Guidry Christmas 2010

This year, Kevin and I spent a quiet Christmas at home.  We missed spending it with our families, but it was still nice to relax and not worry about traveling.  Luckily, we missed the big storm that hit the east coast.  We would have never made it back in time for work!

We hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas holiday and wishes for a happy, healthy and blessed New Year!

'Tis the Season

December was a busy month with Christmas parties, skiing, cardmaking and shopping.  We stayed in California for the holiday, so we decided to make it as festive as possible.  Christmas was great and we look forward to an even better 2011!

This is our goofy group at our GI Department Christmas Party - 12/3/10.

12/4/10 - Kevin introducing the General for an award ceremony during their annual holiday meal.



Before our SurgiCenter Christmas Party - 12/10/10



We got very hungry at our party at Motif!



















Josephina and Me all wrapped in a bow.

















The next day after our Christmas party, Kevin, Gita and I got up well before dawn to head back up to Tahoe to ski for the day.  We picked up our friend Gretchen along the way.  It was not very cold, but there was still plenty of snow to ski on at Kirkwood Resort.  I still had issues with the ski lift and I think they slowed it down for me so I could get off standing up.  The first three times I managed to exit the lift in the fetal position.  Don't ask me how it happened.  The last three times I stood up and stayed up.  Whew!  That's the worst part!

This is my own official ski gear.  If it wasn't blue, I didn't want it.  I lived in Canandaigua for 10 years, could see Bristol Mountain from my front porch and never skiied once.  Go figure!  Better late than never!

After skiing, we decided to go to a lodge or restaurant nearby for dinner.  We sat down at this cool place, took our picture and sat around for a few minutes before finding out they didn't actually serve dinner.  Duh!  We found another place not too far away that not only served actual food, but it was good too!  We were back home by 10pm the same day and had a blast.

Thanksgiving in Tahoe 2010

This year for Thanksgiving, five of us and the pups went to Northern Lake Tahoe to spend the holiday weekend in a cabin near Tahoe City.  We cooked a full traditional holiday meal and enjoyed every bite!  It was extremely relaxing, cold and snowy!  Just what we were looking for!


Kevin, Chris, Me, Gita and Gretchen





Ingonish and Cabot enjoying the snow on the balcony





The view of the mountains and Lake Tahoe from our cabin



Ingonish really wanted Gita's breakfast the next morning.  I think they were bonding!

Gita and Gretchen outside our cabin. 





It had snowed quite a bit the weekend before we arrived.  Luckily, by the time we drove up, the roads were all clear.  There was still plenty of snow for the dogs to play in on the side of the road.  The last time they played in snow was at our house in Canandaigua.  I wonder if they remember it..........?



Our Cabin





View of the lake from Tahoe City



By the time we woke up on Saturday, a big storm was well underway.  It snowed all day long.  What a perfect day for skiing!  We started the day with a big cooked breakfast and then headed to Alpine Meadows.  Kevin played with the dogs in the snow while Chris skiied and Gita, Gretchen and I took a ski lesson.  We all had a great day!  Unfortunately, it was so wet out that I couldn't bring a camera to the slopes.  It was all I could do to stay upright.  They even had to stop the ski lift since I never got off and started to ride down.  The lift will one day be the death of me!

What a difference from the sunny skies we had the day before!



After a stop at a local coffee shop for drinks and Tiramisu, we went back to the cabin to enjoy pizza, games and good friends!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!



Walt Disney World

My niece Sam graduated from 8th grade this year and wanted to celebrate in Disney World.  I joined Kitty, Ed, Mare, Harry, Sam and Dana for a fun week-long vacation at the Shades of Green military resort.  Kevin had to work and would rather cut off his arms and legs than go to Disney, so I went solo and still had a great time.  The rest of them had been to Disney many times and knew all the great places to go.  I was a Disney virgin and enjoyed everything we did.

 

Animal Kingdom



 The first day was spent in Animal Kingdom.  We rode a crazy topsy turvy roller coaster in the dark and saw a cool 4-D movie where you got wet and poked.  It was based on A Bugs Life.  We also took a fun safari ride.  Even though we saw animals typically seen in a zoo, it was cool the way it was laid out and animals are always fun to see.  I loved the mama and baby giraffe eating together.  Mama lion was unfazed sleeping in the sun.

