To celebrate the biggest American sporting event of the year, I'm going to talk about my favorite memories of the big game!
2004 - I lived in Charlotte at the time and everyone was going crazy because the Carolina Panthers were in the Super Bowl for the 1st time. Pretty funny because if you surveyed the town 4 months earlier 1 in 5 people would not admit to being a Panther fan. This was memorable for me because it was the first time I had a Super Bowl party. It wasn't quite up to the status of the Maxim Super Bowl party or anything, but it was fun and man was there a lot of food. It was, of course, highlighted by Boobgate or whatever people are calling the whole Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake thing. I remember watching with my friends and we all looked at each other thinking "Was that her..." Our neighbor would occasionally pop in and out with his giant blue foam Panther paws. I've been trying unsuccessfully for 8 years to erase that memory. *shakes head....*
2005 - So one year later, Jill and I are watching the SuperBowl and towards the end I go into the kitchen to get a drink and come back out and the game is no longer on. Jill is watching Full House. So, instead of watching the big drive, etc, I am watching Uncle Jesse chasing Kimmy Gibbler around or whatever. Really - Gibbler....that's a name you should never utter on SuperBowl Sunday.
1989 - So obviously this list isn't chronological. This is the only SuperBowl I've ever missed in my life. It was the Bengals vs. the 49ers. Probably one of the greatest games every played. While many will remember this SuperBowl for another chapter of "Montana Magic", an equally popular memory will be that I missed the game due to being grounded. I couldn't believe that I was grounded for the big game, so I did what any other person would do. I busted out my walkman and listened to the game on the radio. Nice plan, except my walkman was one of those sketchy jobbies that got static interference with even an ill-timed breath. "Montana back to throw *FSSHHSHSHSHSHSHHS* to Taylor...*FHSSSSHSHSHSHSHSH* and they've decided to huddle up." That was how most of the game went. Like a hopeful child with unbridled optimism, that had not yet been crushed by the cruelties of the world, I held out until the bitter end. One of the greatest games I never saw.
1991 - The first of my four year long nightmare that was the Buffalo Bills SuperBowl run. Everyone was insane. The stupid Bills shout song is forever etched in my brain. Ugh! So, why is this on my list of top memories? 2 words - Scott Norwood. For any person who was either a Giants fan, or not a Bills fan, those 2 words bring a smile to their faces. Unfortunately, what I don't like about his name is that many of the idiot Bills fans like to blame him for the loss. It's not his fault that it came down to a 49 yard field goal at the end of the game. Check the stats - no kicker had made a field goal of that distance in the SuperBowl at that point. That's a good example of why I can't stand the Bills. Their fans pin all of the mistakes and foul-ups of an entire game on one person. Stay classy Bills fans. This was one of the greatest days of my life. (Look, when your team stinks so bad that they haven't made it to the big game in my lifetime, you have to focus on baby steps. This was one day that no one was talking about how bad my team was!)
2007 - We planned a spontaneous trip to Dallas to watch the SuperBowl with a friend from Niagara Falls. The game wasn't memorable, but we had such a good time. The thing that I loved about my friend, Dana, is that he can throw one hell of a party. The best part is that he couldn't have cared less about the game. He and my wife spent the whole game making fun of the commercials. The game wasn't memorable, but this was one of my favorite because I got to take a spontaneous trip and have a great time, even if the the conversation was more in the vein of "...what is she wearing..." vs. "...what an awesome pass!"
Showing posts with label Jeff Leardini....vacation mode. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeff Leardini....vacation mode. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
ESCAPE TO EXCALIBUR!
You know the parents, they always want to know when you get somewhere so that they can stop worrying. Well, we got in at like 3am, so I sent my parents this picture as a text. Somehow, they made the connection that we had arrived!
Wow! What a vacation we just had at Excalibur in Las Vegas! We spent Friday-Monday there and had a great time! We made some great friends, of which we got information on zero - so there's no chance of us keeping in touch. Nice job to us.
There was Marth from the plane. She is studying to be a doctor in Atlanta and we met her on the plane. Mercifully, she likes to talk almost as much as we do, which made the 4.5 hour flight go by a little quicker. I was pretty sure that I was going to have to sleep the entire flight in order to make the time go by fast. Most interesting set of crossword puzzles I've ever worked on.
Then there were 4 people we met at the pool. Again, should have gotten info, but instead a big fat "You Stink" to us. George Bueno and Christian Sanchez were the funniest duo ever. Pretty sure George has sampled every decent eatery in all of Vegas. "As you can see, I like to eat..." was his mantra. Then Daniela and Kristen (or maybe Crystal - sorry, I wasn't there for the intros) from Grand Junction, Co and I shared a moment when we saw a 70 year woman in a thong bikini. Yuck! This woman was seriously like 100 pounds soaking wet, and not a piece of eye candy. Then we proceeded to spot all of the funny things that people were wearing/doing around the pool. You want a good slice of life? Go to a resort pool and you'll see more than you could have imagined.
Ok, so now onto the rest of the trip. As I mentioned, we stayed at Excalibur, which was a HUGE step up from Bill's Gamblin Hall (That's where we stayed in January). Bill's probably isn't too bad when it's offseason because there is no pool to be concerned with. Excalibur had 3 pools and they were all awesome! One had a water slide on it, of which I was the only one that did not go down it. The funniest part is that Fish went down the slide with a totally serious look on his face. Everyone else is smiling and laughing and having fun. Fish is coming down the slide looking like the Secret Service or something.
The gaming was good to us. In very limited action, I doubled my money. I didn't start with a lot, so don't get too excited about that statement. Let's just say I don't have a problem when it comes to gambling. The coolest scenario was at Red Rocks Casino, where they have digital screens to keep track of your money and total up your cards for you. It's great because I don't have to try to add my total to figure out how to proceed. Then I can hit or stand all at the touch of a button.
