As long as we'd made the drive up to Orlando (about three hours for us), Brandon and I thought we should make the most of this weekend, especially after holing ourselves up in our house for so many weekends in a row.
Plus, I prefer to leave Orlando with visions of Mickey and Minnie (and not scary masked men running after me with chainsaws).
Turns out, Epcot was holding its annual International Food and Wine Festival, which sounded really exciting. If you've ever been to Epcot, you will know that the park is set up with rides and other attractions toward the front, and the World Showcase toward the back. The World Showcase normally consists of 11 countries - Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada.
These 11 countries are really neat. You get to see that culture's architecture, try some of their food and drink, and even hear some of their music. Walking through the World Showcase at Epcot is one of my absolute favorite things to do with a day.
And the International Food and Wine Festival is the World Showcase on steroids! This year, they included 14 countries, on top of the 11 that occupy space in Epcot year-round. Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Puerto Rico, Sinagpore, South Africa, South Korea, and Spain were all represented. And every single one of them had a stand selling samples of its food and drink.
All you do all day is walk around tasting food from this country, sipping a drink from that one. And many of the booths are manned by natives of the countries represented. It is truly culture and culinary heaven.
25 countries and 25 snacks...yes, I could handle a heaven like that!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Day 114: Out of Our Cozy House and Into a Haunted One (or Five)
Well, Brandon and I finally got out of the house. Having been sick at the beginning of the week, I had the opportunity to get some real, high-quality rest. By Wednesday, I felt almost back to normal - not just healthy, but also refreshed! And, because next week is a short one at school, I was able to finish all of my planning for it.
It was the perfect moment to get away. So, on Friday afternoon, we left our cozy, comfortable house, to spend the night going into a bunch of haunted ones.
Yup, we went to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Orlando. Every year around Halloween, Universal Studios transforms itself into this sort of living nightmare. There put together several huge haunted houses, all with different themes ("The Orphanage," "The Psych Ward," "The Catacombs," etc.). There were eight of them this year, and they are haunted, of course, by real people (actors, I know, but it is really scary when they pop out from their dark corners!).
On top of the haunted houses, there are characters who simply run around the park chasing after you or wait near trees or around corners to pop out and scare you. This year, one of the big things was masked men running around with chainsaws. They were dispersed throughout the park, and they were just standing there in the middle of everything, daring you to walk by.
Fun? Now that I'm out of the haunted houses and back in my cozy, comfortable one (which is nothing like a psych ward!), absolutely. But at the time I was simply scared.
And this lasted from about 8:00 pm to 2:00 am - yup, that's six full hours of scared! At least for me. Brandon didn't seem to be scared at all. Not once the entire night did I see him jump or hear him scream. This, I found quite strange.
Then again, I didn't send a scary masked man with a chainsaw running after him and calling out his name.
It was the perfect moment to get away. So, on Friday afternoon, we left our cozy, comfortable house, to spend the night going into a bunch of haunted ones.
Yup, we went to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Orlando. Every year around Halloween, Universal Studios transforms itself into this sort of living nightmare. There put together several huge haunted houses, all with different themes ("The Orphanage," "The Psych Ward," "The Catacombs," etc.). There were eight of them this year, and they are haunted, of course, by real people (actors, I know, but it is really scary when they pop out from their dark corners!).
On top of the haunted houses, there are characters who simply run around the park chasing after you or wait near trees or around corners to pop out and scare you. This year, one of the big things was masked men running around with chainsaws. They were dispersed throughout the park, and they were just standing there in the middle of everything, daring you to walk by.
Fun? Now that I'm out of the haunted houses and back in my cozy, comfortable one (which is nothing like a psych ward!), absolutely. But at the time I was simply scared.
And this lasted from about 8:00 pm to 2:00 am - yup, that's six full hours of scared! At least for me. Brandon didn't seem to be scared at all. Not once the entire night did I see him jump or hear him scream. This, I found quite strange.
Then again, I didn't send a scary masked man with a chainsaw running after him and calling out his name.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Day 111: Boring, Married Life
It's been nearly two weeks since I've posted. Normally, I would blame this on being too busy, but this time I'm blaming it on being too boring. (You may have noticed this when you read my last post - about how our lives revolve around "The Office").
The truth is, I'm tired - old, married, and tired. I don't feel like much of a newlywed at all.
I don't have enough energy (or motivation) to do the dishes, fold the laundry, or water the flowers, let alone enjoy a night out with my husband. I get home from work, and all I want to do is sit in front of the TV. I couldn't care less about getting dinner on the table or going shopping for the groceries we'd need to make it (hey, it looks like there's popcorn in the pantry - "pop" it in the microwave!).
