Go Red for Women on Feb. 4th

Here I am, once again, asking you to take charge of your heart health. Don't be fooled into thinking that heart disease only affects men. Here is a link to my Go Red post from last year. It also links you up to a short history.

Today I would like to share what it felt like to have a heart attack. On that day, I had taken my daughter to the pediatrician in the morning. As I was driving her back to school, I felt a pulling on the left side of my chest. It went away within a few minutes though, so I went about my day. I ended up at the grocery store, where I grabbed a basket since I only planned on purchasing a few items. I hadn't walked more then a few steps, through the store when I felt that I could not carry my basket with my left hand. I then felt the pulling on my left side again but this time it radiated to my back and left arm as well. I thought it was heart burn. It definitely did not feel like what I would expect a heart attack to feel like. I've heard people describe it as a crushing pain or like having an elephant sit on your chest.
I had cold sweats and when I tried walking towards the exit, I had a very hard time breathing. That is when I sort of started to panic.

I was taken by rescue to the hospital where it was confirmed that I was having a heart attack. The very next day, I was in the cath lab for my first of two procedures to have stents placed in my arteries. Every doctor and every nurse that walked into my room would do a double take when they saw me. I was a tiny, thin, 35 year old woman and they were not used to seeing that.

So why am I telling ya'll this? Well simply because I can. I am thankfully, still around to be able to tell it. To let you know that all heart attacks do not feel the same. That you won't necessarily feel that clutch your heart, intense pain that screams that you are having a heart attack. And that you are not protected simply by being a woman.

The best defense is to take charge of your heart health. See your doctor. Know your numbers. Know your risk factors. And take control. Your heart will thank you for it.

Perfect Miami Weather

Today was an absolutely gorgeous! Temps in the 70's, cool ocean breezes and clear skies.  Who can ask for anything more? We spent the day at Art Deco Weekend in South Beach. That is the absolute best place for people watching!  Fortunately, South Beach is very pet friendly, so Kassie was able to come along.  She LOVES outings!


We ended the afternoon at South Point to watch the ships leaving the port. Guess what? The Epic left without us again! Pfft! We sort of like to torture ourselves like that. We do that a lot. We grab our beach chairs, go to the park and wave good-bye to all those lucky folks on the ship.  We try to pinpoint where our stateroom is located and where we wish we could afford to stay. 

We won't be on the NCL Epic until October, when she sails her Trans-Atlantic crossing back to Miami from Barcelona. To say that we are excited is an understatement. But we are 9 whole months away! Enough time to grow a baby! So the countdown is on! We haven't been on a cruise since Oct 09 when we did the NCL Jewel Repo so we are suffering from withdrawls!

I have seen the Epic from the outside many times, I can't wait to see her interior! I will be sure to share lots of pictures this time!
Hopefully we can get a Cruise Critic cabin crawl organized so that I can preview each stateroom category and report back on those as well.!

Have any of you sailed on the Epic yet?  What did you think of her?

I was born a Libra

 From Google Images

I am not much into the astrology and I don't read my horror-scope every day. I am also not superstitious. But dagnabit, I was born a Libra and that isn't going to change no matter how much the Earth shifts! According to the new chart, I am now a Virgo! Um, no.

If you have not seen the new chart, here it is:

The New Zodiac Chart

Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.

Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11.

Pisces: March 11-April 18

Aries: April 18-May 13

Taurus: May 13-June 21

Gemini: June 21-July 20

Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10

Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16

Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30

Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23

Scorpio: Nov. 23-29

Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17

Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20

They even have a new Zodiac sign in there, Ophiuchus. Don't ask me how to pronounce that! I would lean to thinking that it sounds like Confucius, maybe since I'm totally confused.

So to prove my case, here are a few snippets about the Libra woman


Born under the sign of Libra, the sign ruled by Venus the goddess of love; the Libra woman is one who definitely searches for peace, quality, and justice in everything she does. She is generally working to try to balance the oppositional forces that she senses exists all about her.

In her own life, the Libra girl may find that there is a basic duality as one of her scales is usually leaning towards compromise while the other leans toward her getting her own way.

Actually, I always lean towards getting my way! LOL

The Libra woman must take caution and be aware of her tendency to put off, or avoid, that which seems uncomfortable.

 ALWAYS try to avoid uncomfortable situations!

 Libra women love luxuries and good living in keeping with the sign of the goddess of beauty. However, in accordance with their sign of the scales and balance, the Libra girl will endeavour to balance her urge for the finer things of life by some appropriate saving and economies.

This is totally me! That is why I coupon & stuff, so I can travel!

Libra is the sign of partnerships, unions, and marriage and, for those girls born under this sign there is the inherent desire to merge. Libra woman can be very romantically inclined at a very early age in life.

I was picking flowers for my 17 year old neighbor boy when I was 3 years old!


The Libra woman will generally relate well with people of all the signs, however, those of Sagittarius and Leo can be particularly rewarding.

