I debated on whether or not to include this in my blog, because I don't want to freak out my parents but here goes nothing... I went skydiving. Everything went well, and since I survived without injury ~ I CAN'T not include the adventure in this blog...
After going out on Friday night, I hauled myself out of bed and went over to a friend's house to go skydiving for her birthday. Georgeann set up the trip, and I couldn't help but jump on (i.e. or should I say out?).
Skydive Orange was the location for our tandem jumps and it was only an hour or so away from where we all lived, so the drive down there was easy. After signing our lives away, a 15 minute ground lesson, and a 4 hour wait, and getting our gear on we were off to the airplane to climb up to 13,500 feet only to get thrown out of a plane and SKYDIVE.
For those of that thought you'd never do it or are interested in doing it, here's what I remember. I was sleep from the night before, so I don't really think I had a chance to get nervous. It started to hit me when I was boarding the plane, that I'd be jumping out of it. The plane ride was smooth. When the door of the plane opened up, it wasn't all that windy.
You don't jump out of the plane. The tandem guide/instructor more or less pushes you out of the plane. You free fall for about 45 seconds.
You don't even really realize feel like you're falling because it's too high up, so your perspective isn't that good, but there's still a rush and it's very cool! When the parachute is deployed you and your tandem guide/instructor shoot up towards the sky.
With Chuck (i.e. my tandem guy) I was able to control the parachute and make turns. The harder the turn though, the more intense the feeling and the faster the speed. I didn't like hard turns as much, so we glided more or less all the way down. Great view of everything below!
Don't worry, mom and dad. I can now cross skydiving off the list! I've conquered 13,500 feet above ground (i.e. skydiving) and 65 feet below water (i.e. scuba).
Thursday morning I woke up and drove to BWI so I could head to New Orleans for the New Orleans Saints home opener against the Minnesota Vikings. It was the first game of the 2010-2011 NFL season, and you better believe that I wasn't going to miss watching the defending Super Bowl XLIV Champions at home.
During my layover in Charlotte, I received a text from The Rick telling me that there would be a huge craps session at 1 and that I was invited to a tailgate before the game. Looks like The Rick was trying to play nice in order to make it into this blog, since he and I weren't getting along a few weeks prior. Well, it worked.
I landed in New Orleans around 2 and hopped in a cab to head to Harrah's. I shared the cab with some man, so already I caught my cost in 1/2. Rather than $33, I paid $18 (i.e. you have to tip the driver). Already I made money :)
As soon as I got to Harrah's I went straight to the craps table to find my friend. He saw me walking towards him and the $15 craps table, so so much for surprising him. He was wearing Deuce McAllister's jersey. We played craps and then off to the tailgate with Bubba, Bubba's kids, The Rick's sister, and The Rick's brother-in-law we went. A few pieces of fried chicken and some beers later, I was ready to get into the New Orleans Superdome for my inaugural visit!
After the Super Bowl banner dropped (Picture courtesy of The Rick)
As soon as I sat in my seat, Eddie (i.e. the guy sitting next to me) introduced himself to me and asked if I was rooting for the Saints. Yes, I was. He then gave me the original ticket for my seat (i..e I only had the ticketmaster print out). THANK YOU, EDDIE! For someone (i.e. like me) who collects ticket stubs, I was thrilled! Eddie, his sister, and his brother-in-law were a fun group to sit with and we had a fun time rooting for the Saints together.
Saints taking the field
Harry Connick Jr. on the float
Coin toss
Brett Favre and the Vikings offense at work
Action shot
Drew Brees and the Saints offense at work
Sit in these seats and you can plummet to your death - YIKES!!!
The Saints defeated the Vikings 14-9. The should've defeated the Vikings 20-9, but the kicker missed to field goals left... LACES OUT!
After the game, I walked in the heat with the masses towards the casino. The Rick met me there and we played craps til about 3:30AM. I won!!!! **** FYI - If you're not going to place odds behind your pass line bet, you shouldn't be playing craps. After a quick burger at Fuddrucker's I was off to the airport to head back home.
Yesterday, I returned from vacation and realized that Lady GaGa was in Washington DC to perform her Monster Ball Tour. I skipped the shows in Minneapolis last week, but I took it as a sign that I was actually in town to see her so I scrambled and went to the show last night.
