I hope.  Because today it rained buckets.  I mean it really, really rained hard.  I have never had to swim when exiting an attraction before, but there must be a first time for everything.  The day started off innocently enough.  The weather forecast did warn us of the impending flood so we were prepared (or so we thought).  When we set off for the Hollywood Studios this morning evidence of previous wet weather was abundant but we made it to the Studios after a brisk walk with only a peppering of rain.  Ethel and I split from the group to use the facilities with the agreement that we would reconvene just inside the gate.  Good thought, except now the rain was coming down harder-no problem zip up the coats and put on your hood.  Now we are in good shape.  Mind you, I’ve spent lots of time in Florida.  I have seen Florida rain.  I have swept Main Street in Florida rain wearing white shorts and a white shirt (settle down ladies).  But this, this was biblical.  We wove our way through the shops to avoid as much rain as possible but as we made the turn towards Rock n Roller Coaster, there was no way to avoid the deluge.  So we soldiered on hoping for a moderate wait at the ride.  My eyes must have water in them, because this can’t be the line at 9:10-a 50 minute wait, with 15 minutes being in the downpour?  Ok, let’s wait and hope we make our fast-pass window for the Tower of Terror that closes at 10:05.

We prepped the girls on the strategy for after exiting the ride.  We would enjoy our limo ride to the Aerosmith concert and then we would walk with a quickness to meet Nana at the next ride.  I am fairly sure-footed.  If there is a puddle or some obstacle in my way I am usually adept at avoiding the problem.  Not today.  Upon exiting the gift shop we were greeted by a wall of water unseen since the Israelites were running from the Egyptians.  Unfortunately for us, Moses was not there to part the seas so we all decided to take the plunge, literally.  The drainage system was completely overwhelmed and the water had reached depths that once entered reached mid-way up our legs.  I am glad that our children are older and taller lest we may have lost one in the Thanksgiving week flood of ’14.  With nary a minute to spare we did reach the Hollywood Tower and entered the fast-pass queue.

A great benefit of technology is the ability to check wait times on the app the mouse so graciously provides those who spend their money, I mean time with him.  Another benefit is that when severe weather is around we receive alerts.  I need to clarify that when I say we, I mean to say the entire line of people in the basement of the ride received an alert.  Beeps and buzzes were sounding loudly and very few people appeared at all concerned.  It was probably for the best.  Had we known that there was a tornado warning in effect I most likely would not have boarded the tallest ride on property.  With that said we all enjoyed the ride and I think there may have been an extra drop added in.  It was either that or our return from Oz.  I’m still not sure.

Outside the rain continued to fall in sheets.  It was all kinds of rain.  Big fat rain, little bitty stinging rain, it rained from the side, it even rained from below.  But onward we trod toward our next attraction- Toy Story Midway Mania!  Oh?  Closed due to flooding?  It may open back up?  No, the moose out front did not tell me.  Well family, let’s find something  else to do.  Let’s go see the movie in One Man’s Dream.  We took in the exhibit part the day before, so now we’ll check out the film.  After the movie, it still rains.  So we decided at this point to grab some lunch and get ready for our next experience- Frozen Sing-Along!

We ducked into the ABC Commissary for lunch.  I was craving a cheeseburger and fries and I read that this place was gluten safe for me.  They do have a dedicated fryer and gluten free buns.  The only downside is that my burger was just that-a slab of beef on a bun with no accompaniments or cheese.  But the fries were good and I avoided gluten gut again, so that is a win.  From there we forged through river and stream to the Frozen gig.  What’s that Frozen lady?  You are closed due to weather too?  Has all of this rain melted Arendelle and rendered Elsa’s powers useless?  Don’t tell me I just stepped in Olaf!?!?  Jeez.  At this point they might as well just close Florida.  The nice lady cast member did tell us that we could wait and use our fast-pass if the show opened back or at any ride at the Studios.  Lucy and Ethel both voted for another ride to the Aerosmith show.  On our way there, Toy Story had opened so before the flood closed it again, we rode it.  It was fun.  I think that the midway games are fun and I also like that you compete against all in your ride vehicle for top score.  I had a fairly good performance, destroying all those in my vehicle by scoring 161,800 points. Lucy pointed out that her accuracy was higher than mine.  I pointed out that that score is not the one on the board, so deal with that little girl.  We went and rode the roller coaster one more time, hit some shops and walked back in the light drizzle that continued to fall.  We got an email alert about our fast-pass at this point telling us what rides we could go on for the Frozen debacle.  Rock n Roller Coaster was not one of them.

