My New Year’s Resolution

I haven’t done a resolution since eight grade where I resolved to loose weight. Ha ha, what was I trippin’ on? This year, though, I will be making one. This year, I resolve to withdraw my business with Wal-Mart.

I won’t go into the details about why I’ve come to this decision. What I will say is that through a series of circumstances of being screwed, I can not support that store. In Wal-Mart’s training program there is a part where Sam Walton says that it costs the company more money to attract a new shopper than it takes to keep one. Well they didn’t keep me.

I will now be heading for Meijer. Meijer, the local equivalent of Wal-Mart, is a regional chain. The only drawbacks to in comparison to Wal-Mart are a lack in variety and name brand products. Also, Meijer tends to be a little more expensive (but we’re talking cents here, not dollars.) Knowing that my money is staying within the region and helping out a competitor to Wal-Mart is my way of sticking it back.

Christmas in Florida

I had thoughts about blogging all the good details of what happened while I was down in Florida. But considering I really don’t want to write out paragraph upon paragraph, I thought that I would post pictures along with some notes to go along with them.

I have grouped up the photos to places that we visited. MGM and Animal Kingdom occurred on the same day so they are grouped together. I’ve also snuck in some photos that weren’t really taken during this trip… but you probably won’t notice them!

The trip down

The trip down from our home in Michigan to Orlando, Florida takes twenty to tweny-one hours. So we left home at 6pm. Mom and Kris throw their last snowballs as we look forward to warmer weather.


Not everyone is allowed to drive. Kris takes a nap as there isn't much else to do in a car.


Here we are at the end of the Appalachian Mountains with moonset occuring.


When we stopped near the Georgia/Tennessee border for breakfast, we caught some conversation that schools had been closed in the area. We all looked around us. No snow, maybe some ice but that was it. These southerners really don't know how to cope. Traffic north of Atlanta, GA was crawling along. Supposedly due to icy road conditions. "WHAT ICE?"

"Winter Weather Alert: Icy Conditions Exist. Use Extreme Caution."

Universal

There's so many attractions in Florida, that you can't do it all in one trip. Disney tries to monopolize your time but you have to try and break free of their grip. The last time we were in Florida, we made trips to Sea World and Cape Canaveral. The time before that, was a trip to Key West. One of our alternative destinations this year was Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
Here Kris decides to stick her head into the jaws of... Jaws.

Unfortunately the Hulk was closed. It was going to be our highlight rollercoaster that we were going to get Mom to go on.

Kris and Mom posing infront of a false background.

Universal Studios has balloons that are showned in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC. For the holiday, Universal is featuring them in a parade of their very own.

Kris and I got asked to participate in the parade by being balloon handlers. I wasn't too hot on the idea but Kris wanted to do it. So after her pleading, Mom and Dad's pushing, and a park employee's taunting, I agreed to do it. Red arrows point to me and my sister.

Look at that ass! I look constipated! What a horrible picture. I swear I don't look this bad in real life...




Another must-take group shot.

MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom

Kris, Dad and Mom in the must-take group photo at MGM.


One of our favorite game shows was Who Wants To Be A Millionaire when it was hosted by Regis Philbin. Dad didn't want to go to this show, but Kris and I dragged him anyways. We all go nervous as we, and a few others were selected to be in the Fastest Fingers section. For those familiar with the show, whoever gets the correct answer in the least amount of time gets to play the game. Could one of us make it to the hot seat?


Mom was determined to throw the game, she didn't want to be in the hot seat. Dad didn't either. Luckily for them though, sitting in the Fastest Fingers section didn't mean much. Unlike the actual TV game show, every audience member was allowed to play and make it to the hotseat.


Because we only got a 3 day ticket, we had to squeeze the MGM and Animal Kingdom theme parks into one day so that we could have a day each at the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. So here we are now at Animal Kingdom and going on safari to see a hippo.


Here's a look at the King which we weren't able to see the last time we were here.

