I'm a slayer, ask me how.

Tomorrow is the first day of our not-quite-a-week long trip with my parents.

I'm excited but also nervous - as I think I have mentioned before, this will be the longest amount of uninterrupted time I have spent with them since I moved out. Definitely the most Tim has ever spent with them LOL. I'm hoping everything goes smoothly and we have a good time.

Both my parents retired in July and my Mom made a comment while we were at the Bastille concert that my Dad doesn't seem to know how to get out and do fun things so I thought HARRY POTTER WORLD! We are all movie nerds and I had such a great time at Universal Studios a few years ago. Plus, now that we are not trapped in the summer vacation cycle, they can experience the park when it is not crammed with people and 100 degrees outside.

At least, that is what I am hoping for! Right now, the forecast is looking good, with mid-60s and 70s temps on the two days we have in the park. I'm hoping we can just take our time and wander around because 2 days is plenty of time for both parks, so no rush.

We are driving so tomorrow we will go a little less than 7 hours and stop in lovely (I hope) Florence, South Carolina and then pick up on Sunday and go the rest of the way to Orlando. Staying at a Universal resort so we can have the shuttle back and forth and early park admission and whatever the other perks are.

Anyway, I am way behind on my flist, so sorry about that but obviously not catching up this week! I need to get to bed as it is midnight here and I want to wake up around 8am. A little extra sleep from a normal work day. :)

You can follow my adventure on twitter and instagram, if you want. I'll try to post often to prove we are alive and having fun!

See you on the flip side!

So, I just booked a vacation for my family to Universal Studios.

Like, Tim and myself plus my parents, who both retired in June.

I'm realizing this will be the most non-stop time I have spent with my parents since I moved out of the house in the early 2000s. This is going to be an experience.

We're going to drive down, split that over two days because that many hours in the car is too many with 4 adults. Plus, there's lots of cute little towns to stop in from here to Orlando.

So, yeah two days down, two days in the park and two days back. End of January so that the park should be empty.

But it's Harry Potter land! It's hard not to have fun there. My parents haven't been to Universal Studios since 1995, I think, so lots of new stuff for them. And even in the few years since my last trip, they've added at least 3 rides - King Kong, Jimmy Fallon and the new Hagrid roller coaster.

Something to look forward to when it gets dark and cold over the next few months. And when I'm sitting in Wisconsin on Christmas.

PAX East tickets AND Star Wars movie tickets go on sale this week also. Somehow all of the exciting things are Dec/Jan/Feb for me in 2020! Talk about peaking early!

Oh, and BONUS: we had to get a new hot water heater this weekend LOL. TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

1. What was your favorite childhood vacation?
I have a horrible memory but I think I'd have to go with my trip with my Aunt and Grandma to Disney. It was just a "Girls Only" trip. I remember riding the "Tower of Terror" with my grandma because when your GRANDMA is okay with the scary ride, how can you not be?

I also remember a group of youths running through the park and bumping into my grandma, knocking her down. Disney scooped her up pretty quick and whisked her to their medical station, backstage. Her head was bleeding pretty bad and the doctor was telling her she needed stitches. My grandma grumbled about it and my Aunt said "I can see your skull! You want me to reach in there and knock on it!" and then she relented to a trip to the local hospital.

And then I was SWORN TO SECRECY when we called to check in with my parents and grandpa that night. Don't mention the stitches or they will freak out LOL. I'm sure they found out after we got back, though I don't remember the reveal.

2. What is your dream vacation?
Right now, at this moment, a trip to Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. I watched all the coverage last week and I am dying to visit. I know I should wait though - only 1 of the 2 rides are even open! - but I can't wait to experience it. I feel like I will probably cry. I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan but that park was overwhelming in its awesomeness so I feel like with my Star Wars fandom level as high as it is, I might cry.

