My Magical Journeys

2010-06-03T13:01:00.005-04:00

Yesterday on our way to the breakfast buffet we met up with another Cruise Critic friend (AnnarborJC), Shelly and Jeff from Michigan. We ended up eating breakfast together due to lack of table space and then sat and talked for quite a while. We will see them on our ship tour tomorrow.
Yesterday was our day in Grand Turk which did not start out very good; severe thunderstorms and lightening and rain. Considering we are only in Grand Turk for 6 hours this was not good. All excursions that were water related were cancelled. We decided to go have some pizza for lunch and then met up with Pat and Bill. We sat out under the deck to wait out the rain. Then Kate and Glen showed up and they joined us. About an hour or so later we all decided to just head to Margaritaville in the rain. I wish we were in Grand Turk longer as the stores, pool, and beach were all right off the ship. We browsed through the stores and headed for some drinks and nachos. Great time had by all even though service sucked.

After drinks we split up and some headed to the beach and others went shopping. By now the weather had cleared. We ended up in Diamonds International where I got a beautiful diamond anniversary band. Then we headed back on board the ship.
We decided to meet up with Pat and Bill for dinner again. We went to the Island dining room and luckily got Desmond the Dragon as our server. He is fantastic and we hope to get him again tonight to take a picture. This menu was by far the best so far… rack of lamb, scallops, sea bass, pork tenderloin…. We tried it all and all very good.
After dinner we had a cocktail at Crooners, played the movie quote trivia game and then headed to the very popular hypnotist show. I just don’t believe all that hypnotist stuff. Everyone thought it was very funny and I just thought they were all faking. All in all a good day.

This morning we had our champagne balcony breakfast. We were a little nervous after seeing in our room guide that the menu included salmon and quiche. Not our favorites so when we called to schedule we asked for French toast and bacon instead. They showed up promptly at 9am this morning with our breakfast. We had our French toast and bacon, fresh fruit, pastries, coffee, champagne, juice, rolls, and the salmon and quiche. Way more food than we had asked for. We were embarrassed asking our room steward Ronnie to dispose of all 10 platters. It was nice though.
Mexican buffet for lunch today and we played a game of Bingo. Beautiful day at sea but pools are extremely crowded so we are just hanging out on our balcony. Tonight is the second formal night and more pictures to take. Lobster for dinner…YUM.

Some pictures from around the ship

2010-06-02T12:48:00.007-04:00

The Piazza - great place to sit and listen to musicians.

The International Cafe - great place for coffee drinks and snacks....

2010-06-02T12:42:00.002-04:00

Once onboard after our snorkel adventure yesterday we took part in the afternoon snack buffet. I had a salad and baked potato and Chris had some chips and salsa. We decided that we would eat in the regular dining room again last night since it was Italian night. We sat at a table for 10 with a couple from PA, MA, NY, and an interesting out of place couple from Oklahoma. She was a character that should definitely be cruising on Carnival. Our meal was very good. One of the reasons we left Disney and decided to do a Princess cruise is because we have seen the same entertainers on Disney for years and felt they needed to change it up a bit. Guess who was the performer last night.... Gary Delana...the same performer we have seen twice already on Disney. What are the odds. We skipped the show and waited for the Who wants to be a Millionaire show. We ended up meeting Bill and Pat who said they tried to find us to eat dinner with. After the show I went to the 10pm MUTS "Dear John". It was just an OK movie... the book was better.

2010-06-01T17:42:00.011-04:00

Yesterday we explored both forts in San Juan, first San Cristobal and then El Morro. They were neat and had some great views. Bill and Chris were interested in the history of the forts and often stopped to read the exhibit panels. The rain held off until we were done but then we ducked in to get a pina colada in the place that invented them and it really started raining. We split up at this point and Chris and I stopped by a few stores before heading back to the ship.
Once again the dinner menu didn’t entice us enough and we were extremely tired from the heat and walking. We decided to just have pizza for dinner. We watched the hula hoop street performer and then we went to the Juan Carlos show. It was really good. I guess he has performed for 16 years aboard Princess Cruise line and just does the two shows while we are docked in San Juan.
After going to bed early we woke up in St Thomas. Our excursion had to meet at 8:05am so we had to get up early. It was raining a bit when we arrived which kind of took our spirits down a bit. We had signed up for the full day sail/snorkel at Turtle Cove. Once aboard the catamaran we headed to the spot where the turtles are. We put on our snorkel gear and headed off the boat into the deep water. I was a little nervous as I have not snorkeled much but once in the water I was ok. We saw turtles right away but not many fish. Then the guide had us follow him over to the reef. That is where all the fish were. It was really cool. We saw turtles, stingrays, a barracuda, and even a “Dori” fish. I enjoyed it. Of course Chris missed the barracuda because he did not stay with the group. We snorkeled for about an hour and then we went back on board and sailed to Honeymoon Beach. At this point the crew opened up the rum and drinks started flowing. At the beach the catamaran pulled right up to shore and we went on the beach and had a barbeque lunch. We met a nice couple from Germany on this excursion and spent most of the afternoon talking with them. We stayed for about two hours on the beach and then headed back to the ship. Overall the excursion was very good and the weather turned out to be ok. We even got sunburned.

2010-05-31T07:41:00.003-04:00

Our day at sea was very uneventful… We had lunch in the Coral dining room which was great. We sat with a couple from NJ and another family from NY. I would say that 80% of this ship is from NY or NJ. They were nice and lunch was awesome, we had appetizers, lunch, dessert, etc. Then we split up for a while. I watched the movie Invictus while sitting by the pool. This was great just wish the movie was better. One thing about this ship is I guess it is the largest Princess ship and there is WAY more people than we are used to. Some of our new friends complained about that too. It hadn’t really bothered me until I went to find a pool chair. The mass of people was amazing. I found that if you go up after2pm it is easier. The pool water was cold too…just the way I like it.
On our way to dinner we stopped by the photo wall and picked up a couple more photos. We then took another set on the way to dinner. Tonight despite the scary menu, we ate in the Coral dining room. When I say scary I just mean that there wasn’t a lot of items we would normally choose. We once again sat with a couple from NY and another from Long Island. One couple had been on the Disney ships and loved them so we had a lot to talk about. For dinner I stuck with the filet medallions which I really didn’t care for. Chris tried the beef and sausage jambalaya. We had escargot for appetizer and French onion soup too. This was the French Mediterranean dinner. Chris split the frog legs with one of our table mates just to try them. I couldn’t even look at them.
After dinner we headed to the bars for all the game shows. First it was Liar’s Club in which you had to pick which panelist was telling the truth and then we went to the Passengers Feud. They were fun to watch. At 10:30pm we had to go have our piece of pizza. We couldn’t let the day go by without having some. We also picked up some popcorn at the movie. We went back down to watch the karaoke and lip sync shows and finished up with watching the band for a while. Overall nice quiet day at sea. Today we will arrive in San Juan at 1:30pm. We are going to meet up with Bill and Pat to go explore the forts. Bill thinks we can use his senior discount to get in free. Chris warned them already that this is a photo opportunity for him and I am just glad I will have someone to talk to while he is taking pictures. Also at some point last night we hit the humidity line. Up until now the air has been very dry and cool. Now you can really feel the heat.

