Happy Birthday Momma!!

Happy Birthday to the best mom and friend any one could ask for!

If I can be half the person and Mom you are, I will have been successful in my life.

Love you always.

European Tour: Venice, Italy

Venice was a "short" trip for us...aka only 2 days. It was only a 3 hour bus ride there and back, so convenient compared to some of the other trips we had taken. We stayed in a hotel that was just off San Marco's Square. It was a pretty hotel that had funky chandelier's that were made from the Murano glass that Venice is famous for.

San Marco's Square, looking @ the Basilica

The first thing checked off our tourist to-do list was San Marco's square. It is the lowest point in Venice, so when there is heavy rains or flooding from the sea, this is the first place to flood. There was no flooding when we were there, the only signs of it were what looked like risers (picture what you stood on for chorus in elementary school) that lined the Piazza. They were used to people to walk on when the water got too high in the square.

With the Greek Horses

View from the top of the Basilica

The real Greek Horses

We waited in line to get into St. Mark's Basilica, where I was told to put my sweater on cause showing my shoulders was not allowed. Good thing I brought a sweater, cause no one gave me a heads up about that. I walked through the Basilica, admiring the golden ceilings and all the pretty work throughout the interior of the church. After you make your way through the church, you climb up the steps so you can look out on the balcony which overlooks the square itself. In this picture I'm standing next to the replica of the Greek Horses, the real ones are now inside, protected from the elements. They were brought to the Church in the 1200's...so you can understand them wanting to protect the antiques from rust and decay.

After the Basilica, we were set loose onto the unsuspecting Venice...until dinnertime. I haven't talked much about it until now, but Venice is the perfect time to share my love for gelato. Kathryn and I had made it our personal mission to eat gelato in every city that offered it...which was mainly cities in Switzerland and Italy. Kathryn and I discovered a gelato place right by our hotel that sold "After Eight" gelato. It's basically mint-chocolate-chip made with the After Eight mints, and it's seriously TO DIE FOR. I think in the 2 days I was in Venice I had 3 cups a day. Side note: I was watching the travel channel once I was back in the states and the Gelato place that Kathryn and I loved was on list for "The Best Places to Eat in Venice"...yeah, we know what's up.

Dinner that night was at a nice restaurant, where we had our own room. We amused ourselves by playing with the candles (shown in the pictures)...and laughed really hard. I remember the food being good, but really? It's Italy, of course the food is good! After dinner, we walked around Venice for a little while and found a few coffee shops/bars. We would sit outside at a table and drink whatever beverage was our choice and just enjoy being in Venice.

Ladies and G-Rod in Burano

Burano houses

The next day we took a boat out to some of the surrounding islands in the Venetian Lagoon. The boat was kind of set up like a charter bus, just our group and you could either sit topside or downstairs. The party was definitely downstairs, where we were listening to people's iPods and choreographing dances. The first stop was Burano, which is known for it's really colorful houses. We walked around the island, went into cool little shops that had handmade jewelry and crafts, bought souvenirs and I think we even found a gelato place that was serving at 10 am.

Kathryn and I in Burano

After Burano, we took the boat over to Murano. Murano glass is famous in this part of the world, and I think in others. We got a demonstration on how they form the hot glass into things...our demonstration was a horse. It's amazing to watch something go from an orange (with heat) ball of glass into something that has a recognizable form. The trade is passed down from generation to generation and they are definitely very talented.

After Murano, Torcello was up next. We walked through the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta which had Byzantine architecture all throughout the church. I think our most favorite thing though was the old concrete chair that stood a couple of yards away. It was supposedly Attila the Hun's chair...no idea how they managed to figure that out. But we had a photo shoot (which those pictures are gone) in the chair.

