Tuesday Travels

Last week I let you know the top 10 tourist attractions in the U.S.  Did you figure out which one I have yet to see?  Well, here it is...

If you guessed Times Square, you are correct. Go figure, the number one visited place is the spot I have yet to see. I can't really say I have even been to NYC. Yes, I have been on the bypass and seen the ghetto and Statue of Liberty (from afar), but I would like to see Soho, Greenwich Village, Tribeca, 5th Avenue, Central Park, Trump Tower and maybe even Times Square. Any takers? Next time my sister, D., is there for an extended stay for work, maybe I will invite myself along. :-)

Bracket Busted!!

Okay.  In all the years I have filled out brackets, this the absolute worst I have ever done.  Both of my Final Two lost, and I only got one of the Final Four (UNC).  I didn't enjoy watching the games at all.  Could someone please bring up some recruiting violations on Michigan State?  Please.  Pretty please.  My only consolation was that I was right in predicting two teams from the Big East in the Final Four-- I just picked the wrong two!!  Next year, I have to consider some new system of picking teams.  I also have to get over not picking teams I despise even though I know they are good (see above.)  Guess I will cheer for Villanova only because they haven't won a championship since 1985.    

Did You Happen to Catch This?

I watched this game and remember seeing the guy with the sign.  I did not, however, notice what happened to his sign at the end of the game.  Talk about a sign nazi.  I did a little research, and the NCAA does not have a rule against bringing signs to the game.  I guess this is another person on a power trip...  I will say that I am saddened by this usher's/security guard's disregard for the sign.  It's not like people haven't been bringing these signs to sporting events for the last 15 years.  Pay attention to the last 10 seconds of the video to the kid holding the sign.

Siena vs. Ohio State

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.

March Madness: Time to Step it Up!!

Well, I survived the first weekend of March Madness, but several of the games had me holding my breath!  Did I tell you the Big East was the best conference in the land?  I think I did.  Five teams in the Sweet Sixteen is a new record.  I just wish I would have put Syracuse in there instead of West Virginia.  My bad.  Did I tell you Illinois was a completely different team without Chester Frazier and would lose if he didn't play?  I think I did.  I also think I mentioned Arizona didn't deserve to be there.  Oops.  It doesn't matter that Michigan and Wisconsin won a game because if Creighton, St. Mary's or Davidson played those teams, they probably could have won too.  

I think the biggest shocker of the first weekend of March Madness came on the women's side.  Pat Summitt's Tennessee Volunteers lost in the first round for the first time in history!!  They lost to Ball State 71-55.  There's that curse of the #5 seed again.  Speaking of the women, I really think the Lady Huskies of UConn could have beaten Chattanooga, or at least held the lead for the men in the second half.  That game was a massacre.  

Right now, the team playing the best basketball is Villanova.  That game against Duke will be something to see.  As for my team, it's time to step it up and play like the Big East Champions that you are.  Light a fire under them, Rick!!!  Go Cardinals!!!

Tuesday Travels

Glacier Bay, Alaska

I have been bitten by the travel bug.  Luckily, I will be going on an extended weekend vacay to meet up with some friends in a mere 12 days.  But, that doesn't mean I can't dream of my next destination.  I found this list on yahoo of the 10 most visited tourist attractions in the U.S.  I am fortunate enough to have visited 9 out of 10.  Can you guess which one I haven't been to?  Have you been to all of them?   Which is your favorite?  Any places not listed you would recommend?  I'll let you know next week which one I have yet to visit. I guess I need to start making plans.

1. Times Square, New York City:

37.6 million

This Manhattan crossroads of commerce retains the top spot on our list, thanks to increased visitation to the Big Apple in 2008 despite the economic turndown. According to the Times Square Alliance, "80% of visitors to NYC make it a point to visit Times Square." Total NYC visit last year was 47 million, giving us an estimate of 37.6 million travelers through the "Crossroads of the World."

