Universal City Walk entertainment

 
There was plenty of entertainment at the Universal City Walk. In this picture you can see both the girl who sang Sheryl Crow songs, and the drummers. (They took turns, basically.) I could have hung out longer, but everyone was hungry and tired, so we went in to Tony Roma's for dinner. We all had the ribs, of course.

Art at Tony Roma's

 

During dinner, Frankie often makes artwork on the placemats. I think he outdid himself with this picture. As you can see, he's drawing two different rollercoasters; he added a third, too. It represented X coaster, Millenium Force in Cedar Point, and Nitro at home in Jersey. For a great review of Nitro, you should check his blog!

It was another lovely evening. No rain, a cool breeze, a beautiful sunset, and we went back to the hotel and went to sleep....

We woke up bright and early on Monday...

 
... ready to start our first full day by fulfilling Frankie's main wish: to ride the X coaster.
This was also part of our view from the hotel. The weather was beautiful, bright and sunny and hot (but it was a DRY HEAT) and a nice breeze.

Frank and Nicky finished off the fruit in the room for breakfast, but Frankie and I went down to eat in the restaurant. (I wanted to be sure he had enough calories to last through the day!)

Then, we headed out.

We drove to Six Flags, and our car was something like four or five in line to enter the parking lot, which is where we sat for about an hour. We met some guy from Canada, who walked over to our convertible and started chatting about how they are drilling for oil in Canada and selling it to the USA, or something like that... I have no idea who he was, but with an open car like that, you're kinda sitting right out in the open. Finally, the gates open, we parked and waited in the next line, to go through the entrance gates.

You could see the X coaster right from the entrance, and I got some good photos -- but I wasn't using the digital camera, we had brought the waterproof box camera that Nancy and Christine from Make A Wish had given Frankie, so I still have to get the pictures developed!

Six Flags

 

This is a picture taken by the park people as we entered the gate. All of the parks have a bunch of photographers stationed at the main entrance, and then they sell you the photos. Of course we had to buy them all!

One of the first things we did in the park was to go to lunch. Lunch had been donated for us by a restaurant called the Mooseburger Lodge. Nicky's first question was, "Are the burgers made out of Moose???" (no, they weren't.) He remembered eating Buffalo out west, though, so I guess he just wanted to be sure.

The restaurant was so nice! We were seated in a nice airconditioned restaurant with a show (singing stuffed moose heads on the wall, and a huge stuffed moose in the center of the room. They told jokes and sang camp songs!) They gave us lunch on the house, and they gave Frankie a gift -- a little stuffed Bugs Bunny and a gift certificate for park merchandise! He used it to buy t-shirts. They had a lot of nice souvenirs inside the restaurant, but t-shirts where really what he wanted.

The main goal of the trip was X Coaster!

This is a picture of what the X coaster looks like, I think the picture was off the Six Flags web site. Scary, huh?

 

Here is the roller coaster picture of Frank and Frankie taken by the park. Of course we had to buy one! Frank and Frankie BOTH look like they are having a great time, don't they?

Frankie gave the roller coaster the score of 9.5, out of 10. He also said he has never given any roller coaster a 10 -- he's always waiting for the next big thing. He would be one of those teachers that never gives anyone an A+. I hope that he will be writing a description of the roller coaster ride itself on his own blog, the Frankie Report. He hasn't posted it yet.

There was a LOT of roller coaster riding done on this trip. Besides X, they went on just about every roller coaster in the park, and some they went on twice!

Another cool thing is that Make A Wish had arranged for him to get some of the Flash Passes, so he could get on without waiting.

Nick and I ...

 
... went to the splash park for most of the day instead. We aren't big roller coaster people, and it was HOT out! I had done my research and knew that this park was the one that had the splash park closest to the entrance, and I knew he would enjoy it. The entrance to the two parks were actually joined, so Frank and Frankie were able to meet us there in the after noon for a quick swim before we all went back on the rides a bit later.

Another good sunset from our hotel...

 
We ended the day with another great sunset from the hotel room. We had a corner room, with a great view.

Part 2, but still day 1, of our Make a Wish Vacation

Driving to the Hotel

 
Frankie REALLY wanted to see someone he knew, driving around in the car. It didn't happen. The next best thing was trying to get a picture of us driving around in the car.

No, by the way, he didn't drive. He isn't allowed to drive out of NJ, and he certainly can't drive a rental car.

Knock Knock... Who's there?... Room Service! ... But we didn't order room service...!

 
We checked in to a beautiful hotel, the Sheraton at Universal. It was in walking distance to Universal Studios. The first thing we did when we checked in was to get dinner at the hotel restaurant. Then, we walked up to our rooms, and room service arrived with this lovely cart full of dessert! It was compliments of either the hotel or Make A Wish, I'm not sure which. We actually saved some of it for the next morning for breakfast.

After dinner and dessert, we took a drive to Hollywood.

Grumann's Chinese Theater

 
Some of those actors and actresses had really tiny feet and hands! You should see Olivia de Haviland's prints. The boys had never heard of her. Tom Hanks impressed them more.

Hollywood Boulevard

 

We found our favorite star. Jackie Chan rules!

Swimming in the Hotel Pool

 
We ended the day swimming at the hotel pool. It was cool. Notice how Frankie crosses his arms in front of his scar? I can't get a picture of his scar. He rarely takes his shirt off, and has quite the golfer's tan. The scar is healing really well. I think he looks cool.

A Beautiful Evening, the first night...

 

The view from our hotel was beautiful, and the one lone palm all lit up with Christmas lights made a nice effect, didn't it???

We were EXHAUSTED, and slept really well. The beds were extremely comfortable!

THIS JUST IN!

Frankie is taking my suggestion (Well, stronger than a suggestion, but not quite a direct order) and POSTING HIS OWN REPORT!!!

