Happy Easter

Hey everyone! I just thought I'd stop by and wish you all a very Happy Easter.

Today we went to church, which is at the park every year.

The turnout is usually pretty big- A couple thousand people attend. It's a great way to spread the word and celebration that Jesus has risen!

Now we are getting the BBQ ready for some ham, pheasant casserole, and other delicious foods with all the family.

Hope you had a great Easter! He has risen!



"The angels said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
He is not here; He has risen, just as he said..."

-Matt. 28:5-6

What I've Been Up To

Has it really been a couple of weeks since I blogged? I mean, yesterday I posted a few updates, but nothing too major. Just thought I'd pop in for a sec and write about what's new with me. Nothing. The end.

Alright, so maybe some minor new things. I'm currently just working still, going to school (almost done!), and playing with our new addition to the family- Rufus, a French Pointer puppy. These things alone have kept me busy. But, Easter Break has started and this week I'm gonna try to make it a productive one by finish reading the Hunger Games and go see the movie, and organize things a bit in my space at the house. Maybe I'll write some more on the Random Post. I've been keeping Disney Park Secrets up to date a bit lately, and now it's Jake's turn to do a land, so I'll be taking a short leave of absence from there.

Total side note, kinda crushing on a girl. (For those of you that haven't been able to tell from all our online discussions and shananigans). Just thought I'd mention that. I'm prepared to be bugged about it now, but I don't care. She's pretty much worth it. :)

Well that's about it. My current life in a nutshell. Back to.. Well, living.

Klout Perk- Adventures of TinTin

Another Klout Perk that I received this week is a package from Purina Dog Chow. This package came with a coupon for a free bag of dog food, plus the movie The Adventures of TinTin. (A movie I have not yet seen).

Can't wait to watch this tonight! And this coupon couldn't have come at a better time, since we have a new addition to the Animal Kingdom Family! Thank you Klout and Purina!

Klout Perk- Simple

One of my more recent Klout Perks is a few items from Simple.

A new line in the U.S., this stuff is pretty popular in the U.K. and in other countries. I gave it to my mom and sister to try, so we'll see how they like it. Thanks Klout and Simple!

Spending My Millions

With the popularity of the lotto in the past week, and I, like everyone else and their mother, buying tickets for the Mega Millions drawing, it got me thinking what I would do if I did happen to win the $640 million dollar jackpot. (After those pesky taxes, of course.)

Well, here's what I quickly mapped out in my head:

Obviously my parents and sister will be taken care of. They will retire, live in a house of their choice, and have everything they ever wanted.

The next people I would help would be my best friends. And by best friends, I mean all 5. Not all my Facebook friends. These select few close friends would be graciously taken care of, and so would their own families.

I would donate generously to a few charities. One of them being the John Wayne Cancer Society, which saved my dad's life. My church would be able to reach out more as well.

I would help those in desperate need, that I know of as well.

And as for me, I would probably buy a new electronic toy, a new FJ Cruiser, a house in Anaheim, then invest and save the rest. I would still work, and I would continue my education as planned.

In all honesty, I don't think I would want to win, actually. Because then you have too many enemies, too many family members asking for money, too many "friends" trying to re-unite, when they had nothing to do with you before. It just seems like it causes more problems then it's worth. But, if I did win enough, this is a brief summary of what I would do with it.


What would you do?

Rufus

Yesterday, my parents picked up our new dog Rufus, from the coast. He's a French Pointer, and will eventually be a hunting dog for my dad.

Rufus is almost 7 weeks old, and full of energy when he isn't napping (or crying all night..).

Eating some grass

Koda and Bear (our other dogs) aren't too happy about this new addition to the Animal Kingdom family, but I think eventually they'll all get along. I'll definitely be posting more pictures of him as the weeks go on, and as he grows up to be around 30-40 pounds.

20 Years From Now

I've been thinking about all my online networking lately, about who I need to clean off Facebook, unfollow on twitter, and where my blog will be going with my upcoming adventures. I've been blogging quite a bit on DisneyParkSecrets, and we've continued to grow and find fans, which I'm thankful for and I hope we continue to show people the hidden things in Disney Parks.

