OKTOBERFEST 2009!! Let the drinking begin....

Oktoberfest 2009

A very different entrance to Oktoberfest this year

Armbrustschutzen- Our tent the second night


They serve more than just beer at Oktoberfest!Our group on the devil's wheel...

...and then there was one!

Well, we are glad to be back home but do miss the fun that is Oktoberfest! As always it never disappoints! Oktoberfest is one of those things that everyone must do once before they die so then and only then is your life complete (can you tell we thoroughly enjoy it?). It is really indescribable, but I will try.
We flew into Amsterdam and took the train to Munich. It takes about 5 hours and is a nice trip through the countryside. It is also a nice way to rest before a long night of debauchery. This year, Oktoberfest was as fun as always but walking up to it you could tell something was a little different. al-Qaeda released videos warning of reprisals against Germany and threatened to attack Germany while showing pictures of German landmarks including Oktoberfest. Security was definitely beefed up as we saw polizei everywhere and the street in front of the area was blocked and bags were searched. They did a great job and nobody let those @^%$# keep us from having a good time. We got to Munich about an hour before we were to meet up with our group and go to the first tent. Now let me explain the "tents". These so called tents take a few months to build and can hold anywhere from 4 to 10 thousand people depending on the tent. I might actually camp more often if my tent looked remotely similar to these. There are 14 different tents and each one serves beer from a local brewery. The tents also serve delicious food like chicken, ox, brats with sauerkraut, and pretzels the size of your head. We usually get to the tents between 4 and 5 p.m and order our first (of many) round of beer, pretzels, and dinner. As it gets later the band starts to play the hits everyone likes to sing and everyone's happiness level starts to go up due to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4rth rounds of beer taking effect. By now most everyone is standing on the benches hoisting their steins back and forth singing along with everybody. Oktoberfest can be a dangerous place if you are not careful. Everyone is standing on the same bench which is now covered in beer and very slick. Also if one person loses their balance, which is not hard after the 4th and sequential rounds, they are taking someone or several someones down with them. The benches also work like seesaws which can get you if you are not paying attention. If you are standing on a bench with people and those people get off leaving you alone on the bench, you will go flying off beer and all. One of the best parts of Oktoberfest is dressing up in the traditional Bavarian outfits. Everyone always looks so much better in their lederhosen and the ladies in their dirndl (and all the beer doesn't hurt either).
Oktoberfest is all about the beer but that is not all that is there. Of course there are all kinds of great food. From the best brats you have ever had to chocolate covered fruits, sugar coated roasted nuts, very smelly fish stands, and so much more. And what better to add to lots of beer and food but roller coasters and other fast spinning rides?! It is a recipe for disaster but there are tons of great rides, roller coasters, fun houses, and haunted houses. It doesn't seem that Germany has the same problem we Americans have with lawsuit happy people because Oktoberfest is an ambulance chasers dream. As if the slick beer drenched benches, the drunks bringing them down, and the completely smashed people on roller coasters weren't bad enough; they had to have the devils wheel! The devils wheel is a large, round wooden wheel that spins around while people box, hoola hoop, and generally just try to stay on it. It is hilarious to watch and can be dangerous to do. Last year someone in our group shattered their ankle and this year I am pretty sure someone got a concussion. They have an announcer that will call for kids (yes, kids actually do this), people over 40, all men, all women, all Americans, etc. Once everyone is sitting in the middle of the wheel the announcer will speed it up causing people to fly off until only one person is left. To get the last person off they will drop a large ball and swing it towards them until they get knocked off. If that doesn't work, the tried and true method which never fails is the rope. They will start with one guy next to the wheel throwing a rope around the person until they get caught up and slung off the wheel. If the person is real good they bring in a second guy with a rope so you are now dodging a large ball coming at you from above, a guy on either side of you throwing a rope around you while you are being spun in circles. I did mention this takes place at a beer festival didn't I? If you are a complete professional they will start to throw the rope around you like a lasso. Why would someone do something so crazy? I don't know and as soon as I figure out what possessed me to do it I will let you know. That is right I attempted the devil's wheel and by sheer luck was the last one remaining when the rest of our group got slung off. If you usually skip the album, let me just say there is a lovely picture of me getting hit in the head by a large ball. So to recap: lots of beer, delicious food, great friends, and fast rides = good times!
So we are finally home and getting to enjoy our new house, well at least for 2 weeks then we are off again. In 2 weeks we will be heading to Memphis for move #2 and then Nashville for Blake's Dad's wedding. I do believe after that we may actually stay put for a while! We already have several people coming to visit us when we get back and we can't wait to show everyone a good time in our new hood! As always, thanks for taking the time to check out our fun times. Our adventures may be slowing down but come back and check every once in a while because we still have lots of adventures to be had here at home!

