happy new year's eve! the last day of 2009 is here and i am sure lots of people can breathe a sigh of relief that this crazy year is over. with each new year upon us there are new hopes, so let's hope 2010 brings us something a little better.
i have taken my balcony position again this morning to blog about yesterday;s adventures, and i believe i have found a friend. a dove has landed on the railing of my porch and is quietly minding his own business. i don't think there will be an attack on me today. anywho, yesterday began with a taxi ride to dolphin cay at atlantis resort. holey moley is atlantis incredible! for those of you who have stayed there, i am slightly jealous and can only wish to go there myself someday for a stay. the dolphin cay attraction is also amazing, and i learned quite a bit about dolphins and got to play with one!
patrick, emily, and i were the only ones in our crew who did the shallow water dolphin experience, and so we suited up in our wet suits, went through an orientation, and then waded through a large pool (meant to resemble a dolphin's natural habitat) and met wee tee, a 23 year old male dolphin. he was quite the quirky one, not really doing any of the behaviors his trainers desired him to do, but it was not disappointing to us at all. he was funny and very lovable. we all got a chance to kiss and hug him (we bought the pics to prove it) touch his rubbery skin, and feed him fish when he did listen. we also found out that wee tee has a crush on jill, a 45 year old dolphin who has no interest in him whatsoever. maybe he is too immature for her, who knows?
for those of you who think that this type of place is a way to keep dolphins in captivity for a profit, think again. most of the proceeds go to marine life research, and it also helped save the lives of 16 displaced dolphins during hurricane katrina. we also learned that dolphins live a lot longer in human care than they do out in the wild, almost twice as long! jill would surely not be around if she was not living at the dolphin cay. it is an amazing experience to encounter these beautiful creatures and see them show off their skills for us. thank you to everyone at dolphin cay who made it a great morning for us!
after the dolphins, the five of us wanted to eat some true bahamian fare at a fish fry. our restaurant of choice was oh andros! there is a whole row of these places, so you can have your pick of restaurants in just one spot. now, when you eat at these places, do not expect to receive that fast american service that we are used to. that is not the bahamian way. when they say a time multiply it by 4 and then you will have a better idea of when your food is coming. so we waited about an hour for only 3 entrees to come out (the food is heaped onto the plate so we had more than enough food for all of us). as our meals finally arrived, we were so hot and hungry it wasn't funny. oh and judy was impatient for the food to come out that she went inside the restaurant and brought it to our outside table herself! she does not mess around, let me tell ya!
patrick and i ordered a snapper/ conch combo with rice, plantains, and macaroni and cheese. everything tasted so good and was a little spicy! my favorite part was the rice and peas though. it was so flavorful, perfectly seasoned. the mac and cheese was quite good, and it too had a kick as it was made with jalepeno peppers. the snapper was tasty, although a little dry for my liking, and the conch was fried up and very tender. i also tasted judy's grouper (by far my favorite protein) and chicken combo. the fried chicken was semi-moist but tasted so good in the famous bahamian spices that they smothered on everything! i have to say that i thoroughly enjoyed a traditional meal and might try to find a bahamian restaurant in the city. does anyone know of one?
when we returned to the sheraton, we took a dip in the pool to cool off from our meal, then relaxed for a couple of hours in our respective rooms. around 6:30, the fam congregated in the lobby to have some drinks and to figure out what to do for dinner. none of us could agree on what to eat, and when we finally did, the restaurant was completely booked! so we ordered dominos pizza, and some salads, drank decent wine (a beringer cabernet) and enjoyed the sea breeze out on a deck. we then went out to the pool area to partake in a little karaoke!!! i was so excited because i didn't think anyone else would want to do it with me, and when they said they would i was ecstatic! patrick asked me, "are you happy now?" and i replied with a YES!!!!
all the ladies (judy, amanda, emily, and i) sang earl had to die by the dixie chicks, and it was a funny rendition for sure! patrick and i sang summer nights, also hilarious, and to wrap up our selections emily and i sang mercy. yes i sang all three songs because it is so fun. there were some other funny performances, but nothing could beat a mom with her two daughters singing boom boom pow by the black eyed peas! it was soooooo great!
