Summary of 2012

If you have been reading my blog throughout the year you've seen a lot of this stuff. I thought I would share a video of my summary throughout this year. I hope you enjoy it. The video is pretty funny!


http://tinyurl.com/Betsy2012

The Amazing Adventures of an Ice Sculptor

 My husband constantly amazes me. He can create anything out of ice. He and his business partner Derek have created a business out of ice sculptures which seems amazing all by itself. How does one sell ice to people? Especially when you live in Michigan where is ice is all over the place in the winter.


















Randy, my husband, is constantly coming up with new ideas of what he can make and do with ice.  Derek helps make these ideas come to life with action. He has made ferris wheels, pinball machines, life size chess pieces, motor cycles, pool tables, and he freezes things in the ice as well, flowers, t-shirts, and even jello.

This last week I was lucky enough to attend an event with him here in Grand Rapids. His business partner Derek and his employees, Jake, Sachel, Ron, and Joel all put together blocks of ice and carved it into a full sized motorcycle for a crowed room. Derek sculpted the ice and it turned out amazing as usually. Randy and him make the design, get the blocks prepped and squared up, then the magic happens. The result is the picture below.

Randy has been able to do a lot of cool things because of this business that he has built up. He had a season of his own show on the Food Network, "Ice Brigade", he travels places like the super bowl last year, Mt. Rushmore, and he does a variety of concerts and gets to meet celebrities sometimes.

He has established a great deal of techniques ice carving, like the color method that he and his partner use. This method has them making gelatin and freezing it inside the ice. It's kind of neat with the sculptures melt because it leaves these "jello jigglers" that slide out. Just don't eat them. He also wrote the book on ice sculpture, literally a textbook,  he and his business partner Derek Maxfield wrote together.

He also does local projects and weddings. There are a great deal of small projects that he does around town. He does things for the local museums, local companies holiday parties, and many restaurants ask for sculptures and blocks of ice as well. Ice sculptures, although they melt, are a really good way to advertise. If you have ever been to a party with an ice sculpture I bet you've seen lots of people getting their pictures taken with it. An ice sculpture is kind of an anomaly.  You don't see them all the time, they are pretty, and if they are done properly they make a lasting impression on you.

Venus Ablution

This blog is neither really about travel or excitement. It's about a procedure I had done. I suffer from Venous Reflux Disease. The veins in my legs are really messed up. Working in retail for the past 13 years has also taken it's toll. Now a lot of people say or think, "oh that's just varicose veins, I have those" or think that they are no big deal. Well usually older people have them, people a lot older than me, and they do develop over time, but not to the extent that surgery is required.  The surgery isn't really "required" it's still considered elective. However, if I do not wear compression hose every single day (and even then) I am in a lot of pain. Both legs have it equally bad, but the left leg causes an extreme amount of pain daily.

So I went to the doctor. When I first started developing this problem I was 25. The back of my legs were throbbing and getting hot. One little spot appeared and it was swollen and blue. I worried about blot clots because we have significant clotting disorders in my family. The doctor I went to was worried about that too, so I went in for leg ultra-sounds, got my blood checked for clotting disorders, factor five, c and s proteins, and as a precautionary measure she even had me checked for Lupus because of the strange bruising. Thankfully I had none of these issues and it was just bad valves in my veins.

So, seven years later I have decided I cannot deal with it any more. The back of my right leg looked ridiculous. Like cottage cheese. I always wear panty hose, without it I just feel really insecure and it's not even about that, it hurts. It's hot wearing the compression hose, and I have reached a where the compression hose just wasn't helping any more anyway. So I went see a specialist. She took one look at my legs and said I needed to do it. She showed me pictures of people that had the procedure done and pictures of people that hadn't. Their legs were covered in blotches. When the valves in the veins get blocked up the blood congeals and it turns the skin brown. It looks like bruises, it also is very very painful.

So I had the surgery. I had to have an ultrasound the day before and they drew black marks up and down my legs to make lines for the incisions. The Doctor only had to make 3 incisions.  One for each of the veins. She actually drew me a picture before the surgery so that I would know what she was doing. I arrived at the hospital two hours before the surgery, checked in and they gave me a room. I was really scared because I had never had surgery before and I didn't want to be knocked out. I guess I was fearful of going asleep and not waking up. They told me that the sleeping stuff wasn't that bad and I'd only be out for like half an hour.  I couldn't do it. I stayed awake the whole time.

The operating room table went up and down making my head go backwards and my legs go up. The blood pressure cuff went off every five minutes, which is how I kept track of how long I was in for, I think it went off 8 times. I heard them talking. They could only get the one vein because the one on the back of my calf was too short and the one near my ankle was too close to an artery. The Doctor said everyone is different and if they go in to do the other leg the vein might not be that close.

When they finished the surgery they wrapped my leg up in an ace wrap and told me not to take it off until I had the ultrasound on Monday.

Monday was an amazing day. When I took the ace wrap off the cottage cheese lumps were gone. Completely gone. It was amazing. I didn't expect that to happen so fast. It has been one month and as I saw the doctor she said I should and can still wear the compression house. Things will continue to get better for a couple of months. I already don't feel the awful tired pain in my legs that I felt before the surgery and I am going to have the other leg done after the holidays. I can't wait. The results have been fantastic and the surgery was quick.  I feel very fortunate to have had this done.

