27 January, 2011
26 January, 2011
No PotD Today
There is no photo today because I left my Purpleberry at work. Even with the laptop on my lap, I feel disconnected.
How disconnected? Scott got home an hour ago tentatively holding a jury summons in my direction and this is the first time I've shared that with the outside world.
Jury duty. In a new county. In a month. I'm #100, and am hoping they only call 1-99. On the bright side, I know it won't be the Casey Anthony case!
How disconnected? Scott got home an hour ago tentatively holding a jury summons in my direction and this is the first time I've shared that with the outside world.
Jury duty. In a new county. In a month. I'm #100, and am hoping they only call 1-99. On the bright side, I know it won't be the Casey Anthony case!
25 January, 2011
24 January, 2011
Honest Review of a Preview Cruise
As I believe I mentioned before, Scott and I bought each other a 2-night preview cruise of the Disney Dream for Christmas. The cruise was this past weekend, and we had SO much fun and ate SO much food and had SO many new experiences that nothing I could possibly type could possibly encompass it all.
The whole trip wasn't "OMG BEST VACATION EVERRRRR" by a long shot. Our dining room servers were by far the worst I'd ever had. The assistant server was actually not bad, and would probably thrive if paired with a different partner, but the server barely spoke English, didn't introduce himself, didn't check on whether we liked everything, served me the wrong food enough times that it became comical (him: "your tuna" me: "those are beets." true story!), and literally dropped the food on the table and walked away without explaining the dish. The food was very hit and miss. My entree on the first night was inedible, and Scott's was maybe the best thing he ate the entire weekend. Our stateroom was missing a phone and an alarm clock. There's a hair dryer in the bathroom, but the only outlet sized for the hair dryer was on the desk. We even had a bad service experience on Castaway Cay*.
That said, once the staff gets into the swing of things, I have no doubt that the cruising experience is going to be top-notch.
The ship itself is exquisite, with chandeliers everywhere that sparkle like diamonds. The art in the stairwells is beautiful, and varies from 20-foot paintings to production art from Pixar movies. The ship also has "enchanted art," which are basically framed flat-panel screens that sense your presence and animate for a few seconds. Walt Disney sketches Mickey Mouse, pirate ships fire cannons, and scenes from cartoons come to life. I was absolutely enthralled, and kept pausing in front of them to watch them again and again.
The furniture in the public areas is modern and rich and beautiful. And comfortable, too. There were at least a half-dozen places I wished I had more time to sit with a good book. Alas, I had neither time nor book. The theater and the movie theater are both beautiful, and the shows are spectacular. There are even nightclubs where loud music and bright flashing lights have been replaced with softer tunes and puffy chairs. And our stateroom, though a bit smaller than on the other Disney ships, was beautiful and bright with comfy furniture and plenty of storage space.
I would recommend a vacation on the Disney Dream to anyone. But not just yet. Give them six months to settle in before sailing off into the sunset.
*On Castaway, the seat literally broke off of Scott's rented bike on the farthest point on the trail from civilization, bruising his calf and scraping/bruising his stomach where he was nearly impaled by the handlebar. The only good news is that he fell forward onto the handles instead of down onto his testes. Once we walked back to the closest tram spot and rode the tram across the island, we went back to the bike rental shack where I told the worker that the bikes had been ditched. Scott asked about the location of first aid, and I asked for a refund. He offered me another bike (no thank you) or a float rental (in January? bwahahaha), but said he couldn't give me my money back. I guess now I understand why they make you sign a release before renting!
The whole trip wasn't "OMG BEST VACATION EVERRRRR" by a long shot. Our dining room servers were by far the worst I'd ever had. The assistant server was actually not bad, and would probably thrive if paired with a different partner, but the server barely spoke English, didn't introduce himself, didn't check on whether we liked everything, served me the wrong food enough times that it became comical (him: "your tuna" me: "those are beets." true story!), and literally dropped the food on the table and walked away without explaining the dish. The food was very hit and miss. My entree on the first night was inedible, and Scott's was maybe the best thing he ate the entire weekend. Our stateroom was missing a phone and an alarm clock. There's a hair dryer in the bathroom, but the only outlet sized for the hair dryer was on the desk. We even had a bad service experience on Castaway Cay*.
That said, once the staff gets into the swing of things, I have no doubt that the cruising experience is going to be top-notch.
The ship itself is exquisite, with chandeliers everywhere that sparkle like diamonds. The art in the stairwells is beautiful, and varies from 20-foot paintings to production art from Pixar movies. The ship also has "enchanted art," which are basically framed flat-panel screens that sense your presence and animate for a few seconds. Walt Disney sketches Mickey Mouse, pirate ships fire cannons, and scenes from cartoons come to life. I was absolutely enthralled, and kept pausing in front of them to watch them again and again.