This is me outside my favorite place in all of Vegas - New York, New York!
The sights were tremendous! We had a great view of my favorite place on the strip - New York, New York! The food was also great! We went to Ellis Island Casino - they have this great special - 10oz steak, vegetable, mashed potato, salad, and a beer or pop of your choice for 7.99! You'd think by the price that the quality is lacking, but this was one of the best steaks I've ever had! We toured around many of the casinos. The coolest thing I saw was a Lion exhibit inside MGM Grand! That was pretty awesome! The worst part of the trip, for many reasons, was the flight back. I hate leaving Vegas because that means I have to get back to the real world.
As for this picture - You're probably thinking that I grabbed this stuff off a shelf in a store to pose for this picture. Sadly, I actually own the glasses and the vegas beads. Stay classy!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Vacation in Orlando
July 2 - We went to pick up my parents from the airport. Up until this point the trip was wonderful. That sounds funny, but I don't mean that against my parents in any way. We had not hit any toll roads or excessive traffic, so it was awesome! As soon as we picked up my parents we hit so many tolls that I swear we financed their next road project. We immediately went over to Celebration, Florida, which, as I understand it, was formerly owned by Disney. In any event, it was beautiful there! We ate lunch at one of the lakeside shops in the village and walked around from shop to shop. We found a dog bakery and bought some 4th of July treats for Sammie and then found a shop that was selling $5 4th of July shirts with Celebration, Florida on them. We each chose a different design. Our goal was to come back to Celebration for the fireworks display on Monday so we walked around to see where the best area was to see the fireworks.
After some time, we drove down to the church that was near Celebration and went to Mass. It was a nice church, which seemed to be brand new. After this, we went to a local Italian restaurant back in Kissimee to celebrate our anniversary. It was an ok establishment, but not great. The food was fine, but it was more of a greasy spoon, than an elegant restaurant. Personally, I'm glad that I forgot the name because I won't be going there again. We went to Publix then and got a cake to celebrate and went back to our condo to have cake and coffee and open presents. Jill got a computer for her anniversary gift, Dad got a 40th anniversary Buffalo Sabres photo book, Mom got a Keurig K-Cup storage drawer, some K-cups, and a gift card to a massage parlor. Mom and Dad were having birthdays, so that is why they were getting gifts. I had gotten my gift before we left, so that is why I did not get a gift that day.
July 3 - This day, we planned to drive to see Jill's mom. She lives just south of Tampa, so all in all we were traversing the whole state. We got on Interstate 4 and (some would say predictably) there was a furniture truck about 1/4 of a mile in front of us that caught on fire. The whole highway shut down as police cars and fire engines zoomed by us. Everyone shut off their cars and began walking around to see what was going on, including Jill. There was a car next to us with a long-haired dark skinned man, who we referred to as Lenny Kravitz, and then another guy who seemed to be following him around giving directions, who we referred to as "The Manager". Lenny and The Manager popped the trunk of their car and began to set up for a picnic, including bottles of pop and snacks. We turned off the car for a period of time, and then realizing how foolish this was in the Florida heat and humidity turned it back on so that we could run the A/C. After a couple of hours, we finally were able to get moving, just as The Manager finished his Mountain Dew. We made it to see Jill's mom around 4:00 and then had dinner with her mom and grandfather, who lives next door to Jill's mom. We talked for awhile and had a nice dessert, then got back in the car and drove back to our resort without incident. It's funny, but when you go to see relatives, it almost always involves a meal and talking. There isn't any going out, or big event. It's always something lazy.
July 4 - This was our most active day on the trip, and also one of the more frustrating. After breakfast we drove down to Disney Marketplace and walked through the communities surrounding it, as well as all of the shops. We took the small tourist boat to get from one end to the other and I couldn't help thinking when we were in the middle of the lake that the bars/clubs around this area must gain a lot of attention after hours. My parents bought my newphews some Mickey Mouse bobbleheads and we took a shuttle bus, then a skytram around to visit all of the theme parks. We didn't go in any of them. We were just checking everything out.After our experience with the traffic yesterday, we decided that traveling to Celebration to see the Fireworks would not be a good idea. There was one main access road to let people in and out of the area and the section of Celebration where the Fireworks were going off was deep into the community, so we probably would be sitting in traffic for quite some time. We decided to go to get some pizza from Pizza Hut and bring it back to our condo and watch the Fireworks from our screened in porch. What a great decision that was! We had a tremedous view of the area as well as 3-4 sets of fireworks. The only thing we missed out on was music, but it was a great night. We had some more anniversay/birthday cake and all-in-all called it a great night. One of the big things that we were trying to figure out is where I could find a whimsical themed picture frame that read "Orlando". There were several that were "Disney World" themed, but I didn't want one of those because we weren't going to Disney and I preferred to have a themed frame from the area instead of a theme park. This would prove to be very challenging.
July 5 - We started off the day by going to have breakfast at Bob Evans. This is one of my Mom's favorite places to have breakfast. We started off the day by going to the various Flea Market/Premium Outlet Malls that were in the area. We walked around those for some time, with the majority of the experience being to distract my dad from buying overpriced junk. We continued to look for the elusive frame, without luck. Other than a free key chain that Jill got, neither her nor I made a purchase. My dad bought a pair of aviator sunglasses "Pull 'er over" and some socks. Apparently they don't sell those in New York. I actually think the real reason was that he forgot to pack any and was looking for a store and figured he could get a better deal at this Flea Market, but the booth owners seemed to be doing some shady math. After walking the Premium Outlets, we went back to the condo and decided to hit the pool. Amazingly, we had been in Orlando for over 4 days and this was the first time we were in the water. There was a blow up ball and the 4 of us played a game of how many times we could hit the ball before it hit the ground. Our record was 66. After some time, we went back to the room and got ready for dinner. That night, we went to eat at Don Pablo's Mexican Restaurant. It was so good! Jill got 2 gigantic Margaritas that must have put into orbit. Both of us had bottomless tacos. That night, we went back home and immediately hit the treadmill, before relaxing on the screened in porch.