Sources: Forbes Traveler estimate based on figures from The Times Square Alliance and NYC & Company.

2. The Las Vegas Strip, Nev.:

30 Million

The "Neon Trail" that comprises the heart of Sin City is also part of the federal government's National Scenic Byways Program, which designates roads based on "archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities." Hard to say which of these qualities best describes Vegas, but we can disqualify "natural." Last year, total visitors to Las Vegas numbered 37.5 million; a poll by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority found that an average of 80% of visitors had either stayed overnight or gambled on the Strip, giving us our visitor estimate of 30 million.

Source: Forbes Traveler estimate based on figures from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

3. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C.

25 million

Many of the nation's iconic public landmarks are found in the 1,000-plus acres of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, including the Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Memorials, and the Korean and Vietnam War Veterans Memorials. The Smithsonian Institution's 19 museums are also adjacent to The Mall; last year, the network of free museums drew more than 25 million visits.

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, The Trust for the National Mall, Pressroom of the Smithsonian Institution

4. Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston:

20 Million

Built in 1742 by Peter Faneuil, a wealthy Boston merchant, Faneuil Hall served as a commercial center of the city for centuries and a site for famous orations, like Samuel Adams' independence-rallying speech to colonists. Faneuil also includes the restored 19th-century Quincy Market. Today, shoppers account for a large share of visitors, and while we've excluded shopping-only malls (like Minnesota's Mall of America) from this list, Faneuil's historic significance vaults it to the status of cultural attraction.

Source: Faneuil Hall Marketplace

5. Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.:

17.1 million

The Magic Kingdom is the most popular of Disney's Florida attractions, followed by Epcot, Disney Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, and we've used it as a watermark for traffic to Disney Florida's multiple theme-park complex. Magic Kingdom Park includes beloved rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Country Bear Jamboree.

Source: TEA/ERA Theme Park Attendance Report 2007

6. Disneyland Park, Anaheim, Calif.:

14.9 million

With nearly 15 million visitors in 2007, the original Disney Park in Anaheim, California has been a stalwart American tourist attraction since its opening in 1955. Its well-known rides range from Space Mountain to the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Source: TEA/ERA Theme Park Attendance Report 2007

7. Fisherman's Wharf/Golden Gate National Recreation Area,San Francisco:

14.1 million

The city by the Bay received approximately 16.1 million visitors in 2007 (the latest data available), and Fisherman's Wharf is its top visitor attraction (visitor estimates for Fisherman's Wharf range from 12 million to 15 million). The Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes the famous gold bridge along with numerous other spaces throughout the Bay Area, drew 14.6 million visitors in 2008. It's hard to know the overlap between tourists at the wharf, nearby bridge and other areas in the National Recreation Area. We've averaged the figures to arrive at our 14 million estimate.

Sources: National Park Service 2008 Annual Recreation Visits Report, Fisherman's Wharf Merchants Association, City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle.

8. Niagara Falls, N.Y.:

12 million

The Falls, which straddle the U.S.-Canada border, have been a tourist mecca since the mid-19th century. The thundering waters are visible from observation towers, by boat and from various hiking trails and, on the Canadian side, from the Whirlpool Aero Car, an antique cable car. With statistics from the Niagara Falls Tourism Bureau and Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, visitors are approximated at 12 million a year.

Source: Niagara Falls Tourism (Visitor and Convention Bureau) and Niagara Falls Bridge Commission

9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tenn./N.C.:

9.04 million

America's most visited national park is neither the Grand Canyon nor Yosemite. With more than 800 miles of protected trails, this natural wonder hosted approximately 9 million hikers, birders and drivers last year.

Source: National Park Service 2008 Annual Recreation Visits Report

10. Navy Pier, Chicago:

8.6 million

Opened in 1916, this Chicago landmark on the shore of Lake Michigan has served as a campus and military training facility. Today it hosts 50 acres of shops, restaurants and exposition facilities. The Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Chicago Children's Museum are here, along with a full calendar of nighttime fireworks shows.