The furniture in the public areas is modern and rich and beautiful. And comfortable, too. There were at least a half-dozen places I wished I had more time to sit with a good book. Alas, I had neither time nor book. The theater and the movie theater are both beautiful, and the shows are spectacular. There are even nightclubs where loud music and bright flashing lights have been replaced with softer tunes and puffy chairs. And our stateroom, though a bit smaller than on the other Disney ships, was beautiful and bright with comfy furniture and plenty of storage space.
I would recommend a vacation on the Disney Dream to anyone. But not just yet. Give them six months to settle in before sailing off into the sunset.
*On Castaway, the seat literally broke off of Scott's rented bike on the farthest point on the trail from civilization, bruising his calf and scraping/bruising his stomach where he was nearly impaled by the handlebar. The only good news is that he fell forward onto the handles instead of down onto his testes. Once we walked back to the closest tram spot and rode the tram across the island, we went back to the bike rental shack where I told the worker that the bikes had been ditched. Scott asked about the location of first aid, and I asked for a refund. He offered me another bike (no thank you) or a float rental (in January? bwahahaha), but said he couldn't give me my money back. I guess now I understand why they make you sign a release before renting!
POTD: lazy
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17 January, 2011
PotD: Rainy Day
The weather is gray and rainy. All you want to do is nap, but you can't find your favorite teddy bear. What do you do? Just follow Milo's lead and cuddle with yourself!
16 January, 2011
PotD: Chocolate Chip Snowmen
When cookies attack: these cookies joined together in the oven to form mutant four-tier snowmen of deliciousness. We dispatched them with a spatula and two hearty appetites.
15 January, 2011
PotD: Taken for a Walk
14 January, 2011
PotD: Let the Eagle Soar
This is actually a picture of the eagle landing. With wings spread and one foot in the air, the only thing keeping this from being a really great picture is the fact that you can't see its head! Here are some bonus photos:
PotD x 2
Below are two photos I missed posting earlier in the week:
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| Scott displays his "big catch" (which is actually a 6" baby hammerhead shark and a little trick photography) |
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| A completely NOT trick shot of a Florida red-shouldered hawk |
13 January, 2011
PotD: Stripes
Not pictured: striped scarf or one of my two striped knit ski caps (one of which Scott was wearing around the house earlier while the windows were open due to an unfortunately scented carpet cleaner).
What can I say? Scott has his argyle and I have my stripes!
Also, please don't judge me by these hideous shoes. I only wear them when it's too cold to go out without socks. I need boots!
12 January, 2011
09 January, 2011
PotD: cuddles in sunbeams
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08 January, 2011
PotD: Knobs
I went out into the garage and just sat in the car pushing buttons today. (before anyone suggests it, no danger of CO poisoning - garage door was open and the car wasn't on) Then I let Scott sit in the driver's seat and I tried out the legroom in the back. Verdict: a few inches more space than in the other car, but I still wouldn't want to be a grown-up stuck back there on a long trip!
07 January, 2011
PotD: (non) Identical Cousins
And the color? In 2011, Hyundai calls it 'dark sapphire blue.' It probably had a different name two years ago, but I think that's an apt description.
The only upgrade Frances has that this car doesn't is tinted windows. And frankly, I was shocked at the clarity of the world through these windows on the drive home. We'll see if I end up tinting them. At least then people were less likely to see me rocking out to Phantom at traffic lights...
So that's all for now. I'm sure you'll see more over the next few days.
06 January, 2011
PotD: Big Ouch!
I was in a conference room today, and it had a giant calendar held on the wall by giant push pins. I couldn't resist the photo op!
(also Scott? I think I found what you need in your office to hang up that beautiful calendar I made for you!)
(also also: I'm getting old lady hands. I should really consider regular moisturizing!)
(also Scott? I think I found what you need in your office to hang up that beautiful calendar I made for you!)
(also also: I'm getting old lady hands. I should really consider regular moisturizing!)
05 January, 2011
Cousin Awards
On Facebook today, my cousin Alicia implied that she’s my favorite cousin. I countered by joking that Steve is my favorite. (Steve, for those of you who didn’t grow up with us, is older and tortured us and forced us to call him “Uncle Steve.” We were literally terrified of him.) And then Laura proclaimed herself “Most Conveniently Located” cousin, which she is. This got me thinking about my extended family, and I tried to think up ridiculous superlatives for each one of my cousins. (there are many more – these are just the children of my mother's siblings with whom I’m friends on Facebook)Alex – Most Recently Facebook Friended Cousin
Alicia – Cousin with Citizenship in the Most Countries
Aubrey – Most Collegiate Cousin
Beth – Best Roller Coaster Buddy Cousin
Dawn – Closest in Age Cousin
Jeff – Curliest Haired Cousin
Jenn – Cousin With the Best Holiday Newsletters/Worst Cousin to Play Circus Acrobats With
Joanne – Cousin Most Likely to Give Good Financial Advice
Laura – Most Conveniently Located Cousin/Cousin Who Had the Best Wedding FoodNaomi – Most Pregnant Cousin
Steve – Most “Uncle” Cousin
Suzanne – Westernmost Cousin
I could never pick a favorite, a prettiest, or a smartest. I loved growing up with the ones aged from Jenn to Dawn. I’m grateful to be close with many of those younger and older. And I’m sorry to have lost touch with the ones who aren’t on this list. These folks were the closest thing I had to siblings until I got married and inherited an honest-to-goodness sister (in-law). Anything I learned (or didn’t learn) about sharing or cooperation probably had something to do with them.