In Attila the Hun's chair

After the photo shoot, we headed over to a restaurant for lunch. Beforehand, G-Rod had asked us whether we wanted the "fish" option or the "non-fish" option. This is where I would like to say that although I am a picky eater, I try to expand my horizons whenever I can. So, having that in mind, I chose the fish option. To start off with, we had a salad, that came with little pieces of raw fish on top. Then we had some sort of fish soup. Not really feeling any of that, but I tried it to say that I did. The thing that pushed me over the edge was when they set a whole fish, eyes and all, down in front of me. I had to walk out of the restaurant and throw up in the bushes...no lie.  Molly was nice enough to share her "non-fish" option with me when I returned to the table.

Girls on the Rialto Bridge

View from Rialto Bridge

After returning from our boat trip, we walked some more around Venice. Trying to find the perfect gifts for people back home and Steph and Kathryn were attempting to find the perfect cannoli...which is hard to find in Venice, since they like to put orange slices in their cannolis. We stopped by the Rialto Bridge to overlook the canal...and take pictures (of course).

That night, a group of decided to take a Gondola ride because you can't go to Venice and not take a Gondola ride. It was a different view of Venice, floating through it's "streets." A lot of the scenes looked like something you would see straight out of a movie. I guess it's less beautiful, or maybe you get used to it if you live there, but it was just weird seeing things like laundry hanging out over people's balconies thrown in with scenes like these.

Getting on to a Gondola takes listening skills. The Gondoler knows exactly how to position everyone so the weight is distributed evenly and no one goes toppling into the water...There's no way I would ever want to go take a swim in the nasty canal water...ick!

Although it smelled funny, and it's seafood cuisine isn't really up my alley, Venice was a beautiful place to visit...and I was fortunate enough that I got a second visit later for Thanksgiving break.

To be continued...Next Up: European Tour: Barcelona

Happy Birthday Susan!

Dearest Little One,

I can't believe you're turning 23, it makes me feel old considering I met you when you had just turned 18. I remember you walking into Meet the Chapter in your grey Blacksburg soccer sweatshirt (I'm a freak with a photographic memory) and knew that you would be my little. So after some stalking (and fighting off other people), you finally made the right choice and chose me as your big and life hasn't been the same since, I'm sure ;)

Thanks for choosing me so I could talk you out of dropping DSP, and we could have these past 5 years of awesome memories like...

...Parties (and the subsequent taking care of you after the party); the informative 'the optimal position' conversations; finding future husbands at the Brigades; snuggling at sleep-overs; going to Hokie football games; stopping traffic on 95 so I can pull a U-turn in the median; using IP relay to find out definitions for new things on urban dictionary; going to National's games; spending hours at the pool; True Blood marathons; SVC and Sweet Tea enjoyment; being OCD together; Costco shopping excursions; enjoying the influence of your susie-homemaker ways...and lots of stuff I'm probably forgetting in my old age.

Thanks for being one of my best friends, I hope you have an amazing day!! Love you :)

European Tour: Munich, Germany

Dinner @ Bierhalle

We arrived in Munich just in time for dinner time (I told you how much we enjoyed eating, right?). We went to a local beer hall for some traditional German food...schnitzel and beer :) Megan Hale was celebrating her 21st birthday that day, so we all drank our stein's of beer in her honor.

After dinner, we headed over to the Oktoberfest festival. Everything that I've seen or heard about Oktoberfest is right and it's even crazier/better in person. There are multiple tents set up for consuming beer. There are festival rides, there are gift tents. And best of all, there are little booths set up where people sell giant cookies...and fest nuts! I had some when we visited Germany when I was kid and that's literally all I could talk about until we got there. And they definitely did not disappoint; sugar coated, toasted goodness of a cashew...yummy! And if the vendor liked you...he would throw in a whole lot of extra for free...I threw out "Danke" left and right.

