With motorcycle riding season hitting its peak here in Florida, I was hoping to use the opportunity to cruise and document my trips.
Yeah, that's not going to happen.
Last week, someone decided to leave yard tools propped up inside the garage door tracks. They weren't in the way of the clearance sensor so the door began to close normally. Once it got about halfway down, it hit the tools and damaged the garage door. So now, my motorcycle is stuck inside a garage with a broken door. Needless to say this was an unforeseen and completely unnecessary event. Common sense would tell you to not leave something in the path of a moving object, especially one as frequently used as a garage door.
With a new roof currently going on the house and two walls being gutted and repaired for water damage, replacing a garage door system isn't a priority, and the resources have already been allocated for the other repair projects. I'm not upset that the door can't be replaced/repaired soon, I'm upset because the incident happened.
So now, the cars will be stuck outside and the motorcycle will be stuck inside. This angers me because we're all disrupted by it.
In the meantime, I'll attempt to post about different topics in an attempt to kill some time.
-James
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
EPCOT Food & Wine Festival - Disney World 2014
Last Saturday I ventured down to Orlando for the Food & Wine Festival!
For those who are unaware, Disney Theme Parks in Orlando, Florida throws an annual celebration at EPCOT park to celebrate the food and wine that represents the culture of dozens of countries around the world.
EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) is a park dedicated to Walt Disney's understanding of international contributions to the world as a whole. The name EPCOT inspires the feeling of a futuristic world, and technically, it should. But what's interesting about EPCOT is the park focuses less on the future, and more on the historical and cultural contributions of the main countries featured around the World Showcase: Mexico, China, Norway, Germany, China, United States, Canada, France, Morocco, Italy, England, & Africa (the continent is represented in this case).
The festival runs from September 19th through November 10th. Not only are all of these countries represented, but more countries are added for visitors to enjoy local cuisines. This year, Greece, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Philippines, Poland are among the dozens of nations represented in custom food stands & booths around the park.
Thousands of people enjoy all of the food and wine they're willing to purchase. Many people consider it a challenge and even go as far as making group t-shirts for "Eating & Drinking Around The World" and they check off the countries as they go. It's really quite an experience and it is the perfect example of how Walt Disney World isn't just for kids. In fact, EPCOT is the most adult-oriented theme park Disney has to offer. Multiple 4 and 5 star restaurants represent the finer things in life for those adults looking for a nice escape from the daily hustle.
My wife and I are annual Disney passholders and are certainly Disney "veterans". The Food & Wine Festival is the highlight of our Disney trips and we are lucky to be able to experience it as often as we do.
-James
For those who are unaware, Disney Theme Parks in Orlando, Florida throws an annual celebration at EPCOT park to celebrate the food and wine that represents the culture of dozens of countries around the world.
EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) is a park dedicated to Walt Disney's understanding of international contributions to the world as a whole. The name EPCOT inspires the feeling of a futuristic world, and technically, it should. But what's interesting about EPCOT is the park focuses less on the future, and more on the historical and cultural contributions of the main countries featured around the World Showcase: Mexico, China, Norway, Germany, China, United States, Canada, France, Morocco, Italy, England, & Africa (the continent is represented in this case).
The festival runs from September 19th through November 10th. Not only are all of these countries represented, but more countries are added for visitors to enjoy local cuisines. This year, Greece, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Philippines, Poland are among the dozens of nations represented in custom food stands & booths around the park.
Thousands of people enjoy all of the food and wine they're willing to purchase. Many people consider it a challenge and even go as far as making group t-shirts for "Eating & Drinking Around The World" and they check off the countries as they go. It's really quite an experience and it is the perfect example of how Walt Disney World isn't just for kids. In fact, EPCOT is the most adult-oriented theme park Disney has to offer. Multiple 4 and 5 star restaurants represent the finer things in life for those adults looking for a nice escape from the daily hustle.
My wife and I are annual Disney passholders and are certainly Disney "veterans". The Food & Wine Festival is the highlight of our Disney trips and we are lucky to be able to experience it as often as we do.
-James
Monday, October 20, 2014
Georgia On My Mind
I apologize for the delay, this post was supposed to be added last week, but life intervened. You all know how that goes.
On October 11, my wife and I threw on our gear and headed up to Georgia.
Initially, our plan was to ride to St. Augustine and enjoy the Atlantic Coast. However, due to a late start, we decided to remain inland and travel up to Georgia. Couldn't ask for better weather on our journey, high of 83 with a nice breeze, few clouds.
To start out our trip, we had lunch in nearby High Springs at The Diner. Throughout my childhood, this restaurant changed ownership a couple of times. When I was in high school it was known as Floyd's Diner - a 1950's classic cafe. It still maintains that 50's vibe today, with reasonable prices and a decent menu.