Source: Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority

Happy Birthday, Carlie!!

We celebrated Carlie's 5th birthday yesterday. Time continues to fly by. We kept things simple and spent the day at the zoo with Grammy and Pawpaw Rodgers followed by dinner at Il Vicino. She is growing into quite a little lady.   She changed clothes after the zoo so she could wear her "favorite outfit."  Every gift was accompanied by a "Thank you so much" or "I really appreciate it." And, she will be writing her own thank you notes. Now Carlie is enjoying all of her gifts, and can't wait to start kindergarten so she can use her new lunchbox.

Is the NCAA Selection Committee smoking crack??

Seven? Seriously, seven teams from the Big Ten in the Big Dance... that's a Big Joke! Are these people on crack? Did they borrow some pot from Michael Phelps' stash and smoke it in the board room? The Big Ten barely deserved 4 spots in the tournament. Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota do not deserve an invite. They don't have a winning record against teams in the top 50, and only one of the three won 20+ games this season. I'm sorry, but if you can't win 20 games in a season, you don't deserve a ticket (unless you win your conference tourney.) Why don't they give a bid to Indiana too, I think they managed to win one conference game. By the way, Arizona shouldn't be going either.

Naturally, Illinois gets dinged with a #5 seed. Much too generous in my mind, especially if Chester Frazier can't play. If Frazier is still injured and can't play, look for them to succumb to the curse of the #5 seed and exit in the first round. All I am going to say about Michigan State is that I could gather up 5 college age guys from a north side playground in St. Louis that could give them a game. All you have to do to beat them is play a half-court game, if you run with them, you are toast.

Davidson, Creighton, and St. Mary's should have received bids. No, they aren't from "power" conferences, but unless they are given a chance and some recognition at tourney time, they won't be able to recruit top players. I'm hoping some teams from lesser known conferences do really well this year and provide some great Cinderella moments.

There is no dominant team this year. On any given day, any of these teams could win (except Chattanooga.) Did you catch the "live" look in when North Dakota State was announced. Their entire gymnasium was filled with delirious fans jumping up and down yelling "Yeah!!! We get to get our butt kicked by Kansas!!! Yahoo!!!!" If you want help on your brackets, all I can tell you is that I have said since January that the Big East has the best teams in the country this year. Am I picking a Big East team? Maybe. Maybe not. I will probably go with my favorite coach in the land, but I won't tell you who that is.

I'll update next Monday with how my picks are going. Until then, enjoy the tourney!!

Ha Ha, you lost, Bruce!!

Yeah!!!... Followed by "Oh crap, I hope Chester Frazier can play or we won't be in Portland long."

Book Review

You may have been wondering why it has taken over a month to finish 1st To Die by James Patterson. I don't read that slow, in fact I read the entire book in one weekend. The reason for the delay is I have been patiently waiting until I received the 2nd book, 2nd Chance, before I wrote a review. Well, I am STILL waiting for 2nd Chance from the library, but I went ahead and updated the sidebar so you know what I will be reading next. On with the review...

I haven't read any James Patterson novels before, but had heard a lot of good things. I also love all things mystery. Matlock. Murder, She Wrote. McBride. Jane Doe. Mystery Woman. Without A Trace. I digress. This is a GREAT book. It centers around the murders of newlyweds, and a group of women (Women's Murder Club) who collectively solve the crime. They aren't housewives, the club consists of a detective, an asst. district attorney, a journalist, and a medical examiner. The story has a ton of plot twists, and "I can't believe that just happened" moments. It keeps you guessing right to the end. I only hope the second in the series is as good. (I'm sure it is, or there wouldn't be eight of them.)

Have you read this book? Did you like it?

Laugh Out Loud

I got this off of Glenn Beck's website and just thought it was hysterical...