Getting ready to ride the rides

We decided to ride the rides first, we knew that we were about to consume copious amounts of beer. And beer and rides that spin you around don't really mix well together. Yes, it was raining but that definitely didn't stop anyone from riding the rides or enjoying Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest - Night 1

After riding the rides, we made our way to the Hofbräu beer tent. It was loud, it was crazy. There were so many people in one spot but everyone was SO happy. Lots of singing and dancing, the traditional German band would even play modern songs which sounded funny in that context, but everyone was singing along and dancing on the picnic tables. Random people would buy you a beer, and clink your glass before you took the first sip. People wore funny hats and funny glasses, and would pass those around so you could take pictures of yourself or your friends in them. I think the secret to world peace is Oktoberfest. So many people in one spot and everyone was happy and getting along.

The next day was definitely a stark contrast to the fun night before. We rode the train from Munich out to Dachau. Dachau was used as a concentration camp during WWII...I had the advantage (if you want to call it that) of having been there before when I was younger. Even though I kind of knew what to expect, and I've been to the Holocaust Museum in DC, there is nothing more emotional or humbling than actually being there. Seeing the place where thousands upon thousands of people were murdered is a chilling experience. This picture is of the infamous saying "Arbeit Macht Frei" - work will set you free. The Nazi's told the prisoners that if they did their work like they were supposed to, they would be set free. It's on the gate that leads into the Camp.

After a solemn visit to the Concentration Camp, we came back into Munich and went back to Oktoberfest. I bought some souvenirs for friends and family, ate some Brats and fest nuts and then went back to the Hofbräu beer tent. Once again, it was nuts inside. I don't think I could ever clearly or sufficiently describe the atmosphere in the tents. My only recommendation would be to go and see for yourself :)

Oktoberfest Night 2

To be continued...Next Up: European Tour: Venice

We dress up nice...

My dad asked me to be his date to the Lone Sailor Awards Banquet. It's sponsored by the Navy Memorial and the award was given to 3 people: Eddie LeBaron, Lanier Phillips and Bill Cosby (yes THE Bill Cosby). Lanier Phillips was the first black sonar technician in the Navy, he also walked with Dr. Martin Luther King in the rally. Eddie LeBaron was a Marine who won the purple heart and then went on to play with the Redskins and then the Cowboys. And of course, we all know who Bill Cosby is. I'm not going to lie, I had NO idea that Bill Cosby was in the Navy. But he was a physical therapist for 4 years before he retired.


The food was excellent (not really the case @ most banquets), and the program went pretty well as far as being on time. The speeches of the other 2 guys were okay - especially for being as old as they were - but Cosby's was by far the best. He lived up to his reputation and his entire speech was like a comedy routine.

Bill Cosby, making his speech

The event just reiterated to me that I'm SO proud and thankful for everything that everyone who serves or served in the military has done for my country. And it makes me extra proud when I can experience these things with my dad, who's accomplishments have made me proud all my life.

My dad and Me

Better Late than Never

So I promised a post on the Boise State game last week. But to be honest, I've been really disappointed in Hokie football, so I put it off for a little bit longer. But I realized that the game was about football, but also about friends and memories. So I'll focus on the positive for now...

I spent the night over @ Susan's the night before to make carpooling and getting everything together easier in the morning. After we packed the coolers and got everything and everyone together, we made a quick trip to the grocery store for some ice and pasta salad.  After realizing one store didn't have it, Susan had to leave me and her brother to finish doing the ice while she went on the hunt @ another grocery store.

After securing the pasta salad, we drove to the boy's house and unloaded the cars and loaded everything onto the bus. Our friend Colin had rented a charter bus for us all, 57 of us, and Susan (with me as an assistant) were in charge of the food and other necessities. After some stalling as we waited for other people (and drink consumption @ noon), we all piled onto the bus and headed to Fed-Ex.

On the bus, with our "bus buddies"

After a quick bus ride, there was little traffic, we pulled into the RV lot @ Fed-Ex. There was some confusion as to where our parking spot would be. We were under the impression that it was really close to the stadium, so we didn't put anything out because we thought we'd be moving in an hour and a half when the other parking lots opened @ 4. So we amused ourselves by playing beer pong, cornhole and 'shoulders.'