After lunch, we proceeded North on US HWY 441. The plan was to take 441 all the way up to Georgia, passing through Lake City, White Springs, & Jasper. The traffic was fairly light, especially for a Saturday. Only ran into trouble as we entered Lake City, there's always that one driver who doesn't understand the concept of cruise control on their vehicle, and they continuously sped up & slowed down. This particular vehicle kept crawling up my back side and then dropping off. I wasn't in a rush, nor was I going too slow or too fast. Just kept going 65, but pulled off once I got into town to allow him to pass me. I wasn't interested in having to deal with that.
The country side really opened up just north of Lake City, limited traffic allowed my wife and I to take in the sights. I'm lucky enough to live just south of the Suwannee River Valley, and the geography of that region is very enjoyable. Crossing the Suwannee & Ichetuknee Rivers almost makes you forget you're in Florida, as the topography gives way to hills and curved roads. There aren't too many places in Florida like this, & discovering them is a real treat.
North of Lake City is the town of White Springs. Founded at the turn of the 20th Century, White Springs gives visitors a great experience of "small town USA". Massive Oak Trees line the roads, with the focal point of the town being the White Springs Bed & Breakfast, which was founded in 1905. White Springs even comes complete with a volunteer fire department! While we didn't stop, the sight seeing tour was enjoyable.
It seemed that every "wrong turn" I took lead us to better sights and better roads. Couldn't go wrong with that trip. It's a short 2-3 hour trip, but it's a nice way to burn a Saturday afternoon. The road into Georgia was long and empty on this day, and as I stood there on the State Line, I found myself being drawn into Georgia. While I didn't really venture across, I stood there looking down that lonely highway wanting to know what's down there. Where would this road take me? With nothing but swamps & fields as far as the eye could see, I wonder what was at the end of that lonely highway. Perhaps one day I'll venture further North to see what lies ahead.
On October 11, my wife and I threw on our gear and headed up to Georgia.
Initially, our plan was to ride to St. Augustine and enjoy the Atlantic Coast. However, due to a late start, we decided to remain inland and travel up to Georgia. Couldn't ask for better weather on our journey, high of 83 with a nice breeze, few clouds.
To start out our trip, we had lunch in nearby High Springs at The Diner. Throughout my childhood, this restaurant changed ownership a couple of times. When I was in high school it was known as Floyd's Diner - a 1950's classic cafe. It still maintains that 50's vibe today, with reasonable prices and a decent menu.
After lunch, we proceeded North on US HWY 441. The plan was to take 441 all the way up to Georgia, passing through Lake City, White Springs, & Jasper. The traffic was fairly light, especially for a Saturday. Only ran into trouble as we entered Lake City, there's always that one driver who doesn't understand the concept of cruise control on their vehicle, and they continuously sped up & slowed down. This particular vehicle kept crawling up my back side and then dropping off. I wasn't in a rush, nor was I going too slow or too fast. Just kept going 65, but pulled off once I got into town to allow him to pass me. I wasn't interested in having to deal with that.
The country side really opened up just north of Lake City, limited traffic allowed my wife and I to take in the sights. I'm lucky enough to live just south of the Suwannee River Valley, and the geography of that region is very enjoyable. Crossing the Suwannee & Ichetuknee Rivers almost makes you forget you're in Florida, as the topography gives way to hills and curved roads. There aren't too many places in Florida like this, & discovering them is a real treat.
North of Lake City is the town of White Springs. Founded at the turn of the 20th Century, White Springs gives visitors a great experience of "small town USA". Massive Oak Trees line the roads, with the focal point of the town being the White Springs Bed & Breakfast, which was founded in 1905. White Springs even comes complete with a volunteer fire department! While we didn't stop, the sight seeing tour was enjoyable.
It seemed that every "wrong turn" I took lead us to better sights and better roads. Couldn't go wrong with that trip. It's a short 2-3 hour trip, but it's a nice way to burn a Saturday afternoon. The road into Georgia was long and empty on this day, and as I stood there on the State Line, I found myself being drawn into Georgia. While I didn't really venture across, I stood there looking down that lonely highway wanting to know what's down there. Where would this road take me? With nothing but swamps & fields as far as the eye could see, I wonder what was at the end of that lonely highway. Perhaps one day I'll venture further North to see what lies ahead.
On the way back home, we stopped in Live Oak to stretch our legs & to give our butts a rest. A nice cold slushie from the local Burger King did the trick as we rested in the parking lot under some trees. If you've lived in Florida as long as I have, you pretty much know where the most enjoyable places are. Florida has an abundance of small towns, but the majority aren't worth the trip. The Atlantic Coast is preferrable to the Gulf Coast (in my opinion), even though the Gulf does have a few hidden gems. Just a quick shot north of Lake City opens up an area of Florida that I find most enjoyable.
Thanks for reading. Ride safe.
