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Arboretum tours: Reservations are now being taken for 2013 custom group tours of the Evergreen Arboretum &Gardens. The group tours are available all year by calling 425-257-8597. There is no charge, but donations to the Evergreen Arboretum Foundation are welcome. The arboretum is at 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett. Go to www.evergreenarboretum.com or email email@example.com.
Sorticulture: Everett's Garden Arts Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 7, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 8 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 9 at Legion Memorial Park, 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett. The festival includes garden art and nurseries, presentations by gardening experts, display gardens, food, music and a wine garden. Admission is free. See www.everettwa.org for more information.
Gardens of Merit Tour: Visit eight residential gardens on a self-guided tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 22 to support the Evergreen Arboretum &Gardens. Tickets are $10 and available online www.evergreenarboretum.com, at Sorticulture, at the arboretum on the day of the tour, and after June 1 at Sunnyside Nursery, Marysville; Pacific Stone Co., Everett; J.Matheson, Everett; Lamoureux Real Estate, Everett; Under the Red Umbrella, Everett; My Garden Nursery, Mill Creek. You can also shop the plant sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upper parking lot of the arboretum at 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett. call 425-257-8597 or email@example.com for more information.
Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens 2013 lectures: Noon to 1 p.m. select Saturdays, at the arboretum, 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett, either in the indoor classroom or, when appropriate, outside on the arboretum grounds. All the classes are free. Seating is limited and some classes require registration. Call 425-257-8597 to register. Go to www.evergreenarboretum.com to learn more.
- May 18: Attracting birds to your back yard with Linda Woolsey, member of the local and National Audubon Society
- June 15: Dahlias with Dick Weakley, master gardener
- July 20: Summer care of Japanese maples with Trevor Cameron of Sunnyside Nursery
- Aug. 17: Native plants with Andy Sudkamp, a horticulturist and biology teacher. Meet at the arboretum entrance for a tour.
- Sept. 21: Fall/winter containers with Dee Drake, arboretum volunteer. Registration necessary. Meet at the arboretum entrance.
- Oct. 19: Putting your Garden to Bed with Wink Cushman, master gardener. Meet at the arboretum entrance.
- Nov. 16: Holiday natural centerpieces with Marylou Hart, arboretum board member and master gardener. Registration necessary.
- Dec. 7: Arboretum gift-making workshop for kids, noon to 2 p.m., with Hap Wertheimer, past arboretum president and art teacher. Registration necessary.
Ask a Designer: Free color consult May 4 with Kelly DuByne at Ace Hardware, 303 91st Ave. NE, Lake Stevens. Call 425-334-7630 to sign up for 20-minute consultation.
Get Psyched about Color: Free brown-bag lunch session June 26 at Chapell Hill Fire Station 1825 S. Lake Stevens Road, Lake Stevens.
Everett Parks &Recreation: Classes from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Van Valey House, 2130 Colby Ave., Everett. Register at 425-257-8300, ext. 2, www.everettwa.org. 6 to 7:30pm $25.
- May 23: Creative Ways to Infuse Color into Your Home
- June 4: Declutter, Organize and Park in Your Garage
- May 21: DeClutter, Organize and Park in Your Garage
- May 23: The Significance of Color
- June 6: Paint Your Home Like a Pro
Lake Stevens FFA: Spring plant sales continue from 8 a.m. to noon Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays through May 18 at the LSHS greenhouse, 2908 113th Ave. NE, Lake Stevens. Hanging baskets, bedding plants, vegetables, and herbs. Baskets will be replanted for $10 including five plant picks and fresh soil. Plants available in 1 gallon pots, 4-inch pots and jumbo six packs. Call 425-335-1528 or email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
Snohomish High School Plant Biology and FFA: 2:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 to 5 p.m. Fridays and 10 to 3 p.m. Saturdays through May 25 at Snohomish High School greenhouse, 1316 Fifth St., Snohomish. Bring in your pot or basket to be planted. Bring in this notice for a 10 percent discount. Call 360-563-4195 or 360-563-4182, or email email@example.com for more information.
Pilchuck Fuchsia Society: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 18, 2513 Cleveland Ave., Everett. Fuchsia baskets, large and small fuchsias, geraniums, tomatoes, hostas, grasses, lilies and other outdoor plants. Call Julie Simmons at 425-760-3061 or email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
Darrington Cascade Senior Center: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 7 and 8, 1115 Darrington St., Darrington. Vegetable and perennial plants. Call 360-436-0646 or email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
Meerkerk Gardens: Purple Passion Sale, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 8 and 9 at Meerkerk Gardens, 3531 Meerkerk Lane, Greenbank. Purple blooming rhododendrons, species and hybrid rhododendrons and companion plants from 1 gallon to 6 feet tall. Entrance to the garden is free on sale days. Call 360-678-1912 or go to www.meerkerkgardens.org for more information.
Evergreen Arboretum: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 22 at 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett. Trees, shrubs, perennials, ground covers, grasses, roses and herbs. Sale benefits arboretum projects. See www.evergreenarboretum.com or call 425-257-8597 for more information.
Nursery classes
These local nurseries feature gardening classes, guest speakers and special events throughout the year, often for no charge. Check their websites or call for details.
Christianson's Nursery and Greenhouse: 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon; 360-466-3821; www.christiansonsnursery.com
Falling Water Gardens: Free classes in creating and caring for a pond, 17516 Highway 203, Monroe; 360-863-1400, www.fallingwatergardens.com.
McAuliffe's Valley Nursery: 11910 Springhetti Road, Snohomish; 360-862-1323; www.mcauliffesvalleynursery.com
Molbak's Garden &Home: 13625 NE 175th St., Woodinville; 425-483-5000; www.molbaks.com
My Garden: 17414 Bothell-Everett Highway, Mill Creek; 425-402-1842; www.mygardennursery.com
Pine Creek Nursery: 23225 Sofie Road, Monroe; 360-863-8866; www.pinecreeknursery.com
Plant Shack: 2829 164th St. SW, Lynnwood; 206-390-1422; www.plantshacknursery.com/
Sky Nursery: 18528 Aurora Ave. N., Shoreline; 206-546-4851; www.skynursery.com
Sunnyside Nursery: 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., Marysville; 425-334-2002; www.sunnysidenursery.net
The Plant Farm at Smokey Point: 15022 Twin Lakes Ave., Marysville; 360-652-3351; www.theplantfarm.com
Wight's Home &Garden: 5026 196th St. SW, Lynnwood; 425-775-3636; www.wights.com
Plant clinics
Got a gardening question? You can call the master gardener hotline from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 425-357-6010 or go to the Home &Garden section at snohomish.wsu.edu.
To submit an item for the Home &Garden calendar, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The 7 Wonders
Most of the projects below are simple activities that require only imagination and a basic understanding of the the history of Mount Prospect. If you would like a refresher on the history Mount Prospect, you can go to our History page and review a short history of the community. Most of the project below will work best if they are printed out.
Picture History of Me in Mount Prospect Top
Pictures can help people understand what life was like in the past. If you make drawings for these questions you will be making history for the future. Save these drawings and then you can look at them many years from now and see your history in Mount Prospect.
Drawing of me
Drawing of my family
Drawing of my house
Drawing of my favorite place in Mount Prospect
Drawing of something I like to do in Mount Prospect
Pretend you wake up but are no longer living in the 21st century. Instead, you are living in 1840. Your family just moved to Mount Prospect and the log cabin that you are living in is almost completed.
You wake up when the sun rises. As you get off of the straw mattress you were sleeping on, you realize it is very cold. You get dressed and slip on a pair of shoes that have holes in the soles. You have walked a lot in them, and you wish you had a new pair; however, there is no shoemaker in the area. You will have to order them from a catalog and it will be weeks before they are delivered. As you unlatch the front door and look out, you see a wide-open area. You can see your closest neighbor's house, but other than his house all you can see is open spaces. You notice that a lot of the leaves have changed colors and have fallen off the trees. The leaves are being blown around in the wind. Since it is very cold, you walk back into the cabin. Your father bursts through the door with a bundle of wood. After the fire is lit, you begin to get warm and sit down at the table. On the table is a letter you wrote to a friend a few days ago that you have not mailed yet. But it rained yesterday and some of the rain came through the roof and washed away some of the ink on your letter. Since you have a little time before you have to do your chores, you pick up your pen, dip it into the ink, and begin to fill in the areas that have been washed out.
Use your imagination to think of how life was in this area in 1840, and fill in the letter below. Go back to the history page if you have to and read it again to review.
September 24, 1840
Dear _______________
I have not seen
you in quite a long time. Our journey to Illinois was
Living here was very hard at first; I was used to the comforts of _____________________. Now, my nearest neighbor is _______________. Two weeks ago we ran out of ________________ and had to go to _______________to get more of it. Life here in Illinois is different from where we grew up because ___________________ ___________________________________________________. You will have to excuse me, I have to go now and finish _________________. I hope to hear from you soon. Tell me how your plans _________________ are going. Please give my regards to your family and if you happen to see _____________, tell him _____________________
__________________________________ .
Your Friend
History exists everywhere. There is history in you house, in your school and all around in your village. Answering the questions below will help you to write the history of your family. It may be a good idea to talk to your parents about this because you may not know all the answers.
My Name
I was born on _______(month/day/year) in______________________(city/state/country)
My family moved to Mount Prospect in ____________. My family has lived in this area
for _________years.
My Brother(s) My Sisters
__________________ ______________
__________________ ______________
__________________ ______________
My Mother My Father
________________ ________________
She was born in ______________ He was born in ________________
Grandfather Grandmother Grandmother Grandfather
__________ _____________ ____________ __________
They lived in ___________________ They lived in __________________
My favorite place in Mount Prospect is _______________________________________.
My favorite thing to do is __________________________________________________.
I go to ____________________ School and am in _____ grade.
Fill in the spaces in the sentences with words from the list below. After you use a word, cross it off. After you have filled in all the blanks, use the remaining words to make your own sentence.
Long before the first s _ t_ _ _r came to this area all the land was covered by
g _ _ c _ _ _ s. The movement of these gave the land its shape and the richness of the soil.
The first people to live in the area are now called N_ _ _v_ _m_ _ i _ _ _ s. They raised food and hunted large animals like the bu_ _ _l_.
When the first Yankees came to this area it was known as the f _ _ _ t _ _ r.
Soon after the Yankees built homes here a second group of residents moved to Mount Prospect. Most of them came from _ _ r _ a _ y.
When the railroad was first built in Mount Prospect a person had to signal the
_ r _ _ n for it to stop. This was called a _ l _ g stop.
What is now Mount Prospect was once a part of _ _ k Grove Township.
The man who named Mount _ _ o _ p _ _ t was named Ezra _ _ g _ _ s _ _ n.
Mount Prospect was incorporated as a _ _ l l _ g_ in 1917.
Many people who came to this area wanted _ a _ d that they could own.
Most of the _ a _ms in the area raised mushrooms, o _ _ o _ s and dairy goods.
After World War II Mount Prospect developed as a s _ b _ _ b of Chicago.
Lutheran Elk Germany
railroad Native American Busse
train friendliness flag
deer buffalo Prospect
settler prairie onions
cabbage farms land
suburb frontier village
glaciers Eggleston prospect
Now that you know a little about the history of Mount Prospect, you will design a flag that you think represents this community. You can design and color the flag however you want, but keep in mind your drawing must show something about what took place here in Mount Prospect. For example, a train or a train station would make sense, while a castle would not. Think of things to draw that can symbolize or represent Mount Prospect. Keep the entire history of Mt. Prospect in mind as you work on it. You can start with the box below, or ask your teacher for extra paper.
How Santa Claus Became American Top
Directions: Santa Claus and many parts of the traditional American holidays did not originate in America. Every immigrant group that came to America brought with them their own holiday celebrations, slowly over time various parts of those celebrations were joined together to create what we know has the traditional American holiday. You will be given holiday traditions from those various immigrant groups and you will have to figure out which of those traditions are still practiced today.
Santa Claus
Legend has it that the real Saint Nicholas threw gold coins into the window of a poor family to provide them with money they needed for a dowry to have their daughters married. If they were unable to provide money for the marriage, their daughters faced the possibility of slavery. Saint Nicholas' charity apparently happened many more times. Saint Nicholas would sometimes throw the coins down the chimneys of houses where he could find no open window. This often resulted in the coins he threw falling into stockings that were hung by the fire to dry. Saint Nicholas would usually wear a red and white bishops robe and arrive on a donkey on December 6th, his religious feast day. Saint Nicholas usually had gifts of fruit, nuts, hard candy, and wood and clay figurines. In Austria Saint Nicholas would travel with an assistant known as Krampus. He would bring a rod for parents to punish bad children with.
What parts of Saint Nicholas were used to create the American version of Santa Claus?
Decorating Trees
The oldest report of an evergreen tree being decorated for the holidays dates back from 1419. The tree was decorated by a bakery that used apples, wafers, nuts, gingerbread, cheese, and sausage for village children to take from the tree. Decorating the tree inside of the home began around 1600. One of the first types of ornament used was a pickle, which was a symbol of good luck. The first child to find the pickle in the morning got a special present. Glass ornaments made their first appearance in a German village around 1840. These glass ornaments began just as simple balls but as glass blowers became more skilled they began to use molds to make ornaments in such shapes as pinecones. German mercenaries are said to have brought the idea of decorating evergreen trees to the U.S during the Revolutionary War, with Franklin Pierce being the first president to set up a tree inside the White House.
What parts of the tree decorating traditions do we still use today?
Holiday Food
If the weather were cold enough before the holiday season then families would butcher a hog for holiday dinner. This was a joyous and social occasion for families. Staple foods such as potatoes, dumplings, kraut, and soup would be served along with the fresh pork. December 24th used to be a day of fasting in Catholic areas so fish was served on that day. In the middle of the 19th century Wiener Schnitzel, red or white cabbage, and Sauerkraut slowly became part of the holiday tradition. Beer and cider were favorite holiday drinks. When the weather wasn't cold enough for pork families would have goose for the holidays. The goose could be used for a variety of purposes, meat, stuffing for pillows and beds, quills for writing, and their feathers were sometimes even used to make fake Tannenbaums. The German Stollen, a fruitcake shaped with tapered ends and a center ridge, is a traditional holiday dessert. The shape is meant to be symbolic of Baby Jesus. Gingerbread was first cooked in monasteries throughout Germany. Nuremberg, a major international trade center, became the first place where it was made outside of monasteries. With all the trade flowing through the town the taste for gingerbread spread across Europe and beyond. This traditional food came across the Atlantic with German immigrants and first appeared in the Midwest around 1814.
What type of food is still served today during the holidays?