July 6 - We woke up and decided to make this a longer pool day. My dad scouted out the pool and noticed that there was a section of chairs that was almost entirely shaded by trees. We staked out these chairs and literally spent hours there. Jill and I resumed our blow up ball hitting contest and set a 2 person record of 76. That night we went to have dinner at The Melting Pot. This is one of our favorite restaurants. My parents especially love the chocolate fondue at the end. My only complaint is that I wish there was a bottomless plate of stuff to dunk in the chocolate. This was our first encounter with awful traffic. We literally sat in traffic for about an hour. That put a damper on the whole evening. Once we got to The Melting Pot, it was great, but the traffic would be the story for the next 3 days. After eating there, which is more of an experience rather than a meal, we returned to our condo and went for a walk before unwinding with the Yankee game.
July 7 - We started off with breakfast at Perkins. This is one of my favorite restaurants. One time, when I was at St. Bonaventure, I walked to Perkins with my friends and while in was in the Perkins, the temperature dropped some 20-30 degrees and it began snowing. The cup of pop that I stole from there was completely frozen solid by the time that I walked home, as was I with my shorts on. After Perkins we drove to Historic Kissimmee and walked around the downtown area. There was an interesting Farmer's Market set up where a guy was playing musical instruments in ungodly heat. The antique shops must have thought that air conditioning was too modern for them because they were all using fans. I could do all of those people a favor by taking a well lit match to that place. After walking around there, we went back to the pool and promptly got rained on. It was so refreshing though that we stayed in the water. It was not lightning, so there was no risk. That night we went to dinner at Bonefish Grill. At this point, the rain was torential and traffic was absurd. I was struggling to think of 2 days in my life where I had encountered traffic this bad. After a great meal at Bonefish, we went back to the condo and had dessert and coffee before going for a walk.
July 8 - We were fighting the clock with a lot of food in our condo as this was our last full day and we still had a lot of food to eat, so we had a gigantic breakfast at home, then my parents went to the pool, while I stayed behind to watch the shuttle launch. I took stock of this momentus occasion by taking a picture of the television screen with my cell phone as the shuttle was taking off. After this, I walked down to the pool. We were all pretty baked at this point, so dad was physically moving around as many umbrellas as possible to block the sun from us. We noticed just about everyone at this resort was of English decent so our running joke was that we were sitting next to "Cheerio" or "these lads were walking by us". It was pretty funny because my dad would not whisper these phrases. After a few hours at the pool, we went to the Florida Mall and walked around. Dinner was low-key at Ruby Tuesdays and of course traffic was again an issue. They really need to figure that out, especially with as many roads as they have, you would think there would be a way to thin things out, but I guess not. We stopped off for some ice cream/Slurpees, and then went home and began to pack.
July 9 - This was a sad day, because our trip was over. We were going to drive home in one day, so we had to check out, have breakfast/brunch and then leave. We dropped my parents off at the airport around 11, and then met up with Jill's mom and grandfather around 2 to drive back home. It was very stormy that day as we drove by the coast of Florida and into Georgia. By the time we got home, it was around 9:30 and I was very glad because Jill and her grandfather were in the car in front of me and I was driving by myself with nothing but Pearl Jam to keep me company. Once we dropped off Jill's grandfather, we had to drive another 30 minutes to pick up Sammie. I was completely exhausted by that point, probably looking like death warmed over. By the time we got into our neighborhood, I was never more happy to see our house.
After some time, we drove down to the church that was near Celebration and went to Mass. It was a nice church, which seemed to be brand new. After this, we went to a local Italian restaurant back in Kissimee to celebrate our anniversary. It was an ok establishment, but not great. The food was fine, but it was more of a greasy spoon, than an elegant restaurant. Personally, I'm glad that I forgot the name because I won't be going there again. We went to Publix then and got a cake to celebrate and went back to our condo to have cake and coffee and open presents. Jill got a computer for her anniversary gift, Dad got a 40th anniversary Buffalo Sabres photo book, Mom got a Keurig K-Cup storage drawer, some K-cups, and a gift card to a massage parlor. Mom and Dad were having birthdays, so that is why they were getting gifts. I had gotten my gift before we left, so that is why I did not get a gift that day.
July 3 - This day, we planned to drive to see Jill's mom. She lives just south of Tampa, so all in all we were traversing the whole state. We got on Interstate 4 and (some would say predictably) there was a furniture truck about 1/4 of a mile in front of us that caught on fire. The whole highway shut down as police cars and fire engines zoomed by us. Everyone shut off their cars and began walking around to see what was going on, including Jill. There was a car next to us with a long-haired dark skinned man, who we referred to as Lenny Kravitz, and then another guy who seemed to be following him around giving directions, who we referred to as "The Manager". Lenny and The Manager popped the trunk of their car and began to set up for a picnic, including bottles of pop and snacks. We turned off the car for a period of time, and then realizing how foolish this was in the Florida heat and humidity turned it back on so that we could run the A/C. After a couple of hours, we finally were able to get moving, just as The Manager finished his Mountain Dew. We made it to see Jill's mom around 4:00 and then had dinner with her mom and grandfather, who lives next door to Jill's mom. We talked for awhile and had a nice dessert, then got back in the car and drove back to our resort without incident. It's funny, but when you go to see relatives, it almost always involves a meal and talking. There isn't any going out, or big event. It's always something lazy.
