19. Spend at least 24 hours in 10 states (6/10) - Florida

Paul and I had some 'forced vacation' in December.. his two weeks due to the company we work for not allowing people to carry over annual leave from year to year, meaning he was clearing the last of his 2010 leave entitlement... time he still had due to the drilling Moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico; my entire anticipated month or so off (from December 4 at least) due to my employer not applying for an extension of my work visa in time.. and so I was waiting on the US Government to re-approve and re-issue my work visa so I could legally return to the office (and as of Jan 1, still I wait...) So in early December I convinced the husband, that it would be a sad and frustrating thing indeed to make me sit around at home for the next month or so pretending to be a good little housewife, and that to ensure I didn't become some desperate little housewife, it would be best for us to use this time off constructively.... by travelling somewhere we've always wanted to go... after much wheeling and dealing the destination was decided.. we where heading to the happiest place on earth... Disney World, Orlando Florida.

Due to the late nature of our decision we had two options... pay $700 each for the privilege of flying cattle class or jump in the car and road trip the 16 hour, roughly 1000 miles.. guess which one we chose?

After driving through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama we finally arrive in Florida!! 

First stop on the Florida experience was Homosassa, one of only two places in the world where you can swim and snorkel with wild manatees who migrate up into the natural hot springs to stay warm during the winter months. It was a freezing cold day when we jumped in the toasty warm water to cuddle and scratch these amazingly large but gentle and curious creatures... manatee belly scratches... a once in a life time experience (will elaborate more on this in a separate post) 

Hello there little fella

We decided to spend our first day in Kissimmee, Florida (center of the universe for theme parks) at Disney's EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow) the more grown up Disney park mainly because of the evil anticipated weather forecast for the day... rain, wind, cold... ick!! The theme park consists of two areas; Future World, where you can explore, innovative applications of technology, or at least applications that were innovative back in the 80's and 90's and the second area; World Showcase, where Disney has 11 pavilions representing the culture and tradition (or at least the Disney interpretation) of Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, USA, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada... yes soooo inclusive!! 

 Standing in front of the big golf ball / round pineapple EPCOT thingy 

EPCOT was probably a little more dated than it should be, the rides and pavilions looked just a little old and tired.. one of the most telling activities was 'Spaceship Earth' - the ride inside the big golf ball / round pineapple thingy.. which describes the communications journey that the human race has taken over their existence.. the ride slowly picks up pace, beginning with prehistoric cavemen fighting for survival and eventually learning to communicate basically, on to the Egyptians who invented the written language, Phoenicians who invented the alphabet... Ancient Greece... Rome... Jewish and then Islamic Scholars... Christian Monks... The Renaissance... The development of the printing press.. newspapers... LARGE computers and then suddenly BOOM... you're in a quick scene from the matrix.. with 0s and 1s flying everywhere and the ride is over... they set the scene so well in the beginning and then rush through the ending.. has nothing happened in human communication since 1980 and the discovery of the internet??? Oh well, I guess the big golf ball is only so big after all right??? 

Scary leafy Stitch outside of Spaceship Earth

After a couple of hours of exploring Future World and with the weather beginning to turn, we decided it was time to head across to World Showcase... My favourite country?? Mexico!! We found this gorgeous little tequila bar inside the pavilion and treated ourselves to a couple of margaritas and chicken tostadas.. Paul had a jalapeno margarita and I had a hibiscus margarita... YUM!!

Enjoying and adult beverage at La Cava del Tequila in the Mexico Pavilion 

Next stop on the Theme Park Extravaganza?? Universal Studios! Another theme park that is split into two different parks; Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. We decided that we could do both parks in one day... after all its the middle of the week and the nasty weather (sub zero temperatures in FL!!) will keep some people away... Right???... Indeed! 

