Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo: April 2009

Good news everyone: I am now twenty years old. I am no longer a 'teenager,' and have moved on to an entirely new phase of life known as 'my twenties.' Exciting, I know.

My birthday was really a great day. The celebration was perfect for such an occasion. Stefani, my girlfriend, started the weekend off by surprising me with her presence. She had told me for weeks that she would not be in attendance during my birthday celebration, but she secretly got plane tickets and showed up for my birthday. She is really something, that Stefani Wood.

Anyway, we went to Disneyland on my Birthday and I finally got to enjoy the new Celebration: A Street Party, without having to clean up the confetti afterward. It was really quite the street party, and Stefani and I were brought out several times to join in the dancing. After the Street Party, we strolled trough Frontierland to set the mood for the most anticipated part of my birthday: dinner at the Celebration Roundup and Barbecue. I shot some rifles, tried on a cowboy hat, and thrust my thumbs in the strap of my fanny-pack (I don't care what you say, the fanny-pack was very useful).

We got to the barbecue and Sheriff Woody met us right at the entrance. Jessie, the yodelin' cow girl, came by and Chip and Dale were there too. We got a table right at the front and in the center, so we could enjoy all the cowboy songs, and playful cowboy banter. We were served an endless amount of Barbecue Ribs, Barbecue Chicken, Baked Beans, Corn Wheels, Corn Bread, Cole Slaw, and all the Coke you could swallow. During our entire meal, Miss Chris, the 'owner' of the ranch, would check up on her guests. She would also sing songs accompianied by Tex Tumbleweed and Sasparilla Sam. I knew most of the songs, thanks to my secret love of cowboy music and also my 5 years in the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus, but there were some new ones I really enjoyed. I sang along through a mouthful of meat and beans, stopping only to steal quick sips of delicious Disneyland coke. The whole experience was topped of with a 'Cowboy Cone Cake- A Party on you Plate.' Basically, a yummy cupcake baked into a waffle cone. They were good.

I loved it. Every minute of it. I loved talking like a cowboy, singing the songs, eating the food, and being with friends. I ate so much I literally had to loosen my belt. Then we had the fantastic idea of getting on the Matterhorn and squashing all four of us into one sled. Without getting too graphic, lets just say I was very lucky my pants were still clean when I got off. Later that night we watched the fireworks, then Stefani and I danced to the music of a live Big Band Orchestra. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

Here are some photo highlights of my birthday and the rest of my weekend: