Just thought it was high time I posted updates on some things, so here goes.
It's been pretty slow going on new projects lately. The main reason is basically that I've just been stressed out with life these days and pretty much stuck in a bad mood since I got sick a couple months back. I honestly just haven't been in a frame of mind where I'd be able to work on these without feeling like I'm just going through the motions. I don't want that to happen and I'm working on powering through it. Things ARE moving forward. It may be slow, but it's happening.
I've been doing some fun stuff lately, but nothing has been able to snap me out of this funk I'm in. I'm hoping something comes along soon and does the trick.
I'm looking forward to the Canada trip at the end of the month. The Chantal concert at the winery might be just what I need.
Grandma and Maude are tagging along with Mom and I for this one. It'll be the first time the four of us have gone on a trip together since the Corrs adventure of 2004. If that trip is any indication, this one ought to be a blast.
The hotel room is booked, our passport cards (what a rip) have arrived, I'm ready to go. Everything's ready.
Now we wait.
Sixteen days to go.
I've been hanging with Bridget a bit lately, which has been fun. Things got hectic and we didn't get to see each other for a long time, so it's been cool to be able to catch up, vent, and swap music with her again.
I saw Terminator Salvation after much waiting and anticipating. It was alright. I'll admit, I had pretty high expectations, and while it didn't quite live up to those expectations, I didn't dislike it.
Up, on the other hand, I thought was amazing. Heartbreaking, funny, just a beautiful movie. I thought the 3D was fantastic was incredible too. Just an all around great experience at the movies. I'd love to go see it again.
Currently at the top of my "to see" list is The Hangover.
On the Fan Film front, word is that Stan Lee traveling, but the DVD is on his desk waiting for him. This waiting to hear something is torture.
There's really not much else to update on at the moment. I'm feeling pretty boring story-wise. Hopefully some summer adventures will change that.
Now go outside and get some sun, you. There's only three months until The Beatles: Rock Band comes out, so I better get outside before that addiction hits.
Showing posts with label The Corrs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Corrs. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
September 3rd, 2007 - My Day in Toronto
I woke up around 10:30ish to a bright glow. That sounds like such a pleasant way to wake up, except for the fact that the glow wasn't coming from the morning sun, but from my arms.
Looking like a lobster. Call me Zoidberg.
It looks worse than it felt. Unless someone touched it, then it lit me up good.
I used my wake up time to sit on the bed for a while and catch up on some MuchMusic. It doesn't take much viewing time to remind me how limited mainstream music is in the States. First off, Canada's music channel plays music videos. Second, the videos they play have variety in both visual and music style. The artists aren't all cookie cutter versions of each other. In just a few minutes of watching, I saw performers of all shapes and sizes, even one wheelchair-bound singer. Sure, they still showed the big names, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, but they were mixed in with tons of different stuff. It was refreshing to be exposed to some new music.
Shifting to my chair, I was surprised when I looked out from our 30th floor window and saw someone across the street. And higher. It made me wonder how one becomes a skyscraper window washer and if you ever get used to hanging on that little wire so high above the ground.
Washing windows
Up above
Sarrrrsgaarrrrrd!
We eventually headed for the sidewalks to roam around and see Toronto. Yonge Street was the road we stuck to for most of the day. The buildings blocked out the midday sun (thankfully) as I cruised through the city. Somewhere near, a church bell chimed 1:00.
Rollin' along
Freddie Mercury statue outside the Canon Theatre
Gwen wanted a picture
We stopped at the Eaton Centre and explored for a while. A four story mall, hundreds of stores, each floor with its own food court with everything from Arby's to sushi. It made our mall look like the corner store.
Inside the Eaton Centre
The Wii Smart Car
Being Labor Day, the last day before the school year starts, the mall was extra crowded and the shoppers actually resembled the traffic on the street. I eventually found the flow and I was set.
While heading to the big HMV store on the next block, the streets were filled with music as there looked to be some sort of festival going on. There was even one of those silver-skinned street performers doing his thing for a bunch of onlookers. There was so much to take in, it was great.
Wandering the HMV store was a music lover's dream. Three floors of music and movies. I could have gotten lost in there for hours and easily spend a fortune. Though I don't have a fortune, I still ended up buying more than I should have.
Back on the street, I was getting a handle on sidewalk strategy. Learning when to pass crowds, the best way to hop the streetcar rails in my chair, I was into it. By the end of our stay, I was loving the crosswalk experience.
I'm easily amused.
We stopped back at the room to take a little breather and drop off my haul.
Jacob's Haul
CDs
With dusk approaching, we moved briskly in hopes of arriving before dark. Our walk took us to a major memory spot as we passed the Air Canada Centre, where I met The Corrs in 2004.
