Annoyed
Sunday, November 22, 2009

Spent *5 hours* at a tire store to get my front 2 tires replaced and an oil change and a front-end alignment check. I finally had enough and told them forget the alignment, I needed to get out of there. When I got there, the morning talk shows were starting. When I left, the Colts/Ravens game was almost over.

To top it off, heading back home I felt a slight vibration up front so apparently a tire isn't balanced properly. I'm stopping by a different location on the way home tomorrow and getting that taken care of.

Soooooo ready for Wed and flying back to Vegas to spend Thanksgiving w/my girlfriend and her family and doing some Black Friday shopping, too! I'll mostly be tagging along as I've done most of mine already (still waiting on the new plasma TV to ship...still on backorder. blah)

My first Thanksgiving away from my girls but my little one just rode back to Ky w/my Dad and stepmom who spent the last 2 weeks down here. But, next year will be awesome, esp. if we can really get everyone down here to FL for Thanksgiving!


And still debating staying on-site at Disneyworld in Dec sometime to enjoy all the holiday fun down there or if we'll just head down a day or two and drive back home each night. Guess it depends on what's available down there.

If I don't get a chance to write again soon, Happy Thanksgiving!

posted by Jerry T. @ 10:13 PM, ,




Not asleep
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Woke up way early this morning and heard the wind blowing in the trees...reminding me of fall weather back in Ky. These words and thoughts came to me:


Awake too early
sleep is being a tease

All I can hear
is the wind in the trees

Wishing and hoping
on that breeze

Bring me a gift
if you please

One that will calm
the unsettled seas

The thing that will lift me
right off of my knees

Out of that wind
my hands will seize

And receive that gift
to set my life at ease




And isn't this song from Bob Schneider about the most beautiful song ever written?




My favorite part:

Put 'em up high reach for the ceiling tell 'em that I don't walk damnit I'm reelin' it aint no crime it's just dreams we’re stealing anything to get more of this feeling

You take the high and I''ll take the low we'll get there before you know we ain't got no time to waste we got too much life to taste.

But my favorite line is:

We're like good times that haven’t happened yet, but will.

gawd....I LOVE this song!

posted by Jerry T. @ 5:37 AM, ,




Quick traffic thought for the day...
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Why don't they put signs that read "Keep Right Except to Pass" or "Slower Traffic Keep Right" next to the LEFT lane side of the highway???

They're always on the right where the other slow people already are! We're trying to get them out of the left lane so doesn't it make sense to put the signs on *that* side???


Just sayin'....



Oh, and I got to use my Sunpass sticker thing for the first time today when I took a co-worker home. Feels SO good cruising down the highway and not have to stop and pay a toll because it's already paid! woo hoo!

posted by Jerry T. @ 7:37 PM, ,




Did I move to the wrong city? Yikes!
Friday, November 6, 2009

Guess you've heard of the latest mass shooting that happened here in Orlando today. It was about a mile north of where I work. I took an early lunch and was walking around for a bit outside and heard sirens all over the place and noticed traffic on I-4 had come to a near-stop and figured it was just a bad wreck on I-4 or the 408. Got back inside and had an email from a buddy who's actually been asking me about the area here this past week as he's wanting to move from Louisville, too, in about 5 years. He was asking what the heck was going on down here. I didn't know what he meant so I checked the news sites and whoa! Another mass shooting and it was right here in downtown. Watched all the live streaming coverage and saw they caught the guy pretty quickly and without incident.



Can't believe the guy was holding a grudge 2 1/2 years after he'd been fired for performance reasons and picked today to go shoot the place up and kill and injure innocent people just trying to live their lives. Maybe the shooting yesterday gave him an idea or maybe he's been planning it all along. Perhaps we'll find out as the investigation continues.



And this comes right when my g/f filed her motion to relocate and this is the area she wants to go to (not telling the courts about me at this point...wouldn't be wise from a legal standpoint.) But, sheesh....maybe Las Vegas woulda been safer! yikes!



Naaaahhh...I really do like it here. I don't think I could take the extreme heat there in the desert. Sure it gets hot and very humid here but it's still endurable. 120F, even if it's a "dry heat" is just insane. Plus, there's still Disney and the beaches!



