Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Monday, July 30, 2012

A Different Disney

A couple of weeks ago my boss' wife asked me if I wanted to go to Disney. FO SHO!! But this trip was slightly different than most I had been on. This one I was going to be a chaperon. It was going to be my boss' mom, my boss' wife, my boss' daughter (3 years old), my boss' two nieces from Israel (10 and 8 years old), and another one of my boss' wife's friend.

We had a great time, but like I said, it was different :) Everywhere we went we had to 'find a hand to hold', there was lots of the smaller rides (like Whiney the Pooh and the Carousel), and whining [hey, Ryan at least tries to keep his whining to himself, hehe]. OH YES, AND OF COURSE, FACE PAINTING, HOW COULD I FORGET?!

My boss' wife sent over some of the pictures today, so I figured I'd post them for you to see. [Proof that I don't hate kids :) ]














Sunday, July 29, 2012

The Lost Footage

I was looking on Ryan's phone this afternoon and noticed there were some videos that I hadn't loaded to Youtube (and therefore hadn't posted yet). Check out these lost videos :) [and the 8mm film makes them look old like they really were lost].

Sunset from our Honolulu vacation a couple months ago:



Silly Swings @ Disney:



Silly Swings [continued] @ Disney:



Ryan and I love this ride - it's the wildest ride in the wilderness, of course:

Friday, July 27, 2012

Best of Arts & Culture



Ann Arbor: ‘Official Best Of Arts & Culture Destination’









Ann Arbor has been named an Official Best Of Vacation Destination under the 'Arts and Culture' category. The Ann Arbor segment features the Main Street Area, Selo/Shevel Gallery, the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, the Ann Arbor Art Center, Sonic Lunch, the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Zingerman's Deli and Hollander's - with narration provided by Ken Fischer, President of the University Musical Society, and Lucy Ann Lance, of Lance & Erskine Communications.
Official Best Of is proud to be featuring Michigan’s top attractions on The Official Best Of Michigan 2012. The Official Best of Michigan will air Saturday, July 28th at 12:30pm on WWJ/CBS Detroit and on Saturday, July 28th at 12:30pm on WBBM/CBS Chicago. 

Toilet Paper Ads?


Ads on toilet paper? U-M grad's unique product hits the Ann Arbor area




Patrons at Scio Township’s Bel-Mark Lanes will soon be face-to-face with advertisements on their bathroom tissue.
star_toilet_paper.jpg
Star Toilet Paper prints ads on rolls that are then provided to businesses.
Photo from startoiletpaper.com
The bowling alley is one of several Ann Arbor area businesses to start carrying Star Toilet Paper’s ad-printed rolls, A2 Journal reports.
The company was co-founded in 2010 by University of Michigan graduate Jordan Silverman and his brother, Bryan.
They sell toilet paper adspace — currently to 50 different advertisers — and then provide the printed rolls free of charge to businesses that will carry the product.
"It seems like such an obvious idea, Jordan Silverman said. “You have someone in complete solitude, often looking for something to read.”
Bel-Mark Lanes plans to start carrying the product Aug. 1, according to the report. The company’s other local clients: a private corporate building and Dance Theater Studio on North University Avenue.
To learn more about the company, read the full A2 Journal report here.

Raiding Hell


Raiding Hell: Sermon Promo from North Coast Church on Vimeo.

Promo for the new series we are starting this week.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Thankful Thursday

Oceanside Street Market [Every Thursday it goes on downtown. Normally we can't make it because our small group meets on that night, but since we are on break for the summer we were able to check it out. It was PACKED tonight. Maybe it is better in the winter when all the tourist go home...]



Christmas In July [This weekend Ryan and I will be celebrating Christmas in July. We really just wanted a reason to wear our Santa shirts during the summer :) We did get each other gifts, so I am sure there will be photos from the festivities. And lots of Christmas Music. And probably some fun festive treats.]



