Norm Abram and Kevin O'Connor flank homeowner Karen Shen.

"This Old House" is making a home for itself in brownstone Brooklyn.

The venerable home improvement show is filming for the first time in the city, overhauling a young family's 1904 townhouse in Prospect Heights.

"We love Brooklyn. I'm not sure we've ever had a more warm reception from a place," said producer Deborah Hood.

"It feels like the perfect place for us."

Kevin Costello, a design director for a handbag company, and his wife, Karen Shen - both longtime fans of the program - jumped at the chance when the show asked for applicants.

"We couldn't believe it. We were thrilled. It was like winning the lottery," said Shen, a mother of three boys.

Their 4,000-square-foot, Sterling Place abode suffered years of neglect as a Brooklyn roominghouse. The show's staff hopes to salvage some of its unique period details, like its charming banisters and posts.

The family hopes to use the burgundy home's garden level and third floors as rental properties to defray mortgage costs, while keeping the middle two floors as its own living space.

Hood said the show had usually spent the warmer months filming in Boston and simply hadn't made it to New York City yet. When it put out a call for homeowners, more than a quarter of the applicants were from restoration-obsessed Brooklyn.

"I think it's really surprising for people that in almost 30 years, we've never worked in New York," she said. "We said it's finally time to come to New York, and here we are."

Neighbors have been popping by to get a peek at the work. Folks who can't make it in person can watch the progress at thisoldhouse.com/webcams.

The renovation will stretch over 10 episodes, premiering on Jan. 22 on PBS. It also will be featured in the January/February 2009 issue of This Old House magazine.

You will notice one of our owners, Michael Streaman, in the picture!! Plus I heard a rumor they use Royal Flush toilets on this jobsite!!

A couple of months ago I posted about the movie Kenny and how I had seen it at a Film Festival in Philadelphia. Well I found a copy of the movie trailer online, so I figured I would post it here, so everyone could see it. Enjoy!!