I'm a fan of all housewives. I'll admit it's mindless and indulgent TV, but it's a guilty pleasure.
Let's talk about our current cast - the gals from Beverly Hills. Can someone please tell Lisa that Giggy isn't a toy? I'm a big dog kind of girl and was never a fan of the craze whereby women tote around thimble-sized pooches in their purses like a tampon that barks. But hey...little dogs have feelings too. I'm sure they can be wonderful companions, so whatever. But that's my point. Little dogs have feelings. If I see that woman go on Watch What Happens Live again, bouncing that little fuzzy hamster in a costume, I may call animal control on her. Last time she had him on, he appeared to be comatose while she shook him up and down to make love to the camera. It's not cute. It's sad. Lisa seems like a stable girl. How is she missing the obvious here?
Kyle - gorgeous. She's a cross between Demi Moore and Brooke Shields. I want to be here when I grow up.
Taylor - was anyone else cracking up at her extravagant party for her little girl? Seriously, $60,000? What was hilarious was when Kyle snarked about that total behind her back and when asked how much she spent on her two year-old's party, she said, "Only like $20,000." LOL Welcome to lala land, ladies.
Who else is there? Kim? Blah. And isn't there some other long-haired blonde chic? Oh that's right. It's what's-her-name? You know, the girl who is married to that famous guy Kelsey Grammar. Oh isn't he wonderful? How I wish I could get to know her, just so I could have access to him. I mean, I'd be so jealous of her. An surely she only has friends who are in it to somehow benefit from that connection with him. *insert eye roll here*
Camille, I can understand why it would be difficult to live in someone's shadow. I'm sorry you're going through a divorce. But don't insert a problem when one isn't there. Fill your own shoes. Your sensitivity to Kelsey's fame is already a boring story. He's a talented actor. Bravo. Move on.
Next week I can't wait to talk about the Housewives of Atlanta. Phaedra is having her amazing seven month baby. Ya know, cause doctors are pretty quick to initiate a seriously premature birth. Supposedly we learn the truth about her due date this week. I can't wait to laugh!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Disney World - two weeks in June 2010
In August 2009, we bought annual passes to Disney World. My wonderful mother (love you, Mom!) took our whole family to Disney World as a means of coming back together to enjoy each other after the loss of my dad. We applied her generosity to a bit of our own moola and voila, we were annual passholders. The challenge, then, was to fit as much Disney World into one year as possible from the distance of about 500 miles.
We went for a week that August, another week after Christmas (holy cow, you can't imagine how crowded it was, but still wonderful) and culminated it with two weeks in June 2010. It was going to be my dream trip. The trip where we didn't have to rush, didn't feel compelled to wake the crack before down and return to our resort as zombies only to turn around and do it the next day. I was looking forward to sleeping late and enjoying a leisurely pace. Here's how it actually went...
June in Florida is hot. I don't normally complain about the heat. We live in South Carolina, which is ten degrees cooler than hell in July. I'm used to it. I still sit on the beach and cope just fine. But this was the type of hot where when you walked out of the door in the morning, the fifty pounds of oppressive humidity sat on your shoulders until you returned home for the night. No matter how excited we were for the day's activity, the minute we walked outside, there was a collective, "Ugh" from the four of us, times fourteen.
On the night we arrived, I realized I forgot my contact case. Luckily I had two small bowls, which I filled with solution and closed my eyes for the night. When I attempted to put the right one, the excruciating pain hit. Involuntary reflexes snapped and glued that eyelid shut and I had to pry it open to get the offending contact out. The pain continued. My eye was horridly red. No matter how many eye drops I put it, the pain persisted and, being completely honest, I don't screw with eyes. I like seeing, so off to the urgent care we went. The diagnosis? Scratched cornea. Lovely. Some antibiotic drops had me all healed up in a few days, though I was afraid to put my contacts in for the remainder of the trip. Since I'm completely blind without them, this also meant no sunglasses. Boo.
On day three, my husband had to leave for three days for business. This subject arose a week before and we contemplating shortening the trip, but the uncertainty of which day he'd have to go back was too much to overcome. The trip would be cut in less than half, so we forged forward.
Hubby left in the morning. I, trying to stick to my "no early mornings" vow, decided to take the gals to craft time. We were staying at the Fort Wilderness Campground in our RV. They have loads of great activities. I was sure crafting would be a hit. Little did I know it would lead to lots and lots and LOTS of whining about wanting to go to the pool. Lots of whining. We had four parks of wondrous entertainment and my children wanted to go to the pool - which we have one at home we use all the time. Fine. Whatever. That afternoon we finally made our way to the Magic Kingdom.