Well, my husband is Sagittarius, maybe that's why we are compatible.  But now he is supposed to be that new sign, Ophiuchus.  Does that mean we are no longer compatible??

Disney=Nostalgia

 

Walt Disney World will be celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year. As of October 1, 2011, I will have been going to WDW for 39 years and 10 months! We were originally supposed to go for my my 5th birthday in Oct of '71 but my parents, I guess to let them settle in and work out the kinks, decided to go in January instead.

I have seen some really neat retro 40th Anniversary merchandise, but I'm thinking that there really won't be a huge celebration this year. Especially since they are still in the middle of the Fantasyland expansion. Keeping with the retro theme, I would LOVE to see my all time favorite Pooh in his original costume. He was rounder and had a honey pot on his head. I know I have a picture somewhere! I would also like to see Dumbo with his big, floppy ears walking around the park again. Oh and the 3 Little Pigs and Gus & Jaq and ALL the dwarfs and...

I would love to see the the topiaries that lined the road to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom! Once we spotted those, our excitement level would triple! Then, my dad would tune in to the Disney Info Station on the radio and we would be bouncing off the walls!

I don't remember the crowds being as wild as they are now. The characters were free to roam with no one pushing & shoving. People in general are ruder now, so I can understand why characters need body guards. That's a shame!

You know what Disney? Just put everything back to how it was in 1972. Just for a few months ok? While you're at it, I wouldn't mind being 5 again. Thanks!

Here is a video that I found on YouTube. It's not mine, but it could easily be mine since I have one that looks exactly like that! I kept expecting to see a 5 year old me running around.

Even now, at my age, I still get tingly when I enter Disney property. I can not wait for the day that we have grandkids. Actually, strike that, there is no rush. My girls still need to finish school and all, but there is nothing quite like seeing WDW through the eyes of a child. Those are moments that you remember forever and take you back to how you felt when you first experienced the magic.

Now, the 50th Anniversary will probably be a huge shebang! I can only hope that I am around to see it...and maybe with a grandbaby or two! :-))

So, if  you've been along for the ride with WDW for a while, what do you miss most from that era?

Happy New Year!

Happy New year! I have been MIA and I need to get back on track. Sometimes life throws you a curveball and you need to detour in order stay focused.

As you know, I skipped the holidays this year. The best part about that is that I don't have to take down decorations and I don't have diddly squat to put away! Hurray!! As it turned out, however, we would not have been celebrating anyhow. At least not in the traditional way. On December 23rd, my step-dad had a heart attack. He has several other maladies that made this very serious. So he was taken to the cath lab and stents were inserted. That night, he went into cardiac arrest but was shocked back. The doctors basically told my mom that there was no hope and to make arrangements. After about a week and a few days in CCU, he was moved to a regular room and should be returning home soon.

So,although we spent practically every day in the hospital since the 23rd. We did end up celebrating a Christmas miracle after all.

Hopefully I can get back in the groove of things soon. I have to start a weight loss plan soon. I didn't technically make a resolution because I tend to break those pretty quickly. But I do need to really get it done this year. I might seek some outside help as well since I tend to suck at it by myself.

I hope you all have a wonderful, prosperous and healthy 2011!

Hello all. Mrs Krank here. Sometimes I feel that I have a sixth sense about things. Not only the skipping Christmas part of it. Because I still say that my decision was not just being grinch-y. But the feeling that something is just not right. A feeling that bugs you, but you just can't put your finger on it. Until you get the call and you say "I knew something was not right!"

I got the call today. My mom telling that Christmas is 100% off. We were all just going to get together for dinner because, after all, Christmas is about being with family. Not just the gifts. But today, my step-dad had a heart attack. Not a tiny heart attack either. He will be spending the next week or so in the hospital and for the most part, we will probably be there too. We will be praying for a Christmas miracle since the doctors don't sound as optimistic as I would like them to.

Have a safe and joyous holiday.

Christmas with the Kranks

Well, it looks like I actually followed through with my vow to skip Christmas this year.  People were making bets as to how long I would last.  They were sure that I would crack and give in to the holiday.  But as of today, Dec 22nd, I have yet to put up one single decoration or buy one single gift! Yay me! 

My checks have gone out to St Judes & CureSearch and those were the only items on my list. I hope that my friends and family honor my wishes and donate as well.  Although I LOVE presents, there are others that need them more than I do. 

New Years Eve seems to be going to be a very quiet one for us as well.  So far, D is not working but that can change at anytime.  If he gets called in, he will go.  Heck, we need the $$$.  What sucks is that he will have to deal with all the damage that drunk drivers leave behind.  So please, please play it safe.  Just don't drink & drive.  My girls may just be out there and I would hate for them to have to cross your path.

I wish all my bloggy friends a wonderful and safe holiday! Hugs to all!

Viva España!

In just 10 short months,if everything goes as planned, we should be boarding a plane to Spain. I am the planner, the Travel Agent, and the budgeter for all our trips. My husband just comes along for the ride. Oh, and he pays too!