Medieval Times

On the day that we were at Islands of Adventure, the park closed at 7pm. It's never really busy in the winter so the lines were very short (the longest we waited for a ride was 20 minutes). We were done well before closing so we were able to go to Medieval Times which is a dinner and show. It's okay. I would question whether it was worth the $50, but I was glad to see it.
Mom really got into it. I saw her yelling and banging on the table for the Black and White knight (but I don't think it was for the same reasons the rest of us were, heh heh.)

The Magic Kingdom

One of the millions (if not billions) of similar shots.

Whoa! Flashback to Atlanta.

Kris with her turkey leg. I can't see why these things are popular but she is all about the meat.
Mom and Dad thinking about retiring out west.
Kris had hear that they made come changes to It's A Small World. They changed the exterior room as seen here. The song... well, it's as horrible as ever. :P
Mickey leading the SpectorMagic parade.
Chip and Dale
Cinderella's Castle at night

Epcot

Epcot remains my favorite theme park. I'm no longer so thrilled about the rides (unless they are the supper-fast roller coasters) so I like Epcot's shows, exhibits, and cultural areas.

Spaceship Earth (No, it's not called Epcot)


Coke has a pavilion near the core that features some flavors from around the globe. The selection is limited compared to their facility in Atlanta, but we enjoyed it. Hey... we got free drinks! Believe me, "theme park" and "free" don't go in the same sentence! If you are ever here... try out Italy's Beverly. You'll love it.

Ahh, Morocco.

I love stopping at Japan's pavilion. IMHO, Japan has the best exterior pavilion while Mexio has best interior one.

Matzuriza was so awesome, I considered buying their CD.


Okay, I tried Fish and Chips with the malt vinnegar. Not a fan.


The closest I will get to the U.K. until 2012.

Leave me alone... I'm calling home.

Finally, we head to Canada for some culture. Thank God it was the Scottish Canadians and not the French Canadians. Off Kilter will knock your socks off.

"Look ma... I'm a U.S. tourist!"

What is it with my sister wanting to be eaten by sharks?

The tall and lovely Epcot Tree.

Please Standby....

Just letting y'all know that I am back from vacation. Expect a post fairly soon with some pics! Have a great one this Christmas Eve!

What a load of crap.

When most of the crap Wal-Mart is shoveling is made from China, it's too bad that Sam's successors don't believe the same thing.

This Filipino Hates Snow!

Ah, I love Michigan. It feels like it is the only place on Earth where the weather will be warm and sunny just hours before a blizzard dumps half a foot of snow on ya! When my dad went out this morning he said that the gas lines in his truck had frozen. So I grabbed a bottle of Heat incase the same thing happened to me. It didn't really start snowing until I actually got to work, though. When we left at one, we had to spend almost half an hour digging out our cars! I was afraid that I would have to go back into the store and buy a shovel. The only ones on the road on the ride home were the snow plows, some semis and me. A couple times I had to go drive on the wrong side of the road because it had been plowed while the lane I was supposed to be in wasn't touched. It was a mess but driving 35mph got me home safe.

The first picture is a group of us taking a break, wishing that we could just go home. The store was dead. Those few people who actually came to the store in weather like this should have been drug out into the street and shot.

From left to right would be Penny (my friend, Adam's mom), Beverly (who usually has an outrageous hat on), and Ms. Sally. Facing away from me is Sue, and the one taking a nap is Joni.

The second picture is the second truck we had to unload that night. Sue in the truck "throwing" and Joni, Jamie, and I on the line removing the boxes and putting them on skids.

The last picture would be of my arriving home--half an hour past my usual time. It's going to look beautiful in the morning--when I'll probably be shoveling.
I can't wait until we go to Florida...

Michigan: The State of Hate?

When it comes to racial matters, people in general view the South and urban cities as bastions where there is high racial tension. Let's drop the urban side of this concept and talk about the South. Much of what is thought about the racist South is largely shaped by slavery and the Civil War. The North gets a pass because it was the base of the abolition movement, the escape of slave to the North, and it was the Yanks of the north that defeated the Confederate South. I admit, that I thought that the North was probably the best place to be if you were a person of color. Not true.

