Memory Lane

So while I'm here for my dad's surgery/recovery I've also been able to do a few other things.  My parents encouraged me to see friends and do things.  I think they needed space.  I may have as well.


So on Wednesday, after spending two 15 minutes visits with my dad (he was still in recovery) I headed out to Wood River to see my buddy from high school, Sheila.  We were able to meet up at Mama Mia's in Wood River.  I was able to meet her two lovely children, Allison and James, and we had a very nice time catching up.  I had a blonde moment and forgot to get a picture of the two of us together.  Ugh!  The very reason I brought my camera.


Thursday I got to meet up with my buddy, Mindy.  Yes, once again I forgot to get a picture of us together.  *sigh*  So after getting to visit with my dad for a while in his hospital room (Yay!  He's out of recovery), Mindy picked me up to take me for lunch at Cheddar's.  Mindy works in Springfield and was gracious enough to give me her lunch hour.

A yummy Jack in the Box lunch.

So Friday I spent with my brother Tim.  We went to some wineries, which you can read about on Rosatodi.  But before we headed out we had Jack in the Box for lunch!  YUMMY! We don't have Jack in the Box back at my house, so this was quite the treat.  I got to have egg rolls and chicken strips.  I know if the hubby was along he'd have gotten the tacos.  It may not be the best food in the world, but it's a good memory for me.  And when you can't get it where you are, it makes it seem all the better.

While I was headed back to my old stomping grounds, I had to stop and take a photo of this sign.  It's been there for as long as I can remember.  And I know the minute I come across it I'm getting closer to my destination.  At least when my parents still lived in the area.  What can I say?  Nostalgia hits me every time.

And I could be in my home town and not stop for a Humm Dinger at Hit and Run. Something I used to get all the time in high school but had almost forgotten about. It's a size, 32 ounces to be exact, of the drink. You can get whatever you want in it.


Needless to say, I didn't need much else to drink for the day.  


Good memories all around!

Flying The Friendly Skies

Vino Volo

So this past week I've flown back to my parents house for a visit. I'll explain more about that in another post though.  I had one lay over in BWI.  I mean who gets direct flights anymore?  I probably could have, but I'm sure it would have cost me an arm and a leg.  But I digress.

Flight of Reds 

While at the airport I came across this wine bar.  It's called Vino Volo.  The name is derived from Italian and means wine flight.  I'd never been, so I stopped in to have a glass.  I'm a nervous flier and thought the wine would calm me.  It did!

My flight was all reds, in case you hadn't noticed.  I don't remember their specific order or much about them since I didn't get a cheat sheet to take with me, but I believe I had a garnacha, a carmenere and a Malbec.  It was the Malbec that caught my eye.  They also had food, but I really didn't have the time because I had a flight to catch.

Cal Ripken Jr.

As we were lining up to board the plane I saw Cal Ripken Jr. My phone was already turned off and by the time it powered back on he'd already boarded. Luckily the young man sitting next to me got a photo and forwarded his to me. So a big thank you out to that young man! The hubby didn't believe me and said he needed photographic evidence.

Wicked

Honestly I meant to post this sooner, but let's face it...  Life sometimes gets in the way.  And honestly I forgot to blog about this until now.  I know!  Bad me!

Near the end of March the hubby and I were able to go to Chrysler Hall and see Wicked!

The Tik Tok Dragon

These photos were taken with my iPhone, so bear with me as they are not the best.

I was over the moon that we were going to see this. I'd read the book and couldn't wait to see how the musical compared. Needless to say, it was much fluffier than the book. I had been told this prior to going. The book has a lot more darkness to it and there isn't the happy ending that they do in the musical. But hey, it was still good!

A Map of Oz

Our seats were awesome! We were slightly to the right of the stage and something like 7-8 rows back. A fantastic view!  We could easily see the performers and hear everything.

This was when I wished I had a better phone so that my pictures would have been better.  Oh well!  I managed to get one of the tik tok dragon above the stage and one of the map of Oz on the stage curtain.

I was startled how many people were there.  It was near the end of its run in Norfolk and it was a Wednesday night.  The hubby mentioned that he was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of dads with their daughters at this.

