From Grey to Blue December 31, 2006

After getting up at 3:30 a.m., mechanical difficulties, a delay, a missed connecting flight, and a two hour drive I am finally home.

I was shocked to walk outside of the San Diego airport and see blue, sunny skies. This past week in Ohio it was grey, dreary, cold and rainy. It’s amazing how one glimpse of the sun and the ocean change your perspective on life. I think I was really missing some vitamin E. If I lived in Seattle or Alaska I would need to have one of those photoray machines.

It’s nice to be home. I’m flopped on the couch catching up on my tivo’d shows. I’m going to be getting up early again tomorrow, we’re going to the Rose Parade in Pasadena.

So I’ll be up again at 3 a.m. but I won’t be crammed into a plane or sit around an airport. I’ve never been to the parade in person and I’m glad we have tickets to the grandstands. I’m too old to camp out. I can’t wait. Look for pictures tomorrow.

It will be good to be busy. It was hard to leave the boys after being with them for so long. You just get used to having the around. The house feels so empty without them, even my car isn’t the same. Yesterday when I said goodbye to Mikey he hugged me and told me that he didn’t want me to go. Talk about knife to the heart.

Guitar Hero Update December 30, 2006

Well I am officially addicted to Guitar Hero 2. I really didn’t think it would happen. I am not a video game person.

So far the only two songs I don’t suck at are Surrender, performed by Cheap Trick and Message in a Bottle performed by Sting.

After much practice I have managed to get up to a 95% score. My brother and I were rocking out last night and perfecting our collaboration to Surrender. It is much more difficult to play bass than lead guitar. So I stuck to lead guitar.

I love that game. I may need to get a PS2 to be able to practice at home. I saw they also have a kareoke game, that could be fun too!!

Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame December 29, 2006

Today we loaded up the car and headed to Cleveland. This is my first foray into the big city and we went to see the Rock and Roll Museum and Hall of Fame, downtown.

I didn’t really know what to expect. I was just hoping it was better than the other major North Ohio museum, The Pro Football Hall of Fame. It certainly cost a lot more to get in, $20 per person. Beware that there are no cameras allowed inside the exhibit areas.

The main area of the museum offers a music overview from the 20s to the present area. You can even use interactive kiosks to view influences on major genres of music from punk to alternative and musicians like U2 and Chuck Berry. Also present is a major exhibit of stage costumes from the 60s to the 90s from the Supremes to Outkast.

There are a million artifacts to see and read about. We rushed through the overview anxious to see the other four floors of exhibits. In addition to the permanent collection of everything from report cards to lyrics to gold records there are six feature exhibits.

Every music lover should plan on spending a full day there to really absorb everything. 

One thing I wished there was more of was current artifacts, music videos and information on the download phenomenon. I thought there would be something about Napster or iTunes. However you can find every song played by every inductee on a computer.

It was cool.

Happy Birthday to me! December 26, 2006

Well today I turned 32.

I’m not happy about it. I liked 31. It was a good age. 40 felt so very far away. It seemed like there was still time to reach my untapped potential. Now I feel like I’m sliding down hill to 35.

"I’m going to be 40…someday…it’s sitting out there like a giant deadend." I finally know how Sally felt in When Harry Met Sally.

I did get 21 hugs from Jordy though. When he asked me how old I was I told him a more suitable year, since Mikey guessed 35.

When I think back on my 31st year it really wasn’t that it was a fantastic year. It was in fact a very hard year. Yet I learned a lot about me and God. I grew more comfortable in my own skin. I really learned to find God’s love for me in the most unexpected places. This happened as he stripped away most everything I depended on from relationships, jobs, and my plans.

Merry Christmas to all… December 25, 2006

We had a good day. The boys were up early and desperate to see what Santa left for them. But we hung out and had breakfast first before we ended their suffering.

Nothing eventful today just lots of good food and quality family time.

I did play my first round of Guitar Hero II. It was pretty awesome I have to say. Although it is much harder than it looks. I can’t quite time the strumming.

The good thing about Guitar Hero II is that you can play with someone else not just head-to-head competition, so I’m told. So Jordy and I played together my first go round. Unfortunately, we failed to complete our first two songs, because of me.

Jordy turned me to and said, "Aunt Mart you’re making me suck at this." Even though he was more into performing than playing. He was rocking out and even put the guitar behind his head in true rock star fashion.

Mikey, who was video taping it pointed the camera to me and said, "Aunt Marti is really bad." So sad. I did get it enough to at least hang in on the third try. I’m sure I’ll have lots more chances to practice.

I hope your day was filled with people you love, good food and the knowledge that God loves you.

….and to all a goodnight.

From San Diego to Ohio December 24, 2006

My week with my brother’s fam ended with a bang.

We went to San Diego on Saturday for our first sunny day. We basked in the warmth, shows, and a relative lack of people. Our first show of the day was the dolphins. We were careful to sit out of the soak zone, figuring since it isn’t the splash or sprinkle zone they must be serious.

As we were leaving however, we noticed that we had instead been sitting in the poop zone. A seagull, we didn’t know was part of the show, dropped a present in my hair and on Rocio’s shirt.

