text:
Members Vote to Transfer CURoots to California League Services Corp.
The membership of CURoots Cooperative has approved the transfer of the CUSO's ownership to the California League Services Corp.
The sale and transfer of assets will be finalized on Feb. 28, the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues said after CURoots membership's special meeting on Friday. The date is also when the leagues will assume operation of CURoots, whose services include shared compliance and specialty internal audit services.
All current compliance and audit services and contracts will continue uninterrupted, the leagues said.
All member credit unions of the leagues will be eligible for the Ontario, Calif.-based CURoots' preferred member pricing as of March 1, and the $20,000 membership purchase will no longer be required, according to the league.
"This will minimize the duplication of efforts within the credit union system and furthers the objectives of credit union collaboration," said Gary Perez, CURoots board chairman and president/CEO of the $362 million USC Credit Union in Los Angeles.
"We are pleased we can provide our member credit unions in California and Nevada with additional compliance and internal audit solutions, which will complement current league compliance services such as InfoSight, CU PolicyPro and the Research and Information Hotline," said Diana Dykstra, president/CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues.
"Bringing CURoots services under the leagues will leverage our larger scale and help reduce costs and increase efficiencies," Dykstra added.
In addition to the leagues, CURoots was owned by 16 credit unions and CO-OP Financial Services.


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::mound:: is a software development management platform. ::mound:: provides simple project management with lots of power, but stays out of the way. ::mound:: is methodology independent and is designed for agile software development. It allows for tracking of bugs, tasks, and projects.
Aspose.Words for SharePoint allows you to convert documents within the Microsoft SharePoint applications. It supports multiple document formats like PDF, DOCX, DOC, RTF, MHT, TXT, XML, ODT, EPUB, and XPS. It is designed to be used with Windows SharePoint Services and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (standard and enterprise). You can also use different valuable options during conversion setup like converting files in subfolders or saving destination folder options.
CMDBuild (Configuration and Management Data Base) is a fully configurable Web application for managing asset lifecycles. It includes workflow, report, dashboard, attachment archiving, and georeference functions. It supports the management of hardware devices (client and server computers, peripheral devices, network and phone equipment), software (basic, environment, application), services, and documents (contracts, manuals). However it can be used as a standard asset management system (real estate, inventory, maintenance process, etc). It is also a framework suitable for applications that manage office business using workflows.
Enhydra JaWE (Java Workflow Editor) is an XPDL2.1 based graphical workflow process editor fully adhering to WfMC specifications. It can be used to edit or view any XPDL file which conforms to WfMC specifications. It works with several open source and commercial workflow engines, like Enhydra Shark, WfmOpen, OBE, and OfBiz. It has participated in a WfMC interoperability demo where it was used to handle XPDLs from Fujitsu, TIBCO, and the Enhydra Shark engine.
Shark is an extendable Java workflow engine framework including a standard implementation completely based on WfMC and OMG specifications using XPDL (without any proprietary extensions) as its native workflow process definition format and the WfMC "ToolAgents" API for server-side execution of system activities. It has well defined client interface, as well as its internal component interface.
The Imixs Workflow project offers a Java based BPM framework to build workflow management systems (WFMS) in a fast and easy way. The project provides different components and sub-projects that contribute to the development of workflow solutions in any kind of Java or Java EE application. The goal of this project is to offer an easy-to-use Java based technology with a focus on human based workflow. This means that the Imixs Workflow is typically applied to human-to-human workflow applications. But it can also be used for technical business process management solutions (BPM). The Imixs JEE Workflow is a full featured Workflow Management System (WFMS) based on the JEE specification. The project extends the Imixs Workflow API project to fulfill the requirements to a scalable, transactional, robust and simple deployable Java EE Workflow System. The Project provides different service components (EJBs) to be used in any kind of BPM application.
Joget Workflow is a platform to easily build enterprise Web apps for cloud and mobile. Build full-fledged apps, e.g. CRM, HR, Healthcare, etc. Drag and drop forms, lists, and UI elements. Add workflows to automate processes. Extend via plugins. Apps are mobile optimized and cloud ready. Download ready made apps from the Joget Marketplace.
Makeflow is a workflow engine for executing large complex applications on clusters, clouds, and grids. It can be used to drive several different distributed computing systems, including Condor, SGE, and the included Work Queue system. It does not require a distributed filesystem, so you can use it to harness whatever collection of machines you have available. It is typically used for scaling up data-intensive scientific applications to hundreds or thousands of cores.
OpenGroupware Coils is a Python port of the venerable OpenGroupware project. It is backward compatible and can be installed in parallel with legacy versions of OpenGroupware. It provides additional features including an AMQP-based service architecture and a BPML-based workflow engine. The workflow engine includes the ability to read and write a variety of file formats, operate on relational database services, and a variety of common actions required to automate various tasks. Groupware resources and workflow route, processes, and formats.can be managed via WebDAV. Groupware functionality can also be accessed via the zOGI XML-RPC API just as with legacy ZideStore servers.
The Pegasus Workflow Management System encompasses a set of technologies which help workflow-based applications execute in a number of different environments, including desktops, campus clusters, grids, and clouds. It bridges the scientific domain and the execution environment by automatically mapping high-level workflow descriptions onto distributed resources. It automatically locates the necessary input data and computational resources necessary for workflow execution. It enables scientists to construct workflows in abstract terms without worrying about the details of the underlying execution environment or the particulars of the low-level specifications required by the middleware (Condor, Globus, or Amazon EC2). It bridges the current cyberinfrastructure by effectively coordinating multiple distributed resources.
A tool to get users started with master data.
A domain name server.