We ended up arriving along with the dark after missing the street we needed.
Monkey
Looking up from the base of the CN Tower was definitely a "wow" moment where you suddenly feel very, very small.
Staring out the elevator's window as we ascended was incredible. Within seconds, the buildings you were just staring up at, you're now staring down at.
I approached one of the many windows in the observation area and had the ultimate "wow" moment. Toronto was now a massive sea of twinkling lights, literally stretching out farther than the eye could see. It was breathtaking.
Imagine my surprise when I looked down and saw a helicopter fly past.
The outdoor observation area was insane because of the force of the wind at that altitude. For an Ohio boy who spends most of his time looking up at everyone, it was quite a sensation to feel the winds at the top of the world.
Back inside was a section of glass floor where you could stand and look down at the street and the Rogers Centre a thousand feet below.
Possibly the most amazing part of it all was that Mom actually came up there. She did great and I hope she enjoyed it.
As we lowered back to street level, the elevator operator told us that we were descending at roughly fifteen miles per hour, the same speed as an open military parachute. For some reason, it was much more bizarre to see the buildings coming up at us than it was to see them shrink below.
Once back on terra firma, we marched back to Yonge Street and stopped in a McDonald's for dinner. The day was fantastic, but non-stop, I found myself in need of some down time and quiet, so I ended up bagging the remainder of my burger and finishing it back in the room.
I unwound by checking email while looking out at the city lights spread out before me. At midnight, Mom snuck up from behind to surprise me with a little foil balloon as it was now my birthday.
We finished up the bottle from Jackson-Triggs and crashed, bringing an end to our last night in Toronto.
Looking like a lobster. Call me Zoidberg.
It looks worse than it felt. Unless someone touched it, then it lit me up good.
I used my wake up time to sit on the bed for a while and catch up on some MuchMusic. It doesn't take much viewing time to remind me how limited mainstream music is in the States. First off, Canada's music channel plays music videos. Second, the videos they play have variety in both visual and music style. The artists aren't all cookie cutter versions of each other. In just a few minutes of watching, I saw performers of all shapes and sizes, even one wheelchair-bound singer. Sure, they still showed the big names, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, but they were mixed in with tons of different stuff. It was refreshing to be exposed to some new music.
Shifting to my chair, I was surprised when I looked out from our 30th floor window and saw someone across the street. And higher. It made me wonder how one becomes a skyscraper window washer and if you ever get used to hanging on that little wire so high above the ground.
Washing windows
Up above
Sarrrrsgaarrrrrd!
We eventually headed for the sidewalks to roam around and see Toronto. Yonge Street was the road we stuck to for most of the day. The buildings blocked out the midday sun (thankfully) as I cruised through the city. Somewhere near, a church bell chimed 1:00.
Rollin' along
Freddie Mercury statue outside the Canon Theatre
Gwen wanted a picture
We stopped at the Eaton Centre and explored for a while. A four story mall, hundreds of stores, each floor with its own food court with everything from Arby's to sushi. It made our mall look like the corner store.
Inside the Eaton Centre
The Wii Smart Car
Being Labor Day, the last day before the school year starts, the mall was extra crowded and the shoppers actually resembled the traffic on the street. I eventually found the flow and I was set.
While heading to the big HMV store on the next block, the streets were filled with music as there looked to be some sort of festival going on. There was even one of those silver-skinned street performers doing his thing for a bunch of onlookers. There was so much to take in, it was great.
Wandering the HMV store was a music lover's dream. Three floors of music and movies. I could have gotten lost in there for hours and easily spend a fortune. Though I don't have a fortune, I still ended up buying more than I should have.
Back on the street, I was getting a handle on sidewalk strategy. Learning when to pass crowds, the best way to hop the streetcar rails in my chair, I was into it. By the end of our stay, I was loving the crosswalk experience.
I'm easily amused.
We stopped back at the room to take a little breather and drop off my haul.
Jacob's Haul
CDs
- Help! A Day in the Life
- Peace Songs
- Hayley Sales Sunseed
- TMNT
- Serenity: Collector's Edition
With dusk approaching, we moved briskly in hopes of arriving before dark. Our walk took us to a major memory spot as we passed the Air Canada Centre, where I met The Corrs in 2004.
We ended up arriving along with the dark after missing the street we needed.
Monkey
Looking up from the base of the CN Tower was definitely a "wow" moment where you suddenly feel very, very small.
Staring out the elevator's window as we ascended was incredible. Within seconds, the buildings you were just staring up at, you're now staring down at.