Live from New York, Its Saturday Night!!

What we called home for the last 4 months. No, not the museum!
We lived just around the corner..but that would have been cool!

You never know who you will see in Times Square

Because one creepy guy in an Elmo suit is never enough in Times Square

Hey Minnie, I don't think we are in Disney World anymore...

Actually it is Sunday morning but I wrote the blog Saturday night and besides I wanted to use this as a title all summer and this is my last chance! We are heading out today to go back to Florida. The timing is good, it is already getting cold here. Of course when we say this to the locals they think we are crazy!
It has been a fun 4 months and I never thought I would fall in love with this city so much! Especially the first couple of weeks adjusting to life with 2 flights of stairs, no washer/dryer, or dishwasher. But there is something about this city that grows on you. I feel very fortunate and really appreciate the time we had here. There is always an energy in the air that I never experienced in Memphis. Of course, only having Memphis to compare it to, it is no wonder I like it here so much! There is always something going on and always something to do. I thoroughly enjoyed just walking down the street at night with Blake or walking through the park with the dogs. There was always something interesting to see, people to watch, and just an exciting uplifting atmosphere. Life in NYC is never boring, just what I like and the reason why we are moving to central Florida(that and warm winters)! I can't wait to get to Florida and start enjoying our new home.
I have learned several things while spending my summer here in New York. I thought I would enlighten those of you that have never been in case you decide to visit. For those that have been here, consider this your refresher course. First off, New Yorkers do every thing fast. They walk fast, they talk fast. Because you can never talk fast enough, New Yorkers love their abbreviations. It only makes sense that the city is known as NYC because people here talk like I text! Omg, idk wat ther sayn, lol! There is the Met, MoMA, Nolita, Soho, Tribeca, Broad, you get the point. Here Dumbo isn't a Disney character, it is actually short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. Study your abbreviations before you come!
Forget tree lined streets, here you have pee lined streets! When we first moved here and I was unloading our van, I didn't want to put our luggage on the street or sidewalk because the smell of dog pee was so strong. When you walk down the street you have to dodge puddles of pee. I have gotten used to it now and only smell it occasionally.
There are constantly people hitting you up for money. Whether it is a street performer or a bum, be prepared. Most locals don't even make eye contact, this was evident when we told a group of beggars "sorry, no" and they thanked us for looking at them and saying no. If you feel like being generous or have a hard time saying no, you will need to have a separate budget just for this. The street performers are everywhere a tourist might be and they range from typical to funny to bizarre. When you run into Mickey Mouse or Elmo in Times Square, think before you send your child for that great photo op. You don't know who is in that costume. They are not Disney employees! Just think of them as very off Broadway characters and they wont bother you as much.
Thank you so much for traveling this road with us and keeping up with our adventures. Lucky for us, maybe not for you, our adventures don't stop here. We are driving back with the dogs Sunday and Monday to get to our new house we haven't even had a chance to experience yet. For one day. One. Then we fly to Amsterdam and Munich for Octoberfest! Octoberfest is one of the best experiences I have ever had and I can't wait to share it with you guys! That is right, it doesn't end here! If I can manage to work my laptop after 3 consecutive nights of drinking while standing on a table singing, I plan on bringing you an update straight from Germany! So until then Tschüs und dankt!

Museum Marathon, Skyscraper Sprint & Coney Island Cut and Run!