July 4 - This was our most active day on the trip, and also one of the more frustrating. After breakfast we drove down to Disney Marketplace and walked through the communities surrounding it, as well as all of the shops. We took the small tourist boat to get from one end to the other and I couldn't help thinking when we were in the middle of the lake that the bars/clubs around this area must gain a lot of attention after hours. My parents bought my newphews some Mickey Mouse bobbleheads and we took a shuttle bus, then a skytram around to visit all of the theme parks. We didn't go in any of them. We were just checking everything out.After our experience with the traffic yesterday, we decided that traveling to Celebration to see the Fireworks would not be a good idea. There was one main access road to let people in and out of the area and the section of Celebration where the Fireworks were going off was deep into the community, so we probably would be sitting in traffic for quite some time. We decided to go to get some pizza from Pizza Hut and bring it back to our condo and watch the Fireworks from our screened in porch. What a great decision that was! We had a tremedous view of the area as well as 3-4 sets of fireworks. The only thing we missed out on was music, but it was a great night. We had some more anniversay/birthday cake and all-in-all called it a great night. One of the big things that we were trying to figure out is where I could find a whimsical themed picture frame that read "Orlando". There were several that were "Disney World" themed, but I didn't want one of those because we weren't going to Disney and I preferred to have a themed frame from the area instead of a theme park. This would prove to be very challenging.
July 5 - We started off the day by going to have breakfast at Bob Evans. This is one of my Mom's favorite places to have breakfast. We started off the day by going to the various Flea Market/Premium Outlet Malls that were in the area. We walked around those for some time, with the majority of the experience being to distract my dad from buying overpriced junk. We continued to look for the elusive frame, without luck. Other than a free key chain that Jill got, neither her nor I made a purchase. My dad bought a pair of aviator sunglasses "Pull 'er over" and some socks. Apparently they don't sell those in New York. I actually think the real reason was that he forgot to pack any and was looking for a store and figured he could get a better deal at this Flea Market, but the booth owners seemed to be doing some shady math. After walking the Premium Outlets, we went back to the condo and decided to hit the pool. Amazingly, we had been in Orlando for over 4 days and this was the first time we were in the water. There was a blow up ball and the 4 of us played a game of how many times we could hit the ball before it hit the ground. Our record was 66. After some time, we went back to the room and got ready for dinner. That night, we went to eat at Don Pablo's Mexican Restaurant. It was so good! Jill got 2 gigantic Margaritas that must have put into orbit. Both of us had bottomless tacos. That night, we went back home and immediately hit the treadmill, before relaxing on the screened in porch.
July 6 - We woke up and decided to make this a longer pool day. My dad scouted out the pool and noticed that there was a section of chairs that was almost entirely shaded by trees. We staked out these chairs and literally spent hours there. Jill and I resumed our blow up ball hitting contest and set a 2 person record of 76. That night we went to have dinner at The Melting Pot. This is one of our favorite restaurants. My parents especially love the chocolate fondue at the end. My only complaint is that I wish there was a bottomless plate of stuff to dunk in the chocolate. This was our first encounter with awful traffic. We literally sat in traffic for about an hour. That put a damper on the whole evening. Once we got to The Melting Pot, it was great, but the traffic would be the story for the next 3 days. After eating there, which is more of an experience rather than a meal, we returned to our condo and went for a walk before unwinding with the Yankee game.
July 7 - We started off with breakfast at Perkins. This is one of my favorite restaurants. One time, when I was at St. Bonaventure, I walked to Perkins with my friends and while in was in the Perkins, the temperature dropped some 20-30 degrees and it began snowing. The cup of pop that I stole from there was completely frozen solid by the time that I walked home, as was I with my shorts on. After Perkins we drove to Historic Kissimmee and walked around the downtown area. There was an interesting Farmer's Market set up where a guy was playing musical instruments in ungodly heat. The antique shops must have thought that air conditioning was too modern for them because they were all using fans. I could do all of those people a favor by taking a well lit match to that place. After walking around there, we went back to the pool and promptly got rained on. It was so refreshing though that we stayed in the water. It was not lightning, so there was no risk. That night we went to dinner at Bonefish Grill. At this point, the rain was torential and traffic was absurd. I was struggling to think of 2 days in my life where I had encountered traffic this bad. After a great meal at Bonefish, we went back to the condo and had dessert and coffee before going for a walk.
July 8 - We were fighting the clock with a lot of food in our condo as this was our last full day and we still had a lot of food to eat, so we had a gigantic breakfast at home, then my parents went to the pool, while I stayed behind to watch the shuttle launch. I took stock of this momentus occasion by taking a picture of the television screen with my cell phone as the shuttle was taking off. After this, I walked down to the pool. We were all pretty baked at this point, so dad was physically moving around as many umbrellas as possible to block the sun from us. We noticed just about everyone at this resort was of English decent so our running joke was that we were sitting next to "Cheerio" or "these lads were walking by us". It was pretty funny because my dad would not whisper these phrases. After a few hours at the pool, we went to the Florida Mall and walked around. Dinner was low-key at Ruby Tuesdays and of course traffic was again an issue. They really need to figure that out, especially with as many roads as they have, you would think there would be a way to thin things out, but I guess not. We stopped off for some ice cream/Slurpees, and then went home and began to pack.