Boulder Ridge Animal Park

My sister loves animals. She has cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and various other creatures. Sometimes I think she uses "The kids would love one of those" as an excuse to get more animals. It wasn't a shock to me when she said, "you have the day off, lets go to the zoo". So we went to Boulder Ridge Animal Park in Alto, Michigan. I was thinking, "hmm, a zoo in the middle of nowhere in Michigan, what could they possibly have? A couple stray dogs and maybe some ducks."

That was not the case. 

Boulder Ridge Animal Park is full of exotic animals that would normally have no business being in Michigan. The place is amazing. It is located on 80 acres of land, so the animals have a lot of space to roam. Typically I would think it is cruel to take animals out of their natural habitat. This place really takes care of the animals well. They've bred a couple of rare species animals - Donkeys (an Asian breed with a population of less than 300), and rare breeds of wildebeest. These animals have been sold to zoos and other animal preserves. 

When we started our tour of the animal park we walked through a few cages with various birds. I wasn't immediately impressed. We got to see some exotic patagonian foxes, then we got to see kangaroos and crocodiles. Not in the same pen obviously.  The Crocodiles and Alligators were interesting. They always lay so still it's hard to tell if they are alive or not.  The fence on them isn't very high, so my sister wanted to climb over it, which is probably not a good idea. 

They have a reptile house with a variety of turtles, snakes, and lizards. There was also a giant Tortoise in there. The people at the animal park weren't sure how old it was, but they guessed it to be about 80. 

Moving on from the reptile house they had a petting zoo set up with lots of goats and cows. The goats were adorable. In the very first pen they had a baby zebra that they had named Zeus. He was so sweet and we fed him a little and watched them feed him out of a bucket.

After we saw Zeus and the goats we went on a tour with a really souped up golf cart. We saw Peahens, Antelope, Bison, some Emus, wildebeest, Ostriches, Donkeys, Rare horse breeds, some Asian deer with stripes on the bottom of their feet, and at the end we saw a Cassowary. The Cassowary is what we really wanted to see. It's a very dangerous bird. It can kill people. It has razor sharp talons. It was very aggressive as well, it came right up to the cage. Jenn wanted to get out, she kept saying, "this was the only animal Steve Irwin was afraid of... " They don't let you out of the cart and there is a fence separating you from the animal. It is a bit scary looking at it. This bird is extremely dangerous looking. It's hard to put into words, but it was like an evil Disney character.

Anyway, we finished our day feeding hundreds of parakeets in the parakeet room. It's a giant screened in area with a ton of parakeets. When you walk in you put the seed stick out and they land of you. It's pretty cool.

I will post the website of this place and my youtube video at the bottom! Hope you enjoy it in the spring when it re-opens.  They are raising money for giraffes, which would be really cool because giraffes are amazing when you feed them.



http://www.boulderridgewap.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkFwBD11dM0

The Color Run: Grand Rapids MI 2012

I have never been a runner. I hated running actually. I love yoga and swimming. Running? No. That was for sure not me. However, today I ran my first 5k.

It all started months ago when I began this blog. Realizing how out of shape I was when I did aerial fitness, I let my friend Tish talk me into going to the gym. It was for a kick class.  I joined, then came back for other classes. It was when we had to run the track and I couldn't make it two laps without feeling like I was going to die, that I realized, I should get healthier. Somehow the definition of healthy to me became, "I need to be able to run a 5k.

I began running almost every day. The track at the gym is set up for every 10 laps equals one mile. I started small. I would run a lap, walk a lap, run a lap, walk a lap. I read about couch to 5k, it was simple and I made my own modifications because of my work schedule. Making it work while going to work was the hardest part. I was working third shift and after a twelve hours of work it was difficult to motivate myself to run for an hour. As I kept going it got easier. I remember the day I ran a whole mile without stopping. I called everyone I could just to tell them what I had done. I hadn't been able to do that since high school gym class. I kept going, everyday I possibly could.

That brings us to the day of the race. I am so intensely proud of myself. The color run was more about fun than about times or completing it quickly. Runners line up in white shirts and have powdered colors poured on them. This race was not timed and a lot of people walked. There were four sections of color, purple, pink, yellow, and orange! As you run through the colors people with giant ketchup bottles full of powered color throw the color on the runners.   We finished in about half an hour, (we walked when we got a drink and I think I had to tie my shoe).

I was a person barely able to run 2/10 of a mile and I made it through 3.1. It just goes to show if you work hard and put your mind to it, you can really accomplish goals.  Maybe next time I'll do one that's timed....

I-55 at a glance

My husband decided to surprise me with a trip to the Arch in St. Louis. I have wanted to see it for some time. It fascinated me how something that large and in such an odd shape could even exist. I have been in and around the St. Louis area at least five times and never been close to the Arch. The only time I had seen it was from Monk's Mound in Cahokia during a trip during my field school for Anthropology while in college, it seemed necessary to actually see it up close and in person.