Upcoming ((Possible)) Vacations [We are trying to get some possible vacations in the works - YAY! In a couple weeks we will be heading to the Colorado River with friends. We are trying to work out a Hawaiian trip in the next couple months too, which would be AMAZING if we can swing it. And come on, no one takes enough vacations these days, do that?! Not to mention my padres coming out to visit in November when my dad has a convention in San Diego. And a trip back to the Mitten for Christmas. We have a busy next couple of months.]


Hype 2012

Michigan "Cowboys Classic" TECHFIT Uniform

Sea Glass Beach in HI


Glass Beach Kauai Hawaii






Port Allen, Kauai HI
It takes the ocean about 10 to 30 years to create sea glass, and the resulting tumbled glass by the ocean is a frosted, jelly bean-like pebble.

Glass Beach is located in the middle of an industrial part in Hanapepe, Kauai. The shoreline of Glass Beach is covered with millions of sea glasses - brown, aqua-colored, clear and blue.

The glass found at Glass Beach was broken bottles and auto glass dumped by Swiss Cheese Shoreline on the western end of Kauai. Located between Lawai Beach and Salt Pond Beach Park, Glass Beach is a stretch of glittering pieces of broken glass. It's amazing to see what the ocean did to all that junk. The one thing that could mar the ethereal effect of Glass Beach is the gas tanks overlooking one side of the beach.

#10 For Education


Top 10 Best Cities for Education in America

We rank the cities with the best options for education in America. Families will appreciate these graduation rates, test scores and more. Plus, find out what cities are the safest andwhich have the strongest economies


10. Ann Arbor, Michigan
Home to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor boasts a unique diversity in the school system, with 64 different languages spoken district-wide. The city landed on our list for a high number of accredited day care centers per capita and a stellar graduation rate. The schools are also committed to going green. The city was awarded the nation's largest LEED Silver Certified High School and received national recognition for participation in the Green Lights program, which saves energy while reducing costs.





The rest of the list can be found here

Cars Land Trivia


Things You Might Not Know About Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park


Ornament Valley in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park
Cars Land is officially open and welcoming guests each day at Disney California Adventure park. At 12 acres, this immersive addition to the park really makes you feel like you’ve driven down Route 66 and straight into Ornament Valley. Here are some things you might not know about Cars Land:
  • At more than 280,000 square feet of rockwork, the Ornament Valley mountain range is the largest rockwork created in a domestic Disney theme park.
  • Every year, each Radiator Springs Racers ride vehicle will travel approximately 36,000 miles – that’s equivalent to more than 14 trips down the original Route 66.
  • The section of Route 66 in Cars Land is approximately 525 feet long and 23 feet wide.
  • Guests float on a bed of air created by 6,714 air vents at Luigi’s Flying Tires.
  • None of the 22 tractors in Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree are the same – each has a distinctive look and personality.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Happy 311th BDay!

Happy 311th Birthday, DETROIT!!