Meeting the Cat in the Hat

Now this is what I expected when I thought I was going to a theme park!! My favourite parts?? Having the Cat in the Hat hit on me; when I approached the character for a photo he put his arm around me and proceeded to purr right into my ear the entire time!! Bad Pussy!! The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter; OMG how fricken cool is this place?!?! Its a miniature Hogsmeade complete with a Honeydukes for all your candy needs (Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans anyone??), Ollivanders, where if your lucky your wand may choose you, an Owl Post, where you can post an actual letter and it will arrive at its destination post marked Hogsmeade! And a Hogs Head and Three Broomsticks where you can wet your whistle with a butterbeer (mmmm butterbeer... creaming soda with a frothy foamy butterscotch cream on top... a delicious sugary nightmare!!) And I haven't even mentioned the rides yet!!! 

Is it too early in the morning for a Butterbeer?? Never!!

The Flight of the Hippogriff is a cute little kiddy rollercoaster, The Dragon Challenge is aa double rollercoaster with some super awesome twists and turns BUT the real drawcard is the state of the art, groundbreaking, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.. talk about game changing!! It was so awesome I made Paul come back at the end of the day for one last ride!! 

Hogwarts Castle at night - Home of the Forbidden Journey Ride 

My other favourites? The Incredible Hulk Coaster; you go from like 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds before zipping thought multiple barrel loops... The Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, you get to pick the music you listen to during the ride and it begins by literally hoisting you upwards at a 90 degree angle before dropping you straight down.. gulp.. and the Simpsons Ride... a newer style interactive rollercoaster which entirely tricks you the whole way through... Yes I'm a coster convert!! 

KrustyLand - Universal Studios of Florida

Final stop on the trip.... Magical Kingdom, Disney World!! And although I had originally come all the way to Florida specifically to visit this one theme park.. after spending the day before at Universal I kinda had reservations about Magical Kingdom... its blasphemous I know but lets face it Universal is more thrill ridey and Disney is more cutesy right?? Yup, pretty much!! But it was still a wonderful day out

Disney World!!

The only problem with Magical Kingdom?? I felt like I needed to steal someone's child to get the full effect... very cutsey, very geared towards little ones!! It was great to finally get to ride 'Its a Small World' see the tea cups and the Dumbo ride.. Space Mountain was actually really cool and would of been groundbreaking when originally opened however the lack of neck support on a pitch black rollercoaster was a little jarring and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was good although a little disappointing (apparently its been adjusted from its original to be more politically correct.. after all pirates wouldn't rape and pillage... they steal pies and kisses right?!?!) and I'm absolutely amazed they haven't taken advantage of all of that space in the Disney Castle and placed a ride or attraction inside it (guess it was built in the days before they did those sorts of things) All in all it was a cute day and I'm glad we braved the crowds to experience the happiest place on earth... just wish I had of had a little one to share the joy with... if only for the day!! 

Country Bear Jamboree 

Would I go to Theme Park, Florida again? Sure... but only in the summer so I could take advantage of all the water rides and water parks... then again perhaps next time we should head to California to also take advantage of Knotts Berry Farm and see some different parks?? OR perhaps we should head to Ohio to Cedar Point, the largest rollercoaster park in the US... maybe :D

49. My two words of the month

Since I've been sitting around taking a forced vacation for the entire month of December thanks to both my 'illustrious' employer and the US Government... it seems only fair that my words this month are all about the frustrations that are bureaucracy...

force ma·jeure

   [Fr. fawrs ma-zhœr] 

–noun, plural forces majeures  [Fr. fawrs ma-zhœr]. Law .

an unexpected and disruptive event that may operate 
to excuse a party from a contract.

AND

bea·dle·dom

   [beed-l-duhm] 

–noun

a stupid or officious display or exercise of authority, as by 
petty officials.

19. Spend at least 24 hours in 10 states (5/10) - Honolulu, Hawaii

Ok so I'm seriously seriously behind with my blogging... thankfully its the holiday season right now... I'm on extended vacation and have just returned from a glorious week in the Colorado Rockies sans hubby (he's diverted to New Orleans on our way back home for a week offshore on the rig) and my first day back in Houston has been one of those Texas Winter days... rain, thunderstorms, icky inside with a book and a cup of day, domestic goddess types of days... in other words perfect for catching up on the MOUNTAIN of blogging I have to do... First stop... i need to head back in time about a month or so and remember the time I spent sitting overlooking the beach with a glass of Sav Blanc and a plate full of 'raw ocean bar' (oysters, king crab, lobster, yellowtail sashimi, ahi sashimi, and tiger prawns) while enjoying the relaxing sounds of the ukulele and the ever present and calming sigh of the tradewinds... Yes, I'm heading back to Hawaii....