Tailgating time

Colin soon discovered that if we were to go to the parking lot we had a pass to, it would've been farther away, so we decided to stay in our place and put everything out. It was like a feeding frenzy, I barely got my hand out of the way while opening something before someone would stab a fork in it.

After everyone was fed, it was about time to actually start packing things up to head into the game. We don't mess around with missing the first part of the game. You have to be in the stands in order to jump to "Enter Sandman." So, we packed up everything and made our way to the stadium.

Inside the game

The band came on and did the typical formations, but no one was paying attention. You could feel the anticipation, waiting for the team. When the opening cords of the song started, people started screaming and then 73,000 started jumping. It really was like Christmas morning...

We all know how the game went. We played like crap. We got the lead. We blew the game. And I was a sad, sad girl...but again, other than the actual results of the game, it was an amazing time!

Love my Hokies, win or lose.

European Tour: Prague, Czech Republic

The next stop on the Northern Trip was Prague.  Prague is one of my favorite cities now, it's one of the prettiest cities I've ever been to.

The Astronomical Clock

We immediately jumped right in to being tourists as we met our tour guide, who's name I don't remember, and she took us straight to the Astronomical Clock. The Clock's oldest parts were made in the 1400's, and things have been added on through the years. Now, when the hour hits, the clock rings and the figures move while the 12 Apostles go around the outside of the clock. Learning about the clock's history - and the history of the figurines definitely opened my eyes to the state of affairs in that time period...(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Astronomical_Clock) go there to learn all about it.

Girls at dinner

After sight-seeing around the old town square for a bit, we went to dinner. I was a little weary...I'm kind of a picky eater and from what I've heard, Eastern European food isn't really my style. So I was delightfully surprised when I really liked the food...which you can't tell because my salad is untouched in the picture. But we hadn't started eating yet, I promise.

The group @ the Club

After a delicious meal, we set our sights on one of the clubs in Prague. We decided against going to Duplex, which is Prague's most well known "discotecca" and first started at the night at a local Irish Pub. We hung out there for awhile, had some drinks and then headed over to a club. Clubs in Europe are nothing like the ones I've been to in the US. Well, maybe they are because people are still dancing/rubbing up on each other..but in Europe they make the US look PG. And all the music they play there is house music...so think techno. No rap, or Pop...just straight up techno. Have you ever tried to dance to Techno? If you don't have a glow stick, it doesn't really work. It was definitely a fun time, and nice to say that I've done it once...but once was probably enough for me.

Making the vase

Etching the vase

The next morning, we took a trip to a local shop where they made glass into all kinds of fun jewelry, and vases, etc. We got to watch them make the items, and then etch them. They conveniently ended the tour in their shop where you could buy anything your heart desired that was made out of glass. I passed on that opportunity however.

With the guard

After the glass shop, we made our way over to Praha Castle. It sits on a very steep hill...which was our exercise for the day. Praha Castle had it's own version of the English guards. These ones don't wear the big fluffy hat however. Kathryn and I weren't sure that he spoke English. But I made a comment about him being cute, and he smiled...so I guess that answers that question. I was proud of Kathryn and myself, we were very appropriate when taking a picture with the guard...which some people definitely weren't. Please excuse my un-washed hair. Showering was a commodity sometimes when sharing a room with 3 other girls and having to get up early in the morning..

The last part of our tour that day was a brewery.  We got to walk through the whole process of brewing beer (I still don't like the smell of the Hops), and then at the end we got to drink some of the beer that came from the brewery. I'm pretty sure that was everyone's favorite part. It was kind of lost on me since I'm not really a beer drinker. But I tried some just to say that I did, and it tasted like...beer...and that was pretty much all I can tell you.

The brewing process

At the Ballet

After the brewery, we went back to the hotel to shower and get ready for the ballet and dinner. We went to see Swan Lake done by the Prague Ballet Company. It was an absolutely gorgeous theater, and was really well done and not boring at all. Kathryn and I did get a little confused (hence the sad face picture) about the order of the ballet. Apparently there are lots of intermissions...? Who knew, we sure didn't.

After the ballet, we went to a restaurant to get dinner. This was the first time that I tried Goulash soup and it was DELICIOUS! I know the rest of the food was really good too, but the thing I remember the most was the Goulash. After a yummy dinner, I went back to the hotel to get my sleep. The next day we were off to Munich and Oktoberfest!

To be continued...Next Up: European Tour: Munich

If it wasn't for those last 2 minutes...

The first quarter was horrible. We looked like a Rookie squad...which some may argue, we are. We have a lot of young guys and you could definitely tell that on Offense and Defense.

The second quarter was a little less horrible. We started to get our stuff together.

The second half was all in all a different team. Except for the last 2 minutes.

We came back from a deficit. We removed our heads from our butts and started to play football. We actually looked pretty good. Until the last 2 minutes. We let them march down the field. We let them get under our skin and got a personal foul. We let them score a touchdown. And then we couldn't do anything in return. The result...a loss by 3 points.

I am devastated. Do I realize it's just a game? yes. Do I realize that there are worse things in the world? Why, of course. Does that matter right now? Absolutely not.

Hopefully the Hokies will make it up to me for the rest of the season. And by that, I mean, NEVER lose again.

PS. Look for an upcoming post about the funness that was the tailgate beforehand. I'm going to write about that tomorrow probably...when I can appreciate the fun and not be a debbie downer about the result of the game.

Kenny's Promotion

Doing the Oath

Putting the boards on

Kenny got promoted to Lieutenant this weekend, which is a big promotion. We went down to the Navy Memorial in DC for the ceremony (which only took 5 minutes). Mr. Prindle (who is also in the Navy) gave a quick little speech, and then did the Oath with Kenny. After doing the Oath, Kenny's Mom and I put his new shoulder boards on for him.

Charlie, Heather, Mr. and Mrs. Prindle, Grandma, Kenny, Me, Brad and Jeff

Me and Kenny

The boys :)

We took a few minutes to do some pictures and then headed over the Penn Quarter Tavern for dinner. The place was a sports bar, so it had a good atmosphere. We got to sit outside and with the nice weather, it was a beautiful evening. We got to watch Jacksonville State beat Ole Miss and I got to eat the tater tots (which were SO good!). 

So yay for Kenny getting promoted, I'm so proud of him! :)

Hokie Hokie Hokie Hi...

It feels like Christmas morning.

College football season is upon us.

Don't bother trying to contact me for the 3 hours on the Saturdays that the Hokies play, I will be busy.

Up first, Boise State.

Let's GO....

....HOKIES!

European Tour: Budapest, Hungary

We called the trip to Budapest, Prague and Munich the "Northern Trip." Our first stop being Budapest, which is approximately 630 miles from Riva. We departed for Zurich, where we then got on an overnight train that would take us to Budapest while we were sleeping...best way to travel.

An overnight train is an experience if you've never been on one. Kathryn and I shared a "room" with Bassil and Maggie. I haven't talked much about the people I went with, but just know that Bassil is absolutely nuts, like dancing in the hall naked nuts. So to say that our overnight experience was...interesting, would probably be an understatement.

After arriving in Budapest in the morning, we made our way to the hotel. To make matters even more interesting than being in Eastern Europe, there were political riots going on in Budapest. There had been a protest of over 40,000 on the 18th of September in front of the Parliament building. The first stop on our tour of Parliament on September 21st? The Parliament Building.