July 9 - This was a sad day, because our trip was over. We were going to drive home in one day, so we had to check out, have breakfast/brunch and then leave. We dropped my parents off at the airport around 11, and then met up with Jill's mom and grandfather around 2 to drive back home. It was very stormy that day as we drove by the coast of Florida and into Georgia. By the time we got home, it was around 9:30 and I was very glad because Jill and her grandfather were in the car in front of me and I was driving by myself with nothing but Pearl Jam to keep me company. Once we dropped off Jill's grandfather, we had to drive another 30 minutes to pick up Sammie. I was completely exhausted by that point, probably looking like death warmed over. By the time we got into our neighborhood, I was never more happy to see our house.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Summer of Jeff - July Update
Summer of Jeff is continuing.
I just got back from an AwEsOmE vacation in Orlando. Surprisingly, there weren't a lot of people down there. We did not hit up any of the theme parks though, so that could be a reason why. Now, don't get me wrong. The traffic is off the hook. The reason for that is the traffic lights are not even close to being coordinated. You'll go through the first light, and then the second light will be red. In addition to this, the second light will be about 500 feet past the first, so the traffic backs up through the original light. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that it took us several cycles to get through both of the lights. To travel 8 miles one day, it took us an hour and a half. I cannot emphasize enough that there wasn't a lot of traffic and we had to endure these lurid driving conditions. Another problem when driving in Orlando is that you can get psyched out by the toll roads. You want to avoid the toll roads, because taking them can get costly. However, if you don't travel on the 75 cent toll road, you might drive an extra 15-20 minutes to get to the same point. With gas hovering around 3.49 a gallon, you can easily save money by taking the toll road. Too bad I didn't think about this before we drove all over creation. HA HA....right....
The best part of the trip was that I got to just relax. I spent a lot of time by the pool at our resort. It was great because the pool was not chlorinated. It was salt water, which normally I don't like, but this wasn't the same salt to water ratio as the ocean. It was far less. So, the salt didn't bother me at all.
Want to go to Orlando and save some cash on lodging? My advice is to go to Vacation Rentals by Owner. You can google that and it will take you to the website. I believe that it's http://www.vrbo.com/ or something similar to that. We were looking at paying over $2000 for lodging before going to VRBO. Once we contacted a few places on their website, we ended up paying right around $1100. The best part is that we didn't get some rinky-dink hotel room. We got a 3 bedroom condo with a kitchen and all the pots, pans, utensils, and the like.
One thing I didn't like about Orlando was that I had to leave so soon. I came back home and the temperature was much higher than it was in Florida. Plus there was the whole "End of Vacation" thing. All-in-all, it was a terrific vacation. We came back to some great tile work in our sunroom! Now our entire downstairs is lineolium free! That has to be the cheapest flooring ever. I'm so glad to be done with that starter flooring.
I just got back from an AwEsOmE vacation in Orlando. Surprisingly, there weren't a lot of people down there. We did not hit up any of the theme parks though, so that could be a reason why. Now, don't get me wrong. The traffic is off the hook. The reason for that is the traffic lights are not even close to being coordinated. You'll go through the first light, and then the second light will be red. In addition to this, the second light will be about 500 feet past the first, so the traffic backs up through the original light. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that it took us several cycles to get through both of the lights. To travel 8 miles one day, it took us an hour and a half. I cannot emphasize enough that there wasn't a lot of traffic and we had to endure these lurid driving conditions. Another problem when driving in Orlando is that you can get psyched out by the toll roads. You want to avoid the toll roads, because taking them can get costly. However, if you don't travel on the 75 cent toll road, you might drive an extra 15-20 minutes to get to the same point. With gas hovering around 3.49 a gallon, you can easily save money by taking the toll road. Too bad I didn't think about this before we drove all over creation. HA HA....right....
The best part of the trip was that I got to just relax. I spent a lot of time by the pool at our resort. It was great because the pool was not chlorinated. It was salt water, which normally I don't like, but this wasn't the same salt to water ratio as the ocean. It was far less. So, the salt didn't bother me at all.
Want to go to Orlando and save some cash on lodging? My advice is to go to Vacation Rentals by Owner. You can google that and it will take you to the website. I believe that it's http://www.vrbo.com/ or something similar to that. We were looking at paying over $2000 for lodging before going to VRBO. Once we contacted a few places on their website, we ended up paying right around $1100. The best part is that we didn't get some rinky-dink hotel room. We got a 3 bedroom condo with a kitchen and all the pots, pans, utensils, and the like.
One thing I didn't like about Orlando was that I had to leave so soon. I came back home and the temperature was much higher than it was in Florida. Plus there was the whole "End of Vacation" thing. All-in-all, it was a terrific vacation. We came back to some great tile work in our sunroom! Now our entire downstairs is lineolium free! That has to be the cheapest flooring ever. I'm so glad to be done with that starter flooring.
Monday, February 14, 2011
FIELD TRIP ~ HOLLA!!!!!!
Over the past couple of years I've been fortunate to visit a number of places on vacation. Here's my list of the BEST OF THE BEST!
1. Stone Mountain - near Atlanta, Georgia - Not really for the faint at heart. This climb was both exhilarating and steep. Pretty sure that I have never climbed up a mountain that was as steep. The view at the top was breathtaking, as was the $15 for 2 gatorades and a snack in the food shop at the top. Hey, sometimes the lessons are easier to apply than others.