I approached one of the many windows in the observation area and had the ultimate "wow" moment. Toronto was now a massive sea of twinkling lights, literally stretching out farther than the eye could see. It was breathtaking.
Imagine my surprise when I looked down and saw a helicopter fly past.
The outdoor observation area was insane because of the force of the wind at that altitude. For an Ohio boy who spends most of his time looking up at everyone, it was quite a sensation to feel the winds at the top of the world.
Back inside was a section of glass floor where you could stand and look down at the street and the Rogers Centre a thousand feet below.
Possibly the most amazing part of it all was that Mom actually came up there. She did great and I hope she enjoyed it.
As we lowered back to street level, the elevator operator told us that we were descending at roughly fifteen miles per hour, the same speed as an open military parachute. For some reason, it was much more bizarre to see the buildings coming up at us than it was to see them shrink below.
I unwound by checking email while looking out at the city lights spread out before me. At midnight, Mom snuck up from behind to surprise me with a little foil balloon as it was now my birthday.
We finished up the bottle from Jackson-Triggs and crashed, bringing an end to our last night in Toronto.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Monday, Monday
Not much going on today. August is winding down and the air's starting to change already. It's not cold by any means, but that certain feel that summer air has is starting to fade. I've been feeling under the weather these past few days, though I'm not sure it's actually the weather's fault. I'm just not feeling quite like myself.
On a lighter note, the reviews for Batman have been great so far. It's just awesome to be doing this and know that people are really enjoying the product of your efforts.
We know some people are having trouble viewing the films at bullcrank.com and Larry's site people are working on fixing it. Also, the new films should be on iFilm pretty soon, so hang in there if you haven't been able to see them yet.
I can't believe today marks 2 years since I first saw The Corrs in concert. 2 years ago right now I was hanging around out back of the Tower City Amphitheater with the other hardcore fans. Man, time flies.
On a lighter note, the reviews for Batman have been great so far. It's just awesome to be doing this and know that people are really enjoying the product of your efforts.
We know some people are having trouble viewing the films at bullcrank.com and Larry's site people are working on fixing it. Also, the new films should be on iFilm pretty soon, so hang in there if you haven't been able to see them yet.
I can't believe today marks 2 years since I first saw The Corrs in concert. 2 years ago right now I was hanging around out back of the Tower City Amphitheater with the other hardcore fans. Man, time flies.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Niagara Falls 2005: Day IV
When I woke up, Mom and Kris were already hard at work packing.
Checkout was at noon, so we had to be ready. In a total reversal of how things normally go with us, we were actually ahead of schedule, so we decided to get a bite to eat before hitting the road.
We heard they had some kind of breakfast deal going on, so we headed across the street to Tony Roma's again. Eggs and orange juice really hit the spot. A nice bonus was their choice of music. Everything they played was something I liked. Imagine my excitement when they actually played The Corrs. It was a lovely little surprise and a great nod to last year's adventure.
Grinning as "Forgiven, Not Forgotten" plays
An unexpected source of amusement was actually our waiter. Picture, if you will, Moby. Now imagine Moby to somehow be about twice as mellow as he actually is. That was our waiter. As we paid our bill, we said "Have a nice day" and he replied "You guys..." (10 second pause) "...as well." For some reason, I just couldn't stop laughing after he left. Maybe you had to be there.
Cracking up
Back in the hotel room, we made sure we had everything and I took one last look at the view of the Falls.
We loaded into the truck and we were on the road at noon. I fired up my road trip tracklist on my iPod and we crossed the Rainbow Bridge to Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again."
The view from the Rainbow Bridge
Buffalo
Fake buffalo on the road out of Buffalo
It was a smooth, uneventful, and bee-less ride. As we drove through New York, we passed a small convoy of supply trucks heading down to New Orleans to help out with the Hurricane Katrina relief. That was a pretty cool thing to see.
Almost exactly three hours after setting out from Niagara Falls, we were back home. We were all so eager to get out of the van and move around a bit, it's amazing how stiff you can get after just three hours of driving. We unloaded the van and told Dad all about the trip.
Loungin'
After a little while as Dad was leaving for work, that strange sensation hit me where it felt like we had never even left. It really was a great trip, but it brings up one question: Where to go next year?
Friday, September 02, 2005
Jacob's 2004 Adventure: Epilogue
Two days after we returned was September 4th, my 22nd birthday. I celebrated by going out to eat with Mom, then I had a few friends over. Drinks, a DVD, nothing spectacular, but it was nice.
It was a bit odd going from being backstage with my favorite band and constant action to having such a quiet, low-key birthday party.
In the weeks following our return, I told my story to anyone and everyone who would listen. As I’d tell it, I’d show a slideshow of pictures and even had music to go with them. It was a whole presentation and I still haven’t tired of showing it. Every time someone wants to see it I get to relive the whole experience again.
I sent an e-mail to my new friend at Warner Canada to thank him, tell how the night went, and thank him some more. While I was typing, curiosity got the best of me and I asked him if he was the one responsible for getting me backstage. In his reply he told me, and I quote...
“I am only the messenger my friend. It was me that delivered the message and the strength of your letter that made it all work. The Corrs were quite taken by your dictation. The band had me scout out the disabled sections of the ACC. I let them know where they were as I had to leave for my sales convention. They said that Jarrod, their security guy, would look for you.”
There I was sitting in my bed, just waking up while checking e-mail on my laptop, and I was completely taken aback. Something that I had written moved The Corrs enough to want to meet me. I reread it a few times before I called my parents into my room to tell them. Even in writing this, I can’t begin to tell how much that means to me.
A couple weeks after the whole thing was over, I got a package in the mail. Imagine the ego trip I went on from seeing it was sent from Warner Canada. My friend sent me an autographed 8"x10" picture of The Corrs he found laying around at work! Plus it's an older one, so it has Caroline's autograph on it too!
The next day, I got another package from Warner Canada. This time it was two signed CDs! One was their debut CD with all four of their signatures and the other was Borrowed Heaven signed by Andrea, Sharon, and Jim and personalized for me!
I can't begin to tell my friend how grateful I am to him.
Thinking back on the whole experience I can see how different it was from my everyday life and how incredible it made me feel. The traveling, the music, the buzz, even telling my tale after it was over. Everything about it made me feel alive. I don’t recall ever feeling that great before. That was a once in a lifetime kind of trip that I'll remember and be thankful for always.
It was a bit odd going from being backstage with my favorite band and constant action to having such a quiet, low-key birthday party.
In the weeks following our return, I told my story to anyone and everyone who would listen. As I’d tell it, I’d show a slideshow of pictures and even had music to go with them. It was a whole presentation and I still haven’t tired of showing it. Every time someone wants to see it I get to relive the whole experience again.
I sent an e-mail to my new friend at Warner Canada to thank him, tell how the night went, and thank him some more. While I was typing, curiosity got the best of me and I asked him if he was the one responsible for getting me backstage. In his reply he told me, and I quote...
“I am only the messenger my friend. It was me that delivered the message and the strength of your letter that made it all work. The Corrs were quite taken by your dictation. The band had me scout out the disabled sections of the ACC. I let them know where they were as I had to leave for my sales convention. They said that Jarrod, their security guy, would look for you.”
There I was sitting in my bed, just waking up while checking e-mail on my laptop, and I was completely taken aback. Something that I had written moved The Corrs enough to want to meet me. I reread it a few times before I called my parents into my room to tell them. Even in writing this, I can’t begin to tell how much that means to me.
A couple weeks after the whole thing was over, I got a package in the mail. Imagine the ego trip I went on from seeing it was sent from Warner Canada. My friend sent me an autographed 8"x10" picture of The Corrs he found laying around at work! Plus it's an older one, so it has Caroline's autograph on it too!
The next day, I got another package from Warner Canada. This time it was two signed CDs! One was their debut CD with all four of their signatures and the other was Borrowed Heaven signed by Andrea, Sharon, and Jim and personalized for me!
I can't begin to tell my friend how grateful I am to him.
Thinking back on the whole experience I can see how different it was from my everyday life and how incredible it made me feel. The traveling, the music, the buzz, even telling my tale after it was over. Everything about it made me feel alive. I don’t recall ever feeling that great before. That was a once in a lifetime kind of trip that I'll remember and be thankful for always.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Jacob's 2004 Adventure: Part V- Day Two At Niagara Falls
Tired from the previous day, yet energetic and excited at the possibilities this new day held for me, I awoke with a smile once again.
After everyone was ready, we headed downstairs and hit the sidewalk. The sun was shining, the skies were clear, and it was a wonderful 70 degrees out. As I traveled down the sidewalk I noticed something: I felt different. Gone was my usual shy personality. I found myself ahead of my fellow travellers, just going on my merry way at my own pace, smiling and nodding at everyone I passed. I was completely care-free for the first time I can remember and it felt absolutely great.
We started with breakfast at Denny's...kind of. My food just didn't look like food, so I picked at it just enough to last me until the next meal.
From there we went back to the hotel and piled into the van to get to our next destination. For most of my life, my favorite place in the world was Sea World, but a few years ago our local Sea World was bought out by Six Flags. So while we were at Niagara Falls, I made it clear that I had to go to Marineland, and we did.
It was no Sea World, but I really enjoyed it. Upon arrival, I looked at the map of the place and headed for the killer whale aquarium.
It was amazing, they had an underground observation area! I was completely mesmerized watching these beautiful animals. The aquarium seemed to be divided into two sections, in one section there was an adult that seemed to be sick and a baby, I'd guess around 4 months old. The young one was swimming around the whole time and interacting with the people watching through the glass. A few feet next to me there was a kid with a small, stuffed killer whale doll, this was responsible for my favorite moment. He kept holding the doll up to the window and something adorable happened, the young whale came over and kept gently nuzzling at the glass where the doll was. It was such a cool sight.
In the other half of the aquarium was a mother with an even younger baby, I'd guess about two weeks old. It was so peaceful watching mother and baby gracefully swim alongside one another like that, it was beautiful.
After that we got a bit lost but eventually found the beluga whale viewing area. I was so pumped, I had never seen a beluga in person before.
They're awesome, though quite weird looking, kind of like a dolphin that ran into a wall. One funny moment there was hearing a kid excitedly shouting "Mom! Look! There's a white one!" I kept thinking "...they're all white, calm down." I'm too sarcastic, even when I'm thinking to myself.
When we finished up at Marineland, of course my next mission was...find a mall. There was actually a reason though, I was in search of two Corrs DVDs that had just been released in Canada. I found them and we headed back towards the Falls, to Clifton Hill.
For those of you who've never been to Niagara Falls, Clifton Hill is a hill with the weirdest mishmash of places. Wax museums, haunted houses, arcades, themed restaurants, face painters, everything. Before we left on our trip, we were told by my uncle to eat at the Rainforest Cafe, so that's where we were going.
The Rainforest Cafe is a big restaurant with, you guessed it, a rainforest theme! It was pretty cool, they had a bunch of animatronic animals scattered around that would move occasionally, gorillas, elephants, birds, a cheetah, a snake hanging from a tree, there was even a shark tank with real sharks in it.
Every so often the lights would flash, there would be a thunder-esque rumble, and a mist would briefly drift through the air. The food was okay, but I fell in love with a drink there: The Mango Tango. It was beyond delicious, my mouth is watering as I type this. I was amazed that you couldn't even taste the alcohol in it, later I learned the reason...there was none. It was just a smoothie. But it was a damn fine smoothie.
After we ate, we headed next door to a big Marvel Comics themed arcade type place. I bought a mug and took a picture with a big Spider-Man statue.
We spent about an hour in a different casino, but I didn't like it much. It was dark, smokey, and just didn't have a good atmosphere to it.
We got back to the hotel around 11:45 PM and watched the lights on the Falls shut off. Then I thought to myself and spoke up to the group. I told them "This is our last night here and I am not going to bed at midnight. I'm going down to the steakhouse for a drink from the cute waitress, who's coming with me?" ...or something along those lines.
So the four of us headed downstairs only to find the steakhouse closed at midnight. Plan B: Fridays. We made our way to the Fridays downstairs and ordered snacks and drinks. I was celebrating a great trip, so I decided to try something new, I ordered the Ultimate Long Island Iced Tea. I was caught off guard when I saw that the glass almost looked like a fishbowl. I couldn't believe the size, but I wasn't going to back down from this challenge.
And yes, I conquered it.
It was nearly 1 AM and between the drinks and us just being tired, we were all completely slap-happy. We were laughing our asses off at absolutely everything and nothing at the same time, even Grandma, who was just drinking coffee was cracking up. I was laughing so hard I looked like I was crying, tears and all. And of course our waitress, who I also thought was cute, chose this moment to show up. I sat there, appearing to be sobbing, and all I could get out was "Can I have some ice cream?"
Again I was caught off guard when she brought my sundae in the same kind of enormous glass as my drink.
Before we left, I felt brave and decided to make a lame attempt at flirting with the waitress. I didn't think I was buzzed until I started to speak and by then it was too late to stop myself. Nodding to the two big glasses in front of me I said "I have to get a picture with you for bringing me these two huge things."
Smooth. Real smooth, Jacob.
But hey, it worked, she took a picture with me.
Exhausted and full, Mom, Grandma, Aunt Karen, and I decided it was time to get back to the room. At about 2:30 AM I closed my eyes and ended one hell of a Day 2 at Niagara Falls.
After everyone was ready, we headed downstairs and hit the sidewalk. The sun was shining, the skies were clear, and it was a wonderful 70 degrees out. As I traveled down the sidewalk I noticed something: I felt different. Gone was my usual shy personality. I found myself ahead of my fellow travellers, just going on my merry way at my own pace, smiling and nodding at everyone I passed. I was completely care-free for the first time I can remember and it felt absolutely great.