My one concern was that my hubby would not enjoy this because it does have a lot of singing in it.  He's not one for musicals.  I don't blame him though.  It's harder to understand sometimes.

However, he truly did enjoy it.  For which I was truly grateful.

We were both glad to be able to attend this.  Many of the hubby's co-workers told him that he should definitely go and that the tickets were worth it.  And that was coming from men!  LOL

If you have the opportunity to go see this I HIGHLY recommend it!

Christmas Lights

I refuse to check out Christmas light displays until after Thanksgiving. So after we got back from Disney my sister's family decided to take us all to Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO.

This time I did take my camera with me and got this shot of just a small sample of the lights while we were there. There were tons more, but I liked this one near the water the best.

I rarely have pictures of myself since I'm normally the one taking the pictures. That and I just don't like having my picture taken. Body issues. But that's another story entirely. In case you didn't notice, it was very COLD that night. So I have this one thanks to Phillip, my brother-in-law.

Phillip also got this one of me with my sister and nephew. Isn't the one in the middle adorable? He's my little Tater Tot! And such a little snuggler. That may have had something to do with how cold it was. lol

I had to get this one of the entire Toto family. It was just too funny to pass up! And as you might be able to tell there were many in the group who were willing to ham it up. Since there were only 4 gingerbread people I told my little Tater Tot to pretend like he was going to take a bite of them.

We did 5 theme parks in 4 days. One of those days was devoted to travel. So to say I'm exhausted would be a bit of an understatement.

Thanksgiving Disney Style

So where was I for Thanksgiving Day?

Disney! The happiest place in the world.

This was something my dad put together. He flew everyone out and then paid for the tickets to Disney and our meals. Very generous! And something I am truly thankful for.

I got matching tee shirts for everyone. It said Warren Family Vacation at the top and then a silhouette of Cinderella's Castle. Under that it said 'Don't Worry Daddy Paid For It' and my dad's said 'Yeah I Paid For It'. We got tons of comments on it. I was lucky enough to know someone who could do this for me.

I decided not to take my camera with me, so luckily my brother-in-law, Phillip, took some pictures and shared with me. I did do the photo pass, but am having some issues at the moment, so I don't have them.

The very first thing we rode was the Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride. Of course I had to give Phillip a huge cheesy grin when I noticed him taking pictures. Hey! It's hard not to be goofy when you get to Disney!

Of course I had to get a picture with Abby and Noah. Gotta get my Auntie Shell cred.Too much orange? Made it easy to find our group. And got tons of compliments.




This was taken on our last day at Disney. It had just rained and we gave JD a mohawk. Just too cute for words so he was in a Mommy/Aunt Shell smooch. I think he enjoyed it. No matter how much he denies it.

Warming Up For Winter

So where were your around Thanksgiving time?

Me? I was on my way to Florida. With family.

So my sister and I (You can see our reflection in the windows) had to snap this photo of my niece and nephews. We flew out of Tulsa, OK to Tampa Bay, FL.

So what did we do once we got to the hotel?

Donned our swimsuits and hit the hotel pool. I mean it was over 80 degrees and the kids did need to burn off some steam. And we had late dinner plans. So we were hoping to tire them out.

I just had to share this photo of my brother jumping into the pool with his niece and nephews. It was just too perfect an opportunity to pass up.

And of course I had to share this photo of my parents.

My dad paid to fly us all down for the holiday. Is that not a great Daddy? The only thing I had to do was show up.

Later that night we all went to Arabian Nights for dinner and a show. I took a number of pictures, but I think I liked this Santa one the best. However, I think Jack Frost was pretty cool!

Road Trip!

So yesterday Tim and I went on a road trip. We headed for North Carolina at 0530. That's 5:30 in the morning for those of you who can't read military time. So yeah we were up REALLY early.

I just had to snap this picture of the bay as the sun is rising. I'm not sure what ship this is, but I thought it made a good shot.

We drove all the way to Old Fort, North Carolina. It's an almost 7 hour drive there. I was lucky that my brother drove. I'm not sure I could have done it.

We went to Pigsah Yarn & Dye, which is home to Peaches & Creme Yarn. Not something I'm really into, but Tim is. He has a loom and crotches afghans and scarves. So we did this because he wanted to. He walked out of there with a lot of yarn, but he also has a few baby blankets to make.

