Needing some inspiration

I'm a huge fan of Google Reader but lately, the blogs I subscribe to have been falling flat.  I find myself scrolling through my feeds and realizing at the end that I didn't read a single one.  Is it because I'm entering a new phase in my life?  Is it because the majority of what I subscribe to are written by people I don't know & possibly find uninteresting??

What are some of your favorite blogs?  I need a change of pace!

So good you can catch us in the Rose Parade

Scrapbooking

I've wanted to "learn" how to scrapbook for a while now.  Years I'd say.  I subscribed to a couple of scrapbooking blogs, but quickly removed them from my feed when I was inundated with posts.  Luck of the draw I guess.

I also subscribed to a series of 24(?) scrapbooking lesson emails.  I've received 9 so far and haven't read a single one.

I've made progress though...I picked out pictures from our vacation in Florida and even saved them on a flash drive so they can be printed.  Let me tell you...that's a huge step.  I haven't had pictures printed out since my trip to Belize...at least five years ago.

I even pulled out a scrapbooking kit I purchased years ago.  And much to my surprise & excitement, I have also apparently acquired several more scrapbooking supplies--enough that I feel I have the resources I need to create an acceptable first scrapbook.

So I say to my husband, "You need to ask *a certain coworker* if she belongs to any scrapbooking groups."  And his reply is:  Why would we ask her?  It's not like someone can teach you how to scrapbook.

What?!  Which led me to this epiphany:  with everything I do, there are steps.  There are certain things that precede other things and a certain way things are done.  Scrapbooking is no different in my eyes.  And I need to learn those steps before I can conquer that which is scrapbooking.  My husband politely & kindly informed me I'm crazy.  

So maybe I can muster up enough creativity to make a scrapbook.  Wish me luck!

Our trip to Universal Studios Orlando

To celebrate our 1 year anniversary, C & I drove down to Florida and spent 3 days riding rides, eating junk, & having an overall jolly good time.

I was actually quite pleased at how much fun we had.  We probably wouldn't have had as much fun had the Wizarding World of Harry Potter not been there, but then again, we wouldn't have gone had it not.  We stayed at one of the U.S. hotels, so we got early park entry, breakfast at the 3 Broomsticks, Express Passes (to go to the front of the line), & we upgraded our room so we got access to the "Club Lounge" with free drinks & food.  And yes, I think all of that was WELL worth the money.  Well worth it.

The most popular ride by far was Harry Potter's Forbidden Journey, so of course, first day, we head straight there.  Multiple motion sickness signs later, I was on the ride and you guessed it, not...lets just say I was not handling it well.  It was not until after the Spiderman ride (which was SO cool--I'm upset I couldn't keep my eyes open) that I realized, "Hey, maybe I get a little motion sick on these rides."  It was after the Simpsons ride that I knew for sure I wouldn't be going on any more simulator rides.  I'd say we were 10, 15 seconds into that ride and I put my eyes on my lap and kept them there.  At that point I had a pretty good handle on what would make me sick and what wouldn't.  Any kind of simulator...sick.  Which really kind of confused me because I went on a roller coaster simulator when I was younger and didn't have any problems.  Perhaps it was a crappy one.  Although, I did get sick at a fair once...and I've been told my bro and sis fought over who had to sit next to me in the car...oh, and there was the time I got sick on a flight to Seattle...so maybe I've just been in denial all these years.  :o)

At any rate, I was lame and C ended up going on a few of the rides by himself.  Including the Forbidden Journey which he rode again on our last day.  I followed him through Hogwarts until the loading area where I veered off to make my exit.  I was planning on hanging around to watch him get on the ride, but as I was waiting, a group was making their exit from the ride & this woman, wide eyed & holding a hand over her mouth bolted to a corner and started gagging.  At which point I thought, "Thank you!  I'm not the only one!!"

Moral of the story:  heed to warning signs on amusement park rides. 

Oh, and we had butterbeer which was so good, but none of the recipes I've made since returning home have lived up to what we had at the park.  Universal, if you're listening, please start selling it to us muggles...I will buy.