The next morning, the vomit hit the fan - or rather the couch. One of my girls had a wicked stomach flu. And as I cleaned it from various upholstered services, the pain in my throat and head burned. I had no voice and quite the fever. I thanked the good Lord above that we were in our RV, as opposed to a hotel, because we had food and everything it took to keep a five year-old entertained and safe while her sister and mom vacillated between moaning in pain and sleeping. It ended up being mostly a 24-hour thing. The next day we were able to venture out a bit.
Two days later, I found myself on Kali River Rapids in the soaker seat. Six hours later, I still had not dried despite having being on Expedition Everest and was quite over it.
On day twelve, I surprised my husband with a fishing excursion as an early Father's Day present. Twenty minutes into our two-hour tour, my younger ladybug puked all over herself and the boat. Glad we had eggs for breakfast.
Our last day, during which we planned to pack up and enjoy in the Magic Kingdom, it poured harder than I've seen it rain during most category 1 hurricanes. It was relentless and soaked you through if you dared to step outside. We were trapped, until dinner time. We ate at Raglan Road at Downtown Disney and it was quite good!
When we pulled out the next morning for our drive home, I couldn't have been more ready. We had some good times, despite having not really named any in this blog post. But let's be honest - it was a trying "vacation". By the time we got to I95 North, I stated boldly that our next trip would be December 2012.
A week ago my mother said, "You know, I'd really like to get back to Disney World again for the holidays." I haven't made the reservation yet, but I'm sure it will be completed by this weekend. I'm such a sucker. So even when Disney scratches my cornea, makes my kids puke, gives me a cold and roasts me like a turkey I still can't say no to it. And, just for kicks, I think we'll buy annual passes again. :-)
We went for a week that August, another week after Christmas (holy cow, you can't imagine how crowded it was, but still wonderful) and culminated it with two weeks in June 2010. It was going to be my dream trip. The trip where we didn't have to rush, didn't feel compelled to wake the crack before down and return to our resort as zombies only to turn around and do it the next day. I was looking forward to sleeping late and enjoying a leisurely pace. Here's how it actually went...
June in Florida is hot. I don't normally complain about the heat. We live in South Carolina, which is ten degrees cooler than hell in July. I'm used to it. I still sit on the beach and cope just fine. But this was the type of hot where when you walked out of the door in the morning, the fifty pounds of oppressive humidity sat on your shoulders until you returned home for the night. No matter how excited we were for the day's activity, the minute we walked outside, there was a collective, "Ugh" from the four of us, times fourteen.
On the night we arrived, I realized I forgot my contact case. Luckily I had two small bowls, which I filled with solution and closed my eyes for the night. When I attempted to put the right one, the excruciating pain hit. Involuntary reflexes snapped and glued that eyelid shut and I had to pry it open to get the offending contact out. The pain continued. My eye was horridly red. No matter how many eye drops I put it, the pain persisted and, being completely honest, I don't screw with eyes. I like seeing, so off to the urgent care we went. The diagnosis? Scratched cornea. Lovely. Some antibiotic drops had me all healed up in a few days, though I was afraid to put my contacts in for the remainder of the trip. Since I'm completely blind without them, this also meant no sunglasses. Boo.
On day three, my husband had to leave for three days for business. This subject arose a week before and we contemplating shortening the trip, but the uncertainty of which day he'd have to go back was too much to overcome. The trip would be cut in less than half, so we forged forward.
Hubby left in the morning. I, trying to stick to my "no early mornings" vow, decided to take the gals to craft time. We were staying at the Fort Wilderness Campground in our RV. They have loads of great activities. I was sure crafting would be a hit. Little did I know it would lead to lots and lots and LOTS of whining about wanting to go to the pool. Lots of whining. We had four parks of wondrous entertainment and my children wanted to go to the pool - which we have one at home we use all the time. Fine. Whatever. That afternoon we finally made our way to the Magic Kingdom.
The next morning, the vomit hit the fan - or rather the couch. One of my girls had a wicked stomach flu. And as I cleaned it from various upholstered services, the pain in my throat and head burned. I had no voice and quite the fever. I thanked the good Lord above that we were in our RV, as opposed to a hotel, because we had food and everything it took to keep a five year-old entertained and safe while her sister and mom vacillated between moaning in pain and sleeping. It ended up being mostly a 24-hour thing. The next day we were able to venture out a bit.
Two days later, I found myself on Kali River Rapids in the soaker seat. Six hours later, I still had not dried despite having being on Expedition Everest and was quite over it.
On day twelve, I surprised my husband with a fishing excursion as an early Father's Day present. Twenty minutes into our two-hour tour, my younger ladybug puked all over herself and the boat. Glad we had eggs for breakfast.
Our last day, during which we planned to pack up and enjoy in the Magic Kingdom, it poured harder than I've seen it rain during most category 1 hurricanes. It was relentless and soaked you through if you dared to step outside. We were trapped, until dinner time. We ate at Raglan Road at Downtown Disney and it was quite good!