I just HAD to get this shot. It had Tim and I cracking up.

We also went to the Biltmore Estate Winery. Well we didn't actually go to the winery itself, you have to pay $60 a person to get on the Biltmore property and I wasn't paying that, we went to the gift shop. We were told the gift shop would do a limited tasting, which was better than paying the $60. We got to try something like 21 wines. If that's limited I don't need to do the full tasting.

And yes my brother and I are wearing matching shirts. They read 'If found, please return to the nearest winery. We thought it was very appropriate.

Reunions!

So one of the things we were able to do while on our baseball vacation was see two friends from high school. It had been 17 years since I'd seen Denise (the lovely brunette) and around 14 years since I'd seen Sheila (the lovely red head). I met Denise in Jr. High and we hung out pretty much our Freshman and Sophomore years. Jim and hung out with Sheila a lot our Senior year. In fact Sheila came to our wedding. Not many of our high school buddies can say that. It was FANTASTIC getting to catch up with them. I've told them that they and their families are welcome in our home any time. I even got to meet Sheila's daughter, who I held as a baby. Wow has she grown up! I miss you guys already!


Jim got a few pictures of the hotel we were staying at. We had stayed at Union Station for our honeymoon, so it was kinda nice to revisit it after nearly 17 years.

Although back then it was a Hyatt (I think) and now it's a Marriott. Still looks the same. Just different management. And sadly, Union Station' shopping isn't nearly as busy as it used to be. That's the way of things though I guess.

The really cool thing is that my baby brother, Tim, works there. So I got to see him. Which made me really happy. And yes I do realize that he's really tall. I am the oldest of the kids and the shortest. The little kids I used to rule over as the big sister? Well now they tower over me. I think that might be karma coming back to bite me.

Road Trip!

So the hubby and I made a decision to drive my Saturn (Sally) all the way to Illinois. And yes I do name my vehicles. We've gotten a new vehicle and since my car is still very usable, we decided to pass it on to someone else.

So my sweet husband drove the 16 hours with only a 2 hour nap. And yes I stayed up with him. Hence the goofy photos. We were a bit punch drunk. And we still had a Cardinals game to go to.

I don't know about you, but I think we're pretty darn funny!

It's A Small World After All

One thing you quickly learn is that it's a small Navy. You will meet up with people from your past at the oddest moments. I met Karen while my hubby was on shore duty. She also went to department head school at the same time. Well she was in town for a week doing some training. She and three of her class fellow classmates were sans vehicle, so I offered to drive. We went to movies, dinner and on their next to last day in my area we went to Busch Gardens.

And what was our first stop you might ask? The pub in Ireland of course. Karen brought a camera and I just got the pictures to post on my blog. So here we are at Grogan's Pub where we stopped for a beer and soft pretzels. So it was me (Yes I am hidden some what. And yeah I did plan it that way.), Karen, Craig and Ted.

So Karen and Craig decided to take me on the Griffon first thing. I'd never been on it before and they decided it would be a hoot to take me on it and put us in the very first row. Luckily I didn't scream any profanities on the first drop. And I did enjoy it by the second hill. Ted opted out on us. Not much of a roller coaster man.

It was a fun day. We had a few beers, ate some good food, saw some shows, and rode the roller coasters. Well Ted didn't do the last. But I think everyone had a good time.

And of course we couldn't pass up on a funny photo like this. Craig and Ted were good sports for posing for this one.

Fair winds and following seas guys. I'm sure we'll meet up again sometime in the future.

Meandering St. Louis With My Brother

So over the weekend I flew home for my mom's surprise 60th birthday party. My brother was sweet enough to let me stay with him. He also was kind enough to play tour guide. He took me to his place of work, St. Louis Union Station Marriott. I didn't realize this is where he works was where I honey mooned some 16 years ago. Funny how life works.

I had to get a picture of my brother at his bar.


I couldn't pass up the opportunity of getting a picture of the glass floor. Or the safe that the queen stored her jewels in.

I'm interested in the history of Lemp Mansion. I didn't realize they had opened it back up and turned it into an inn and restuarant. If I'd had the time I would have gone to dinner there.