I am going nuts trying to plan this trip! My U.S. based travel is easy peasy. This is our first trip to Europe and it is really stressing me out. So many things to consider! I don't know if I should even consider renting a car or just rely on transit. I'm not quite sure of how much time to dedicate to each city. We only have 7 days total in Spain. We then board the Norwegian Epic for it's Trans-Atlantic sailing back to Miami. I am also not sure how I will handle the 8 1/2 hour flight.  I'm sure that I will need some sort of sleepy time meds.


I'm going to go blind from all the research! One good thing about this trip though, is that we already speak the language! Another great thing is the Sangria! But that's not important right now. LOL

Although I pride myself on getting the most for my travel $$$, I'm having a bit of a hard time with this trip.  Stay tuned, I'll be posting what I learn along the way. Oh, and if anyone has any tips, please feel free to share

BlogHer or Bust!

Since DisneySMMoms did not work out for me for 2011, I have decided to direct my attention completely to BlogHer '11. I have been considering attending Blogher for the past two years but it never really panned out.  I am even tempted to skip this one and hope that it will be here (or somewhere on the East coast) for 2012. But why put it off for yet another year? If I can make it work, I definitely want to be there next year.  Hopefully, I can get a sponsor, since this one will cost a pretty penny.  Between airfare, hotel and the conference itself, ay chi chi, I might have to sell my first born! Or maybe both, that way the 2nd one doesn't think that she's the favorite!


If any of you are planning on attending BlogHer '11 let me know! Plus there is a code out for 20% off registration until 12/31, but the amount of times it can be used is limited ... I think.  Just enter BlogHerGift before check-out

Can anyone really skip Christmas?

Hello everyone, Scrooge here. Not really, I am the first one to say that I LOVE the holidays. I love the music, I love the lights, I love spending time with family & friends. This year, however, I am just not feeling it. Since this year has literally flown by, it feels like I just took down my decorations from last year.

My girls are adults, so Santa is just a memory. Plus on top of that, they really do not need anything. Neither do I. Plus my nephews do not want for anything as well. So this year, I have decided to skip Christmas. My decorations will not be going up. I will not be buying gifts. I will not be hosting parties. I might be baking though, because after all, I LOVE sweets!

So although I always give a little extra to charity during the holidays. This year we will give some more to a cause that we really support. I will ask our friends & family to do so as well, in lieu of gifts for any of us.

If you have been around here for a while, you know that I am a huge supporter of Childhood Cancer Awareness. I give monthly to St. Jude's and to CureSearch. So obviously they are the ones receiving our Christmas gifts as well. I have also purchased a few gifts for Toys for Tots.

If anyone is upset about this, I'm sorry you feel that way.  But I am not sorry about my choice.  No one can tell me how to spend my money.

So if you have a little something to give, please consider these organizations. They can make a world of difference in a child's life. Thanks!

In the meantime check this video out.

All dressed up with nowhere to go!

What can I say? To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. To say that I could care less, would be a lie. To say that I don't wonder about the selection process would also be a total lie.

So as you can probably guess, I am not one of the lucky Disney Social Media Moms attendees. Not for 2011 anyway.

Let me explain how it all played out. First of all, I was at Disney World this week. I had canceled my Keys to the Kingdom tour scheduled for Thursday, just to be guaranteed Internet access for registration since it was first come, first served..The tour was scheduled to end at 2PM.  Registration was set to open at 2:00 PM. I logged in at 1:50PM and was met by what is now known as the orange circle of death. After several refreshes, I finally got the registration page. My fingers were flying, hoping for no typos, yet still thinking that it was first come first served. At 2:20PM, I printed off my confirmation and received an email immediately after. I was feeling pretty good about it considering that I got it in shortly after registration opened. I even stuck around and offered to register others when I was able to open another registration page.

So today, while at Animal Kingdom, I receive the Thanks but no Thanks email. I literally felt my heart sink. I had such high hopes, that I guess it just hit a bit harder. I know, it's just a conference but a conference at one of my favorite places on earth. It wasn't even about the trip. We are AP holders and we go to Disney a lot! Yes, I did choose the full celebration option, simply because I would have to book a place to stay regardless, but I would have been content with just the conference portion. Don't get me wrong, a stay at the Grand Floridian would be AMAZING! I have only stayed there once and only for one night.  But the whole point of this is the conference.  I remember wishing that there would have been more actual conference sessions when I attended in February.

Yes, I am upset.  Yes, I am disappointed & sad. I am even a bit confused about the actual process. But no, I am not angry and no, I am not devastated.  I still will wake up tomorrow, hopefully, and Thank God for a new day and find something that is meant for me.  There's something hiding behind every corner! Think about it, how many boyfriends did you break up with and feel like it was the end of the world? Only to turn around and find your soul mate. I know it happened to me. 