3. If you could take a trip around the world, what locations would you be sure to include?
JAPAN, then I want to go back to Australia, for sure. New Zealand for some Lord of the Rings sightseeing, I'd take Tim back to Alaska because he spent his younger years there, I'd love to visit Spain and France, Italy, and it might be cool to pop in to Ireland and Lithuania for family roots reasons. If Russia wasn't such a mess, I would go there. I'm pretty open to going places, if it is safe. That is the biggest thing for me. I'd feel weird going to countries where people's lives are in turmoil and showing up as a tourist.

4. Do you prefer vacations to new destinations, to familiar destinations, or a mix?
A mix. I like to go exploring and I don't mind going to someplace I have been before but have not full explored. Or someplace like Universal or Disney parks because the magic just takes me over.

5. What activities would you plan for a two week staycation?
Mostly probably video games. LOL. I don't think I could do a two week staycation, that's a LONG TIME to stay at home. Maybe 1 week of being a homebody and then a week of daily excursions to local attractions like state and national parks. That is one of the things I love about Maryland - there's parks and historical sites just lying around.

So, Tim finally got his passport and I've decided to start small and just drive across the border into Canada so he can get his first stamp (do they stamp them at the border? I don't know, but I will be a nerd about it and request I get a stamp).

I'm thinking Niagara Falls and staying on the Canada side. Found a few hotels that had a good rating and a good price so now I need to book one. My plan is to be in the area for 3 days and that seems like a lot for just the falls so anyone have any suggestions for activities?

I see that Toronto is about 90 minute drive - suggestions for the city would be welcome too.

I haven't been to Niagara since I was...hm...I must have been pretty young, like 10? 12? I don't really remember it anymore, my brain apparently was not impressed. I do remember sitting on the beach with my Grandma while my family ran into the casino somewhere just to say they gambled in Canada. LOL. Maybe it was a new casino at the time? Random, I know.

Anyway, if you've been more recently or know of some must-see things in that radius, let me know! I've got Wanderlust with so many other people going on vacation so I want to plan something so I have it to look forward too. :)

I have memories of visiting Universal Studios when I was a kid and having lots of fun with my family, then visiting again as an adult and having a good time. But also being hot. And being crowded by people. And waiting in long lines. These trips all occurred during spring/summer.

I now know that the time to visit Florida is February.

We arrived in Orlando on Tuesday afternoon, got to our hotel around 4:30 and by the time we go to the park, it was probably 5:30. We figured we could pop in and maybe wander around, plan our attack for the next day. But when we noticed that the wait for The Simpsons Ride was only 5 minutes, we decided to take a spin, thinking this would be a rare occurrence. We walked right up the winding path where the line should have been and we were on the ride in a matter of minutes.

That was fun, we thought, continuing our wandering and made our way to "London" and found the secret entrance to Diagon Alley. I had my first butterbeer, an overly sweet carbonated beverage that didn't quite sit well with my empty stomach (it tasted a bit like root beer and cream soda with some kind of whipped milky stuff poured on top. It was good but a whole glass was too much). We continued walking, sipping our drinks. I can't remember how we did it, but we ended up at Islands of Adventure, the other park, and found the original Harry Potter world. Having finished our drinks, we did a double take at the Hogwarts sign telling us the ride had a 5 minute way. How could we resist!

In retrospect, riding a crazy motion ride with no food in my stomach and just bubbling beverages in there wasn't my best idea. I didn't feel fantastic after we got off the ride even though it was so amazing and fun. But this point in time it was dark and we made our way to the CityWalk to go find food. We decided to try CowFish, which had caught our eye while browsing the website. Unfortunately, the food was a huge disappointment and I felt ill anyway so we went back to the hotel and crashed.

The next two days were a blur of awesome rides. Our hotel let us enter the Harry Potter parks an hour early so we walked into Islands of Adventure and went directly to Hogsmeade, then hopped onto the Hogwarts express, delivering us to Diagon Alley and a mere 10 minute wait for the Gringotts ride. And that was how the rest of the day was - no lines, no waits, just walk in and ride. It was INSANE!! I didn't even know you could have days like that at Universal! I am never going to those parks in the summer ever again!