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday, May 28, 2009
Shopping Bags As Art
One of my most favorite blogs, Style Redux, had posted a great feature on showcasing your collection of shopping bags as art. (just as shown above) What a great way to preserve your favorite bags, that are far too beautiful to throw in the trash. I have kept a number of bags of the years that would work ideally for a display of artwork such as this...my first purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue, Ladurée in Paris, our local and stunning Holt Renfrew, etc. It's the wonderfully memories that are attached to these shopping experiences that have a hold on me as well—this is the perfect solution! Would be nice in a home office, bedroom, bathroom, or dressing room. (best option I believe) I wonder if it would work with shoe/box lids as well...although I love using them for ribbon storage! Do you have some bags that you treasure?
/image 01 link/image 02 link/image 03 link/image 04 link/
20 comments:
Thanks for the sweet mention. I have several favorite bags on display on the floor in my dressing room. My daughter displays her favorites on the top shelf of her walk-in closet. I have some beautiful shoe boxes on display in my dressing room as well. Some of my favorite bags are Hermes, Chanel, Bergdorf Goodman, Kate Spade, Ralph Lauren, Henri Bendel, Thomas Pink, and Betsey Johnson. Love your blog!ReplyDelete
silly but i had a collection of victoria's secret bags. i like the subtle differences to them. but anyway, i really use as storage.ReplyDelete
but i display my dior homme bags. silver with black ribbons that tie together as handles. they are the 1st thing i see when i wake up.
ribbons! ooooh-my-goooooodness! :]ReplyDelete
Ribbons are divine - what would I do without my extensive collection? (David, above, my boyfriend, loves to tease me about such collection)ReplyDelete
David...aren't you happy that Sarah has found other people to share her ribbon obsession with ;) you just love to tease her every chance lolReplyDelete
I have stopped by via Style Redux and appreciate your kind comments about my photos at TLPC.
Love your blog & am extremely happy to have found a way to display my shopping bag collection.
This might also inspire me to do something clever with my coach & tiffany boxes other than just stack them.
Thanks for the visit & the inspiration.
i seriously LOVE this idea!!! LOVE it. i have collected bags from all over the world and besides the ones my boyfriend has decided have taken up too much room in our tiny apt i had no ideas as to what to do with them.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 26, 2010 at 7:51 AM
What a fabulous idea for shopping bags, some of them are just too good to throw away. thanksReplyDelete
Designer handbags are the handbags which are manufactured by us keeping in mind the best designs of the well known brands but the raw material and designers employed are our own. Hence, these are available at reasonable prices. The quality of these Designer handbags is also competitive in the market.ReplyDelete
Abercrombie is a brand of its own kind. Its aura clearly explains you the demand and love for its products. This American brand has become the most acclaimed and reputable brand. The clothing line of Abercrombie and Fitch has become highly successful and its demand has been increasing by each passing day. All those people, who are fashion freaks and want to dress up and accessorize in a trendy yet sophisticated way, they prefer to get their hands on the stuff, which is manufactured by Abercrombie & Fitch .ReplyDelete
Nice collection. I like Crazy N funny best. It´s very cool…ReplyDelete
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Fabulous ideaReplyDelete
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Dazed and Confused (by all the options, Help!)
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I'm Super Kindle-icious
Posts: 6,734
Karma: 2434103
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia
Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis
Originally Posted by
Dulin's Books
WiFi is useful with a home or office network to move files from one device to another and for printing etc where whispernet is not. Many people prefer to have both and WiFi over whispernet if made to choose.
Hey, I have no problems with wi-fi being included in a future version of the Kindle but for the most part, you can't print Kindle books anyway. If you need to print personal documents you have on the Kindle, wouldn't they be on a computer already.
I think, though I haven't tried it, if you connected Kindle to a computer and shared the documents folder, you would be able to move the files around as you've described.
Nook's Wifi is limited to only connecting to the B&N store for browsing/purchasing books. It doesn't have a browser you can access nor will it allow you to transfer files or print to/from the device
I think I was kind of saying that with the "limited wi-fi in the B&N store" part.
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The (mostly) Good, The Bad & The Incredibly Long... A Breakaway Review: Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Review by Tralfie
Overall Member Rating
The (mostly) Good, The Bad & The Incredibly Long... A Breakaway Review
Destination: Bahamas
Embarkation: New York (Manhattan)
The trip – planned to mark my 50th birthday, and my first full-length cruise – was one of the best vacations I've ever taken… maybe even THE best. Fantastic food (via the Ultimate Dining Package), lots of new friends (thanks to my Cruise Critic Meet & Greet), a big win in the casino. Yes, there were a few misses, which I'll detail in the review, but nothing significant. Yes, we had one wildly bumpy night that left a lot of people ill and a few things broken, although I emerged relatively unscathed. Yes, everything you own will wind up smelling of smoke thanks to the casino.
Want the full story? Read on… and hit the comments with any questions! Note that I'm going to More break this into several entries here on the main board, but if you want to read the whole review without comments and questions interrupting, look for it in the "Review" section… once I get around to finishing it!
As New York City's my home port, I was at the pier by 10 a.m., and checked in by 10:30. The process was incredibly easy, although right from the start, you could spot the people who were bound and determined to have an awful time. While we sat waiting to board, one older man began furiously expounding about how upset he was about having had to walk so far to check in. It's worth noting that the check in's at the far end of the space were FAR less crowded than those up front, so it's pretty easy to imagine that had he gone through those lines, he'd have been complaining about how long it took. This behavior was something I saw over and over again: people complaining for the sake of complaining.
Let's stop here to discuss the first of several lessons learned: When picking out your wardrobe for the first day, make sure it's fully functional! Only after handing my suitcase — which was approximately the size of Tahiti — over to a porter did I realize that the zipper on the jeans I was wearing wasn't particularly interested in staying up. Every 10 minutes or so, I'd check and find it down. And of course, I was stuck with this outfit until my luggage was delivered to my room later that day. I'm sure I wound up flashing more than a few people. File that one under #SmallThrills
Moving on…
Once the boarding process began, things moved incredibly quickly. I was on the ship by noon, and was in the atrium with a cocktail in hand by 12:15 p.m.! Before swinging by the bar, I went straight to Guest Services in an attempt to snag a pass for Vibe Beach Club. Managed to snag the 17th pass of the limited number they sell, then sank my butt into one of the big, cozy chairs in the atrium and soaked up the atmosphere. For about 30 minutes, I had the space completely to myself. Honestly, I sat there thinking, "Holy crap… after a year of planning and waiting and obsessing, it's finally here! My first full-length cruise!"
Time for another lesson learned, and for many of you, this one will already come too late: Don't over plan. Don't read too much. As with a striptease, there should be something left to the imagination. When I finally got my first glimpse of the infamous chandelier that hangs at 678 Ocean Place, I was… underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong: It's gorgeous. But you know how the rearview mirror of your car warns, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear?" Well, sites aboard the ship will prove more stunning if you haven't seen 10,000 pictures of them. By not looking at every picture you can find and not reading every bit of info available, you'll find that things make their own impression as opposed to seeming smaller or less grand than you might have anticipated.
By this time, the rooms were ready, so I made my way to cabin 12906… which for many folks on these boards, myself included, might just as well be called The Gambee Balcony. After all, it was his review of the ship in general — and the balcony of this room in particular — that led me to wind up in the aft-facing balcony of my dreams. Once inside the room, I found an envelope on the bed inviting me to a VIP meet-and-greet with the ship's captain, being held the following night in the Haven. And after wandering around a bit, I returned to find yet another treat: This time, it was a plate of delicious canapés! Headed off in search of food, and found that they'd set up a mini buffet in Moderno. Nothing fancy, but the grilled chicken and fries hit the spot and promised to hold me over until my reservation that evening at Le Bistro.
Wandering through the casino, just to sort of eye which machines would be eating all my cash over the next week (or so I assumed), I signed up for a slot tournament which would be held during our sea days. (Registreation was $15 bucks, and you could enter as many times as you wanted.) My muster drill station was in the Manhattan Room, and this was actually the only time during the entire week that I set foot in one of the Main Dining Rooms, thanks to the fact that I had pre-purchased the Ultimate Dining Plan and would wind up eating all my dinners in specialty restaurants. At the muster drill, I met fellow Cruise Critic member Tita and her son… who it just so happened were staying in the aft-facing balcony room next to mine! We would wind up spending a LOT of time together over the next week, and lemme tell you something: those two were the proverbial hoot, as well as the accompanying half.
As the dinner hour approached, I headed down to Mixx bar, which was shockingly quiet despite being situated directly between Savor and Taste, two of the main dining rooms. Downed a potent Moscow Mule while reading, then headed to Le Bistro for my first dinner. And man, what a way to start the week! If you eat nothing else in a specialty restaurant during your cruise, I'm going to have to insist that you swing by here to try the escargot. Three words… To. Die. For. Oh, sure, I also had a tasty salmon mouse starter and the lamb chops, but the escargot was the star. I have to say, you KNOW a meal is good when I eat the veggies, which in this case were some kind of zucchini hash accompanying the perfectly-prepared lamb. I actually skipped dessert not only this night, but just about every night… which may have helped prevent me from gaining weight despite there being food here, there and everywhere.
For absolutely no reason whatsoever, I wound up attending the jewelry sale and raffle. I have to say, the energy exuded by the hostess was infectious. Whether you gave a crap about what they were selling or not, you couldn't help but get caught up in her vibe. After that, it was a drink or two at Shaker's Martini Bar before heading back to the room for some good, old-fashioned stare-at-the-ocean-and-mull-over-life time, after which I hit the sack.
DAY 2 (Sea Day)
Slept like a baby, or maybe just a plump, buzzed guy only days away from 50, rousing myself out of bed at 9. Eventually, I walked up to Vibe to check it out (the pass was $79 for the week). Nice area, kinda hard to figure out how to access it the first time you go searching for the entrance. The space was very quiet that morning, so I hung, read for a bit, then went to my Cruise Critic Meet & Greet.
Okay, let's take a minute to talk about Meet & Greets. In a word, GO. And even before that, be active in your Cruise Critic roll call. Apparently, I managed to be at least mildly amusing during my roll call posts, because when I arrived at the Meet & Greet (late, because it had been moved and I'm easily confused), several people said they'd been looking forward to meeting me. I can only assume that either my mother paid them off for fear I'd spend the week bored and alone (what with traveling solo) or they were easily entertained. But no matter the case, I met people whom I'd cross paths with all week, and I met people who would make this trip a thousand times better than it would have been had I not attended. So… run, do not walk, to your roll call and meet and greet!
After the M&G was the slot pull, which Carol ran beautifully. Those of us taking part — and we had a great, fun group — paid $15 each, which bought us five spins on a Wheel Of Fortune machine. At the end, we divided up the profits. Paid $15, walked away with $19. Hey, given the odds of walking away with anything in a casino, that was pretty darn good! Following the slot pull, I wound up hanging out with Steve and Ann, whom I'd met there, for a drink and some really fantastic talk. Great people from Montana, a place I couldn't find on the map if I tried.
When we went our separate ways, I headed to my room and met Louisa, my room steward. I'd already met her husband (Roberto?), so it was interesting hearing about their life as a ship-board married couple. Heading down to the atrium, I watched Deal Or No Deal… which is a blast, even just as a spectator. For the first time, I kinda understood the audience mentality that causes folks with absolutely no vested interest to cheer and boo as game shows unfold.
I was supposed to have dinner that night at Cagney's, but I'd made the mistake of pigging out in the buffet earlier that afternoon, so I skipped dinner. I hit the buffet several times during the week, usually for lunch, and have to say I really enjoyed it. I'm a bit of a foodie, but it's a really new development. Until about 10 years ago, I had a REALLY limited spectrum of foods that I'd eat. You couldn't have paid me to eat escargot or anything that might be mistaken for a salad… even if you deep-fried it. Now, however, I'm far more adventurous. But even as a budding foodie, I'd still say the buffet food was pretty high quality. I always found something different, it was always right around the right temperature, and I never failed to find a table… although sometimes, the best approach was to leave the crowded main area and head to those closer to the pool.
It was time to head to the Haven for the VIP meet-and-greet with the captain. Yeah, yeah, sure, get a pic with the captain. I was there to check out The Haven! And man, is it gorgeous. From the private bar to the pool area, totally swankified. Ran into Steve and Ann again… and for some reason, at this point, I decided his name was Bob. I continued to labor under this delusion for several days. A couple of other folks from my CC M&G were there, including Jeffrey and June, who were on their honeymoon. Leaving the Haven, I headed down to the casino to throw some money down the toilet, and got an incredible invitation: Andrea (aka MommyTo2Girls) & her hubby, Harold, invited me to spend Friday — which was both my 50th birthday and our day at Great Stirrup Cay — hanging with them in the cabana they'd rented for the day. I couldn't have been more excited. Heck, thanks to Cruise Critic, I was feeling like the bell of the ball… but unlike Cinderella, I crashed early, heading to my room around 10:30. Once there, my upset stomach had me convinced that I'd contracted nurovirus… which, um, turned out to actually be gas. A few burps later, I was good to go. Climbing out of bed, I went to the Norwegian's Night Out Party for a bit, gambled a bit and then — having skipped Cagney's — went to O'Sheehan's for a late-night snack of fish & chips along with a platter of wings, all of which was as good as people say!
DAY 3 (Port Canaveral)
When sailing out of New York in March, you have to expect that it's gonna be cold… and it definitely was the first day. By day 3, everything had changed… including the basic demeanor of everyone on board. Amazing what some sunshine can do for you! Suddenly, the pool deck and other areas were crawling with sun worshippers tilting their heads toward their god of choice. Folks were everywhere, and the mood was downright joyous… except, of course, if you were trying to use the jogging track.