Now, to address what is going on in Twitterville.  I did tweet as soon as I got the email:

Then my battery died  on my crappy iPhone and I couldn't follow the stream.  When I got plugged in in the car, I was appalled by a lot of what I was seeing. I just sat back and flinched.  Like I said, I was and am disappointed.  I still would have loved to know that it was basically an application and not a registration.  I would have also liked to know what the requirements were before registering/ applying.  I normally don't apply if I don't feel qualified. I definitely would not have canceled my tour if I had known that it really was not first come, first served.  BUT, I would never engage in some of the behavior that I have seen on Twitter.  It's all fine and dandy to voice your feelings... heck, I am....  but not at the expense of others. Personal attacks are never an option in my book.  I am happy for those that I personally know that got in. How could they not want to celebrate that victory? Let them rejoice in peace.  Put yourself in their shoes.

I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to attend the very first Disney Social Media Moms Conference.  I'm sure that it was sort of a Beta Test for Disney. Obviously, it worked.  As the years go by, if they choose to do it annually, they will learn from any mistakes made. When I registered for 2010, there was not as much information given in regards to accommodations and park tickets. This time everything was announced up front, including the agenda! So here's to 2012.  I hope that they choose to continue hosting the conference and I hope to one day be able to attend again.

So for those of you that are going in 2011, ENJOY! Be sure to keep us posted so that we can live vicariously through you!

T-45 minutes

As I type, it is T -45 minutes til the Disney Social Media Moms registration. I am still sick as a dog. It's no fun being sick while at Disney! I literally cannot breathe. I desperately need an aerosol treatment but my machine is at home. We've been here since Tuesday and have not been able to do much because I can't function. Fortunately, I had canceled my Keys to the World Tour for today in order to be able to register for the conference. I have a feeling that this is going to sell out faster the Cher's one of several Farewell Tour!



I need major pixie dust ...and a Comtrex or two!

UPDATE

OMG! I logged on at 1:55 PM for registration.  I sat and watched an orange spinning circle for  about 20 minutes before I actually got the registration page. My fingers were flying all over the place, so I hope the typos were minimal.  Especially with my credit card information.  Now we wait for review.  What exactly is the review? I really don't know.  I hope that it is not dependent on stats.  I'm not, by any means, a big numbers blogger.  Not yet anyways.  Like Chris Brogan said at last year's conference, "Don't rule out little bloggers, because little bloggers may become big bloggers one day". Or something to that effect.

Although I still feel like death, and have a feeling that I might need a chest X-ray when I get home, at least being able to submit my registration made my day a bit brighter. 

Good luck to everyone who is trying to get in! Maybe I'll see you in March!

Happy THANKSgiving!

I didn't think that I would be blogging on Thanksgiving, but I have some free time while the bird is cooking. My desserts are done, I just finished making the cranberry sauce and now I'm just hoping that the turkey turns out, or we will be eating burgers. I'm cooking it an entirely different way that I normally do, so I'm a bit worried. Either way, if it turns out or not, the point of the day is to be THANKFUL for what we do have. Be it a gorgeous turkey or some grilled burgers or a cheese sandwich. We will be with our family and that is all that matters.

I am so very thankful for my family. Those that are still with me and those that are no longer with us, but I was so fortunate to have in my life. I am thankful for my health, that after so many complications, I am still around to enjoy each day. And like I always say, I am thankful for my daughters. I am thankful for being given the gift of 2 wonderful girls that have grown into beautiful women, both inside and out.

I am thankful for the opportunities that have been given to me. And although we are not rich, in the monetary sense, I am happy to be able to give to those that have much less than we do.

Fortunately, our girls learned about giving early on and I pray that they continue being as giving as they are now. Short story, when my oldest was about 7, she had a friend that had never been to Disney. To her 7 year old mind, that was a travesty. Her friend was being raised by a single mom that was struggling. Although she really didn't understand the situation, she wanted her friend to experience Disney. She asked if we could take her with us on our next trip. When I told her that I'd have to see if we had enough money to cover her expenses, my beautiful baby girl offered her birthday money. On another occasion, she asked if she could give her bike to the little girl across the street because "she has never had a bike".

So yeah, I am thankful for them, I am thankful for being their mom. I'm thankful for being alive, for my opportunities and for my family & friends. So even if I end up with a cheese sandwich, I will still be grateful. Others have much less than I do.

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day! Hugs to you all!

I have been stalking Twitter & Email in my obsessive way for weeks now. It all started back on October 21st, when I get an email that started with; "A little bluebird once tweeted..." It ended with; "someday, more hints will come." Since no dates were mentioned, my neurotic obsession began. What has caused me to get into such a tizzy? Well, The Disney Social Media Moms Conference, that's what! Remember this, this, this, this, this and finally this from earlier this year? Well, the next one is scheduled for March 2011.

When I say that DisneySMMoms is the absolute best conference out there, I am not kidding! Now, this year, the competition is huge. Space is limited, just like the Seven Dwarfs cottage, just like they said in the email!