-James
Monday, September 29, 2014
Xbox, Football, & Other Oddities: When A Motorcyclist Can't Motorcycle
You read that title correctly.
Since I haven't been able to ride the motorcycle (primarily because it's been too hot, today it's raining, & now the bike is in the shop for the valve inspection), I've been trying to find other things to occupy my time.
Thankfully, I work full time and I've been putting in overtime at the office to catch up on work, and to burn a few hours each week. I use the term "catch up" lightly, because in HR, you're never really caught up. I applied for a recently opened position in my department and if I can get it, the door for more growth will be opened. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
If the weather decides to cooperate, I should hopefully be able to use the bike as a daily driver in the next few weeks. I look forward to being back on two wheels again, and if this Fall is anything like last year, it will truly be fantastic.
So along with work, I've been playing on my new Xbox One. My VA Disabled Veteran compensation kicked in, and I picked up the Xbox One as a fun way to kill some time on the weekend. I've been messing around with the console, personalizing it and such. It's really quite impressive. I'm an avid gamer and I've spent countless hours with a controller in my hand. I didn't get the Kinect addition, so I can't give it voice commands, but I'm okay with that. I'm looking forward to Forza Horizon 2, it truly has the ability to be one of the greatest games I've ever played. Right now, Red Dead Redemption still holds that title.
Every weekend, I also look forward to football. I cannot express my satisfaction that football season is finally back. For college, the Florida Gators are hanging by a thread in terms of being a dangerous team. Unforunately, that thread is about to break. The Gators are truly struggling, and since that 2008 BCS Championship team graduated, Florida has truly been disappointing. We have a history with douche bag, yet legendary coaches. Steve Spurrier & Urban Meyer have won championships, then lost the support of Gator Nation when they both skipped town under awful circumstances.
Since I was younger, as my home town Gators struggled, I've always turned to my favorite NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, for solace. That has backfired in my face for the past 4 seasons, and it looks like that disappointing trend will continue. Losing Super Bowl 45 to the Packers, losing to my home town hero Tim Tebow & the Denver Broncos in the 2011 Playoffs, then going 8-8 the past two seasons. It's still too early to tell what will happen this year, but taking into consideration the awful and completely unnecessary loss to Tampa Bay yesterday, it doesn't look good. Only 1/4 of the way through the season, Pittsburgh can definitely turn things around, but it HAS to happen now. The defense has way too many holes, Dick LeBeau's 3-4 Zone Blitz scheme doesn't intimidate opponents anymore because it's a one-trick pony that teams have learned to overcome. For once, the Steelers offense is starting to take a stand, if you don't look into Todd Haley's head scratching play calling, that is. The Steelers need help. If they don't make the playoffs this year, the team needs to make some front office changes. Ben Roethlisberger isn't getting younger, and his window for success is starting to close.
We're getting a new roof, new tile flooring in the living room, & the fireplace wall is going to be gutted and rebuilt in the next few weeks and it's going to be really nice. In the mean time, we've begun our decorations for Fall. Pumpkins and scarecrows are finding themselves scattered around the house and yard. We're staging the Halloween gear and deciding where to put things. Just need to decide what I'm wearing for Halloween. My dogs have already picked their costumes.
Since I haven't been able to ride the motorcycle (primarily because it's been too hot, today it's raining, & now the bike is in the shop for the valve inspection), I've been trying to find other things to occupy my time.
Thankfully, I work full time and I've been putting in overtime at the office to catch up on work, and to burn a few hours each week. I use the term "catch up" lightly, because in HR, you're never really caught up. I applied for a recently opened position in my department and if I can get it, the door for more growth will be opened. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
If the weather decides to cooperate, I should hopefully be able to use the bike as a daily driver in the next few weeks. I look forward to being back on two wheels again, and if this Fall is anything like last year, it will truly be fantastic.
So along with work, I've been playing on my new Xbox One. My VA Disabled Veteran compensation kicked in, and I picked up the Xbox One as a fun way to kill some time on the weekend. I've been messing around with the console, personalizing it and such. It's really quite impressive. I'm an avid gamer and I've spent countless hours with a controller in my hand. I didn't get the Kinect addition, so I can't give it voice commands, but I'm okay with that. I'm looking forward to Forza Horizon 2, it truly has the ability to be one of the greatest games I've ever played. Right now, Red Dead Redemption still holds that title.
Every weekend, I also look forward to football. I cannot express my satisfaction that football season is finally back. For college, the Florida Gators are hanging by a thread in terms of being a dangerous team. Unforunately, that thread is about to break. The Gators are truly struggling, and since that 2008 BCS Championship team graduated, Florida has truly been disappointing. We have a history with douche bag, yet legendary coaches. Steve Spurrier & Urban Meyer have won championships, then lost the support of Gator Nation when they both skipped town under awful circumstances.