2010-05-30T11:05:00.005-04:00

One of the things when booking this trip that we were concerned about was all the money we would spend. We figured with the casino and such we would be broke. However most of our money has been spent on pictures. Princess does an awesome job with the portrait photography. We have really had a hard time choosing. We decided that we want some nice pictures of us and by buying some of the pictures we will even be able to add them to our picture book that we are making after the cruise. We have spent very little money in the casino. They do have non smoking night every other night which is nice but it is really not our thing. We have spent some money on drinks but they do have the “power hour” which had pina coladas and Singapore slings for 2.99.

Last night we decided we didn’t like the menu for the regular dining room so we figured we would give Sabatini’s a try. This is the other “cover charge” restaurant. It was unbelievable. I think there were at least 10 different courses brought out and new silverware and plates for each one. I would hate to be the dishwasher in this place. It is an Italian themed restaurant and you start with cold appetizers, then hot appetizers, then salad/soup, pasta, dinner, dessert. Get my drift?? You cannot possibly eat all of this food. My favorites were the artichoke hearts, fried zucchini, and tiramisu. Chris had langostinos and they looked at me the entire time. Overall the service was outstanding. Very attentive. We really enjoyed this place.

After dinner we decided to do MUTS (movies under the stars). Although rather cold we went to see the Blind Side. I had already seen this movie but Chris hadn’t and with the football talk I thought he would enjoy. Don’t ask me how we did it after dinner, but we did partake in the popcorn. Princess really knows how to show movies at sea. The sound is awesome, clear picture, blankets, popcorn, etc. Loved it.

Today we are at sea and the weather is beautiful. Sunny, blue skies, great temperature, no humidity. The pools areas are packed. We had breakfast at our usual, Caribe Café and then headed to our formal meet and greet with the Cruise Critic friends. They held this in the Skywalker’s lounge on deck 18. It was great to see our friends and hear what everyone has been up to. The cruise director, Dan even made an appearance. After the meet we went to the International Café for some frozen coffee drinks and chilled in the piazza listening to a guitar player. I love that this ship has so much live music. This afternoon we are going to just hang out a bit and relax. Maybe swim, read a book, or see an outdoor movie.

2010-05-29T15:16:00.005-04:00

More pics of the underwater helmet dive....

2010-05-29T15:07:00.003-04:00

Last night was Formal night. We dressed appropriately and then proceeded to 5 or 6 of the picture taking stations. We hooked up with some other of our CC friends and decided to meet for dinner at 8pm. We watched the champagne waterfall and then had dinner in the Island dining room. It was just ok for me. The service and company were good but my food was so-so. My dessert was good though.
After dinner we all headed to Explorers Lounge for the comedian show, Troy Thirdgill. He was really funny. To end the night we watched the band Exotique play in the Piazza.
Today we arrived in Bermuda. After our 6am wake up call we headed to the Caribe Café for the continental breakfast. This was perfect for us. They had French toast and fruit, cereal, bagels, etc. We don’t need an omelet station. Our meeting time for Hartley’s Helmet dive was 8:35am. We met at the end of the pier. It was very windy. Greg Hartley showed up and escorted us to the boat. We headed out into the choppy waters and anchored at their usual location. During the trip Greg talked about the dive and fish that we would see. He split us into groups and luckily we got group 2. This gave us a chance to see what group one does and we don’t have to sit and wait for an hour. Each group was provided with wetsuits and dived for approximately 30 minutes. I was nervous but by the time we got to go Chris was looking a little green. He was really seasick now. See, he feels the Bonine makes him drowsy so he decided yesterday to stop taking it without thinking about this boat ride. On top of that it was EXTREMELY choppy on the water. I almost thought he was going to chicken out and I was going to do it alone. But we both made it and loved it. We got to touch the fish and coral all while breathing normally. It is really an amazing experience.
After we arrived back at the ship we had pizza for lunch and showered and then headed back out to explore the area. Not much in this area, The Royal Naval Dockyard. We could have taken the bus to Hamilton where all the shops are but we didn’t think we would have enough time. We did go to the Glassworks Factory and watch a demonstration. Not much else happening here so we headed back onto the ship.

More pics

2010-05-28T13:57:00.000-04:00

Some pictures of NYC and our meet with CC friends

2010-05-28T13:54:00.000-04:00

First full day at sea

2010-05-28T13:29:00.005-04:00

We slept in this morning mostly because the rocking of the ship and the comfort of egg crate bed made everything peaceful. After getting ready we headed up for breakfast. It seems everyone had the same idea. The one thing we did not like is the setup of the Horizon Buffet for breakfast. They put the toaster in the middle of the action so it was very crowded. The sun is shining today but it is VERY windy and cool. Lots of people are in their swimsuits soaking up the sun but no one in the pools. It is amazing how many people are around the ship. I keep forgetting how big the ship is compared to Disney. After we ate some fruit, French toast, and bacon we headed down to the Piazza for some fancy coffee drinks at the International Café. We stopped for a bit to talk with some of our Cruise Critic friends and then headed to see what all the fuss was about at the Shopping Talk. The theater was packed and tons of information. I hope that maybe I can get this beautiful blue diamond ring they featured. I think that would make an awesome anniversary gift, don’t you??
One of the things we heard about when researching this cruise was the pub lunch. It is only featured on sea days and it was being held today at the Crown Grill. About 1:00pm we headed there. We sat next to a nice couple from NJ and enjoyed the best fish and chips Chris has ever eaten. One thing I can say so far is that the food on this ship is not only in more abundance than Disney but the quality is fantastic. Of course even though we were full we had to check out the buffets to see what else was offered. While walking through Caribe Café buffet, Chris spotted the fried shrimp so we had to eat again. Needless to say we will not go hungry here. The other side of the buffet, Horizon court even had different items.
Tonight is formal night. They are offering 10 different locations to get your pictures taken and the captain will make his speech and there is a champagne waterfall toast. We will be dressing up tonight but I am hoping I can convince Chris to skip the next formal night. I am really enjoying the anytime dining option. The buffets are really nice and we haven’t even seen the two dining rooms yet. That’s all for now… off to walk off some of this food in preparation of dinner.

2010-05-28T09:51:00.001-04:00

After the required 4:30pm muster drill, we headed to the deck for the sailaway party. We had our first cocktails and then went to Outrigger’s Bar to meet our Cruise critic friends. It was fun. They are a great bunch and I look forward to meeting them throughout the ship. We started sailing away from NYC and it got COLD! We soon headed inside to get ready for dinner.
Our first night was great. We had a wonderful dinner at the Crown Grill. This is one of the two specialty restaurants on board. I had filet mingion and Chris had a veal chop. Because it was our anniversary they brought us a chocolate cake and sang a happy anniversary. One thing I will mention is my appetizer was scallops which were good and something else I tried but did not know what it was. I made the mistake of asking the waiter. He replied it was “goose liver”. That explains why I did not like it.
After dinner we headed out to the night life. This was short lived because we were exhausted. We did see my new favorite band Exotique. They are fantastic. We also breezed through the casino without stopping and are anxiously awaiting the no smoking night tonight. We went to the welcome aboard show and the best part of that was the cruise director, Dan Styne. He is hysterical and not what I am used to for cruise directors. He is on the TV every morning on a funny news show he created. When we got back to our room we had our chocolate on the pillow and our Princess Patter with all of tomorrow’s activities. All in all great first day!