After a nice break and an attempt to avoid trench foot we sauntered over to World Showcase to see a few movies/shows.  The Boss wanted to see the Voices of Liberty before we watched the American Adventure and we did.  Ethel informed us she was hungry so we ducked into Japan for some teriyaki chicken and sushi.  The Boss had a beer and I had a sake.  I always want to say “sake it to me baby, yeah” but I never do.  Maybe one day.  We all walked through the Morocco pavilion and on to France.  The rain had held off for a bit, but now it started to fall once more.  We checked out Impressions de France.  I was impressed to say the least.  I also think maybe it is time to update the movie, unless the French still dress like it is 1982.  The boss and I enjoyed a decent glass of wine from the shop and the girls headed back to the Beach Club with my parental units to play in the arcade and have ice cream.  The boss and I tried to find food, but ended up with popcorn from Canada (imported)!  As we headed back we caught another set from the British Revolution.  The rain was starting to pick up and as we reached the safety of our resort, thunder and lightening filled the sky and children filled the pool.  It was a fun and damp day.  We are hoping for sun to return tomorrow, at least after the flood warning expires at noon.

Observations

1.  They tried to keep all slick surfaces as safe a possible.

2.  Missing a tier 2 fast-pass doesn’t get you into a tier 1 attraction.  Unless you are us, and lucky.

3.  Aim for the high score targets on Toy Story.  You might have a lower accuracy score, but you will crush the small children in your ride vehicle.

4.  I think Walt Disney would be sad at what his world is becoming-outdated and unconcerned with the guest.

5.  The American Adventure screams jingoism, but hey we’re not number 1 for nuthin’.

6.  British Revolution guys-stay in character when on-stage.  At least fake a British accent.

7.  Surprising, the French cast members were the nicest today.  Not the Canadians.

8.  So I can’t take a drink within 4 feet of the pool, but you’ll let people be in the pool during a thunderstorm?  Makes perfect sense.

Seriously Disney, do you?  Let me explain, never mind-there is too much.  Let me sum up.  Crowded buses, crowded parks, strollers, bad show, beards on cast members?!??!?  This is not MY Magic Kingdom.  On the 24th our little intrepid band of merry-makers decided on the spur of the moment (2 months ago when it was time to select fast-passes) to go to the Magic Kingdom.  Now, having worked here, I knew that Mondays are crowded.  I knew this.  But this, this was out of control.  It started at the bus.  When taking Disney transit, you come to expect some crowded conditions.  On this sardine can of a bus, I was hanging on by my fingernails to “stay behind the yellow line” and Lucy was almost down for the count.  But hey-we made it in time to try and make rope-drop.  And the strategy of getting there early would have worked except for the other 8.5 million people with the same idea.

I figured, eh, we’ll get in and the crowds will thin a bit as folks head their own way.  And for about the first hour it was thus.  We went directly to Peter Pan’s Flight and had a 15 minute wait.  No big deal.  After that attraction, we went to ride the happiest cruise that ever sailed.  Yep, it truly is a small world after all.  I thought-now we’ll go ride the Haunted Mansion.  I mean, we are on this side of Fantasyland so what a great idea.  Except it was closed for some reason.  Bad show #1.  Ok, adapt and overcome, we are on vacation.  Alright gang, let’s go see Mickey’s Philharmagic.  No wait so that  was great.  So in the first hour or so of our day we hit three attractions.  By this point the Mansion was opened back up.  Ethel was a tad nervous about the ride, but at the end she admitted that it was good.  A quick check of the “My Disney Experience” app showed that wait times were now really starting to creep up and we were closing in on our fast-pass times.  The boss and I thought a trip to Adventureland would be a good way to get to then.  The Christmas-themed “Jingle Cruise” was fine-even with a 40 minute wait.  I’m glad we went when we did.  Shortly after we exited the ride, the wait time jumped to 80 minutes.  Swiss Family Tree House?  Sure.  Um, sir?  Would you please extinguish your cigarette in the attraction?  Hey, same guy?  Maybe put down the phone and stop the convo while in the attraction?  No?  Ok.  I’ll adapt and overcome your selfishness.

Our little group thought that we might should eat before delving in to our 3 fast-passes.  And it would have been marvelous except the line was about 2.5 million people deep.  The others were in line for the three open rides.  We did manage to get food in Lucy, Ethel, and the old man which was really the goal.  At this point we headed to Splash Mountain to try and find our laughin’ place.  We by-passed an 80 minute wait with this fast-pass and boarded and things were going along swimmingly.  Then, just before the last drop the music stopped and the house lights came up.  Uh-oh, not good.  We did get to do the final drop and finish the ride while the boss and I provided the soundtrack for our log.  At the exit, we were quickly and with no explanation or apologies, ushered out of the attraction and (gasp) the gift shop!  We never did find out what happened, but I considered our crew lucky to have even gotten to ride.  I feel for those that waited and lost more than of an hour of their day only to miss the ride.  Bad show Disney.  Hey-isn’t that the wildest ride in the wilderness just next door?

This time we by-passed a 70 minute wait and were on the train in no time.  I got to ride this attraction with Ethel and we secured the front train car.  By the time the day was over, she proclaimed this to be the highlight of her day.  And, to be truthful, it was fun.  With some time to kill the boss took Ethel to ride Aladdin’s Carpets (you know, Dumbo, but with carpets.  Way to be original Imagineers).  I walked around some of the shops in Adventureland with Lucy while my parents rested.  For our last fast-pass of the day we hopped on Pirates of the Caribbean.  Um, ma’am posting on Facebook in the middle of the ride?  Please stop.  Oh, you’re not posting just checking your feed.  That is more important than being in the moment with your child.  Um, grandma with the same family?  You must of have understood no flash photography to mean everyone but you.  It’s ok, I didn’t need to see the last scene of the ride.  Anyway one of the cast members left a door to backstage open in the middle of the ride, so-bad show Disney.  It might sound as if our day in the Magic Kingdom was less than magical and for me it was.  For Lucy and Ethel (particularly Ethel) it was fun and that is all that matters.

We came back to the hotel and took advantage of a quite wonderful pool here at the Beach Club.  My mom initially took the girls down while the boss and I grabbed a bite to eat.   I think it was good we got to the pool when we did.  Nana looked like she had a hard time keeping up with two high energy children.  The boss and I took over and enjoyed some time with the girls in the water and took a bit of weight off of our legs.  The only drawback to the pool, and it is minor, is that to access the poolside bar, one has to exit the pool area.  Not a big deal, just something to know.  We had no real plans for the evening so we decided to head over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

My dad, Lucy, and I decided to take the canal-side walking path while the others took the boat.  We got their way before them.  Again, we had no real plans so we took in “One Man’s Dream” to try and show the girls a bit about where all of this came from. Then on the way to “Muppetvision 3-D”, we swung by the Christmas light show.  This was admittedly cool.  The “snow” that falls is a nice touch and quite honestly the only way I want to see snow-80 degrees and pretend.  From there we ducked into Pizza Planet to grab dinner.  I was elated when the cashier knew exactly what to do and called the manager over.  I placed my order directly with her and 15 minutes later I had a piping hot fresh made veggie pizza.  I destroyed it.  It was ugly.  Wait times for the main rides were a bit on the high side so it seemed like the “Great Movie Ride” would work..  We headed right on and were led on our tour of the movies by a young college programmer.  The ride has not changed in 20 years.  Except for the fact that the trams are getting old and not running properly, including the integral to this show-microphone.  Our guide did the best she could and we acknowledged her efforts with vigorous applause.  Hey-let’s hit a few of these shops on the way out.  Yes Ethel, you can have the marshmallow Olaf.  Yes, Lucy, you can have the sugar covered caramel apple.  We’re on vacation.

Observations.

1.  Hey Disney, at peak times run a couple of more buses.

2.  Also, with all of the technology today, could you not have message boards at each bus stop to give us an approximate arrival time of the next bus?  Is it imminent or will the second-coming occur first?

