Sunday, December 31, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Shula fired
Full Story
TUSCALOOSA — Alabama football coach Mike Shula was informed of his firing by UA athletics director Mal Moore in a meeting late Sunday night at Moore's house, a source close to the situation said early today.
The source said the university is scheduling a press conference today — likely at 2 p.m. — to formally announce Shula's dismissal. The meeting will occur after Shula has a chance to address his players about his firing, which he was not able to do late Sunday night.
Thomas Murphy, posted November 28, 8:58 a.m.
---
I was really hoping they would give the guy one more year. I was sure he was going to do good things for my team.
Goodbye Coach Shula. I'm sorry to see you go.
TUSCALOOSA — Alabama football coach Mike Shula was informed of his firing by UA athletics director Mal Moore in a meeting late Sunday night at Moore's house, a source close to the situation said early today.
The source said the university is scheduling a press conference today — likely at 2 p.m. — to formally announce Shula's dismissal. The meeting will occur after Shula has a chance to address his players about his firing, which he was not able to do late Sunday night.
Thomas Murphy, posted November 28, 8:58 a.m.
---
I was really hoping they would give the guy one more year. I was sure he was going to do good things for my team.
Goodbye Coach Shula. I'm sorry to see you go.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
It's Iron Bowl Day!
The Alabama Auburn game is today at 3:30. I hope my boys play well...
I am always really homesick on this day. Being down here in Miami where I'm practically the only person that gives a damn about this game, makes me wish I was home watching with my fellow Bama fans, cheering on our Crimson Tide.
I was surprised in Sears a little while ago when I got a "Roll Tide" from a girl walking by... sure don't hear that much down here, except when I'm saying it myself. It made me smile.
ROLL TIDE...
I am always really homesick on this day. Being down here in Miami where I'm practically the only person that gives a damn about this game, makes me wish I was home watching with my fellow Bama fans, cheering on our Crimson Tide.
I was surprised in Sears a little while ago when I got a "Roll Tide" from a girl walking by... sure don't hear that much down here, except when I'm saying it myself. It made me smile.
ROLL TIDE...
Saturday, November 11, 2006
153
Yep... that's how many days until I'm back at Universal Studios with Vera and Steven.
But until then... we're getting ready for our busiest time of the year at work... Turkey Day!
After that will be Christmas and before you know it we'll be ringing in the new year!
It's hard to believe that 2006 is almost over...
After another loss last week, Alabama is facing LSU tonight.
But until then... we're getting ready for our busiest time of the year at work... Turkey Day!
After that will be Christmas and before you know it we'll be ringing in the new year!
It's hard to believe that 2006 is almost over...
After another loss last week, Alabama is facing LSU tonight.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Ok... so I'm back...
It always takes me a while to get back to updating things when I get back from home. I am always very homesick and depressed when I get back to Miami...
I spent several hours last night updating Aerosmith Island with pictures from our show in Nashville.
The Motley Crue pics are here and the Aerosmith pictures are here.
The show was GREAT, but we froze our asses off all night. It was 45 degrees in Nashville and pouring down rain. We didn't let that stop us from having the time of our lives though.
Our only complaint was that Tom Hamilton wasn't well enough to rejoin the tour yet, so it just didn't feel right without him being there.
Get well soon Tom!
I hope I get another chance to see all 5 of the Bad Boys of Boston again someday.
Let's see... Alabama had 1 win and 1 loss while I was gone... today they are playing FIU.
I always wish I am home... so I guess it's no surprise that I've already bought my plane ticket for the next trip... in April.
Let the countdown begin!
I spent several hours last night updating Aerosmith Island with pictures from our show in Nashville.
The Motley Crue pics are here and the Aerosmith pictures are here.
The show was GREAT, but we froze our asses off all night. It was 45 degrees in Nashville and pouring down rain. We didn't let that stop us from having the time of our lives though.
Our only complaint was that Tom Hamilton wasn't well enough to rejoin the tour yet, so it just didn't feel right without him being there.
Get well soon Tom!
I hope I get another chance to see all 5 of the Bad Boys of Boston again someday.
Let's see... Alabama had 1 win and 1 loss while I was gone... today they are playing FIU.
I always wish I am home... so I guess it's no surprise that I've already bought my plane ticket for the next trip... in April.
Let the countdown begin!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Friday, October 06, 2006
It's almost time...
This time next week I'll be just about 9 hours from vacation time...
I'm going home!!!
I can't wait... got lots of stuff planned. Six Flags, Aerosmith & Motley Crue, Sloss Fright Furnace...who knows what else we'll get into.
*happy dancing*
I'm going home!!!
I can't wait... got lots of stuff planned. Six Flags, Aerosmith & Motley Crue, Sloss Fright Furnace...who knows what else we'll get into.
*happy dancing*
Tyler has Hep C
Steven Tyler Reveals Hepatitis C Battle
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has revealed that he was diagnosed with hepatitis C three years ago, and recently went through 11 months of treatment.
"I've had hepatitis C for a long time, asymptomatic," Tyler tells Access Hollywood in a new interview set to air Tuesday. "And I talked to my doctor ... and he said now is the time and it's 11 months of chemotherapy. So I went on that and it about killed me."
Tyler, 58, says he's much better after undergoing the treatment. "It is nonexistent in my bloodstream as we speak, so it's one of those few miracles in doctoring where it's like a complete cure," says Tyler.
Hepatitis C is a liver disease spread by contact with the blood of an infected person, according to the Web site for the Centers for Disease Control. Many people who have hepatitis C show no symptoms of the disease.
Tyler also says the treatments, which included taking the drug interferon, were hard in his marriage to his wife of 17 years, Teresa, whom he split from earlier this year.