ANYWAY - THE RIDES! LET ME TELL YOU!



I don't like roller coasters at all. I cannot convince my brain that my stomach going into my throat is fun. I cannot tell my brain that we are falling but it's okay because it's on a track and "totally safe".

This is why I love Universal Studios. I love the way the rides are built, with enough action and suspense for me to have fun but just enough awareness that the nagging part of my brain that usually screams "WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE!" sits back and says "oh this is just fun!"

The two new Harry Potter rides are these most amazing rides I have ever been on. The way the ride technology has advanced is fantastic. You can tell that Universal's designers took a good hard look at what has worked and what has not on other rides and tried to do the best they can. You can tell they knew that kids and adults would want to ride. You can even tell that they thought about how INSANE lines could be at Universal and designed a waiting area that would keep everyone entertained.

For Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, riders sit on "enchanted benches" which must be on some kind of arm mechanism which is on a track. It is a brilliant mix of huge screens that trick your brain and practical special effects and puppets that pull you into the world. The chair tilts, tips, and even leans so far back you are almost upside down! The main cast of the films recorded new scenes for us and it feels like you are on an adventure with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I gasped and screamed and ended the ride feeling overjoyed at how much fun it was.

10 points to Universal for providing FREE LOCKERS for your purses and backpacks for these rides, not forcing us to hide items or pay to stow them. And I was fascinated by the fingerprint technology (even though similar tech must be used to make my iPhone lock work LOL)

Also 10 points to the marketing genius who hid the magic spells all over the Harry Potter world for people with wands to activate. I loved watching kids and teens wave their wands over and over, trying to make the mandrakes wiggle.

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts takes place at the same time as when they break into Bellatrix's vault to find the Horcrux. You are just some poor, innocent visitor trying to find out about opening a vault, but you happen to bump into Charlie Weasley while waiting in line. When he accompanies you into the vault, all hell breaks loose! This ride has a more traditional roller coaster seating since you are in the Gringotts mine cart (though it seats twelve instead of the three of the movie lol). This doesn't take away from the thrills though, as, again, the designs mix special effects and sets to make you really feel like you are in the ride.

The care and love taken with building both of these areas of the park (and then bridging them with the Hogwarts Express line which will make any Harry Potter fan giddy) really shows. I know it's a cash cow for the park, but I feel like they really took great care with the product.

Also, the entire visit the park staff was AMAZING! So polite and helpful, smiling and talking with us. Beckie's hair is red and she was asked if she was related to the Weasleys LOL. I even had a few compliments to my pink streaks. And this wasn't just in Harry Potter world but the entire park.

The rest of the park was a blast too. The new Transformers ride was also action packed and you felt like you were speeding down the highway at some insane speed then flying through the air. The 3D technology on all of the rides was so good, I found myself leaning back in my seat and dodging shrapnel I knew wasn't real. This has spoiled me for all 3D movies. (and don't worry, the 3D goggles are VERY large and will fit over glasses, no problem. Even hipster frames, as I was informed by one of the park employees).

Despicable Me Minions was as cute as the movies and the perfect ride for younger kids who have never ridden anything like this before. Unlike the other rides, the Minions is set up as a large open theater and you can see all of the little carts in the room. This did NOT detract from the ride at all, which may not have been as intense as The Simpsons but still had me squealing with delight as we sped through Grue's lab and lair.

We did ride E.T. because E.T. is one of my favorite movies of all time. The ride shows its age. It is the last original ride in the park. It is 100% practical special effects, with animatronic scientists popping out from trees and a very "it's a small world" feel when you arrive on E.T.'s planet. I will be sad when it's gone but boy does it need to go. Actually, no they should just re-do it with the technology they have used on Harry Potter. And I think they need to do the same for the Jurassic Park section, which is BEGGING to be fixed up, especially with Jurassic World about to be released. Shrek 4-D could also use a bit of spiffying up, though it is one of the few low-impact rides that little kids can enjoy, though the 3D isn't as good as the new rides.