We started with breakfast at Denny's...kind of. My food just didn't look like food, so I picked at it just enough to last me until the next meal.
From there we went back to the hotel and piled into the van to get to our next destination. For most of my life, my favorite place in the world was Sea World, but a few years ago our local Sea World was bought out by Six Flags. So while we were at Niagara Falls, I made it clear that I had to go to Marineland, and we did.
It was no Sea World, but I really enjoyed it. Upon arrival, I looked at the map of the place and headed for the killer whale aquarium.
It was amazing, they had an underground observation area! I was completely mesmerized watching these beautiful animals. The aquarium seemed to be divided into two sections, in one section there was an adult that seemed to be sick and a baby, I'd guess around 4 months old. The young one was swimming around the whole time and interacting with the people watching through the glass. A few feet next to me there was a kid with a small, stuffed killer whale doll, this was responsible for my favorite moment. He kept holding the doll up to the window and something adorable happened, the young whale came over and kept gently nuzzling at the glass where the doll was. It was such a cool sight.
In the other half of the aquarium was a mother with an even younger baby, I'd guess about two weeks old. It was so peaceful watching mother and baby gracefully swim alongside one another like that, it was beautiful.
After that we got a bit lost but eventually found the beluga whale viewing area. I was so pumped, I had never seen a beluga in person before.
They're awesome, though quite weird looking, kind of like a dolphin that ran into a wall. One funny moment there was hearing a kid excitedly shouting "Mom! Look! There's a white one!" I kept thinking "...they're all white, calm down." I'm too sarcastic, even when I'm thinking to myself.
When we finished up at Marineland, of course my next mission was...find a mall. There was actually a reason though, I was in search of two Corrs DVDs that had just been released in Canada. I found them and we headed back towards the Falls, to Clifton Hill.
For those of you who've never been to Niagara Falls, Clifton Hill is a hill with the weirdest mishmash of places. Wax museums, haunted houses, arcades, themed restaurants, face painters, everything. Before we left on our trip, we were told by my uncle to eat at the Rainforest Cafe, so that's where we were going.
The Rainforest Cafe is a big restaurant with, you guessed it, a rainforest theme! It was pretty cool, they had a bunch of animatronic animals scattered around that would move occasionally, gorillas, elephants, birds, a cheetah, a snake hanging from a tree, there was even a shark tank with real sharks in it.
Every so often the lights would flash, there would be a thunder-esque rumble, and a mist would briefly drift through the air. The food was okay, but I fell in love with a drink there: The Mango Tango. It was beyond delicious, my mouth is watering as I type this. I was amazed that you couldn't even taste the alcohol in it, later I learned the reason...there was none. It was just a smoothie. But it was a damn fine smoothie.
After we ate, we headed next door to a big Marvel Comics themed arcade type place. I bought a mug and took a picture with a big Spider-Man statue.
If that wasn't cool enough, there was also a little movie shop where I took my picture next to a cool RoboCop statue.
We spent about an hour in a different casino, but I didn't like it much. It was dark, smokey, and just didn't have a good atmosphere to it.
We got back to the hotel around 11:45 PM and watched the lights on the Falls shut off. Then I thought to myself and spoke up to the group. I told them "This is our last night here and I am not going to bed at midnight. I'm going down to the steakhouse for a drink from the cute waitress, who's coming with me?" ...or something along those lines.
So the four of us headed downstairs only to find the steakhouse closed at midnight. Plan B: Fridays. We made our way to the Fridays downstairs and ordered snacks and drinks. I was celebrating a great trip, so I decided to try something new, I ordered the Ultimate Long Island Iced Tea. I was caught off guard when I saw that the glass almost looked like a fishbowl. I couldn't believe the size, but I wasn't going to back down from this challenge.
And yes, I conquered it.
It was nearly 1 AM and between the drinks and us just being tired, we were all completely slap-happy. We were laughing our asses off at absolutely everything and nothing at the same time, even Grandma, who was just drinking coffee was cracking up. I was laughing so hard I looked like I was crying, tears and all. And of course our waitress, who I also thought was cute, chose this moment to show up. I sat there, appearing to be sobbing, and all I could get out was "Can I have some ice cream?"
Again I was caught off guard when she brought my sundae in the same kind of enormous glass as my drink.
Before we left, I felt brave and decided to make a lame attempt at flirting with the waitress. I didn't think I was buzzed until I started to speak and by then it was too late to stop myself. Nodding to the two big glasses in front of me I said "I have to get a picture with you for bringing me these two huge things."