"I had a little problem at home, to say the least," he says. "I would run upstairs at night, you know, to put the kids asleep and wake up at 3 in the morning with a nosebleed you know, just passed out from the interferon, the treatment."
After keeping quiet about the disease for so long, Tyler says he'd like to share his knowledge about it with others.
"I may go on Oprah and talk about this," he says. "I mean you know it's just one of those things... it's one of those things people don't speak about it, but it is treatable."
In March Tyler announced he planned to undergo surgery for an undisclosed medical condition, which forced Aerosmith to cancel its remaining tour dates. At the time, his rep said that doctors had advised the singer "not to continue performing to give his voice time to recover."
People.AOL.com
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has revealed that he was diagnosed with hepatitis C three years ago, and recently went through 11 months of treatment.
"I've had hepatitis C for a long time, asymptomatic," Tyler tells Access Hollywood in a new interview set to air Tuesday. "And I talked to my doctor ... and he said now is the time and it's 11 months of chemotherapy. So I went on that and it about killed me."
Tyler, 58, says he's much better after undergoing the treatment. "It is nonexistent in my bloodstream as we speak, so it's one of those few miracles in doctoring where it's like a complete cure," says Tyler.
Hepatitis C is a liver disease spread by contact with the blood of an infected person, according to the Web site for the Centers for Disease Control. Many people who have hepatitis C show no symptoms of the disease.
Tyler also says the treatments, which included taking the drug interferon, were hard in his marriage to his wife of 17 years, Teresa, whom he split from earlier this year.
"I had a little problem at home, to say the least," he says. "I would run upstairs at night, you know, to put the kids asleep and wake up at 3 in the morning with a nosebleed you know, just passed out from the interferon, the treatment."
After keeping quiet about the disease for so long, Tyler says he'd like to share his knowledge about it with others.
"I may go on Oprah and talk about this," he says. "I mean you know it's just one of those things... it's one of those things people don't speak about it, but it is treatable."
In March Tyler announced he planned to undergo surgery for an undisclosed medical condition, which forced Aerosmith to cancel its remaining tour dates. At the time, his rep said that doctors had advised the singer "not to continue performing to give his voice time to recover."
People.AOL.com
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Alabama 41 - Louisiana-Monroe 7
By JAY REEVES
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) John Parker Wilson threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns in Alabama's best offensive performance of the season and the Crimson Tide beat Louisiana-Monroe 41-7 on Saturday night.
Full Story
Next week: Arkansas
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) John Parker Wilson threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns in Alabama's best offensive performance of the season and the Crimson Tide beat Louisiana-Monroe 41-7 on Saturday night.
Full Story
Next week: Arkansas
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Alabama 13 - Vanderbilt 10
By JOHN ZENOR
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Freshman walk-on Leigh Tiffin hit a 47-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, lifting Alabama to a 13-10 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Next week: LA-Monroe
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Freshman walk-on Leigh Tiffin hit a 47-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, lifting Alabama to a 13-10 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Next week: LA-Monroe
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Alabama 25 - Hawaii 17
Alabama won their first game of the season last night against the University of Hawaii.
Next week: Vanderbilt
Next week: Vanderbilt
Friday, August 25, 2006
Tom Hamilton treated for cancer.
Today I found out that Tom Hamilton has just completed a seven week radiation treatment for throat cancer. He'll be missing out on the opening dates of the tour, but plans to re-join the rest of the band in mid-October.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Guess what!
The Aerosmith & Motley Crue Route of All Evil tour is making a stop in Nashville on October 19th and I'm going to be in Birmingham that VERY week!
When we first heard about this tour we decided that for Steven's fall break, instead of them coming here for Universal/Islands again, I would go there and IF there were any shows we could possibly make it to we would go. We didn't care where... we were going. Imagine our surprise when a show turned up just 175 miles away...
No tickets have been sold yet, but we're checking the Motley Crue fan club every day hoping for a pre-sale. Ticketmaster will start their sale on 8/19.
I was afraid when we first started planning this that we would end up having to drive to Chicago or somewhere... Nashville is much better.
During my high school years... when there was no Aerosmith... Motley Crue was my band. It's now been 17 years since I've been to a Crue show... my last was the year I graduated, in 1989. I didn't realize just how much I missed them until Vera and Steven started going to shows these last couple years...
When we first heard about this tour we decided that for Steven's fall break, instead of them coming here for Universal/Islands again, I would go there and IF there were any shows we could possibly make it to we would go. We didn't care where... we were going. Imagine our surprise when a show turned up just 175 miles away...
No tickets have been sold yet, but we're checking the Motley Crue fan club every day hoping for a pre-sale. Ticketmaster will start their sale on 8/19.
I was afraid when we first started planning this that we would end up having to drive to Chicago or somewhere... Nashville is much better.
During my high school years... when there was no Aerosmith... Motley Crue was my band. It's now been 17 years since I've been to a Crue show... my last was the year I graduated, in 1989. I didn't realize just how much I missed them until Vera and Steven started going to shows these last couple years...
Friday, June 30, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
My Birthday trip to Universal.
Today is my birthday and I just got back from Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. My plan was to spend 2 days riding roller coasters at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure as many times as possible. Unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans.
We arrived in Orlando early Friday evening (June 23rd) and after checking in at the Travelodge - International Drive we went over to City Walk for dinner and a movie. We had a great dinner at Margaritaville and saw The Omen 666. While waiting for our table we picked up a couple of rum runners from Margaritaville's outdoor drink window. After being seated I decided I wasn't really happy with my drink so I gave it to Tom and ordered a (much better) "Don't Stop the Carnival" strawberry, banana, mango daiquiri. I had the Cuban Meatloaf Survival sandwich and fries for dinner and it was sooooo good. I wish now I had gone back for another one before we left. Tom had the Bayou shrimp pasta and practically licked his plate clean.
