Ok, not a drive-in. As promised, my pre-midnight premiere post. I wish I could say that I read The Hunger Games ages ago like all those other cool kids. I didn’t. I read the books after I saw the first trailer. The very first one. There. That’s better.
Are you ready for some funny stories from national competition? I can’t hear youuuuuuuuu (that’s a joke…I swear).
1. The Non-Cheer-Family Family Cheer. We stayed at the Disney All-Star. All of the competition teams stayed there or close by. Thousands and thousands of cheerleaders. In the cafeteria crowding up the lines and practicing their cheers, in the breeze ways practicing their cheers from 6am-midnight, in their rooms (practicing their cheers). Rooms and rooms and rooms of cheerleaders. But…not all the rooms. Some of the rooms had regular vacationers. Average Joe, Non-Cheer families. With no clue that they’re exciting, (maybe) once-in-a-lifetime trip will plant them square in the middle of Spiritopia. I felt bad for them. Not Chris. He said that they should have checked the events page before booking a trip. Did YOU know they had an events page? I did not. Anyhow, on the last day, there was the family gathered in the (now empty) open area. They did an all hands in, “all for one, one for all, yay, team our family!” Then they must have sensed my curious stare. Because dad explained: “there have been cheerleaders here all week. It’s been nuts.” Sorry, guys. That probably sucked for you. I followed then into the cafeteria with no lines and ten open cashiers. I think I saw tears in their eyes.
2. The Seat Savers. There were several announcements that we were not to save seats. We really didn’t need to. There were only six of us chaperones (As opposed to some teams who brought 75-100 fans along (from New York!)). We got there pretty early and found a set together in the middle, second section back. One of us got up because she saw a gap in the front section and wanted to count them to see if we’d fit. What she got instead was a highly glittered mom waving a finger in her face (mind you, she hadn’t even spoken yet…just stood there), saying “uh-uh, no ma’am. These seats are saved. No. Ma’am.” Was it petty that I secretly celebrated when their team didn’t move on? I can’t say that I care. Ha.
3. There was a grumpy old lady at the Animal Kingdom the day we went. The girls had just jumped off the safari ride and were checking out the monkeys in quite possibly the least annoying way possible. GOL started stomping away, but not before making sure we all heard her “I HATE cheerleaders” comment. And that, my friends, is the first time I’ve seen a geriatric hissy fit. Clearly, someone is stillllll harboring high school cheer resentment.
4. Through a quirk of fate, our group got to be first in line to see princesses Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, and Tiana the last night. They were really sweet to the girls and it made them giggle all the way home. That was a highlight of the trip for me. I know I said this before, but I had the most awesome group.
5. And I think this is all my thumb can handle for one night. And it’s not a story. It’s a fun fact. Cheerleaders are farters. I actually learned this by driving carpool, but realized the universiality of the fact when hundreds surrounded me. And not cute little poots. I mean f-a-r-t-s. As in, on several occasions we would do room checks and literally be grossed out by the smell. Sorry girls, cats out of the bag.
Current mood: on fire…
Adventures In MandyLand 