Since I was younger, as my home town Gators struggled, I've always turned to my favorite NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, for solace. That has backfired in my face for the past 4 seasons, and it looks like that disappointing trend will continue. Losing Super Bowl 45 to the Packers, losing to my home town hero Tim Tebow & the Denver Broncos in the 2011 Playoffs, then going 8-8 the past two seasons. It's still too early to tell what will happen this year, but taking into consideration the awful and completely unnecessary loss to Tampa Bay yesterday, it doesn't look good. Only 1/4 of the way through the season, Pittsburgh can definitely turn things around, but it HAS to happen now. The defense has way too many holes, Dick LeBeau's 3-4 Zone Blitz scheme doesn't intimidate opponents anymore because it's a one-trick pony that teams have learned to overcome. For once, the Steelers offense is starting to take a stand, if you don't look into Todd Haley's head scratching play calling, that is. The Steelers need help. If they don't make the playoffs this year, the team needs to make some front office changes. Ben Roethlisberger isn't getting younger, and his window for success is starting to close.
We're getting a new roof, new tile flooring in the living room, & the fireplace wall is going to be gutted and rebuilt in the next few weeks and it's going to be really nice. In the mean time, we've begun our decorations for Fall. Pumpkins and scarecrows are finding themselves scattered around the house and yard. We're staging the Halloween gear and deciding where to put things. Just need to decide what I'm wearing for Halloween. My dogs have already picked their costumes.
-James
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Rest In Peace, Oh Captain, My Captain!
When people think of Robin Williams, especially those of my generation, they immediately reference Mrs. Doubtfire, Aladdin, or Hook. Occasionally they'll reference Mork & Mindy. They do this because it's what they remember from their childhood.
I've never seen Mork & Mindy, only liked certain parts of Mrs. Doubtfire, but Hook and Aladdin were great. However, when I think of Robin Williams, I think of Good Morning, Vietnam, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, and Bicentennial Man - but mostly, I think of his stand up comedy.
Robin Williams was the master of on stage comedy. His 1986 Live At The Met stand up was phenominal. I used to fall asleep listening to it when I was a kid. It was so funny, and I always enjoyed going to sleep in a good mood. His ability to improvise and change voices so quickly was just incredible. He could tell stories so perfectly that I think people laughed just as hard at how he did it, as they did for the words themselves.
My favorite act of all time was his 2002 Live On Broadway show. I've watched it so many times, but it's just as funny as the first time. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Just don't do it while you're driving! Non-stop laughter!
I've lost my uncle and a dear friend to suicide, they were facing the same demons as Robin Williams. It's a tragic loss. He was loved by so many people around the world. He sought treatment for his acohol and drug addiction problems, but when you naturally have an addictive personality, there's only so much that can be done.
It's so hard to believe that a man could be so funny, bring love and joy to the hearts of millions, and yet he suffered so much from depression and addiction that it ultimately ended his life. Let good come out of this. I hope this raises suicide awareness. But what people don't understand, is that an average 23 Veterans committ suicide every day. It's a bigger problem than people realize.
Robin Williams will be missed greatly by millions. His impact on the entertainment world cannot be denied, nor will it ever be overlooked. Regardless of your religious beliefs, we can all agree he's no longer suffering.
You're the man, Robin. You will be missed.
-James
I've never seen Mork & Mindy, only liked certain parts of Mrs. Doubtfire, but Hook and Aladdin were great. However, when I think of Robin Williams, I think of Good Morning, Vietnam, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, and Bicentennial Man - but mostly, I think of his stand up comedy.
Robin Williams was the master of on stage comedy. His 1986 Live At The Met stand up was phenominal. I used to fall asleep listening to it when I was a kid. It was so funny, and I always enjoyed going to sleep in a good mood. His ability to improvise and change voices so quickly was just incredible. He could tell stories so perfectly that I think people laughed just as hard at how he did it, as they did for the words themselves.
My favorite act of all time was his 2002 Live On Broadway show. I've watched it so many times, but it's just as funny as the first time. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Just don't do it while you're driving! Non-stop laughter!
I've lost my uncle and a dear friend to suicide, they were facing the same demons as Robin Williams. It's a tragic loss. He was loved by so many people around the world. He sought treatment for his acohol and drug addiction problems, but when you naturally have an addictive personality, there's only so much that can be done.
It's so hard to believe that a man could be so funny, bring love and joy to the hearts of millions, and yet he suffered so much from depression and addiction that it ultimately ended his life. Let good come out of this. I hope this raises suicide awareness. But what people don't understand, is that an average 23 Veterans committ suicide every day. It's a bigger problem than people realize.
Robin Williams will be missed greatly by millions. His impact on the entertainment world cannot be denied, nor will it ever be overlooked. Regardless of your religious beliefs, we can all agree he's no longer suffering.
You're the man, Robin. You will be missed.
-James
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