I thought they did a really good job on the remake of The Omen. The kid was creepy enough and Mia Farrow was great as the nanny.
After the movie we headed back to the hotel because we had an early start ahead of us on Saturday.
The next day we started out at 8:00 am and went to Universal first. We did the Shrek 4-D show first because Tom hadn't seen it and if you don't do it early you'll spend half your day in line for it later. Another thing you need to do early is Jaws. Lines get really long later in the day for that one. I talked Tom into riding Revenge of the Mummy with me once. We did MIB: Alien Attack... I love that ride! Twister is still great too... we also caught the Fear Factor Live show.
We started to get hungry in the afternoon and decided to head over to Islands and grab a sandwich at Blondie's. But first I had to stop by and visit my old friend the Incredible Hulk. So I run over to the single rider line and after a few technical difficulties (a small rain shower) I finally got to ride my favorite coaster. I had a turkey sandwich for lunch that was really good and Tom had the Dagwood... he was not impressed. Said it was only a so-so sandwich... nothing to write home about.
And then it happened...
Monsoon!!!
It started pouring at around 2:30 while we were having lunch. Thunder and lightning like crazy! After we finished eating we RAN over to a gift shop across the "street" from Blondie's and I bought us a couple of ponchos. We decided then it was probably a good idea to head back over to the theater and catch another movie. We hoped by the time it was over the rain would have stopped and we could get back to business... roller coaster business!
But... we picked a really bad movie... Cars. Normally I like those Pixar animated movies but I just couldn't get into this one. Maybe the fact that I REALLY don't like NASCAR had something to do with it. I was also freezing because my clothes were soaked and the theater had their air conditioner on full blast. We ended up leaving not long after the movie started and went back to the hotel to change clothes.
A couple hours later it stopped raining and we went back to the park until closing time. We stood in line way too long for the new High in the Sky Trolley Train Ride, but it was cute and I told Tom that if we got there early enough the next day I would like to ride it again because it's actually 2 rides that go on separate tracks around different parts of the park.
We had a great dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe Saturday night. I had their ribs and chicken combo with Joe's Bloody Mary (made with Joe Perry's Mango Peach Tango hot sauce) and Tom had a NY Strip.
Then it was back to the hotel we go...
Sunday's forecast wasn't looking so good. On Saturday it had been a 40% chance of rain and we got a monsoon... Sunday's was 60%...
So we packed up the ponchos and got another early start on Sunday. This time we went to Islands first and rode the Amazing Adventures of Spider-man first. When we came out it was drizzling rain a little so we figured since we were going to get wet anyway we might as well ride Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges. No one else was there so we had the boat to ourselves... and when the ride was over and we were thoroughly soaked, the guy on the dock asked if we wanted to go again... so of course we did... and again... we rode 3 times in a row before we had enough. Next we went back to Seuss' Landing to ride the trolley again... I don't envy whoever had to sit in our soggy seats on the next ride.
I rode Dueling Dragons next... Fire first, then Ice. I still prefer Fire... it seems to be a much smoother ride.
We got tired of the soaking wet clothes and each bought a pair of new shorts to change into and decided to go over to Universal for a while. We rented a locker for our wet clothes and started making the rounds. We did the single rider line for MIB a couple times and I got my highest score yet: 469,975! Yay! I took a solo ride on the Mummy and we cooled off on the ET Adventure. We watched the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue show and it was great. I don't know why I'd never done that before...
After that we went back to Islands because I really wanted to ride the Hulk coaster again. I told Tom I expected it to start raining at any time because we had put the ponchos in the locker over at Universal. Unfortunately when we got there the Hulk coaster had been shut down again... it seems there was lightning in the area or something...so I went back to Spider-man. Then we walked back over to the Lost Continent area to see if the Dragons were running... no luck. So we walked over to the Jurassic Park Discovery Center and sat down for a while watching in the direction of the Hulk. A little while later it started running again so we started to go back over... Tom decided to wait for me in the Lost Continent because we had a 6:00 reservation at Mythos, and I figured I had just enough time to run over, ride Hulk, and run back before dinner. WRONG! I get to Hulk, call Tom on the cell to let him know I'm in line, get to the point in the line where the Express Pass people go one way and single riders go the other way when the guy there tells me they aren't taking single riders. Then I hear the "technical difficulties" thing again... it's POURING again and I'm on the opposite side of the park from Tom and Mythos. I call Tom back and tell him what he already knows... no Hulk for me. At this point I'm pretty pissed so I take off my socks and put them in my pockets (because I do NOT want to walk around in wet socks twice in one day) take off my T-shirt (no you pervs... I had on a tank top under it) and rolled it up tight. I want to try to keep it as dry as possible. I stick the T-shirt ball under my tank and take off running through our second monsoon of the weekend. I stopped off at Mythos on the way and cancelled our reservation because at this point I am just NOT in the mood and they thanked me for letting them know. I guess a lot of people just don't show up. I make it back to Tom and we sit there a bit waiting for the rain to stop. *sigh* At least I had a partially dry shirt to put on.
After the rain eased up a little we decided to call it a day. I had a couple stops to make... Vera wanted another bottle of Joe Perry's Mango Peach Tango sauce from the Hard Rock and I had to go back to Universal to get our stuff from the locker.
So we went back to the room... changed clothes again and went out for dinner. That was a whole other nightmare... all I can say is AVOID Sizzler on International Drive on Sunday night!
Now I'm back in Miami hoping to get back to Universal before the end of the year and hoping for better weather when I do get there...
Don't get me wrong... I had fun. Just not as much fun as I had hoped for.
Till next time...