You Don't Want to Know What I'm Doing

This little guy has been giving us fits lately. Nearly every day lately after naps and in the mornings, we have been greeted by a naked baby when we enter his room. He is usually standing or sitting in the only dry spot in the crib. One day, it wasn't just wet people!! It was gross. I have pictures, but I won't post them because I want you to enjoy your dinner. He thinks it is the most hilarious thing ever. Grammy and Pawpaw will be here this weekend, and I am sure he won't disappoint. I definitely need to add Duck Tape to my list.

Daddy Daughter Dance

Mike and Carlie went to a Daddy Daughter Dance at the Y over the weekend. I think Carlie really had a great time. They had a spaghetti dinner followed by dancing to the Cha Cha Slide and, of course, the YMCA. It wore her out, and she slept in past 8:00am on Sunday (she usually gets up around 7:00am.) With the good turnout, we expect it to be an annual thing.

The Bachelor- Razzie Awards

NOT!

Finally, this season came to an end (if you don't count tonight's AFTR-2.)  It was everything Reality Steve said it was going to be.  After watching the terrible acting displayed by some of the major players in this fiasco, I am more convinced than ever that this was a set up from the start (the start being when Jason and Molly had their tent encounter.)  As for last night's AFTR, I think Melissa was probably clued in as to what Jason was going to do right before she went on set.  Did you notice she was not wearing the engagement ring when she came out?  I think she was in shock and very angry.  Her emotions and reactions were real.  (At least she convinced me.)

As for Razzie Awards, the Worst Actor has to go to Jason.  (I guess that General Hospital "date" didn't teach him much.)  Every word coming out of his mouth was so phony and had to be scripted.  He was in this "remember your lines, don't steer from the script" mode.  He just kept sticking to his "change of heart" dialogue.  Whatever.  If you ever had any feelings for Melissa at all, why would you not try to make it work, especially after proposing to her!??! His treatment of her alone was enough for me to believe ABC planned this whole thing.  I won't go on and on about how he looked like such a fool.

Worst Supporting Razzie goes to Chris Harrison.  Please.  Was it necessary for him to sit there while Jason breaks it off with Melissa?  I guess it was to make sure Jason stuck to the script, and not confess that it was all a set up.  Where were all the questions, Chris?  Like, why on earth would you propose to a woman if you still had feelings for someone else?  How many times did he ask Jason if he had contact with Molly?  A lot.  It was like ABC was trying too hard to drive home the point to everyone watching that Jason was not a two-timer, and ABC had nothing to do with this stunt.

Then, our Worst Actress Razzie, Molly comes out.  Gee, what is the first thing they say to each other?  "Long time no see" and "It's been awhile."  Yeah, right.  Like we believe that.  Her reaction to the news was less than believable.  All of her grinning and acting giddy was ridiculous.  Their entire conversation was like watching a bad soap opera.  Completely scripted, I'm sure.  If she had had no communication with Jason at all in those six weeks, I would think her reaction would have been more like shock and skepticism-- not, "oh, I dreamed this would happen, Chris."  

The Deanna encounter was also obviously scripted.  His whole bit about "one of the girls is exactly what I came here for" and her line "just don't make the same mistake I did."  All part of the big set up so the break-up would seem so "logical."  

I'm sure tonight's episode of AFTR-2 will be the same mess.  This whole debacle makes Bachelor Brad look like the smartest one of the bunch.  At least he didn't fake it, and start a relationship with or propose to someone he really wasn't in to.   Good for you, Brad!  

It is clear this show has been going down the tubes anyway since the only people they can get are dumpees from previous episodes to take on the Bachelor/Bachelorette role.  This is one "reality" show I will not be watching anymore.  At least I still have Survivor-- we all know that's real (wink, wink.)

It's March...

Let The Madness Begin!!!!

Something to Ponder

A friend sent me this article today by Cal Thomas which I think is right on. Some of you may not agree, but it is worth thinking about...  