View from our balcony

2010-05-27T23:18:00.000-04:00

On our way...

2010-05-27T23:15:00.001-04:00

We made it on board the Caribbean Princess! So far all I can say is AWESOME! We left this morning at 8am and headed to pick up Kate and Glen in Cromwell, our new Cruise Critic board friends. They, like us have not been on a Princess Cruise. After a bit of traffic we arrived onboard the ship at 12 noon, which we soon found out was the perfect time. We breezed right through the terminal and check in. Actually it was almost too fast, no time to take it all in. Our room was ready which is a HUGE plus above the Disney cruise line. We have an awesome balcony. Chris already said he will be spending a lot of time out there. We then headed out to explore the ship. First stop was the purser’s desk to make reservations for the Ultimate ship tour. Although expensive we heard great things about this. We got a reservation and the tour will take place on our last full day. Then we found our way to the buffet. This buffet is great. Not only does the entire buffet have glass windows but they actually get your drink for you. The food choices were ok. Chris loved the fried scallops.
We spent the next two hours exploring the ship. I actually feel like I am getting jipped on the Disney cruise. That cruise costs as much if not more for less days and I would say there is only about a third of the stuff there is on this ship. So many bars, food choices, pools, etc. Most bars are not open while in port but I am really looking forward to the evening activities. We stopped by the pizza counter and got a few slices and once again AWESOME! The MUTS area is great and you cannot hear the movies from other areas. The Sanctuary is nice but I still don’t think it is worth paying for.
The only thing that would make today better would be if the sun would come out. Very cloudy here. At least it is not raining. We have met our room steward who asked to be called Ronnie and all of our luggage was at the room by 3pm. We also bought our soda card and landyards. So far all I can say is WOW! I am so looking forward to the cruise getting underway. This ship is very exciting and I am glad our itinerary calls for 4 days at sea. This is our plan for the week:
Friday- at sea; Saturday-Bermuda (fingers crossed); Sunday-at sea; Monday –San Juan, PR; Tuesday-St Thomas; Wednesday – Grand Turk; Thursdy & Friday- at sea
Keep watching for updates!

New vacation, new look

2010-05-25T20:18:00.002-04:00

Two days and counting until our next vacation so I decided to change it up a bit. On Thursday May 27th we will not only be celebrating our 15yr anniversary but we will be going on vacation somewhere other than Disney. I know... you can't believe it. But it is true. We will be taking a 9-day cruise on Princess Cruise Line to the Caribbean from NYC. As you can see by the name we did think of Disney when planning...(Princess). We are doing our last minute cleaning so all will be well for grandpa Jimmy who will be staying with the four legged children for the week. Then one more day of work and home to pack. Keep watching for updates along the way.

Coming home soon!

2009-08-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

It is Saturday morning and we are finishing up our final packing to head home. We have lunch scheduled at Tony's Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom at 11:30am and our bus for Magical Express will pick us up at 2:30pm at the resort for our flight home at 5:30. It's been a great week but I am ready to see my pups....
See ya real soon!

Last full day with a spectacular end!

2009-08-29T08:49:00.002-04:00

Friday, our last full day, we decided we would go to Hollywood Studios to ride Toy Story Mania.
First for breakfast we used our snack credits and went to the food court to get a couple of danish. Then we headed to the park. It was very hot outside. When we arrived the wait said 60 minutes for the ride and fast passes were available for 5:30pm. We opted to stand in line and it took approximately 45 minutes. The ride was great and I did much better this time. It is a 3D ride/game in which you pull a string to shoot targets. It is very exhausting for your arm to keep pulling the rope but it was fun. After the ride we went to see the Beauty and the Beast show. We hadn't seen it in years. It was good but they should have enclosed the theater as it is very hot with little air circulation.
For lunch we decided to go to Downtown Disney and eat at Wolfgang Puck Express again. We just loved this place. To get there we took the boat to the Swan/Dolphin hotel and then took the bus to Downtown Disney. The lunch was great. I got the crispy chicken again and Chris had pizza. We then walked back to our hotel. Chris went swimming and I read my book for a bit. My sister called and we chatted and then my mother in law called and we chatted.
For dinner we went to Japan and the Tokyo Dining restaurant in Epcot. It was good. We both had Tempura. It was very hot outside and we took the bus to Hollywood Studios and then walked to Epcot so we were just happy to be in air conditioning.
After dinner we headed back to the resort as the Patriots were playing the third preseason game of the season. We watched the game and stayed up until 11:59pm when to our delight we got to watch the Spaceshuttle Discovery lift off. It was spectacular to say the least. We had a great view from just outside our room and it lit up the whole sky! So glad we had the chance to see a nighttime liftoff.

Dining plan & no dining plan

2009-08-28T15:18:00.003-04:00

On Thursday we started the day at the Magic Kingdom because we wanted to eat lunch at Columbia Harbor House. Chris was up early taking pictures around the resort so we didn't arrive until around 11am. We went to the Monsters Laugh Floor which was actually a different show than we usually see. We walked around the back side of the park and went to eat lunch. Chris was excited because they had a shrimp platter on the menu. As far as counter service goes this is one of our favorite places to eat. The chocolate cake was awesome too!

After lunch we returned back to the resort for some pool time. The weather was cloudy all day but it did not rain. We went to the quiet pool again. We have yet to go into the main pool as it is always a zoo when we go by it.

Our dinner was scheduled at Narcoosees at 5:30. This is a signature restaurant and we chose not to use the dining plan here. We ate here in May and loved it. This trip was no exception. I had the green goddess salad with avocado and the crab crusted halibut again. Even better this trip. The only thing we noticed is there were many kids. Not sure if this is due to the fact that the dining plan has forced families to fill all restaurants or if they just wanted to eat here. Seems kind of funny that families would spend two credits of the dining plan for $60 lobster for their 10yr old. Who knows.

After dinner Chris wanted to see Spectromagic. It didn't start for a couple of hours and I decided not to wait just to have him sit and take pictures. Instead I went back to the room and read my book. Of course upon my return I learned that our friend Bob's dad died that day so I made a phone call to Robyn and expressed my saddness.