And of course, I heart them all!!
PotD: on sale
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04 January, 2011
PotD: Dreamy
Fireworks! Giant kites with LED lights in them! Oh, and the biggest, newest ship in the Disney fleet!
The Disney Dream came "home" this morning amid tremendous fanfare. I'm so glad I woke up at 2:30 to go see it! Disney sure knows how to throw a party... if only it hadn't been pre-dawn.
(and if I do say so myself, I like this picture better than the official Disney pictures)
03 January, 2011
02 January, 2011
PotD: Who Am I Anyway?
Cat isn't really sure whether to go into the bathroom for people with boobs, hips, and one leg or the bathroom for two-legged square people.
This is at the AMC, where we saw Black Swan. It's a movie about a ballerina who goes mad, and reminded me of The Sixth Sense or American Psycho, only with more fingernail clipping and cuticle tearing than ANY movie should have.
It was good (not that you'd think that from my review) but I'm not sure I want to see it again.
Of course, I saw some things that I'll be seeing again and again in my mind...
01 January, 2011
PotD: wash me!
He knows once he curls up in the "cute sleep" I won't kick him out. When he does it, he looks so tiny. I can hardly believe he's going to be 10 this year!
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31 December, 2010
PotD: Midnight, Shmidnight
2010 in Non-Sequitor
It's my favorite post of the year!
Take the first sentence of the first post of every month this year on your blog and put them all together.
Happy New Year everyone. Best wishes for health and wisdom in 2011!
Take the first sentence of the first post of every month this year on your blog and put them all together.
If you love the Muppets as much as I do, I bet you'll enjoy spending time on the website for Disney's new volunteer-and-we'll-give-you-a-park-ticket campaign. I'm pretty bad at peer pressure. I was going for a clever play on 'Pride and Prejudice' but I think I failed.
Once again, I find myself the victim(?) of peer pressure in the form of NaBloPoMo. I made sticky buns for breakfast. Rationally, I understand that boycotting BP doesn't hurt BP as much as it hurts local station owners and workers and that's it's a pretty ineffective emotional response.
After dinner Thursday, Scott and I stopped in to Bath & Body Works because I needed some pretty-smelling hand sanitizer for my work desk. The problem with blog posts that write themselves is that they don't publish themselves. I woke up this morning an hour early to bake a loaf of banana bread to take to work.
I read today on Twitter that October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to present you with my new computer desktop image. Scott pulled out the Christmas tree this afternoon and put it up.
Happy New Year everyone. Best wishes for health and wisdom in 2011!
30 December, 2010
PotD: Love from Greenpop
Thanks, Greenpop :)
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29 December, 2010
Nesting
Alternate misleading post title:
Do you see it in the picture up above? It's pretty well camouflaged. How about in the picture below?
I could barely see the birds in the nest with my naked eye. And not at all in the camera viewfinder. I lucked out with my timing - one bird had just flown back to the nest with a new stick, and they (I assume) were tucking it in where it needed to go.
So while I don't have any clue if or when we'll actually have a whole big eagle family, I know that for the immediate future I'll have plenty of photo opportunities.
Cotton Balls Dipped in Pea Soup
I took this picture at about 7:20 this morning at the entrance to my development. Even if you can't tell from the photo, let me assure you that the visibility was crap. And believe it or not, aside from a few clear patches, the visibility was this bad or worse for my entire drive in to work.It was panic-inducing bad. Like driving through cotton candy... or cotton balls... or pea soup... or cotton balls dipped in pea soup.
It reminded me of a news story my mom once told me about a bridge that was destroyed by a boat in heavy fog (a Google search leads me to believe it might have been the Sunshine Skyway?) and cars kept driving right off the road into the water because they couldn't see that the road in front of them had disappeared. All my life, I wondered how a person could be so stupid as to not know the road was gone.
At one point this morning, when the fog was at its thickest, I was convinced the road in front of me was going to disappear. Now I understand.
On the bright side, driving slowly and concentrating on the white line painted on the side of the road made me notice all of the frost on the grass. I wish I could've stopped to take a picture of some feathery marsh grass that was thick white and sparkly. It was pretty awesome.
And speaking of taking pictures, I'm going to try to take and post a photo a day in 2011. Whether terrible camera phone pictures (dear Blackberry, yours is the worst camera phone I've ever had. love, Jamie) or planned outings with the camera, I think it'll be a fun and easy way to document the year.
28 December, 2010
Paranoia Justified
Preface: This story starts with a simple Christmas gift: a thermal cup for work that's got a built-in straw. The cup is important because it's established Jamie Fact that when I have a cup with a straw I drink more. Lots more.