I can see my house from here....
Seriously, I can see the Beresford and my house is behind it, does that count?

Coney Island. Yes,that actually says "Shoot the Freak"

the Met

Empire State Building

Guggenheim

Anerican Museum of Natural History
I know you are wondering if he wanted to play catch- of course not!
I wasn't there after hours silly!

So we finished up our Museum week with a trip to the American Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim, and the Met. We also did the Empire State Building (included on City Pass) and the Top of the Rock (Top of Rockefeller Center). I really enjoyed the Museum of Natural History, they have a ton of exhibits on animals so I guess that is no real surprise. The also have incredible exhibits on human origins, meteorites, fossils, and a lot more. This museum is one of the ones that if you want to read everything, give yourself a couple of days! The Met was my favorite art museum and Guggenheim my least favorite. The Met has so many different types of art; more than just paintings and sketches like a typical art museum. Another one where you can spend an entire day or two. The Guggenheim was basically dedicated to one artist with the exception of one small room. I was excited to see the Guggenheim because it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and I wanted pictures of the interior but even that is a no-no except for the first floor. If the building itself isn't allowed to be photographed you can bet the art isn't either. I have been to a lot of art museums and that was a first. That was a real disappointment. I will say, Guggenheim was the easiest museum to navigate. I never needed my gps, compass, or ribbon!
I also recommend Top of the Rock over the Empire State Building. In my opinion, Top of the Rock had better views and the Empire State Building was so crowded the entire railing was 2 rows deep of people. It was completely unorganized, the staff was less than pleasant, and they are constantly trying to sell you something.
We also managed to squeeze in Coney Island. The train ride there lasted longer than the time we were actually at Coney Island. I'm glad I could say I went there because it is a little piece of Americana History. Sadly, that's about it. Most everything was closed down, it looked like the redneck riviera of the north and the rides only looked scary because of the possibility of losing your life. We stayed long enough to take pictures, say we had been there done that, and figure out just what exactly is "Shoot the Freak" (shoot a person with a paintball gun while he runs back and forth, I'm not kidding).
I am making this weeks installment of adventures short and sweet since we are busy packing. If this is what you use to help put yourself to sleep, just try reading it twice! As always thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to read our blog and look at our pictures.

The Professor and Mary Ann go to an Art Museum, Oh yea, and on a 3 hour tour...

No, we didn't go to a garage sale. This is actually an exhibit at MoMA!

Manhattan from the Hudson

Going under the Brooklyn Bridge

The past 2 weekends we started our trek through Museum Mile. Most large cities have something called City Pass which gives you admission to several attractions for one slightly lower price. We had tickets for: the Met, MoMA, American Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim, Empire State Building, and the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise. The only catch is you have to do it in 9 days. Not a problem for the average tourist but since Blake works during the week, we had to spread all that out over 2 weekends. The first weekend we did MoMA and the Circle Line Tour. I love art and come from an artistic family; that being said, some art is REALLY in the eye of the beholder! They have many very interesting and very unusual pieces. MoMA also has a lot of art from famous well known artists. Some of the better known pieces were from: Matisse, Magritte, Picasso, Dahli, Pollock, and Warhol, to name a few. To me, the most impressive was seeing van Gogh's Starry Night. They also had a very large collection of Picasso. The next day we took the Circle Line Tour around the whole island of Manhattan. A tip for those who come here and want to do this: don't rush to the top deck like everyone else. Unless your boat is just packed, there are less people on the inside, downstairs deck. Your view is just as good and you have more ability to be mobile and walk back and forth from one side to the other. So we started our 3 hour tour;yes, I said 3 hour tour. Hence the name of the post. No, Gilligan was not there and we did not shipwreck. The tour starts on the Western side of lower Manhattan in the Hudson and does a complete circle of the island. You go under several bridges including the Brooklyn Bridge and get great views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Manhattan skyline and much more. You also get to see a side of Manhattan that few see or even realize is there. Parts of the northern side of the island reminds me of being out on a lake in the middle of the country; not around the corner from one of the worlds largest metropolitan cities.
We went to the Guggenheim but they only had 2 exhibits open because of the installation of a new exhibit. We plan on going back before we leave when the new exhibit opens. Something else you need to know if you plan on coming here is how to navigate the museums. When visiting the museums here make sure to bring a compass, ribbon, and gps. Every museum I have been to has been like visiting one of those carnival fun houses with all the mirrors. You go into one room and it has 3 other doors to choose from. So you pick a door, go through that room and it has 3 more doors. The gps and compass are obvious, the ribbon is to mark where you have been and how to find your way back out. If you want to see everything and read about what you see, it will take between 1 to 2 days to see it all depending on the museum. I am not kidding. So far all the museums have at least one restaurant so when you have been lost in it for days you don't die of starvation. Oh yea, also bring lots of money. They don't care if it took you 2 days to find the cafe and you are about to die of malnutrition, that sandwich will still cost you $15. I must give my wonderful husband credit for being drug through not 1, not 2, but 4 museums. With only a minimal amount of complaining ;)
Well, there is my weekly report complete with free advice. I wont charge you for the advice; consider it like a virtual time share presentation. You get to sit and listen (well read) a boring presentation and then get to watch me go out and have fun! Thanks!!