Backstage Safari

2009-08-27T08:58:00.003-04:00

Wednesday we got up early to do the Backstage Safari tour at Animal Kingdom. We had to meet at the park entrance at 8:15am. They gave us ear piece headsets so we could hear the tour guide which was pretty cool. Because you are backstage for most of the tour you are not allowed to take pictures. First we went to the housing barns for the rhinos and elephants. We got up close to a rhino and we talked with the keeper for a bit. This was my favorite part. Very interesting. The rhino was similar to this one:
Next we went to the animal hospital. Usually we go there early on weekdays to watch the procedures through the window. This time we were on the other side of the glass in the operating room. We saw a porcupine just waking up from anesthesia and we got to see the room where they examine the blood and do big surgeries. The whole building was pretty interesting. There were a lot of classrooms and hallways filled with information. Our next stop was the nutrition center. I liked this area too. We saw the warehouse where they keep the many bags of food and hay. Then we went into the prep area as cast members were preparing meals. They are preparing meals for the next day. One does vegetables, one does greens, and the other does frozen rabbit, frozen mice, fish, etc. It was gross but interesting. They each have a book with sheets they follow and they weigh everything and the food goes in labeled containers. Some are for animal groups and some are for individual animals. There is a nutritionist on property that decides what each animal is eating and provides these cast members with new sheets for their book if necessary. After this we went onstage and into a safari truck. That was good because we didn't have to wait for the ride. Our tour guide narrated the entire ride and told us about things we wouldn't know otherwise. She pointed out where the animals go for their night barns etc. This was also the best shot of the lions.

After the tour we watched the Birds of Flight show and then we went to lunch at Flametree BBQ. Chris had ribs and I had the chicken. Both were good but the sides and desserts were weak. I am still not loving the counter service portion of our dining plan.

After lunch we headed back to the resort. Chris has run out of clean clothes so he went to the pool and did wash in the nearby laundry area and I stayed in the room and read my book. Although it wasn't raining it was cloudy all day. At around 3:30 we took the bus to the Yacht club as we had dinner in France at Epcot.

By now it was raining just a little and we arrived about a half hour early so we went to watch the Impressions of France movie which we had never seen. It was good and it finished up at 5pm when our reservation for Chefs de France was for. The meal was good but the best part was meeting our chef, Remy:

After dinner we took the boat over to Hollywood Studios because the grand finale show of American Idol Experience was at 7pm. They told us on the boat that the park closes at 7pm and we would arrive too late. We went anyway and we arrived at the main gate at 6:53pm and asked if we could enter to go to American Idol. They said we could but they couldn't guarantee we would make it into the show. We entered and walked very fast and when we arrived they were counting empty seats and holding us outside. We had made it into the last group of 14 to enter. Thank God! It was great. There were seven singers instead of the three. These are the winners from each of the shows throughout the day. The girl I voted for won. She was 16 and from Rhode Island. She wins a ticket that gets her to the front of any real American Idol audtion in the country.

After the show we headed back to the resort. It was still raining just enough to be annoying but not really hard enough for a poncho. We went down to the main area and filled our mugs with iced tea and lemonade, searched for a snack which we passed on and then went to bed.

Tuesday...

2009-08-25T21:13:00.005-04:00

Today we went to Animal Kingdom. I wanted to see the procedures that they show in the animal hospital but we got there just as they were finishing up with a turkey and his bandaged foot. Chris wanted to take some pictures. Ok well maybe a lot of pictures. We did however get fast passes from the central fast pass station which was good because you can get more than one. We did Expedition Everest and the Sarangeti Safari ride.
For lunch we decided to go to Port Orleans food court. It was a long bus ride for a mediocre lunch. It was ok but I am really not digging the dining plan we picked. I just don't care for the counter service stuff. I miss my sit down lunches. I think next time we need to do the deluxe plan.
After lunch we headed back to the hotel and I went to the pool for a bit. Chris took a nap. Then we headed to the Polynesian for one of my favorite dinners....Kona Cafe. We stopped and had a drink at the Tambu Lounge and met a nice couple from Boston who were on their honeymoon. Our dinner was great. Chris was able to get the noodle dish he loves which wasn't quite the same but better than the last time. I had my favorite teryiaki steak and then we tried to finish dessert.
It was raining a bit so we headed back to the hotel because we have to get up early tomorrow. We are doing the Backstage Safari tour at Animal Kingdom at 8:30am. Can't wait!
One note... the monorail was PACKED! I think everyone has the dining plan and all the restaurants are full especially in the resorts.

Lazy day

2009-08-24T21:53:00.002-04:00

Today we hung out. We decided to go over to Downtown Disney at 9:30am when they opened. Chris wanted to Design a Tee in the new store and we didn't get a chance to shop earlier because it is so busy there. After the shirt was done we went back to Saratoga for lunch. We both got the flatbreads. I got pepperoni and Chris got the cheeseburger one. Both were good. We each had the chocolate cupcake for dessert. The meal plan seems to be working for us.
In the afternoon we swam for a bit and then Chris headed to the Magic Kingdom for picture taking. I stayed back and read by the pool. Then I called work. It is Monday and lots happens. Of course something went wrong when I wasn't there. Nothing that I could fix but the girls were on the case. Brenda did good just a few hiccups. Seems like all is under control while I am gone.
I met Chris later on at the Magic Kingdom. We did a few rides...Teacups, Tiki Bird show, Mickey's Philarmagic, and Small World. Then we went to dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern.
We had never been before and it was great! Turkey, Ham, Flank Steak, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, mac and cheese, delicious rolls, apple crisp.... all you can eat. We will definitely return here. We used two snack credits today finally... Dole Whip and Popcorn.
We are booked early Wed morning for behind the scenes tour at Animal Kingdom...can't wait!

One day...two parks

2009-08-24T21:42:00.003-04:00

On Sunday we did two parks... In the morning we did Epcot. We rode Spaceship Earth, which is much improved with a cool video game that shows your pictures. Then we did the Trash Pickup game similar to the Piggy Bank game last trip at Innoventions. We ate lunch in the Land building and then did Nemo and Friends ride. We had gotten a fast pass for Test Track so we rode that on our way out.

In the afternoon we napped since we had gotten up early.

Our dinner was at the Yacht Club Galley so we decided to leave an hour for the bus ride from Downtown Disney to the resort. We needed the full hour. After hovering under a tree on the walk to the bus due to torrential rain we finally made it and then had several stops along the way. The main reason for eating here was so Chris could have the crab legs.

After dinner we took the slow boat to Hollywood Studios. I wanted to see Fantasmic and there were two showings that night. We didn't get into the first one so we walked on Tower of Terror and Great Movie Ride. Toy Story Mania was still a 50 minute wait at 9pm so we just waited and went to the 10pm show of Fantasmic. It was as good as always.

When we got back to the resort we were locked out of our room. Apparently the key card entry died. So after calling the front desk the maintenance man arrived and finally finished up around 12:45. Needless to say after an early morning it was a long night.

Up early...

2009-08-23T07:33:00.002-04:00

Today we woke up early... 5:45am. I guess between going to bed early last night and this being our normal time it was expected. Chris decided to go out and take pictures before the sun came up. I decided I would stick with my plan of using the gym. I made the long trek to the gym and did the treadmill for 20 minutes. To my surprise the gym was empty. Although by 6:30 a few more guests arrived. Then I took the long walk back around the resort. This is one thing I love about this resort. There are walkways around the resort, a long bridge to cross, and tons of fountains. I have to admit it was peaceful. I saw a couple of bunnies along the way. I am going to check the maps and see if there is something that shows the distance around the resort so I can see how far I walked. It was humid but with the sun just coming up it is not too hot yet. I feel good and soon we will venture out to the parks.