The dinner in question - enjoying the 'raw ocean bar' plate at The Beachhouse at the Moana, Honolulu

Months before I was lucky enough to find myself landing on the sandy shores and perfect beaches of Hawaii, I was talking to my dear Aunt Deb in Adelaide... she was desperate for a vacation... I was unsure of how I was going to spend Thanksgiving since the Hubby was scheduled to be offshore on the rig (this was indeed before the whole Moratorium business) and therefore a catchup seemed like a good idea... but where to go??? Well what is halfway between Houston, Texas and Adelaide, South Australia??? Honolulu!!

My first morning on Waikiki Beach at Sunrise

In my normal crazy way, I flew in from Midland, Texas from a pre-spud meeting the Wendesday before Thanksgiving arriving into Houston at 8pm that night only to fly back out to Hawaii (on a 10 hour flight, with a 4 hour time difference) the next morning (Thanksgiving morning) at 8am.. and when I finally made it, I realised I'd landed in, what could only be described as paradise! 

 Aunt Deb's first ever Turkey Day!

The next seven days was absolute bliss... we shopped at the Honolulu Mall, Ala Moana on Black Friday, indulged in a plate of nachos bigger than my head at Jimmy Buffet, toured Pearl Harbour, the MSS Missouri and checked out Punchbowl Cemetery, climbed Diamond Head crater, did a SUPER long day trip to the Big Island, the Island of Hawai'i and walked on dried lava beds, marveled at the black sand beaches and crashing surf, ate our way through Mauna Loa macadamia nut plantation (a nut that is not indigenous to Hawaii but is instead, an Aussie treat), sniffed beautiful orchids and visited Volcanos National Park, viewing the amazing Kilauea - the most active volcano on the planet!! 

The smoking Halema'uma'u crater - In the caldera of Mt Kilauea 

Walking through Thurston Lava Tube, Volcanos National Park

It was an absolutely amazing trip.. I got to catch up with my Aunt Deb in a tropical paradise, got to experience the beauty that was Hawai'i and, as I was of course still in the US, got to eat a delicious amount of food... I'm such a lucky gal!! 

45. Read 20 books that challenge my ideals (1/20) & 91. Read and Review 100 books (27/100) - Decision Points - George W Bush

'President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions of his presidency and personal life.

Decision Points is the extraordinary memoir of America’s 43rd president. Shattering the conventions of political autobiography, George W. Bush offers a strikingly candid journey through the defining decisions of his life.

In gripping, never-before-heard detail, President Bush brings readers inside the Texas Governor’s Mansion on the night of the hotly contested 2000 election; aboard Air Force One on 9/11, in the hours after America’s most devastating attack since Pearl Harbor; at the head of the table in the Situation Room in the moments before launching the war in Iraq; and behind the Oval Office desk for his historic and controversial decisions on the financial crisis, Hurricane Katrina, Afghanistan, Iran, and other issues that have shaped the first decade of the 21st century.

President Bush writes honestly and directly about his flaws and mistakes, as well as his accomplishments reforming education, treating HIV/AIDS in Africa, and safeguarding the country amid chilling warnings of additional terrorist attacks. He also offers intimate new details on his decision to quit drinking, discovery of faith, and relationship with his family.

A groundbreaking new brand of memoir, Decision Points will captivate supporters, surprise critics, and change perspectives on one of the most consequential eras in American history – and the man at the center of events.'