When we pulled out the next morning for our drive home, I couldn't have been more ready. We had some good times, despite having not really named any in this blog post. But let's be honest - it was a trying "vacation". By the time we got to I95 North, I stated boldly that our next trip would be December 2012.
A week ago my mother said, "You know, I'd really like to get back to Disney World again for the holidays." I haven't made the reservation yet, but I'm sure it will be completed by this weekend. I'm such a sucker. So even when Disney scratches my cornea, makes my kids puke, gives me a cold and roasts me like a turkey I still can't say no to it. And, just for kicks, I think we'll buy annual passes again. :-)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
I'm back!
I have no clear explanation why I haven't blogged in so long, but I'm back. Don't you love it when life just seems to take over.
So we've had a busy summer - lots of travel and lots of time at home. I want to take some time talking about some fabulous and some less-than-great things we did, both locally and out and about. Just as a teaser, I'm obsessed with the Myrtle Beach State Park and The Crab Cake Lady. And I can't wait to write about a semi-horrendous two-week trip we took down to Disney World.
For now, I'm offer to FINALLY decorate the house for Halloween. My poor kids. Work and life have kept me so busy and as a result, my house is a mess and we are holiday-less. But it's good to be back and I'm looking forward to dishing!
So we've had a busy summer - lots of travel and lots of time at home. I want to take some time talking about some fabulous and some less-than-great things we did, both locally and out and about. Just as a teaser, I'm obsessed with the Myrtle Beach State Park and The Crab Cake Lady. And I can't wait to write about a semi-horrendous two-week trip we took down to Disney World.
For now, I'm offer to FINALLY decorate the house for Halloween. My poor kids. Work and life have kept me so busy and as a result, my house is a mess and we are holiday-less. But it's good to be back and I'm looking forward to dishing!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The travesty of canceling the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon
It's been awhile since I've written, and it's an odd topic that's pulling me out of my hiatus. This past Saturday, the Grand Strand saw 4ish inches of snow that started at approximately 7:00 PM the night before. This level of accumulation hasn't happened in this area for a decade. I can guarantee you that if it had happened on a week day, school would have been cancelled the night before. Why? Because contingency plans for dealing with such weather simply are not in place due to the infrequency. It doesn't make sense to invest in them.
Also scheduled for Saturday was the annual Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon. It was cancelled the night before. As it turns out, on Saturday morning most roads were pretty clear, despite the white stuff. Many runners and others are quite upset the city officials did not wait until the morning of the event to call it of. Lots of folks are on very tall soapboxes talking about how our government is taking down tourism, first with the May Bike Week being dismissed and now a cancelled marathon. To those folks, I have three words to say. Get. Over. It.
To the runners who trained for so long and traveled to this area for the event, this isn't directed at you. I'm so sorry for your wasted effort, time and money. I'm really hoping for you that you can get your entry fees refunded. I can certainly understand why you'd feel greatly disappointed and probably even angry.
To those who were not involved in the event, and one step further, not involved in the process that cancelled Bike Week, stop talking. I challenge any of you to figure out a way for the city to have coordinated a delay in the race time when so many volunteers are involved. I challenge you to figure out how it could have been postponed a day when the cycling event was today. I challenge you to figure out how any runners would have been able to stick around another day when so many of them traveled from out of area and had to return to normal life on Monday.
With inclement weather, tons of liability was hanging over the heads of the city. Had the hypothetical poo hit the fan and there been some sort of traumatic, weather-related incident that led to a legal event, this same group of soapboxers would have been pounding the pulpit about how irresponsible it was to open us taxpayers up to having to payout a settlement.
For the record, I'm sad for those who were affected by the cancellation of this race. A good friend of mine is extremely competitive and she was, obviously, unable to run. But I wish everyone would take just a moment to think about the otherside of the coin. More than that, I wish those who talk the loudest and most frequently would put all of that energy towards getting involved and actually attempting to make the changes they want rather than just flapping their lips about it. Be brave and step up to the plate. And if you're not willing...zip it.
Also scheduled for Saturday was the annual Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon. It was cancelled the night before. As it turns out, on Saturday morning most roads were pretty clear, despite the white stuff. Many runners and others are quite upset the city officials did not wait until the morning of the event to call it of. Lots of folks are on very tall soapboxes talking about how our government is taking down tourism, first with the May Bike Week being dismissed and now a cancelled marathon. To those folks, I have three words to say. Get. Over. It.
To the runners who trained for so long and traveled to this area for the event, this isn't directed at you. I'm so sorry for your wasted effort, time and money. I'm really hoping for you that you can get your entry fees refunded. I can certainly understand why you'd feel greatly disappointed and probably even angry.