One of my favorites!

2009-08-22T20:43:00.004-04:00

This is one of my favorite meals. Usually we eat at the Turf Club for lunch but this trip we stuck with tradition and ate our first dinner at our resort. I always get the Penne Pasta with Shrimp. It has artichoke hearts, kalamata olive, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes in a garlic wine sauce. I just love it and it was once again delicious. For day one of the dining plan we have spent $108 on dinner and lunch and it cost us $80. We didn't even use a snack credit today which means I have an extra to spend one day.

We have been here one day and have yet to do a park. After being up since 4am we are both going to crash tonight and hope for more energy tomorrow.

Back to the World!

2009-08-22T15:03:00.004-04:00

Well here we are back at Disneyworld. This trip we are staying at Saragtoga Springs Resort. We are off to an ok start. We awoke this morning at 4:15am... the dogs were confused to say the least. We drove ourselves to the airport and decided to park in Zparking. That was great because it was raining and they are a valet service. We made it through checkin fairly quick but the long wait happened at the Dunkin Donuts. We made it to the gate, boarded right away and had a smooth quick flight on Delta. We took Magical Express transportation and were at Disney by 10:30. We had done online check in for our resort and we got our keys right away but our room was not ready. This kind of puts us in a weird state because you don't have the right bags to travel to the park with so you just seem to wander.

One great thing about this resort is the boat transportation to Downtown Disney. We decided to go over there for lunch. Of course another new thing for us this trip is we have decided to do the Disney Dining Plan. We get one counter service meal, one sit down meal, and one snack every day. We decided today we would have lunch at Wolfgang Pucks Express, a great deal on counter service credit. The food was AWESOME! The fries were fantastic! I had crispy chicken and fries and Chris had Rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes. For dessert I had a cookie and he had frozen yogurt with strawberries. The lunch totaled $40.15 ... we have already covered one of our 39.99/day per person fee for the dining plan.

After lunch we browsed the stores at Downtown Disney and then got our call that our room was ready....HUGE dissappointment. We were in Grandstand section, close to the pool, but we had a parking lot view. Not acceptable. We like to relax on the balcony and this view was not going to cut it. Needless to say we called the front desk and they moved us to Congress Park section. Of course our view is better, I wouldn't call it premier like they did, but we are now the furthest from the main area as possible. We are in walking distance of Downtown Disney but far from the drink stations and main area. Oh well... can't win it all. These are some pictures of our new view:

Anyway it is now 3:15 and my spa appointment for my pedicure is at 4pm so I will end for now. Gotta start the long trek back to the Spa.

Back to reality

2009-05-30T22:05:00.003-04:00

As we reminisce about vacation it is back to reality. A yard to mow, grocery shopping to do, dogs to take out, etc. It is also less than 90 days until our next trip and Chris called to make dining reservations. We still can 't get into O'hana or LeCellier but we added a couple of new ones to the list... Liberty Tree Tavern and Tokyo Dining.
We went to see the movie Up! today and liked it very much. Although I don't think it is really a kid movie. A little too serious.
Hopefully Chris will have his pictures on a disk soon so I can see and scrapbook.
Glad to be home!

On our way home...

2009-05-29T13:08:00.003-04:00

Well we are at Orlando Airport waiting for our flight home. Although I am sad vacation is over I can't wait to see my dogs. This morning we checked out early and headed to Hollywood Studios to see Kris Allen, the winner of American Idol. It was pretty cool. We saw Deb Wills and the filming of a commercial by Kris and some really excited fans. Then Kris rode in a car with Mickey down Hollywood Ave and went on stage for some questions. He sang the song "Heartless" which he did on American Idol and sounded great. We left shortly after but I found out through Deb's tweets that he made a short appearance at the 11am show of American Idol Experience.

Overall it was a great trip.

Day 7 - Final Full Day

2009-05-28T19:36:00.003-04:00

Today was our last full day here at Disney. Now is when Chris starts his panic about all the things we didn't do. The fact that we are returning in less than 3 months helps ease the pain.
We headed to Animal Kingdom today. Chris wanted to see the Lion King show. This is always a favorite of mine as it is my favorite Disney movie. We then figured we'd try to get into Yak & Yeti for lunch without an ADR. We got right in and once again had a great meal. I had the honey chicken and fried green beans. Chris had tempura shrimp and the pot stickers.
After lunch we had to make a quick stop by the World of Disney store to exchange a shirt I had bought for a different size. Of course by now it was raining again.
We stopped back at the hotel room for a bit and then headed to Hollywood Studios. I wanted to see the American Idol Experience. When we got there the Block Party Bash was going on. It was ok. Then we went to the Idol show. I really liked this. It was very authentic.
By now we walked around the park. We were going to do Toy Story Mania again but the wait said 80 minutes and fast passes were gone. The line was shorter than when we went the other day but I think based on the number of fast passes the stand by line would take longer. Our dinner at the Brown Derby was scheduled for 6:40 but we figured we'd see if they could take us early at 5pm. We were able to sit right away. This restaurant, another newbie for us, was neat inside. The dinner started off good. We both ordered the strip steak but the server kind of disappeared during the meal to the point that we had to ask another waiter to find him for drink refills. The bad service and the ok meal did not put this restaurant on the return trip list.
We are now back at the room packing to go home tomorrow. We have to leave early to get to Hollywood Studios to see the American Idol winner. Of course, Chris is only going because his friend Deb Wills from allearsnet.com will be there as well and maybe we can meet up with her. Whatever it takes.....

Day 6 Wednesday - Our 14th Anniversary!

2009-05-27T20:35:00.007-04:00

Today was our anniversary and it was another great day. We started the day by going to the Magic Kingdom. We wanted to see the new Stitch show which was a disappointment. Then we did Monster Laugh Floor because we had gotten a Fastpass for Buzz Lightyear. So after Monsters we did Buzz and good thing we had the pass... it was crowded.

Then we walked along the back side of the park so I could get Mrs. Potts soft serve, another favorite. We headed to Pirates of the Carribean and rode that. Keep in mind that along the way Chris takes pictures of everything. By now it was noon and we decided to eat lunch. I got chicken nuggets because I knew Chris wanted to have the tacos. The Taco restaurant is never open when we go so this was a treat for him.
We decided after lunch we would go to Downtown Disney. On our way out of the park the Move It, Shake It Dance party was going on. It was pretty good.

We headed on the monorail to the Contemporary to catch the bus to Downtown Disney. By now there was another thunderstorm going on. I know... big surprise. We pretty much missed it during our travels. It was slightly raining when we got there. We bought the dogs some treats and stuffed toys as promised as well as a couple of items for us.

For our anniversary dinner we went to Narcooseeses.

We have never been here before and we were really looking forward to it. This restaurant did not disappoint. It was FANTASTIC! My favorite meal thus far. I had green goddess salad (ceasar salad with avacado) for my appetizer and the crab crusted halibut for my dinner. This was unbelievable. I would never have ordered the halibut in my younger days.... but I am brave now. Chris had the shrimp and lamb with Moroccan spices. He liked his too.
We decided to come back to the room after dinner. We love this resort and feel very comfortable just hanging out in our room.