Smooth. Real smooth, Jacob.
But hey, it worked, she took a picture with me.
Exhausted and full, Mom, Grandma, Aunt Karen, and I decided it was time to get back to the room. At about 2:30 AM I closed my eyes and ended one hell of a Day 2 at Niagara Falls.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Jacob's 2004 Adventure: Part IV- Day One At Niagara Falls
Instead of waking up and seeing the cabinet in my bedroom covered with Superman memorabilia, I woke up to a view of a city stretched out far below me. The sun was out and the world was bright, I was in the midst of an adventure far from home.
I sat up and looked at the book and picture on the foot of the bed. I smiled as I saw these reminders of my wonderful experience the night before.
While we were all waking up, my aunt was on a mission. She tossed on a little outfit and went down to the front desk to talk to the morning concierge. She told her version of the story and ended up redeeming herself for being an hour late the day before. This generous concierge gave us an upgraded room for the price of the room we were supposed to have. Poor guy never knew what hit him.
We all got dressed and hauled our stuff to the new room. It was great! A living room with a couch and pullout bed, a bedroom with two big beds and a beautiful view of the Falls, a bathroom, a separate shower, and a even Jacuzzi. Style, baby.
After getting settled in, we set out for adventure.
Getting a late start, we went down to the T.G.I. Fridays that was connected to the lobby of the hotel. After a quick breakfast, we were on our way.
We walked for a while to see what we could see, then we decided on our first destination: The Maid of the Mist.
Our journey to the Maid of the Mist was roughly a half hour to 45 minute walk. It led us through the new casino, which we'd be returning to later. When we came out the other side of the casino's mall area, we were directly across the street from the Skylon Tower. One of my goals for the trip was to see the view from the top of the tower. My aunt said she'd go up with me...until she actually saw it. Apparently I was the only one of the four of us who isn't terrified of heights.
To get to the Maid of the Mist from where we were, we had to make our way down a huge hill, which was easy and I thought quite fun, but there was one thing we overlooked, on our way back we'd have to go back up that hill.
Deciding to make it easier on myself by not fighting gravity, I let 'er rip and flew down the hill. Mom matched my speed. As Grandma observed, she thought I had lost control and Mom was chasing me. With that, Grandma began chasing us while yelling to my aunt "Help your sister! Help your sister!"
We finally made it and got in line. We got our tickets and they led us down an elevator and through a long hallway. We were given ponchos, which we quickly put on, then we went aboard the Maid of the Mist.
The boat rocked as it traveled against the current and it took us practically right below the Falls. It was so incredible. The rocking, the wind, the mist spraying you. Mom thought the same effect could be achieved by going to the firehouse and having them hose you down, but I absolutely loved it. The poncho came in handy, but my legs were soaking wet for the rest of the day.
After getting back on dry land, it was time to eat. Right by the gift shop was a cute little eating area overlooking the river. There were one or two little restaurants, drink stands, live music, and a little craft stand. I decided it was souvenir time and approached the craft stand. They were selling leather bracelets that they would personalize for free if you wanted. I thought about it, I wanted one, but I didn't want it to just say "Jacob," too predictable. After some thought, it came to me. Over the past few days, I had met so many people from message boards and they kept referring to me by my message board name, "BoyOfSteel". So I picked a nice black bracelet, told the lady what I wanted it to say, and watched as she burned the letters "B.O.S." into it. After I ate me an ice cream sundae, we were once again on our way.
As we walked, I made a last-ditch effort and offered my aunt $15 for the casino if she took me to the top of the Skylon Tower. No luck. It was worth a shot. Maybe next time.
Shortly later, we found ourselves at the base of the hill, gritted our teeth, and started to make our way up. It's insane how tiring it was, even for me in my wheelchair, I felt like Frodo scaling Mount Doom. About 90% of the way up, a guy working a parking lot at the top of the hill came down and asked if help was needed. My mouth said "No thanks, I've got it" but my brain was saying "Screw you, buddy! I made it this far on my own and I'll make it the rest of the way!"
We took a breather at the top and then we headed into the casino. I had set myself a $50 limit for casino use over the entire trip. That night I lasted over an hour on $40 and the credits I won at the quarter slots. I don't think that's too bad for my first time.
Upon getting back to the hotel, we were all hungry again and decided to go to the steakhouse in the hotel. The atmosphere in the restaurant was great. Dimly lit, very friendly staff, hot waitresses, and amazing view of the Falls, which were lit up at night. I had a nice steak, a baked potato, and a drink called an "Orange Slice." The drink was okay, but went fast, everything else was fantastic!
Slightly buzzed from my drink, I followed as we made our way back to our room.
