As promised, something a little more upbeat today!
So, if you follow me on Instagram, you may already have figured out who Al is, as he made quite a few appearances on my Instagram feed throughout the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.
To back up a little I’ve always had a bit of a thing for adopting random sidekicks to take on my adventures. It started when a friend and I took a trip cross country in college and while in Graceland we picked up this guy to accompany us for the rest of the trip!
Yup, that’s a dashboard Elvis who wiggles his hips as you drive. Clearly the perfect road trip mascot.
Years later at my last job I got to hangout with this guy…
…as you can see, he even had his own traveling “Gnome Home”.
Of everyone I miss at my old job I think I miss working with Steve the most. (Yes, the gnome’s name is Steve.)
I’d been on the lookout for a replacement travel companion, but I was having trouble finding just the right partner…
…and then, in Disneyland he finally came to me via my personal toy guru! (What, you don’t have a toy guru?!?)
Meet Al.
Al made his debut in Disneyland checking out Mickey’s Fun Wheel…
Oooh…the wheel.
Next he came to Walt Disney World where he got to visit all of the parks…
Oooh…the castle…the ball…the tree…the hat!
…see the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights…
Oooh…the lights.
…and ran the Wine & Dine Half Marathon with me!
See him there in my hand?!
(Don’t mind my eyes, they freak out when a flash goes off in the dark!)
For his efforts he even got his own medal!
Oooh…the medal.
We spent so much time together on the trip we even started to look a bit alike!
I just wanted to make sure you were all well acquainted with Al since he’s already looking forward to Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend!
Live, Run, Grow 
Love this! Often when I travel, my son asks me to take along one of his guys from his room. I took a dog to Switzerland and an eagle to Washington, D.C., for example. I take pictures of him in front of major monuments and he loves it. The kid not the toy. Well maybe the toy does too, I don’t know. 😉
Thanks Melissa! I love that you take your sons toys on trips and take pictures for him, so much fun! Stay tuned because Al’s going to make plenty of appearances during the Disney Marathon Weekend!
I’m formally requesting a photo with Al marathon weekend.
All media requests and photo ops are handled through Al’s PR person. I’ll pass the request on, but I’m sure he’d be more than happy to pose for a picture with you : )
And to think I had him right in my pocket when we met during Wine & Dine!
YOU ARE RIDICULOUS AND I LOVE IT! Al is so fun and I can’t wait to see him again in January woo! Will he join us at Kona Cafe? Maybe we should change our reservation to 5! 😉
Haha, of course Al will be joining us! : )
I do not have a traveling buddy besides D and K! But I love your adventures with Al!
Haha, thanks, it’s so much fun!
LOL definitely noticed the appearance of Al in your photos and have to admit, was a little jealous of your awesome travelling companion. One can only hope to A- find a toy guru and B- have that toy guru find a fantabulous buddy like Al 🙂
Pingback: Weekly Training Recap | Live, Run, Grow