Lobster :)

Well, this poor little guy is going to be dinner tomorrow nite! :) Yummy! I dont think that he is quite excited to be Christmas Eve dinner, but welcome to the food chain of life. Just a little note on the blog since I have been busy with Christmas prep. Pictures and story from Christmas Eve dinner will follow in a few days. Small gathering for Christmas Eve of five people, but that allows me a little more time to be extra creative in the courses that I prepare.

US ScareWays

On a recent trip home to see my family I had the unfortunate pleasure of flying the above shown lack of a respectful airline. I wish that Southwest Airlines would add a route to my childhood home so that I way I could enjoy their exceptional customer service when I travel to Scranton, PA. Lets review the issues:

First there was the delay of over an hour on the tarmac in Philadelphia. There was no air on the plane and no communication from the cockpit the entire time. Then there was flight attendant Joy, who was far from a joy to be around. She was rude, condesending and was busy shoving and egg salad sandwhich in her mouth in front of all the passengers. Trust me, she was a vile creature. Where do they hire these people? The work release program?

So I finally get to my destination and everything is much better. This is because I can leave the airport!!! However, the unfortunate situation is that I have to return home to Orlando. So on Sunday evening, the drama of course continued. Mental note: Bring bottle of wine on plane next time.

So the plane was of course delayed to leave Scranton which then in turn allowed me to miss my connecting flight in Charlotte. To think I havent even left yet and the dominos are falling down. So I finally get to board a plane 2 hours late and then I encounter "HER." I headed to my seat set to find a rather large woman sprawled out in my seat. I asked her to let me in as i had the window seat. This would be a rather difficult task all around. First she had 200 lbs of luggage stuffed underneath both seats. After we rectify the rearranging of her bags of twinkies, I squeeezed into my small piece of cloth seat. This woman took up her seat and 3/4th's of my seat. I was litterally pressed against the side of the plane. I finally was able to be reseated, but I have to say that I much prefer Southwest Airlines policy that if you take up two seats, you pay for two seats.

Fortunatly I am not back in the comforts of my home in sunny Orlando, Florida. Dont get me wrong, I had a wonderful visit with my family while i was home, however getting there and back was of course just like a good episode of "The Young and the Restless." DRAMA!!! :)

The Future of Orlando

The future of Orlando and redevelopment of key areas downtown are demonstrated above with the release of the artist sketches of the new arena. This is part of 1.1 billion dollars of improvments into downtown which include the above pictured arena, a new performing arts center and renovations to the Citrus Bowl. This is a significant addition to the every expanding landscape of Orlando beyond that of Mickey Mouse. I will keep you posted as the other venues share the images of the future.

Eat Your Heart Out Martha Stewart!!! This is THE Tree! :)

Well here it is!!! The First Christmas Tree in my new House. I consulted Martha Stewart and Pottery Barn and decided they are all just crap! So the Billy Janssen version is much more photogenic. Shockingly enough, this tree was the first one I looked at when i went to Home Depot. For all who know me real well, this is a major lack of OCD on my part. Kerry went with me and just had this look of utter shock when i picked up this tree and said this one is it. This one is my tree.

EPCOT: CHRISTMAS: CANDLELIGHT PROCESSIONAL

One of the wonderful traditions in Orlando is held at EPCOT for Christmas. Each year for about 30 days leading up to Christmas, Epcot puts on an evening event called the Candlelight Processional. It is a Christmas show that is narrated by a celebrity. This evening the host is Neil Patrick Harris, (aka Dougie Houser). The event is a full concert with the Walt Disney World Orchestra and guest choirs. The celebrity recites the story of Christmas in between the musical/choral numbers. Since its Disney, it is a night filled with exceptional talent and pagentry. I went with my friend David and since it was Thursday night, we followed it up with a trip over to Pleasure Island...a Thrusday Night Tradition :)