From the comfort of the room I relaxed and watched as they shut the lights on the Falls off one by one. I worked on my travel journal on my laptop, but we were so busy throughout the trip, I never even finished documenting the first day's journey to Toronto. Then it was time for bed. I had to rest up for what was sure to be another full day.
I sat up and looked at the book and picture on the foot of the bed. I smiled as I saw these reminders of my wonderful experience the night before.
While we were all waking up, my aunt was on a mission. She tossed on a little outfit and went down to the front desk to talk to the morning concierge. She told her version of the story and ended up redeeming herself for being an hour late the day before. This generous concierge gave us an upgraded room for the price of the room we were supposed to have. Poor guy never knew what hit him.
We all got dressed and hauled our stuff to the new room. It was great! A living room with a couch and pullout bed, a bedroom with two big beds and a beautiful view of the Falls, a bathroom, a separate shower, and a even Jacuzzi. Style, baby.
After getting settled in, we set out for adventure.
Getting a late start, we went down to the T.G.I. Fridays that was connected to the lobby of the hotel. After a quick breakfast, we were on our way.
We walked for a while to see what we could see, then we decided on our first destination: The Maid of the Mist.
Our journey to the Maid of the Mist was roughly a half hour to 45 minute walk. It led us through the new casino, which we'd be returning to later. When we came out the other side of the casino's mall area, we were directly across the street from the Skylon Tower. One of my goals for the trip was to see the view from the top of the tower. My aunt said she'd go up with me...until she actually saw it. Apparently I was the only one of the four of us who isn't terrified of heights.
To get to the Maid of the Mist from where we were, we had to make our way down a huge hill, which was easy and I thought quite fun, but there was one thing we overlooked, on our way back we'd have to go back up that hill.
Deciding to make it easier on myself by not fighting gravity, I let 'er rip and flew down the hill. Mom matched my speed. As Grandma observed, she thought I had lost control and Mom was chasing me. With that, Grandma began chasing us while yelling to my aunt "Help your sister! Help your sister!"
We finally made it and got in line. We got our tickets and they led us down an elevator and through a long hallway. We were given ponchos, which we quickly put on, then we went aboard the Maid of the Mist.
The boat rocked as it traveled against the current and it took us practically right below the Falls. It was so incredible. The rocking, the wind, the mist spraying you. Mom thought the same effect could be achieved by going to the firehouse and having them hose you down, but I absolutely loved it. The poncho came in handy, but my legs were soaking wet for the rest of the day.
After getting back on dry land, it was time to eat. Right by the gift shop was a cute little eating area overlooking the river. There were one or two little restaurants, drink stands, live music, and a little craft stand. I decided it was souvenir time and approached the craft stand. They were selling leather bracelets that they would personalize for free if you wanted. I thought about it, I wanted one, but I didn't want it to just say "Jacob," too predictable. After some thought, it came to me. Over the past few days, I had met so many people from message boards and they kept referring to me by my message board name, "BoyOfSteel". So I picked a nice black bracelet, told the lady what I wanted it to say, and watched as she burned the letters "B.O.S." into it. After I ate me an ice cream sundae, we were once again on our way.
As we walked, I made a last-ditch effort and offered my aunt $15 for the casino if she took me to the top of the Skylon Tower. No luck. It was worth a shot. Maybe next time.
Shortly later, we found ourselves at the base of the hill, gritted our teeth, and started to make our way up. It's insane how tiring it was, even for me in my wheelchair, I felt like Frodo scaling Mount Doom. About 90% of the way up, a guy working a parking lot at the top of the hill came down and asked if help was needed. My mouth said "No thanks, I've got it" but my brain was saying "Screw you, buddy! I made it this far on my own and I'll make it the rest of the way!"
We took a breather at the top and then we headed into the casino. I had set myself a $50 limit for casino use over the entire trip. That night I lasted over an hour on $40 and the credits I won at the quarter slots. I don't think that's too bad for my first time.
Upon getting back to the hotel, we were all hungry again and decided to go to the steakhouse in the hotel. The atmosphere in the restaurant was great. Dimly lit, very friendly staff, hot waitresses, and amazing view of the Falls, which were lit up at night. I had a nice steak, a baked potato, and a drink called an "Orange Slice." The drink was okay, but went fast, everything else was fantastic!
Slightly buzzed from my drink, I followed as we made our way back to our room.
From the comfort of the room I relaxed and watched as they shut the lights on the Falls off one by one. I worked on my travel journal on my laptop, but we were so busy throughout the trip, I never even finished documenting the first day's journey to Toronto. Then it was time for bed. I had to rest up for what was sure to be another full day.
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