Here's the thing: In many cases, Breakaway proved that a bigger ship doesn't necessarily translate into bigger (let alone better) public spaces. The jogging track is a great example. It is a ridiculously short track that could not be in a worse place, given that several of the slides exit directly onto it. You also have all kinds of gawkers standing there, looking up at the folks about to take the Freefall plunge. And while the track claims that five laps equal a mile, I'm pretty sure that's inaccurate. I usually struggle to jog 2 miles under the best of circumstances, and I had absolutely no problem (aside from dodging interlopers) doing 12 or 13 laps.
But, as usual, I digress…
After doing my morning jog, I went down to the gym. Hey, I was inspired to work out, and heaven knew when THAT would happen again. I climbed aboard a treadmill and did another mile or so while watching as we sailed into Port Canaveral. This was the only day I exercised, although I can't blame that on the size of the jogging track or the equipment in the gym (which was all perfectly fine), but rather… well, I blame Norwegian. They lulled me into a sense of relaxation that left me unable to do anything more taxing than walk to a bar, buffet or restaurant! How very dare!
Following my morning constitutional — wait, do only dogs have those? And does it mean that I pooped while I was walking, as dogs do? — I went back to my cabin and sat on my gorgeous balcony — bathed in the Florida sunlight — talking to Tita, who I think I told you was in the cabin next to mine (with her son, Charlie). We gossiped for a while, exchanged gambling tips and then made plans to have dinner that night at Moderno. The important business of "where will my next meal come from" dealt with, I headed up to Vibe (the adults-only area I'd bought a pass for on Day 1), which proved to be a great respite from… well, everything. The area was practically empty, and the staff was quite pleasant. Every now and then, they'd come around with fresh fruit skewers and even spray bottles which they offered to use to spritz you down with. You know, the way you do meats cooking on a grill. Honestly, this made me kinda laugh. I mean, I'm just not comfortable with someone coming over and spraying me down…. and it's not because I'm like the dude in Beauty & The Beast ("Look away! Do not gaze at my unsightly form!"), but rather cause it feels so demeaning to the poor staffer who has to do it! If there's one thing I'd love to change about Vibe, it's that I wish they had a water feature like the one at Spice H20. But since they didn't have one, I took full advantage of the hot tubs, which are perfectly positioned for staring off into the distance. I also took advantage of the bar, perfectly positioned to serve me drinks to encourage staring off into the distance.
Funny (to me) sidebar: At one point, a group of tourists came through. I don't think these were people already on the ship, but rather people (I assume from Florida, since that's where we were docked at the time) on a tour of the ship. They were ushered into Vibe, and they poked around a few minutes as if we were animals on display at the zoo. (Reminder: "Look away!") Most of them were elderly. As they were leaving, one of them looked over at me and whispered, "Is this free?" I said, "No, it's $79 for the week." Like something out of that old hair commercial, he told two friends and they told two friends and so on... by the time they walked out of Vibe, the entire group of old folks was muttering about "nickel and diming" and I felt bad for the hostess, who was probably going to get an earful at the end of the tour...
After a couple hours, I moseyed on back to my cabin (okay, I've gone from being a puppy on his constitutional to a cowboy!) for more gossip with Tita. I later ran into a few other cruise critic folks and went to Headliners for some karaoke. Carol -- who'd organized the slot pull -- was there with her son, Jimmy, who had us all clapping and hooting and hollering like fools when he took the stage.
Dinner was with Tita and Charlie are Moderno, and the meal was fantastic. Just the salad bar alone was awesome! I have to say, this was probably the worst service I had during the entire week. It wasn't bad, per se, as much as... disinterested. The waiter seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else. Instead of making any form of eye contact when talking to us, he was always looking elsewhere. When we made requests, they took forever to be delivered (if they were at all). Fortunately, Moderno isn't a restaurant that really relies heavily on your server. And the company was great.
Once I had a full belly, I went back to my room and wound up laying down to take a "nap." Of course, being (at this point) three days away from 50, my nap turned into "down for the count." And I probably would have stayed there... had the music from the 70's Party being held up at Spice -- three decks above my aft-facing balcony - not kicked in. "Hey, fool," it seemed to shout at me, "You're on vacation! Get your butt outta bed!" So I did just that, went up to spice and grooved to the 70's tunes for a while before heading down to the casino where, sadly, the fortunes were not smiling upon me. But it was fun, anyways. With the next day being our stop on the private island, I eventually headed to bed in anticipation of a great day on the beach...
DAY 4 (Great Stirrup Cay)
This being my vacation and all, I had every intention of sleeping in. I knew that when I awoke, we'd be at Great Stirrup Cay, and I also knew that there'd be a mad rush by the masses to get on the early tenders. Knowing that Andrea and Harold would probably be on the island all day, my original plan was to sleep in, catch a tender around 11:30 or so...
Yeah, well, we all know what they say about best laid plans.
The night before, I'd received a note in my room inviting me to be in the Spiegel Tent (where the Cirque Dreams dinner show is held) by 8:30 a.m. in order to be on the first tender of the day. Apparently, my internal alarm clock refused to allow me to sleep in, determined that we be on that first tender. So up I got, throwing a few things into my backpack... and then came something very cool I didn't expect...
In order to tender, you head down into what I can only call the Breakaway's version of Walt Disney World's utiladors. Either you're a Disney fan who gets that reference, or you're not... but think of it as the coolest behind-the-scenes glimpse possible. At one point, we walked past a large set of blueprints labeled something like "Crew Emergency Plans." I wanted to snap a pic of that for studying later because, you know, if the info is good enough for the crew, I kinda want to know it too!
A note about the tendering process: It's really easy to see why Breakaway so often winds up skipping Great Stirrup Cay. Even without high winds or waves, it's still a little bit tricky transferring from the behemoth that is Breakaway to the relatively small tender. Throw in some waves, and it would be accidents and lawsuits waiting to happen.
While boarding the first tender of the day, we could see several other small boats being loaded up with goods from the Breakaway. A woman near me said, "Oh my God, pirates!" Um, no, ma'am, that's actually the ship's crew loading stuff to take to the island. You know, so they can feed us. (I'd like to think that if pirates were raiding the ship, there'd be a tad more excitement about it than, "Oh, look... ")
A woman sitting by me on the tender as we made our way to the island was what I like to call a "Professional Complainer." She was talking to someone about the fact that there were children everywhere because it happened that the schools in Canada were out that week. "If I'd known that, I never would have booked this week," she declared.
"Oh, are they bothering you?" I asked.
"No, it's just the principle of it."
"Ma'am," I said (entirely in my head), "I'm not sure you know what that words means... "
She spent the entire ride from the boat to the island engaged in conversations about things she "wished she'd known" before getting on Breakaway. And y'all know what I was thinking, right? "Well, if you'd done a little research on Cruise Critic, you'd have known all those things... "
Arriving on the island, I almost immediately ran into Andrea and Harold, and we hopped on a tram to take us to the cabana they'd rented for the day.
A note about the cabanas: They'd rented a small cabana, which I believe is about $100 less than the large cabanas. The cabana, No. 12, was perfectly situated... not far from the restroom, a great view of the beach, not too close to the neighbors. Seriously, you could not ask for better. Later that afternoon, I checked out the large cabanas, and I have to say: The small ones had a better location. And "small" is a wildly inadequate word. You could easily, comfortably have six people in the cabana. My hosts had ordered some lovely nibbly bits (including delicious shrimp and corn chips with several different toppings for dipping). The three of us sat and talked and again, I have to point out that this entire day was made possible because I was involved in the Meet & Greet and slot pull. Otherwise, I might never have met this fantastic couple (who, as fate would have it, actually live about 10 miles away from me!) and been given the opportunity to spend the day with them in the cabana.
I'm a big believer in being grateful for what you have, and man, was I EVER grateful that day!
Because I was trying to avoid getting too much sun -- and I knew I'd be on a catamaran the next day -- I headed back to Breakaway around 1 p.m. I wanted to try the waterslides -- in particular, the notorious "cross-your-arms-listen-to-the-countdown-and-pray" Freefall slides. Of course, the problem is you can't have anything -- including eye glasses -- on when you do them. So I went to the cabin, changed, grabbed a towel and, sans glasses, did my best not to kill anyone as I did the nearly-blind-man shuffle to the slides.
My greatest achievement on this entire trip? Not screaming like a girl when the bottom dropped out and I was plunged down the slide. Kids, this is an awesome, wild, weird, scary, crazy experience. Do it. At least once. After taking the plunge a few times, I grabbed a quick lunch in the buffet, then headed back to the room. Caught up with Tita to find out what she and Charlie had been up to that day, then took a nap.
Hey, kids -- and this time, I mean actual children -- listen to your Uncle Richard: Stop complaining about taking naps! Trust me, there will come a day when you will wish you could interrupt the day to just curl up and snooze for a bit!
Although I had a 6:30 reservation at Cagneys, I just wasn't hungry. So instead, I went to the casino and gambled for a while. Happened to be lucky enough to win $25 in a Hot Seat promotion, and then, proving that the seat was, indeed, as hot as rumored, hit a $150 jackpot on a penny machine! Headed back to Cagney's around 7:45 p.m. and got a table without any problem. It was then that tragedy struck...
Seated a few tables away was a little girl named Ella and her family. Ella was downright adorable and, it turned out, it was Ella's birthday. Suddenly, her table was surrounded by Cagney's staffers with the best of intentions who proceeded to -- oh, it still haunts me -- sing the saddest, most wretched version of Happy Birthday it has ever been my misfortune to hear. You know those people on American Idol who think they're awesome singers, and are ticked when the judges tell them otherwise? That's kinda what this was like. But Ella, from what I could tell, was delighted, and ain't that what matters?
Dinner wise, I had the shrimp cocktail, baked potato soup, 16 ounce boneless ribeye, onion rings and baked potato. Was it good? Well... um...
Let's just say I had that exact same thing two other nights. It was THAT good. And no, I didn't have dessert... I didn't have room! I wanted the legendary oreo cheesecake soooo badly, but I just couldn't do it!
Full to the brim, I went back to my cabin and... well, I was completely ready to call it a night and go to sleep. But Tita had other plans. She called and basically said, "Get your butt outta bed! Meet me at the H2Glow party." We went up to Spice, shook our groove things (and for the record, Tita has some moves) and had a couple cocktails. Eventually, I headed back downstairs -- somehow managing to avoid the siren call of the casino -- and went to bed.
This time, for realsies.
DAY 5 (Nassau, Bahamas)
Another day, another adventure.
Today, we arrived bright and early in Nassau. When looking at the various excursions available during the week, I knew I wanted to do one thing: Snorkel. So when I'd gotten on board that first day -- which seemed oh so long ago by now! -- and gone to the Shore Excursions desk, I had it in mind that I'd book the latter of two available excursions, which would leave at 11:30 a.m. But the very helpful person I dealt with that first day admitted that most people preferred the 9 a.m. excursion.
But... but... what of sleeping in?
Taking the rep's advice, I booked the 9 a.m. excursion, figuring, "You'll sleep when you're dead!"
Awakening as we arrived in Nassau, I sat on my balcony and watched the process of tying the boat to the dock, which was really interesting. You'd think there'd be a more modern process available than pull the line, tie it to a truck, make things tight. It was also interesting to watch the dynamic between the three men who were dealing with this process on shore. Two of them were working their butts off, and the third was... well, definitely not. Even from a distance, I could tell the hard-workers were glaring at the non-worker. I imagined the no-doubt obscenity-laden conversations they were having about him... what can I say, I have an active imagination!
Anyhoo, got off the boat and stood with my group for the excursion. As we all signed the waiver and then walked to where we would be meeting the catamaran which would take us out to the reef, I started to think, "Geez, there's a LOT of people on this excursion. That boat is going to be packed!" But when we actually arrived at the pier (after, I might add, walking past the most gorgeous yacht I've ever seen in my life), TWO catamarans pulled up and they separated us into two groups. It became clear pretty quickly that they were breaking us up into "young, party" types and "older, more sedate types."
It hurt my one-day-away-from-turning-50 soul to be placed in the second group!
It took about 25-30 minutes for the catamaran to reach the reef. I was sprawled out on the webbed front of the boat, and at a certain point, we started going through waves. Water would splash up through the webbing, cause people to squeal at its coldness. Figuring I was going to be diving into the water soon enough, I just enjoyed it... and I looked backwards to see the captain, who had a wild grin on his face. It was pretty clear he was purposefully heading into the waves in order to hear everyone squeal.
He instantly became my new favorite person.
The crew was ridiculously friendly and, it's worth mentioning, ridiculously attractive. I mean, geez, as if I wasn't already feeling self-conscious about stripping down to my bathing suit in order to snorkel, hoping I wouldn't be mistaken for a manatee or a whale and harpooned! They distributed snorkeling gear...
... oh, sidenote! Remember way back on day 1 I talked about the fact that my luggage was basically the size of the ship itself? Well, my original plan had been to take along snorkeling gear I'd found down in our basement storage area. My housemate had, at some point, bought top-of-the-line mask, breathing tube and flippers. Sadly, despite having a suitcase bigger than some objects classified as planets, I couldn't fit the gear in. So I wound up using the excursion's gear. It wasn't nearly as nice as the stuff I'd left at home, but it was perfectly serviceable.
Getting into the water was a bit of a process. Rather than being able to just sort of jump off the side of the boat, as I'd done on my one previous snorkeling excursion a decade earlier, they had us one-by-one go down a set of steps, sit on the bottom step to slip our fins on, and then enter the water. This wouldn't have been bad... except for the fact that we had a lot of kids on board. And most of these were not of the "I'll try anything... lemme at it!" sort, but rather the get-to-the-bottom-step-and-then-freak-out-about-getting-into-the-water sort. And unfortunately, the parents weren't smart enough -- or considerate enough -- to say, "Let's let all these other folks get into the water first, then deal with forcing my child to have a good time."
This wouldn't really be a big issue except for the fact that we had one hour of snorkel time, and the crew had announced that time started when the first (not last) person got into the water. In any case, I wound up being one of the last to get in, not that I minded. I tended to swim away from the group, who weirdly largely did that "stay together" thing despite no instructions to do so. Maybe they figured, "Hey, if we all stay together, the odds of me getting eaten by a rogue shark are less..."