We arrived in Orlando early Friday evening (June 23rd) and after checking in at the Travelodge - International Drive we went over to City Walk for dinner and a movie. We had a great dinner at Margaritaville and saw The Omen 666. While waiting for our table we picked up a couple of rum runners from Margaritaville's outdoor drink window. After being seated I decided I wasn't really happy with my drink so I gave it to Tom and ordered a (much better) "Don't Stop the Carnival" strawberry, banana, mango daiquiri. I had the Cuban Meatloaf Survival sandwich and fries for dinner and it was sooooo good. I wish now I had gone back for another one before we left. Tom had the Bayou shrimp pasta and practically licked his plate clean.
I thought they did a really good job on the remake of The Omen. The kid was creepy enough and Mia Farrow was great as the nanny.
After the movie we headed back to the hotel because we had an early start ahead of us on Saturday.
The next day we started out at 8:00 am and went to Universal first. We did the Shrek 4-D show first because Tom hadn't seen it and if you don't do it early you'll spend half your day in line for it later. Another thing you need to do early is Jaws. Lines get really long later in the day for that one. I talked Tom into riding Revenge of the Mummy with me once. We did MIB: Alien Attack... I love that ride! Twister is still great too... we also caught the Fear Factor Live show.
We started to get hungry in the afternoon and decided to head over to Islands and grab a sandwich at Blondie's. But first I had to stop by and visit my old friend the Incredible Hulk. So I run over to the single rider line and after a few technical difficulties (a small rain shower) I finally got to ride my favorite coaster. I had a turkey sandwich for lunch that was really good and Tom had the Dagwood... he was not impressed. Said it was only a so-so sandwich... nothing to write home about.
And then it happened...
Monsoon!!!
It started pouring at around 2:30 while we were having lunch. Thunder and lightning like crazy! After we finished eating we RAN over to a gift shop across the "street" from Blondie's and I bought us a couple of ponchos. We decided then it was probably a good idea to head back over to the theater and catch another movie. We hoped by the time it was over the rain would have stopped and we could get back to business... roller coaster business!
But... we picked a really bad movie... Cars. Normally I like those Pixar animated movies but I just couldn't get into this one. Maybe the fact that I REALLY don't like NASCAR had something to do with it. I was also freezing because my clothes were soaked and the theater had their air conditioner on full blast. We ended up leaving not long after the movie started and went back to the hotel to change clothes.
A couple hours later it stopped raining and we went back to the park until closing time. We stood in line way too long for the new High in the Sky Trolley Train Ride, but it was cute and I told Tom that if we got there early enough the next day I would like to ride it again because it's actually 2 rides that go on separate tracks around different parts of the park.
We had a great dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe Saturday night. I had their ribs and chicken combo with Joe's Bloody Mary (made with Joe Perry's Mango Peach Tango hot sauce) and Tom had a NY Strip.
Then it was back to the hotel we go...
Sunday's forecast wasn't looking so good. On Saturday it had been a 40% chance of rain and we got a monsoon... Sunday's was 60%...
So we packed up the ponchos and got another early start on Sunday. This time we went to Islands first and rode the Amazing Adventures of Spider-man first. When we came out it was drizzling rain a little so we figured since we were going to get wet anyway we might as well ride Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges. No one else was there so we had the boat to ourselves... and when the ride was over and we were thoroughly soaked, the guy on the dock asked if we wanted to go again... so of course we did... and again... we rode 3 times in a row before we had enough. Next we went back to Seuss' Landing to ride the trolley again... I don't envy whoever had to sit in our soggy seats on the next ride.
I rode Dueling Dragons next... Fire first, then Ice. I still prefer Fire... it seems to be a much smoother ride.
We got tired of the soaking wet clothes and each bought a pair of new shorts to change into and decided to go over to Universal for a while. We rented a locker for our wet clothes and started making the rounds. We did the single rider line for MIB a couple times and I got my highest score yet: 469,975! Yay! I took a solo ride on the Mummy and we cooled off on the ET Adventure. We watched the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue show and it was great. I don't know why I'd never done that before...
After that we went back to Islands because I really wanted to ride the Hulk coaster again. I told Tom I expected it to start raining at any time because we had put the ponchos in the locker over at Universal. Unfortunately when we got there the Hulk coaster had been shut down again... it seems there was lightning in the area or something...so I went back to Spider-man. Then we walked back over to the Lost Continent area to see if the Dragons were running... no luck. So we walked over to the Jurassic Park Discovery Center and sat down for a while watching in the direction of the Hulk. A little while later it started running again so we started to go back over... Tom decided to wait for me in the Lost Continent because we had a 6:00 reservation at Mythos, and I figured I had just enough time to run over, ride Hulk, and run back before dinner. WRONG! I get to Hulk, call Tom on the cell to let him know I'm in line, get to the point in the line where the Express Pass people go one way and single riders go the other way when the guy there tells me they aren't taking single riders. Then I hear the "technical difficulties" thing again... it's POURING again and I'm on the opposite side of the park from Tom and Mythos. I call Tom back and tell him what he already knows... no Hulk for me. At this point I'm pretty pissed so I take off my socks and put them in my pockets (because I do NOT want to walk around in wet socks twice in one day) take off my T-shirt (no you pervs... I had on a tank top under it) and rolled it up tight. I want to try to keep it as dry as possible. I stick the T-shirt ball under my tank and take off running through our second monsoon of the weekend. I stopped off at Mythos on the way and cancelled our reservation because at this point I am just NOT in the mood and they thanked me for letting them know. I guess a lot of people just don't show up. I make it back to Tom and we sit there a bit waiting for the rain to stop. *sigh* At least I had a partially dry shirt to put on.
After the rain eased up a little we decided to call it a day. I had a couple stops to make... Vera wanted another bottle of Joe Perry's Mango Peach Tango sauce from the Hard Rock and I had to go back to Universal to get our stuff from the locker.
So we went back to the room... changed clothes again and went out for dinner. That was a whole other nightmare... all I can say is AVOID Sizzler on International Drive on Sunday night!