Only one more full day to go and then I got the news that Kris Allen the American Idol winner will be at Hollywood Studios on Friday morning. Now I have to figure out how we will get packed and checked out and to the park in enough time to get a good spot and then to be done in time to make our plane at 2:20pm. Better go start packing....

Day 5 Tuesday

2009-05-26T22:00:00.002-04:00

Today was a great day. We got out early today so that we could ride Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios. We got there before the park opened only to find that everyone else was there to do the same thing. As soon as the park opened everyone headed for the same place. We only had to wait for about a half hour and the ride was great. Similar to Buzz Lightyear... you have to shoot things for points. I actually did better on this.
After that we headed for Tower of Terror, a favorite of ours. We waited approximately a half hour on that as well.
We had to leave after to reach Raglan Road, the Irish pub at Downtown Disney. We had lunch reservations at 11:30. It was very good. I had the fish and chips and Chris had a shepards pie made with prime rib and lamb. We will definitely visit this again.
The next highlight of the day was for Chris who finally went up in the fake hot air balloon. It is a large balloon teathered to the ground that goes up 400 feet and overlooks the property. He LOVED it. He says this is a must do on every trip.
We returned to the hotel around 2pm because I needed to do some work and the rain was on its way. Shortly after 3:30pm a large thunderstorm rolled through. We decided that we would not make it to our reservation at Epcot's Bistro de Paris for 5:30 dinner reservations so we went down to the lobby to cancel. They have a new reservation system and all of the cast members seem to be having trouble navigating the screens. The only thing available according to the system was Flying Fish at 8:40pm. Although we enjoy this restaurant we were not sure if it was our choice for the evening so we took it and decided to search for other options.
Since the news said we would get another batch of rain this evening we decided we wanted to eat in a hotel where we could valet park. We picked the Beach Club because we had several options in the area to pick from. Of course Chris's first choice was Cape May Cafe clambake. We figured we would give it a try. They told us they could fit us in within 45 minutes so we were happy. We went to cancel Flying Fish and our table was called in 6 minutes. As we were escorted to our table by Andrew who was earning his ears, we came upon a BIG surprise... crab legs were part of the buffet (apparently this is just a test for this week). To say that Chris was the most happiest I have seen him is an understatement. We then were greeted by our server Roger who has worked at Disney for 37yrs. We remember having Roger before and we told him how happy we were. Not only were there crab legs on the buffet but they brought the buckets back. This was something we loved and they did away with. The buckets are great for transporting the clams. Needless to say we are both back at the resort stuffed from dinner and still talking about what a great day we had!

The Great Piggy Bank Adventure!

2009-05-25T21:34:00.004-04:00

I had read about this new section of Innoventions on allearsnet.com and thought it sounded fun. The Great Piggy Bank Adventure is a game that you can play to teach you about the importance of financial planning. First you pick a goal....the ultimate vacation, retirement, college fund, or bedroom remodel. Then you get your pig. I just loved the pig! You proceed to play three games:

1st - a game to try to direct your money between saving and spending

2nd - a game about inflation and how the wolf takes your money

3rd - a game about spreading the money into different investments so the wolf can't get it.

At the end you weigh your pig to see if you reached your goal.

We came close but did not reach our ultimate vacation but we had a blast playing! I LOVE THE PIG!

Day 4 - SAFARI TIME

2009-05-25T20:53:00.008-04:00

One of the great things about staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is that we can do the Wanyana Safari. Only available to resort guests, this safari consists of 1 1/2 hours in a safari truck on the hotel savannah followed by a family style meal at Jiko, one of the hotels restaurants. Although expensive we felt this was a once in a lifetime experience.

Along with two other parties we boarded the truck and got up close and personal with the many giraffes, antelope, zebras, and birds on the savannah. We learned many things about them including their names and habits. It was also great to see the Lodge from a different perspective. What we thought was Kidani Village Lodge was really Jambo house. As you can see in this picture the animals are really right outside the hotel roaming freely. Did I mention that this is Chris's new favorite resort??

Day 4 Monday

2009-05-25T20:46:00.007-04:00

Once again we started late. Chris gets up early and I seem to sleep until 8:30/9am which I haven't done in a long time at home. We decided to go to Epcot to take pictures of the Flower and Garden Festival since it was a nice day. This seems to be the weakest show I have seen in a while. Not as many displays and vendors as I have seen in the past.

We went to Innoventions first since I had read online about the Piggy Bank game. We watched a show about Velcro first which was great because we recognized one of the hosts as the comedian from the old comedy club. Then we did the Pig game... I will post later about that.

We ate lunch at the outdoor Mexican cantina which was ok. Not great but ok. We walked from Mexico towards Italy. We stopped and watched the China movie which we had never seen and continued on our way. It got really hot and Chris took many pictures. We took the boat from Morrocco back to future world as we needed to leave soon to go back to the hotel. We stopped by the butterfly farm and then caught the bus back to our hotel. Today is our safari day and we need to meet at 3:45pm at Jiko.

Day 3 part 2

2009-05-25T09:16:00.003-04:00

We left rather abrubtly this afternoon for the Contemporary resort. We had dinner at the Wave and the sky looked very ominous. We wanted to get there prior to the rain. We valet parked again (which is free for Tables in Wonderland members) and once again there was a chuckle regarding our last name based on the impending weather. We went straight to dinner and we were really impressed with the atmosphere of this new restaurant. The food was delicious. I ordered the pork tenderloin .... I tend to always order the beef but decided to be adventurous.

We then took the monorail tour and stopped at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian just to look around while the rain stopped. By the time we got to the Magic Kindom the rain had stopped and there was a beautiful rainbow.

We then found a seat in Tomorrowland to setup for the fireworks. Chris wanted to take pictures with the new camera. I got my ice cream and he had popcorn and we waited for an hour and half and then watched the fireworks. We met a few more people and then headed back to the Contemporary to get our car. Its been really better the last couple of days...just rain at night for an hour or so. It's been 3 days and we have only been on one ride which is weird but fun.

P.S. Check out my facebook page....Bob Jackson posted his photo of us!!

Day 3 Sunday

2009-05-24T15:26:00.004-04:00

Today is a lazy day again. We got a late start so we just ventured out to lunch at Coronado Springs Resort. The Pepper Market is one of our favorites although it is kind of pricey. I had the rotisserie chicken. Delicious!! The most embarrasing thing happened though. Some guy came up to us and said to Chris "I know you.... you're the guy with the youtube videos. I thought I recognized you and when I saw your wife I was positive it was you." Chris is now officially a celebrity.
Then we came back to our resort for some pool time. It is sunny today and Geoffrey the Giraffe seems to like our area and visits often.

Soon we will be heading to the new restaurant the Wave at the Contemporary and then to the Magic Kingdom tonight. No rain yet today and in three days we have only ridden one ride. I like this vacation though....slow and relaxing.

Rain...

2009-05-24T09:37:00.001-04:00

Chris had a picture of the walkway between Beach Club and Epcot.... I told you it rained.

For you mom!

2009-05-23T22:42:00.001-04:00

Just outside our room this morning!