Saw a fair amount of fish. Not nearly as many or as exotic as my excursion 10 years ago in St. Thomas, but it was still a whole lotta fun. Once we were all out of the water, we sailed back. The music being played as we sipped rum punch was...um... I'm gonna go with "wildly annoying." But I didn't really care, because I was on a boat, zipping across the sea, looking at the big, gorgeous houses we passed and dreaming of one day owning one of them.
Arriving back on shore, I walked back to the boat, changed clothes, and then disembarked again in order to wander aimlessly around Nassau. On Marlborough Street, I found a restaurant whose name promised exactly what I was looking to try: Conch Fritters Grill! I ordered up a plate of the dish I'd heard about but never tried, and they were absolutely fantastic!
Amusing (I hope) sidestory: Sitting next to me at the restaurant was this guy who looked like the worst nightmare of every teenaged girl. Stoner, biker, drinking from a flask he didn't really bother to be discrete with. A girl sat down on the other side... cute, probably 20 or so. He struck up a conversation with her and she IMMEDIATELY became clearly smitten. Even as he talked about the two children he neither visited nor supported. His tale of not one or two but three stints in rehab left her practically swooning. I kept kinda hoping her parents -- whom she'd said were shopping nearby -- walked up, because oh, did I want to see their reaction! Sadly, they never did...
Back on the boat, I took a nap before dinner. Earlier in the day, I'd crossed paths with Steve (not Bob) and Ann, who'd asked if I'd like to have dinner with them that evening. I said sure, told them to pick a restaurant and leave me a message. Returning to my room, I had a message from Ann. I called her back, and she said that Steve was in the casino. (This was, by the way, the moment when I realized his name was Steve and not Bob... for a second, I was like, "Who is this Steve she keeps talking about, and why do I care where he is?") We made arrangements to meet for dinner at Teppanyaki.
Moment of honesty: Teppanyaki was the one specialty restaurant on board I had no interest in and had planned to skip entirely. But since they'd made the reservation, I thought, "Okay, let's give it a try!" And man oh man, am I glad I did. The chef's show was just outstanding. Unlike anything I'd ever seen (although Steve, who'd done Teppanyaki type restaurants before, said it was really not the best he'd seen). The food was outstanding. As the chef was making the veggie starter, I was thinking, "Um, yeah. I don't eat veggies." I took a bite to be polite... and then had to be restrained from stealing Steve and Ann's portions. It's also worth mentioning that the chef did something I really loved: As he was doing his running spiel of jokes, his references varied. Sometimes, he talked about his girlfriend. Sometimes, he talked about his boyfriend. This may seem odd or like a little thing, but it was incredibly cool to hear someone doing this in SO inclusive a way.
After dinner, I went to do a little more gambling, and then changed into my 80's outfit -- hey, I told you I brought a big suitcase! -- and headed up to the Awesome 80's Party at Spice H2O. there were supposed to be fireworks, but because of the wind creating safety issues, they were postponed until the next night. (Or so we thought... the next evening, they wound up being postponed, too.)
Around 10 p.m., I headed to the theater to see Rock of Ages. Wound up sitting in the front row... coincidentally, right next to Steve and Ann! (I say "coincidentally", but for all I know, they were stalking me. Sure, they got there first, but maybe they were REALLY good at the whole stalking thing!)
Having seen Rock of Ages several times on Broadway, I have to say, this cast was very good. Oh, a little tip for people who have heard all the complaints that the show is too loud: Sit in the first few rows. As with a lot of theaters, the sound-amplifying speakers tend to be further back so as to let people in the rear half of the theater hear. Sitting in the front, it's not loud at ALL. In fact, I wanted it to be louder. But it WAS kinda cool, because whenever they came to the edge of the stage, it was as if they were singing just for us. At one point, one of the performers was making hysterically sexual gestures toward Ann... much to Steve and I's amusement (and hers).
Wound up unable to resist the allure of the casino, so went down and gambled for a while. Then, needing a little late-night snackage, I went to O'Sheenan's. The nice thing about this is that not only is it open all night, but you can get stuff to go. Sure, it's a limited menu, but at 1 a.m., all I wanted was an order of wings and some fish & chips to go! Took them back to the room, munched, and then hit the way.
DAY 6 (Sea Day)
And here, poodles, is where this particular itinerary won my heart. During the first five days, I was all about getting up early, going to shows, doing excursions... but the next two days would be sea days. As a result, expect the rest of this review to be rather zippy, because what I did the most of was relax. This particular morning, I woke up, realized I had just turned 50... and decided that deserved a couple more hours sleep. I did, however, at least get up and move... from the bed to a lounger on the balcony!
I spent almost this entire day reading and napping. In other words: It was awesome. Eventually, I made my way to dinner... that's right, there really was nothing interesting to report the rest of the day! Went to Cagney's again, where I met a really fantastic couple who happened to be seated near me. We had a great conversation about everything from politics to travel, and I had yet another fantastic meal (exactly the same as my first Cagney's meal, except I subbed the baked potato for the Cagney's fries... which I didn't love, to be honest.) As the fireworks were cancelled yet again (big surprise, as the seas were getting rougher, I went down to the casino where...
... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I hit a $1,000 jackpot on the dollar Western Stars machine. I actually didn't even realize it. For those who don't know, Western Stars has a bunch of fun bonus rounds. Poker hands, shooting bottles, etc. So I was going up ($200 bonus!) and down (Bar... Bar... 7. Nada!), and then all of a sudden, I got three symbols marked 2X. I looked up and said, "Oh, I just won $250." But it kept going past $250, and I realized that no, $250 was if you were playing one credit. I was playing three. I'd won a thousand bucks!
Of course, I gambled for a couple more hours, but I still walked away with $800 of my $1,000 jackpot. And it was as I was exiting the casino and walking toward the elevator that I realized the ship was REALLY rocking!
By the time I got to my room, things had gotten fairly intense. We were in 25-30 foot waves, and of course, I was in an aft-facing balcony. For those not in the know, the very front and very back of a ship are, of course, the worst places to be during a storm. The middle basically stays fairly flat while the two ends go up and down like a teeter-totter. Looking out the window at the waves, it was rather like something out of The Perfect Storm... minus George Clooney. Surprisingly, despite having a penchant toward motion sickness, I didn't get sick at all. I thank my twice-a-day doses of Bonine and Nauzene.
That's not to say I slept, because I didn't. I was lying in bed listening as things crashed all around me in surrounding rooms. (I'd pretty much made sure anything that should be secured was before climbing into bed.) A while back, I'd read a post here from someone who'd done 39 cruises, but had hit rough seas on her latest and declared it would be her last. At the time, I'd thought, "Wow, you'd let one bad night take away something you'd enjoyed so much?"
Um, well, actually, I didn't think it, I posted it. And she (or someone else, I can't remember) responded, "Just wait until YOU have a rough night!"
Well, here was my rough night. And I have to say, it was kinda... cool. Remember back in the 70's and early 80's when a lot of movies like Earthquake and Midway came in "Sensurround", with the theater vibrating so you could feel like you were in the middle of whatever disaster was unfolding? That's what this felt like. I was lying in my bed as it wildly tilted one way and another... sort of like one of those bucking bronco's you can ride, but this one vertical.
I finally dozed off around 5 a.m... so of course, the captain came on at 6 a.m. to assume everyone we weren't going to be pulling a Poseidon Adventure and flipping over. My words, not his. But you get the drift. I guess you can tell it's not exactly normal seas when the captain comes on at 6 a.m. to sooth frayed nerves...
DAY 7 (Sea Day)
If possible, I did even less today than yesterday. At some point, I roused myself out of bed and joined Tita and her son for some Bingo. I later wandered into the atrium to use the Internet Café, which I'm proud to say I rarely did. I bought the 200 minute package at the start of the trip, and only used about 30 minutes of it... usually to check and see how things were back home, and to find out what I'd be walking into when I got back to work.
As I sat checking my E-mail, the Who's The Boss? game was being played in the atrium. For those who've never seen this, it's basically The Newlywed Game, but for parents and children. It is also absolutely hysterical. At one point, when the parents were ushered off stage so the children could answer questions, the kids were asked, "What's something embarrassing that your mom or dad do often?" One little girl answered, "Fart." Needless to say, the audience just about died laughing. But even better, when the parents were brought back, the father, when asked the question, got a sheepish look and said, "Probably pass gas. I'm doing it right now."
In the early evening, they had a Q&A session with both our captain and the hotel director. Obviously, a lot of people asked about the previous night's weather. But the best question came from someone who said, "If we were to just keep sailing, which would run out first: The booze, the fuel or the liquor?" The hotel director smiled and said, "Normally, I'd say the fuel... but the way you people have been eating this week, I'm not so sure!"
Immediately following this presentation (in the Breakaway Theater) was the international Crew Talent Show. It was crazy cool to see various members of the crew whom you might not even notice during the day (a waiter, say, or maybe someone who works in the back office) take to the stage and belt a tune. And the love they were shown by the audience was... well, flat-out awesome.
One of the folks who performed was Scooter, one of the assistant cruise directors, and I really want to give him a very special shout-out. Dan The Man was our official cruise director, but it was Scooter who seemed ever-present. He taught us dances and got us to do them during the various parties at Spice H20. He sang a great number during the International Crew Talent Show. While Dan was the voice we'd hear making announcements, it was Scooter who did the actual entertaining. I made sure to fill out one of the "My Cruise Hero" cards giving him a shout-out, because he really was the star of this ship.
Around 8 p.m., I headed to Cagney's for one last steak dinner. (I was on the Ultimate Dining Package, and I have to say, it was completely, totally, one million percent worth it). The very nice hostess said she couldn't fit me in at that moment, and asked if I could come back in an hour. No prob... this gave me time to do what I'd been putting off all day: pack.
After doing so, I went back to Cagney's and had a fantastic meal. My server tried his best to get me to order the oreo cheesecake, knowing I'd been jonesing it all week, but I was just too full! "Order it and just take a bite," he suggested with an evil, enabling smile. But I just couldn't do it... both because I was full to bursting and because it just seemed wasteful.
Instead, I made my way back to the cabin and tucked myself in for one last night...
I'd debated whether to take advantage of the priority disembarkation I'd been offered in a letter or to just walk off with my luggage. In the end, I opted to walk off. I headed downstairs with The Suitcase That Ate Manhattan around 7:30 a.m., and already there was a line of folks waiting to disembark. There was a bit of confusion, as the line wound up stretching to directly in front of the elevators. So folks would get off and either A) stand there confused or B) try to just cut in line. But soon, the line started moving. I was off the ship by around 8 a.m., on a subway by 8:30, back in New Jersey by 9:30... and grocery shopping by 10:30.
Real life intruded just that quick.
It was over.
And so, finally, is this review.
Except for a few final thoughts. (I just don't wanna let y'all go!)
* Thinking about taking a solo trip? DO IT. I knew not a soul when I got on board, yet thanks to the Cruise Critic roll call, Meet & Greet and Slot Pull, I wound up meeting all kinds of people. And that's not including the ones I met casually at bars and restaurants.
* Think about what you will or won't actually use when considering add-ons. I spent over $100 on a bottle of whiskey for the room, but I used almost none of it. I did, on the other hand, get my money's worth from the Ultimate Dining Package and the Unlimited Soda Package. (My original plan was to get the Ultimate Beverage Package, but it wasn't available on this particular voyage). Also, while I did buy the $79 Vibe pass - and probably would again -- I actually only went to Vibe once.
* I got lots of requests for information on the Main Dining Room menus, but I never actually ate in any of them, so I'm afraid I'm a big ol' let down in THAT department.
* This was, without doubt, the best, most relaxing vacation I've ever taken. In large part, that had to do with two things. First, the two final sea days. They really allowed me to just lounge around and do absolutely nothing. Second, as a New York/New Jersey resident, getting to and from the ship was easy. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a HUGE fan of Walt Disney World. But I hate that at the end of every vacation, I have to go to the airport, wait in lines, fly home, get a cab from the airport... this was SO incredibly easy for me, and that meant no end-of-trip stress.
* Bonine and Nauzeme work. Take them. Start a few days before your trip.
* In the final analysis, Breakaway is a big, beautiful ship. Would I sail her again? Perhaps. But today, a week after disembarking, as I'm booking my next cruise (that's right, I'm hooked), I'm looking at The Gem (which I did my only previous excursion, a one-nighter, on back in October). One of the main reasons is the various public spaces. Where Bliss on Gem is a gorgeous, expansive space with nooks and crannies galore, the Breakaway version feels kinda like a big, empty box. I missed the Spinnaker Lounge, which Gem has and Breakaway doesn't. I liked that on Gem, the casino isn't impossible to avoid, which it pretty much is -- smoke and all -- on the Breakaway. This, by the way, was the impression of many people I spoke to over the course of the week who had sailed both ships: The Breakaway was beautiful, but they preferred the Gem. Of course, in the end, it all comes down to a matter of personal tastes.
Meanwhile, I'm already dreaming of my Gem cruise, which will be the first week in September. Maybe I'll see some of you there... But until then, hit me up with any questions you might have, I'll do my best to answer them!
Thanks for reading...
Richard/Tralfie Less
Published 03/18/14
Cabin review: 12906
Having read Gambee's infamous review long before boarding, I knew this was the room I wanted... and it did not disappoint. And make no mistake, while the room is great, it's ALL about the balcony. Deep, with two loungers and a small coffee table, it was exactly what one wants whenlooking for a spot to contemplate the ages, the ocean or ones navel. The bed was uber comfy, the bathroom fine (although I can't imagine how a... um... let's go with "very large" person would get into that shower), the storage fine (although remember, I was traveling solo. I can't imagine having three or four people in the room... but then again, I feel that way about any cruise room aside from a multi-room suite!).
Read Cruise Critic's Norwegian Breakaway Review >>
Beautiful waters, loved Coco C...
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text:
UnNews talk:Stay strong, great people, for Kim Jong-il passed away
From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
My best guess about the video is that they are faking it to show allegiance to the successor. No way in hell can people be as brainwashed as this. Very freaking sad indeed. What do you think? Mattsnow 18:48, December 21, 2011 (UTC)