At 11:30 this morning, I was on my third work pee of the day. I had washed my hands and was reaching for the paper towel dispenser when I noticed a small roach-ish (oval-shaped brown crunchy body, about 1" long) bug on the top edge of the trash can below. So I went to the far end of the bathroom and used the other towel dispenser and left the bathroom.
I called Scott and whined that I wasn't going to be able to pee for the rest of the day because of the bug. Of course, with all that free-flowing water, there was no way I'd make it another 5 hours without a pit stop or six.
On my fourth pee of the day, I was sitting on the toilet when I realized I hadn't done a full inspection of the stall first. Instantly, I started imagining the tickle of bug feet on my butt and thighs.
On pee #5, I abandoned my regular stall (too close to the last known location of the intruder), but still lifted up the seat and peeked around a little to make sure I was alone before closing the door. I felt silly, but I figured better safe than sorry.
On pee #6 (yes six!), I returned to my regular stall. I grabbed a wad of toilet paper, wiped the seat, and used the same wad to lift up the seat. And there it was. The roach. Under the very seat where I imagined it hiding all along. I tossed the TP into the toilet and went 3 stalls away. And then I went back to my office chanting, "heebie jeebie, heebie jeebie, HEEBIE JEEBIE!!!"
I hope it's gone completely by tomorrow. I love my new cup, and would hate to have to abandon it just because I have to go to another building just to use the bathroom!
At 11:30 this morning, I was on my third work pee of the day. I had washed my hands and was reaching for the paper towel dispenser when I noticed a small roach-ish (oval-shaped brown crunchy body, about 1" long) bug on the top edge of the trash can below. So I went to the far end of the bathroom and used the other towel dispenser and left the bathroom.
I called Scott and whined that I wasn't going to be able to pee for the rest of the day because of the bug. Of course, with all that free-flowing water, there was no way I'd make it another 5 hours without a pit stop or six.
On my fourth pee of the day, I was sitting on the toilet when I realized I hadn't done a full inspection of the stall first. Instantly, I started imagining the tickle of bug feet on my butt and thighs.
On pee #5, I abandoned my regular stall (too close to the last known location of the intruder), but still lifted up the seat and peeked around a little to make sure I was alone before closing the door. I felt silly, but I figured better safe than sorry.
On pee #6 (yes six!), I returned to my regular stall. I grabbed a wad of toilet paper, wiped the seat, and used the same wad to lift up the seat. And there it was. The roach. Under the very seat where I imagined it hiding all along. I tossed the TP into the toilet and went 3 stalls away. And then I went back to my office chanting, "heebie jeebie, heebie jeebie, HEEBIE JEEBIE!!!"
I hope it's gone completely by tomorrow. I love my new cup, and would hate to have to abandon it just because I have to go to another building just to use the bathroom!
17 December, 2010
Appreciation
Allow me to preface this blog post by stating unequivocally that I do not feel taken for granted at home. If anything, I don't do enough to tell Scott how much I appreciate him. But this post is all about work.
As you know if you're caught up on my Twitter or Facebook accounts, I made sticky buns for the 3rd shift safety meeting. This was a three-day process that caused me to bail on a friend's holiday party Wednesday (though as it turns out, Scott's day got all haywire and we wouldn't have been able to make it anyway) and not sing in a previously scheduled show of Candlelight on Thursday. But I promised them a month ago.
It turns out one of my 3rd shift managers had a family emergency and had to go out of town (which, by the way, sucks any time but double-sucks right before Christmas), and one of our attractions had some big issue that took another manager away. So this morning was a small crew. I begged them to eat, begged them to take some back for people not in the area, and still had 1/3 of their batch left.
(their batch - an entire 9x13 Pyrex dish - spent 45 minutes in a warm oven and was transported in a thermal carrier so that they would be warm and gooey. you're right mom, I do spoil them!)
I also had packed a separate container for my core group that I work with every day. So I spent much of this morning trying to give away sticky buns to everyone who walked in (or past) my office*. Everyone who took one pretty much gave me some version of "wow, that's really tasty," but my crowning achievement came just a little while before I left.
One of our electricians took a sticky bun to be polite. Really, when I offered it the first time he said "I'll come back after I eat my sandwich," and I didn't think he's come back. He did come back, took a small bun, and left. About 45 seconds later he came back, plate clean, mouth full, and exclaimed, "oh my God Jamie that was the best thing I ever ate. I need another one!" He grabbed a second one out of the container and left. And I almost melted in a big puddle of happy-to-be-appreciated goo!
To be fair, I'd never brought anything more culinarily complex than an apple pie to The Restaurant. But it's tough to "wow" people who generally eat scraps of 5-diamond food for dinner every night. There, I often felt invisible or, in the case of pot-luck dinners, out-matched. Now, every day I'm thanked for something. And the only thing I've brought in that didn't end up completely eaten was the cranberry sauce I brought in for Thanksgiving.