The last thing I want to do is chores, and I'm so tired some nights that doing something entertaining with my husband actually classifies as one!
This is not the newlywed life I ever planned (or want) to lead. It's ironic to say this, but fortunately for me, I came down with a little cold a few days ago. I felt awful, but because I did I gave myself permission to get the rest my body and mind both need - the rest I rarely get! In the past three days, I have slept more than I normally would in an entire week. And I feel great - still a little sniffly, but great!
It seems that the boring, old, married Charlotte just needed a couple good nights' rest. And now that I've gotten it, I'm welcomimg myself back to the life of an exciting, young newlywed!
The truth is, I'm tired - old, married, and tired. I don't feel like much of a newlywed at all.
I don't have enough energy (or motivation) to do the dishes, fold the laundry, or water the flowers, let alone enjoy a night out with my husband. I get home from work, and all I want to do is sit in front of the TV. I couldn't care less about getting dinner on the table or going shopping for the groceries we'd need to make it (hey, it looks like there's popcorn in the pantry - "pop" it in the microwave!).
The last thing I want to do is chores, and I'm so tired some nights that doing something entertaining with my husband actually classifies as one!
This is not the newlywed life I ever planned (or want) to lead. It's ironic to say this, but fortunately for me, I came down with a little cold a few days ago. I felt awful, but because I did I gave myself permission to get the rest my body and mind both need - the rest I rarely get! In the past three days, I have slept more than I normally would in an entire week. And I feel great - still a little sniffly, but great!
It seems that the boring, old, married Charlotte just needed a couple good nights' rest. And now that I've gotten it, I'm welcomimg myself back to the life of an exciting, young newlywed!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Day 100: Home Office
A few months ago, Brandon and I became overly obsessed with the show "The Office." Neither of us had ever really watched it before, but the first five seasons were on Netflix Instant so we decided to give it a shot.
We fell in love with it immediately and spent the next several weeks doing pretty much nothing but catching ourselves up on the series.
But a problem arose when the new season (#7) was about to start and the last season (#6) was only just about to come out on DVD. And it wasn't a Netflix Instant option. I put it in my regular queue and hoped for the best. But weeks went by, and my number two movie choice kept getting sent to me, while "The Office, Season 6, Disc 1" remained in "very long wait" status.
We started recording the new season, hoping we'd have enough space on the DVR to save them till we finally did get through season 6. In the meantime, every time Netflix sent me my number two movie choice, I simply turned right around and sent it back. I didn't want to waste my time watching any of the movies; I wanted to send them back for another chance at receiving "The Office, Season 6, Disc 1" next.
But I never did, and I was ready to give up hope...until tonight.
Wanting to spend a relaxing Friday evening at home together, Brandon and I decided to check out what we could get on Netflix Instant. (They really do have a lot of good choices.) We were coming toward the end of our Instant Queue, having not been able to decide on anything, when we noticed a new addition - "The Office, Season 6" all episodes!
You wouldn't believe how excited we got! There was hugging, and shrieking, and possibly even a tear or two. It seems silly to say, but I couldn't have asked for anything more at that moment. I guess it really is the little things - the staying at home on a Friday night in your favorite pajamas, watching your favorite show, with your favorite guy.
We fell in love with it immediately and spent the next several weeks doing pretty much nothing but catching ourselves up on the series.
But a problem arose when the new season (#7) was about to start and the last season (#6) was only just about to come out on DVD. And it wasn't a Netflix Instant option. I put it in my regular queue and hoped for the best. But weeks went by, and my number two movie choice kept getting sent to me, while "The Office, Season 6, Disc 1" remained in "very long wait" status.
We started recording the new season, hoping we'd have enough space on the DVR to save them till we finally did get through season 6. In the meantime, every time Netflix sent me my number two movie choice, I simply turned right around and sent it back. I didn't want to waste my time watching any of the movies; I wanted to send them back for another chance at receiving "The Office, Season 6, Disc 1" next.
But I never did, and I was ready to give up hope...until tonight.
Wanting to spend a relaxing Friday evening at home together, Brandon and I decided to check out what we could get on Netflix Instant. (They really do have a lot of good choices.) We were coming toward the end of our Instant Queue, having not been able to decide on anything, when we noticed a new addition - "The Office, Season 6" all episodes!
You wouldn't believe how excited we got! There was hugging, and shrieking, and possibly even a tear or two. It seems silly to say, but I couldn't have asked for anything more at that moment. I guess it really is the little things - the staying at home on a Friday night in your favorite pajamas, watching your favorite show, with your favorite guy.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Day 98: Charlotte, Brandon, and...Gym
Brandon and I joined a gym last week. We'd been thinking about it for a while, after noticing that the honeymoon weight didn't just melt off as soon as we returned from paradise.