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Lockerbie victim's father: 'This is a sad day'
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only person convicted over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing above Scotland which killed 270 people, has died at his home in the Libyan capital Tripoli.
Megrahi, 60, was convicted by a special court in the Netherlands in 2001.
He was released from prison in Scotland in 2009 on compassionate grounds as he was suffering from cancer.
Dr Jim Swire lost his 23-year-old daughter Flora on board the flight. He has previously met with Megrahi, and described his death as a "sad day".
20 May 2012
- From the section World


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International Resource Center Presents a Japanese Kimono Fashion Show - Queens Library - Flushing Branch
Hours: 6pm
Ages: All
41-17 Main St. - 718-661-1200
Flushing, NY 11355
Description: The Japanese wear western-style clothing on a daily basis, but have never lost respect for their traditional attire, the kimono. It requires precise craftsmanship and is a beautiful art form reflecting the Japanese spirit of treating all things with great care. Presenter Emi Kikuchi will display a variety of contemporary kimonos and explain the appropriate occasions for their use.


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Wednesday, July 08, 2015 11:35 am
By Sheyna Steiner · Bankrate.com
The Greek crisis has reached a climax. Greece must submit proposals for reforms by Thursday. EU leaders will meet over the weekend to decide its fate.
Monday, July 06, 2015 12:33 pm
By Sheyna Steiner · Bankrate.com
Greek citizens voted in a "yes-no" referendum on Sunday. The "no" votes won with more than 60 percent.
Thursday, September 05, 2013 6:41 pm
By Marcie Geffner · Bankrate.com
A bank executive pleaded guilty to lying to the feds about using TARP funds to buy a Florida condo.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 10:59 am
By Crissinda Ponder · Bankrate.com
An offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement is raising money to bail out the 99 percent.