Rocio had to wash part of my hair in the bathroom. Mike had to run and buy her a new shirt. At that point there is nothing you can do but laugh.

Seaword was a good way to end the trip. We then headed back to Ohio on a redeye.

I’m so glad they came. It was a fantastic week.

Sick and Tired December 22, 2006

We’re exhausted.

All of us, well except Jordy. His energy level remains at about 15 on a scale of 1 to 10. Then again he’s five.

After three days at Disneyland and a day at Universal Studios in the freezing cold and rain we all got sick. Everyone is sniffling and coughing. Rocio and I have it the worst. We hit a brick wall in our siteseeing and stayed home yesterday and today just to lay low for a while. No lines. No cold. No traffic. It was nice.

We did go to see Night at the Museum today on the IMAX. Tomorrow we’re going to spend the day at Seaworld then fly out tomorrow night to Ohio. It has been an amazing trip.

I feel like I know my nephews so much better now, rather than trying to cram so much into a long weekend trip I have been with them 24/7 for almost nine days. We had such a great time and I’m grateful for that. I’m just sad to see it end. They definitely brought an end to my funk.

I just have to focus on the fact that I till have another nine days with them. Jordy has decided that I need to learn how to play Guitar Hero when I get to his house. I can’t wait.

Night at the Museum [2006] December 22, 2006

Larry Daley can’t catch a break. He has a million ideas and none of them have panned out to be the big career he’s dreamed of. So instead he keeps losing money, keeps getting evicted and keeps disappointing his son.

He realizes it when his son neglects to tell him about career day and takes his mom’s fiance instead. So he gets a real job, the only one he seems qualified for, night watchman at the Museum of Natural History.

At night the museum comes alive because of an ancient Egyptian gold tablet. Larry has to learn how to stay put, not quit and take charge. He does so with the help of a living history.

This is definitely a family movie. It’s cute. Mikey and Jordy loved it. Don’t expect anything fantastic but it is a good time.

Universal Studios December 20, 2006

After three days at Disneyland we ventured out from behind the orange curtain to LA for a trip to Universal Studios.

Now I have to say the staff at Disneyland may be cursing you in their minds but their big smiles, courteous manners and super organized character lines make for a pleasant guest experience. At Universal Studios however the staff wouldn’t make it a day at Disneyland. They were about three seconds away from the f-word all day. No smiles. No thanks yous. No Merry Christmas wishes happening there.

The boys loved it though, especially Mikey. His favorite rides were the backstage tram tour and the sound effects show because he got to see HOW they do things. I must say the tram tour has improved IMMENSELY. We actually drove onto Wistera Lane, the set of War of the Worlds and there is a cool car show. It no longer sucks, so that’s nice. During the effects show Mikey and Rocio were the volunteers so that was fun to watch.

We also got the chance to have dinner with my cousin Sam, who just moved to CA from IN for work, and prized friends Erika and Thomas- all at my favorite restaurant Versailles. Inspite of getting Sam lost in a very bad neighborhood with my directions it was a great night.

Bye Bye Disneyland December 19, 2006

Today was our last day at Disneyland. I think Mikey was right, we killed it.

We got to see everything we wanted to in both parks. Well how many things are worth seeing California Adventure, only two - Soarin’ over California and Tower of Terror.

I made the mistake of riding the Ferris Wheel with Mike and Mikey. Have I mentioned lately I’m terrified of heights. I thought I conquered most of it when I went hot air ballooning and didn’t die or hyperventilate. Well one of the distinctions about this particular ferris wheels is that some of the baskets on it swing and slide along the spoke. Oh yea! Guess which one we were in? You got it, the swinging ones.

I was not a good example for Mikey. The panic started to overtake me when we started to swing. I gripped my seat, closed my eyes and started praying for mercy on my soul. It was not a pretty site. My brother was laughing hysterically and lamenting that the didn’t bring the camera. Mikey soon forgot his fear because he was laughing so hard at me. I’m glad my pain, fear and trauma brought much joy to them.

I loved seeing Jordy with the characters. He had so much love for them and wanted to hug every one, then take his picture. At one point he saw Chip and Dale and got to do his hug and pic routine. When we walked away he said, “Aunt Marti, those aren’t the real Chip and Dale” Curious about why he thought that he continued, “Those are just people in a suit.” At little of the magic is beginning to die, either that or he felt a kneecap or something when he hugged them, who knows.

My two favorite moments with Mikey were when we walked through Tomorrowland and he said, “I didn’t know you could use technology to do this” Then as we were standing in line for Space Mountain he said, “I can feel the sonic energy in my ears.” That’s hilarious. He went on to contribute his supersonicness to all of the tv he watches.

We had a fantastic time. Overall the boys favorite land was Toon Town. They loved all of the gags.Their least favorite rides were It’s a Small World and Snow White. When we exited both their exact words were, “that was dumb.” The highlights of their favorite rides, because its pretty much all the rest, were Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Pirates of the Carribean, Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, and Astro Blasters.

Tomorrow we’re off to Universal Studios or just “The Studios” as Jordy calls it.