Day 2 Saturday

2009-05-23T22:32:00.005-04:00

Day 2 - We thought we were in the clear today of the rain. This is a picture from Friday's afternoon at the Magic Kingdom. Overall we had a good day. We started off in Epcot and rode Soarin' ...only a 20 minute wait. We walked to the Boardwalk and had lunch at ESPN which was good once again. We walked back to the car and headed to the outlet store. We didn't find much of anything. We then headed back to the lodge to go for a swim. We had a few drinks at the pool bar and relaxed by the pool and hottub. We then got ready for dinner and went to Yachtsman Steakhouse. We have only been twice...once good and once bad. This was another good. The food was great. The only complaint was they had an air conditioning issue and it got really warm fast. After dinner we headed to Epcot to see Illuminations and this is when it went downhill. Our first clue should have been that the pools were closed for inclement weather. We made it to Italy and then we met some nice cast members who hooked us up with VIP seating for Illuminations. As we headed back to England for the viewing it started to rain. We ducked in under Japan's building overhang and this is where we spent the next hour and a half. We met a nice couple from Texas but it POURED, there was very vivid lightening and tons of thunder. At approximately 8:30 they canceled Illuminations and the rain let up so we could walk back to the Beach Club to get our car. Or so we thought.... The pathway from Epcot to the Beach Club was flooded. The water had to be at least a foot deep and it was the funniest thing I have ever seen here. Tons of people wading through the water to get to the other side. We were smart and just waited for the boat. We tried to take picutres but it was too dark out. Kevin had it right.... TYPHOON!

Overall we just love vacationing here!!!

Day 1 Friday

2009-05-22T14:19:00.004-04:00

These are pictures from the view from our balcony. Day 1 is very stormy! We just had a tornado warning and it is thundering, lightening, and POURING right now. We did make it to Tony's at the Magic Kingdom for our great lunch. I had the Bomb dessert of course. We headed back to the room because it was not very fun in the rain. We are still having a good time but are hoping the rain stops so we can enjoy the week. Love our balcony and just relaxing. Tonight is dinner at the new restaurant here, Sanna, and then we are headed to visit with friends at Port Orleans resort.

Vacation

2009-05-21T23:14:00.002-04:00

Well vacation has finally begun. Started out kind of iffy... Our nonstop flight turned into a stop in Raleigh NC. We had to refuel. Apparently the long runway at Bradley was being redone and we had to dump some fuel in order to take off with the weight capacity on the short runway. So this meant we needed to stop for gas. We arrived in Orlando about 45 minutes late. We walked passed the long line at Budget rental and we were very happy we are FastBreak members so we could just get our car right away. It is raining but not hard.
The Animal Kingdom Lodge is fantastic. Of course we arrived in the dark so I can't be totally sure of my view but the night view is great. Everyone was extremely friendly here. At checkin we received two buttons... Happy Anniversary and Happily Ever After. The girl who checked us in was awesome and gave us a map of the new area. We can't wait to venture out tomorrow. Our view is in the zebra section and it is so nice at night with all the sounds outside. We went to the store and overpaid for the convenience of breakfast food and we got our mugs so we can get free soda and coffee during our stay. We are both exhausted and have unpacked. Our room has a flat screen TV and DVD player. I am finishing my movie since the battery on my portable DVD player died before we arrived.
Hopefully the weather will start to improve. We will get ponchos tomorrow and make the best of it.
Until then....

Kentucky Derby Training

2009-04-22T19:24:00.004-04:00

This is video of Belle at feeding time. She is in training for the Kentucky Derby. I think she has a good shot at winning. We just can't figure out how she doesn't lose any weight??

On the mend

2009-04-01T14:09:00.001-04:00

Today Woody's bandage came off and the stitches were removed. He will have to go back next Wednesday to remove the staples but at least we can function without the boot. He is a little lame and doesn't have the support to jump on the couch or stand on that leg to pee but he is walking on the leg. It will take time.

2009-04-01T13:59:00.002-04:00

2009-04-01T13:47:00.003-04:00

Will this ever end??

2009-03-29T08:03:00.002-04:00

Will this ever end? That's what Woody wants to know. We went to see Dr. Burnett yesterday and he had to build the bandage up further. Because Woody's legs are so short the bandage was slipping. I was able to see the incision and although it looked good we don't want to press our luck. So now it goes all the way to his hip. It makes it a little hard to maneuver but he seems to find his way to the couch just fine. All he wants to do is go for a walk. All in all he is doing fine.

Wednesday is our next big day. The bandage will come off. Until then.....

Not the way I wanted to start spring!

2009-03-24T20:43:00.002-04:00

Woody had surgery today for a partially torn ACL. He was brought to the vet on Monday for a dental cleaning and to check his leg better. He had hurt it running in the yard about a month ago. Ever since then he had been limping. While he was under anestisia they felt they would be able to see the movement and xray it if necessary. Dr Mac called us at noon and said it would be better if we wait until Tuesday so if he needs surgery Dr Burnett would be there to do it and we would only have to knock him out once. We agreed and he spent the night (no charge). Anyways today he had his teeth cleaned, one rotten tooth extracted and it was discovered that his ACL was partially torn. Dr Burnett performed a surgery that puts a device along side his ligament to prevent damage to the knee if fully torn. He said he was the perfect candidate and that his hips looked good. Of course we did not expect a full cast. It will be difficult for rainy days. Overall he does pretty good with it. We will post pictures tomorrow of him standing. Today he is TIRED and has a morphine patch to help with pain. I will stay with him tomorrow and monitor him. The satelitte dish is recommended but for now we are seeing how things go. Soft food for 4 days and we are to remove the patch on Sat morning. He will return next Wed for the staples or stitches to be removed. Wish us luck!

Patriot Place

2009-03-14T18:10:00.002-04:00

Today we went to Patriot Place and visited the Hall of Fame. Pretty cool!

I wish it was spring!!

2009-03-07T11:34:00.003-05:00

It is a beautiful day today and a bit of spring fever has set in. When it is like this Belle and Woody like to lay out in the yard. Most of the yard is still mud and melting snow but they seemed to manage to find the perfect spot.

Ok so maybe I can't run....

2009-02-17T22:22:00.002-05:00

Woody is officially on injured reserve. After the snow disappeared he felt the need to chase Remy around the yard and has been limping ever since. Bulldogs aren't known for great hips and legs. He definitely overdid it and now his leg is sore. I hate to see what he will be like when it is actually warm enough to hang out in the yard. Hopefully Remy will get the fact that 3 dogs chasing him at 40 miles an hour is not in the best interest of all parties involved.

We can run again!

2009-02-14T07:52:00.002-05:00

We have claimed back half of the yard again! Boy was Woody and Remy excited this morning. They can run again. So many new smells... Of course snow is predicted for the middle of the week so it won't last long. Of course be very careful on the other side... only an inch of ice there. Spring come soon!

Is this the new bachelor pad??

2009-02-10T06:56:00.001-05:00

The Princess on the Pillow

2009-02-08T14:56:00.000-05:00

My first attempt at a wordbook!