SO today was the day! They announced that registration would open on December 2nd. Problem is, we will be at Disney World. Plus, we have The Keys to the Kingdom Tour booked for, when else? December 2nd! I knew that registration would open while we were away but not on that day! What's a girl to do?

Those of you that have been around here for a while know that I LOVE Disney! My first trip to the Magic Kingdom was in Jan 1972, a mere three months after it opened. I was just 5 years old. OK, I'll wait for you to calculate how old I am. La-di-da-La-di-da. So now that you know my age, subtract the 5 and that will give you how many years I have been going to Disney. Although we are fortunate enough to live in Florida and have annual passes, we have NEVER taken a behind the scenes tour! Go figure. We go at the very least, 6 times a year. So now that I have the tour booked, it looks like I may have to cancel so that I can register for the conference. Again, fortunately we live nearby and can reschedule the tour. But I was so looking forward to it. So I called Disney to see if I could reschedule for the 1st or the 3rd. In a nutshell, it was booked solid. But in true Disney form, the cast member tried to help me find a solution to my dilemma! She even mentioned getting an air card and just taking my laptop with me. I still haven't written that option off. So if you're in the Magic Kingdom and see someone sitting in a corner, (probably next to the castle, for luck) typing away on a cute little pink laptop... come and say hi! Chances are though, that I will end up canceling the tour because I really, really want to go to the conference.

I hope that for once I am quick on the trigger and get in! I love the whole aspect of the conference. I love meeting other bloggers, I love learning more about what's in the future for Disney, I love being at the most magical place on earth... what's not to love. I'm just hoping that people who do register are actually in it for the conference and not just for the sweetheart deal. So wish me luck and send me some pixie dust. I will be wishing upon a star. Because, when you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires, Will come to you.

Maybe I'll be back here with good news. Until then though, have a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Epcot Food & Wine Festival

I started this post on the 14th and now finally have time to (attempt to) finish it!

Although I am not a huge foodie, I always look forward to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. For one, it's EPCOT, my favorite park. And two, there are desserts everywhere! Yes, we are not wine connoisseurs either. We just know what we like. Even if it is a $7 bottle of locally produced wine. I lean towards reds and enjoy a Zinfandel every now and then. White wine is the devil and has me on the floor after just one sip. I LOVE Sangria and I make a mighty good pitcher, if I do day so myself. But no, I'm not a wine connoisseur, I am a pretty good froo froo drink know-it-all though! D is a beer drinker...and loves trying regional beers, so he was content.

First, we would look at the menu, then hang back and watch what others would buy and see what it looked like. We would also buy just one plate to taste between the two of us. Except for desserts. I require one dessert sample all for myself. I'm greedy like that. I would offer him on tiny taste though, so I did share.

We were there for two short days. and had the most amazingly beautiful weather on both days. Crowds were light and manageable. Perfect Disney weather and conditions!

Most of the food that we tried was just ok. Nothing was WOW! Some sample portions were generous, others were downright tiny. For instance, the cheese soup from Le Cellier in the Canada Pavilion. I LOVE this soup and I love Le Cellier! The portion served was approximately 1/4 cup! Tini tiny!

Now, the Asopado in the Puerto Rico booth was way more generous plus we also had the media noche sandwich here. Go figure, we're Latin and have that stuff here.



















We both enjoyed the Nurnberger sausage in a pretzel roll from Germany. And D enjoyed their beer as well.


















D liked the escargots en brioche from the France booth. I don't like snails, but I tasted the garlicky bread part and it was really good! The Chocolate Creme Brulee, on the other hand, was a HUGE disappointment! It was served cold and not at all creamy. I make a killer creme brulee, so I may be a bit biased. But come on, creme brulee is not served cold. Period.

The BBQ Short Rib in South Korea was ok. Quite tasty but very fatty. Didn't care for the kimichi at all.

I love fondue, but I was just not feeling the fondue from the Charcuterie & Cheese booth. All I know that the cheese was a white cheese, as no one knew exactly what cheese or combination of cheeses was used. It also had an over powering white wine taste.

My FAVORITE booth was, surprise surprise, the Desserts & Champagne booth! YUM! I got the sampler. Three times. The sampler comes with one of each or any combination of the three.

Strawberry Angel Verrine A+
Pear Strussel Pudding Cake B+

Dark Chocolate Sensation A++

As for drinks, I really don't remember what we had. I never got around to trying the Cranberry Cosmo thingy in France. But I did have a couple of my favorite Grand Marnier Orange Slushes!

The Eat to the Beat concert was a hit. I hope not to date myself by my next comment, but back in the day, I LOVED Dr. Noah Drake. I had my Tiger Beat posters all over my walls. Right there next to Shaun Cassidy & John Travolta. So, it was no coincidence that I chose these days to go to the festival. Rick Springfield was performing and I am happy to say, that at 61 (OMG!) he still puts on a great show! There were even groupies in attendance. Albeit, middle age groupies, but groupies nonetheless!