Lest We Forget...

I don't want to ruin this "tribute" with a bunch of words. The images are powerful enough and speak for themselves. To all those who lost their lives 8 years ago today, we will never forget...

Island Hopping!! Not tropical but still fun!

So, I didn't waste any time getting back to the touristy things once I got back to NY. One of the things on my list was to go to the Statue of Liberty. Not long after we moved here the news reported that they were going to reopen the crown to visitors (it has been restricted since 9/11). I logged onto the website 2 days after they started selling tickets to the crown and the first available ticket was August 22nd (this was back in the beginning of June)! Sadly the Statue of Liberty is to New Yorkers what Graceland is to Memphians. Most locals haven't been, don't care to go, or haven't been since they were a child. Granted with all the green foam crowns and cheesy mini statues it does come across as a tourist trap but truthfully it is a massive piece of history and art. Come on, you could have a gaudy dead celebrity's mansion as your cities "crown jewel" and I use crown jewel very loosely. The climb to the top was an adventure in itself. To get to the top you had to climb 354 steps. Going up 2 flights to my apartment doesn't seem so bad now. If we stayed here I think that is where I would get a job. I could get in shape and get paid to do it (not to mention the views out of my "office" window)! The climb actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I thought I was going to need divine intervention when we climbed 320 steps to the top of St. Peter's basilica. Of course, we are both in much better shape than we were then. Not only is it a lot of steps, it is actually a very narrow spiral staircase in a small, hot unairconditioned area. If they really want to make money they need to put a spa in that crown so you can rest your feet and get a cool alcoholic beverage before going back down the 320 steps you just came up. I had a serious urge to just slide down the handrail on the way back down. I guess that is why they don't sell cool alcoholic beverages. Drats! The weather wasn't the best that day, it was rainy and cloudy. Also my camera had a spot mysteriously show up that I can't seem to get rid of. Most of my pictures look like a UFO is hovering around the statue. You can only go to the crown once in a 6 month period and the tickets are booked through the winter; lucky Blake or I would probably make him do it again on a sunnier day and when my camera was UFO less. The ferry to the statue also takes you to Ellis Island. It was neat to be there and see where our ancestors first came but I was expecting more of a museum with artifacts on display. Of course, we were so tired from the statue we did rush through it. The ferry to get to all this cool stuff takes off from Battery Park, which has the Sphere from the World Trade Centers. It remained surprisingly well intact, so they moved it to the park for now and will reinstall at the original site when it is completed.
In this weeks photo album, I'm including a couple of random pictures from around town. One was taken before we left to move. We were out and got caught in a storm that came out of nowhere. We were heading to Rockefeller Center to go to the top but had to take cover in a subway. We never made it and after you see the pictures, you will see why. Enjoy!

Pictures!!!!!!!!!!!

