Great hit on the Cinncinatti QB on 4th down on the goal line to ice the game (right in front of us): 9
Ride back to the condo being WAY faster than usual: 8
1/2/09
Weather: 8 (Getting warmer)
Golf at Palm Aire Oaks: 9
Both Z and I playing great: 9.5
It being a tie match: 9.5 (very unusual, and exciting back 9)
Finally getting to Silver Pond Restaurant: 8
The food: 8.5
There being a gun range right next to the restaurant: 2
Awesome pool warmth after dinner: 9.5
Z falling asleep for a while after that when I was actually ready to go out: 1.5
Z rallying and us going out later: 9
Mardi Gras at Hollywood: 5
Two dog races: 6.5
Casino: 4
Watching Z lose a ton of money trying to get to the bonus rounds of slot machines, only to feel "cheated" when he finally made the bonus rounds because he didn't get a big enough bonus: 1.25
Dive Bar: 7.5
The band - "The Fourth Dimension": 7
Crazy outfits on some of the customers: 8.5 (not that I was looking...)
1/3/09
Weather: 9 (borderline-fantastic, just a slight breeze)
Me finally really starting to get into the swing of the Florida trip: 8
Golf at Palm Aire Cypress: 8.5
Shuck and Dive's: 9
Blackened Chicken Sandwich: 9.5
Z making me get a sausage as well: 9
Them not taking our "expired" gift certificate: 2.5
Dirty Blonde's: 7
(Finding out three weeks later that we got a parking ticket at Dirty Blonde's, even though I paid the meter, making that 2 parking tickets in Florida within 3 years: 1.25)
1/4/09
Weather: 9.5 (tremendous)
Going to the Dolphins game instead of golfing: 5 (not bad, it was a playoff game after all)
Dolphins Game: 6
Early morning tailgate: 7 (It looked great, I just wasn't really hungry yet)
Game itself: 7
Me missing Ed Reed's interception return for a TD while grabbing a soda: 2
Z telling me I missed "the play of the game" about 500 times the rest of the trip: 1.25
Having to hear the frustrated Dolphins fans yell at the Ravens fan with purple hair the whole second half: 2
Pool after the game: 9
Tiajuana Flats: 6
Food: 8
Service: 1.25 (Our burritos took absolutely forever)
(Side note: Odds of Tiajuana Flats still being open a year from now: 50/50)
1/5/09
Weather: 9.5 (spectacular)
Going in ocean again and it being super-warm: 9
Pool for like an hour: 9.5
Golf at Crandon Park: 9.75 (the best)
Seeing massive iguanas: 5 (great, but scary)
Watching Z under-club on the par 3 12th...again: 2
Getting in the full 18 holes: 9
UM/FAU Basketball Game: 4
Having to go to this game when starved: 2
Popcorn at the game: 6
Game itself: 5
Shorty's: 9.25
Ribs: 9 (I actually liked the Baby Backs better this time around after liking the spare ribs better for the last few years)
Double French Fries: 8
Mini-chocolate-chip cookies: 9.5
Watching the end of the great OSU/Texas game: 8
Note: One of the best days of the trip, just a great day end-to-end.
1/6/09
Weather: 9.5 (again spectacular)
Actually convincing Z to get up early for a 2-rounds-of-golf day: 9 (Great job Zin!)
Golf at Pembroke Lakes: 8
Course Quality: 6 (too tight, but good conditions)
Hard Rock Casino: 7
Much better machine selection: 7
Z not losing so much: 7
Great bonus round in Deal or No Deal: 8
Golf at Deer Creek: 9
Baja Cafe: 7.5 (Solid in spite of Z's average-at-best margarita)
1/7/09
Weather: 9.5 (spectacular!)
Sunning on beach: 9
Pool: 9.5
Golf at Palm Aire Oaks: 9.5
Back 9 (with no waiting and me playing great): 9.75
Drinks at Villiage Pump: 7.5
No Happy Hour Prices: 3
Popcorn Machine: 8.5
Zuccharillo's: 8.5 (My pasta had chicken and sausage in it and did NOT have cheese or red sauce, great effort).
Jai Alai: 9.25
Me cashing 3 different tickets and being hot: 9
Z being relatively hot as well: 9
Z doing a pick 3 with my choices, winning the first 2 games, the having game point for the third before falling: 9 (so exciting despire the loss)
Great-looking bakery cookie: 3 (looked so much better than it actually was)
Dive Bar: 8
Blues Cover Band: 8
Crazy lady balancing water on her head and dancing on the pole stage: 8.5 (not that I was looking...)