The line for the concert started about 2 hours prior to the show and reached all the way to Germany before they started letting people in. If you really, really want to see the show, and actually get a seat, make the line. The America Gardens Theater holds a lot of people, and I can tell you that even if you're all the way to Germany, You'll get a seat! :-))

Can't wait to see what's in store fore 2011!

Wrappy Hour Wrappetizer Party!

I have been chosen to host a Nasoya® Wrappy Hour Wrappetizer Party! I say Wrappetizer because I'm only making appetizers. Finger foods. Easy Peasy.

I can's wait to host this party! I already have 4 confirmed guests and am waiting on a few more. December 4th is the date and I can't wait.

I'm planning on making the Crab Rangoons. I also want to make Spinach -Feta cups with a few extra ingredients including artichokes, black olives & tomatoes. I want to make one more appetizer, but I'm not quite sure what that will be. I already have Asian & Greek , so I'm thinking maybe something Italian or Mexican. Maybe I'll just make two more recipes instead! We'll see. The easiest recipe, will be the one that we will make at the party. The others will be prepared ahead of time.

Oh, and anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE dessert. I think I will make Choc-Hazelnut Raviolis with powdered sugar. YUM!

I will post my recipes soon so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out Nasoya® and the recipes that they have on their site. Also, be sure to check out the "How To" section where they show you how to Wrap & Roll!

***To help defray the cost of the party, I am being provided with products, coupons and a gift card by Nasoya. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. Please refer to my disclosure policy on the left side bar***

Teen Mothers is one thing...

... but this just makes me sick! How in any society this can be considered acceptable is beyond me.

Kickin' back in the North Shore

Oahu. What can I say? The traffic here is just as bad as Miami. I would not stay in Waikiki even if they paid me. Well, not really. If they paid me I would or if they paid for my trip. Or even better, if they paid for my trip AND paid me!

We decided to spend a week in the North Shore. Quieter, more laid back and less traffic.
We rented a bungalow through VRBO right by Sunset Beach. Very basic cottage with very basic amenities. I venture to guess that it's about 300 sq ft or so. No frills, but comfortable for us two. Again, no A/C and relying on the tradewinds. Two ceiling fans and one floor fan helped as well. It is situated just up the hill from Sunset Beach with a view of the ocean. The cottage is within walking distance to the beach (one block down the hill) and to Ted's bakery (about 4 blocks). Yum. Bikes are available for use as well. Owners are very nice and informative. They live upstairs, so we did occasionally hear them walking around up there.

I booked our car early on from Costco//Alamo for $130. Price was up to $180 when I last checked in late September. Can't remember what car we got, but it was clean.

Polynesian Cultural Center~ Water Pageant

We have visited the Polynesian Cultural Center before, but they have a new evening show that I wanted to see. I had the $45 coupon from the Entertainment book and I was just planning on purchasing the Gen. Admission & Show Ticket. D wanted to try the Ali'i Luau, so I booked that instead. My opinion of the luau is not a very positive one. There really isn't a show per se, they have a couple of dancers on stage as people are walking in. Then they get all the birthday people to get up and sing to them. Then all the anniversary people to go on stage for a dance. The food was not bad, but not good either. I was very underwhelmed. It was, however, fairly organized as far as getting people into the buffet line. They sold smoothies for $10 ea or 2 for $15. Sodas & juice were included. Right now they have an online special for admission & show for $60 pp and includes a free buffet dinner. I would definitely go that route, if available. Remember that this is run by the LDS. There is no alcohol served here at all. If you have issues with this, skip it. I had the pleasure of listening to a gentleman loudly complaining about this. Very obnoxious. I would hate to see him with a few drinks in him.

The villages are fun to visit and most are very entertaining & educational. Some have activities that you can take part in as well. Great for all ages. Samoa is my favorite, but they are all fun.

Now, the evening show Ha: Breath of Life, is spectacular! I LOVED it and I loved the storyline as well. Our seats were not bad, 1st row in the mid upper level. Included in the price of the tickets, was the ability to return and receive Gen. Admission for free. You can come as many times as you would like within the next 3 days. Parking was $8 and if you return within the 3 days, parking is free too. If you book online, I think it's 5 extra days. We never had the opportunity to return though.

Honolulu

Did I mention that I do not like traffic? We arrived in HNL from Kauai at about 2:30 PM. By the time we got our rental, picked up my script, got something to eat and got on the hwy to the North Shore it was rush hour. It took us forever to get there. It's a long drive as it is, but during rush hour it was a nightmare. So we decided to do whatever we wanted to do in Honolulu over the weekend. So we trekked out there on both Saturday & Sunday.

The place to get your souvenirs is at the Aloha Swap Meet. We purchased a bunch of crap to bring home plus another suitcase to put all of the said crap in for the journey home. We also had bought several boxes of Mac Nut Chocolates, including a few big bags of Mac Nut Kisses at Costco.
We visited the Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The view are incredible, the murals are amazing, and the general aura is awe inspiring.