Now I'm back in Miami hoping to get back to Universal before the end of the year and hoping for better weather when I do get there...
Don't get me wrong... I had fun. Just not as much fun as I had hoped for.
Till next time...
Thursday, June 22, 2006
1 more day!!!
By this time tomorrow we should be on the road to Orlando. I'm so excited!
Since buying my 2 park preferred annual pass I keep getting invited to all sorts of sneak previews at the parks. Unfortunately they are for times I'm NOT going to be in Orlando.
The first was a preview of the new ride in Seuss' Landing: The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™ The preview was last weekend.
Today I got an invitation to be one of the first to see the new UNIVERSAL 360 Cinesphere Spectacular. That one is next weekend.
We're going THIS weekend.
Oh well... maybe next time.
Since buying my 2 park preferred annual pass I keep getting invited to all sorts of sneak previews at the parks. Unfortunately they are for times I'm NOT going to be in Orlando.
The first was a preview of the new ride in Seuss' Landing: The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™ The preview was last weekend.
Today I got an invitation to be one of the first to see the new UNIVERSAL 360 Cinesphere Spectacular. That one is next weekend.
We're going THIS weekend.
Oh well... maybe next time.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Happy Birthday to me!
I quit smoking the week of my birthday (June 26th) 2002, but apparently I'm on Marlboro's mailing list for life...
When I smoked, I never got anything much from them. Now that I've quit I get stuff all the time... mostly coupons, but today I got a gift.
It's a bottle opener that's about the size of a credit card. It's made to fit in a wallet... it's kinda neat I guess. Though I haven't actually opened a bottle with it yet, so I don't know if it works or not.
I see that quite a few people are selling them on eBay... I don't know what they think they'll get for them... so far the highest bid is 99 cents.
When I smoked, I never got anything much from them. Now that I've quit I get stuff all the time... mostly coupons, but today I got a gift.
It's a bottle opener that's about the size of a credit card. It's made to fit in a wallet... it's kinda neat I guess. Though I haven't actually opened a bottle with it yet, so I don't know if it works or not.
I see that quite a few people are selling them on eBay... I don't know what they think they'll get for them... so far the highest bid is 99 cents.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Hurricane Season starts in 10 days!
and while I most likely won't be blogging each storm myself, I will probably be following along with Dr Jeff Masters in his blog at Weather Underground.
Here's hoping that he doesn't have too much to talk about this year...
Crown Weather also has a weather blog this year.
Here's hoping that he doesn't have too much to talk about this year...
Crown Weather also has a weather blog this year.
Monday, May 08, 2006
May 06, 2006 - Air & Sea Show
Saturday we spent the day at Ft Lauderdale beach for the Air & Sea Show. I only took a couple of pictures with my phone, but I'll add a link to Tom's website when he's finished uploading the new ones he took. He does a great job with it every year and puts quite a bit of work into it.
The show starts each year with the Marine Assault...
My favorite plane made an appearance at the show this year... the B-2 Stealth Bomber.
The show starts each year with the Marine Assault...
My favorite plane made an appearance at the show this year... the B-2 Stealth Bomber.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
55 Days!
Tom found a really good deal for Florida residents at Universal's website. A 2 Day/2 Park pass for 63.00 plus tax. I think that's the regular price for a 1 Day/1 Park pass.
It's a limited time offer though...
Too bad it ends in September... that would be perfect for Vera and Steven if they come back in October...
It's a limited time offer though...
Too bad it ends in September... that would be perfect for Vera and Steven if they come back in October...
Thursday, April 20, 2006
No trips in the near future...
But I do have a reservation for my birthday trip to Universal in
June. We'll be spending 3 nights at the Travelodge on International Drive. Hopefully it will be as nice as the Rodeway Inn.
So... the countdown is on!
64 days to go...
Thursday, April 06, 2006
tripadvisor.com
Trip Avisor is a great website for anyone doing research on a future vacation. I always make sure to check out their hotel reviews before making a reservation.
Since I use it so much I decided now was the time to start adding to it... I currently have 3 reviews posted.
Review: Rodeway Inn International
Review: Lion Country Safari KOA
Review: Lion Country Safari
One warning though... some people will complain about ANYTHING... so don't let a few negative reviews spoil your trip. I have stayed at hotels with negative reviews and had a great time... sometimes you just have to find out for yourself.
Since I use it so much I decided now was the time to start adding to it... I currently have 3 reviews posted.
Review: Rodeway Inn International
Review: Lion Country Safari KOA
Review: Lion Country Safari
One warning though... some people will complain about ANYTHING... so don't let a few negative reviews spoil your trip. I have stayed at hotels with negative reviews and had a great time... sometimes you just have to find out for yourself.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Lion Country Safari April 2006
This weekend we visited Lion Country Safari near West Palm Beach, Florida. We rented a Kamping Kabin at the LCS KOA for Tom's birthday.
It was our first time in a KOA Kabin and our first visit to a KOA. The campground was really nice. The bathrooms and shower rooms were very clean and the park staff was extremely nice and helpful. Thanks to the helpful check-in staff that directed us to a nearby Smokey Bones, we had a wonderful dinner before settling in for the night.
One word of warning to anyone spending their first night in one of the Kabins: bring an air mattress... we were glad we did. They do have beds in the kabins, but they are not much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. Our first night was a little rough, but it was our own fault for being too lazy to go out and get our mattress out of the car after trying to sleep for a few hours. The second night was much more comfortable. We inflated the mattress and put it right on top of the kabin bed and slept like babies all night.
We spent Saturday (April 1st) at Lion Country Safari. It was my first trip there and Tom's first trip in about 30 years.
Lion Country Safari opened in 1967 as the nation's first "cageless zoo". LCS is involved in the captive breeding of a number of threatened or endangered species.