The voyage to St. Louis from Michigan was just as interesting as the arch. We had to take 1-55 all the way down to St. Louis. It was one long highway that stretched the length of the state of Illinois.   On the way down it was dark so I didn't see all the things we saw on the way up. It's not America's most interesting highway by any means, there is a lot of corn fields, construction, and places where there is nothing. However, there are giant windmill farms, a peppering of antique markets, tons of museums about Lincoln, and many little oddities along the way.

One stop we made was through a place named Odell. We stopped to see how loud the wind farms are and see if they were really as awful as a documentary we had just watched.  We didn't get close enough to the giant windmills to hear them, or see the shadows they make on the ground, but they did seem really invasive. There were hundreds of them, they were on both sides of the highway as we drove, as we got closer, they got bigger and even as we were still a mile away they seemed so large. We didn't get close enough because they are some distance from the road, but we could see where houses had been near them were either abandoned, or bought out. There was one windmill all by itself right next to the highway and it was huge, I can't imagine how those are assembled.

We also stopped at an antique mall called "The Pink Elephant". They also sell ice cream, have a giant bicycle, and a UFO. The store itself is very large, there are three stories of antiques.  We perused through the aisle for about an hour, there seemed to be no end. After stopping there we noticed many more of them on our way back to Michigan, but none of them were so elaborate.




The Arch was beautiful. It was centered in the middle of a park on the bank of the river. It was a national security check point so we had to go through a metal detector and my purse had to go through the x-ray. It was amazing inside. It was deceiving how the edge of the arch hid the entrance, then how large it was under the ground. We did not go up to the top of the arch. This was because we had to get back to Chicago that evening to meet family and the wait time was far too long. We didn't realize there was a number to call to make a reservation so there would be no wait in line.  Randy promised me we could come back some time so I could go up to the top.

Attractions inside the arch were the Westward Expansion museum, the Lewis and Clark adventure and the 3D movie about the arch. It was a pretty cool place inside. The fact that the museums, theaters, and gift shops were all tucked nicely underneath the arch was really surprising. There was even a taxidermic bear in the center of the lobby.

All in all it was a fun adventure with lots to see.

The Trapeze- Safety Net Please

On the Santa Monica Pier there are many activities. There are many things to buy, food to eat, an aquarium, and even an amusement park. Basically any time of the year the weather is great and the view is amazing.  The Trapeze School on the boardwalk caught my eye. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to try it. Since childhood I have been fascinated with acrobats. A lot of children are when they first go to the circus, it's amazing to see people twist and contort their bodies in the air.  Flying around on really tall swing sets and accomplishing death defying stunts.

I went over immediately, the people in my group followed behind, probably curious as to what I was thinking or wondering if I would really go through with it. I had already paid and filled out the paper work before a couple of them noticed. "You're really going to do that?" and "That's really high".  Derek, one of my friends in the group, offered to take the video with my camera.

First, I was suited up with what felt like a corset, but it was more like a big belt. It surrounded my middle and had hooks on it. I put it on eagerly. I was given chalk for my hands, like a gymnast and then I was instructed. They explained to me the words they used were Romanian words to describe the way I stand, when I jump off, and when I let go.  The ladder was really high, it didn't seem like it at first, but as I climbed the ladder I realized it was like being on top of a house or small building. It must have been at least 20-30 ft in the air. The ladder was rickety and it was secured to the side of the platform. Once on the platform I looked out and I could see the beach and the ocean. It was beautiful. I also looked down and could see the safety net below me, which scared me a little, but made me feel safer at the same time.

The instructor hooked up my corset to the safety lines. Then after given my instructions again, she pulled the bar to me and I grabbed it.  I hopped off the platform and dangled in the air from the bar. As I swung back and forth on the bar I realized it wasn't that scary, but gravity was a tough lady. I could not bring my legs up. I felt extremely heavy and I had to use every muscle in my body to even try to lift my legs.  It was hard. The harder part was letting go, even though the safety net was below me, it was frightening. I knew it was time and I let go of the bar and fell into the net. I didn't do it the way she told me too, I couldn't just fall into it, I felt out of control and fell into in forwards instead of backwards.

I did the trapeze twice, I would have done it a third time (cause I paid for three) but the group was in a hurry to leave and I was getting sore. It was amazing how many muscles in my stomach I didn't know that I had and how awful it felt for several days. I probably should have only gone once. If I ever find another one or I go back to Santa Monica, I will go again.


See the video and learn more about the Santa Monica pier:

http://www.santamonicapier.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5U7IxTUX7k

Ollantaytambo - Peruvian Ruins

When I visited Peru last year I was lucky enough to see a variety of Incan ruins and ancient structures. They were all amazing. One that I found particularly interesting was Ollantaytambo. This particular ruin was very close to the sacred valley of the Inca. This glorious spot is located near the Urubamba river, flowing through Peru, . This river was used by the Incas a great deal and was considered sacred because of the water which sustained the lives of the people.

The Incas had a masterful way of moving water around the mountains and keeping it from destroying what they built. They had channels that ran all through out the mountains, creating vast irrigation systems. This way even though the river was a way off they could still use the rain water for the crops. The guide on our tour explained to us the use of astronomical bodies in the harvesting of the plants. The seasons are so similar, there is the wet season and the dry season essentially. There was a fountain at the base of the structure that the sun shines directly upon for the summer equinox, this marks the beginning of the rainy season in the summer, because it's below the equator it begins December 22. I was there towards the end of the Dry season in the end of October, but the land still looked green and bright. 

