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WW - Sledding
2009-01-28 06:08:00
There wasn't much snow in New York, but what was there was icy and fast!  Of course, Adam loved wiping out. --- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!

Twilight Zone Tower of Not-So-Much Terror
2009-01-27 04:31:00
This shot was taken from the Lights Motors Action show.I had been to Walt Disney World three times since the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened and I finally took the plunge (literally) during our last trip. This time, I had company (my mom) and a willing babysitter who had no interest in taking the ride (Doug). I had taken one drop ride before in my life and all I can remember was screaming so hard that my eyes were shut and I totally missed it. Here is a shot of the Hollywood Tower of Terror at night. The flickering neon lights really give it an eerie glow.  Can you tell I'm hedging?My mom and I got Fastpass tickets for the Tower of Terror so that Doug and the kids wouldn't have to wait long for us. They didn't collect the ticket, so here it is if you've never seen one:Since I have never taken the ride and had only a few anecdotal reports of what it was like, I held on to handle, conveniently located next to my seat. With both hands. Like a total idiot. OK, OK, ...

Photo Hunters - Chipped
2009-01-24 01:30:00
Here are Mrs. Potts and Chip from Beauty and the Beast. Amazingly enough, Dova found these tiny accessories to her tiny Belle doll. --- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!
More About: Photo , Hunters

Irreverence and Hope
2009-01-22 05:02:00
Yesterday, I made a offhand reference to JonBenet Ramsey and the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  In googling the correct spelling of JonBenet's name, I happened upon a YouTube video of her.  Naturally, my curious self couldn't help but click on the link.  Right in the description of the video, there was a warning in capital letters saying that there were autopsy photos.  Unfazed, I watched the video.  I had totally forgotten that I can't even watch the news when it involves something bad happening to a child.  I watched in horror as I saw photos of this beautiful girl, dead in compromised positions.  She was only a year older than my own daughter.  About half way through, the 9-1-1 call from her mother was played.  The sound of her voice was just too much to bear and I had to turn off the video.  I felt terrible for using JonBenet's name in an insulting manner.  I don't agree with her parents choice to put her in beauty contests...
More About: Hope

WW - Unicorn Face Painting
2009-01-21 02:11:00
Dova got a beautiful unicorn face painting at Walt Disney World. We totally stayed clear of the Bibbidi Bobbidi JonBenet Ramsey Boutique, but we did indulge in this. She was quite relaxed during the whole process and enjoyed the attention she got walking around afterwards.--- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!
More About: Painting , Face , Unicorn , Face Painting

Never-Ending Illness, Avelox, Deafness, and Dreams
2009-01-20 05:58:00
Image from Infectious Wearables. I thought Giant Microbes were cool (so do my kids), but Infectious Wearables make really cool ties. Who would have thought that mold/fungi could look so beautiful?But as usual, I digress. Ever since I got back from Walt Disney World, I've been coughing and feeling ill. I wasn't so sick that I missed any work until this month. A week and a half ago, I was hit with a high fever which finally prompted me to see a doctor. Here's the rundown of my illness so far...December 5: Cough starts.December 6: Flew back from Florida. As expected, my ears clog on the plane and I had an extremely painful descent. Every time that happens, it feels like my ears are bleeding.December 11: My ears unclog and I can hear again! Cough continues though.December 25: Coughing continues through Christmas. I cancel a trip to visit my mom for the holidays and plan to go during New Years. Instead I blog about coughing and pantyliners.December 28: I miss a get togeth...
More About: Dreams , Ending , Illness

Photo Hunters - Hats
2009-01-17 03:58:00
At Walt Disney World, Dova loved trying on the various Mickey ear hats, or rather Mom put them on her to snap photos. Pink Minnie ears Pirate Princess ears Adam and I tried on these Mickey wizard hats which light up. This video is proof that I'm turning into my mom. "No, no, no, no sideways videos, Doug! You have to take it again." The subsequent non-sideways video was boring in comparison though... --- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!
More About: Photo , Hats , Hunters

Are you an annoying co-worker?
2009-01-15 21:14:00
Image from Emotional Freedom TechniqueIn my monthly work health newsletter, I came across this interesting list of "How not to annoy your co-workers". Some of them are totally obvious but then some of them were things that I actually do. Oh no! I chalk it up the George Carlin quote, "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you are is an idiot - and anybody driving faster is a maniac?" Here's the list with my commentary: Loud talking, laughing and playing voicemail over a speakerphone.  Voicemail over speakerphone should a be a punishable offense.  However, some people (perhaps moi) have voices that naturally carry, and can only control it to a certain degree, barring a voice operation. And stop laughing!  Work is not supposed to be fun! Strong perfume or cologne, body odors, bad breath, or food at your desk.  I totally agree with the first three items, but food?  I have a huge pantry and a fridge at my desk and am CONST...
More About: Worker , Annoying