The price of admission during our visit was $20.95 per person (plus $3.50 parking fee). For staying at the KOA we each received a $3.00 discount. Still a bit pricey but we knew the price of admission before arriving so we knew what to expect. When you pay your admission you are given a choice of either CD or tape to provide narration throughout your trip. Not having a CD player in the car we chose the tape, which was defective. After listening to about 5 minutes of audio loop through 3 times, trying to fast-forward the tape to a different section and again hearing the same audio we gave up. Our advice is to bring some sort of CD player if you don't already have one in the car.
You start out driving through the safari preserve. Animals are all around you going about their everyday animal business as you drive by. Just remember, they have the right of way... always stop and let them cross.
Our main disappointment in the whole experience is that they now have fences around the actual lion area. So anyone expecting, as we were, to be surrounded by lions during the drive will probably be a little let down. It seems their "cageless zoo" now has at least one really big cage and it just happens to be around their main attraction.
After finishing the safari preserve you come to Safari World, their newest area. It's a walk-through attraction with rides and animal exhibits. The food is really good at the Safari World restaurant. Much better than most "zoo" type food. I wasn't too hungry so I just grabbed a couple corn dogs and fries, but Tom had one of their freshly made Italian subs that looked great.
They have a giraffe feeding station, lots of fish feeding spots, and a petting zoo. We took a really quick ride on the Safari Queen boat. It makes a trip around a couple of islands in Lake Shanalee. Just before we left I stopped by the Carvel ice cream shop for a vanilla cone that really hit the spot.
Before heading back to the campground we took one last drive through the preserve. By this time of the day most of the animals were relaxing in the sun and didn't provide much entertainment. So if you're planning a visit to LCS, take our advice and go as early as possible... gates open at 9:30 am.
For Tom's birthday dinner we went to a nearby restaurant called Boonie's Lounge. After the large Italian sub for lunch, Tom decided to have a light dinner... light meaning the small portion of prime rib and mashed potatoes instead of the large one. I had pork tenderloin and baked potato, and it was delicious. It had this creamy garlic sauce on it that was just great.
After dinner we were both really tired. Still not sure if it was from a busy day out or lack of sleep the night before... either way we turned in early.
I'd say it was a very pleasant trip... except for the whole lion thing.
It was our first time in a KOA Kabin and our first visit to a KOA. The campground was really nice. The bathrooms and shower rooms were very clean and the park staff was extremely nice and helpful. Thanks to the helpful check-in staff that directed us to a nearby Smokey Bones, we had a wonderful dinner before settling in for the night.
One word of warning to anyone spending their first night in one of the Kabins: bring an air mattress... we were glad we did. They do have beds in the kabins, but they are not much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. Our first night was a little rough, but it was our own fault for being too lazy to go out and get our mattress out of the car after trying to sleep for a few hours. The second night was much more comfortable. We inflated the mattress and put it right on top of the kabin bed and slept like babies all night.
We spent Saturday (April 1st) at Lion Country Safari. It was my first trip there and Tom's first trip in about 30 years.
Lion Country Safari opened in 1967 as the nation's first "cageless zoo". LCS is involved in the captive breeding of a number of threatened or endangered species.
The price of admission during our visit was $20.95 per person (plus $3.50 parking fee). For staying at the KOA we each received a $3.00 discount. Still a bit pricey but we knew the price of admission before arriving so we knew what to expect. When you pay your admission you are given a choice of either CD or tape to provide narration throughout your trip. Not having a CD player in the car we chose the tape, which was defective. After listening to about 5 minutes of audio loop through 3 times, trying to fast-forward the tape to a different section and again hearing the same audio we gave up. Our advice is to bring some sort of CD player if you don't already have one in the car.
You start out driving through the safari preserve. Animals are all around you going about their everyday animal business as you drive by. Just remember, they have the right of way... always stop and let them cross.
Our main disappointment in the whole experience is that they now have fences around the actual lion area. So anyone expecting, as we were, to be surrounded by lions during the drive will probably be a little let down. It seems their "cageless zoo" now has at least one really big cage and it just happens to be around their main attraction.
After finishing the safari preserve you come to Safari World, their newest area. It's a walk-through attraction with rides and animal exhibits. The food is really good at the Safari World restaurant. Much better than most "zoo" type food. I wasn't too hungry so I just grabbed a couple corn dogs and fries, but Tom had one of their freshly made Italian subs that looked great.
They have a giraffe feeding station, lots of fish feeding spots, and a petting zoo. We took a really quick ride on the Safari Queen boat. It makes a trip around a couple of islands in Lake Shanalee. Just before we left I stopped by the Carvel ice cream shop for a vanilla cone that really hit the spot.
Before heading back to the campground we took one last drive through the preserve. By this time of the day most of the animals were relaxing in the sun and didn't provide much entertainment. So if you're planning a visit to LCS, take our advice and go as early as possible... gates open at 9:30 am.
For Tom's birthday dinner we went to a nearby restaurant called Boonie's Lounge. After the large Italian sub for lunch, Tom decided to have a light dinner... light meaning the small portion of prime rib and mashed potatoes instead of the large one. I had pork tenderloin and baked potato, and it was delicious. It had this creamy garlic sauce on it that was just great.
After dinner we were both really tired. Still not sure if it was from a busy day out or lack of sleep the night before... either way we turned in early.
I'd say it was a very pleasant trip... except for the whole lion thing.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Next week: Lion Country Safari
We have reservations next weekend at the KOA at Lion Country Safari. It's a little weekend getaway for Tom's birthday.
Stay tuned...
Stay tuned...
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Universal Orlando & MGM - 03/21/06
On Tuesday Vera was feeling sick again and wanted to sleep in. So it's back to Universal for me and Steven. She told us if she felt better in the afternoon she would pick us up because we had actually planned to spend the day at MGM.