Disaster and Twister can safely go though. They are cute but not worth the wait they both have because of their format. And Toon Lagoon is just a mystery to me since so many of the comic properties in that area of the park are so old and outdated that I doubt very many park-goers remember them or, at least, care about them.

Dr Seuss land is fun but those rides need some TLC, especially the Carousel and the interactive "If I Ran the Zoo" area, which had a few broken pieces.

And I can't help but wonder how much longer the Marvel Superhero Island can exist now that Disney technically owns a lot of those properties (though they did have giant Thor and Captain America statues in one store...).

Anyway, the whole trip was a blast. I'm already plotting, trying to figure out when we can go back. There was definitely some kind of construction going on so I'm sure something new is already on the horizon. I had been to the park maybe 6 years ago and I was SO impressed by how much had changed since then.



TL;DR -- go to Universal Studios, get the 2-park pass, go in February! No one is there!!!

Photo album here, if you're interested.

OMG TRIP TO ORLANDO IS TOMORROW!!!!!!!!

I can't believe it's finally here!

I am hoping that I can post photos and such while I am there. My iPad has 3G so as long as I can stay semiconscious after we get back to the hotel each night, I will update on the butterbeer situation etc.

random note: Anyone thinking about buying Assassin's Creed IV for their PC (that's the sexy pirate one)? I have a coupon code for it that I got during a holiday promotion...but I already own the game on xbox so not really interested in having it on PC too.

(LOL and I apparently don't have any Harry Potter icons uploaded...whoops!)

guy guys GUYS!!!!!!!!! - FUNKO POP has released photos of the Firefly set. OMG I NEED THEM ALL!

Also, OUR FLIGHT LEAVES IN 8 HOURS!!!!!!! Which means we need to be to the airport in 7 HOURS! HOW AM I GOING TO SLEEP?!?!

Back from Maine and exhausted. The trip home did not go quite as smoothly as the trip there. But at least we were not harassed by random policemen in Conneticut (though we did see a motorcyclist attempt to run a car off the road and then SPIT at the driver...lovely state...). Nah, it was just the usual traffic in New Jersey, where the HUGE Turnpike merges down to 2 lanes. Also, it rained so people apparently FREAKED OUT since we haven't had water fall from the sky in ages now. So that added about 2 hours to our trip. But we arrived safe and sound.

I was really exhausted though. It's hard to sleep in a bed that is not your own, and then I wussed out and slept in the same room as my mom (because the upstairs of my grandparent's house is SCARY, OKAY???? It's dark and quiet...too quiet...). I found out that my mother snores...LOUDLY. And AD usually has a fan going when he's asleep and the lack of white noise made me wake up at any sound. But, whatever, it meant I woke up at a semi-decent hour.

The lobster bake went well. This was the first time we just had a private family gathering at their house instead of going to the EJP Company picnic. I liked it though, we got to lounge around a bit more. Less mosquitoes haha. More food too (maybe too much food!). Got to see a lot of that side of the family. Even my cousin Neil, who I don't think I had seen for probably almost 10 years. Crazy!!!!

My grandparents are old. I mean, duh, but they were sorta shuffling along this visit. My grandmother was put on oxygen earlier this year and this was the first time I saw her. She doesn't like it. She kept trying to leave it behind and run off for a few moments to be the hostess (even though she lives in Maine now, she was raised a Southern girl so when she has company she wants to make them welcome). It was sad to see her struggling but she didn't let it get her down. They were both as sharp as ever.

They are an adorable couple. They have a tradition of having an evening drink in the gazebo in the front yard. But it's a bit too far for my grandmother to walk now. So my grandfather waddles out with his walking stick and gets his golf cart and zooms up to the front door to give her a ride, usually with some sort of "hey cutie, need a lift?" comment haha. So adorable. I just hope when I'm that old, I'm still that together upstairs and that AD and I can still poke fun at each other and laugh.

