Memories to Last a Lifetime!

This May, we took Jim's dad down to Florida, his favorite vacation spot. He's 87. I hope that at age 87 I still love Disney World as much as he does. What follows are a few memories from the special week we shared together...

On our first day in Florida, we caught the end of the Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot... something Jim's mom would have liked, I think. We stopped to take in this train display. I loved how they used real little bonsai-like trees for the whole town. Check out dad's wheels... He gets around just fine at home but we rented him a ride for the week since we'd be doing so much walking.

I had to snap a shot of the plant-version of Lightning McQueen since almost every little boy we know right now seems to be obsessed with him...

Ah, Italy... Funny how in the shot the sky almost looks fake too... The weather was actually THAT nice.

Looking at the 'big ball' from across the pond...

Speaking of 'across the pond' - We stopped over in the United Kingdom pavillion to take in a British rock band performing in the gazebo. I think it was a little loud for dad's taste but he humored us. He even knew some of the songs...

A quick group shot by Spaceship Earth. I think dad rode that one at least twice. I had to draw the line at Mission: Space. I told him if it was too scary for me, it was too scary for him.

The Icon... I remember thinking it was a giant golf ball when I was a kid. Funny that I still remember that whenever I see it.

Day 2 was beach day! We drove out to the coast to Daytona Beach. It was picture perfect.

The Zahniser men - battling each other in a contest for whitest skin...

On Day 3, we headed out for the Magic Kingdom. However, one cannot simply drive to the Magic Kingdom (maybe that's what makes it Magic?) Some genius has devised a plan wherein the only way to actually get 74 gazillion people to the actual park is via boat or monorail. So we opted for boat. It was quite the production...

Crossing the Seven Seas Lagoon (I vote for changing it to the "Are-we-there-yet Lagoon")

And, FINALLY - Cue the obligatory train station shots...

I love how these shots are a right of passage for every single trip to Disney World (or Land.) I will not let my party pass go without standing in front of the station for a photo-op. It's just not happening- it's the law.

And, just for the record, let's get one "Beginning of the day shot"...

First item on dad's agenda was multiple rides on the train... We aim to please.

Next up: Parade? CHECK!

I think I was even more excited to ride this than dad because they don't have it at Disneyland anymore and I love it (I'm a sucker for nostalgia) - The PEOPLEMOVER!

One of the highlights of any Disney day... the elusive yet delicious Pineapple Whip. Our favorite semi-annual to annual treat.

I should start a collection of all the pictures I have of us eating and/or posing with this dessert.

Where else do you see a banjo and steel guitar playing with a sousaphone? And playing the Toy Story song? Nowhere, I tell you.

Now we come to the part of the day when I start playing around with the camera - Cue the Castle shots...

Cue miniaturize feature...

Now, it's getting close to the time that is my favorite time in one of my favorite places in the world- dusk on Mainstreet, USA... All the lights are coming on and the castle is lighting up. I know it's the kid in me but I still can't help feeling that "magical feeling" being there to see it all unfold. Call me crazy- I know it's silly. But I'm kinda glad I still feel that way. Makes me know I'm not old and jaded.

It's getting darker and pretty soon all the lights that were glowing on Mainstreet will be turned down, and then the show really starts...

And then, before you know it, Tinkerbell's flying, just like she did when I was a little girl, and the fireworks are lighting the sky above the Castle...

And before I leave, like always, I turn and give the Castle one final quick glance... hoping I'll make it back to this magical place to add more memories to the ones that have already been written.

Jim's Thoughts on the Drive to Forty-Five...

Despite a seemingly less than stellar season, the Steelers are on their way to the Super Bowl. Maybe Carrie's theory of sports karma is right, and the Pirates continuation of being the worst baseball team ever in the history of sports means that Pittsburgh's football team gets to keep going all the way.

Stairway To Seven. Seven Come '11. Drive To 45. There's nothing as catchy as "One for the Thumb" or "Sixburgh" among this year's slogans, but I'm not complaining. A month or so ago, I never would have guessed we would be on our way to "The Big Game". This year's team somehow found a way to pull together and win, despite seemingly endless adversity, and it was rarely pretty. My game day stress levels were at all-time highs this season. I'm sure the Super Bowl will be no different. The Packers worry me, but whatever happens, I'll try to appreciate the 3rd trip in six years. We are very lucky when it comes to football in this town. Enjoy some photos from the rally at Heinz Field last night...

An amazing EIGHTEEN THOUSAND fans turned out to send the team off Steeler-Nation style...

FEAR THE BEARD!



A cool shot taken with the 'minaturize' feature on our camera as fans were filing in to the stadium. Kinda looks like a little toy stadium...



Yes, it was that cold...

You're not a true Pittsburgher until you've sat in the snow inside Heinz Field to watch Zambelli Fireworks while chanting 'Here We Go' and swinging a Terrible Towel... take a look.

A Spa Day for Bear!

Last weekend, it was time for Bear's semi-annual bath. We took him to Paws-Itively Pets in Regent Square. In the past, he's gone to PetsMart, but at $60 bucks a pop, it was time to find a new option. Their price was much more reasonable at $40 and I always prefer to give my money to a local business anyway. I am happy to report that they took great care of him and he came home looking and smelling very fresh and clean. His fur is so soft! When he got home, he strutted around the house, knowing he looked good. I had to take his picture of him sunning himself in the window. Of course, I took one of Bailey too. She's next in line for a spa day!