3.  Strollers, stroller parking, electric scooters, and wheelchairs are the bane of my existence at the Magic Kingdom.

4.  I have seen more examples of bad show in one day than in my entire college program experience.

5.  The pool here is neat.

6.  Walking to the studios is nice.

7.  My children are still having fun and still growing up too fast.

Where to begin?  I suppose that the easiest thing to do would be to start at the beginning.  Several months ago, we were all asked if we’d like to go to Disney World.  Those of you who know my family know of my time spent working for the mouse as well as many trips taken to the World by Boss and me as kids.  We’ve even taken our small crew a couple of times, so there was no real burning desire to return.  My mom, however, has been planning this trip at least since Ethel was born, possibly longer.  We could stall no longer.  With a full tank of gas, a full trunk, and a hopeful spirit we left on Friday the 21st of November for the happiest place on earth.

Our travels on Friday through the “great” state of South Carolina were uneventful and that evening we called it a day in Kingsland, Georgia.  On the road bright and early and dealing with two wrecks on I-4 we finally made it to the hotel around 11:30 or so on Saturday.  This time, our family decided to splurge and stay at the Beach Club Resort near EPCOT.  I was looking forward to this as I’ve never stayed in a deluxe category hotel on property before.  We settled in, explored our environs, and then got ready for dinner.  We were hoping to use the pool, but the weather today was not lending itself for such endeavors.  I had made reservations for the girls and my parents at the Beaches and Cream Soda Shop for dinner- so at this point I can’t weigh in on what they did. As for the boss and myself, we headed towards the Contemporary Resort.  We went up to the top and had drinks at the California Grill and took in the sights before heading to dinner at Narcoosee’s located in the Grand Floridian.

Again, this was a first as I have never eaten in a signature restaurant here at Disney World.  The meal was quite tasty.  The chef came out to the table and I was provided a special menu highlighting items that were of no risk to me.  I had the first order of fried calamari I have had in two years and they were great.  They were breaded in corn meal and the kitchen uses a dedicated fryer so no cross-contaminiation issues.  The boss had the PEI Mussels and they too were fantastic.  One of the highlights was the gluten free bread they brought out.  Refills of this bread were definitely required.  My main dish was a local fish over a root-vegetable base.  Oh, my.  That means it was was real good.  The boss had a shrimp dish with brown rice pasta.  Also, tasty.  For dessert, I went with the chocolate coconut creme brûlée.  It had the taste and the consistency of a melted mounds bar and was a fantastic way to end the meal.  Our service was wonderful, the food and wine great, and our view of the castle changing colors in the night was magical (did I say that?).

I woke up on Sunday the 23rd a tad on the excited side.  See, it’s my birthday-hence the title for this entry.  Not only a nod to my birthday but to the old song that brought you home on Spaceship Earth.  The song is now relegated to history and memories.  Fortunately, I am very much alive!  We had made plans to spend our morning in the Animal Kingdom and I had made breakfast reservations for 8:10 at the Tusker House Restaurant.  The plan was to eat and try to ride the safari before the park got too crowded.  Last week, Disney backed up the opening hour to 8 and added an extra magic hour.  For us that meant the park opened at 7.  So, at 6:30 we were on the bus heading that way.  At 7 we were through the turnstiles heading towards Expedition Everest.  Ethel had a little apprehension about the ride, but about 10 seconds in she was proclaiming loudly that “this is awesome!”  By the time we exited we took our time walking through a fairly empty park to our breakfast.  Again, the chef came out and walked me around high-lighting items I could eat.  I am pleased to report that no sickness is to be reported.  Our service was suspect however.  A few hours later I went back to mention this, just because as a former cast member I have certain expectations.  I explained my concerns to him, told him I didn’t want anything for this, but still got a fast-pass for the family.  We used it on everest later and considered it a bonus.  After breakfast we rode the safari and saw tons of animals, took in the lion king show, and before leaving the park rode the rapids.  My mom and the boss bore the brunt of this ride and got soaked.  The rest of us were either damp or completely dry.

At this point it was time to head back and take a rest.  All of us managed to get an hour or so of rest and then we had birthday cake, I got some presents, and when we returned from the park there were balloons and a mickey waiting for me.  My whole family worked hard to make my birthday special and for that I am grateful.  Our evening plans took us to EPCOT.  One of the great benefits of staying at this location is we are able to walk to EPCOT in about 5 minutes.  We entered at the International Gateway and were greeted by the sounds of the British Revolution playing some tunes.  We stopped and I listened for a bit and then we walked towards The Land to use our Soarin’ fast-pass.  Before this, we rode Living with the Land to learn about food production-again.  Sadly, the “Listen to the Land” song is also long gone.  The stand-by line for Soarin’ was 90 minutes and I am glad we didn’t have to wait.  It is a neat ride, but not worth that time investment in my opinion.  From there we went to The Seas and rode The Seas with Nemo before taking in Turtle Talk with Crush.  Spaceship Earth was next.  I miss the old narration with Walter Cronkite and the song.  This is truly not the Disney of my youth.  As our evening was drawing to a close, we hit a few countries on the way out.  We rode the ride in Mexico (and had a margarita), stopped for shave ice in Japan, and grabbed some pastries in France for the morning.  All in all, not a bad way to spend a birthday.