This is where we first met our tour guide Susan. She had dark purple hair and said Budapest like "Budapeeeesht." She walked us around the Parliament building, explaining the history of Parliament as well as Budapest. The Parliament building is a big building (first picture) that sits on top of a hill. It's very ornately decorated with cathedral ceilings and gold accents (second picture) and the actual chambers are decorated like an Opera house (third picture). The fourth picture is of the hallway that leads from the main entrance (we couldn't go in that way because there were still protesters lurking); a crown/septor from a previous Monarch. We also got to walk out onto the balcony that extends from the ballroom. From the balcony, you have a nice view of the other side of Budapest (it's split by the Danube River).

After the tour of the Parliament building, we hopped back on our charter bus and went to "Hero's Square." It's a famous square in Budapest, surrounded by the Museum of Fine Arts on one side and the Palace of Arts on the other side. We only took a few minutes there to look at the statues, and take pictures (of course) and then we got back on the bus to head to the Fisherman's Bastion.

The Fisherman's Bastion was built in the middle ages so it definitely has the medieval look. It is set up on a hill, on the opposite side of the river as the Parliament building. We walked around there for a little built and got to go into Matthias Church. By this time, we'd seen plenty o' churches...so this is really the only picture I got of the church. Sadly, I was very bored with churches by this time :/

We then took a ride through Budapest, up to a spot where G-Rod took all his tour groups. We walked around for a bit, taking in the view of Budapest and then he called us all together to take a group picture with Budapest in the background. That picture is somewhere...hopefully. If I can scrounge it up, I will definitely post it. There were statues on the overlook, dressed like tourists from the 1920's...I don't remember the significance of them, or if they even had one. But we, of course, being the tourists that we were, had to get a picture with them.

We came back to the hotel for a nap and to shower/get ready for dinner. This is when probably one of the weirdest/creepiest things happened. I was taking a nap, and I guess my roommate had left to go down the hall to talk to her boyfriend. She, not wanting to take a key, left the door ajar. I woke up to some random guy standing in my hotel room. I just looked at him for a second and he goes "Hello!" really loud and really friendly, like he was doing me a favor by scaring the crap out of me. I sat there for a few more seconds, in shock, and then managed to get a "Get out!" out of my mouth...as I scrambled to get out of bed. The guy flew out of the room, I slammed the door behind him. So, mental note for the next time I'm in Europe...don't leave your hotel room door open, cause crazies will most certainly come in.

After our group dinner, G-Rod took us on a boat tour of the Danube...he likes boat tours. We got served wine and were given headphones to tell us all about everything we were seeing. The headphones were abandoned about 2 glasses of wine in, and instead of taking pictures of the sights...we had a photo shoot on the boat. Megan had a little accident, resulting in Eric being covered in wine for the rest of the boat ride.

After the boat tour, we ended up at an Irish Pub (not shocking) near our hotel.

The next day, we boarded our charter bus for a trip outside of Budapest. We took the hour long bus ride from Budapest to Visegrad. Susan (our tour guide) was absolutely furious that some of us feel asleep - part of it from being a late night, and part of it being that it was an hour long bus ride. She also was mad that as soon as the bus parked, 4 or 5 of us had to make our way to the bathroom. The ride was very twisty, turvey and didn't sit well with those of us who get motion sickness easily (me!) or had too much to drink the night before. After she was done lecturing us about "being disrespectful," we went to the castle ruins that are in Visegrad. After wondering around there for a bit, we went to walk around a small town where we got lunch...and tried on silly hats in the open air market.

After the rough day we had, some of us decided to just stay around the hotel for dinner. Conveniently we found a TGIFridays (how sad are we?).  At this point we had been in Europe for a month...eating Lugi's food (our cook in Riva) and tasting the European fare in the countries we visited. We just wanted some French Fries (and RANCH!) and a good cocktail. The TGIFriday's in Europe have the BEST Mudslides...the best. After dinner, we all went back to the hotel to get some rest because we were leaving for Prague the next morning.

To be continued...Next up: European Tour: Prague