Paws-Itively Pets
1124 South Braddock Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218-1263
(412) 371-7297 ‎

Sometimes WOW Doesn't Cover It...

We have just returned from a week on the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. Luckily, I found a way to post our photos here through Shutterfly, which simplifies the process. You can view them without being a member of that site, so click through to the page without signing up. You can also click underneath where it says "Click here to view these pictures larger" for a better view if you'd like. Now, a little more about the trip...

It goes without saying but the ship was A-MAZING. It has seven "neighborhoods," including a Boardwalk, Central Park, Royal Promenade and Solarium to name a few. We booked this vacation (almost a year and a half ago) for the boat, not the itinerary, but the stops were (in order) Labadee, Haiti; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Cozumel, Mexico. We'd never been to any of the ports before. We also had 3 sea days for a total of 7 nights on board.

Some of the activities we participated in on the ship were... Rock climbing (Jim), Ziplining (Carrie), seeing many live shows including a diving show, stand up comedy and Beatles tribute band, the Quest game show, 2 formal nights, watching a Steelers game on board, riding a Carousel, taking a Central Park botanical tour, playing (and winning) lots of trivia, watching parades, swimming in the pools, enjoying our very first private balcony and much, much more. That's not including the 3 days we spent in ports. We hope you enjoy our photos at least one tenth as much as we enjoyed our vacation!

Click here to view these pictures larger

And now, for a few video clips...

Carrie Ziplining across the boardwalk, 8 stories up...



Jim scaling the wall...


Here's 'Revolution,' a Beatles tribute band we'd actually seen years ago in Cleveland...


Crazy stunts on the Flowrider...

We'll leave you with this clip, filmed off our balcony while we were docked in Labadee. So peaceful...

Crazy

Another new print from Jim. Patsy, his new Buddy Holly portrait, and most of his other Icons of Music prints will be the featured artwork during November at the Square Cafe in Regent Square, 1137 South Braddock Avenue, Pittsburgh. Stop by and check them out if you're in the area.

Here's Buddy!

Here's a promo for Jim's latest Icons of Music portrait. It's been over two years since his last portrait, so he was excited to have a new addition to the Icon family. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for yet another portrait!

To see the complete series and pricing info, visit www.redrobotcreative.com.

Deal of the Mid-Century...

Every year, Egdewood Acres has a big neighborhood yard sale. I think most people just drag out the stuff they were trying to sell the previous year, and when it's over, just pack it all up and store it until next year. However, it is possible to find a few gems if you wake up early and get the jump on the rival pickers. Carrie had just organized a very successful garage sale a few weeks ago, so I was reluctant to acquire any new stuff. She even had to prod me to drive to a nearby ATM that morning to get some cash just in case we wanted to buy something. We were making our way down one of the streets and we came upon a house that had some vintage cabinets mixed in with the standard garage sale stuff. Sitting in the back of the driveway was a very cool side table that looked like some type of vintage 1950's office furniture. It was retro mint green, had door that held a trash can, and was in very good condition. We had never seen anything quite like it. I really didn't think that we needed it, so we moved on down the street. The whole time we were making our way around the neighborhood I kept thinking about that cabinet. I finally decided to myself that if it was there when we passed by that house again, I would buy it. I had also convinced myself that if it was gone, I would not regret not buying it - even though I most certainly would. We finally made our way back to the house and there it was. I really couldn't believe someone hadn't snatched it up. Mid-century stuff is very hot right now, and we've seen items like this for several hundred dollars in antique shops. I plunked down my money- the asking price, five dollars! The homeowner proceded to give us a brief history of our purchase. It was an original piece of office furniture from the ALCOA building in downtown Pittsburgh. Her husband passed away a few years ago and she was ready to get rid of some of his stuff. She even took me into the house to show me a matching piece from the set - a large display cabinet that will look great in our office. She took my business card and promised to give me a call when she is ready to sell it. We hiked to our car and drove back to pick up our treasure, just as two guys were eying it up and telling the homeowner how much they would love to have it (let's just say that they thought it was, um, fa-bu-lous). Sorry fellas, she's taken. Carrie did a great job of cleaning it up and it looks perfect next to our office desk. I don't know if there is such a thing as "garage sale high," but we had one the rest of the day. Moral of the story - don't wait too long to pull the trigger on something that is obviously a great deal and that you feel is something very unique. Some brief history... Made in 1953 by the General Fireproofing Company of Youngstown Ohio, this phone cabinet was part of an office furniture collection called "Mode-Maker". A 1960 catalog shows many of the pieces here. The below picture shows the piece we bought as part of a larger credenza (it would be the piece on the far right side of the illustration). How cool is that illustration, by the way? Ours was meant to be a stand alone piece- phone books would go on the upper shelf and the phone would go on the top surface.

Posh Pittsburgh...

Last week, we had a work party at a home on Mt. Washington owned by a family member of one of our managers. At over 10,000 square feet, it was quite a sight to see. Here are a few shots from around the property...

Part of the backyard entertaining area...


The party lounge...



Dance floor with DJ booth...



Wine cellar with bar...

Another shot of the infinity pool with hot tub and firepit in the foreground...

Love that pool...

Check out the view from the living room...

The master bedroom shares the same city views...

One of the roof top decks...

Looking down from the deck...

View from the rooftop...