I was freaking out a little because I'd read an article a month or so before the wedding that said the average bride gains 20 pounds in her first year of marriage. I remember thinking at the time that this would never, ever be me. But there I was, barely three months in and 10 pounds heavier already.
So to the gym we went, figuring we could spend our money on trying to remain healthy or on buying new wardrobes every few months. Although now that I've put it that way, I wonder...
But the decision is made. We are now members of this gym, and today we went together for the first time. I've asked Brandon to train me on the weight machines because the trainer (we each got one free session) told me that I simply cannot do cardio all by itself without throwing some weight training in there. Yawn...I've never, ever liked lifting weights, but since the trainer said, I am going to try to stick with it.
And Brandon is not a bad teacher. We actually had fun, and we even got a good story out of it:
We had just begun the lat raise; I was the one doing the exercise, and Brandon was watching me and waiting for his turn. An elderly man approached us, sort of struck a pose, and then boldly asked, "How do I look?" I heard him say it but decided the best course of action was to ignore it, so I just kept doing the lat raise. Brandon said nothing, so the old man asked again, "Well, how do I look?" Apparantly at a loss for words, Brandon simply said, "You look fine, I guess," to which the creepy old man replied, "Well, you can't improve upon perfection, but I do try," as he walked away with his pants pulled up way too high over his saggy butt.
Brandon and I had a good little laugh about the creepy old man at the gym and continued our exercise. We were taking turns, and a couple moments later, when I was back on the machine, the creepy old man approached us again. We tried to ignore him, but he didn't take the hint. He walked right up in front of me and said, "I just wanted to come check your form. It's actually a lot better than I thought it would be. I give it a seven out of 10."
Ummm...thank you?
I was freaking out a little because I'd read an article a month or so before the wedding that said the average bride gains 20 pounds in her first year of marriage. I remember thinking at the time that this would never, ever be me. But there I was, barely three months in and 10 pounds heavier already.
So to the gym we went, figuring we could spend our money on trying to remain healthy or on buying new wardrobes every few months. Although now that I've put it that way, I wonder...
But the decision is made. We are now members of this gym, and today we went together for the first time. I've asked Brandon to train me on the weight machines because the trainer (we each got one free session) told me that I simply cannot do cardio all by itself without throwing some weight training in there. Yawn...I've never, ever liked lifting weights, but since the trainer said, I am going to try to stick with it.
And Brandon is not a bad teacher. We actually had fun, and we even got a good story out of it:
We had just begun the lat raise; I was the one doing the exercise, and Brandon was watching me and waiting for his turn. An elderly man approached us, sort of struck a pose, and then boldly asked, "How do I look?" I heard him say it but decided the best course of action was to ignore it, so I just kept doing the lat raise. Brandon said nothing, so the old man asked again, "Well, how do I look?" Apparantly at a loss for words, Brandon simply said, "You look fine, I guess," to which the creepy old man replied, "Well, you can't improve upon perfection, but I do try," as he walked away with his pants pulled up way too high over his saggy butt.
Brandon and I had a good little laugh about the creepy old man at the gym and continued our exercise. We were taking turns, and a couple moments later, when I was back on the machine, the creepy old man approached us again. We tried to ignore him, but he didn't take the hint. He walked right up in front of me and said, "I just wanted to come check your form. It's actually a lot better than I thought it would be. I give it a seven out of 10."
Ummm...thank you?
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Day 94: Red Lobster
As our year of newly-wedded bliss continues, we have been making it a point to celebrate our marriage as often as we can. We had good reason yesterday, being that it was our three-month anniversary!
One of our yearly traditions is to go to Red Lobster's "endless shrimp." This is literally something Brandon waits for all year long. And as soon as he saw the commercials this year, he was making plans to get there.
So we went Friday night, to celebrate our anniversary and give ourselves a break from all of the household chores and busy work schedules. We were going to take some time to just be together, celebrating us and all we have accomplished in the short three months since we have been married.
Oh, but Red Lobster gets busy on Friday nights during endless shrimp season...
We walked in and were told that the wait was about 15 minutes. Well, we didn't mind that. We grabbed a drink at the bar and began to enjoy ourselves. 30 minutes later we still had not been seated. I wondered if we shouldn't ask the hostess if somehow we had missed our call. Our buzzer had never gone off, but maybe it was broken? But not wanting to be those people, we opted to wait just a little while longer before getting up in the hostess's face.
But about 15 minutes after that and 45 minutes total, we couldn't keep quiet any longer. Brandon went to ask the hostess if something might have gone wrong because we had been waiting three times longer than we were told we'd have to. She looked at us like we were the biggest idiots on the planet, not because we were wrong (our turn had come up 30 minutes ago, but our buzzer had not been working) but because we had waited so long to ask. Brandon kindly told her that we simply hadn't wanted to seem rude, and she shot back some remark about how "when we tell you 15 minutes, we mean 15 minutes." Obviously.