so then we headed to bed, and now we are waking up slowly to the new day ahead of us. on our agenda today we have some kayaking, sun soaking, and new year's fireworks!
hope everyone has a happy new year's eve and rings in the new year with much joy!
this is beth signing off.
mission: day 2 accomplished.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
mission: bahamas day 1
day 1 of our trip has come and gone, and we have had a great time so far. the weather here is a fair 70 degrees, which is just fine for me (it is not 20 with a biting wind like in nyc). i am sitting on our little porch which faces the ocean, and last night patrick and i left our door open to allow the delicious breeze to waft in our hotel room. we could also hear the constant ebb and flow of the waves gently lapping the white sands, and that sound is better than any other white noise i use to help me fall asleep. what a perfect setting to reflect on my travels thus far.
so yesterday, when we arrived, the customs process was relatively easy for us. except for patrick, who wearing his brooklyn t-shirt, was asked for his id more than once. but at least there were no pat downs or bag searches, so that was good. then we grabbed our bags, hopped into a cab, and set out for the sheraton beach resort. the short, 10 minute drive along the coast was beautiful. everywhere were brightly colored houses and hotels with names like paradise speckled with flowers equally as bright in color. we could all smell the salt wafting through the air, and my mother-in-law, judy, declared that our vacation has officially begun.
upon entering the hotel, we did our exploring and found that the resort has three pools, lots of rentals for water activities, a casino, a few restaurants, and a dance floor in the lobby! everyone piled all of their luggage into our room (while the other was getting ready) and decided to eat at the restaurant outside. during our meal (i had the tuna steak sandwich with a soy glaze and it was quite tasty) the bees decided to attack me. now, when bees come, i freak. my reaction led to emily cracking up at me which made everyone else laugh as well. it is ok, i know i am crazy. upon the bee situation, i began to tell my many stories of being attacked by seagulls at the jersey shore. once again i was laughed at for my nonsense, but not for long when a flock of the devil bird gulls began hovering over our table threatening to swoop in on our food at any moment. as soon as this happened, emily and amanda jumped up from the table screaming and laughing. they were more aware of being attacked by the birds than they normally would have been had i not shared my horror stories. emily then decided that i was cursed.
after lunch, emily and amanda went to the beach, and patrick and i went to find sunglasses (we totally forgot ours). we eventually made it out to the pool and beach area, but emily and amanda were done by then. the wind was too much and made it too cold to enjoy the outdoors. however, patrick and i decided to brave it and cuddled up in towels while sitting on lounge chairs reviewing our year of 2009. we decided that it was a very fun year with lots of great travels and triumphs.
emily eventually came to look for us as amanda and judy had a manicure, and she watched patrick and i brave the pool (it was heated). this pool has a swim up bar where we all got something fruity to drink. my mai tai, even though it was yummy, caused me to have a headache (too much sun and not enough water combined with alcohol is never good). the headache progressed into a migraine and unfortunately i was out of the game for the rest of the night. meanwhile, the rest of the fam went to the italian restaurant here in the hotel, and they had a wonderful dinner (they saved some food for me when i woke up too!) after i ate, patrick and i took a romantic stroll along the beach. it was amazing with the moonlight cascading over the water, and on our way back to the hotel, we found two stray cats digging in the trash looking for some food. we tried to get them to come over to us, but they were not interested due to our lack of food offerings.
and that is how we ended our night. today the plan is to go over to the dolphin cay at the atlantis resort and meet the sea mammals who were displaced in hurricane katrina.
this is beth signing off.
mission: day 1 accomplished
so yesterday, when we arrived, the customs process was relatively easy for us. except for patrick, who wearing his brooklyn t-shirt, was asked for his id more than once. but at least there were no pat downs or bag searches, so that was good. then we grabbed our bags, hopped into a cab, and set out for the sheraton beach resort. the short, 10 minute drive along the coast was beautiful. everywhere were brightly colored houses and hotels with names like paradise speckled with flowers equally as bright in color. we could all smell the salt wafting through the air, and my mother-in-law, judy, declared that our vacation has officially begun.