2. Las Vegas - The strip was easily the most exciting place we visited. We stayed at Bill's Gamblin Hall, which sounds sketchy, but it was pretty nice and the price/location can't be beat. Seriously, we are right across the street from Cesar's and if you look carefully in the scene from "What Happens In Vegas", with Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz where they are sitting down to eat/have a drink, you can see our place in the background right next to The Flamingo. It was a blast! We walked a lot. If it's people watching you're interested in, then the slice of life you'll find in Vegas will easily top even the busiest airport as far as the melting pot that you'll see. If you take a cab from the airport, be sure to tell them not to take the tunnel or you'll be taken for a ride *wallet emptying style*
3. Zaloos Canoes - Jefferson, NC - This trip we try to take once a year. When the temps soar in the Piedmont of NC, they are very reasonable in the mountains. We pack a cooler with food/drinks and plow into a canoe where we paddle out of sight and let the picnic begin. This is not Little House on the Prarie style. We literally lay and drift down the New River until we have the "Oh Crap" moment when we realize that we have to paddle our hearts out oDr we'll miss what inevitably becomes the last pick up of the day.
4. Spoleto Festival - Charleston, NC - WHAT A BLAST! There is so much to see and do here. This is an arts festival that begins with Memorial Day weekend each year and runs for a couple of weeks. The best part is that this usually falls before the humidity goes ApeCrap in Charleston so you can traverse the entire city without feeling too uncomfortable. One of my favorite places to eat is Bubba Gump's near the city market. Sure, it's a chain, but there's nothing like eating outside on the sidewalk while watching all of the action on Market Street.
5. Dallas, TX - You could literally have a great time just walking around the airport with all of the shops and bars. Here's a tip that I learned on my second visit, which was just a layover - ALL the airport shops close around 10-11, so if you get in any later than that, you're screwed. Otherwise, pull out your credit card and start walking because there is so much to see. Once into the city, the historical significance is all over the place. We drove along the path that Kennedy took when he was assassinated. No visit should be considered complete without a visit to see Cowboys Stadium at Arlington. The tour will set you back around $15 and is well worth it. During my visit, we actually got to go onto the field while the Cowboys were practicing. That was AWESOME!!! You don't have to be a Cowboys fan to appreciate this masterpiece of a stadium.
6. Myrtle Beach - Do yourself a favor and head to North Myrtle where you can avoid the puke/urination fests that plague the downtown area. All you have to do is walk around the downtown area and the smell of urine will be in the air. There will be plenty of souvenir shops with cheap, bright pieces of junk. There is one worth catching although the name is a little off. The Gay Dolphin is a souvenir shop and judging by the condition of the store, it appears that this place was around for a long enough time where no one thought the term "Gay" referred to sexuality. They've easily packed double the inventory that you would expect per square footage in this location. North Myrtle on the other hand is a lot of fun! There aren't people tripping over themselves in drunken stupors or the like. You'll have to head downtown if you're looking for that. We rented a condo across the street from the beach and literally hung out there. There is plenty to do as far as places to eat/shop/walk, etc. The beach makes the whole experience worthwhile though.
1. Stone Mountain - near Atlanta, Georgia - Not really for the faint at heart. This climb was both exhilarating and steep. Pretty sure that I have never climbed up a mountain that was as steep. The view at the top was breathtaking, as was the $15 for 2 gatorades and a snack in the food shop at the top. Hey, sometimes the lessons are easier to apply than others.
2. Las Vegas - The strip was easily the most exciting place we visited. We stayed at Bill's Gamblin Hall, which sounds sketchy, but it was pretty nice and the price/location can't be beat. Seriously, we are right across the street from Cesar's and if you look carefully in the scene from "What Happens In Vegas", with Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz where they are sitting down to eat/have a drink, you can see our place in the background right next to The Flamingo. It was a blast! We walked a lot. If it's people watching you're interested in, then the slice of life you'll find in Vegas will easily top even the busiest airport as far as the melting pot that you'll see. If you take a cab from the airport, be sure to tell them not to take the tunnel or you'll be taken for a ride *wallet emptying style*
3. Zaloos Canoes - Jefferson, NC - This trip we try to take once a year. When the temps soar in the Piedmont of NC, they are very reasonable in the mountains. We pack a cooler with food/drinks and plow into a canoe where we paddle out of sight and let the picnic begin. This is not Little House on the Prarie style. We literally lay and drift down the New River until we have the "Oh Crap" moment when we realize that we have to paddle our hearts out oDr we'll miss what inevitably becomes the last pick up of the day.
4. Spoleto Festival - Charleston, NC - WHAT A BLAST! There is so much to see and do here. This is an arts festival that begins with Memorial Day weekend each year and runs for a couple of weeks. The best part is that this usually falls before the humidity goes ApeCrap in Charleston so you can traverse the entire city without feeling too uncomfortable. One of my favorite places to eat is Bubba Gump's near the city market. Sure, it's a chain, but there's nothing like eating outside on the sidewalk while watching all of the action on Market Street.
5. Dallas, TX - You could literally have a great time just walking around the airport with all of the shops and bars. Here's a tip that I learned on my second visit, which was just a layover - ALL the airport shops close around 10-11, so if you get in any later than that, you're screwed. Otherwise, pull out your credit card and start walking because there is so much to see. Once into the city, the historical significance is all over the place. We drove along the path that Kennedy took when he was assassinated. No visit should be considered complete without a visit to see Cowboys Stadium at Arlington. The tour will set you back around $15 and is well worth it. During my visit, we actually got to go onto the field while the Cowboys were practicing. That was AWESOME!!! You don't have to be a Cowboys fan to appreciate this masterpiece of a stadium.
6. Myrtle Beach - Do yourself a favor and head to North Myrtle where you can avoid the puke/urination fests that plague the downtown area. All you have to do is walk around the downtown area and the smell of urine will be in the air. There will be plenty of souvenir shops with cheap, bright pieces of junk. There is one worth catching although the name is a little off. The Gay Dolphin is a souvenir shop and judging by the condition of the store, it appears that this place was around for a long enough time where no one thought the term "Gay" referred to sexuality. They've easily packed double the inventory that you would expect per square footage in this location. North Myrtle on the other hand is a lot of fun! There aren't people tripping over themselves in drunken stupors or the like. You'll have to head downtown if you're looking for that. We rented a condo across the street from the beach and literally hung out there. There is plenty to do as far as places to eat/shop/walk, etc. The beach makes the whole experience worthwhile though.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
The weather here has been horrible lately. Allow me to recap my past few days.