I didn't have a ticket, but got to the arena close to 7:30 to scope out the scene. All of the little monsters were dressed up and out in full effect. Men, women, old, young, etc. Everyone was out to see GaGa perform. General admission floor seats were going for $150 with the scalpers. I debated in my head whether I wanted to stand or sit, but the "lazy" in me won, and I decided I wanted a seat. Knowing what the prices were on the street, I ran to the box office. **** Usually on the day of the show, promoters release tickets. Sure enough, after waiting behind 3 old ladies that wanted to trade/upgrade their seats at the window (i.e. or refinance their home loans --- who really knows what was taking them soooooo long?!?!) I was up at bat. I asked for the best ticket they had and I was offered, section 112, row C. It took me all of 1 second to get my ticket and I was off to my seat.
I was seated in front of the folks that bought the VIP ticket packages. How did I know? They were wearing GaGa lanyards and telling me about the food they ate. They said they paid upwards of $300 and would do it again. Umm, ok... I had a lobster dinner with my friend Erika for $25 before the show and I'd do THAT again...
Semi Precious Weapons opened up for GaGa and I found them to be entertaining. I'd see them again, but I'd price a ticket to that show to no more than $30. They were very appreciative of the fan support and were signing autographs and taking pictures with fans post-show.
Now for the reason, everyone was at the Verizon Center... Lady GaGa. First of all, I want you to know that I was skeptical about the show and had reasonable expectations. I was very pleasantly surprised with what I saw and heard. She sang. She sang well. She danced. She delivered her social message and she was entertaining as she went from costume to costume and stage to stage. I liken her show to Madonna in concert, and after looking at her on the screens for a few minutes ~ I think she resembles Dana Plato. Yeah, I said it. Dana Plato (i.e. now deceased, but from Diff'rent Strokes) and Lady GaGa resemble each other!
She played some songs that I'd never heard, and if I remember correctly, I enjoyed "You and I" the best. Of course she played all of her hits ~ Just Dance, Poker Face, Paparazzi, etc. I can even say I like the song Paparazzi now... She ended with Bad Romance, and I can still hear the opening notes in my head. It was a really good and I might just check her our again when she comes back in 2011!
Here's some video of her performing "You and I" that I found on Youtube.
Here is the video that I shot of her Lady GaGa performing part of Bad Romance.
Here are the pictures I took from Lady GaGa concert at the Verizon Center ~ September 7, 2010
I have to admit, I only knew the GaGa songs that are played on the radio ~ but after this show, even I need to buy her CD or at least download the entire album!
I've been going to Atlantis since the mid-90s... Prior to that I was a regular at the Crystal Palace on Cable Beach. Don't believe me? Why would I lie? Once or twice a year, I'd be there dancing poolside with Stephen and Ray, playing Bahamian trivia for prizes (i.e. the prizes used to be airline sized bottles of coconut rum). Did I know any of the Bahamian trivia answers? Nope. But the little girls (i.e. daughters of the hair braiders) would tell me the answer and I'd just phonetically repeat/shout the answer. It was a great racket.
Those of you familiar with the Bahamas know that Cable Beach WAS the place to be. Once Atlantis was built, I never looked back. I've been to Atlantis countless times. Many a boyfriend has made the trip with me and one even ended up buying a place over there while we were together. I swear, the property should pay me a commission.
Regardless, this time around I went solo. I'm not even going to get into the reason why I went solo, in this blog ~ it's not your business and I'm still annoyed, but as a single traveler to Atlantis I must say, I'd go by myself AGAIN in a heartbeat. I love my family and friends, but I can't wait for them to align their plans with mine. Lucky for me, I'm an independent person and a creature of habit. Since I've been to Atlantis so many times I was very comfortable being by myself. But let's face it ~ large resorts are similar to Vegas (i.e. you're alone, but not really alone). Further, since I've been there so many times, I have people there that I look forward to seeing.
When I looked at the weather I was concerned about rain and Hurricane Earl. Earl Schmearl. I had great weather and spent my afternoons outside by the pool. I rode the rapids in a tube, tried all 4 slides in the Power Tower and indulged in pina coladas. I spent the evenings in the sports book and at the craps table. YES, I'm still a WINNER and made all of my money on the last night. Resort gamblers bother me. I feel as though they're not lucky. The tables were so hot that Monday night was AMAZING. Craps is a social game and I'm friends with a couple of casino dealers (i.e. Cliff and Leslie) so I was more than comfortable. Leslie was on vacation, but Cliff was working. They've known me for at least 15 years... Crazy, huh?!?! They asked about my dad and said they haven't seen him in a while. That's right, I have eyes in the Bahamas :)
One night I saw Boston Celtics' star, Rajon Rondo, playing craps at my table. He was a quiet guy, but was playing with $100 black chips and trying to make money on the "hard ways". The table was ice cold though. **** Incidentally, Rondo just updated his Facebook group with the following status: "Business as usual around here...working out daily, spending time with family and getting ready for the season."