Her friend looking embarassed and trying to stop her (but really trying, or being embarassed): 8
Note: Just another spectacular day, packed from end-to-end, again one of the best days of the trip.
1/8/09
Weather: 8.5 (Very nice still, just getting a bit windy)
Beach and pool in the AM: 9
Not playing 9 more holes in the AM: 3 (We HAVE to do this next year on gameday)
BCS Title Game: 9
Cookout before game: 9
Chicken: 9
Hamburger: 8.5
Chicken Sausages: 8
Moon Pies: 8
Z saying I wasn't eating enough even though I ate a ton: 4 (he did cook the great food after all)
Thirty minutes in the stadium right before the game with fans going absolutely bonkers: 9.5
Game itself: 9
It being a tight defensive struggle: 9
Fans standing the ENTIRE game: 9 (so exciting)
No special guest act for halftime: 2
Super-fast ride back after the game: 8
Z motivating and us stopping at the Dive bar one more time: 9.5
Dive Bar: 7
Acoustic musical duo "The Heavy Pets": 6 (they kind of reminded me of the band from the FreeCreditReport.com commercials but not quite as good)
1/9/09
Weather: 7 (Very windy and cooler, but not really cold)
Su, Adam, and Hannah arriving: 9.5
Us immediately going to the beach: 9
Z taking H and me taking A in the ocean and them playing in the waves for an hour: 9.5
Z making a sand castle fortress with H and A: 8
Su falling asleep on the beach and me getting a picture of it: 9
Su deleting the picture so I couldn't post it here: 1.5
Pool with kids: 9
Primanti's on Beach: 7.5
Driving for an hour in traffic trying to get to the horse track: 3
Trying to find the Dania Beach Hurricane instead, and being lost for a long time: 2.5
Finally finding it, and Boomers: 8
Boomers: 7
Su and H doing "personalized" rides: 8
The bowling game not working well: 3
Them having mini-golf: 8
Mini-golf being kind of unkempt and somewhat lame: 3
Su and Z going on the Hurricane: 8
Deal or No Deal redemption game: 8
Shuck and Dive's: 9
Su actually getting oysters and fried green tomatoes: 9.5
Adam actually eating his rice and beans: 8
1/10/09
Weather: 8 (A little nicer again, and not as windy)
Pool in AM with kids: 9
Us having to take Z to the airport: 1.25
Us being able to drive to WDW and stay in Florida a few days longer: 9.999995
Getting to Disney World before the sun was gone: 8
Us wandering around the All-Star resorts: 8
H and A swimming in the kiddie pools: 8
Watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks in the distance from the Grand Floridian: 8.5
Cinderella character dinner in Grand Floridian: 9.5
H knowing the names of all of the characters, even the step-sisters: 9.5
Step-sister Drisella making H "cover" the Princess pictures on her t-shirt, and H willingly doing it: 9.5
Chef Rebeca cooking-to-order for Adam and being super-duper-friendly and helpful: 9.5
A actually gobbling up his pasta and much of the rest of his dinner: 9
Great buffet, particularly the fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and the desserts: 9
H befriending other little girl outside in lobby right after dinner: 8
1/11/09
Weather: 8.5 (Extremely nice, very warm again)
MGM Studios: 9
Being blocked for a little while by the Disney Marathon: 4
Everyone else being blocked as well keeping the crowds super-light and lines short all day: 8
High School Musical 3 Show with Adam: 9.5
Adam dancing in the show with one of the kids: 9
Adam doing a "High School Musical" pose and dance often the remainder of the trip: 9
Hannah going on the Tower of Terror Pre-Show with Su but then being too freaked out to go on the ride: 4
Her asking me for the rest of the trip how it could have been a hotel, and then what happened when it was struck by lightning, how it turned into a tower, etc.: 9
Beauty and the Beast show from the front row: 9
High School Musical 3 show with all: 9
Kids meeting all of the Little Einsteins plusJojo and Goliath: 7
Su actually going on Tower of Terror and Rock and Roller Coaster: 9
My hot pretzel for lunch: 8.5
Little Mermaid show:8
Kids playing for an hour in the big Coke bottle that shoots out water: 8
Toy Story Mania: 8.5 (Can't wait to try it again, but line was long)
Honey I Shrunk the Kids (a.k.a. "Tall tall grass"): 8
For H and A: 9.975
For me and Su: 3
H finding some new friends and playing with them for hours: 6 (9 for her, 3 for me following her/them around)
Swimming in pool later in day: 6
Regular pool being cold: 3 (NOTHING like Z's pool in Fort Lauderdale)
H and A loving kiddie pool: 8
Dinner at Pepper Market: 7
Magic Kingdom at Night: 8
Us getting a double stroller for free: 8
Fireworks: 9
Me fighting through crowd for popcorn during fireworks: 4
Pirates of the Carribean: 8 (New parts of the ride were cool)
Adam falling out of the stroller and me running over his arm: 1.5
Su yelling at Adam for getting out of the stroller, only to later learn he had fallen out since he had fallen asleep: 1.75
It's a Small World: 7
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin: 7
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (again): 7
Note: This was just a fantastic, packed end-to-end day, again one fo the best of the trip.