Uh, Okay

Mike went in Noah's room the other day to get him up from his nap. Well, this is what he walked in on



I guess Noah knows how to take his diaper off. Luckily, he didn't leave any presents in the crib. He also loves wearing underpants-- OVER his diaper. He is not getting the concept. Actually, I think he does, he is just toying with me.

Ever Have One of Those Days??

The Bachelor- A Total Pig

How many times do you hear tabloid rumors about celebrities, who then deny, deny, deny, and 3 months later it turns out to be true?  Answer... pretty much all the time.  

Well, no different with The Bachelor.  I got the inside scoop from my little spy in Dallas (where Melissa is from), and she said Melissa is proposed to on the finale.  But, Jason continues conversing with Molly on the side.  During the first (yes, there are two scheduled) After The Rose special, he takes the ring back from Melissa letting her know that he still loves Molly.  Pretty much completely blind-siding Melissa.  What a Pig!  This explains the whole "intimate", "dramatic" part.  Then, on the second After The Rose, he proposes to Molly.  Again, Pig. Pig. Pig.  The worst part of this "rumor" is that apparently ABC is in on the whole thing.  Jason had decided early on that Molly was the one for him, and ABC had him string Melissa along in the hopes of her becoming the next Bachelorette. 

If this "rumor" turns out to be true, ABC can pretty much drop this show from their lineup because no one will ever watch it again.  I know I shouldn't watch it, and I definitely won't anymore.  Most of the people that read this don't watch it anyway (except my husband- who I admit is forced to watch it or play Mafia Wars for 2 hours on facebook.)  

 

Oscars... The Good, The Bad, and The Dreadful

I must admit I watched bits and pieces of this nightmare just so I could catch Heath Ledger's parents accepting his (now Matilda's) Oscar. I can't comment on any of the winning performances because I didn't see any of these movies (with the exception of The Dark Knight), nor do I care to. I won't comment on Sean Penn's stupidity either. But, I will give you my opinion on the best and worst dressed. Without further delay, the best dressed goes to...

Penelope Cruz looked stunning (another Tom Cruise ex wins an Oscar, maybe Katie Holmes will get a clue... lose the Cruise = win an Oscar)

Robert Downey, Jr. and his wife looked great!  I hope his rehab days are behind him because he is a fabulous actor.

Who is Amy Adams and where did she come from?  Dress, awful. 50 pound necklace does nothing for the dress.  She's a mess, but I don't think the worst.

I have Sophia Loren as worst dressed because she hasn't learned how to "grow old gracefully".  Her plastic surgery face didn't budge a millimeter when she was presenting.  For a 74 year old woman, her body is great (thanks to Spanx, I'm sure), but when are these people going to learn that too much nip/tuck is too much nip/tuck.  Did she go to Priscilla Presley's surgeon??

And the Oscar Goes to...

Unfortunately, no movie like this would ever win Best Picture. If you saw the movie Fireproof, you may have seen previews for the movie Come What May. It releases on DVD March 17th. Here is a brief synopsis...

The movie focuses on college students Caleb and Rachel who are working together to win the Moot Court national championship. For that to happen, however, Caleb first has to come to grips with what he believes ... and what he believes will win. Wherever he lands will have consequences. If he takes the pro-life argument, he stands to lose the most important competition of his life—and the support of his mother. If he follows his mother's lead, he could win the coveted title ... but lose the heart of Rachel in the process.

This powerful drama is a vivid reminder that choosing what's right is never easy ... but it's always worth the cost.

Freebie Friday

Did you know today, and today only, you can get free prints from Walgreens.com? I found a new blog that saves me so much time searching for coupons and free stuff. It's Money Saving Mom. You can find the Walgreens free print info on the blog. If you are always looking for ways to save money, then definitely check it out. There is a link to the blog at the right. Maybe every Friday I will post blogs/sites I find that save money, offer good info., or that I just enjoy. Let me know if you took advantage of any of the savings... Happy Friday!! I guess I could post a picture so this entry seems more lively.