I took advantage of my time and actually visited Dolphin Cay this trip. I did the deep water swim and the sea lion interaction. I even mastered snorkeling (i.e. I hate choking on water with a snorkel and prefer scuba diving). I got to kiss, dance, and swim with the dolphins. I saw the medical lab and food preparation areas for the animals and then was able tokiss, pet, and hug Cassie sea lion. **** Cassie is famous. She's met Joe Jonas, Justin Bieber, and now THE WIRK. What a great adventure!
Atlantis' is offering great deals through October. They're offering free companion airfare and 4th night free promotions. It's hurricane season, but I've always taken advantage of the deals and never really had a problem with weather. The hotel isn't very crowded. Hotel lounges that used to be packed are empty, but I don't mind it being less crowded.
I'm not too time conscious when I'm on vacation, but if you're impatient and Type A ~ you might want to reconsider a trip to the Bahamas. The transfer shuttle isn't on time and you'll spend some time waiting, but as a native Bahamiam once told me, "Don't complain. You're in Paradise." She's absolutely correct. Atlantis is still one of my favorite destinations on the planet!
Delonte West is trending worldwide on Facebook right now...
It appears that Danny Ainge has brought him back. If you remember, Ainge was the one who brought him to Boston six years ago. Since then, West has played most recently with LeBron James in Cleveland for the Cavaliers.
Here's a picture I took with Delonte in the foreground and LeBron in the background.
**** Insert your own joke.
Cleveland subsequently moved Delonte to the Minnesota Timberwolves where, ultimately he was waived.
At any rate, the Boston Celtics v Miami Heat match-up just became a little more interesting. LOL!!! :-P
StubHub is 10 years old and the ticketing site is "Celebrating by giving our fans a chance to win one of 10 Ultimate Fan Experiences." I've used StubHub numerous times in the past and have always been happy with their service and ease of use.
There are 3 prizes that are currently up for grabs on the website.
Your Personal Dream Event (contest ends 9/10)
ESPN College Football Experience (contest ends 9/10)
Unforgettable Dodgers Day (contest ends 9/4)
According to the website, you could…
Meet a Dodger legend during a pregame behind-the-scenes tour of Dodger Stadiu
Watch batting practice on the field and see the game from 4 VIP Dugout seats
Have 2 children participate in the Dodgers' Kids Take the Field promotion
Receive an autographed baseball from a current player
Transportation and hotel accommodations provided.
Being that I'm not really into college football and that I've already seen the Los Angeles Dodgers play this season, I entered to win my personal dream event.
For the dream event, per the StubHub website, you're required to upload a photograph (the “Photograph”) that is relevant to the event in which you indicated you would like to be entered and provide a description in 50 words or less that will “Tell us why you should win the ultimate fan experience” (the “Description”).
Limit one Entry per person/email address per Event. Winner to be announced on 9/22.
Enter so you have a chance to win a prize, and please wish me luck!
If you're not following your favorite athletes on Twitter, you're a fool.
In this day and age, celebrities and athletes use Twitter to connect with their fans. As opposed to having thousands of "friends" in their business, it's easier for them to put out their own messages in tweets. Everything from ticket give-aways, autographed pictures, jerseys, etc. is up for grabs for the lucky trivia winners or quick responders.
Larry Fitzgerald has contests for his fans to win autographed items. Chad Ochocinco will tell you when and where he's having lunch. Serena Williams has tweeted that it may not have been the smartest move on her part to go through an airport carrying a tennis racquet, if she wanted to go unnoticed.
Earlier today (i.e. and 25 minutes ago) I saw the following tweet from THE_REAL_SHAQ, "send me links 2 ur fav dance videos n I will give @celtics home opener tix & jersey to my fav 1. must include #shaqvs".
I've seen Shaq at Disney World before and he is just one of the many fun-loving and humorous people (i.e. athletes, entertainers, writers, friends) who I follow. His tweets make me laugh. Get in on the action, create your own network, and tweet people. What are you waiting for?!?!
To get you started, here's a URL for a site that provides a directory of Twitter users: http://twitter-athletes.com/index.cfm. From what I can tell they verify the accounts, but of course use your common sense.
As a bonus (i.e. since Justin Bieber is on Shaq Vs tonight, here's a picture for you of LIL WIRK, when she was a wee-little girl. Notice the "Bieber" haircut, before the Bieber fever even existed!
