HPW, WDW

Jesse and I have been dying to go to Harry Potter World ever since we found out about it.  We finally made that trip in early August.  I'll agree, not the best time to visit Florida.  The heat is a little over the top, but with the way the weather has been going in TN, it was no different than being at home.

It was even better than we had expected!  The craftsmanship (not sure if that's the right word for it) was unbelievable.  The buildings in Hogsmeade looked just like I had imaged they would.  And when you entered into that section of the park, you couldn't see any surrounding areas, so it was like you had just stepped into another place.

I love roller coasters.  Sometimes, they give me a headache if there is too much jerking around, but I still have the desire to ride it just to find out.  Jesse decided on this trip that he does not like roller coasters.  He's more of a water park guy.  So we spent a few hours at Blizzard Beach on our last day in FL.  And if you didn't know this....if you stay at the water park for less than 4 hours, they will give you a rain check to come back another day of your choice. 

The only picture we got of the entire weekend, since neither of us thought to take a camera.

Not really the most flattering picture of either of us, but I think the expressions on our faces tell the story of the entire weekend.

Side note:  If you are ever in Orlando and have a few minutes to drive somewhere good to eat, try out Yellow Dog Eats Cafe.  We loved it!

Funny and True

Fripp Island

So the family headed out to Fripp Island, SC this year for vacation.  I must say, at first, I was not excited.  The entire island itself is basically one big golf resort, and seeing as to how I don't golf anymore...well, yeah.  But it turned out to be lots of fun.  The beach there is amazing and there is so much wildlife!

A few pics, since I didn't take many...

YAY!

Flowers for me...

From...

Super Sprint

This past weekend I finished my first super sprint triathlon.   It was super fun!  Jesse came out and cheered me on along with our friend Ryan and his dogs.   It started with a swim, then the bike and ended up with a run.  None of it was very long, but it was definitely an experience trying to switch from one to the next as fast as possible.   The name of the race was the Ramblin' Rose, which I thought was totally appropriate for a female tri.  Can't wait for my next one!

The one non-blurry shot Jesse captured.  I think it's time for a camera lesson...or maybe a new lens.

But notice how I'm the only thing in focus, which could only mean he was panning at the same speed I was riding....possibly one of the hardest photos to take!  Maybe the other shots were just too elementary for him.

In Shambles

Every once in a while I'll hop on Stumble Upon and surf around for a bit, that is, if I get to work early enough.   This is what I "stumbled upon" this morning.   I had no clue detroit was in such disarray.  These look like amazing historical buildings with huge potential for renovation.

Ruins of Detroit by Denver Photo Blog

After looking through all the photos, I really want to go explore all of these abandoned buildings.   I'm sure most of the items have been rummaged through and lifted, but there could still be little treasures hiding in the closet.

Watch this? Yes or No?

It's not very often I get to sit down and watch TV or a movie on a weeknight anymore, so I decided to treat myself to one last night.

I had had the movie Buried for a while, as my usual tradition with netflix is to leave it sitting on the coffee table, tempting me, until I'm absolutely sure that Jesse isn't going to sit down and watch it with me when he's in town for the weekend.

I still don't know if it was a good choice or if I even liked it.   I do know that I couldn't fall asleep last night and woke up around 5:00 this morning still thinking about it.   It was truly disturbing in a "pick at your skin" sort of way.   By that I mean, imagine someone, well not someone, some thing...a tiny little trixie pixie...with horns, and feet so small that they poke into your skin when he steps on you.   And now imagine that pixie taking little bites out of your skin...so small that you can't see them, but you can feel it...and he does this for days...one little tiny bite every 10 minutes.   Just when you think you have relief, there he is again.   For me, that was the movie Buried.   I have never yelled at the TV so much during one movie, tv episode, commercial, whatever.

You can read about it here.  But if you plan to watch it, I wouldn't read the description at the bottom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buried_(film)

Spring has Sprung!!!

The flowers this year are amazing!  ...of course, I had to take photos.

NYE 2011

I realize it's a few months past New Years, but I got super busy at work and didn't have time to blog much.  I was going back through my photos today and wanted to post a few of my favorites.  Andrew and Ann were able to acquire a very cool hunting pavilion on a piece of property out near Loveless Cafe.  It was perfect for chilling with friends and bringing in the new year.

Seattle, Snowshoes, & Spaceships

So Stinky took me to Seattle for Valentine's Day this year.   We had a blast.   Friday we did the Savor Seattle food tour in Pike Place Market.  If you ever go to Seattle, this is a fast and fun way to try a little of everything the market has to offer.   We really enjoyed it.  We even went back on our last day to buy treats from almost every place we stopped on the tour.



Daily Dozen Doughnuts = Amazing!




Chukar Cherries = Delicious!

  

We also went to the Experience Music Project by Frank Gehry, which also houses the Science Fiction Musuem.   I liked the chocolatey outside (the building) and Jesse loved the warm gooey center (the exhibit).   A hit for both!


Jesse was really excited about the Star Trek, I mean Battlestar Gallactica Exhibit.



I planned the first day and Jesse planned the second.  I must say, I think he outdid me.  We went to Olympic National Park and cross-country skied the Hurricane Ridge Trail.   After that, we did a snow-shoe guided tour.   I had never tried either and really had a blast with both.  I fell a lot on the skis.  It seemed like the people making the tracks that had gone before me had really skinny legs and the ability to keep their feet super close together.   Most of the time I felt like a flamingo standing on one leg or a polar bear rolling around in the snow.

I couldn't get the entire tree without backing off the ridgeline and causing an avalanche.

That's Jesse close to the top in the orange jacket.

Clouds literally "rolling" in.  It was insane how fast they moved

Gaudi or Gaudy?

So my mom called this morning.  She's in the middle of planning her trip to Spain and wants to visit Barcelona while there.  Apparently she was researching on the internet in an attempt to find the "architecture" worth seeing in Barcelona.   So our phone conversation went something like this:

Mom:  I typed in "architecture in Barcelona" and all that keeps coming up is this Gaudi stuff.  Do you know him?

Me:  Yes, he did a lot of the known architecture in Spain.

Mom:   Well it all looks like piles of mud.   Aren't there any historic cathedrals or anything?

Me:   I'll get online and see what I can find for you.

Turns out, mom is just as good at internet research as I am.

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona