Feliz Año Nuevo

If I were to save all my $$ and spend it on one thing and one thing only it would have to be vacationing. Hands Down!  So new and exciting. You never know what your going to stumble across or who your going to meet.

I have been to Mexico 2 times in the past. Read -  2 Gingas + Tequila = Total Terror, Fun In The Sun, and Job Skills Needed. I don't think I could ever get sick of laying by the poolside/ocean, having fruity cocktails with umbrellas brought to me by a pretty senorita, and soaking up the sun day in and day out.

Therefore, as a special New Years treat to myself I decided to take a week long vacation to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Probably would not have chosen Mexico as my final destination again; however, It was only about 2 weeks prior to takeoff that I booked the trip so my options and funds were limited.

For my compañero de viaje I managed to track down a strapping young lad (Dustin) to escort me on my journey.

On December 31st, 2011 we embarked to Elk Grove Village where we would stay the night at the Ramada Inn and be transported to O'Hare International airport at 4am the next morning. Needless to say we planned on having dinner and then hitting the sack to get some rest before our long journey.

However, much to our surprise the Ramada was not nearly as cool as it once was. I'm guessing the prime time of this establishment was around 1970 and the individuals who were choosing to ring in the new year here had some very interesting smells drifting from under their doors. I'm fairly certain that everybody else at the hotel had invited Mary Jane to their private parties.

Finally, after 2 flights, 1 layover, and an hour long cab ride we finally made it to The BlueBay Grand Esmeralda in Playa Del Carmen where it was everything I had hoped for and more! The landscaping was amazing and the staff were great.

When we arrived they had delicious cocktails waiting for us and Hector gave us a private tour of the resort which included a a sports bar, gift shops, 2 buffets, 6 speciality restaurants (Mexican, Italian, french, steakhouse, seafood, and Oriental), a swing bar, lounge bar, 2 pools, spa, gym, and much more!

There were these odd little Lemur's crawling all about the resort which I must admit were a little creepy. They really didn't bother you unless you attempted to feed them. They looked something of a mix between a raccoon, rat, and monkey. This was one thing that I had not seen preciously in Mexico. But at this resort they were all over the place.

There was nightly entrainment including a Mexican version of Grease, a Michael Jackson tribute show, and a Mexican Festival dance; however, my favorite part was by far when Dustin got up and did a Michael Jackson dance on stage.

The weather was mediocre as it was fairly cloudy on a few days and averaged about 80 degrees. I, of course would prefer blistering hot, but it was easier on the skin and required much less aloe vera this way.

Weather for Playa del Carmen,  Mexico

79°F | °C

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Mostly Cloudy

Wind: E at 10 mph

Humidity: 65%

76°

66°

77°

66°

79°

66°

81°

61°

During our stay we took a half day snorkling trip at the second largest barrier reef in the world in which I saw a sting ray, baracuda, several small beautiful salt water fish (including a dory fish), and even HELD a sea turtle.

We also took a small excurison down the beach to check out a lagoon where I collected some really cool shells, saw some soft coral, and almost stepped on a huge crab swimming around in the ocean.

Here are some random photos of our stay. . . .



Standing on the Pier



Dustin hanging out on the drift wood



Enjoying lunch with a cerveza and overlooking the ocean



Photo Shoot

One of the many "interesting" decors the maids would leave

Photo Shoot2

Kirate Kid

Middle of the main pool where you can lay out by the fountain

I have some other pictures that I have not yet uploaded, but as soon as I do I will post them!

Unfortunately, now I am home and have to get back to work AND school tomorrow. At least I am feeling refreshed and ready to start the new year! Although in the back of my mind I am wondering. . . Where should I travel to next?

Hesed House

Not the coolest rap video I've ever made, but here is my rap/poem version recollecting my experience at Hesed House.

Children See, Children Do

A friend of mine was telling me the other day that her 1 1/2 year old son now says "shit" when he drops a toy on the ground. I wonder where he picked that up at...

Many people understand that their children imitate and learn from the ones that they are around. It may be their friends, kids at school, parents, or other adults in their lives.

I meant to share this commercial that was made in Australia a while ago, but due to the battery problem I wasn't able to post it.

Very inspiring.



What kind of messages are you unconsciously sending to the people around you?

AA, AAA, or Double D?

Guess who finally broke down and bought that computer battery? Oh yah.. that would be me. Originally looking at the dell website I thought it would be over $150, but luckily amazon never steers me in the wrong direction and I found a real steal for about $48.

So I suppose I could entertain you with a humorous story... or I could go work on my group paper that is due... To be responsible or not, that is the question.

Ok, Ok... I better go be "responsible". Whatever that means. Don't get used to it!

alive and kickin'

No I have not died; however, my computer has. For months it has been sending me a message saying "your battery is not charging normally, please order a new one". I thought it was a plot to get me to spend money at the dell website. - apparently I was wrong.

Needless to say, I need to order a new battery when I find 3 seconds of free time and then... I'll be back.

OcToBeR

Happy October!'

With the start of October comes the changing of leaves and brisk fall days. Perfect for pulling on a hoody and snuggling up in a blanket to watch a good movie. Of course that is not all this means. Oh No No No.

It's the start of some Halloween havoc - hay rack rides, bonfires, pumpkin carving, costume wearing, and of course we cannot forget haunted houses.

Which is exactly why last night I decided to ring the new month in by venturing to Ravin's Grin . It is really more of a haunted tour then the typical jump out from behind the wall and startle you type; however, it still managed to make me just about pee my pants (oops!).

Note to self: do not joke about having a pace maker before the tour, because they WILL purposefully try to scare you and any guy who owns a hearse and drives it around for his daily car has got to be a little wack.

Thought for the day: "I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween."



deep thoughts by emily

Why are some ladders called "step ladders"? Isn't the idea of all ladders to step up?

Read the small print

The BIGGEST Lie Ever:

"I have read and agree to the terms of use"

Coon Soup Anyone?

I wish I could say that this was the raccoon that I smoked with Ol' Betsy on the way home last weekend. Unfortunately the one I managed to smash into going 60mph was probably three times as big and twice as wide. Also, twice as flat once I was done with it.

Although Ol' Betsy definitely took a beating, I'd still say she came out ahead. I mean after all, at least Ol' Bets can still run. This coon can't even walk. I would put a picture of the lovely damages I incurd; however, it is far to cold out and I am way to tired to walk down 3 flights of stairs just for your entertainment.

Following the incident I received some interesting condolences including "at least everybody is okay" (although animal activist may argue that one), "glad it wasn't somebodies dog" (although on the farm this could have easily been somebodies dear beloved pet), and my personal favorite "at least it wasn't a skunk" - Touche my friend, Touche.

"Life Is Lucky"

Very moving story. Please watch.

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