 In Ollantaytambo there were great storage houses on the mountains. It was interesting how it was strategically located in between two mountains. The Incas built into the mountains instead of around them. Their way of working with nature instead of against was how they sustained themselves and built these great structures that have survived today, long after earthquakes, weather, and time have eroded many "modern" buildings. The terraces that they carved into the mountains were magnificent. They were so tall, at least six feet and this was a great way for them to grow the potatoes, corn, and Quinoa, staples of the Incas. These terraces were built by people that were a little over 5 feet in height on the average, the fact that the terraces are so tall was quite an accomplishment. The storage houses were a great deal up in the mountains and they were easily seen by the people working on the terraces or living the villages below. This keep the supply safe from possible invaders. 

This was a place I would return to in a heart beat. Everything about it was amazing. The entire structure when seen at a distance is shaped like a female llama and a baby. The Incas were famous for revering three animals, the snakes, representing the underworld and knowledge, the puma, representing the earth and the way we live in the present, and the condor, representing the heavens and the next life. So, why a llama? My theory is, the llama helped them build this structure and they owed a great deal to these creatures. After all, they didn't have the wheel or an alphabet, so who else would help them, aliens?

www.trip-peru.com 

Peter Island- Prepare to be Pampered

On a ferry, in the Caribbean sea, I traveled to an island with my husband. This island was a beautiful place, but it was very special to my husband because he worked there at one time and had not returned in about 15 years.

The name of the resort is Peter Island. It has 32 ocean front rooms, 20 Junior suites and 3 giant villas. I don't believe there was more than a hundred people staying there when we were on the island. It was truly a chance to be pampered and relax.  Much of the staff was the same as when Randy had worked there and they were all really friendly, it was nice for him to be able to talk to all those people.

Peter Island is an amazing place. They have a dive shop and you can take a resort course and SCUBA dive for a day. They will take you 30 ft underwater and you get to see a lot of marine life. I did not do this, I chickened out. The people that run the dive shop were fantastic and had great stories about the sea and things that they have seen. We did go on a snorkeling tour with the dive shop and it was a lot of fun.

Peter Island also has sailing trips where you can take a boat out for the day and sail with an experienced sailor and if you wish they do offer overnight trips. We got to visit with Judy, the woman that runs the sailboat, and her daughter while we were there. They were extremely interesting people and I was fascinated with how they live life on the sea.

They also have a variety of things to do on the beach, like wind surfing, paddle boards, and little paddle boats to take out. Our room was right next to the beach so it was nice to be able to walk right over, try these things, get a couple drinks, and lay out in the sun. It was paradise on earth. We also had a really great hammock right outside our room. We got to take a tour of one of the villas, which was a spectacular place. The pool looked like it was part of the sea, even though we were really high up on one of the island's small mountains.


The beach, the food, the people, it's silly but my favorite part were the cookies. I became addicted immediately. There is this wonderful person that works there named Jean and she kept giving me more and more. She was truly a gem. The entire island was amazing and I am so grateful that Randy was able to book such an amazing trip.

http://www.peterisland.com/index.php

The fireworks store

These particular fireworks take several minutes to go off 

In Michigan it recently became legal to set off fireworks and firecrackers. Previously the law had not allowed anything that left the ground or blows up, without a proper license or city approval. Now a myriad of fireworks are available to the public in Michigan and it has literally turned some people into "kids in a candy store". As a result stores are popping up everywhere they can find a vacant building. It reminds me of the Halloween USA stores that begin popping up in September each year.  Even though some of the fireworks are being imported from other states, it is creating some jobs here in Michigan, which is nice, although most likely temporary. 

I usually am not real excited about fireworks. It seems like people are always getting hurt or starting things on fire. As a kid my dad would always get the fountains, sparklers, and snakes. He would take us out to the nearby lake and set the fountains off on the dock. Then we would all watch the fireworks from over the lake, the big -city approved kind. 

A selection of our purchases 

The new stores that are showing up and selling all these, now legal, fireworks are very interesting. We went to a few different locations here in town, Jake's Fireworks was my favorite. Upon entering "Jake's Fireworks", I felt the energy. The people shopping were excited. The building had been vacant for a long time before Jake's Fireworks entered and now it was bustling with people looking for deals. The store had a feeling of a discount store, with only fireworks. The irony that they were using Wal-Mart shopping carts and home depot baskets was not lost on me, it was truly a discount store.  

Snake residue 

Surrounded by packages named "widow makers" and young men who were excitedly explaining their products to customers, it was hard not to be excited. They even used an old TV display room to show what they sell and how the fireworks look after they are set off. Even the overhead music, testosterone filled rock of AC/DC, pumped a special kind of ambiance.  Sadly, I fear for many of the people buying the fireworks because the directions on the boxes weren't really clear and some of them look extremely dangerous. Especially the Tannerite, this can blow up a piano or half a car. I see no reason to sell this, it goes above and beyond celebrating with fireworks. 

As a child my favorites were sparklers and snakes. My nephew and nieces had a lot of fun with these, the smoke comes in different colors and some of them glow in the dark, but they do leave awful charcoal messes on the pavement. Some times the simplest things bring us the most joy in life. 