I spent a lot of time looking at old photographs. They took a lot of pictures in their lifetime. Black and white photos always feel like they are from another world. And the faded color images from the 60s-80s make them feel like buried treasures. I guess children of the future won't have that feeling. The photos of their moms and dads will be digitally saved and never age. That would be weird. But anyway, it was so amazing to look at the photos of my grandparents when they were my age, my mother and father at my age, and my aunts and uncles from high school. Heck, I won't lie, I was fascinated by the photos of myself and my little brother as wee little ones. Photos albums are really becoming a lost art - I hardly ever print out photos anymore...(speaking of, my flickr album from the trip is here, if you're so bored inclined)

Anyway, if you've read this far - BRAVO. You made it through an entry of mine that had nothing fandom related! Here is your reward: fandom babbling.

I watched the first episode of Sherlock on Saturday night and I really enjoyed it. I'm excited to watch the next two, but at the same time feel like i should put it off because there are only the 3 episodes! Benedict Cumberbatch (OMG how British is that name??? I mean, if someone named a character in their book that, people would toss it out as ridiculous) is a weird looking dude. Is his face really that pale or do they cake him over with make-up to make his lips the same color as his cheeks? And his eyes are just colorless! My mom said they were also too small for his head. Just...strange looking fellow. But perfect for Sherlock! And Watson? Well, even though I wasn't s a huge fan of the Hollywood version of Hitchhiker's Guide, I like Martin Freeman. And it was nice to see him playing a character that has it together a bit more than Arthur or his Love Actually role. Yes, he is a fine Dr Watson. Very cool twist on the characters. (Also, I want Sherlock's coat).

And NOW someone said that the Jekkyl series is Stephen Moffat too?? I had no idea! It's been in my Netflix queue for AGES. So perhaps I'll watch the rest of Sherlock then switch to that...in between watching the Tenant Doctor Who run...faeriesfolly, I will try to catch up to you while you're at Dragon*Con (which I'm INSANELY jealous about...should have gone to Dragon*Con...so many guests I want to see!....next year...it's awesome every year so next year will be good too...)

PHEW! - what a whirlwind of a weekend!

In true AirTran fashion, our flight on Friday was delayed, causing a bit of panic since we had to fly from BWI to Atlanta and THEN to Vegas. But they held our plane since there were 16 other people on our flight going to the same place. Still, I'm happy this is the last time I will fly AirTran (we only did it this time because we had free tickets from the last time they screwed up royally).

We arrived in Las Vegas around 11pm Vegas time, which was 2am for us. But we were both starving and ordered some pizza to munch on so we didn't go to bed until 2am Vegas time. So crazy.

Saturday we woke up early and hit the gym for a bit of a run because Amy is good about that stuff and it made me feel motivated. After that we began our big wander! We decided to walk to Vegas strip and see the sights.

( Las Vegas adventure under here )

If you follow me on Twitter, you've seen these, as I abused my iPhone a lot on this trip.

I gotta tell you though, even my Grandfather and my usually not-into-tech-stuff-mountain-man uncle Brian were BOTH curious about how the phone worked and all the magic it could do. We wore out the battery on Thursday night googling everything from Lyme disease to Homer's Ode to Beer and then some really random Paul Newman song. Yes, got my money's worth this week, that is for sure!

Anyway - if you want to see what delicious Maine lobster looks like, click the pic.

The Lobster Bake is actually EJP's (Maine's Water company) big annual picnic - we just crash it because my Grandfather worked there. There is an open bar, which opens at 11am, but hey, I was on vacation, so I got a bloody Mary. At least I had breakfast this year (last year I didn't wake up in time and the Mary hit me really hard). Then you line up with your meal ticket and get your food.

The delicious meal consisted of 2 lobsters, a bag of clams, potato, corn on the cob, bread, and cole slaw. We even had dessert afterwards, some sort of blueberry cake-like thing. So yummy.

As Becky pointed out, the lobster bake is always a little bittersweet because we know it is the end of summer. Always goes by too fast. But it's nice to see my family and enjoy the gorgeous Maine weather.