The brewery itself is a stones throw from the house. So of course I had to snap this photo.

And Bevo Mills is just a few blocks from my brother's house. So we stopped to take a picture. It had been closed down, but has apparently reopened.

Howl-O-Scream

So last weekend the hubby and I went to Busch Gardens for the day. We haven't been in like 2 years and figured we should go. It's Howl-O-Scream and that used to be a tradition for us when we were in the area. Plus free tickets. Busch Gardens used to do a Here's To Our Heroes thing that gave military and their dependents free tickets for one day.

Not sure if that will be going on anymore due to the new management. Many things have changed since the Busch family sold the place. Most importantly? No more beer tastings! WTF? Not smart in my humble opinion. Why not try out your newest products here? You have a large buying base that comes to the place. Ugh!

Don't get me wrong, they still sell beer on the premises. Thank goodness!

Of course the favorite ride of the hubby and mine is the Big Bad Wolf. You can see it in this photo. Sadly it's been closed down. It was having too many issues and I was told it would be closed down by the end of this season. So we were hoping to get one last ride. That was not to be though.

I'm not sure that we'll be going back though. The price has gone up. Again. And the food really isn't that good. The ride we enjoyed is gone. And lets face it, we hate crowds.

So sadly, I'm saying goodbye to Busch Gardens. We've been going there for probably 15 years and I think our time has come to an end. It was fun while it lasted.

Our Fourth of July Weekend

So over the Fourth of July weekend I flew out to Jacksonville, FL to visit my sweet baboo. He was in Mayport for a short duration.

And he did his best to make sure that I had a blast. So we got 5 day hopper passes to Disney!!! How absolutely cool is that?

So where were we on the Fourth of July? Epcot Center!

I think our favorite thing was the Test Track. I also enjoyed Mission: Space. Was not really what I expected. But I thought it was fun. A little disorienting, but fun. We also went to The American Adventure and watched the show.

We managed to get in at the German Octoberfest. We ate at a buffet and sat with total strangers. Something that I wasn't sure if we'd like. But it was actually tons of fun. And the hubby and I both had 1/2 liters of German beer. The glasses were HUGE!

We also managed to stop briefly to the Magic Kingdom. We did not stay for the fireworks. I was exhausted and so was the hubby. And we had a 2 1/2 hour drive back to the hotel. Thank you my sweet baboo for doing the driving. I really appreciate it.
On the second day we started out a Animal Kingdom. Their Tree of Life was really kind of cool to look at. I'm sure we could have spent hours trying to identify all the animals in it. However I had other things I wanted to do, so we didn't meander through the paths to the tree.

We rode Kali River Rapids, which I wasn't all that impressed with, and Expedition Everest. I really liked the last one. It was a fun roller coaster. This was the day that I got to meet up with the characters.
Of course I had to have my picture with Eeyore. How can you not love him? He's adorable. And I must say that there were more adults, like me, in line than there were with children at times. And honestly I will not bore you with all the pictures we got, but will share a few.

Tigger was a lot of fun. He actually got into the hubby's face and practically dragged him up to have his picture taken with us. He even put his nose in front of our camera. So we do have a sot of Tigger's nose. He liked the fact that the hubby's shirt was orange and striped just like him.

One of the things that I did notice was that the characters noticed if you had a lanyard with pins on it. And they would look for themselves on the lanyard. I had to pinky swear to Donald that I would get a pin of him for on my lanyard. Yes you read that right! I had to pinky swear. So this is a picture of me explaining myself. To a duck! He wasn't the only one to notice. Goofy and Tigger noticed as well. But Donald was the only one to make me swear that I would remedy the situation.
So after spending half the day at the Animal Kingdom we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

We finished the day off here.

We only did one ride, the Tower of Terror. I'm not sure I liked the ride, but seeing as it was hot and I was a bit dehydrated I think that may have had an impact on my feeling.
We mainly wandered around and saw a show or two.
I was highly disappointed to find absolutely no Si and Am merchandise. So the hubby took a picture of me in the Villains in Vogue to try and ease the disappointment. Nary a pin, tee shirt or mug had my favorite Disney characters on them.
And since I could not find Daisy, my sweet baboo took this picture. We know that Colten really likes Daisy Duck.