Snorkeling: Where's Aerial?

I had never been snorkeling before, it seemed easy enough. You have to swim, breathe through your mouth, and watch out for boats. In the Caribbean there are many places to snorkel and we found some really great places. Using our Go-Pro we took pictures of some of the things we saw as well and made a video.

On Tortola we went to two places,  Brewer's Bay and Smuggler's Cove. Brewer's was amazing underwater. We could see where the reef begins and the beach/swimming area ends. The reef is like a wall, leading into a little underwater city. The reefs look like little sky scrapers and the fish look like commuters. They move in between the beach and the reefs in schools, always staying together, even when disturbed by the occasional pelican plucking his lunch from their group. Which, strangely enough happened to me as I was watching them, the pelicans come from to sky, crashing into the water when they see the schools of fish, I was just a little too close once and almost became a victim of the plummeting.

The darkness from the reef is easy to see from the beach, so you can know where to look for the good snorkeling spots.  Both Smuggler's Cove and Brewer's it is very easy to see where to snorkel at because of all the darkness from the reefs. Smuggler's becomes very difficult to snorkel because the water isn't very deep and the reefs almost come up to the surface. When snorkeling you have to be very careful of the reefs because they are very delicate. They have many protective methods as well. The red coral burns, it is called "Fire Coral". When you are swimming near any of the coral it feels like it is sucking you in a little bit, it is very sharp, so touching it must be avoided. It also takes hundreds of years for it to form, so destroying it really is bad.  There are sea anemones, that pop in an out and when you get close to them they retreat back. They look like flowers and when they retreat they look like the stems without the flowers.

While on Peter Island, the dive shop will take you on a snorkeling tour of a place called "The Indians". This place looks like a bunch of hills underwater and each of them was full of coral and fish. Every once in a while you can see mooring blocks with chains on them. Occasionally we did some skin diving, this is where you swim down deep and hold your breath. When you come back up you blow the water out of the mouth spout from the mask and you can continue snorkeling. At the Indians the reefs are very tall and the water very deep. So Randy and I did some skin diving. I went down 10-15 feet, at least. We saw really beautiful fish, eels, different kinds of coral, and sponges.

Even when we weren't at "The Indians" we snorkeled around Peter Island beaches for fun, mostly in Dead Man's Bay. Randy found an octopus in a jar on the beach when he was picking up random trash and bottles, which there wasn't a lot, but most see trash we found was glass.  The octopus wasn't in the mood to come out of the bottle, but it had huge eyes and looked at us with such intensity and curiosity. We put it back in the water out deep and left it alone. We also found a really cool red sponge and sea anemones and it was amazing that they hadn't been crushed.

All and all this was an experience not to be missed. The video is on YouTube at the link below.


http://youtu.be/poWmt83sgOw?list=UUFQ62MVldEyqRiafBBbru7Q

Wind Surfing: Slippery When Wet

I'm sure that many people have seen this done, it looks so easy. You stand on a board and hold a sail, how hard could that be, right? After falling in the water 6 times I am here to tell you, it's not that easy. There is a very specfic skill set involved in wind surfing.

First there is the surf board itself, you must be able to drag it into the water with the sail and all. Once you get it in the water, obviously the board floats. The sail seemed to be the heaviest part of the contraption and of course this is the part that must be lifted up while standing on top of the board in the water.  

Finally, when on top of the board, your back must be away from the wind. The wind pushes the sail and it helps move the board across the water. The way in which the sail is moved up and down, or side to side determines where you will go. This requires balance, which after attempting, I realized I do not have. I was so afraid of falling that I kept bending, when really standing up straight is the best way to go.

I did this for a couple of hours. Every time I fell off, I got back on and tried again. It was like a fight with the sail each time. The first couple of times of falling off the board I hit the rudder on the bottom and it was really painful. There are many parts of the board that I didn't understand, such as, the rudder and this unusual lever at the bottom (I decided not to mess with it) . All the falling off the board made it more difficult because it became really slippery, but I kept going.

The man instructing me, (who was very nice) had an extremely thick accent and it was difficult to understand him.  He spent a lot of time helping me but it was pretty fruitless. I did sail it all the way to the end of beach, but I couldn't sail it back and fell off trying to turn it around, so I had to swim it back to where I started.  It was a humbling experience.

Tortola- British Virgin Islands

I must preface this by saying that I had never been the the British Virgin Islands (BVI) or anywhere in the Caribbean before this trip, so my experiences there may have been unique and not "the way it always is". There will be a few instances where it will seem like mixed reviews, but for the most part I would go all over again. I'll begin with the no-brainer, the climate. It's wonderful. Warm, there is water everywhere.

There is nothing poisonous, that I know of or have yet discovered. Randy's friend Michael told me he couldn't think of anything either and he's lived there awhile, and in the islands around his entire life.  The trees have amazing fruits on them, breadfruit, mangos, tamerind, coconuts, everywhere there is fruit. Everything is pretty much edible (although, the breadfruit did not taste so good). It is a garden of Eden. The beaches are beautiful and I have never seen such clear water. There are small lizards everywhere you go, but they are not dangerous and they usually just run off.