A few observations about my time here so far…

1.  Thank you Georgia and Florida for recognizing that there is heavy traffic on I-95 and creating roads to handle it.  North Carolina and South Carolina-wake up.

2.  Traffic in Orlando, particularly near the attractions is atrocious.

3.  Deluxe resorts are nice.

4.  Narcoosee’s is good.

5.  The Animal Kingdom is rapidly becoming my favorite park.

6.  You gotta fight to get your gluten-free on-sometimes.

Photos to come…

16 hours in a car gives one lots of time to think especially if you’re the driver.  Our little family had to take an unexpected trip to the Bluegrass State this week to say farewell to the boss’s grandfather.  While his passing was not unexpected, the sense of finality that comes with that phone call is jarring and even harder to explain to your children.  We left Raleigh on Tuesday and arrived in Lexington on Wednesday morning.  Boompa’s first words to me, many years ago, were “Welcome to the Bluegrass”.  I wouldn’t hear those again.  For this trip, my role in the days to come was to be a taxi service for children and any family member that might need transport anywhere in town.  I realize that this might not sound like a huge contribution to make, but if you have ever driven in Lexington, you’ll realize that this is the equivalent of attempting to drive from North Carolina to England.  In fact, that might be easier and less time consuming than traversing 5 miles on Man O’ War Blvd.  Also, I was asked to serve as a pall bearer which is an important task and honestly maybe the one thing I ever did for a man that did so much for so many.

In full disclosure, I have never been keen on all of my trips to Lexington and there were lots of them over the past 18 years.  I balked over the drive, I didn’t like staying in a home where the temperature never dropped below 90, the gray skies were depressing, and in case I forgot- I didn’t like the drive.  What I did recognize, particularly after having children, was how important to the boss it was to go visit her Boompa and the rest of the clan.  While there lots of things I didn’t really like about going, seeing her family was not one of those things.  They are good people, even though they think that Kentucky basketball is on plane high above my beloved Tar Heels.  I have found that this is a subject best not discussed.  Each trip allowed the boss to spend time at the kitchen table talking with her grandfather about so many things.  Often, my mother-in-law (Mother Superior) would be there, in addition to any number of other grandchildren, and Lucy was there too.  They asked him questions about his homeplace, the war, whatever.  Nothing seemed to obscure to ask.  Once he had had enough though, he’d go take a nap.  I never went in there and listened.  I should have.

On this trip the first time we saw everyone was at the visitation on Wednesday night.  It went as those things do and then the family gathered back at the hotel for a bit of storytelling.  Thursday was the funeral.  We met back up at the funeral home around 10 for one last viewing of the body.  I think I spent more time this trip looking at Boompa that I have looked at him combined over the years.  I think it is because he couldn’t stare back.  When he looked at me, it was like Mother Superior staring at me.  It frightens me.  I was there when Lucy touched his hand one last time.  And then it was time for the service.  The boss’s uncle told tales of his dad and spoke for the children.  Mother Superior talked of his love and pride in his grandchildren.  This time, I listened.  One final car ride (police escort=no traffic) through Lexington and we said goodbye.  The family gathered back at our hotel where more stories were told, and even though many were repeats, they are still good.  We laughed for hours until it was time for bed.

Back to the drive home.  I’m glad I listened at the funeral.  The thought that kept popping in my head was the realization of how many things had to happen for me to be in that car on that day.  Boompa had to be encouraged to leave the hills of Kentucky as a boy of 14, alone, to start a new life at Berea.  He had to survive World War II, earning 6 Bronze Stars along the way.  He had to survive malaria.  He married, he had kids-one of whom moved to North Carolina and met a guy who had a father who also survived the War.  They had to have a kid and move to Sanford for me to meet as a 9th grader.  I had to have grandparents who survived concentration camps in Europe and then at the last second receive permission to immigrate to the US.  All of these things and more for me to be there.  Boompa touched thousands in a life begun in such humble surroundings.  But listening and thinking as I did this time, being humble seemed to be his way.  He never bragged about his war record, his unimaginable bravery, or Kentucky basketball.