I know that a time will probably come when I no longer LOVE my job and LOVE my co-workers and LOVE the people I support and LOVE my office-mate. But right now, I really do love them, at least in part because they love me.
*I was SHOCKED by how many people had never heard the term "sticky bun" before. I weep for those people and their hollow, empty lives!
As you know if you're caught up on my Twitter or Facebook accounts, I made sticky buns for the 3rd shift safety meeting. This was a three-day process that caused me to bail on a friend's holiday party Wednesday (though as it turns out, Scott's day got all haywire and we wouldn't have been able to make it anyway) and not sing in a previously scheduled show of Candlelight on Thursday. But I promised them a month ago.
It turns out one of my 3rd shift managers had a family emergency and had to go out of town (which, by the way, sucks any time but double-sucks right before Christmas), and one of our attractions had some big issue that took another manager away. So this morning was a small crew. I begged them to eat, begged them to take some back for people not in the area, and still had 1/3 of their batch left.
(their batch - an entire 9x13 Pyrex dish - spent 45 minutes in a warm oven and was transported in a thermal carrier so that they would be warm and gooey. you're right mom, I do spoil them!)
I also had packed a separate container for my core group that I work with every day. So I spent much of this morning trying to give away sticky buns to everyone who walked in (or past) my office*. Everyone who took one pretty much gave me some version of "wow, that's really tasty," but my crowning achievement came just a little while before I left.
One of our electricians took a sticky bun to be polite. Really, when I offered it the first time he said "I'll come back after I eat my sandwich," and I didn't think he's come back. He did come back, took a small bun, and left. About 45 seconds later he came back, plate clean, mouth full, and exclaimed, "oh my God Jamie that was the best thing I ever ate. I need another one!" He grabbed a second one out of the container and left. And I almost melted in a big puddle of happy-to-be-appreciated goo!
To be fair, I'd never brought anything more culinarily complex than an apple pie to The Restaurant. But it's tough to "wow" people who generally eat scraps of 5-diamond food for dinner every night. There, I often felt invisible or, in the case of pot-luck dinners, out-matched. Now, every day I'm thanked for something. And the only thing I've brought in that didn't end up completely eaten was the cranberry sauce I brought in for Thanksgiving.
I know that a time will probably come when I no longer LOVE my job and LOVE my co-workers and LOVE the people I support and LOVE my office-mate. But right now, I really do love them, at least in part because they love me.
*I was SHOCKED by how many people had never heard the term "sticky bun" before. I weep for those people and their hollow, empty lives!
12 December, 2010
Cruise Food
Well, I promised "something" about the cruise, this weekend, so here are some food pictures. Who doesn't love food pictures?
Palo has a "famous" chocolate soufflé that they recommend, but to me a soufflé isn't really any more special than a warm piece of cake. We had it once, just because everyone says "did you have the soufflé?" Now I can say yes, "but next time you should try the pineapple ravioli...it's amazing." And Scott loves their panna cotta so much he'll probably never order something else.
And thus concludes the gratuitous food pics from the cruise. I'm sorry I didn't get pictures of the amazing eggs benedict or Scott eating caviar at the Palo brunch. I did, however, get a picture of Scott's traditional start-of-cruise shrimp feast. Enjoy!
These first two pictures are of dessert from our first night. Really, I only took them because we were amused by the tiny strawberry pieces. Scott's dessert is the one on the left - some sort of chocolate cake thing - and mine was cranberry-orange cheesecake.
And now for some pictures from Palo. I had monkfish with mascarpone risotto and red pepper sauce, and Scott had lamb chops. We also got to try the lobster ravioli.
Palo has a "famous" chocolate soufflé that they recommend, but to me a soufflé isn't really any more special than a warm piece of cake. We had it once, just because everyone says "did you have the soufflé?" Now I can say yes, "but next time you should try the pineapple ravioli...it's amazing." And Scott loves their panna cotta so much he'll probably never order something else.
And thus concludes the gratuitous food pics from the cruise. I'm sorry I didn't get pictures of the amazing eggs benedict or Scott eating caviar at the Palo brunch. I did, however, get a picture of Scott's traditional start-of-cruise shrimp feast. Enjoy!
10 December, 2010
Nothing Under the Tree
Scott pulled out the Christmas tree this afternoon and put it up. We'll be decorating it tomorrow, adding ornaments picked up during our stay-cation in Tampa (Dali Museum melting clock, of course) and our way-far-away-cation in the Caribbean. I love Christmas, and I love our tree, even though it's too small for the angel we got last year. But this year, there won't be any gifts under the tree.
Like we did in 2008, we have decided to forgo gifts for friends, family, and co-workers and instead donate to charity. This year, we'll be giving to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. In '08, we had a lot of fun shopping for Toys for Tots, and it's something I'd love to do with my future hypothetical children. But this year I felt really strongly that our money should go to a more practical fund. Second Harvest actually provides food to other nonprofits - everything from homeless shelters to breakfast programs for school kids - and I would rather make sure that there's no one hungry on Christmas morning (and for the rest of the year) than give away toys.