Our first stop was Universal and MIB. Steven was on a mission to break the 400,000 point barrier that he had come so close to the day before. It happened on our 2nd and again on our 3rd ride. 449,350 was his top score for the day... his next goal is to break 500,000.
We ended up spending 4 hours at Universal and Islands. She called to say she was on her way not long after we got SOAKED on the Bilge-Rat Barges again. Uh oh! We did get a chance to dry off a bit on the Ice dragon before she picked us up though.
So we're off to MGM and the Rockin Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith. It had been quite a few years since we'd been to that park and ridden on what used to be our favorite coaster. Boy were we in for a surprise. I don't know if it was the coaster or us, but we seemed to be moving really SLOW. Maybe it's just that we have been riding the faster coasters at Universal so much this week... but it just wasn't as much fun as we remembered. We gave it one more shot with our fast pass... but it just wasn't as thrilling as it used to be.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is really cool though. I think we got about 7 rides in on that one before the park closed. It's alot better and more scary than it was the last time I was at MGM. Now you never know what's going to happen. Sometimes it starts out dropping you, sometimes it pulls you up first.. it may drop you 3 floors or 1 at a time... it's different every time. Very cool... and Steven actually talked me into letting go of the hand-holds the last few times we rode. It's a very strange feeling just kind of hovering there out of your seat for what seems like an eternity. I keep forgetting to scan our picture... I gotta do that tomorrow...
This was our last night in Orlando. The next day I had to make that long sad bus trip back to Miami... we're planning another trip together in the fall... I can't wait! I really miss getting to spend time with Steven since I moved to Miami so I'm always planning the next trip as soon as the last one is over.
Our first stop was Universal and MIB. Steven was on a mission to break the 400,000 point barrier that he had come so close to the day before. It happened on our 2nd and again on our 3rd ride. 449,350 was his top score for the day... his next goal is to break 500,000.
We ended up spending 4 hours at Universal and Islands. She called to say she was on her way not long after we got SOAKED on the Bilge-Rat Barges again. Uh oh! We did get a chance to dry off a bit on the Ice dragon before she picked us up though.
So we're off to MGM and the Rockin Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith. It had been quite a few years since we'd been to that park and ridden on what used to be our favorite coaster. Boy were we in for a surprise. I don't know if it was the coaster or us, but we seemed to be moving really SLOW. Maybe it's just that we have been riding the faster coasters at Universal so much this week... but it just wasn't as much fun as we remembered. We gave it one more shot with our fast pass... but it just wasn't as thrilling as it used to be.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is really cool though. I think we got about 7 rides in on that one before the park closed. It's alot better and more scary than it was the last time I was at MGM. Now you never know what's going to happen. Sometimes it starts out dropping you, sometimes it pulls you up first.. it may drop you 3 floors or 1 at a time... it's different every time. Very cool... and Steven actually talked me into letting go of the hand-holds the last few times we rode. It's a very strange feeling just kind of hovering there out of your seat for what seems like an eternity. I keep forgetting to scan our picture... I gotta do that tomorrow...
This was our last night in Orlando. The next day I had to make that long sad bus trip back to Miami... we're planning another trip together in the fall... I can't wait! I really miss getting to spend time with Steven since I moved to Miami so I'm always planning the next trip as soon as the last one is over.
Universal Orlando - 03/20/06
On Monday Vera felt up to joining us at the parks. We decided to hit Islands first and head straight for the Hulk. It's such a cool coaster, and a really smooth ride. This ride has a total of seven inversions and two subterranean trenches and all in 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
Next we headed for The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride. It was the first ever combination of moving, motion-based ride vehicles, 3-D film and live action. It's totally cool.
Dueling Dragons: The Fire dragon and Ice dragon are both equally cool. I personally think the Ice coaster is a smoother ride than Fire. Fire seems to be a much more scary ride for me because while on it I can see more of Ice than the other way around. Each dragon's 2-minute and 25-second flight includes several inversions, including a zero-g roll, a Cobra roll, two corkscrews, and two vertical loops.
Now it's time to head back to Universal. We had lunch at the Monster Cafe, more MIB training, more mummies, tornados, and JAWS!
We actually made it to the park closing this time. We were in pretty bad shape by the time we got back to the hotel. This theme park life can be rough...
Next we headed for The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride. It was the first ever combination of moving, motion-based ride vehicles, 3-D film and live action. It's totally cool.
Dueling Dragons: The Fire dragon and Ice dragon are both equally cool. I personally think the Ice coaster is a smoother ride than Fire. Fire seems to be a much more scary ride for me because while on it I can see more of Ice than the other way around. Each dragon's 2-minute and 25-second flight includes several inversions, including a zero-g roll, a Cobra roll, two corkscrews, and two vertical loops.
Now it's time to head back to Universal. We had lunch at the Monster Cafe, more MIB training, more mummies, tornados, and JAWS!
We actually made it to the park closing this time. We were in pretty bad shape by the time we got back to the hotel. This theme park life can be rough...
Universal Orlando - 03/19/06
On Sunday the 19th, Vera was sick so it was up to me and Steven to tackle the parks alone. We got up in time to catch the hotel's shuttle to Universal and were on our way at 7:45 am. After making numerous stops at other hotels we finally made it to the entrance gates at around 8:30... unfortunately the parks don't open until 9:00. So we wait...
We had lots of fun on our first full day there. I talked Steven into using the single rider line so we could ride faster. We ended up riding together all but one time anyway. Gotta love that single rider line. Universal Studios was our first stop. Men In Black: Alien Attack is our favorite ride at Universal. The Revenge of the Mummy is very cool. Speaking of cool... ET's Adventure is a great ride to cool off from the hot Florida sun. Twister is also good for that.