WW - I Spy Jack Sparrow
2009-01-14 03:57:00
Taken at the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Walt Disney World. Of course this was not quite as good as getting within kissing distance. --- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!
More About: Jack , Jack Sparrow

Don't Pay for Anything That Is Free
2009-01-12 03:25:00
The title is obvious, right?  Not always.  On our check-in to the timeshare near Disney, we were offered a free 5x7 family portrait.  Our first five days there were packed full with trips to Walt Disney World, and on our free day, we finally to the opportunity to get our free portrait.  Now our yearly holiday family portrait at home is always a major ordeal and I'm too cheap to actually go to a professional photography studio for a family portrait.  Such is the curse of being a cheap frugal "good enough" amateur photographer. Here is the wax replica of our family. The onsite photographer had a Nikon DSLR with a Speedlight flash mounted directly to the camera.  No better than my own setup, but still it was free...   The good thing about this photographer was that all the backdrops and poses in the natural surroundings were all pre-determined.  He quickly assembled us for each shot and snapped one full-length portrait and one zoomed...
More About: Free

Photo Hunters - Aftermath
2009-01-10 05:32:00
When I thought of the theme Aftermath, the most obvious thing that came to mind was the aftermath of opening presents on Christmas day. This year, we opted to sleep in and let the kids have at it, so there were no pictures taken at all! I tried to think of another messy occasion, and the only thing that came to mind was Adam's penchant for taking everything out of bookcases when he was a toddler. Here he is finding the exact album that he was looking for. Just look at that satisfied look on his face! By the way, Olivia Newton John, The Doobie Brothers and Burt Bacharach?  Doug.  Khachaturian Piano Concerto and The Beatles?  Mine.  The albums are still out of order from numerous incidents like these.  It used to be a weekly occurance. Adam thought that his book shelf would be a cozy place to sleep. Why stuff them with books when the floor is just as good?  Thankfully, he's outgrown using albums and books as a floor covering and moved on to Le...
More About: Photo , Hunters

PSF - Tooth Fairy FAIL
2009-01-09 04:18:00
We are letting Adam's hair grow long for the winter. Doug can't take anymore of this bushiness, but Adam loves it. Me? I love running my fingers through his hair, but as soon as it blocks his vision, I'll give it a trim. On to the story... A few days after Christmas, our 8-year-old Adam lost a tooth. It's been over a year since he last lost a tooth, so he was pretty excited to receive a visit from the tooth fairy. We've had a spotty record in past experiences, so I was determined to make sure that she didn't screw up this time.  He went to bed pretty late, around 10pm, and Doug and I caught up on some TV.  At 11pm, I waved a couple dollars in front of Doug and asked him to take care of it. He did the deed and came back down to watch some more TV.  About a half hour later, we hear Adam come out of his room.  He came down the stairs and we asked what was wrong.  He said, "I can't sleep. You know, I saw Dad come into my room and take my tooth and put m...
More About: Tooth Fairy

Thursday Thirteen - Carousel of Progress
2009-01-08 02:44:00
One of Doug's favorite attractions at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in the Carousel of Progress . It chronicles the state of technology from the 1900's to "today". I, of course, take the opportunity to practice my low light photography. Here are thirteen photos and videos of the ride.The 1900's without electricity. They did have gas lamps and a kitchen pump.The ice box of the 1900's was just that, a box to hold a big block of ice and some food. My question is where exactly did they get blocks of ice in the summertime? Good thing I live in the 2000's and there are Yahoo! Answers.The collapsible ironing board was invented in 1892, but hadn't come to this family yet. This scene was behind a cloth screen which was lit for a few moments.In the 1920's, houses began to have electricity, but it was not very reliable. This kitchen was strewn with wires everywhere which kept shorting out.Jimmy and Grandpa listened to the radio.I barely captured Uncle Orville in the tub as ...
More About: Thirteen , Thursday

WW - Dova Tries my YOU by Crocs
2009-01-07 06:05:00
Get yours at YOU by crocs.  Check out my review as well! --- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!
More About: Crocs

Silly Monkey Story - Catching the Jumping Water Fountain
2009-01-06 06:05:00
Adam and Dova love the jumping water fountains at the Imagination! Pavilian in Walt Disney World's Epcot. They had fun chasing the water and trying to catch it as it jumped from one section to another. Adam gets his hands on the water here. But the silliest monkey of all was grandma, who just had to get in on the action. She finally got a handful of the water. Hosted by Karen at 3 Garnets and 2 Sapphires.--- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!
More About: Story , Monkey , Water , Fountain , Silly