upon entering the hotel, we did our exploring and found that the resort has three pools, lots of rentals for water activities, a casino, a few restaurants, and a dance floor in the lobby! everyone piled all of their luggage into our room (while the other was getting ready) and decided to eat at the restaurant outside. during our meal (i had the tuna steak sandwich with a soy glaze and it was quite tasty) the bees decided to attack me. now, when bees come, i freak. my reaction led to emily cracking up at me which made everyone else laugh as well. it is ok, i know i am crazy. upon the bee situation, i began to tell my many stories of being attacked by seagulls at the jersey shore. once again i was laughed at for my nonsense, but not for long when a flock of the devil bird gulls began hovering over our table threatening to swoop in on our food at any moment. as soon as this happened, emily and amanda jumped up from the table screaming and laughing. they were more aware of being attacked by the birds than they normally would have been had i not shared my horror stories. emily then decided that i was cursed.
after lunch, emily and amanda went to the beach, and patrick and i went to find sunglasses (we totally forgot ours). we eventually made it out to the pool and beach area, but emily and amanda were done by then. the wind was too much and made it too cold to enjoy the outdoors. however, patrick and i decided to brave it and cuddled up in towels while sitting on lounge chairs reviewing our year of 2009. we decided that it was a very fun year with lots of great travels and triumphs.
emily eventually came to look for us as amanda and judy had a manicure, and she watched patrick and i brave the pool (it was heated). this pool has a swim up bar where we all got something fruity to drink. my mai tai, even though it was yummy, caused me to have a headache (too much sun and not enough water combined with alcohol is never good). the headache progressed into a migraine and unfortunately i was out of the game for the rest of the night. meanwhile, the rest of the fam went to the italian restaurant here in the hotel, and they had a wonderful dinner (they saved some food for me when i woke up too!) after i ate, patrick and i took a romantic stroll along the beach. it was amazing with the moonlight cascading over the water, and on our way back to the hotel, we found two stray cats digging in the trash looking for some food. we tried to get them to come over to us, but they were not interested due to our lack of food offerings.
and that is how we ended our night. today the plan is to go over to the dolphin cay at the atlantis resort and meet the sea mammals who were displaced in hurricane katrina.
this is beth signing off.
mission: day 1 accomplished
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
mission: bahamian dreams
right now i am awaiting my travels to the bahamas where i will be spending the next several days with my in-laws, judy (mom), emily and amanda (sisters)! we are all super excited for this trip, not just because we are getting away from it all, but because it is WARM!!!
our travel plans will include some kayaking, hitting up the straw market, seeing the dolphins at atlantis, and of course laying around on the beach. all of these are close by our hotel, the sheraton nassau beach resort located on the white sand beach of nassau, the island's capital. i plan to eat some true bahamian fare and soak up the local flavor beyond the comfort of our resort, as well as take advantage of as many amenities as i can from our hotel. patrick also brought a lot of card so that we can partake in some quality family time in our lobby.
my favorite part about any trip i take first arriving to the hotel and exploring its grounds. everything is new, exciting, and full of possibility! what will i be doing for the week? where will i eat? how many activities can i plan? when can i get a nap? it is all about the unknown, and that brings wonder and high expectations to any of my travels.
so, i will be blogging my day to day activities as i experience the way of the bahamians (via the sheraton) and let you know all the fun things my family and i will be doing throughout the week.
this is beth signing off.
mission: waiting to be accomplished.
our travel plans will include some kayaking, hitting up the straw market, seeing the dolphins at atlantis, and of course laying around on the beach. all of these are close by our hotel, the sheraton nassau beach resort located on the white sand beach of nassau, the island's capital. i plan to eat some true bahamian fare and soak up the local flavor beyond the comfort of our resort, as well as take advantage of as many amenities as i can from our hotel. patrick also brought a lot of card so that we can partake in some quality family time in our lobby.
my favorite part about any trip i take first arriving to the hotel and exploring its grounds. everything is new, exciting, and full of possibility! what will i be doing for the week? where will i eat? how many activities can i plan? when can i get a nap? it is all about the unknown, and that brings wonder and high expectations to any of my travels.
so, i will be blogging my day to day activities as i experience the way of the bahamians (via the sheraton) and let you know all the fun things my family and i will be doing throughout the week.
this is beth signing off.
mission: waiting to be accomplished.