We had a great lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and then headed for Islands. We went to Dueling Dragons first, then thought better of it... we really weren't interested in losing our lunches so we decided to come back for that later. Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges... we got SOAKED. It was alot of fun though... but did I mention we got soaked? It was nothing that a quick trip on Spider-Man and Hulk wouldn't cure though...
We were pretty tired and since we still had 2 more days to go and weren't in any big hurry we decided to head back to the hotel early. We left the park at 5:00, but weren't sure what time the shuttle would be there to take us to the hotel. I knew there was a 6:15 and 7:15 but wasn't sure about an earlier one. So we decided to walk over to the drop-off point and if it wasn't there by 5:15, we would go back to the park and stay until closing. Luckily it was already there waiting for us. At the hotel we sat by the pool for a little while to cool our tired feet, and then played some video games at the hotel arcade.
Bedtime... got another early start ahead of us tomorrow...
We had lots of fun on our first full day there. I talked Steven into using the single rider line so we could ride faster. We ended up riding together all but one time anyway. Gotta love that single rider line. Universal Studios was our first stop. Men In Black: Alien Attack is our favorite ride at Universal. The Revenge of the Mummy is very cool. Speaking of cool... ET's Adventure is a great ride to cool off from the hot Florida sun. Twister is also good for that.
We had a great lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and then headed for Islands. We went to Dueling Dragons first, then thought better of it... we really weren't interested in losing our lunches so we decided to come back for that later. Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges... we got SOAKED. It was alot of fun though... but did I mention we got soaked? It was nothing that a quick trip on Spider-Man and Hulk wouldn't cure though...
We were pretty tired and since we still had 2 more days to go and weren't in any big hurry we decided to head back to the hotel early. We left the park at 5:00, but weren't sure what time the shuttle would be there to take us to the hotel. I knew there was a 6:15 and 7:15 but wasn't sure about an earlier one. So we decided to walk over to the drop-off point and if it wasn't there by 5:15, we would go back to the park and stay until closing. Luckily it was already there waiting for us. At the hotel we sat by the pool for a little while to cool our tired feet, and then played some video games at the hotel arcade.
Bedtime... got another early start ahead of us tomorrow...
Universal Orlando - 03/18/06
On March 18th I took a trip to Orlando, FL to meet up with my sister and nephew and spend a few days at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
My vacation began at 7:05 am on a Greyhound bus in Miami. Not my favorite way to start a vacation but on this trip it wasn't so bad. The worst part was the 20.00 cab ride from the bus station to the hotel. Ouch!
I arrived in Orlando at the Rodeway Inn International at around 1:00 pm and since Vera and Steven were still quite a few hours away I decided to head on over to Universal to pick up my season pass and get my picture taken. It actually turned out to be a good thing that I did since it took almost 2 hours just to get the pass and picture done. It was extremely busy at the park that day because Universal is celebrating Mardi Gras every Saturday in February, March and April.
By 3:00 I was ready to start having fun. I got in line for The Incredible Hulk Coaster and after about 30 minutes they started announcing "technical difficulties". After about 15 minutes of hearing that announcement I decided to head over to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride. I've got 4 days to catch up with the Hulk, so I'm in no hurry...
This was my first time at a theme park alone so I had forgotten that Universal and Islands had single rider lines with much shorter wait times. I realized it only after I had been in the Spider-Man line for 30 minutes. Oh well... next time I'll know. So immediately after finishing the first ride I skipped on through the single rider line and 5 minutes later I was riding again. MUCH better than waiting 45 minutes the first time... trust me, no matter how fun a ride is... nothing is fun enough to wait 45 minutes for.
So I spent a couple hours at Islands then went over to Universal for a while. I had dinner at The Monster Cafe and hit some more rides. Men In Black is always fun, and The Revenge of the Mummy is really cool. The park closed at 8:00 that night so I started heading for the taxi area around 7:30 and was back at the hotel pretty quick. I relaxed for a bit while I waited for Vera and Steven to show up. They arrived at around 10:30 and soon we got to bed so we could get an early start on Sunday.
My vacation began at 7:05 am on a Greyhound bus in Miami. Not my favorite way to start a vacation but on this trip it wasn't so bad. The worst part was the 20.00 cab ride from the bus station to the hotel. Ouch!
I arrived in Orlando at the Rodeway Inn International at around 1:00 pm and since Vera and Steven were still quite a few hours away I decided to head on over to Universal to pick up my season pass and get my picture taken. It actually turned out to be a good thing that I did since it took almost 2 hours just to get the pass and picture done. It was extremely busy at the park that day because Universal is celebrating Mardi Gras every Saturday in February, March and April.
By 3:00 I was ready to start having fun. I got in line for The Incredible Hulk Coaster and after about 30 minutes they started announcing "technical difficulties". After about 15 minutes of hearing that announcement I decided to head over to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride. I've got 4 days to catch up with the Hulk, so I'm in no hurry...
This was my first time at a theme park alone so I had forgotten that Universal and Islands had single rider lines with much shorter wait times. I realized it only after I had been in the Spider-Man line for 30 minutes. Oh well... next time I'll know. So immediately after finishing the first ride I skipped on through the single rider line and 5 minutes later I was riding again. MUCH better than waiting 45 minutes the first time... trust me, no matter how fun a ride is... nothing is fun enough to wait 45 minutes for.
So I spent a couple hours at Islands then went over to Universal for a while. I had dinner at The Monster Cafe and hit some more rides. Men In Black is always fun, and The Revenge of the Mummy is really cool. The park closed at 8:00 that night so I started heading for the taxi area around 7:30 and was back at the hotel pretty quick. I relaxed for a bit while I waited for Vera and Steven to show up. They arrived at around 10:30 and soon we got to bed so we could get an early start on Sunday.
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