His pride was in his grandchildren and, as Mother Superior noted, how all of them are helping others.  He would want it that way I think.  I thought on the ride home how I should have gone into that kitchen either at Winn Way or on Tishoff more often.  Or at all.  I missed a good chance to learn lots of things from a man who was of a different time and place.  Sadly, we are losing people like him too often these days.  While I can’t ever be back there and hear those stories, I am glad the boss and our kids did hear them.  I don’t have any pearls of wisdom that he imparted on me to conclude, I just have the emptiness of knowing I didn’t try hard enough to listen.

Those of you who know me are familiar with my fervent dislike for cold weather.  I can’t stand it.  To me, the perfect day involves an ocean, some tasty beverages, and warm breezes.  What we have gone through around here lately is the exact opposite of that.  With that said, there is something to having a snow day.  I remember being a kid and longing for those days when I could stay home from school and play in the snow.  I never seemed to pick up on the fact that those weren’t free days, we would have to eventually make them up.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to associate snow days with inconvenience and hassles.  Of course all of that was before my children were old enough to have that same excitement that I had so long ago.  When Lucy was born 11 years ago, the area was hit by a snowstorm that day that kept our visitors to a minimum.  Fast forward a few years and now we have two girls who leap with joy at the mention of snow.  On Tuesday of this week they couldn’t wait for the snow to fall and come Wednesday they were chomping at the bit to head outside and enjoy the snow.  They dressed for the weather and headed out.  My role was simple: stay home and be ready with the hot chocolate.  Being equal to the task I was on the spot when they came back in-cold, but happy.

After making homemade pizzas and relaxing by the fire, the tired girls hit the sack.  As an adult, I wish that I still had the feeling of wonder that a snow day brings.  I’ll be sure to remind them on their makeup days of the fun they had.  Looking back, I do have fond memories of snow days.  I guess enjoying the snow occasionally is much needed rite of passage for all children.  Maybe my kids will be able to look back and remember the fun of sleeping in, riding the new sled, and coming in to a cup of steaming hot chocolate.

Those of you who know me know that I am a fairly competitive person.  It really doesn’t matter what I’m doing, I want to win or be the best.  Just this weekend we had some folks over and one of our guests and Lucy were playing “Just Dance 4”.  I decided that not only should I play (without the remote), I should sell the dance moves.  This need to win goes back to my childhood.  Playing baseball was when I was at my most intense.  The way I played second base, you’d have thought it was game 7 of the World Series.  I remained this way, though time has made me a bit less fiery.  The boss is the same way.  She is just as competitive as I am and some of our most trying times centered around us trying to one up each other in the classroom.  And now, we watch our kids play.

I am not sure which is the more cardiac arrest inducing activity.  Is it harder to stand at home with a 3-2 count and the game on the line or is it harder to watch your child take the block at a swim meet, or race down midfield with a scoring opportunity?  Following all of my friends on social media it is clear that we are actively engaged in our kids’ events.  What is your take on this?  I assist with the coaching of Ethel’s soccer team and I really have to keep my competitive streak in check.  I have to remind myself that these are children playing a game.  Before the little ones take the field, I tell them to “play hard, play smart, and have fun”.  Sometimes I think the parents should hear that as well.  I suppose that I have two goals (other than winning) when they compete: that they not get hurt and that they do their best.  But as a parent I want them to not only do their best, I want them to succeed.  In the end, this is what I think we all want for our children-success.

It is hard watching your children on their own or with their team engaging in an activity that you, as a parent, can in no way influence.  I am sure that my parents experienced the same thing 30 years ago.  Its clear that they haven’t yet turned it off.  Will my girls be athletic powerhouses?  I doubt it.  But what I hope is that they understand that the thrill of success doesn’t only have to be found on a sports field in front of a crowd.  Success can be felt by understanding a difficult school topic or finally getting that one note right on that song.  Regardless of where the success occurs, the smile on their face is worth the agony.  That is when you truly feel your heart skip a beat.