But before anyone accuses me of Scrooge-ing underprivileged kids, please read on...
In 2008, we had plenty of gifts under the tree for ourselves, and this year we're buying nothing but stocking stuffers. That's because we decided to make an unexpected donation to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida. "Unexpected? How can that be?" Well you see...
Merry Christmas to us!
The money we spent on the cruise really wasn't that much more than we would have spent on actual gifts, and we justified the extra expenditure by telling eachother that the money was going to charity. I'm not even pretending that we booked the cruise strictly as a charitable donation. Scott and I have been gobbling up every story about this ship since they started hinting about the awesomeness aboard, and dreaming about the day - more than likely over a year from now - when we'd be able to get a booking cheap enough for us to afford. This also gives my inner journalist the chance to "scoop" ALL of our friends. And did I mention that the inaugural cruise is after our cruise? We're going on before all those Disney nuts who booked 2 years ago!
Plus, we'll be able to give all of you the "gift" of another vicarious vacation. Sure, I've been remiss in blogging at all about our last cruise, but aside from the ports of call (and Cozumel doesn't even count because we never even got off the ship. don't judge - it was raining AND Mexico!), it really was quite similar to the Disney Magic cruise we took in 2007. I'll put something up this weekend, I promise. But this will be a NEW ship with NEW restaurants and NEW shows!
You're welcome!
...and I hope you have some money in your budget to donate to your favorite charity. All kidding (and cruising) aside, I'm grateful that we're in a position to do so. And I know that our gift to the food bank will go to better use than a gift card or knick knack would, and that the memories we make on our mini vacation - and the ones the kids make at the local B&GC's - will last longer than a video game or jewelery would have.
Like we did in 2008, we have decided to forgo gifts for friends, family, and co-workers and instead donate to charity. This year, we'll be giving to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. In '08, we had a lot of fun shopping for Toys for Tots, and it's something I'd love to do with my future hypothetical children. But this year I felt really strongly that our money should go to a more practical fund. Second Harvest actually provides food to other nonprofits - everything from homeless shelters to breakfast programs for school kids - and I would rather make sure that there's no one hungry on Christmas morning (and for the rest of the year) than give away toys.
But before anyone accuses me of Scrooge-ing underprivileged kids, please read on...
In 2008, we had plenty of gifts under the tree for ourselves, and this year we're buying nothing but stocking stuffers. That's because we decided to make an unexpected donation to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida. "Unexpected? How can that be?" Well you see...
As Disney Cruise Line prepares to bring its newest ship – Disney Dream – online, a special two-night and invitation only preview cruise will take place [...] in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida. As part of this one-of-a-kind sailing, 100 percent of the cruise fare will be donated directly to the organization, while select Boys & Girls Clubs children and their families from Brevard, Osceola, Orange and Seminole counties will have a unique opportunity to sail onboard.(from the Disney Parks Blog)
Merry Christmas to us!
The money we spent on the cruise really wasn't that much more than we would have spent on actual gifts, and we justified the extra expenditure by telling eachother that the money was going to charity. I'm not even pretending that we booked the cruise strictly as a charitable donation. Scott and I have been gobbling up every story about this ship since they started hinting about the awesomeness aboard, and dreaming about the day - more than likely over a year from now - when we'd be able to get a booking cheap enough for us to afford. This also gives my inner journalist the chance to "scoop" ALL of our friends. And did I mention that the inaugural cruise is after our cruise? We're going on before all those Disney nuts who booked 2 years ago!
Plus, we'll be able to give all of you the "gift" of another vicarious vacation. Sure, I've been remiss in blogging at all about our last cruise, but aside from the ports of call (and Cozumel doesn't even count because we never even got off the ship. don't judge - it was raining AND Mexico!), it really was quite similar to the Disney Magic cruise we took in 2007. I'll put something up this weekend, I promise. But this will be a NEW ship with NEW restaurants and NEW shows!
You're welcome!
...and I hope you have some money in your budget to donate to your favorite charity. All kidding (and cruising) aside, I'm grateful that we're in a position to do so. And I know that our gift to the food bank will go to better use than a gift card or knick knack would, and that the memories we make on our mini vacation - and the ones the kids make at the local B&GC's - will last longer than a video game or jewelery would have.
26 November, 2010
It's Been A While...
...since I shared any backyard wildlife photos. And truth be told, these pictures weren't taken in the backyard. They were taken by the dumpster at the end of the street.
25 November, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Sure it's pretty, but will there be horcruxes? Scott and I are going nontraditional after work - Harry Potter 7.1 and then modified Thanksgiving dinner of chicken breasts, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and probably a vegetable. I made cranberry-orange cookies for us to take to work, but no dessert for tonight.