Ok, well, I'm going to order some pizza and kick back and relax. Ready for tomorrow. Getting a sleeper loveseat delivered. Finally! Living room furniture! YAY!

posted by Jerry T. @ 6:43 PM, ,




More HAVNFN in Disney
Monday, October 26, 2009

Last Friday night, my daughter and I were invited aboard the Grand 1 Yacht (a 52' SeaRay that docks at the Grand Floridian Resort at Disneyworld). Here's some pics of the boat:

























And....bonus video!


Hallowishes (from the rear of the Grand 1)




Electric Water Pageant (again from the Grand 1)



posted by Jerry T. @ 10:56 PM, ,




HAVNFN Bday in Disney

A couple of pics from my bday a couple of Saturdays ago. Remember that Segway tour at Epcot I'd mentioned before? Ayup...that's us looking like dorks on the Segways!




And here we are at the Biergarten restaurant at Germany in Epcot that night



posted by Jerry T. @ 10:50 PM, ,




Annoyances of the Day
Thursday, October 22, 2009

Not that I keep track of things that annoy me on a daily basis but a couple just popped into my head just now so I thought, "Hey! Why not write about some annoying things that happen to me once in a while. I'm sure everyone will love to hear what annoys me!"


Or...maybe not but here goes anyway!


Numero Uno:

Having to park across the parking lot from the entrance to my building and schlepping all the way to my door with stuff in my arms and then, after having gotten inside and taken off my shoes and put stuff away and sat back to relax hear the sound of a car starting up right outside my window (meaning an open spot right next to my door). Oh well.


#2 (btw, did you know that 2 + 2 = 5 for very large values of 2? Oh! And that 2 + 2 = chicken?? 1,000,000 bonus points if you get that last reference). Oh...#2:

Smokers.

I know it's a free country and certain privately-owned establishments still allow it but, ya know what? I have a right to NOT breathe that stinky-ass, carcinogen-laced smoke into MY lungs! This was brought about by a group of people smoking a row in front of us at the Florida Tuskers vs. California Redwoods UFL football game tonight. This is some new league in its "PREMIERE" season and, um, well, I'll just say I wish it luck. kk?

Ugh...what a nasty-ass habit that is. Boggles the mind why people would actually want to start smoking.


In other news, good news on the legal front, for now. My g/f got some awesome free legal advice today at the courthouse there in Vegas and things are looking pretty darn good to her not only keeping sole custody of her kids but still being able to move here later this year! wooooooo hoooooooo!!!


Ok...I'm off to find something bad for me to eat.....

posted by Jerry T. @ 9:54 PM, ,




Another birthday has FALLen by the wayside
Monday, October 19, 2009

Except for last evening which I really wish I could get a do-over, my birthday last weekend was one of the best ever.

Started off Fri. morning with picking up my g/f from the airport and getting a quick breakfast and she dropped me off at work and went to WDW to hang out with some friends. She later picked up my daughter and they got me from work and then had some pizza at the Mellow Mushroom. Good stuff! Eating some leftovers now. Followed up with some dessert at Rita's Italian Ice.

Got home in time to watch a new episode of Monk (love that show!) and then it was an early bedtime as we had to get up early Sat. for my first birthday surprise.

Hit the road about 6:30 or so and got to Epcot a little after 7 and I still had no idea what we were doing. I was guessing one of the Food & Wine Festival special events but, nope! It was a.....Segway Tour! That was a blast!! I'll try and post some pics here soon (as soon as I get them from her...we used her camera). I really want to get one now but not really sure what I'd do with it. lol! Was cool cruising around the World Showcase with no one around. It was pretty chilly but I didn't care...was havnfn!

Then back to get my daughter and back down to Epcot for some rides and Food & Wine and a big dinner at the Biergarten where I had a beer in the largest beer mug I've ever seen! mmmmm

Then we headed out and took my daughter to the hotel room and we went out for my 2nd surprise...a horse-drawn carriage ride through the Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter resorts! Munched on the gingerbread man cookie we'd gotten from Biergarten (No! Not the gumdrop buttons!) and enjoyed the ride, being led by "Luke".

Yesterday I had to drive back home to get the tickets for the evening's visit to the Magic Kingdom Halloween party (and my daughter's gift card) and got back and we went to Hollywood Studios for a couple hours then back to the room to nap before the Halloween party. The rest of the evening, well, it didn't turn out like I wanted and ended with a near-breakup but things are better now...just a lot of stress on her end from her piece-of-shit ex-husband who's been out of their kids' lives for the last 2 1/2 years now filing to prevent her from moving the kids out-of-state. He hasn't even lived in the same state since then!! Fucking piece of shit. Sooo...now we have that battle ahead of us but I have to believe it will work out. Don't want to think about any other possible outcome.