Here are 10 things that make you great





Detroit’s a unique city, and today marks Detroit’s 311th birthday. 
That’s a lot of candles.
To celebrate, let’s take a look at what makes Motown stand out, courtesy of the Free Press publication "The Detroit Almanac":
1/ Belle Isle: Many enjoy the park as a place to kick back, relax, barbecue, and perhaps enjoy a game of horseshoes. However, few know of the island’s history. Belle Isle was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City. The island is the largest city park in America, at 1.534 square miles. It was originally known as Ile Aux Cochons, or Hog Island. Back in the day, it was used to house and protect cattle from the wildlife in Detroit. 
2/ Mispronounced street names: Detroit’s roots are French, and because of this, many of the streets in Detroit have French names. This doesn’t prevent locals from pronouncing them the good old-fashioned American way. For example, Lahser is commonly pronounced Lash-err, as opposed to Lazh-ur. Livernois is typically Liver-noise instead of Lee-vair-nwah. Something tells me that the French pronunciation won’t catch on anytime soon. 
3/ Birthplace: Detroit is recognized as the birthplace of Motown, Techno, Vernors, Better Made, and the commercial automobile.
4/ Meaning: Detroit is French for “strait,” which is a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water. That, of course, refers to the Detroit River, which connects Lake Erie to Lake St. Clair. 
5/ Coney islands: There are few things more synonymous with Detroit than the coney island hot dog. There could be more coney restaurants in Detroit than there are McDonald's.
6/ Nicknames: Take your pick: City of Progress, City of the Strait, City of Churches, Motor City, Dynamic Detroit, Arsenal of Democracy, Big D, Motown, Renaissance City, Hockeytown. 
7/ Sports: Detroit is one of America’s greatest sports towns. Twenty-two total championships have been won between the Lions, Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings. That figure ties Detroit with Los Angeles for fourth on the list of cities with the most championships. Number one? New York City with 55. 
8/ Diversity: Detroit is largely an African American city, but there are strong German, Irish, English, Polish, Italian, Arab, Canadian, Dutch and Latino populations. 
9/ Location: Detroit has close proximity to Canada, and is also the only major American city that looks south to Canada. 
10/ Salt mines: About 1,200 feet beneath the city lies one of the largest salt mines on the continent. There could be enough salt in the mines to last 70 million years, some estimates indicate.

#1 Zoo


America's Most-Visited Zoos




No. 1 San Diego Zoo

Annual Visitors: 3.2 million
Balboa Park, which overlooks the Pacific, is the enviable—and accessible—setting for this world-famous 100-acre zoo. (San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 30 miles away, comes in at No. 19.) More than 3 million annual visitors flock here to see the 3,700-plus rare and endangered animals—first and foremost, the three giant pandas. Gao Gao, Bai Yun, and youngster Yun Zi (born in 2009) can be found noshing on bamboo and hanging around tree branches at the Panda Trek exhibit. Several Galapagos tortoises have called the zoo home since 1928, and at more than 100 years old, they’re the most senior citizens. In 2013, the zoo’s two dozen koalas will be upgraded to a spiffy new outdoor habitat.

Monday, July 23, 2012

TOMS x Linus

Ry likes the bikes and I like the shoes :)




Check out the TOMS blog post here about the partnership.

Cowboys Classic Jersey

2012 U-M Uniform Plan Includes Special Cowboys Classic Jersey


The University of Michigan football program and its official apparel provider, adidas, have teamed to create a commemorative road jersey for the 2012 season opener against Alabama on Sept. 1.

Michigan, adidas and the school's helmet providers have worked to match the colors in both the helmet and uniforms.

For the Cowboys Classic game against Alabama, the Wolverines will don a white road jersey with maize across the shoulders and down to the sleeve. Blue piping will separate the maize from the white on the jersey. A blue block 'M' will appear on the left and right sleeves of the jersey, and the player numbers will be blue. Michigan will wear its traditional maize pants with the blue block 'M' on the left hip. The Wolverines' adizero Smoke gloves will feature lyrics to the school's fight song, "The Victors."

"The players and staff like the commemorative jersey that adidas presented for the Alabama game," said Brady Hoke, U-M head football coach. "The players really enjoyed the legacy and bowl uniforms that were worn last season."




The rest of the article here.

The Last Piece



The pieces were always there. She was just too close to see them. Can they keep everything from falling apart?

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Course Map


Disneyland® Half Marathon
The course for this magical event will take runners from the Disney California Adventure® Park, celebrating California's storied past and exciting future, to theDisneyland® Park where you will explore the fantastic "lands" of nostalgia, color and delight. Then it is on to the scenic streets of Anaheim, past the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks, along the Santa Ana Trail overlooking the Santa Ana River, through Angel Stadium, home of the MLB's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and then past Disney's Paradise Pier® Hotel and the Disneyland® Hotel for an exciting finish of the Happiest Race on Earth! Ideal weather and a flat loop course set the stage for an exhilarating Half Marathon designed to shatter personal bests.


Goofs In Love

While we were waiting for everyone to meet up at Souplantation last night we took a series of goofy shots (I mean, what other kind are there, really?!).