The solemn pride that must be yours,

to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Before our trip, I was given a pair of tickets to the Bishop Museum. It's a great place to learn about Hawaiian history. The exhibits are great and they have many hand-on exhibits for kids as well. During our trip, I became aware that they offer reciprocal privileges through my membership at our local museum. So we we received free admission through that. Which means that I still have 2 tickets available if anyone needs them, I will pay it forward. Let me know if you will be visiting before December 31st of this year.

Byodo-in Temple

Byodo-in Temple in Valley of the Temples Memorial Park was an inexpensive and lovely place to visit. $3 adults, $2 seniors & $1 child. The grounds are peaceful and serene. You need to drive through a cemetery, so be aware if you have issues with that. We don't and we actually drove all around the cemetery looking at all the different areas. I noticed many plots where people leave food, drinks and beer. I especially saw a lot in the Catholic section, which I found odd since I was raised Catholic and had never seen that before. So if anyone has any info about this, I would love to hear it.


Food:

Ted's Bakery~ One word... PIES. Yummo! They are known for their Chocolate Haupia but I also loved the regular choc. cream & the banana cream. The glazers are really good too. Actually, all the bakery stuff was fantastic. Remember, I have a slight addiction to sweets. The hot food was just ok. We had a few dinners from there because of the convenience. I can't comment on their breakfast options except to say that they were always packed during breakfast.

Impossible's Pizza must have been named as such, because it's impossible to find them! This is a food truck that we saw as we drove in on or first night. We didn't see them again til our last night. And we weren't even in the mood for pizza! We did have the lasagna though. It was suprisingly good! The pizza looked great too... maybe next time. You have your choice of cheese or sausage lasagna for $8 and it comes with a small garlic loaf. They also have salads. Supposedly they can usually be found between Waimea & Sunset Beach, Wed-Sun.

D is the shrimp junkie. I don't like shrimp. Last time we were here he really enjoyed Hono's Shrimp Truck. After this visit, he still prefers the taste of Hono's shrimps and their rice too. Romy's had HUGE shrimp and they tasted ok but they were not his favorite. Plus they served them with burnt garlic. yuck. Giovanni's (Kahuku) was ok, right between Hono's and Romy's. Short wait at both Giovanni's and Hono's. Romy's on the other hand... he waited about 20 minutes in a short line then another 30 minutes to get his food. The ladies at Hono's were really friendly and offered their service with a smile.

Matsumoto's~ One word: Fabulous... and still my favorite! I will write a full shave ice comparison soon.

When we arrived in Honolulu, I needed to p/u a script at Walgreen's. We decided to eat at Helena's while we were in the area. This place has the best and most friendly employees! The food is really ono too. We shared Pipikaula short ribs, Butterfish Collars, Kalua pork and rice. It comes with Haupia for dessert, when available. We polished everything off! Yummy! Tiny place with a tiny parking lot but sooo worth waiting for a spot. No frill, just authentic Hawaiian goodness served with Aloha.

On our way to the airport (before our flight back to the mainland) we stopped at Royal Kitchen for baked Manapuas. There was a bit of a wait when we arrived at 11 AM but it's worth it. Just grab your number and wait your turn, service is quick. My favorite is the Kalua Pig, followed by Portugese sausage. The cha siu was ok, but I did not care for the chicken manapua. They were all fresh and served right out of the oven.

So sad that our trip has ended but so happy to sleep in my own bed!
Aloha and Mahalo Nui Loa to everyone that made this trip even more memorable!

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel
until he comes home and rests
his head on his old, familiar pillow. ~Lin Yutang

The Garden Isle

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine

We have visited both Maui & Oahu before, but this was our first time in Kauai. I had heard that everything was way more expensive in Kauai, but I was pleased to see that their gas was cheaper than on Maui. We averaged about $3.70 per gallon on Maui. Here on Kauai we pumped at about $3.40, plus the Costco here has a gas station. Prices for everything else was, for the most part, on par with Maui. Since it is the hub, Oahu, did have slightly better prices.

I had originally reserved a car through Costco/Alamo for $339. I lucked out on Priceline again with my bid. I received Hertz at $151 for a compact. I don't know if it's actually a compact, but we received a Chevy HHR. The car was very comfortable & roomy. It was also spotless! The cleanest and ding free car that we have ever gotten in Hawaii. I will definitely be reserving with Hertz again.

We were very lucky with the weather the entire trip. Including here in Kauai. We did get a bit of rain here and there, but mainly either overnight or early morning. I was told by a local resident that early morning is the best time for it to rain. Just get it over with and move on. Sounds good to me! As expected, we did get more rain while visiting the North Shore.