I honestly believe that Michigan is one of the most racist states in the Union. Despite it being part of the Yankee North, the self-segregation here is just amazing. Many people are aware of Detroit's blacks and the race riots that occured there. After 9-11, attention went to Dearborn and its high density of Arab/Muslims. But you don't have to go to Metro Michigan to see it. Here in my own county of Berrien, I see the racial divide. There's White St. Joseph, MI sitting across the river from Black Benton Harbor, MI. I still remember the night I was in the Philippines, when over the local news, they were talking about Benton Harbor's latest riot. It was a bit humiliating to admit to my fellow Filipinos that I live in a country that is still has a problem with race.

According to this article:

Michigan ranks third in the nation in the number of reported hate crimes.

The FBI says the state had 638 hate crimes in 2004, putting it behind only New Jersey and California.

I've been tagged!

I've been tagged by Kate. So here's another meme for ya.

1. Seven things to do before I die
2. Seven things I cannot do
3. Seven things that attract me to my spouse/partner
4. Seven things I say most often
5. Seven books (or series) I love
6. Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would watch over and over if I had the time)
7. Seven people I want to join in, too

Seven things to do before I die.
7. Sky dive
6. Visit Africa, South America, Australia, and Antarctica
5. Retire
4. Earn enough money to retire
3. Walk across the Mackinac Bridge
2. Go into space (sub-orbital flight will do)
1. Find that special someone.

Seven things I cannot do
7. Whistle
6. Stick out my tongue very far. I am literally tongue tied.
5. Renounce my U.S. citizenship
4. Calculus
3. Drive a stick
2. Arch one of my eyebrows
1. Sing. I'm told that even my humming is bad.

Seven things that attract me to my spouse/partner (since I don'’t have one, we'’ll pretend)
7. Laugh
6. Intelligence
5. Bluntness
4. Understanding/patience
3. Height
2. Relationship to others
1. That energy that you just can't explain.

Seven things I say most often:
7. Crap
6. Damn
5. Fuck
4. What the hell?
3. Oh.
2. What'’s for dinner?
1. Fine.

Seven books (or series) that I love (I'll go with the series)
7. Friends
6. Les Mondes Engloutis
5. Doctor Who
4. Star Trek: The Next Generation
3. Desperate Housewives
2. CSI
1. The Amazing Race (minus the current Family Edition)

Seven Movies...
7. Contact
6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
5. Gladiator
4. Bridget Jones's Diary (Got a problem with that?)
3. Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi
2. The Hunt for Red October
1. Ferris Bueller'’s Day Off

Seven people I want to join in too...
Anyone who reads this blog. There are about seven of you :P

What that on the horizon?

A woman described Chicago like a small set of jewels on the horizon. Some guy said that the city looked like its own miniature galaxy. Another said that it just had an eerie glow. I have never seen Chicago from this side of the lake despite looking for it on occasion. It’s common knowledge around these parts that people in St. Joseph can see all the way to Michigan City and even Gary. What is more iffy is can we see Chicago? Some say yes. Some say no. Who is right?

According to those who claim to have seen the lights of Chicago, it takes the perfect weather conditions in order to see it. Mainly it was to be awesomely calm and clear skies with low humidity and low temperatures. The best way to view it is to go up on the city bluffs.

The deniers say that what people are seeing is just the atmosphere bending light rays. The Chicago skyline just sits below the horizon. Whatever people are seeing is just a light trick. While it may be true that people can see something, they are not really seeing it.

Is that really true? Correct me if I’m wrong, but the curvature of the earth is eight inches per mile. That makes about a 40 foot wall between St. Joe and Chicago. Last I knew, buildings in Chicago are higher than forty feet. So what’s the deal? We should easily see the tops of buildings. In fact, a telescopic photo, taken in St. Joe showed the Sears Tower and the Hancock building along with another building that I couldn’t identify.

Regardless if whether what we see on the horizon is a mirage or the actual city, I would love to see it for myself for someday. It would almost be like looking at Mars. You see it there and you wonder what life is like across the distance.