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BMW Oracle Racings Tom Ehman and Russell Coutts traveled to Geneva to meet with Alinghis Lucien Masmejan and Societe Nautique Geneve's (SNG) Vice Commodore Fred Meyer today to discuss details for an impending Deed of Gift challenge, which will likely constitute the 33rd Americas Cup. Of prime interest is the discussion of when the event will be held. BMW Oracle Racings stance is that the next Cup should take place in October of 2008, which is just over ten months time from Justice Cahns November 27, 2007 decision that the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) will be the official challenger of Record for the 33rd Cup. Alinghi, of course, filed suit against Judge Cahns ruling and argued for redress, which was denied by Justice Cahn on March 18, 2008.
For those who are just tuning into this latest Cup debacle, BMW Oracle Racing claims that they formally offered Alinghi tolling rights, meaning that the ten-month timeline specified in the Deed of Gift for the first starting gun of a Deed of Gift Challenge should not begin until Justice Cahn reached his final decision on the matter. BMW Oracle Racing claims that they made this offer in front of Justice Cahn, but that Alinghi turned down their offer.
Alinghi claims that an October 2008 starting gun does not give them enough time to build, design, and adequately test their boat, which will likely be a 90-foot by 90-foot trimaran. "We are not in a position to race this year because we always understood that tolling would take place during the legal proceedings, said Meyers in a press release. Furthermore, we have not started construction of our boat and will not be ready to compete this year. We are surprised as to why Larry Ellison, who considers himself a competitive sailor, would wish to take part in a second rate race or win by legal maneuvers."
BMW Oracle Racing sees the situation from a different perspctive. Says Ehman, When we challenged we gave them twelve months notice, not the required minimum of ten. During the litigation we proposed a tolling agreement that they rejected. After Justice Cahn's November 27th decision, we proposed another ten months from then – October 1, 3 and 5, 2008. They filed new motions with the court two days after Christmas. The Court has now rejected those motions; and Justice Cahn has said our original challenge is valid. We stand by our offer of the October 2008 dates. Everybody is ready to move on. It is time to get real and get on with the next event, which we believe should be in October 2008."
Says Alinghis Lucien Masmejan, as reported by TheDailySail.com, GGYC confirmed that it has already started building its boat for the Americas Cup Match and stated that SNG has time to build a boat by October 2008 but should this not be possible that SNG should compete in an existing boat. This clearly is an extension of the GGYCs strategy to win the Americas Cup at all costs as it would guarantee an absurdly miss-matched race precisely the opposite of the racing that we have come to expect from the Americas Cup."
While Alinghi has recently made public their sentiment that its time to settle this on the water, Lucien Masmejans next series of statements appears as if the syndicate is potentially back pedaling from this stance:
"We remain committed to trying to move the fight from the court room back to the water but the actions of GGYC are making this extremely difficult to achieve. GGYC has successfully guaranteed itself entry via the Courts to the Americas Cup Match for the first time, despite its strong statements that its legal action was for the benefit of all Challengers. We will use all avenues open to us to ensure that they are forced to compete in a competitive race in the spirit and tradition of the Americas Cup.
While all teams, sailors, and fans of the Americas Cup are hopeful that the courtroom wrangling will soon give way to starting-line dramas, Team New Zealands Grant Dalton, who is also suing Alinghi, had different thoughts on the matter, arguing that forfeiture an Americas Cup first, should it come to pass is likely Alinghis best option:
Having admitted that they cannot be ready by October, we believe that Alinghi should forfeit right now, allowing BMW Oracle and the other challengers to get the Americas Cup back on track and minimizing challengers continuing financial hardship that they created, said Dalton, as first reported by TheDailySail.com BMW Oracle has said all along its preference is for a conventional, multi-challenge Americas Cup regatta and has consistently worked to achieve this outcome. We believe that given the opportunity, BMW Oracle would be only too willing to work with the Americas Cup community as a whole to restore the Cups standing to what it was at the conclusion of the last Americas Cup. Regattas could be held in Valencia this summer sailing the 2007 Cup yachts; next year the new 90ft [monohull] yachts could be racing and a multi-challenge Americas Cup could be held in Valencia in 2010. All it would take is for Alinghi to do the right thing and help recreate a positive environment and let everyone get on with it.
Posted: March 26, 2008