I finally got around to posting pictures from the move. You can click the link Album 11- Around the World.. or atleast East of the Mississippi to see the pictures. I forgot to take pictures of what the house looked like before I left (half put together) but will take and post some when I get back. I also didn't get any pictures from Disney World when my family came in town but my sis saved the day! The pictures starting with the family through the awsome sunset in the backyard are all compliments of Elizabeth (aka Ebis). That explains the major difference in quality! She is an aspiring photographer and puts my pictures to shame!
I did update the blog a few days ago so in case you missed it, you can go to blog archive and click on the date you missed. Thanks for taking the time to read our blog and look at our pictures! Happy reading :)

NYC to Memphis to Clermont to Miami to Clermont and back to NYC !!

NYC to...

Memphis to ....

Clermont to...

Miami ...

back to Clermont...

and back to NYC!!!!!

Keep those frequent flier miles coming! It's hard to believe what all took place in the span of 3 weeks but it is back to NYC and normal day to day life. As normal as you can get in NYC! Clermont may be where our new house is but my boys were back in NYC so that is where home is for now. I enjoyed the conveniences of suburban life while I had them but it is back to hand washing dishes and Wrigley trying to eat rats and roaches. Again, it has been so long since I last posted I don't know where I left off. I intended to keep the blog up to date but I underestimated how much work had to be done. Blake, Mom, and I spent the week cleaning, unboxing, and setting up what we had in the house in addition to going out and buying things we needed. We did manage to stop and have dinner out every night. We tried some new places in Clermont as well as some old favorites in Orlando. Blake was delighted to see they had a Buffalo's (those of you from Memphis may remember the place) and I was happy we found our new El Po (again, if you have been in Memphis you will know our fave Mexican restaurant). At the end of the week Mom flew home and we drove to Miami. We thought it was pretty cool that we were just a quick drive away from Miami. The drive was longer than we expected and not as exciting as one would think. Miami was cool but the whole time we couldn't wait to get back to the new house. Poor Blake only had a couple hours there before he had to get on a plane to go back to New York (much to the happiness of the dogs). I had a few days to continue setting up the house before my family came. In my head, the house was going to be all set up with all the decor and furniture out. I wanted it to be all put together for my first visitors. In reality, there were still boxes everywhere, half the furniture wasn't there, mattresses were on the floor because the frames are in Memphis, and none of the bedrooms had light fixtures (previous owners took everything that wasn't bolted down and most everything that was). Their stay was way too short but we got a lot done and still got to go to Disney! As many times as we have been to Disney we have never done it in August, it was hot! Luckily since we have been there so much we didn't feel the need to stay all day and do everything. Every day when we would decide what to do, I would contribute with "Whatever you guys want to do. I live just down the street now". Not that I was rubbing it in ;)! We hit the big stuff, had a great time, and then headed back home. Elizabeth got a bunch of great pictures; it runs in the family :) Dad was a huge help getting things done around the house and there are now light fixtures in almost every room! I was sad to see them go and leave the house but was excited to see my boys again and finish my sightseeing tour in NYC! Big city life may have a bunch of inconveniences but getting to the airport isn't one of them. I have now flown in or out of all 3 major airports around New York without my own personal vehicle but getting to MCO without a car is costly! We were all flying out at the same time, me to NYC and the fam to Memphis. The taxi cost almost as much as my plane ticket! Even without flying through Atlanta, their plane had a 2 hour delay :(. I was a little luckier; I sat behind Vincent D'Onofrio and his family on my plane. It was pretty cool seeing him and watching him play with his kids. I was impressed with how much he played with them and not just let his nanny do it all. Naturally, the one thing I didn't get a picture of! I didn't want to be disrespectful since he was with his family and on a plane. My flight was actually early, which you think would be a good thing, but because we were so early we had to wait for a gate to open. An hour later I was meeting Blake in baggage claim! We took the subway back to the apartment and just as we got off a massive storm hit. We tried to wait it out in the subway because it was really bad but decided to make a mad dash for it and ran 1/2 a block in a deluge with lightning all around us. It was crazy and fun. The next morning trees all around where we were running had broken limbs from the lightning and winds. It apparently was a microburst. So, maybe not so smart. Oh well, we are back and ready to sightsee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!