Check it out at The Frankie Report!

Frankie's MAKE A WISH TRIP... PART 1

 
So I know everyone is wondering why I haven't written in a while, and believe me, there are plenty of reasons.

1. The computer is dead. I'm working out of Frankie's lap top for the time being, but we only recently got the lap top hooked up, thanks to Kurt. Dr. Kurt is working on the real computer right now. I hope he can resusitate it. (Did I spell that wrong? It looks wrong.)KURT, WE LOVE YOU!

2. I got a job. Again. No, really. I got another job. And it's full time. But starting new jobs all the time is very stressfull, and it takes a lot out of you. This is the job I plan on keeping for the next 25 years. I'm not switching anymore. I'm gonna be like a barnacle and attach myself to the desk. More about that later.

3. We went on VACATION!

Yes, VACATION -- as in Frankie got a Make A Wish vacation, and we just got back!

Background info: Make A Wish is an organization that grants the wish of very ill children. Frankie, with everything he went through last year, was offered the application to see if he qualified for a wish to be granted. The social worker at the hospital suggested it, and nominated us. At first, I was totally against it, because I really thought that it was meant for children who were dying. But that isn't really what they were looking for; and it turned out that Frankie really DID qualify, because of the seriousness of his condition -- both the acute and chronic illness.

So, I tried to make a few nice suggestions to Frankie about what his wish should be. But in reality, he didn't want anything to do with what my wish for him was. He had his OWN wish idea -- which I was not at all interested in, I'll have you know. But it was perfect for him.

Frankie wanted to ride the "X" coaster in California.

I hate coasters, and I was adamant that I would never go to California. BUT. It was his WISH. So that is what we did. We got to go to all the coaster parks in Southern California....

And this is the story of that trip.

In many installments, because I'm not up to one long story.

Ridin' in Style to the airport...

 
... but it was 6 AM, so no one saw us. We got a real STRETCH limo!

Hanging in the Airport

 

Here we are waiting to board our flight to LAX airport. It was a pleasant and uneventful flight.

Our RIDE

 

We went to the rental car place. (It was still early in the day, but this was a better picture.) I waited outside with the luggage while the boys all went in. "What kind of car would you like?" they asked. "What kind of car is paid for?" my husband asked. "Any kind you like," was the reply. "CONVERTIBLE!" said the boys. "Would this red mustang convertible be OK?"

This is the end of part 1 -- stay tuned tomorrow (Hopefully!) for part 2!

Dead Computers Stink!

... But Kurt rules! He got us semi hooked up again, and we're working on fixing it. Sorry I haven't been keeping in touch!

Anyway...I can't talk now anyway. I'll write more soon...

Bow Drill Fire (attempt)

 

This was the closest we ever got to a bow drill fire. My nephew Stevie is a focused kid, I've gotta tell you. He got as far as getting smoke, but no flame. We've got to figure out how to go from the spark to the flame.

This was camping trip (see the pictures below...)

What I did on my Memorial Day Vacation

Frank and I, the boys, and my nephew went to Lums Pond State Park in Delaware. It was a really nice place. It was more spread out than the commercial campground we normally go to. The sites were nice, too.

There was a pond (obviously -- the name was Lums Pond, right?) and the boys were able to fish and play around as much as they wanted to. Yes, even my 16 year old likes to PLAY sometimes. Don't tell his friends! There was a fallen tree that was just the perfect fort, or castle, or whatever.

And of course we had a campfire.

We also went horseback riding, and the boys went kayaking -- not me, though! -- and there was a remote control air field that was really interesting. The weather was perfect, and I brought a little wading pool to keep cool in. It was a good set up, all in all, a quiet but enjoyable weekend.

Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it?

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I'm working two jobs (Have I complained about that before on this blog?) and I barely have time/energy to make dinner, never mind to blog. Not to mention that whenever I want to sit down at the computer, there is a queue forming. We only have the one computer connected on line, and everyone always wants it. Frank is going to try to get the others set up too. I'm not sure when he'll have time. He's working more now too. I'll make up for it by posting a few entries, to give y'all somethin' to read...

(of course, this will be the last one, since they post in descending order from the most recent...)

Clematis vines

 

These flowers are on the trellis, but they are so far back in the corner of the yard that I barely ever see them. (Even though it's an awfully small yard.) But I wanted to take a picture of them anyway...

This time last year...

... Frankie had pretty much JUST gotten home from the hospital. The boys have grown a lot in one year, haven't they? This is last year's picture.

Happy Mother's Day!

 

Here is my Nick with the tulips he bought me. Frank dragged him out of bed at 9:30 or whatever, so they could run to the fruit and veggie stand and get some fresh flowers. "Do you REALIZE how much these things COST?" he asked me, as he handed me the lovely wrapped bouquet.

Chef Frankie

  Having his OWN breakfast in my bed.

Happy Mothers Day

 
I woke up to breakfast in bed, served by Frankie. He even picked an azalea from outside for the tray! He did a reasonably good job of cooking, I must say, although he served me an entire recipe of pancakes -- the amount I would make for all for of us.

Jump rope update

A surprising number of people were happy to hear that I was playing jump rope during aftercare. I thought you would all be happy to know that today I was actually able to jump for almost a whole rhyme. Two girls turned for me, and they sang
"Blue bells, taco shells, evie, ivy, OVER... I like coffee, I like tea, I like the boys and the boys like me... yes, no, maybe so..." And I managed to jump the whole time. After I finally missed, I got a standing ovation from practically every kid on the playground. (I was proud of myself!)

A few interesting things about jumping rope at 43:
-- my belly flops around a lot more than it did when I was little!
-- I think the rhyme was blue bells, COCKLE SHELLS -- but rhymes change!