We went to a fantastic bar named Quito's, where we ate Conch Fritters. They were delicious. I had never had it before and conch has the texture of clams.  There was live music at Quito's and there was a lot of people coming in off boats. It was a fun place with a lot of good food. One important thing to point out is the service. Most of the service in the BVI isn't exactly what Americans might be used to, by that I mean you get back what you put in, I don't mean in tips. While dealing with the servers, waitresses, and bartenders, treat them nicely. They really don't have much personality unless you strike up a conversation with them. They don't work on tips like Americans do, the tips are usually included in your bill, people in that area are very friendly when you talk to them, otherwise it is their job and not everyone likes their job. At Quito's they were much friendlier than other places and once you've been to the BVI for a couple of days you just get used to it, but at first it's disorienting.

There are boats everywhere for sailing, you can rent them easily, or you can hire someone to sail out on one with you. There were ads everywhere and for a price you can sail. The most fascinating part of being down there was the people that live here frequently commute on ferries and some people live on their boats. They can't imagine how interesting that is to someone who lives near lakes that are far to large to do that and they also can't imagine that water being fresh. The salt water is so nice to swim in though, it helps with the floating. Personally, I'm not super found of the saltwater because it's kind of gross when it gets in your mouth and when it gets in your eyes, it stings. I'm not used to this because my whole life I have only swam in fresh water, but it's amazing to go under the water and see the coral. It's just like little mermaid, it's a whole kingdom underwater. We practiced snorkeling in the pool, I had never been before, so we thought it was a good idea to practice. We also used out Go-Pro in there. The camera is able to take pictures at 193 ft underwater, which is further than I will ever take it. The snorkeling was fantastic, the best place we went was named Brewer's Bay. There were other little bays as well, like Smuggler's Cove, but the reefs got very shallow and it was hard to snorkel. Brewer's bay was ideal, until we went to Peter Island and Snorkeled at a place called, "Indians", which was out in the ocean and you had to take a boat to get to hit.
Warning: Everything is expensive except the alcohol. Which includes some very tasty rum. They have these drinks called "painkillers" and they do exactly what they say. This is the main drink on the island and it contains nutmeg.  There is also nutmeg in a lot of drinks, I haven't seen so much at christmas time and I would never picture it being used in such a high frequency for drinks.

The cabs here are really expensive, so we decided to rent a car, which is probably more dangerous than anything because they are American cars that drive on the left, once again it's disorienting until you are used to it. . There are a great deal of large hills as the island is mountainous. If you stay in Tortola more than a couple of days it is a good idea to rent a car, especially if you want to explore, as I said before cabs are expensive and the cab drivers ofter times pick up hitchhikers. That is really the main form of  transportation on the island, hitchhiking. There are lots of people that just stand on the side of the road and point to where they want to go.

We saw many charming places like the shell museum. The shell museum was amazing. It was completely full of shells and things people found on the beach. There were more shells than I could imagine. There were also signs painted on driftwood. They also make "Smoodys" there, yes, that is how they spelled it. The restaurant made them out of all sorts of fruit and at lunch they serve Conch. We did not eat there because there were too many things to see on the island.

There are a myriad of things I did not even touch on, there are chicken everywhere on the island. Even as the plane touched down, they were all over the airport and you can hear them crow all times day and night. Several of the hotels are either set in the jungle or on the beach. There are a hundred beautiful things to see and experience, it's worth a trip.


Some of the places we went:

 http://www.sugarmillhotel.com/
 http://www.peterisland.com/index.php
 http://www.bareboatsbvi.com/quitos_gazebo_tortola.html
http://www.tortola-beaches.com/Tortola-Bananakeet.html

Laying on a Bed of Nails: Tetanus Shots Anyone?

I have been very lucky to know interesting people. Some of my favorite people do really interesting things that I would never, ever find myself doing on my own, like sideshow acts.  I found out from my friend Gwyd T. Unusual all about sideshow acts. His girlfriend does acrobatics, dances with fire, he walks on glass and yes, he even lays on a bed of nails. I was curious about laying on a bed of nails. Does it hurt? How do you lay on it? Is there some trick, like the are the nails not sharp? I was lucky enough that he let me try this and told me all about it.

There is no trick. The nails are indeed sharp, they will hurt you if you lay on it the wrong way. It is a matter of physics. Laying on one nail would pierce you easily, laying on many nails, it becomes a whole lot less difficult. This particular bed of nails has 964 nails, they are six inches long.  They are sharp. In this picture it appears like there stains on the nails, I was reassured that the stains were not from blood, it was from lemon juice that was poured on them before acts to "make it hurt more" for the audience.  The lemon juice causes rust and stains.

The nails were not dull at all and just to prove it Gwyd threw this cucumber on it. When Gwyd does the act he usually has someone walk on top of him and in a couple instances: break a block of ice on him. A block of ice weighs 300 pounds, so having a block of ice on his chest and a bed of nails under him did not sound like fun to me. When I laid down on it, I immediately felt the nails, the minute they made contact with my body, there was pressure. He helped me down on them, then almost immediately I said, "help me back up". This is not a Serta. Gravity on it's own pulls you down on them. I couldn't imagine laying on them for very long, much less having a block of ice on top of me and having someone smash it. 