About to get a load of laundry done and send my little one off to bed (We saw Where The Wild Things Are tonight...more intense than I was expecting but it we both enjoyed it.)

Hope everyone is getting ready for a Happy Halloween and enjoying some fall weather!

posted by Jerry T. @ 8:36 PM, ,




Yay! 2009 Epcot Food & Wine (w/pics!)
Saturday, October 3, 2009

Been wanting to go since it started and finally got the chance this evening. Weather was very warm and muggy, the nice, cooler weather of mid-week is long-gone but we had fun.

Started off with some cider from the UK. We stopped to watch a little of Mickey Thomas (Starship) singing Find Your Way Back and then we walked over to Italy so my daughter could have some Pizza (she really liked it), then I had a Chicken and Coconut Soup from Singapore, some awesome Pot Stickers from Shanghai (my daughter had one of them), then Shrimp Stew with Coconut and Lime from Brazil (meh...the biggest letdown of the night) and Pork Skewer with Farifa also from Brazil (was better than the Shrimp Stew but was rather dry). Next was a Corn and Cheese Arepa and some Rock Shrimp Ceviche from Chile. The Arepa was great. Then Ham Croquettes and a Mojito from Puerto Rico. Next up was Greece with a Greek Salad (my daughter ate the Pita bread) and a Spanikopita (mmmmmm...in the Top 3 of the night.) Then off to France for some cheesecake (for my daughter) and chocolate cake (for me.) Finished off the night with more pizza from Italy for my daughter and then we headed on back home and here I be now! The pot stickers were definitely my favorite! #2 being the chicken and coconut soup.

Here are a few pics from the evening:







 




Pork Skewer and Shrimp Stew from Brazil


Full Moon

Still want to try Montreal, New Orleans, Poland, and Austria.


OOHHHH!! And there was a booth for Australia, too, *RIGHT* in front of where I've thought a new "country" should be added for Australia in Epcot's World Showcase...just past Germany if you're headed counter-clockwise. PERFECT spot for an Australia pavilion. They could even do a type of water ride and call it the EAC (East Australian Current) and have cars shaped like the sea turtles from Finding Nemo!! Wouldn't that rock?!

Oh well...time to shower and hit the hay. Got some clean sheets on the bed and don't wanna dirty them up already!

posted by Jerry T. @ 11:16 PM, ,




Big changes coming my way...BIG!!

Soo...I've been seeing someone who lives way far away (you've seen her in some of the pics I've put up here.) We started off as friends, it moved what I guess would technically be dating but we never really knew what was going to happen given that I moved to here and she's 2500 miles away.

Well, to make a long story short, this Thanksgiving I'm flying to Las Vegas to meet her family for the first time (met her mom for all of 10 seconds when I was there in Feb.) and then on Christmas Eve, I fly out again and, yeah, crazy as it sounds, on Christmas Day we (me, her, and her 3 kids) are driving back here! She's moving here!

Never really thought this would end up happening but yet I find myself anxious and not wanting to have to wait almost 3 more months. It's not that butterfly-in-the-stomach feeling but yet I can't picture my life without her in it. She makes me laugh all the time (and vice versa)...there's just never been anyone in my life that I've gotten along with so perfectly in about every way. Everyone in my family instantly loved her, too (and they never did for anyone else I'd dated that they met)

And, of course, her kids are just simply amazing. They're excited about this, too. My daughters are, too, although it means not being with them on Christmas Day for the first time ever but with my new job situation, it just has to work this way.

So...yeah...there ya have it! We've been researching rental houses in the area as we're going to need 4BRs (this 2BR apartment would be like living in a clown car!) Found a few but since we wouldn't be moving in until about Jan. 1, it's hard to get someone to agree to waiting 3 more months, even with the soft real estate market down here. But, here's what we're looking at:


backs up to a big open space behind it...nice neighborhood, too.



In a gated community next to some riding stables. LOTS of square footage...can't tell it from this pic.



barely a 1/2 mile away...could drag my stuff there. haha.


Oh! And please forgive me for not posting these before but here are pics of my daughter in *THE* dress!


Can you tell she's excited??? lol




posted by Jerry T. @ 10:00 AM, ,