1/12/09
Weather: 7 (Cooler, very overcast, looked like rain but didn't actually rain)
Magic Kingdom: 8
Kids meeting Winnie and Tigger: 6
The line being pretty long for this: 4
Su forgetting to take a picture of H with Winnie and Tigger which H's teacher Laura had specifically asked for: 2.5
Princess Room: 7 (5 for me and Su, 9 for H)
Playing in park and water park with A while Su and H went on Goofy's barnstormer: 7
Minnie Mouse's House with kids: 6
Tea Cup ride with kids: 7 (they like it more than me)
Cinderella Carousel with kids: 7 (Good but short)
It's a Small World (with A awake this time): 7
Mickey's Philharmagic: 8.5 (This one is growing on me)
Hot pretzel for lunch: 8.5
Mid-day parade: 8
Haunted Mansion: 8
Fairy Room: 5
Long wait to get in: 2
Fairy experience itself for H: 7
Going immediately to MGM to try to catch Fantasmic: 8
Fantasmic being SRO and us missing it: 2
This being the second time ever that I slowed us down on our way to Fantasmic resulting in us not seeing the show: 1.5
Hannah being chosen as a helper for one part of the show: 9.5
Dinner at Earl of Sandwich: 8
Su and H keeping shopping to just 1.5 hours: 8
1/13/09
Weather: 6 (Cool and rainy)
Epcot: 7.5
Spaceship Earth: 8.5 (The new parts were cool)
Video at end with H's head on cartoon character: 9
Innoventions: 5
Us not seeing the game show: 3
Su not taking the segway class: 2
Mexico Boat Ride: 7
Lunch at Mexico: 6
Su and H feeding the birds: 3
Birds then freaking A out: 2
Fantastic M&M cookie after lunch: 8
Finding Nemo ride: NA (I missed the ride getting fastpasses, Su went on w kids)
H doing Soarin' with Su: 9
Living with the Land boat ride with Adam: 8.5 (he loved it, and it was better than expected)
A impressing teenage girls with his "High School Musical" dance while waiting for Su: 9
Living with the Land boat ride (again, with all): 8
Having to leave before using our TestTrack fastpasses (since we'd be late to the airport if we rode): 1.5
Plane being delayed: 2
Leaving Florida: 1.5
Missing our connection in Dallas: 1.5
The "Friday's" incident in Dallas: 1.125 (We went there because somehow Su thought I chose it, and I thought Su chose it -- even though we both actually really hate "Friday's". That's the type of thing that happens when you leave Florida)
Finally getting back to SF: 4 (It was home, but pretty cold)
Trip Ratings:
Z: 9.99999999999999999999999999999975
Su: 9.99975 (Would have been a 10+ except you somehow thought I chose Friday's).
Hannah: 10+
Adam: 10+
Final Note: Extending the trip to almost two weeks was a fantastic choise, we should somehow try to match the length, or extend it even further, next year if possible.
Is there a prettier setting than Crandon Park Golf ?
Winning at Jai Alai is suddenly becoming a new trip tradition!
Both players were sharp in the opening round at Palm Aire Oaks
Hannah called the shots while playing "Deal or No Deal"
Z and Kids built a massive sand fortress!
The Orange Bowl kicked off the trip for a change!
Z grilled burning-hot food like this cheeseburger at THREE tailgates during this year's trip!
Vacation Details
1/2009: Fort Lauderdale then Walt Disney World
ChampionshipCup.com: "Home of Champions"
Su and kids about to watch the fireworks!
Adam and Hannah pose with Drisella. Note Hannah had to cover her Princess shirt, by Drisella's request!
Adam and Hannah loved the kiddie pool!
Despite the long wait, Hannah loved meeting Silvermist and the other Fairies!
Flying to Fort Lauderdale: 9