So after waiting (as I said) three times longer for our table than we should have, the rude hostess who had apparently missed the inservice oulining the details of the concept that the customer is always right (especially when he really is), sat us in the bar. Now, at this point, I should have spoken up; but, while Brandon had been trying to politely and pleasantly deal with the idiots running the establishment, I had reached my boiling point. I wasn't in a frame of mind to argue, although I remember thinking that we could have sat in the bar an entire 45 minutes ago, without having to wait at all. Why did we wait 45 minutes to be put there?
But we had already sat down and I'd already shoved two of those delicious cheesy biscuits into my mouth before I could formulate these thoughts into coherent sentences. And they weren't the stuff of pleasant conversations you should have on your three-month anniversary.
Brandon saw how upset I was and asked if I wanted to leave. And I definitely did want to leave, but not before I ate my shrimp. I didn't wait 45 minutes to be abused by the hostess and sat in the bar; at least I was going to get my shrimp before I went home to write a nasty letter to the general manager.
But having made that decision required that we also make a decision to get over what had transpired in the past 45 minutes and try to enjoy the rest of our evening together. It was hard. I was mad, and I wanted the hostess (who had a great view of our bar table from the hostess stand) to know it. But I also didn't want to further ruin our three-month anniversary celebration. So I put on my big girl panties and put in my first order of shrimp.
It was delicious, the waitress was nice, Brandon was sweet, and the night was eventually redeemed. It wasn't what we had envisioned, but I knew there was a lesson in it somewhere.
I haven't quite gotten it down, but maybe it will sink in after I write that nasty letter.
One of our yearly traditions is to go to Red Lobster's "endless shrimp." This is literally something Brandon waits for all year long. And as soon as he saw the commercials this year, he was making plans to get there.
So we went Friday night, to celebrate our anniversary and give ourselves a break from all of the household chores and busy work schedules. We were going to take some time to just be together, celebrating us and all we have accomplished in the short three months since we have been married.
Oh, but Red Lobster gets busy on Friday nights during endless shrimp season...
We walked in and were told that the wait was about 15 minutes. Well, we didn't mind that. We grabbed a drink at the bar and began to enjoy ourselves. 30 minutes later we still had not been seated. I wondered if we shouldn't ask the hostess if somehow we had missed our call. Our buzzer had never gone off, but maybe it was broken? But not wanting to be those people, we opted to wait just a little while longer before getting up in the hostess's face.
But about 15 minutes after that and 45 minutes total, we couldn't keep quiet any longer. Brandon went to ask the hostess if something might have gone wrong because we had been waiting three times longer than we were told we'd have to. She looked at us like we were the biggest idiots on the planet, not because we were wrong (our turn had come up 30 minutes ago, but our buzzer had not been working) but because we had waited so long to ask. Brandon kindly told her that we simply hadn't wanted to seem rude, and she shot back some remark about how "when we tell you 15 minutes, we mean 15 minutes." Obviously.
So after waiting (as I said) three times longer for our table than we should have, the rude hostess who had apparently missed the inservice oulining the details of the concept that the customer is always right (especially when he really is), sat us in the bar. Now, at this point, I should have spoken up; but, while Brandon had been trying to politely and pleasantly deal with the idiots running the establishment, I had reached my boiling point. I wasn't in a frame of mind to argue, although I remember thinking that we could have sat in the bar an entire 45 minutes ago, without having to wait at all. Why did we wait 45 minutes to be put there?
But we had already sat down and I'd already shoved two of those delicious cheesy biscuits into my mouth before I could formulate these thoughts into coherent sentences. And they weren't the stuff of pleasant conversations you should have on your three-month anniversary.
Brandon saw how upset I was and asked if I wanted to leave. And I definitely did want to leave, but not before I ate my shrimp. I didn't wait 45 minutes to be abused by the hostess and sat in the bar; at least I was going to get my shrimp before I went home to write a nasty letter to the general manager.
But having made that decision required that we also make a decision to get over what had transpired in the past 45 minutes and try to enjoy the rest of our evening together. It was hard. I was mad, and I wanted the hostess (who had a great view of our bar table from the hostess stand) to know it. But I also didn't want to further ruin our three-month anniversary celebration. So I put on my big girl panties and put in my first order of shrimp.
It was delicious, the waitress was nice, Brandon was sweet, and the night was eventually redeemed. It wasn't what we had envisioned, but I knew there was a lesson in it somewhere.
I haven't quite gotten it down, but maybe it will sink in after I write that nasty letter.
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