Friday, December 25, 2009
mission: merry christmas
with only five minutes remaining in the day, i would like to wish everyone a merry christmas!!!
these past couple of days have been so great, full of food, time spent with family, and lots of fun. this is my first christmas ever being with patrick's family, and i am glad to be here, even though i do miss my family in new jersey and pennsylvania. but new memories have been made for sure!
yesterday, on christmas eve, we went skiing at wolf ridge in north carolina, only 45 minutes from patrick's dad's house. it has been a while since i had last skied, but after a couple of runs down the bunny slope, i felt confident to hit a bigger hill. i think i made myself fall about 5 or 6 times because i go so fast that i begin to lose control and i get scared. so i sit and roll down the hill until i am safely lying in the snow. my first fall was the worst, though. i was stuck on a steep hill, and i couldn't get up. if i tired to put my skis back on (they had flown off my boots), i would begin to slip and slide without warning! and then i had the dilemma of deciding if i wanted to walk down the hill a bit, potentially crashing into a little girl who was in the same predicament as i was (with a father yelling at her not to cry...ugh) or walk down until the hill leveled off with skiers zooming past me. i chose the latter of the two choices and trekked down to where patrick had been waiting for me, quite patiently i might add, for about 10 minutes.
i finished the hill with a few more wipeouts, but that did not stop me from trying again. by my final run, i was able to ski with ease and control! i didn't fall, not even once...until i reached the bottom where i dug my ski into the snow a little too much and tripped myself. i was so disappointed that i began to whine saying, "no, no, no! I almost made it!" patrick just looked down at me and laughed then helped me to my feet. overall, it was a fun trip, and i will definitely have to go skiing again soon. oh, and did i mention that it was patrick's second time ever skiing (last time he was 8) and he was better than me? yeah, that hurts the ego just a bit.
so then after we (i) licked my wounds and went to sleep dreaming of sugar plums and the baby jesus, i awoke to help out patrick's step-mom with our christmas lunch. then, her whole family came to join us to share in a big ole southern christmas (and by that i mean there were lots of southern accents flying around the room). patrick's sisters, emily and amanda, also came and eventually we exchanged presents between each other and read the christmas story from Luke 2.
emily and amanda got me the coolest (or shall i say coldest) present!!! i get to create my very own ice cream from ecreamery.com after i choose my flavors and mix-ins, i get to name it and have it packaged! then i will get it in the mail to enjoy! if you have suggestions of what my creation should be, let me know!!! i would love some feedback!
after presents, patrick, amanda, emily, and i played the new super mario brothers on wii until right before midnight. now i too must go to sleep. i hope every had a lovely christmas!
this is beth signing off.
mission: holly jolly accomplished!
these past couple of days have been so great, full of food, time spent with family, and lots of fun. this is my first christmas ever being with patrick's family, and i am glad to be here, even though i do miss my family in new jersey and pennsylvania. but new memories have been made for sure!
yesterday, on christmas eve, we went skiing at wolf ridge in north carolina, only 45 minutes from patrick's dad's house. it has been a while since i had last skied, but after a couple of runs down the bunny slope, i felt confident to hit a bigger hill. i think i made myself fall about 5 or 6 times because i go so fast that i begin to lose control and i get scared. so i sit and roll down the hill until i am safely lying in the snow. my first fall was the worst, though. i was stuck on a steep hill, and i couldn't get up. if i tired to put my skis back on (they had flown off my boots), i would begin to slip and slide without warning! and then i had the dilemma of deciding if i wanted to walk down the hill a bit, potentially crashing into a little girl who was in the same predicament as i was (with a father yelling at her not to cry...ugh) or walk down until the hill leveled off with skiers zooming past me. i chose the latter of the two choices and trekked down to where patrick had been waiting for me, quite patiently i might add, for about 10 minutes.