Wall-E Bargain Found at Walt Disney World
2009-01-05 06:05:00
When we were at Walt Disney World , I brought along the DVD for Wall -E to watch while we were there. We ended up watching the movie about three times since Dova kept falling asleep. All of us absolutely loved the movie. Some people criticize it for beating its values over your head and the lack of dialogue, but I felt that it was extremely compelling with or without dialogue. I especially loved Eve, or Eva as Dova insists, because she was so sleek, powerful and snobby to begin with, but then came through with a heart of gold. The only place we spotted any Wall-E toys at Walt Disney World was in the DisneyQuest Emporium store in Downtown Disney.  They had these Construct-A-Bot Wall-E and Eve toys that were held together by magnets.  At $14.95 a piece, I thought it was a bit frivolous to get.  I checked on the internet later and couldn't find these toys anywhere for less than $25.  The best price at Amazon was $35! By the last day, everyone in my family had gotte...
More About: Walt Disney

Happy Birthday to Me!
2009-01-04 06:05:00
ImageChef.com Poetry Blender Today I turn 42 years old, which in Boston-speak is wicked old! This cake was not for me, but it had the most amazing fireworks flower candle smuggled out of China.  You can find them on the internet, but I'm pretty sure it is illegal to import to the states.  Here's the sequence of photos as I tried to capture it: If anyone can send me one of these candles for my birthday, I'd be really impressed! --- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!
More About: Happy , Birthday , Happy Birthday

I am Urban Legend Police
2009-01-03 06:05:00
I am the email killjoy.  Whenever I am forwarded a piece of email that sounds even remotely suspicious, too good to be true, or too opinionated, I immediately go to Snopes to check the validity of it.  Ninety-nine percent of the time, I find that it is false.  I then click Reply All, and politely tell everyone that it is crock.  Sometimes, I only click Reply to Sender.  Sometimes I only blog about it.  My hope in replying is that people employ just a smidgen of skepticism and use a bit of fact-checking before sending stuff around through email and perpetrating hoaxes.  I don't know what ticks me off more, the people that start urban legends or the people who blindly accept any thing they read as fact and perpetrate them.  Idjits!  OK, that being said, I sometimes fall for false information and sent a dubious email to three friends that bad-mouthed John McCain.  I stand corrected!  That didn't stop me from fuming over the tons ...
More About: Urban , Police , Legend

PSF - Happy 5th Birthday Dova
2009-01-02 06:05:00
I'm not sure how this happened, but my baby has turned into a beautiful, spunky little girl!  So here is my letter to Dova as she turns five. Dova, even though your birthday falls on the day after Christmas, you never complain about it.  We failed to plan a proper birthday party for you this year because of vacation and the ice storm earlier this month. Plus Mom is sick again (101.2F as I write this).  But you had a great time going to the movies with your best friend and her family.  We think that it is wonderful that you've been friends with your BFF since you were babies, but you should really try to play with other boys and girls as well.  I know they may not be as smart or articulate as you are, but you'll have to deal with that for the rest of your life.  Please learn some tolerance. We are so grateful that you and your brother love each other and play well (i.e. loudly) together.  You will always be able to count on him, as he is extrem...
More About: Happy , Birthday

Happy New Year 2009!
2009-01-01 04:09:00
Image by alexpenev in Sydney Australia, one of the first places in the world to celebrate the new year.--- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!
More About: New Year , Happy , Happy New Year , Year

WW - Gingerbread House
2008-12-31 06:05:00
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More About: House , Gingerbread

Kids Glasses - The Best Deals
2008-12-30 06:05:00
Adam has been wearing glasses since he was five and he has been averaging a pair every six months.  The first year, I had vision insurance through work because I knew that Doug, Adam and I would need glasses.  We went to Pearle Vision and came away with his first pair, which we purchased extra insurance on.  We lectured him on how he needed to take extra good care of these glasses and miraculously, they remained intact until he needed a new prescription the next year.  By then, I decided to drop the vision insurance and was hip to inexpensive glasses on the web.  We even got the same name brand for less than half the retail price.  But these didn't last.  And we do everything in our power to repair glasses including using safety wire and super glue. Here's the history of Adam's glasses: Date Retailer Price Shipping Total Result Feb 06 Pearle - Spongebob $238 -...
More About: Kids , Glasses