Anyway, have a great turkey day and don't forget to stop for a moment and remember what you are thankful for: ME! ;-)
21 November, 2010
Making Things
Whenever I make anything, there's this moment in the process where it goes from an abstract to an actual thing. For me, that's a bigger accomplishment than seeing the completed product. When making cookies, it's adding the flour that turns the slimy sugar-butter-egg goo into cookie dough. With soft pretzels, it never seems real until the dough has risen.
Today, I made a vest for Scott. I cut out most of the pieces yesterday, before realizing that we couldn't find the iron (umm...this also means I haven't ironed in over a year...is it wrong that I'm proud of that?). I quit for the night, and then finished cutting this morning after a run to Target for a $7 iron and an eggnog latte.
So really, 80% of this process happened today. After the cutting, I attached the front and back at the shoulders. Then came the long and tedious process of pinning and then ironing interfacing to the lining. (still not quite sure what the heck the point of that was) Then I attached the back and front of the lining at the shoulders. Then I spent an hour pinning the whole outside to the whole liner. Then it was finally time to sew more than 6" at a time.
Much like making a pillow, you sew the vest together with the "good" sides facing each other, leave a hole, and then flip it right-side-out through the hole. It wasn't until I did that flip that I looked down at the work table and thought, "holy shit - this might actually work!"
It's done now, except for the buttons. I'm waiting to have Scott try it on while I pin the buttons in the right spot. I'm so proud of myself. I haven't sewn anything since 9th grade sewing class and half expected to have a temper tantrum and never finish. Quite the contrary, I considered the extra fabric that I bought, and seriously thought about making a vest for myself. But then I realized how small our office is, and how I haven't had anything to eat since 8 am, and I thought perhaps I'll just take it easy for the rest of the day.
No vest for me, but I am going to use some extra fabric to make myself a matching belt/sash thing and a headband. You're going to love these pictures, I'm sure!
Today, I made a vest for Scott. I cut out most of the pieces yesterday, before realizing that we couldn't find the iron (umm...this also means I haven't ironed in over a year...is it wrong that I'm proud of that?). I quit for the night, and then finished cutting this morning after a run to Target for a $7 iron and an eggnog latte.
So really, 80% of this process happened today. After the cutting, I attached the front and back at the shoulders. Then came the long and tedious process of pinning and then ironing interfacing to the lining. (still not quite sure what the heck the point of that was) Then I attached the back and front of the lining at the shoulders. Then I spent an hour pinning the whole outside to the whole liner. Then it was finally time to sew more than 6" at a time.
Much like making a pillow, you sew the vest together with the "good" sides facing each other, leave a hole, and then flip it right-side-out through the hole. It wasn't until I did that flip that I looked down at the work table and thought, "holy shit - this might actually work!"
It's done now, except for the buttons. I'm waiting to have Scott try it on while I pin the buttons in the right spot. I'm so proud of myself. I haven't sewn anything since 9th grade sewing class and half expected to have a temper tantrum and never finish. Quite the contrary, I considered the extra fabric that I bought, and seriously thought about making a vest for myself. But then I realized how small our office is, and how I haven't had anything to eat since 8 am, and I thought perhaps I'll just take it easy for the rest of the day.
No vest for me, but I am going to use some extra fabric to make myself a matching belt/sash thing and a headband. You're going to love these pictures, I'm sure!
09 November, 2010
More Water, Please
I'm having a glass of water for breakfast.
Yesterday, I had multi-grain Cheerios for breakfast, a tuna salad salad (tuna salad on a bed of romaine) for lunch, and dry honey nut Cheerios for dinner. Dinner, by the way was partly before Candlelight rehearsal and then as much as I could swallow before 7:00.
That's right, I have fasting blood work this morning. And yesterday's meal was a feeble attempt to skew the results. Some may call it cheating, but I think it's just good sense. Plus, I had those home-made ravioli the night before last, so it's not like I've been sensible for long.
I know from a non-fasting cholesterol test I had at work that Cheerios for breakfast significantly lowered my triglycerides. I have my fingers crossed that I'll be back in the normal range without pharmaceutical intervention. Wish me luck!
...and after the blood test? McDonald's for breakfast!
Yesterday, I had multi-grain Cheerios for breakfast, a tuna salad salad (tuna salad on a bed of romaine) for lunch, and dry honey nut Cheerios for dinner. Dinner, by the way was partly before Candlelight rehearsal and then as much as I could swallow before 7:00.
That's right, I have fasting blood work this morning. And yesterday's meal was a feeble attempt to skew the results. Some may call it cheating, but I think it's just good sense. Plus, I had those home-made ravioli the night before last, so it's not like I've been sensible for long.
I know from a non-fasting cholesterol test I had at work that Cheerios for breakfast significantly lowered my triglycerides. I have my fingers crossed that I'll be back in the normal range without pharmaceutical intervention. Wish me luck!
...and after the blood test? McDonald's for breakfast!
06 November, 2010
Imodium
I took two Imodium Wednesday night. I rarely take Imodium at all, and when I do I've been known to take 1/2 a pill. I don't know how it works, but I picture it as one of those novelty capsule-that-turns-into-a-sponge-animal things, but with concrete instead of a sponge.