i finished the hill with a few more wipeouts, but that did not stop me from trying again. by my final run, i was able to ski with ease and control! i didn't fall, not even once...until i reached the bottom where i dug my ski into the snow a little too much and tripped myself. i was so disappointed that i began to whine saying, "no, no, no! I almost made it!" patrick just looked down at me and laughed then helped me to my feet. overall, it was a fun trip, and i will definitely have to go skiing again soon. oh, and did i mention that it was patrick's second time ever skiing (last time he was 8) and he was better than me? yeah, that hurts the ego just a bit.
so then after we (i) licked my wounds and went to sleep dreaming of sugar plums and the baby jesus, i awoke to help out patrick's step-mom with our christmas lunch. then, her whole family came to join us to share in a big ole southern christmas (and by that i mean there were lots of southern accents flying around the room). patrick's sisters, emily and amanda, also came and eventually we exchanged presents between each other and read the christmas story from Luke 2.
emily and amanda got me the coolest (or shall i say coldest) present!!! i get to create my very own ice cream from ecreamery.com after i choose my flavors and mix-ins, i get to name it and have it packaged! then i will get it in the mail to enjoy! if you have suggestions of what my creation should be, let me know!!! i would love some feedback!
after presents, patrick, amanda, emily, and i played the new super mario brothers on wii until right before midnight. now i too must go to sleep. i hope every had a lovely christmas!
this is beth signing off.
mission: holly jolly accomplished!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
mission: tennessee part 1
my end of the year travels have officially begun! yesterday, patrick and i flew to tennessee to visit his dad for a tender tennessee christmas week! when we arrived, my father-in-law's wife, judy, came to pick us up and the first thing we did was grab some lunch from pal's, an amazing fast food restaurant only found in these here parts of the country. patrick used to work at pal's when he was in high school, and so it was a must-do activity on our list! for those of you who visit the northeast corner of tn (kingsport/ johnson city area) make sure you stop by a pal's for some sweet tea and a frenchie fry. you will not be disappointed.
after lunch, we mainly hung around the house, took a nap, and ate a family meal of lasagna. there is not much to blog about right now, but this week is sure to provide us with more tennessee fun to write about later on. we plan to bake cookies, go skiing, maybe ice skate (no promises this time though), and of course divulge in a true southern family christmas! it is going to be a great week for sure!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
after lunch, we mainly hung around the house, took a nap, and ate a family meal of lasagna. there is not much to blog about right now, but this week is sure to provide us with more tennessee fun to write about later on. we plan to bake cookies, go skiing, maybe ice skate (no promises this time though), and of course divulge in a true southern family christmas! it is going to be a great week for sure!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
mission: merry christmas you old building and loan!
this weekend i am down in south jersey to spend a pre-christmas weekend with my family. right now, i am at my dad's waiting for everyone to wake from their slumber to begin a festive day of gift giving, sledding, and spending time with one another. i am not asleep because i am really a five year old who couldn't stay in bed because i was too excited about the snowfall that began last night. i wish everyone would wake up to enjoy the view, a winter wonderland, but i guess i will wait for now in the quiet and stillness of the morning, watching the snow swirling in the wind and listen to the wind chimes play a twinkling tune that is too perfect for words.
tomorrow we are all heading over to my mimom's house, which is conveniently located 5 minutes from my dad's house. everyone is going to be there, my brother with his wife and son, my sister and her fiance, my mom and kirk with jack their dog. it will be another perfect night of family, so that will make two in a row for patrick and me!
monday we are heading back to brooklyn to get ready for a whirlwind of more christmas adventures! beginning the following morning, our first stop will be tennessee to visit patrick's dad and his wife judy. we have some great things planned including: bowling, checking out the planetarium at mt. rhone, and possibly (if the snow stays a while longer) tubing!!!! after we leave tennessee on sunday, we are going to kentucky for a day and then it is off to the bahamas! i will be blogging about all the fun things we do there, for it has been some time since i had an actual travel blog entry! i am super excited!
well, that is all for now! have a blessed weekend to all my readers.
this is beth signing off.