Last weekend, Jill and I flew to Miami to see the Dolphins beat the Patriots. It was so awesome, mainly because we could relax and the weather was wonderful. We were down there until Monday. The thrill of the entire weekend for me was that Joe Perry played the pregame show outside of the stadium.
Side note here - I hate the Dolphins and the Patriots, but this was a present for my wife, so I'm glad to go and see here have fun. One thing that the Dolphins do better than anyone is create a party atmosphere outside and inside their stadium. There is music, 2 dollar beers, games, and inexpensive food. Both times that we've gone we've had such a great time. I've been to 3 Jets games and the atmosphere sucks, there is nothing outside of the stadium to get excited about and everyone is cynical.
The concert was really good. I actually think that I want his new CD. I think his new band is The Joe Perry Experience. The music was great. One thing that puzzled me was that Joe Perry was wearing a scarf and a leather jacket that was buttoned up. It had to be at least 80 degrees, and I was sweating like crazy. The person in front of me had sweat visably dripping from their calf. How on earth was he performing with this jacket and scarf on like it was 20 degrees out. I was getting ready to pass out just looking at him. I cannot tell you how hot I was just listening to the music and the only thing I was doing was moving around like a white guy.
The game was a good one. The Patriots got out to a 2 TD lead early and it was at that time that I noticed that the tickets I got Jill were in Patriotville. There were tons of Pats fans around us, gloating, and carrying on. By the end of the game, when Miami took the lead and then held on, it looked like a morgue around us. Everyone in our row was sitting with their heads down, dejected. Jill tried to take a picture, but they ran for the exits too quickly.
So, Tuesday, I flew to Dallas to see "Dana from Dallas".
The back story is that when Dana came to Charlotte a few years ago, he became the bartender and every time someone walked in he was like "Hi! I'm Dana from Dallas, here's a drink..." So, now everyone that was at that party refers to him as Dana from Dallas.
During my visit, we went and visited some sights, the most significant being the Dallas Cowboys new stadium. Now Dana doesn't care a lick about sports, but he loved looking at the structure of the stadium. We also toured the area around the stadium. Six Flags is right there, along with The Ballpark at Arlington.
On Saturday I came back to Charlotte and, believe it or not, from the time I left Miami I have not experienced temperatures above the 40s. I suppose next year I'm going to have to go to the Equator or something.
Last weekend, Jill and I flew to Miami to see the Dolphins beat the Patriots. It was so awesome, mainly because we could relax and the weather was wonderful. We were down there until Monday. The thrill of the entire weekend for me was that Joe Perry played the pregame show outside of the stadium.
Side note here - I hate the Dolphins and the Patriots, but this was a present for my wife, so I'm glad to go and see here have fun. One thing that the Dolphins do better than anyone is create a party atmosphere outside and inside their stadium. There is music, 2 dollar beers, games, and inexpensive food. Both times that we've gone we've had such a great time. I've been to 3 Jets games and the atmosphere sucks, there is nothing outside of the stadium to get excited about and everyone is cynical.
The concert was really good. I actually think that I want his new CD. I think his new band is The Joe Perry Experience. The music was great. One thing that puzzled me was that Joe Perry was wearing a scarf and a leather jacket that was buttoned up. It had to be at least 80 degrees, and I was sweating like crazy. The person in front of me had sweat visably dripping from their calf. How on earth was he performing with this jacket and scarf on like it was 20 degrees out. I was getting ready to pass out just looking at him. I cannot tell you how hot I was just listening to the music and the only thing I was doing was moving around like a white guy.
The game was a good one. The Patriots got out to a 2 TD lead early and it was at that time that I noticed that the tickets I got Jill were in Patriotville. There were tons of Pats fans around us, gloating, and carrying on. By the end of the game, when Miami took the lead and then held on, it looked like a morgue around us. Everyone in our row was sitting with their heads down, dejected. Jill tried to take a picture, but they ran for the exits too quickly.
So, Tuesday, I flew to Dallas to see "Dana from Dallas".
The back story is that when Dana came to Charlotte a few years ago, he became the bartender and every time someone walked in he was like "Hi! I'm Dana from Dallas, here's a drink..." So, now everyone that was at that party refers to him as Dana from Dallas.
During my visit, we went and visited some sights, the most significant being the Dallas Cowboys new stadium. Now Dana doesn't care a lick about sports, but he loved looking at the structure of the stadium. We also toured the area around the stadium. Six Flags is right there, along with The Ballpark at Arlington.
On Saturday I came back to Charlotte and, believe it or not, from the time I left Miami I have not experienced temperatures above the 40s. I suppose next year I'm going to have to go to the Equator or something.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Dallas
When you go on vacation to a southern city, you really don't plan on packing sweatshirts, heavy coats and the like, but that is exactly what I had to do when coming to Dallas for this week. The temperature this morning was 26 here. I believe that it's supposed to get up to 45, but man is that cold. I think that I read somewhere that when I return to Charlotte there's going to be snow flurries. Man, I can't get away from that stuff.
Many people I talk to say that they love snow and can't wait to see some flakes. I'm completely the opposite. Being from up north, I've had quite enough of the white stuff. I remember days where the snow was so high it was over my head, but we still had to go to school. In Charlotte, they get a couple of inches and everyone drives like they've lost their minds. Most of the roads are icy messes, but still people drive with reckless abandon.