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I'll admit it: I'm a confirmed hooker. I have an embarrassing number crochet projects running amok in my apartment, and a yarn stash that is threatening to break free from its box at any moment. So, of course, I was absolutely delighted to see this tutorial for Granny Square Cookies from Sugar & Meringue. There's just something so right about crocheted goodness in cookie form!
How-To: Granny Square Cookies


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Google Alerts provides you with email updates of latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.
Website: www.google.com/alerts
Cost: Free
Availability: Online
2015: – 2014: – 2013: – 2012: – 2011: – 2010: – 2009: 88= 2008: 33 2007: 57=
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"into my email box each day, provides me with links to articles, blog posts and so on according to my search terms. I have set up about 5 alerts and it is very manageable." Elaine Talbert
"This is how I keep track of the topics I want to learn about through email updates of the relevant Google results. I also use it to monitor my own blog and websites." Anastasia Prynikova


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Media Options
"Welcome to the politics of joy and justice!" With that pronouncement, Ralph Nader greeted the sellout crowd of more than 15,000 people who had come to Madison Square Garden for the "Nader Rocks the Garden" rally last Friday October 13th. For more than an hour, Nader spoke plainly about the issues the major-party candidates so far haven't touched: workers' rights, environmental destruction, political corruption, and the oligarchic free trade institutions of the WTO and NAFTA.
The night had built to Nader's speech with Ani DiFranco, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Patti Smith, Ben Harper, Company Flow, Eddie Vedder, Michael Moore and others parading to the stage to endorse the spirit of Nader's campaign through word and song.
Speakers urged the crowd to vote their hopes, not their fears, and the many teens and twenty-somethings in attendance roared their approval. "The media ignored crowds of 10,000 and more in Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis," said Pearl Jam's Vedder from the stage. "But they won't be able to ignore this." Cheers rang through the arena at Vedder's remark, cascading into one of the frequent spontaneous chants of "Let Ralph Debate!" Nader also announced at the rally that he would file a lawsuit this week in federal court in the District of Columbia to challenge the authority of the Commission on Presidential Debates.
The major media outlets, all of whom sent reporters to cover the event, have given this sixth in the campaign's series of "super-rallies" only minimal coverage.
- Medley of the Madison Square Garden Nader/LaDuke Super Rally.


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Talk:Salvatore Leone
Revision as of 21:30, 28 November 2009 by Grand Theft AJ (talk | contribs) (Created page with '==Salvatore's Birth Date== When is Salvatore's birthday of July 27, 1929 mentioned? ~~~~')
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Salvatore's Birth Date
When is Salvatore's birthday of July 27, 1929 mentioned? Grand Theft AJ 21:30, November 28, 2009 (UTC)


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" Genre: Junior Books / Author: Roger Hargreaves / Paperback / 32 Pages / Book is published 1998-04-02 by Egmont Books Ltd / Alternative title: Mr. Men Library: Mr. Greedy is Heavily Helpful "
* Prices may differ from that shown
This is one of the books in the follow up series to the original Mr Men series of children's books written by Roger Hargreaves. Following his death, his son Adam continued his work, and has published this series of books, which take some of the favourite Mr Men characters and gives us some extra stories.
This Mr Greedy story sees the larger than life Mr Greedy atg home, and explains how he has got so heavy that he has started breaking things by being heavy handed, clumsy and just generally too heavy. Disgruntled and rather miserable, he heads off to Mr Uppity's house, where he has been invited for lunch. What will happen when he gets there? Will he be destined to have a miserable time at Mr Uppity's house, or will he find that this particular cloud has a silver lining?!
It's quite a good tale, and it teaches us that no matter someone's physical appearance, or how clumsy or heavy they may be, it doesn't necessarily have to be a negative thing. This is generally the same for all the Mr Men books, as well as the Little Miss books, too.
The other thing that is consistent with other books is the presentation. Each spread has one page of easy to read text, with the opposite page featuring a rich and vibrantly colourful illustration. The contours of the artwork are curved and soft, and the rich and deep colours add to this to gvie a relaxed and enjoyable feel to the books. They are great for getting your kid to start reading, and my 5 year old likes reading through them, as he finds them interesting as well.
Overall, I recommend all of the books in the series. This one is another very good tale, and a great addition to the Mr Men New Library series. It is available generally for £2.99, but is easy enough to find in retailers for the lesser price of around half that amount. Recommended.
The Mr Men and Little Miss classic library's have been popular for many years and introduced us to some of the characters that we have come to love so dearly. As a young child the Mr Men and Little Miss stories played a big part in my reading and to be completely honest you wouldn't be wrong if you had said I was obsessed with anything remotely Mr Men like. I had everything from the bedding and curtains to the wall clock and figurines, as well as the usual soft toys and of course the books. As you can imagine therefore when in 1998 Roger Hargreaves' son Adam Hargreaves released a new story library that told new stories about existing characters I was more than eager to collect the books.
When the books where first released the Mr Men ones had a blue spine with a blue stripe going down the right hand side of the back of the book and down the left hand side of the books front. The Little Miss Stories then had the same but in pink making it easy to distinguish between the two. It is these libraries of the books that I have but when I have seen them being sold recently I have seen that both Mr Men and Little Miss ones have a blue stripe - don't ask me why.
Both the new Mr Men library collection and the new Little Miss collection have twelve books. The book I am going to review today is number 9 in the Mr Men collection and is called 'Mr. Nosey and the big surprise. The front cover of the book has a picture of Mr Nosey peering out from behind a lovely wooden yellow door. Above this picture is the books title as well as the logo for the new story library. The book cover also displays Roger Hargreaves' name in a small blue box although it is his son Adam who has written the story. This fact is acknowledged inside the books cover.
If you turn the book over you will find smaller pictures of all the other books in both the Mr Men new library and the Little Miss new library. This is a great feature as it makes it really easy to keep track of which stories you have left to buy and read. As well as this the back cover also shows you what all of the books look like when they are put together (a picture appears amongst the spines).
So now you know what the book looks like it's time to find out what it's all about. The book tells the story of Mr Greedy who by his very name you may have already guessed is very, very greedy indeed. He is so greedy in fact that he has become exceptionally heavy, which is causing him to break, crush or simply not fit into everything. This fact is making Mr Greedy rather unhappy too and an unhappy Mr Men is never a good thing.
After breaking everything one morning and ruining his breakfast Mr Greedy sets off to Mr Uppity's house, where he has been invited to lunch. After numerous transport problems he ends up having to walk all the way there, which makes him even unhappier. Whilst there however he finds that his weight has a wonderful use. But what is that use and what will Mr Greedy do now he has found he has one?
I personally think this story is a really delightful one, as it is colourful and charming from the very beginning. Mr Greedy himself is a larger than life character in more than one way and therefore everything he seems to be involved with in turn becomes larger than live. This makes the story rather a memorable one in my opinion and is probably my favourite story in the new collection.
The book itself is printed in the familiar Mr. Men fashion with writing on the right hand side and wonderfully vibrant cartoon style pictures on the left. These pictures lift the words right of the page and into the minds of those that read them. They are lso perfect for ensuring that younger children are involved in the story even if they cannot read. The font size is also quite decent and therefore suitable for children learning to read as well as parents and grandparents with visual problems.
I think I have to admit that this book is probably my favourite one and like most of the others I cannot find a fault with it. It is bright, colourful and vibrant which is everything a children's book needs to be. Better still it has an RRP of £2.99, which for a book isn't too bad. To make things even better it can often be found on offer in supermarkets, in discount book shops and online.
Book Series: Mr. Men Library


