One of my biggest Disney dreams was to write for Disney Magazine, the grail of all Disney writers. I came home one evening in late May to find a message from Disney Magazine: would I write a piece for them? Dream come true, right? They wanted me to write about David, his relationship with Disney fans, his chats and NFFC presentations, books, and projects for Walt Disney Imagineering. So I put together a very professional-sounding piece that read like a Disney Magazine article and sent it in. I heard back the next day: could I write something more in the "loose, flowing style" in my LaughingPlace.com columns? "You mean the 'it's 11:40 pm and I promised Doobie something by midnight' style?" I asked. Yup. So I hit the computer again and found that I ... couldn't do it. I just couldn't. I wrote the LP.com columns about David first with the hope that he'd recover, and second...before it really hit. David was one of the people, outside of my family, that I loved most in the world. Writing about him at that point was like dissecting my own heart. I gave it another try. I interviewed people who had participated in the chats and Bruce and Dave Shows. After the fourth one, they decided to just piece together the best parts of each article and put it together as one. It's on page two of the Fall 03 issue, under Disney Traveler. I did write it, and my name's at the bottom - my first major byline, and my dream come true of writing for Disney Magazine. Somewhere, I'm sure David thinks this is oh so very very very funny. I hope if I ever get to write for them again it's something like "The Islands of Disney" or something about history or Disney culture or that first Disney dark ride that was at Coney Island in the 30s. Who knows?

The Anime Expo hit Anaheim shortly thereafter, and Alice and I went to spend a day there. Due to a plethora of mixups, including the press representative shutting down the press room because "nothing interesting is happening today", we missed all but the last half hour, but after the showroom closed, we learned that there was, indeed, something interesting happening - an auction for the City of Hope of rare signed anime and manga art. It was truly amazing. Also, I met one of the guys who draws the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Score! Feeling loyal, we decided we'd rather spend our entertainment dollar at Mile High Comics on Harbor in Garden Grove. Man, I love that place. Get in Animal Crossing figures all ready, willya?

As you read elsewhere, I welcomed Mike Metzger, who had just become a CM, with the same question I always ask when someone tells me they've just become a Disney CM: "Where's the nearest restroom?" Mike, a Disneyland regular since his teen years, got the joke. Phew. You know, I'm one of those people who considers changing the channel without a remote an extreme sport, but man, was I amazed. I even came back to watch them some more after the press event because it was so amazing and cool.

I got to ask a great question during Super Soap Weekends as well, to Alicia Leigh Willis, who plays Courtney on General Hospital: "Who's a better kisser, Steve (Burton, plays her fiance Jason) or Cynthia?" (Preston, mob chick Faith Rosco, who gave Courtney the "kiss of death".) We learned that Kathy Brier, who plays Marcie Walsh on One Life to Live, can sing everyone else off the stage, and got to see Steve Burton's impression of costar Maurice Bernard, who plays Sonny. Leslie Charleson and Stuart Damon, who play Monica and Alan Quartermaine on General Hospital, won the million while Nancy and I watched from the very tip top of the arena. There was breakfast with the stars if you got a hotel package, but no lunch with the stars this year, unfortunately. That was the very best part of SSW last year. Stuart Damon played Prince Charming in the TV version of Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella back when I was a kid. He still looks like Prince Charming. John Ingle, Edward Quartermaine on General Hospital, is Sera's father in the Land Before Time movies, and Lane Davies (Cameron) was the voice of photographer James Brady in Disneyland's Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Kiko Ellsworth (Jamal, Port Charles) wore his hair in a Mickey Mouse do, and we took a photo together, but his eyes were closed, so you won't be seeing it. Sigh, now I know what he looks like when he's asleep! He's starring in Bad Boys 2 this summer as the bad-guy blondie, and since Port Charles hs been cancelled, he'll probably be doing more big-screen projects.

I love that DCA is having special events like Super Soap Weekends, X Games Experience and the upcoming ABC Prime Time Weekend. I really miss special events like Blast to the Past at Disneyland. Maybe DCA can take them.

Speaking of Blast to the Past, save up your time-travel money for next May's WDCC event. Yeppers, it's Blast to the Past, as announced by Tim O'Day at the NFFC Convention last week. One, it's Tim O'Day. Whatever he does (Walt's birthday, etc.) comes out perfect. (He should be in charge of the 50th. He knows what he's doing and loves the hell out of Disney. But I digress.) Two, it's fifties Disney stuff. I. Can. Not. Freaking. Wait!