2009-02-07T21:59:00.003-05:00

This is my first attempt at a wordbook. Using Cricut Design Studio and following instructions that another scrapbooker posted I learned how to cut the letters and weld them with a square. Then I watched a youtube video and finally figured out how to use the "Crop a Dile" mom got me to cut and secure the eyelets to hold the book together. I love this stuff!

Just being lazy

2009-02-07T21:57:00.000-05:00

For me?

2009-02-07T16:20:00.001-05:00

Finally mom and dad got a bed big enough for ME!

Maybe I'll share once in a while....

Just hanging out

2009-02-06T06:53:00.001-05:00

Another card

2009-02-01T09:02:00.002-05:00

Finally!

2009-01-31T17:50:00.003-05:00

This is my first card with my new Cricut Expression and the Wild Card cartridge. This was set on Argyle card 6" and the Happy Birthday saying and hat/present border were from Paper Pups.

No one can share the bed with me

2009-01-28T06:23:00.004-05:00

Ok...I'll share the bed if you want me to

2009-01-27T07:02:00.001-05:00

Blue Buffalo Bliss

2009-01-26T07:03:00.003-05:00

As you know we have recently switched the dog's food to the all natural Blue Buffalo brand and it has been a HUGE success. Feeding time is unbelievable now. Everyone gets so excited. From little Belle who is training for the Kentucky Derby in the dining room (she runs laps around the table at a full gallop) to Pumba in the hall squeaking extremely loud. Remy bounces so high I swear he will be able to jump on the counters soon. Poor Woody has to stay in his house until the food is ready to eliminate a full blown brawl but he loves the food too. He just relishes in the aftermath. We put a small amount of wet food in the bottom of the bowl and swoosh it around then mix it with dry. They all lick the bowls for at least 10 minutes. I am glad they have two times a day to really look forward to it.

Remy loves birthday presents!!

2009-01-25T14:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Woody!

2009-01-25T07:12:00.003-05:00

Today is Woody's 6th birthday! For his birthday he got this little squeaky fish with big purple lips. He loves it. Although we are dog crazy we don't go crazy buying a bunch of gifts. We just give him all the love we can.

It has been a few days since my last post. Things at work are starting to wind down. One more week of stress! I worked on Saturday just to get ahead and I am confident I can get it done! I did have some interviews on Friday and one more on Monday. So far I only met one I like. I have to see this person be able to take over my role. My boss really wants to promote me to the other accounting side and I am ready for something new. That will never happen unless I can groom a replacement. So hopefully I will be training soon.

I still haven't played with my new toys...the Cricut expression and the Cricut Jukebox. I also want to make a book with Your story ... my new book binder. I will play soon I hope!

Looking for a good time!

2009-01-20T07:11:00.000-05:00

Weekend errands

2009-01-18T08:13:00.002-05:00

This weekend is full of errands and work. On Saturday all of the dogs went to see Tammy at Pupperdoos to get their nails cut. We do this every 4-5 weeks and they each come home sporting a fashionable bandana. I keep the bandanas to hopefully use them to make something special in the future. The usual other stuff had to be done... cleaning, grocery shopping, trip to the Petsmart for food. The rest of the weekend has been spent working. Two more weeks to get everything done. Today we also find out who is in the Superbowl. The Patriots are not so does it really matter? Well the Eagles have a shot so the PA Rainville's may be happy tonight.

2009-01-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

2009-01-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

Safe journey

2009-01-15T20:08:00.002-05:00

Today a plane crashed into the Hudson River just near our old house in College Point. I think about all the people on board and how scared they must have been. Then how cold they were in the water waiting to be rescued. I wonder if I still lived there if I would be glued to my bedroom window watching all the flashing lights. I wonder if my old friends in NY are there now watching... I think about Debbie and Laura and Beth... I wonder if Beth's husband is home yet because I think he works at LaGuaria Airport.
It's funny how life's events make you remember your past... the good and the bad.

It has finally arrived

2009-01-13T19:41:00.002-05:00

My birthday gift to myself has finally arrived...my new Cricut Expression. I have the original one but this one can do so much more. After getting a couple of new cartridges for Christmas I realized that the original one was not going to cut it. Not only would I not be able to make the envelopes for my new card cartridge but cutting some of the Disney princesses would be hard due to the many small pieces. So I went on Ebay and ordered the Expression. I have been eagerly anticipating its arrival. My wonderful husband even stayed home from work today to wait for the delivery (ok so maybe he didn't stay home for just that). Now I am nervous about opening the box. I want to make so many things but I still have three more stressful weeks of work before W2s are due. I don't want to get involved with crafts and not be able to concentrate on work. But the excitement is killing me. I have been watching the Pink Stamper's demonstrations all week and can't wait to play with all the buttons. Ok here it goes.....

How he hates Mondays

2009-01-12T06:53:00.002-05:00

Today is Monday and that means back to work. Woody HATES Mondays. He is currently hiding in the living room pretending to be sound asleep hoping we will forget he is there. If we do then he won't have to spend the day in his house. No such luck! Everyone else seems tired this morning too... especially the two little ones. Could be from their walk with grandpa Jimmy yesterday. Another week ahead...full of work..work...and more work ( and frigid temperatures to come!)

Snow day

2009-01-11T08:30:00.002-05:00

We awoke today to maybe 4 inches of snow. All dogs did their business quickly and the snow has covered the ice quite nicely for now. I like when it snows on the weekend. It looks pretty and I don't have to worry about moving it out of the way quickly. Of course the new Rogue goes through it just fine so we don't have to move it at all. Today is also picture day. Chris and I have decided that we enjoy giving calendars as gifts for the holidays but this year we will begin making a page a month. This way in December we just need to put it together. Can't wait to see which picture makes the calendar!

Ears of a Pug!

2009-01-09T21:23:00.002-05:00

Tonight I took Pumba to the vet. Pumba has been know to have ear infections, yeasty feet, and a licker problem. Today was his annual checkup and another look at his ears. The insides of his ears are turning black?? Dr. Mac (who is wonderful) came in and sat on the floor with Pumba and gave him a checkup. Although his ears are not the worse he has seen, they certaintly aren't perfect. Dr. Mac suggested a food change of less carbs. Apparently carbs have not been known to help dogs with yeast problems. This has been on my agenda anyway. The current food is hard to get and it would be nice to get something less expensive. So that is the plan for tomorrow. $271 later and with a prescription for an infection of an anal gland (ouch!) we were out the door. We will know the results of all bloodwork by next week.

Will he ever get it??

2009-01-09T06:35:00.001-05:00

This is our new pug, Remy... or "Bugger" as we call him most of the time. He has been quite a handful to housebreak and we had been doing good for the last few weeks. No accidents in the house for weeks... until today. Will he ever get it? He seems to understand what the purpose of going out in the cold icy yard means most of the time. We talk to him in those baby tones and tell him to do his business which he most often understands now. Boy how I wish dogs could speak!

Beginnings

2009-01-08T19:19:00.001-05:00

There is always a beginning to a blog so this is mine. As I surf the web I find tons of blogs showing off all things from family and pets to things that have been made. This will be the place to show off mine. So I will begin by showing off my family!