Friday, March 31, 2006

March 31st.




Your Birthdate: February 17



You tend to find yourself lucky - both in business and in life. And while being wealthy is nice, you enjoy sharing your abundance with others. You put your luck to good use: you are very ambitious and goal oriented. Often times, you get over excited and take on more than you can manage.

Your strength: Your ability to make your own luck

Your weakness: Thinking you can do it all

Your power color: Bronze

Your power symbol: Half Moon

Your power month: August


Thanks to Emma for this.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

March 28 th.

Well, I haven’t written very much lately because life has been very busy. In my last post I mentioned we had a very good two week vacation in Florida. Miss Jay replied to that with... “How can you be sick of amusement parks?”

Easy … we did 8 amusement parks in 8 days, with 4 days set aside for driving.

Day One = Disney - Magic Kingdom, 9am to 11pm
Day Two = Disney - Animal Kingdom 9 am to 7 pm
Day Three = Disney – Epcot 9 am to 6 pm
Day Four = Universal 9 am to 9 pm
Day Five = Discovery Cove 9 am to 5 pm
Day Six = Busch Gardens 9:30 am to 8:30 pm (include one hour drive to Tampa and back)
Day Seven = Disney MGM 9 am to 7 pm
Day Eight = Gatorland 10 am to 12:30 pm

Plus we had access to the rides at Kissimmee Old-Town at no charge, we did a Time Share presentation, so the kids (or at least middle youngest and Wife, eldest didn’t think they were cool) went on those rides most nights that we were home early.

Hey I’m not saying I didn’t have fun, we had a great time. It’s just that I am sick of crowds, lines, and noise. The rides were awesome.

If fact if you go, here are a list of must do rides.
Magic Kingdom => Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain
Animal Kingdom => Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids,
Epcot => Soarin’ and Mission:Space
Disney MGM => Rock 'n' Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Universal => Jaws, Revenge of the Mummy
Busch Gardens => Gwazi, SheiKra, and Congo River Rapids.

But rides weren’t the only thing we did... all the parks have some really good thrill shows and 3D shows. Disney MGM’s Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Lights, Motors, Action!™ Extreme Stunt Show and Muppet Vision 3D or Disney Animal Kingdoms It's Tough to Be a Bug are well worth the lines and are a lot of fun, but use the fast passes that Disney offers for free.

If you plan a trip, spend the money and do a day at Discovery Cove. Large salt water pool were you swim with fish, a really large fresh water wading pool which is kept at 85 F (we never got middle out of that pool, she wouldn’t even get out to swim with the Dolphin), another pool where you can walk around and pet the rays, and finally a half hour swim with a Dolphin. They even have a aviary were you can walk through and see over 30 tropical birds that will fly down and eat off of cups in your hand. (Eldest liked this the best) On top of this, the day we went they introduced a guided horticultural walk; unfortunately having 3 kids and only 2 parents I missed out on this. You arrive at the door and the only thing you have to pay for is any souvenir or photos you want. All food, snacks and drinks are included in the price. In fact, even though we weren’t told, you can link you credit card to you pass so if you want to buy something you just have to swipe your pass. To me Discovery Cove was the best day of the trip. I had a ton of fun snorkeling in the salt water tank, kids loved it and I even got wife to snorkel with me (she doesn’t like deep water)

Gatorland was okay, you have to say that you went there when you go to Orlando. I have this great show of Eldest staring down a 13 foot gator that was swimming towards him. (he was on a enclosed walkway).

Youngest wanted to be carried all the time, Middle wanted to ride with either Mom or Dad, Eldest complained the most, he didn't want to wait in line, he was to hot, he didn't want to get wet or he just picked fights with his sisters. I did get some great shots of him when he was happy doing something. Gone was the pout, gone was the anger. I only saw the smile and joy. By the way Eldest is 14 now, as of March 24th, so yes we are in the middle of the teen years. Heaven help me.

So we’ve come home to relax from the vacation. More on life later.

Monday, March 27, 2006

March 27 th.

Well I'm back, we got to Florida and back safely .. Wife drove all the way down to Orlando .. we had a great time .. only I am sick to death of amusment parks .. go to my Flickr page, I've posted some photos .. more later

Friday, March 10, 2006

March 10 th.

Okay, its fact. I am a 43 year old loser. I just discovered because of my stupidity that my drivers license is suspended. Back in November I was in a car accident, the guy turned in front of me as I was making a left hand turn from a stop sign... so it's my fault and I was ticketed. I was going to fight it, but by the time (Jan 9th) I was able to get away from work to get to the Court house (the courts are only open from 9 am to 4pm for payments of fines or to set a court date) it was to late and the case had been sent to the crown attorney for closure and I was found guilty. I asked if I could pay the fine. No I have to wait for notification. The notification came in February, Wife had received a ticket around that time, and when I paid her ticket I had thought that I had paid mine and it passed from my mind.

Well low and behold, last night (March 9th) I got a letter notifying me that my license was suspended as of March 6th. Fuck... we are driving to Disney as of Sunday for two weeks... I have no license... it’s a $5000 fine if I'm caught driving...Fuck. I ran around this morning (as fast as the bus could take me) and paid off the fines. Then I get told, tough luck, it will take 4 business days to clear your suspension, please don't drive. Fuck... like I said I head for Orlando on Sunday.

I am officially a 43 Year Old Loser!

PS .. I will post some more photos when I get back, if Wife doesn’t kill me first.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

March 2 nd.

Well, I promised some photos of Vegas and the Grand Canyon, I'm not going to load them up in the blog but I will invite you to go to my Flickr Page and take a quick look.

Vegas was incredible, but I'll never go back. I'm not a big crowd or noise person, and that is what Vegas is Crowded and Noisy. Can you beleive that I feel asleep during the Elton John show. He was talking about his song Daniel and how the video that they would show would finally explain the song .. I have no idea what the song is about because drifted off twice during it. Sad, Eltons music is awesome, the show was great but I just couldn't keep my eyes open. This shot was taken on the ground of Ceasers Palace, I couldn't get over taking a photo of a Angels Butt and a the models butt in the bill board.

The Grand Canyon was incredible .. We went to the Grand Canyon West DSCF0101on Hualapai land. This is a nation of about 2000 people who have been living in this area for thousands of years.

This is a photo taken at Eagle Point. Can you see why its called Eagle Point.

I stood on the edge of a 4000 foot drop, there are no fences or walls on the West rim, so if your faint of heart don't go. They fed us a great BBQ at Guano Point and allowed us about an hour to walk around. Most of the shots of the Canyon were taken here. They have tables set up with jewellery for sale I bought earings for wife, a silver necklace for each of my girls and a silver and turqoise ring for myself. Had to dicker on price, but I came away feeling that I got a deal. I picked Eldest up a really nice hoody back at the main trading post.






To get to the Grand Canyon West we had to drive on a dirt road through the Joshua Tree National Forest to get there. Ever ridden on a winding dirt road going 30 to 40 miles an hours. Wow. like I said take a look at the photos in Flickr.








I will go to Arizona again and take my kids to see the Grand Canyon, it puts the world into perspective.

We are really so small.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

March 1 st.

Happy Birthday to Assorted Nonsense, or is your name CBC Workerbee or is it J M at Speculations or is it J M at radioblog. Who are you, with all your investigation (you take to many personality tests in other words) into you own self no wonder you have so many personalities.