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New Restaurant Round-Up
October is here and our fingers our crossed that we can get outside and enjoy a little patio dining in the upcoming weeks. For now, lets take a quick look back at the new restaurants that have joined the Valley in the month of September.
Spitfire Grill and Tavern, Tempe
Brick Pizzeria, Arizona Center, Downtown
That's a Wrap, Phoenix, (new location)
Amaro Pizzeria and Vino Lounge, Cave Creek
Center Bistro, Tempe (open again after a two year hiatus)
Five Guys Burgers & Fries, CityScape, Downtown
Normally this is when we let you know what restaurant have closed their doors, but we don't have any to report! If you know of a restaurant that has closed or one that we missed that has opened, let us know by leaving us a message in the comments section.
Get the Food & Drink Newsletter
Our weekly guide to Phoenix dining includes food news and reviews, as well as dining events and interviews with chefs and restaurant owners.
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I've always tried to be a good citizen, and I keep up with what's going on in our country. I like to be informed, and I think it's also part of my job.
Still, I've never been one to sit and talk politics at great length.
That's why a visit from a U.S. Senator to my newspaper office many years ago turned into a good old-fashioned baseball chat. And that's a subject I can talk about all day long.
I didn't see him complain, but I think Clayton Embry had to feel a little slighted this past weekend.
Embry is a thrower on the Campbellsville University track and field team, and he placed second in the Mid-South Conference meet at the University of the Cumberlands.
Why would he feel slighted? Well, because he finished second in the hammer throw, not to a student-athlete, but to a coach.
You've heard it said about things before, but in this case, it's really true; track and field is like one big family.
My son is a thrower (shot put, hammer) at Georgetown College, which is in the Mid-South Conference, with Campbellsville University and Lindsey Wilson College. He's in his second year, and my wife and I attend every meet, whether it's nearby or far away. It's just what we do.
As I stood there in the sanctuary of First Cumberland Presbyterian Church Sunday night, with the lights completely out and the only light in the room illuminating from several candles burning, I thought about the significance of what was happening in the moment.
This was not any ordinary church service that I attended on a random Sunday evening in April. This was a service dedicated to providing prayer and support for those struggling in the chains of addiction and those who have loved ones struggling.
"Hume Cronyn," she said, squinting her eyes in my direction.
I was standing in the grocery store aisle.
"Excuse me?" I responded, clueless about what she meant. "Hugh?"
"Hume, Hume," she emphasized, "Hume Cronyn, the actor. You look like him."
This was a bit unusual, at least for me. I'm not used to being stopped by a complete stranger in the grocery store and learning that I look like someone I've never heard of.
We span the decades; these old friends of mine.
"We're planning to go to the Kentucky Derby. Got any suggestions?" they called and asked me several months ago.
I didn't have any, really, other than my sage advice for them to avoid the crowds as much as possible.
"You haven't changed," Cindy laughed. "On the way back, we'll be there for Sunday worship with you."
Which they did, much to my delight.
Muhammad Ali was not only a boxing legend, he was a legendary Kentuckian, and perhaps the most famous and recognizable American of his time.
Sadly, the man known by people around the world as "The Greatest" lost his final fight last week, the one he had been waging against Parkinson's Disease for years.
When the waiter first told us someone had picked up our check, I didn't understand him.
"You mean our check is at the counter?"
"No sir, someone paid for it," he repeated.
"Someone paid for it," Lori echoed his words to me, slowly enunciating each syllable like she was talking to someone who had difficulty hearing.
The waiter pointed to the booth next to us, as if I needed further clarification: "They did it," he said.
Remember as a kid, when you'd open a box of Cracker Jacks? Sure, the popcorn and peanuts in the box are delicious, but that's probably not why you wanted them when you were 6 or 7 years old.
At least that was the case for me. Nope, it was all about the prize.
Copyright © 2017
The Central Kentucky News-Journal is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Campbellsville, KY and the surrounding area.


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A Historical, International Comparison of Integrated and Dis-Integrated Arts in Curriculum and Pedagogy
Archeological and anthropological studies indicate that the arts for prehistoric humans were of an integrated nature, that is rituals employed mixed use of visual arts, language arts, music, dance, and theatre. Cognitive science tells us that the brain is by nature an integrative system. We take in information through our senses in response to experience, store that information and then, as new experiences arise, we retrieve and compare stored information as needed to make sense of new experiences. We use the left and right hemispheres, the reptilian and mammalian areas of the brain, etc. As more and more humans became agricultural beginning in the late Neolithic period, cultures arose in response to the needs posed by the geographic locations of large populations. Different cultures had different effects on activities, including the role and structure of the arts and education. This study compares the role and structure of the arts and education with particular attention to integrated and not (dis-) integrated arts in curricular and pedagogical practices. This paper relies heavily on current research in the "International Handbook of Research in Arts Education (Bresler, Ed., 2007). Findings indicate that (1) the arts, both in formal education and in societies at large, tended to go from integrated towards not (dis-) integrated as cultures evolved, (2) the early twentieth century progressive education movement influenced a rise in re-integrating the arts in education, and (3) changes in late twentieth and twenty-first century pedagogy and curriculum as well as trends in professional fine arts show evidence of growing interest in integrated arts.
Keywords: Integrated Arts, Curriculum, Pedagogy
Dr. Teresa Cotner
Assistent Professor in Art Education, Department of Art and Art History, California State University
Ref: L09P1212


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|Region of Ancient Greece
Now Evrytania
Map of ancient Dolopia & environs
|Western Greece
Dolopia[1] (Greek: Δολοπία) is a mountainous region[2] of Greece, located north of Aetolia.
|This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2010)
Dolopia was located between Epirus and Thessaly. Some of their cities were, Angeia, Ctimene (polis)[3] and Dolopeis, close to lake Xynius.[4]
Mythology & History[edit]
|This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2010)
The Dolopes (Greek: Δόλοπες) were considered Thessalians, or sometimes Aetolians. There was also[5] a son of the god Hermes named Dolops (Greek: Δόλοψ), and two persons in the Iliad.[6] One was the son of Lampus,[7] an elder Trojan and son of king Laomedon *who was killed by Menelaus). Another Dolops was the son of Clytius, Clytides (Greek: Κλυτίδης),[8] who was killed by Hector, and a third one was the father of Iphimachus that took care of Philoctetes.[9]
Dolopians were either under Thessalian rule, or autonomous and members of the Amphictyonic league. In 480 BC they joined the Persian marching army. In 420 BC they warred against Heraclea in Trachis in alliance with Thessalians and Aenianians. In the 4th century BC they allied themselves with the Corinthian league under Phillip II.
List of Dolopians[edit]
|This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2010)
- Amyntor (Dolopian),[10] Dolopian ruler
- Phoenix (Dolopian),[11] king whose sight was restored by the centaur Chiron
See also[edit]
- Dolopon Municipality
- Ktimenion Municipality
- Eurytanes
- Acarnania
- List of traditional Greek place names
- Aetolia
- ^ A Latin Dictionary
- ^ An inventory of archaic and classical poleis
- ^ Ctimene
- ^ Xynius. Lake in the country of the Dolopians [Arg.1.68; Hyg.Fab.14].
- ^ A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology
- ^ Homer, Iliad
- ^ Dolops
- ^ A Homeric Dictionary
- ^ Philoctetes
- ^ Ovidius
- ^ Achaean Leaders
- Sources


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Cate Blanchett's Peach Roksanda Ilincic Dress Was This Week's Best Look
Is Blue Jasmine star Cate Blanchett on the path for Oscar number two? If voters were based purely on fashion, heck yeah. The 44-year-old starlet stunned at the Australian premiere of Woody Allen's latest in a peach dress by Roksanda Ilincic, setting the tone for a week filled with bold, beautiful and daring looks from Hollywood's biggest names.
See the rest of this week's best-dressed stars in the gallery, above.


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