To those who were not involved in the event, and one step further, not involved in the process that cancelled Bike Week, stop talking. I challenge any of you to figure out a way for the city to have coordinated a delay in the race time when so many volunteers are involved. I challenge you to figure out how it could have been postponed a day when the cycling event was today. I challenge you to figure out how any runners would have been able to stick around another day when so many of them traveled from out of area and had to return to normal life on Monday.
With inclement weather, tons of liability was hanging over the heads of the city. Had the hypothetical poo hit the fan and there been some sort of traumatic, weather-related incident that led to a legal event, this same group of soapboxers would have been pounding the pulpit about how irresponsible it was to open us taxpayers up to having to payout a settlement.
For the record, I'm sad for those who were affected by the cancellation of this race. A good friend of mine is extremely competitive and she was, obviously, unable to run. But I wish everyone would take just a moment to think about the otherside of the coin. More than that, I wish those who talk the loudest and most frequently would put all of that energy towards getting involved and actually attempting to make the changes they want rather than just flapping their lips about it. Be brave and step up to the plate. And if you're not willing...zip it.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A bit disappointed at Greek Fest
I'm hanging my head in shame because I talked up Greek Fest like it was the best thing since cheesecake. Sadly, we didn't have the best time this year.
I can't pinpoint what the big difference was, but we left feeling let down. The food was only pretty good. I got a chicken gyro and the flatbread was so dry it was crumbling around the chicken. I also go spanokopita and unfortunately ended up with another phyllo dough creation with potato, I believe. Hubby got a gyro platter and experienced the same bread issue, but was otherwise fairly satisfied. Both girls got a corn dog and one order of fries between then. We also got two waters and a Pepsi. The total was $31...which felt kind of pricey to me. Before leaving we also got a desert sampler for another $10.
As we wandered the grounds of the festival, our children immediately dragged us to the bouncies. The traditional bounce house was $2 for five minutes. We, of course, sent our girls right in, only to have one come out crying a few minutes later. It turns out the whole inside was wet and the kids were slipping. Not cool. There was an absolute downpour the night before and it was clear that the folks in charge of the bouncies did not properly dry them out. I'm thankful my daughter didn't get badly hurt, but I was not happy.
Another bouncey option was this HUGE slide the children had to climb up through mesh levels to get to the top. This monstrosity was $5 per child per attempt. Anyone else think that's a bit much?
Another typical favorite part of the Greek fest for me is the craft vendors. This year the stuff fell into two categories for me. 1) Damp or 2) quite expensive. I bought nothing.
We left there having spent $45 and not terribly satisfied. If you went to the festival this year, did you feel like it was up to snuff, or is it just me?
On a happier note, we ended up at North Myrtle Beach's Irish Italian festival, also on Saturday, and it was great! My girlies were able to do bouncies for $1 per "ride" and plant a pansy for free as part of Home Depot's children's workshop. We left there pretty happy. Perhaps we'll hit that one first next year. Despite my disappointment with Greek Fest, the dessert sample lasted about two hours in our house!
I can't pinpoint what the big difference was, but we left feeling let down. The food was only pretty good. I got a chicken gyro and the flatbread was so dry it was crumbling around the chicken. I also go spanokopita and unfortunately ended up with another phyllo dough creation with potato, I believe. Hubby got a gyro platter and experienced the same bread issue, but was otherwise fairly satisfied. Both girls got a corn dog and one order of fries between then. We also got two waters and a Pepsi. The total was $31...which felt kind of pricey to me. Before leaving we also got a desert sampler for another $10.
As we wandered the grounds of the festival, our children immediately dragged us to the bouncies. The traditional bounce house was $2 for five minutes. We, of course, sent our girls right in, only to have one come out crying a few minutes later. It turns out the whole inside was wet and the kids were slipping. Not cool. There was an absolute downpour the night before and it was clear that the folks in charge of the bouncies did not properly dry them out. I'm thankful my daughter didn't get badly hurt, but I was not happy.
Another bouncey option was this HUGE slide the children had to climb up through mesh levels to get to the top. This monstrosity was $5 per child per attempt. Anyone else think that's a bit much?
Another typical favorite part of the Greek fest for me is the craft vendors. This year the stuff fell into two categories for me. 1) Damp or 2) quite expensive. I bought nothing.
We left there having spent $45 and not terribly satisfied. If you went to the festival this year, did you feel like it was up to snuff, or is it just me?
On a happier note, we ended up at North Myrtle Beach's Irish Italian festival, also on Saturday, and it was great! My girlies were able to do bouncies for $1 per "ride" and plant a pansy for free as part of Home Depot's children's workshop. We left there pretty happy. Perhaps we'll hit that one first next year. Despite my disappointment with Greek Fest, the dessert sample lasted about two hours in our house!
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