But something came to my mind while pondering these things. I wonder, in 20 years from now, if my kids (assuming I have kids) will read my blog. I wonder if Blogger will still be alive, and if all my stories will be preserved on this site. Right now I'm in a transition period in my life, with moving down South and starting some great adventures. I wonder if in 20 years I'll be settled down, with a decided career and job, and my kids will stumble on the Random Post and read about how it came to be, how I moved, how my teenage years were with great friends and adventures, and all the many stories I have told on this blog.

That's pretty powerful stuff to me. What's posted online is forever online, so there's no doubt that they will read this. They will read what I'm typing right now, and I don't even know who they are. This is an incredible thought to me.

Now, it's time to make a new adventure today so I can post it and keep people today, and in the future, entertained for the brief moment they take out of their day to read my rambling stories.

Klout Perk- Gud

Lately I've been receiving a ton of perks from Klout. Since I'm supposedly influential, I figured I should share my most recent perk- a complete set of products from Gud. I got this for my mom and sister, since it really isn't something I'd use...

Let the +K's begin!

Side note- I just found out that you can't rotate pictures in Blogger. At least not that I can find. Sorry.



If you haven't already, sign up for Klout! It's totally free, and you receive some pretty awesome perks!

I'll share the others when they get here.

Five Minutes A Day

Many of you know that Walt Disney is practically my hero. I think we all could learn something from his ways, and I have adapted a few in my everyday living.

Here's one of my more recent philosophies I have acquired from Walt- To take 5 minutes everyday at work and make a guests experience better.

"The customer is king..."
"Every Cast Member is responsible for the impression we make..."
"Take five minutes a day to make a magical memory for one of our guests..."

-Walt Disney



When Walt Disney was alive, he would walk around Disneyland with a roll of five-dollar bills and tip any cast member who worked extra hard to plus the experience for a guest. Sadly, this tradition has gone away when Walt did. And many Cast Members don't take that extra time anymore.

But I do. And I will always, no matter where I work. Here are a few recent examples of what I have done:




I cleared a tray for an older lady with her grandchild a few weeks ago. There was a long line up front, and she wanted to get an ice cream but didn't want to wait in line or leave her grand kid. So she asked me if I could go get them one if she gave me the money. Of course! So I bi-passed the line by going straight to a spare register and had her ice cream back at the table in less than three minutes. (It probably would have taken her around ten if she waited in line). She was grateful, and I felt amazing.

This little girl came in with balloons a few weeks ago, and she excitedly told me and my co-worker that it was her birthday. So what did I do? I turned to my co-worker and said: "Let's sing!" So just us two started singing for her, and a few other people (both workers and guests) joined in. We then gave her a plush cow. It totally made her lunch, and mine.

Yesterday one of our regulars came in for our 3 year birthday celebration. She came an hour after it started, and was disappointed to see that the cake was gone. (Or so we thought, since it wasn't up front anymore). She bought 15 ice creams for all the kids she brought, and sadly said "Why didn't you save us any!?" We both laughed, and they headed outside to jump in the jump house.
A few minutes later I walked in the back, to find just a few pieces of cake left. I quickly put them on plates and trays, and headed to their table with 15 slices. I've never seen 15 girls go that crazy for cake! And the parents thanked me.


I look forward everyday to taking that extra five minutes to make someone's experience more Magical, even if I don't work for Disney, yet.


If you've ever done something like this, please share! Leave a comment with your story!

John Carter World Premier

On February 22nd, I had an incredible opportunity to attend the world premier of John Carter with D23. Now, Disney's marketing of this movie hasn't been over the top, so your probably asking what exactly "John Carter" is. Here is a trailer you should watch before continuing on:




This was held in LA Live, a place I fell in love with. This event consisted of us D23 members being able to walk the red carpet, then stand in a designated area to see all the stars arrive. After they walked, we all got to go see the movie (which doesn't come out until March 9th!).

After getting Michael Giacchino's autograph, along with others and many pictures, we walked to our theater and were seated. Andrew Stanton (the director) then came in and told us why he made this film, and just talked for a good 10 minutes. It was all so incredible. Here are some pictures of the event:

While waiting in line, Jeffery (D23 Geek) was out and about. Very nice guy!

