long road home
Well, our time in Florida came to an end today. As much as we hated saying goodbye to the beach, we are all looking forward to the comfort of our own home Sunday night. This past week was a great one. It certainly provided me the much-needed R&R. I will upload the remainder of our pictures, as well as review the past week’s events, once we’re settled. We are currently safe and sound in Huntsville, Alabama; tomorrow we tackle the US Space & Rocket Center before we hit the road and head home.
vacation pics
Having a grand time here in Florida.
I uploaded some choice shots to my Flickr account:
(also on Flickr)
fort walton beach
We’re safe and sound in the greater Destin area. Lots of people, lots of traffic. Only spotty thundershowers when we hit Pensacola on the way down; no harm done. The place where we’re staying is very nice, and it has a gorgeous view of the beach. White sand, emerald waters, and… NO seashells?!?!? CL is very disappointed. I look at it this way – no shells means painless walking. I will post pics when I get the chance. In the meantime, we’re going to relax and enjoy this one.
on the road again
Day 1 of my 10-day weekend…
- I absolutely hate leaving Salem at the kennel (as usual, he cried). Of course, I can’t travel if I can’t board him.
- 5 minutes into our trip, I realized I forgot the tripod. Set us back by a half hour at most.
- We changed our minds in Missouri and decided to go to Tunica, Mississippi instead of Graceland. We figured we will probably visit Memphis in the near future and will save touring the King’s home then.
- Apparently more storms hit home again around noon. Thankfully, a friend checked out the house; it has power and is fine. Unfortunately, the number of those without power climbed back to over 500,000.
- Ate at the buffet in the Gold Strike casino in Tunica. Played for about an hour. We’ll probably come back some time.
- Hit a few thundershowers near Magee.
- Arrived safely in Hattiesburg.
CL and I just love saying it: “We’re on VACATION!!”
blogdrive insanity
I’m late with this, but oh well…
Wednesday Mind Hump (Blogdrive Insanity)
1. How hot does it usually get in summer where you live?
Very. Usually 90′s, and with humidity, it feels much worse. Today it will feel like 115.
2. What’s your favorite ice cream treat (or other cold treat)?
Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream (or any brand of cookies & cream)
3. What’s your favorite cold beverage?
Lemon-flavored iced tea – Nestea, Lipton (Brisk), or Arizona will do
4. Cubed or crushed ice?
Usually cubed, but I prefer crushed
5. Do you prefer swimming in a pool, lake, river or stream?
Definitely a pool
A Storm's Fury
450,000 Without Power, Widespread Damage Throughout Area (KSDK.com)
Dust storms. Gusty winds. Lightning. Overturned tractor trailers.
We were fortunate the storm grazed our area. The worst we got were the winds and lightning. Hardly a drop of rain. Unfortunately, today is expected to be the hottest day yet with temps reaching 101 and heat indices between 115 and 120. And there are people with no power due to the storm. If we lost power, I would probably have stayed home to keep Salem cool in this heat. Sometimes, it sucks to live in the Midwest.
A Storm’s Fury
450,000 Without Power, Widespread Damage Throughout Area (KSDK.com)
Dust storms. Gusty winds. Lightning. Overturned tractor trailers.
We were fortunate the storm grazed our area. The worst we got were the winds and lightning. Hardly a drop of rain. Unfortunately, today is expected to be the hottest day yet with temps reaching 101 and heat indices between 115 and 120. And there are people with no power due to the storm. If we lost power, I would probably have stayed home to keep Salem cool in this heat. Sometimes, it sucks to live in the Midwest.
the heat is on again
The Cardinals are riding a 7-game winning streak, the longest of the season, after sweeping the Dodgers today. Prior to this streak, they had lost 13 of 16 and dropped 5 straight series. It’s certainly good to see them start the second half of the season on a surge like this.
Speaking of hot – highs in St Louis for this week will near 100, with heat indices between 105 and 115. The metro area is under an excessive heat warning through Friday. It is currently “cooler” in Fort Walton Beach, Florida (our destination next week) with temps near 90.
The Matador
The Matador – 5 out of 5 stars
Funny movie about a lonely hit man, an unlucky salesman, and their chance encounter in Mexico City . Pierce Brosnan is absolutely fantastic in this film and proves there is life after 007. Highly recommended.
top five on friday – #80
Top 5 songs you’re ashamed to admit you like
- Bye Bye Bye – ‘NSync
- This Time Around – Hanson
- Fantasy – Mariah Carey
- She Bangs – Ricky Martin
- Man! I Feel Like A Woman! – Shania Twain
McDonald's Uses The Sun on it's New Billboard
“Designed by ad agency Leo Burnett with the input of an engineer, the billboard features a real sundial whose shadow falls on a different breakfast item each hour until noon, when the shadow of the McDonald’s arches are dead center.”