So I started this book with a little bit of trepidation... on a cold and wet Houston morning I sat down with George W and a cup of tea and gave him a chance to change my mind on his presidency.. and surprisingly W was very good company! This book is far from a chronological autobiography and instead is written around key events, or decision points in the former presidents life and time in office which makes the book easy to digest... Chapter titles include 'Quitting' detailing his personal struggle to give up alcohol, 'Running' detailing his decision to run for office, first as Governor of Texas and then as President, to the more controversial events in his presidency, 'Stem Cells' 'Afghanistan' 'Day of Fire' Iraq' and 'Katrina' 

The book is not an apology for the decisions made, nor is it an excuse but is instead a recount of events from the Presidents point of view, W gives you the situation as he saw it and lets you make your own decision. Did it change my opinion of Bush? Maybe... I admit throughout a great deal of the book I was left thinking... why wasn't this man this eloquent whist holding the highest office in the country? But the real message is best said by the former president himself.. 'That is the nature of the presidency. Perceptions are shaped by the clarity of hindsight. In the moment of decision, you don't have that advantage'. George W Bush. 

91. Read and Review 100 Books (26/100) The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan

'After saving Olympus from the evil Titan lord, Kronos, Percy and friends have rebuilt their beloved Camp Half-Blood, where the next generation of demigods must now prepare for a chilling prophecy of their own: Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, To storm or fire the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. Now, in a brand-new series from blockbuster best-selling author Rick Riordan, fans return to the world of Camp Half-Blood. Here, a new group of heroes will inherit a quest. But to survive the journey, they'll need the help of some familiar demigods.'

Ok, so I am SERIOUSLY behind with my blogging! I'm pretty sure I read this book at least 6-8 weeks ago.. oops! Anyways... I was super happy to see that Rick Riordan has continued with this series and the best thing about it is that its taken on a new life - different characters, same story lines... Its continuity is surprising and delighting! Looking forward to the next installment... 

91. Read and Review 100 Books (25/100) The Fall: Book Two of The Strain - Guillermo Del Toro

'The vampiric virus unleashed in The Strain has taken over New York City. It is spreading across the country and soon, the world. Amid the chaos, Eph Goodweather—head of the Center for Disease Control’s team—leads a small band out to stop these bloodthirsty monsters. But it may be too late.


Ignited by the Master’s horrific plan, a war erupts between Old and New World vampires, each vying for total control. Caught between these warring forces, humans—powerless and vulnerable—are no longer the consumers, but the consumed.


Though Eph understands the vampiric plague better than anyone, even he cannot protect those he loves from the invading evil. His ex-wife, Kelly, has been turned by the Master, and now she stalks the city, in the darkness, looking for her chance to reclaim Zack, Eph’s young son.


With the future of the world in the balance, Eph and his courageous team, guided by the brilliant former professor and Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian and exterminator Vasiliy Fet, must combat a terror whose ultimate plan is more terrible than anyone first imagined—a fate worse than annihilation.'


Ok, so I agree, I've been on a bit of a serial vampire, apocalyptic / post-apocalyptic, end of the world, evil disease, everyone and everything ends up dead, cant sleep at night cos my reading material is giving me nightmares kick, recently. And tho I must admit that this book, is not up to par with 'The Passage', the second novel in the Strain Trilogy still kept me entertained enough to realise that I will be purchasing the third and final instalment (although I will once again be doing it via Amazon, via my Kindle, and I will be waiting a couple of months until the price reduces down to something reasonable) 