Christmastime at Disney's Hollywood Studios
2008-12-29 06:05:00
In 2006, we spent money for extra tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. We got to enjoy a slightly less crowded Magic Kingdom, and the cookies and hot cider were a nice touch. The fireworks were also spectacular, but in the end, it really wasn't worth the extra ticket price. This year, the only evening we spent at Walt Disney World was at Disney's Hollywood Studios (I will forever refer to it as MGM Studios, but I'm trying). At dusk, we waited for the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights. At first I thought this might be the guy who did up his house to YouTube fame, but it turned out to be a different family.I also remember that the fake snow they blew two years ago really seemed like ice crystals that melted, but this year the fake snow was just soap bubbles.  I caught some on my tongue before I realized this, but it didn't stop the kids from trying.We also bought 3-D glasses for the show, which gave added a prismatic effect to lights. After the lights fina...

Cough Cough Cough Leak!
2008-12-28 18:44:00
Image from Region of Waterloo. I had heard that after having a child through vaginal delivery, you increase your chance of "stress incontinence" as you age.  When I was young, I had a bladder of steel, so I never thought it would happen to me.  But then I delivered a 9 pound 8 ounce baby boy, which definitely did a number on my perineum. Now when I have a bad cough, I have to wear pantyliners to catch the inevitable drops that come out.  By the end of the day, I start smelling like the ball pit at IKEA (check the link for a cool video.  Mark lived at IKEA for a week and this video shows him jumping into the ball pit during the first night.  I'm beginning to think that I wrote this post just to include that link).  Supposedly there is a simple 20 minute procedure that can fix this problem. I found this site which describes it, "Urethrocliesis is a vaginal operation for stress incontinence in which the whole length of the urethra is narrowed by two rows...
More About: Leak , Cough

Merry Christmas - Minty Goodness
2008-12-24 23:29:00
Image from MSM London This time of year brings out all sorts of minty treats such as candy canes. I even got a Christmas card this year full of propaganda on the origins of the candy cane, most of which are debunked by Snopes (I am the Urban Legend police, but that's a whole other post). I don't like candy canes per se, but if you crush them up and put them in peppermint bark, I'm all over it. Lately, I've found some other great minty sources that are relatively inexpensive. 3 Musketeers Mint - I don't normally like 3 Musketeers either, too squishy and not enough chocolate. But these 3 Musketeers Mint are beautiful white inside, with a delicious fluffy mint center. Like a fluffy York Peppermint Patty. Better than either a regular 3 Musketeers or a York Peppermint Patty alone. Image from Slashfood. Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses - They are just like peppermint bark with crushed candy canes in them.  If you're a mint and white chocolate fan, this is a total trea...
More About: Merry Christmas , Goodness , Merry , Minty

WW - Happy Chanukah
2008-12-24 03:07:00
Visit by Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom for more participants.--- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment!
More About: Happy , Chanukah

Happy Winter Solstice
2008-12-21 22:16:00
And here's a cake to celebrate it! Or rather, it's the table on our deck that we failed to put away before the snowstorm. The winter has barely started and we've been hit by a massive ice storm, and now non-stop snow for three days. It is still snowing heavily as I write this, and the cake will likely get taller, but being the Winter Solstice , the sun sets at 4:16pm today. I was thinking that it was unfortunate that we took our Disney vacation before winter started, and now we have the whole dreary winter to follow with nothing to look forward to.  No wonder why everyone wants to go in February.  And then I realized that had we gone just one week later, we would have had trouble flying in during the ice storm.  And two weeks later, this snowstorm would sure have put a crimp on air travel. After the ice storm, Adam's school was closed on Monday and Tuesday last week to allow continual clearing of the roads.  People were still out of power and the middle s...
More About: Happy , Winter Solstice

WW - Fish Looking at You
2008-08-21 04:36:00
Since I got such a great response from my last set of colorful sea life, here are some more gems from our visit to Atlantis Marine World. These are all fish "looking at you". -->
More About: Fish

Ruby Tuesday - The Red Room an the Wynn Hotel
2008-08-20 05:26:00
I've been so busy that I've barely had time to breathe, let alone sleep. But I do have a Ruby Tuesday for today! This is the Red Room at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas.  Some high stakes play take place here. -->
More About: Ruby Tuesday

Photo Hunters - Colorful
2008-08-16 03:46:00
Here are some colorful creatures that I photographed at Atlantis Marine World this year. Blue fish.Mantis shrimp. This guy kept hiding from me, but he was every color of the rainbow.Anemone.These were taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XTi, using a 50mm f1.8 lens. -->
More About: Photo , Colorful , Hunters