McDonald’s Uses The Sun on it’s New Billboard
“Designed by ad agency Leo Burnett with the input of an engineer, the billboard features a real sundial whose shadow falls on a different breakfast item each hour until noon, when the shadow of the McDonald’s arches are dead center.”
Calvin and Hobbes
I started reading Calvin and Hobbes in high school, and it’s one of my all-time favorite comic strips.
25 Great Calvin & Hobbes Strips (courtesy of Progressive Boink) | digg story
pics update 070906
I’ve added 3 new albums to my pics page. These are from last summer’s FL trip. They were previously posted in a gallery of my own which has since been deleted.
Cypress Harbour (also on Flickr)
Islands of Adventure (also on Flickr)
Universal Studios Florida (also on Flickr)
mixed emotions
Closer – 2 out of 5 stars
A movie about affairs and it’s effect on the main characters. Sad to watch these people destroy their lives and their relationships for cheap thrills and what they believe to be “love”. Humorous at times but not enough to keep it interesting. The sequence of events just complicated things even more for the viewer.
"disagree and you will be nominated"
Danielle screwed herself by trying to play the game right off the bat. Jase was right – if you are at the highest you can be as HOH, why would you drop yourself to the lowest by disagreeing and nominating yourself? Smart of the HOH’s to send her a message and put her up on the block.
“disagree and you will be nominated”
Danielle screwed herself by trying to play the game right off the bat. Jase was right – if you are at the highest you can be as HOH, why would you drop yourself to the lowest by disagreeing and nominating yourself? Smart of the HOH’s to send her a message and put her up on the block.
girls can rock
The guys did not show up tonight. If you plan on being in a band with Tommy Lee (Motley Crue drummer), Jason Newsted (former Metallica bassist), and Gilby Clarke (former Guns N’ Roses guitarist), you sing Nirvana’s “Lithium” or The Who’s “Pinball Wizard”.
The girls sang these songs, and they rocked! What did the guys sing? Slow stuff like the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” or Coldplay’s “Yellow” (never heard of it). Or you destroy The Police’s classic “Roxanne” by changing it.
My front runners:
- Storm Large (yes, that’s her real name)
- Patrice Pike (great version of Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody To Love”)
- Dilana (terrified me with “Lithium”)
Supernova could very well be fronted by a woman.
Laid-off employees asked to return iPods they received as gifts
National Semiconductor received a lot of press last month for announcing plans to give every employee a 30-gig video iPod as a reward for its “best fiscal year”. The company then laid a bunch of people off and demanded the iPods back, claiming that they were just loaners.
this comment from a fellow Digger says it all:
In a word, I would say “NO”.
What are they going to do? Fire you?
best superhero movies
As Superman Returns dominates the box office, MSN presents their top 10 superhero movies (and their worst 5).
My top 5 (and I’m breaking MSN’s ground rules with No. 5):
Worst superhero movie? Without a doubt – Batman & Robin.
the man of steel is back
Superman Returns – 4 out of 5 stars
After a 19-year absence from the big screen, the Last Son of Krypton has finally returned. I felt like a kid again when the opening credits soared through space and John Williams’ triumphant theme blared through the theater. Favorite scene? When Superman saves the day for the first time in 5 years, I got goosebumps watching him in action.
I never thought anyone else could wear the cape besides Christopher Reeve, but Brandon Routh is convincing as Superman. And Kevin Spacey’s portrayal of Lex Luthor is as good as Gene Hackman’s (if not better). The film has its flaws, and is not as good as, say, Spider-Man 2 or even the original Superman. But Bryan Singer’s film puts the Man of Steel back on the map just like Batman Begins did for the Caped Crusader. And it’s about time.
audio blog 070106
a walk in the park …
- killer chihuahua
- K2 and site design
- mexican train
- FL trip
- helpdesk – new duties
- countdown
- Busch Stadium in August
- Cardinals stink
- original Star Wars on DVD will be lame
- Superman Returns
(sorry for the thumping, jingling, and other ambient sounds)
<br /> <a rel=”enclosure” xhref=”http://www.hipcast.com/export/P873bbb31381c5dd430f2a078b35870eaZlt6QVREYmF8.mp3″ mce_href=”http://www.hipcast.com/export/P873bbb31381c5dd430f2a078b35870eaZlt6QVREYmF8.mp3″ >MP3 File</a></p>