So, yesterday, I went out to eat and did some sightseeing, which was fun. There is a lot to see down here. It's similar to Charlotte in that everything is new and there is construction in many places. Right now, I'm sitting in a Barnes and Noble that, most likely, didn't exist 2 years ago.
So, speaking of the B and N. I'm here to work on my book. Yes, I know. The book that was supposed to be finished by summer. I've gotten to the point where it stinks so much that I don't know what to do with it. It's so long that it's hard for me to go back to revise because it's like a never ending process. It's almost better for me to keep forging ahead and then when I'm finished revise the entire thing at that time. That is a daunting task, but it seems more practical to me than if I go back and rework what I've done and then continue writing. ERRRRRR, what to do, what to do....
Many people I talk to say that they love snow and can't wait to see some flakes. I'm completely the opposite. Being from up north, I've had quite enough of the white stuff. I remember days where the snow was so high it was over my head, but we still had to go to school. In Charlotte, they get a couple of inches and everyone drives like they've lost their minds. Most of the roads are icy messes, but still people drive with reckless abandon.
So, yesterday, I went out to eat and did some sightseeing, which was fun. There is a lot to see down here. It's similar to Charlotte in that everything is new and there is construction in many places. Right now, I'm sitting in a Barnes and Noble that, most likely, didn't exist 2 years ago.
So, speaking of the B and N. I'm here to work on my book. Yes, I know. The book that was supposed to be finished by summer. I've gotten to the point where it stinks so much that I don't know what to do with it. It's so long that it's hard for me to go back to revise because it's like a never ending process. It's almost better for me to keep forging ahead and then when I'm finished revise the entire thing at that time. That is a daunting task, but it seems more practical to me than if I go back and rework what I've done and then continue writing. ERRRRRR, what to do, what to do....
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Miami
Jill and I went to Miami this weekend for the Dolphins-Patriots game. It was such a great time! The weather was wonderful and the game was a lot of fun too! Jill was happy because the Dolphins won. I didn't care about the outcome. Both teams are enemies of the Jets, so I was just hoping that it was going to be a good game.
Our hotel was really nice. I highly recommend if you are ever staying on Hollywood Blvd. in Florida to stay at the Quality Inn that lies between 50th and 48th. The hotel was recently renovated, very clean, and the continental breakfast was very good! The thing that we love about Choice Hotels, of which the Quality Inn is one, is that the rates are moderate and you get the same type of room no matter what city you stay in.
I bought a new Air Hockey Table on the day after Thanksgiving and it was delivered right before we left for Miami, so I'm really excited to put it together. I've been wanting one for years and now it's finally here!
Our hotel was really nice. I highly recommend if you are ever staying on Hollywood Blvd. in Florida to stay at the Quality Inn that lies between 50th and 48th. The hotel was recently renovated, very clean, and the continental breakfast was very good! The thing that we love about Choice Hotels, of which the Quality Inn is one, is that the rates are moderate and you get the same type of room no matter what city you stay in.
I bought a new Air Hockey Table on the day after Thanksgiving and it was delivered right before we left for Miami, so I'm really excited to put it together. I've been wanting one for years and now it's finally here!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
En Fuego!
What's the best way to spend a vacation? Stay home and relax, or go somewhere on a trip? If you want, post your answer.
Here's the recap of my vacation over Thanksgiving.
Ok, so I'm back from my trip up north. Here's my greatest accomplishment. Jill and I went jogging around the reservoir, which is like 8 miles, and then we walked 8 miles back. Not a personal record, but still a lot. I'm not thinking of joining a marathon or something, it was just something that I always wanted to do. It takes a long time though and it's so windy that you can barely take it, especially considering that we ran it 3 days before Thanksgiving and it was freezing up there.
After that, we chilled with my friend Mel down at Bonnies and then went onto see the rents. On the day before Thanksgiving, we went to NYC and walked around Times Square. That was a lot of fun. I don't even want to look at my credit card bill. I almost forgot! We went to eat out twice and both times the bill was like 200 bucks. I mean, it was worth it because we took some friends out and grandma and jack out, but still, we're going to be washing dishes to pay this one off.
Funny story - at one point, we were going to the store to get a jersey for me (guess which team) and we had to pay a toll. Mom is digging for change and I tell her to get rid of some of her pennies. She tells me that I'm out of my mind because where she lives if you try to give them pennies, they'll throw them back at you and tell you to front up some real money. Ok, I guess you had to be there. The imagery of one of these guys throwing change back at the car was pretty funny though.
Here's the recap of my vacation over Thanksgiving.
Ok, so I'm back from my trip up north. Here's my greatest accomplishment. Jill and I went jogging around the reservoir, which is like 8 miles, and then we walked 8 miles back. Not a personal record, but still a lot. I'm not thinking of joining a marathon or something, it was just something that I always wanted to do. It takes a long time though and it's so windy that you can barely take it, especially considering that we ran it 3 days before Thanksgiving and it was freezing up there.
After that, we chilled with my friend Mel down at Bonnies and then went onto see the rents. On the day before Thanksgiving, we went to NYC and walked around Times Square. That was a lot of fun. I don't even want to look at my credit card bill. I almost forgot! We went to eat out twice and both times the bill was like 200 bucks. I mean, it was worth it because we took some friends out and grandma and jack out, but still, we're going to be washing dishes to pay this one off.
Funny story - at one point, we were going to the store to get a jersey for me (guess which team) and we had to pay a toll. Mom is digging for change and I tell her to get rid of some of her pennies. She tells me that I'm out of my mind because where she lives if you try to give them pennies, they'll throw them back at you and tell you to front up some real money. Ok, I guess you had to be there. The imagery of one of these guys throwing change back at the car was pretty funny though.
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