When I stood up the red marks on my back were immediately visible and there were a few bits of cucumber. Although, I wasn't injured by the nails, as they did not puncture my skin, I would advise others to get a Tetanus shot before proceeding with the lesson, just in case.


 For more information: https://www.facebook.com/KnottyBitsSideshow

Zip Lining

When Randy first brought it up I thought he was crazy. "How about zip lining, in Fremont Street in your wedding dress?" My initial response was, "that's funny" and "I guess you do only wear a wedding dress one day, so I should get a lot out of it." He keep pushing the issue. The day we got married he said, "OK, now it's time to go to Fremont street". I was hesitant. First off, it was really cold in Vegas the week we got married, my second concern was the straps, and how they would go around my dress. Yes, and a distant third, was people looking up my dress, I figured I could get some cheer leading briefs and I'd feel more comfortable.

The time came and I was very nervous. I yelled at Randy and became really annoyed.  My sister Jennifer, who I believed to be scared of heights, went and her boyfriend (Ray) and Randy's brother Rob,  we were all going. My Best friend Anna, and Randy, were both going to go, but after looking at the paperwork there was a change of heart. As we stood in line filling out all the paperwork, the "I promise not to sue you if I get hurt doing this," I got more and more irritated.  Why did I have to do this in my wedding dress? My hair was going to be a mess, what if I fell? I started talking to the girl at the desk, who kept assuring me I would be fine. I asked flat out if anyone had ever fallen and did not get a response. That made me even more mad, but she was probably more than annoyed at my hesitation.  I displaced my anger on him, I felt really pressured to do this, but I had total control. I did not have to do this, I did want to, but in my dress?  I decided to keep going because it was going to be fun, scary fun.

After filling out all the paper work, taking all the loose pins out of my hair, and unloading my camera on Randy, we walked to the elevator. The paper work had said, "You must be able to physically climb the steps up to the platform" when I repeated this to Ray  (my sister's boyfriend) he said, "you actually read that?".  Apparently, Ray just signed it without reading it.

We waited in line and it was raining, Jennifer was worried about her hair, Ray was talking to the people in line, Randy's brother, Rob, was smiling. I was worried. I kept watching these people scream happily as they passed by us on the cable, watching them suit up, "just one mistake" I kept thinking. Finally, I stopped thinking because I was in line to get the harness on, which looked problematic in my dress. The person who gave me the harness, set in one the ground and said, "step in to it here, good luck" and walked off. This concerned me. I tried to step on it, pull it on, finally another attendant walked up to help me.  He told me where to hold my dress and helped me get it on, it was really funny because he seemed very young and didn't want to "touch me anywhere inappropriate". I told him to just get the harness on and don't worry about it. He got the whole thing on and said, "uh-oh". What-oh? "We have to take it off and put it back on, we missed a loop." At this point I was cursing at Randy.  As I was talking to the kid hooking me up I told him how nervous I was, he said that I should be, I would be hanging six stories up by a cable. Thanks for the reassurance.

We got the harness on and had to wait in another line and climb a very small number of steps. Ray pointed out that those must be the steps that were in the paperwork.  As we waited at the platform, we got to hang in our harnesses just above the platform. It was a really cool view to look down on Fremont street with all the lights and people. I was a lot less scared looking down and also knowing that the harness was holding me. It wasn't uncomfortable and I didn't feel exposed.  The attendant gave a little speech about what to do and not to do, no cameras, don't pull your phone out,  don't put your hand over the red strap, don't lay down or go upside-down.... stuff like that, then they let go and you fly.  It was a really unusual sensation, kind of like a roller coaster, but with more freedom.  It was a lot of fun,  I think it goes about 30 MPH  (about 18.64 KPH).  The ride took about a minute and it was a lot of fun, I wanted to go again. At the bottom of the stairs they actually show you pictures that they've taken while you were on the ride and you can buy them, which I did and included one in this blog.  Fremont Street in general was pretty cool. If I ever go back I'm going to buy an entire day pass to ride the zip line.

Where I went:

http://www.vegasexperience.com/
http://flightlinezfremont.com/
http://flightlinezfremont.com/waivers/

Elvis and the Ice Chapel

When Randy and I first met we talked about how we never wanted to get married or have children. We agreed that it was just too much work. Well, he asked me to marry him four months later...... I guess things change. We didn't talk to much about it. He wanted to just go down to the court house, not make it a big deal. Many people kept telling me that I needed a wedding, I deserved a wedding. I don't know about all that, but it did give me time to think about what I really wanted and what I wanted was a Vegas Wedding.

As a child, I always wanted to be a writer, go to Peru, get a degree, have a career, look like Barbie and I didn't care much for babies or wedding dresses, domestic things.... We wanted something fast, something easy. I have quickly learned that any kind of wedding, is just as I thought, kind of pain in the ass. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has something to say about it. A suggestion, advice, maybe you should do this... or that. Not that I'm not appreciative, but I didn't need any more suggestions, any more ideas, plus Randy (who I love very much) gets easily distracted. "let's do it Florida, let's do it on a beach, lets try a cruise..." I was getting really sick of it. I wanted initially to get married in Arizona because I love the desert and Randy's dad and one of my aunts live there, then I thought about it. Why not Las Vegas? It's quick, it's easy, Randy and his family love casinos (me as well), and well, it's Las Vegas, that's what they do.