mission: accomplished
p.s. i will try to get some pics of us sledding and capture our winter wonderland here in millville, nj!!!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
mission: rewind
so yesterday i did not do any of the things i had planned. oh well. i do want to still go ice skating, so that will have to be one of those spontaneous date nights i decide to have with patrick. i hope it actually happens this year because we have been saying that we will go for three winters now. i have hope.
instead of macaroni and ice skates, my sis, tori, brought more friends than i thought and so pio pio was the perfect place to go! everyone seemed happy about our favorite restaurant in the city, except those who did NOT get their amazing chicken. boo to them, including tori! but i did meet some interesting and super fun people last night (matt, wakita, sarah, and nick). so holla to ya'll!
after dinner, patrick and i ventured off to the holiday market at bryant park (at least i got to see the rink) and found some last minute gifts. we then left because my bed time was approaching, and i hate being on the subway past 10:00 because that's when it can get a little unpredictable (the people i mean). however, our ride was quiet and we got home safe and sound.
today has been a nice relaxing day (even though my apartment is freezing!!! my nose is running as i type it's so cold) and i have thought a lot about the holidays. like the fact that a yahoo article had to remind me why i celebrate christmas...JESUS! then i thought about one of my favorite christmas eve memories from when i was a child. my brother, josh, tori, and i had decided to stay up as late as we could. i was probably 10 or 11 so this was an easier task than when we were just wee little children. as my brother sneaked into tori's and my room, i suggested that we put on a "show" singing about christmas for our mom and dad. we knew that they would be exchanging their own gifts to one another before christmas morning mayhem began. so the three of us practiced our made up song and choreographed it until it was perfect enough to remember for five more minutes. christmas eve became christmas early morning and we crept down the stairs and put on our song and dance for our parents. we all laughe, checked our what our parents had gotten for each other, and watched the yule log on tv until our eyelids could not stay open any longer. i love that memory, and i think i am the only one who really remembers it because it was my ridiculous idea. but it meant something to me to spend time with my siblings and parents before we got lost in wrapping paper, new video games, and people coming in and out of our house...family and friends alike.
i encourage you, my faithful readers, take the time to pause during the craziness of this week to remember the things that mean most to you...things you cannot purchase or find anywhere else except in your heart.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished
instead of macaroni and ice skates, my sis, tori, brought more friends than i thought and so pio pio was the perfect place to go! everyone seemed happy about our favorite restaurant in the city, except those who did NOT get their amazing chicken. boo to them, including tori! but i did meet some interesting and super fun people last night (matt, wakita, sarah, and nick). so holla to ya'll!
after dinner, patrick and i ventured off to the holiday market at bryant park (at least i got to see the rink) and found some last minute gifts. we then left because my bed time was approaching, and i hate being on the subway past 10:00 because that's when it can get a little unpredictable (the people i mean). however, our ride was quiet and we got home safe and sound.
today has been a nice relaxing day (even though my apartment is freezing!!! my nose is running as i type it's so cold) and i have thought a lot about the holidays. like the fact that a yahoo article had to remind me why i celebrate christmas...JESUS! then i thought about one of my favorite christmas eve memories from when i was a child. my brother, josh, tori, and i had decided to stay up as late as we could. i was probably 10 or 11 so this was an easier task than when we were just wee little children. as my brother sneaked into tori's and my room, i suggested that we put on a "show" singing about christmas for our mom and dad. we knew that they would be exchanging their own gifts to one another before christmas morning mayhem began. so the three of us practiced our made up song and choreographed it until it was perfect enough to remember for five more minutes. christmas eve became christmas early morning and we crept down the stairs and put on our song and dance for our parents. we all laughe, checked our what our parents had gotten for each other, and watched the yule log on tv until our eyelids could not stay open any longer. i love that memory, and i think i am the only one who really remembers it because it was my ridiculous idea. but it meant something to me to spend time with my siblings and parents before we got lost in wrapping paper, new video games, and people coming in and out of our house...family and friends alike.
i encourage you, my faithful readers, take the time to pause during the craziness of this week to remember the things that mean most to you...things you cannot purchase or find anywhere else except in your heart.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished
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