19. Spend at least 24 hours in 10 states (4/10) - Nevada

Last weekend we headed to Vegas... well at first it really didn't seem like we were going to make it at all... we arrived at the airport with 45 minutes to spare... booked in and then proceeded to wait in the security line for 30 minutes meaning we literally were the last ones to board the flight whereby Paul immediately gets upgraded to First Class and I have to remain in 'Coach'... I hadn't eaten a thing ALL day expecting to indulge in alligator bites and a glass of wine at the airport so got to enjoy the 3 hour flight with my tummy eating itself (US airlines don't serve meals to passengers) while Paul slept through his meal service and didn't eat a bite or think to send some of it, even a cookie, my way (US airlines don't serve meals to passengers UNLESS you're in the pointy end of the plane)... We finally arrive... and all I want to do is get my butt to an Inn-N-Out burger for a taste sensation before heading to the strip BUT we're sitting at the baggage carousel waiting... and waiting... and waiting for my bag... finally the evil truth sinks in... my bag isn't in Vegas... SO we head to the Continental Baggage claim office where I'm given a toiletries baggie and told that my bag isn't lost, merely delayed and will be delivered to the Hotel at around 2am... So now I'm in desert, its about 10 degrees and I'm in a summer dress with no change of clothes anywhere... GRRR!! Ok... its Ok... lets just head to Avis and collect our car.... WELL.. Avis are sweet, they upgrade us to a convertible and we're on our way... WRONG!! We get to the car, throw in our bags and get accosted by another couple stating that this was their car... Avis had given both of us the same vehicle... so back Paul goes to the counter to sort it out.. where he tosses a coin for the car and loses... He's given another car... this time a cute little convertible... a two seater... which really won't work for the four of us... so back we go again... by this time we've been at the airport for just over 2 hours and I think the sales assistant feels bad for us so he hooks us up with a brand new, all the bells and whistles, Ford Flex, a definite upgrade... NICE! So we're finally on our way... We arrive at Planet Hollywood (our home away from home for the next 3 nights) and are told that unfortunately they only have smoking rooms available.... YOU ARE KIDDING ME RIGHT?!?!? So after just about falling apart and considering just heading right back to the airport and jumping on a flight home, I convince the girl that I cannot possibly stay in a smoking room as I'm.. ahem.. asthmatic (a little white lie I know) and suddenly she manages to find us a non-smoking room... even if it happens to have two queen size beds... by this point we no longer care... say thank-you, grab the keys and head to our room hoping that this wasn't a sign of things to come!!

The rest of the trip was absolutely fantastic! Friday morning we jumped in our pimped out ride, and road tripped it out to the Grand Canyon, and the state of Arizona to check out the Grand Canyon and where we also accidentally stumbled across the amazing Bearizona - An American wildlife park styled after the wild game parks in Africa - bison, mountain goats, black bears... roaming free!!

Waving at each other across state lines - Me in Nevada, Kel in Arizona - Hoover Dam

Bernie and I at the Grand Canyon

Paul and I doing the touristy thing - Grand Canyon National Park

Playing with the Black Bears at Bearizona

Arriving back in Vegas at around 8pm it was time for beer and wings and so off we trotted to Hooters Hotel and Casino for a true authentic wings experience... it was fatty, it was sinful, it was delicious! Next stop.. the MGM Grand to see the lions, who were off loafing it up somewhere else, lazy buggers, a round of 4 drinks which almost required a mortgage payment, and then a quick trip to the Bellagio where the fountains also appeared to have the day off.. oh well at least we got to see a 1000lb pumpkin, the amazingly decorated foyer and a Chocolate Fountain... mmm... chocolate!! 

Saturday was a little more low key - There was time for a little bit of gambling in the morning... I was proud of myself for turning $2 into $14 on my first two spins playing Beaver Bucks and was, as far as I was concerned, done with gambling for the weekend (Yes I'm such a high roller). Then it was time for a little spot of lunch at the Venetian where we dined at Wolfgang Pucks Postrio Bar and Grill across from Wolfgang Puck himself!! The food was delicious - like, last meal on earth delicious, the wine went down a treat (probably a little too well in fact), and the company was entertaining as always! The perfect meal, in a magical setting... gotta love the Venetian!  

Enjoying our lunch..

Right next to Wolfgang Puck himself!

After lunch it was time for a little bit of oxygen and a massage at an oxygen bar which was soooo relaxing and dare I say it orgasmic, that we all needed a glass of red in the casino immediately afterwards! Next stop, O'Sheas Casino where Kelly and Nick bought into a poker tournament - and Nick won!! The Flamingo, to see, what else, Flamingos.. and then home to the hotel to relax before cocktails and rollercoasters in the evening.

Cocktails at Koi for my Baby's 32nd Birthday

So in the end, a bad start to a perfectly wonderful weekend in Las Vegas... I'm looking forward to heading back sometime soon.. perhaps next time we'll even make it to a show!!