We stayed on the South Shore near Poipu. I rented a cottage through VRBO. Once again, the cottage was fully equipped and was very comfortable. No A/C, but there were ceiling fans and a floor fan as well. The cottage is surrounded by foliage, which helped keep interior from getting too hot. Very nice linens and plush towels were supplied. Arriving at night was an adventure though. D had to pull in with the passenger door right next to the front door of the cottage. Once the motion sensored light went on, I made a mad dash for the front door. Why? Because right off to the side of the driveway, there was a nightly nightclub for frogs! Remember this? And this? Need I say more? Fortunately, they did not congregate too close to the cottage.
We both found Kauai to be quite similar to Upcountry Maui. It was very quiet. No nightlife, per se, as everything shuts down pretty early. You can't go anywhere without seeing chickens & roosters. The roosters here obviously cannot tell time either. They would crow at any time. I think they figured that eventually, they would get it right. Fortunately for us, the ones near the cottage were on island time as well, so my sleep was not affected.
The best way to see the beauty of this island is by air. We did a helicopter tour over Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island, so decided on a fixed wing tour this time. We chose to fly with Wings Over Kauai, and were not disappointed. This is a family run operation and they strive to show you a good time. Bruce is the pilot and Ellen is his wife. Fabulous people, full of Aloha. I sat in the co-pilots seat. Since I suffer from motion sickness, they felt that I would do better up front. I also had my relief band, and I did very well... if I do day so myself. I didn't move a muscle though because I was afraid that I'd hit or touch something that I wasn't supposed to. The tour was AMAZING. The weather was incredible with nary a cloud in the sky. The entire tour took about 70 minutes and we circled the entire island. I do not hesitate in recommending WOK, not only for a great tour, but for customer service and attention to safety as well.

We took a day to see Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We stopped at all the look-outs. Beautiful! We did a few of the easier hikes as well. I would suggest to anyone planning on hiking anywhere in Kauai, to bring a pair of shoes that you do not mind throwing away at the end of your trip. That red dirt is impossible to remove and you wouldn't want to ruin your brand spankin' new kicks! Depending on how long you stay at each look-out, if you just do the drive, you can probably be done in about 2.5 hours. We took a bit longer because we were in no rush plus we hiked a bit.

Waimea Canyon

We love touring historic homes and palaces. We've visited the mansions in Newport, Vizcaya in Miami, Cà d'Zan Mansion in Sarasota, Scotty's castle in Death Valley, Hearst Castle in San Simeon, The House of the Seven Gables in Salem & 'Iolani Palace in Honolulu. Now we can add Grove Farm to the list. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Our guide was very friendly and informative. We took a leisurely 2 hour tour of the main house, George's cottage & another cottage plus the gardens & grounds. I highly recommend this tour to anyone. I don't think that it's appropriate for young children though. The suggested donation is just $10 pp.

Ha'ena Beach park

As for beaches, we enjoyed Poipu Beach Park. We generally always had Keoneloa Beach all to ourselves. Except for the surfers and the boogie boarders. We enjoyed watching them too! Maha'ulepu coastline is a hidden gem So hidden, that I thought we would never get there. We had a long rough ride in our compact car and will only return if we rent a more sturdy car. I think it took us over an hour to travel just a few miles. Maybe we were just too cautious because of the rental car.

On the North Shore, we enjoyed Tunnels Beach for snorkeling thanks to the huge reef. We also liked Ha'ena Beach Park, no reef protection here so the waves are pretty forceful. We enjoyed just sitting and watching the waves or reading or napping or...you get the picture.

Dinners on Kauai were mainly just pupus during happy hour. We went to Kalapaki Joes 3x. Once to the one in Poipu and twice to the one in Kalapaki. The menu at the Kalapaki location is larger but the restaurant in Poipu is nicer. On my birthday we saw Sashamon play at the Kalapaki location. He played with a band whose name escapes me, but they were GREAT together It was a great evening! I know that the concert was put on specifically to celebrate my birthday ;-) We averaged about $30 including drinks during Happy Hour. Except on my birthday of course when we spent quite a bit more.

Pizzeta in Old Koloa Town also has a nice Happy Hour Menu. We had Large stuffed mushrooms, Mozzarella Sticks, Baby Back Ribs Appetizer, a slice of pizza, a Mai Tai & a beer for $21 plus tip!

Mark's Place is in an industrial area in Lihue. It's worth trying to find it. We were ok because D had his handy dandy GPS. Plate lunches are well priced and very good too. We ordered the Chicken Katsu and Beef Stew for less than $8 including rice & mac salad. It was more than enough for both of us.

Ok, I didn't think I would mention a hot dog. Especially a $6+ hot dog. I am not a hot dog fanatic or anything but I absolutely loved the mild sauce & mango relish at Puka Dogs! Their bun was nice and soft, their hot dog? Eh, it's a hot dog... oh wait, an Polish sausage! The Lilikoi mustard is pretty good too. They only sell Lemonade to drink. for $3 & change you get a cup packed with ice, half a lemon and water. Tasted like plain water.

I always intentionally leave something to be done, just to insure that we return. Next time, we definitely want to kayak the Wailua River. Hopefully, next time will be in the near future.