Just to fill up space

Ehh, with nothing really happening, I thought that I’d do a meme that I’d seen on a couple of blogs that I visited. It doesn’t look complete, but what the hell…

TEN FIRSTS
First Best Friend: Brandon Mullins
First Screen Name: det380man
First Pet: A lizard that stayed alive in a shoebox for about 3 days.
First Piercing: none
First Crush: Erin, a friend who I went to elementary school with and who lived on my block.
First CD: Tchaikovsky. That I bought with my own money? Dido’s No Angel
First Car: 1986 Chrysler LeBaron, light blue, no air-conditioning, and speed control that had a mind of its own.
First Stuffed animal: My seal. I still have him too!
First Kiss: Sorry, I don’t kiss and tell.
First Failing Grade: MTH 103: College Algebra. It was also my second and fourth.

NINE LASTS
Last Beverage: Sprite
Last Movie Seen: Just Friends. Wait till it comes out on TV.
Last Phone Call: Me asking if Season wanted to go see a movie.
Last Cd Played: A Mix CD that I made in 1999 or something. I wanted to hear Kendall Payne’s “Supermodels.”
Last time you Cried: February 2005 – when I had a emotional breakdown.
Last thing you ate: Garlic chicken and pasta.
Last bad thing you did: Farted at a store and blamed it on someone else.
[Ummm…. We’re missing a few more here…]

EIGHT HAVE YOU EVERS
Have you ever dated one of your best friends: yes and no.
Have you ever been arrested: no
Have you ever skinny dipped: Oh yes. It’s very liberating.
Have you ever been on tv: Yes
Have you ever kissed someone: See above.
Have you ever cheated in a relationship? Nope.
Have you ever been in love: Yes and oh was it tragic.
Have you ever been in a car accident: Unfotunately.

SEVEN THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW
1. Glasses
2. Black polo
3. Jeans
4. Dark blue boxers
5. Socks
6. nothing else
7.

SIX THINGS YOU'VE DONE TODAY
1. Browsed through a chapter in Constitutional Law regarding Judicial Review
2. Looked up “inter alia”
3. Drove 20 miles of icy roads, butt clenched all the way.
4. Sorted about 300 break packs.
5. Checked up on my sister’s rodents.
6. Jumped up and down when I found five bucks hiding in my coat.

FOUR PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ALMOST ANYTHING TO
1. Erin
2. Sara
3. Season
4. Bloggers

THREE CHOICES
1. Black or White: Black.
2. Hot or Cold: Cold.
3. Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla

TWO THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
1. Go into space.
2. Get a real job.

ONE THING YOU REGRET
My poli-sci degree. I wish that I had done something that could have helped me get a job!

A little Thanksgiving sharing

There was a dish that my dad made for Thanksgiving. I've had it once before and thought that it was quite good. I asked for the recipe and I got a card. I must warn you though, I don't think that my dad faithfully followed the recipe.

Sweet Potato Casserole

1 (14.5 oz) can mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp grated orange rind
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
2/3 cup flour, divided
1/2 cup melted butter, divided
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup packed brown sugar
optional: pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon

Mix the mashed potatoes, sugar, orange rind, orange juice, vanilla, eggs, 1/3 cup of flour, and 1/4 cup of butter together.

Pour into greased baking dish.

Combine pecans, brown sugar, and the remaining 1/3 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of butter (and the optional ingredients). Sprinkle this over the mixture.

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

My dad said that he used three sweet potatoes instead of the canned but that seems to be a lot more than a one 14.5 oz can. Just to warn ya...

"Well, might as well do it when it's warm."

The decorations came up at our home this weekend. Thankfully, I was spared the grunt work as I have been busy at work. Come to think of it, I haven't put up decorations for about four years now. I kind of miss decorating the tree especially. My mom and I have different tastes when it comes to the tree. (Shhh, don't tell anyone though.)

Since I am always concerned about Christmas overkill, I would prefer that Christmas not start until about two weeks before. If I had any say in the matter--and I don't-- decorating wouldn't occur until around the 15th. Mom says that she's going to do it because it's not cold. (It's been in the high 40's.) Make sense but I think risking your life up on an icy roof putting up string lights adds a little thrill to the holidays. It's not like we live in a two story house anyways...

Merry Christmas! <--That's going to have to last you for a couple weeks.