Setting up the red carpet.

When I got to walk the red carpet.

End of the red carpet.

Waiting for the stars.

A list of all the stars who's supposed to be walking. 

Bruce Boxleitner, who assured us that Tron 3 will be happening.

Michael Giacchino. (I was able to get his autograph. I'm such a fan of his music, it made the trip worth it even more!)

Helen Mirren

Frankie Muniz

Mark Andrews, director of Brave.

Corbin Bleu

Bryan Cranston

Andrew Stanton and John Lasseter

Andrew Stanton and John Lasseter

Inside the theater, before they took our cameras away.

D23 also made this video of the premier:



(I'm in it a couple of times... So if you know what I look like, try to find me!)



As for the actual movie- I had low expectations for it. From the commercials on TV, it didn't look amazing to me. But that's 100% false, because John Carter was incredible! You definitely need to go see it, especially on opening weekend. Support Andrew Stanton and Disney, because we want to see the sequels as well!

For a more in-depth view on the film, check out one of my good friend's blog post, who I went to the premier with: John Carter Review



I'm very happy I was able to attend this, and a special thanks to D23 for putting it on! I can't wait for the next event!

LA Adventure

Just wanted to let you guys know that tomorrow (Wednesday) I will be attending the premier of John Carter, and on Thursday I'll be in Disneyland in the morning.

I'll have a trip report of both when I come back.

Have a great few days! I'm definitely looking forward to this getaway.

Announcing My Departure

The past few days I've mentioned on my Facebook and Twitter that I have a somewhat big announcement to make. Some of you have lost all self control and have bugged me, asking what it is. Others have went straight to my parents to see if they knew what it was. The funny thing about this is it was never a secret. I just only talked about it mostly to the people I'm really close with, asking for their advice, their opinions, and their help. While that may only be a handful of people, since it's only the people I trust most, I have finally decided to make a formal announcement for everyone to read.


This announcement is something I have thought hard about. It's something that is life changing, if only for me and my immediate family and even my very close friends. This is something I have prayed about a lot, and what I feel is something I should do. Some of the people that I talked to have told me how I shouldn't do this, but I'm always wanting adventure, and always trying to reach my goals and dreams, so I have only listened to the positive optimistic people in my life, who support me no matter what. (In other words, my family and best friends.)


On May 17th, I will have graduated from Jr. College with two degrees- A degree in Social Science, and a degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Communication. At this point, I am still undecided to what I want to major in at a university. I will say this- Even though I may be undecided, I have expectations for myself, and I will be attending a college very soon in the future to get a degree, whatever it may be.


My future seems to be too large for my current town that I live in. So, after I finish this semester, at the beginning of summer, I will be moving to Anaheim, CA, to pursue my education and career. While most of you know me well, you know that I will be trying to get on with Disney. I do have a plan for this, but it could take some time. I also have a back-up plan which I'm not going to say too much about yet, due to some events that have been happening and how this plan can change very quickly. But either way, it seems that moving down South has the green light, and all systems are a go.


While part of me is a little nervous, and nostalgic of this town I'll be leaving, I'm also extremely excited to get on with my life and to experience the world. I'll be roommates with 1-2 incredible guys that are good friends. And I practically have more friends in Anaheim and the surrounding area then I do here in town now. It's funny how after high school everyone disappears.


My parents are very supportive of this, and my mom is sad that her baby will be leaving. I'll definitely miss them, and according to my mom, I'll be staying with them every weekend. (Someone explain to her that I can't...) As for my best friends and family, I'm 2 hours away. That's not far, at all. I expect weekend trips to come visit me, and I will definitely be back as much as possible. I'm a firm believer that relationships shouldn't grow distant just because a couple of miles separate you. With social networking and cell phones, we should stay in contact more if anything.


So there it is. My "Big" announcement. My future, in a nut-shell. I will mention that I expect this blog, The Random Post, to have more stories of life-adventures, then just my opinions on things. I want to share my stories and adventures to all who want to hear them. And I promise you- I'll have plenty.


Thanks for reading, and thanks for supporting me in this transition. I can't wait to see what the future brings!

-Austen Goehring