Anyway, at the time two pills seemed like the best thing for me. Trust me - I was near tears and tweeting to God for mercy.
Fortunately, the pills worked.
Unfortunately, the pills are still working.
I may be putting prunes on the shopping list.
Anyway, at the time two pills seemed like the best thing for me. Trust me - I was near tears and tweeting to God for mercy.
Fortunately, the pills worked.
Unfortunately, the pills are still working.
I may be putting prunes on the shopping list.
02 November, 2010
Sad Jamie is Sad
Wow, it's worse than 2004. Rubio and Webster will be representing me and my district. I don't think I'll be excitedly waiting up for results tonight.
Damn...
Damn...
01 November, 2010
The 'Dream' is a Floating Reality
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to present you with my new computer desktop image:
photo credit. there are 71 photos in the gallery, and it's definitely worth spending a few minutes there
The Disney Dream took a major step forward (while being tugged backwards) over the weekend when her Floating Out took place at the shipyard in Germany. The official Disney take on the event can be found here (along with some other cool pictures).
It's hard to gauge the size difference between this ship and the Magic/Wonder ships until you take a look at a picture of the stern. At least that was true for me. Not only is this ship 3 or 4 decks taller, it's also broader. I don't even think that there are verandas on the other ships that face that direction.
Anyway, it's pretty awesome. And apparently the first 450 crew members will be moving on board soon to get the inside sparkling and pretty. She'll be doing sea trials for the next two months, and then heading "home" to Port Canaveral for her inaugural cruise in January. I can't wait to see her in person!
photo credit. there are 71 photos in the gallery, and it's definitely worth spending a few minutes thereThe Disney Dream took a major step forward (while being tugged backwards) over the weekend when her Floating Out took place at the shipyard in Germany. The official Disney take on the event can be found here (along with some other cool pictures).
It's hard to gauge the size difference between this ship and the Magic/Wonder ships until you take a look at a picture of the stern. At least that was true for me. Not only is this ship 3 or 4 decks taller, it's also broader. I don't even think that there are verandas on the other ships that face that direction.Anyway, it's pretty awesome. And apparently the first 450 crew members will be moving on board soon to get the inside sparkling and pretty. She'll be doing sea trials for the next two months, and then heading "home" to Port Canaveral for her inaugural cruise in January. I can't wait to see her in person!
31 October, 2010
Killing Myself for a Bargain
I had a coupon from Snapfish - buy one calendar get two free - and decided I couldn't pass it up. I didn't read that there was a specific size calendar included, so my first three hours of work (on three separate calendars) was pretty much wasted.
Round two of calendars took me a little less than two hours, and they actually came out better than round one. I guess I can't complain. Except about my aching click & drag fingers! My hands HURT!
Anyway, now Scott and I each have calendars for our offices, and I made one for home that's mostly pictures of us. It's my favorite!
My creativity has been sapped for the day, so please excuse me while I go dig into leftover Halloween candy and then head to bed.
Round two of calendars took me a little less than two hours, and they actually came out better than round one. I guess I can't complain. Except about my aching click & drag fingers! My hands HURT!
Anyway, now Scott and I each have calendars for our offices, and I made one for home that's mostly pictures of us. It's my favorite!
My creativity has been sapped for the day, so please excuse me while I go dig into leftover Halloween candy and then head to bed.
30 October, 2010
Label Fail
This is an actual tab on an actual hanging file in my desk. I spent a few hours over the past week cleaning out the desk, mostly recycling a half-ton of various papers (hello? isn't that what computer archives are for?) and moving folders around.Despite all of the unsentimental brush clearing I did, I couldn't bring myself to get rid of the "Scap Paper" file, because every time I see it I chuckle.
I have approximately 100 hanging files in three drawers in my desk, and personally use five. There are another ten with stuff I haven't yet decided it's ok to toss. And of course, 2" of scrap paper that's been memorialized in an otherwise unused drawer (note: the folder in front of the tab is full of half-used notebooks. WTF?).
I'll leave you with two other pictures, for S&G's. These are the other file drawers. The first is the one I actually use (the first five files, at least). The second has 62 files - two sets labeled 1-31. Obviously I didn't do that zig-zag with the tabs. It pings my OCD every time I see it!
29 October, 2010
Do You Know What Time It Is?
It's BEDTIME!
It's been a long day, but now it's the weekend, I finally got my contact lens prescription filled, and tomorrow is the Rally to Restore Sanity.
If you can make sense out of that last sentence, you're probably as tired as I am.
Good night!
It's been a long day, but now it's the weekend, I finally got my contact lens prescription filled, and tomorrow is the Rally to Restore Sanity.
If you can make sense out of that last sentence, you're probably as tired as I am.
Good night!
28 October, 2010
Hooray! The '10-'11 Straz Season Has Started!!
If you're lucky, perhaps tomorrow there will be a review...
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