Randy was unsure, until he talked to his friend Danny. "Oh yeah, they have an ice lounge".... this was the turning point, everyone was on board now.

So, I had to find a minister, a dress, invite people. I decided this was going to be so very Las Vegas. Invitations? There were no paper invites, we invited 30 through Facebook. Dress? There was no white wedding dress, I bought my dress at a Mexican dress shop. It had gemstones and I looked like a salsa dancer. Minister? Yes we had one, he was an Elvis impersonator. Location? Where else could Randy feel comfortable getting married other than an Ice lounge?

We decided to stay at the Venetian. I always wanted to stay there because it looked really cool. I liked the art work and the shops. It just seemed really fancy. It was. Everything they did exceeded my expectations. I used the salon for my hair, which was expensive, but it was last minute and they did a fantastic job. My best friend and I also got our makeup done too. I had never had my makeup professionally done, she airbrushed our faces and we got fake eyelashes, something I am thinking about investing in now. I felt extremely lucky to be pampered like that and I figured I deserved it, after all it was my day right? The ladies in the shop kept telling us bridezilla stories, "oh we had one in here yesterday...." They were very professional and we looked amazing when we left.

When we arrived at the ice chapel everyone put on fur coats except Randy. I got to wear the only white coat and everyone else had to wear black ones. It was 15 degrees in the ice lounge, but it didn't really feel like it. Our Elvis was so excited. He had never had a wedding in an ice lounge before and kept telling us it was special. He was very very good, the ceremony was very tender and not a cheesy Elvis ceremony at all, he told the story of how I met Randy, he talked about love and open heart moments. When it came time for the ring, my best friend Anna realized she left it in her purse, in the locker, outside the ice lounge. It was very much welcomed comedic relief, it was needed because crying in a freezer is not a good thing, it will freeze to your face.

After the ceremony ended we all had a drink than proceeded to go into the casino and gamble. All in all it was a fun day, followed by zip lining in my wedding dress on Fremont Street. More to come on that adventure....

This is where we went:

http://www.minus5experience.com/
http://www.themobileminister.com/
http://www.venetian.com/

Niagara Falls: The View from Canada

Randy and I decided to take a surprise road trip to Canada. It was impromptu and we weren't really sure where to start. I told him he should see Niagara Falls because it is beautiful and I had only seen it from the American side. I heard the Canadian side was nicer. We decided to leave at 2:30 PM, we left at 3:30PM, but at least we left. The drive through Canada was boring. I fell asleep.  Ontario is not the most exciting place to drive through, but it's a lot faster than driving through the US. The most stressful part was the boarder crossing, but I must say it was the easiest time I've ever had. They always seem to want to search me.  We arrived in Niagara at about 9pm that night. Just in time to see the falls light up. We had the most incredible view from our room. We could see the entire falls. Niagara Falls from the Canadian side looks so much bigger. The Canadian Side view shows the island in the middle of the falls.

This view is from the Canadian side, this is the American Falls. As you can see the hotels on the American Side are really far away, it is really difficult to see the falls from the American Side. 

There were many things to do on the Canadian side, I got to see some of my friends who were also in Niagara at the same time. They asked the valet where he would go to lunch because we didn't want to go to a place that was a chain or to "touristy". This place was awesome. They actually had a pizza burger. It was two slices of pizza with a burger in between.  I had a calzone and it was very tasty. The tomato sauce tasted like it was from fresh grown tomatoes. They also carried local beers. 

 This is the Burger King in downtown. The whole street was full of very very touristy stuff. We went to the wax museum, I had never been to one before and I didn't think the figures were very life like, but there was a lot more wax museums, one with rock stars, one with famous killers, and one with just basic celebrities. The Canadians are just hot for wax I guess. The Burger King had Frankenstein attached to it.  This specific Burger King had a haunted house in it. Right across the street was the Ripley's Believe it or not museum, packed full of all the gross, bizarre stuff that a person can handle. They even have a 4D moving theater, yes a Moving theater. The theater movies to simulated the action in the 4D movie.   I made a video of our experience there:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hiw65NlKKws&feature=g-upl&context=G279fe3dAUAAAAAAAAAA

The view from our room was amazing. We stayed at the Embassy Suites. There are many other hotels that are very reasonable nearby, they all boast of these wonderful views and they really do have them. We were closest to the Canadian falls, the "Horseshoe Falls". They were amazing. The amount of water that passes through them is incredible.  There is so much history from the area too, many people have lost their lives trying to take a barrel over the edge of the horseshoe falls, also people have tightrope walked across it. The place has traditionally been a honeymoon spot, but it is very family friendly and it also isn't super expensive unless you want to do everything they have available.  One thing I was kind of disappointed about was the "maid of the Mist" wasn't open. That's the boat that goes into the falls. Also we almost took a helicopter ride over the falls but we opted out of it. I have never been in a helicopter and hope someday to go in one, it looks like a lot of fun. Overall, I think Niagara is a pretty fantastic place to visit, I wish I would have had more time there, the falls are beautiful, there is fun things to do, and I don't think you can ever really "see it all" in a place like Niagara.