During the evening we went to Hollywood Studios.  I haven't been on fast rides in a long time.  It's amazing how I can't do the things I used to be able to do.  I had to ask what each ride was about before going on it so I wouldn't get sick.  When Sam said "It's fun, it goes around, you'll be fine", I knew I was in trouble.  I think they were having fun at my expense!

This roller coaster played Aerosmith tunes the whole time.  I was nervous about all the twists and turns in the dark, but decided to do it anyway.  Sam, Dana and I waited 45 minutes for this ride.  We got on, it took off really fast, they snapped our picture, and it stopped.  We broke the ride!  This picture is of the ride that never was.  They left us harnessed in for at least 10 minutes with the lights on in the middle of the enclosed ride while they played bogus emergency messages and emptied out the waiting line.  By the time they let us out, the ride was deserted.  Thanks a lot!  The weird girl next to me was freaking out.  I was trying to not have a panic attack since I couldn't move from my harness.  I never went back on.  That was it.  It gave me the courage to do the Tower of Terror ride while dropping to what seemed like certain death.  I'm much better at scrapbooking!

 

Magic Kingdom



I loved Magic Kingdom.  It was very happy, fun and festive.  The entrance was set up like a quaint Main Street with shops and restaurants.  Who wouldn't love it?  One of my favorite rides was Splash Mountain.  Once again, the family said you only get a little wet.  Well, I got soaked down to my undies going up the ride from the splashing off another group going down the mountain.  Can you say wet hairspray and mascara?  The topper was the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.  It's a water ride, but not a fast one.  "There are no drops" they said.  "You don't get wet on this one" they swore.  So I felt pretty confident sitting up front.  Guess what?  There was a big enough drop in the dark that once again I got wet.  I think I was the only one this time.  Now I'm sure they were lying.



The ice cream made me feel better about being soaked!

 I think my favorite park was Epcot.  There were tons of food vendors there for the Food and Wine Festival.  The World Showcase representing a variety of countries was the best.  Below is the United States lit up at night.  It was beautiful.  It reminded me of Colonial Williamsburg.  We had dinner in Mexico, dessert in France and shopped in Japan and Italy.  What more could you want?  I couldn't leave Disney without shopping!  There was a beautiful fireworks and light show over the water before the park closed.  Everything was first rate.

Our last night in Disney was spent in Magic Kingdom.  We ate at an Italian restaurant and watched the light parade go by.  My dessert was delicious!  Can you see Lady and the Tramp stenciled in chocolate next to my tiramisu?  Classic!

The night ended with a beautiful fireworks display over Cindarella's Castle.  I later found out that many people I knew were also in Disney at the same time.  It's a small world after all........  Sorry, it was fitting.



Las Vegas, NV and the Grand Canyon

We decided to go to Las Vegas with friends for our 17th wedding anniversay. We stayed at the Luxor, but walked all over the Strip to see what all the hotels had to offer.  My personal favorite hotel was the Venetian.  The main courtyard looked like you were outdoors.  It was almost midnight when the picture was taken, but you wouldn't know it!



Luxor





Venetian



Friday night we saw an Andrew Dice Clay show.  No nursery rhymes, it was all new stuff, but still as raunchy as we remembered.  He's just a tad older than his poster represents!

For our anniversary on Saturday, we took a helicopter ride over Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.  It was an awesome experience since I had never been in a helicopter before.  However, I got intermittent motion sickness from the movement of the copter while trying to take pictures.  We have never been to the Grand Canyon before and you could never get the view like the one from up above.  It was pretty cool!



All strapped in for the helicopter ride.



Hoover Dam

Remember the end of the movie "Thelma and Louise" when they drove off the cliff to avoid arrest?  Well, apparently it was filmed at the southern end of the Grand Canyon.  See the photo below of the dropoff:

The camera just can't do these pictures justice.  Views from the helicopter.

The ride was over and not too soon.  I was a wee bit queasy at this point.  I don't think I need to get in another helicopter anytime soon, but I'm sure glad I did it this time!

Moss Landing Kayak Trip

Labor Day Weekend on 9/4/10, we went to Moss Landing near Monterey with friends John and Bridget to Kayak among the otters.  We knew the otters were prevalent there, but had no idea just how many!  I love watching them and in the past, it has been so hard to get close enough to photograph them.  Not this trip.  They were everywhere and some even seemed to pose for the camera!

The otters were definitely the best part of the trip.  It was really hard to photograph them with the kayak bouncing up and down.  But they must be used to humans because our presence didn't seem to phase them too much!

Cool pic of a pelican's beak outstretched showing off for the others.