subset: commoncrawl


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Most people are now familiar with the term "superconductor" -- a
material which possesses practically no resistance to electricity,
theoretically able to sustain a closed system indefinitely without external
power. Unfortunately, there are presently no known superconductors that work at
room temperature, most only at a few degrees above absolute zero.
Superinsulators are not something one often reads about.
There were no known such materials, in fact, until researchers at the U.S.
Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory produced one. A
superinsulator, just as it sounds, works in exactly the opposite manner as a
superconductor – very minimal to no current will pass through it.
The researchers found that a certain material, a thin film
of titanium nitride, experienced a resistance increase of 100,000 percent as
its temperature or the external magnetic field dropped below a certain
threshold. Led by Valerii Vinokur of Argonne and Russian scientist Tatyana
Baturina, the group of scientists used a dilution refrigerator to cool the
sheet to near absolute zero temperature to make their observations.
Interestingly, the gimmick to superinsulators is virtually
the same as for superconductors, relying on electron pairing known as Cooper
pairs. These stable electron pairs form long chains in superconductors,
allowing the near infinitely free flow of current. Conversely, in superinsulators,
the Cooper pairs instead of linking together remain completely independent,
thus inhibiting the flow of current nearly infinitely.
The group found that the difference between superconducting
and superinsulating materials in this case is dependent on the thickness of the
film. Several materials aside from titanium nitride also act in this manner,
though none at room temperature.
In the future, superconducting and superinsulating materials
could be combined to create a perfect theoretical self-sustaining circuit, high
current transmission lines with no leakage, or high performance batteries just
to name a few. A viable material with acceptable production costs would likely
harbinger a revolution in electrical devices of all kinds and industries.


text:
first phone is dubbed "Turtle" and looks akin to a squat
Palm Pre. Like the Pre, it has a sliding screen to feature a
QWERTY keyboard. It looks like it has a head phone jack on its
top and a microSD card to the left of the keyboard. On the back
face there's a camera and what looks like possibly a flash.
second Pink phone, the "Pure" looks kind of like the "Slide" variant of the T-Mobile
Sidekick or the Samsung A877. It appears to have a memory card slot below the
keyboard, a headphones jack to the left of the keyboard, and a
flash+camera in the back.
The phone's similarity to the
Sidekick is hardly coincidental. Microsoft bought
Danger, one of the makers of the Sidekick's interface, almost two
years ago. And Microsoft has partnered with Sharp to produce
the hardware for the phones -- and you guessed it, Sharp made the
Sidekick's hardware. The phones will be Microsoft and Sharp
Reportedly the phones will be receiving Zune
services features (such as the Zune Pass subscription service) and
will also have its own app store.
Will the phone's be
competitive with the iPhone, currently the most popular consumer
smartphone on the market in terms of "toy" appeal?
It's hard to say. The phones are bulkier and have larger
screens. However, they will also likely feature the powerful
Windows 7 Mobile OS, and have a physical keyboard, a welcome step
up from the iPhone's virtual keyboard. One immediate question
that has not yet been answered is whether they might be packing
NVIDIA's Tegra onboard, like the new Zune HD. If they
have it, they could be competitive gaming platforms to the iPhone as
Early comments regarding the images have not been kind
to Microsoft, though, with some bloggers saying the phones look like
uglier version of the Sidekick, and inferior to the iPhone/Palm Pre.


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As if watching our team wasn't painful enuff this year, is anyone else finding it virtually unbearable listening to these morons talk this year. I used to be a big Jack fan, even met him and he was great. But come on.
There was a span in the late 3rd period where they rambled on for 7 minutes about other teams, NBA history, their karaoke CD, etc etc. It was nauseating, i actually yelled at my TV "shut the F up". Twice they interjected by saying the score...and then back to drivel.
I can understand if their wank producers are telling them to kill time, but personally, i would rather just hear the play by play without their mindless annoying banter. I find Paul Jones and E Smith do way better on their radio broadcast.
I feel like writing a letter to Rogers or TSN or whomever can address it. What do you guys think?


text:
Yeah we suck at tanking. Golden State is the model NBA franchise when it comes to tanking.
Consistently great San Antonio can't rest 50 yr old Tim Duncan for a game, but Golden state can piss away 50 games once they realize they wont make the playoffs. Crazy.
The Draft lottery should be equal odds for all non-playoff teams IMO.


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The Godaime Hokage vs the Godaime Kazekage
Restrictions: No
Location: Sannin vs Sannin
Knowledge: Full
Intent: To kill
The Hokage- Main Abilities
1. Body Pathway Derangement
An extremely high-level technique, used as a medical ninjutsu. The human body is controlled with electrical signals from the brain, but a person who had those electrical signals cut off with this technique will become unable to make their body move as they want. By transforming the chakra within one's body and giving it the properties of electricity, one creates an electric field. As soon as a strike of the hand lands, electricity is poured into the enemy's nervous system, severing the signals and deranging their body control. The target's body moves in any way, except how they want it to move. For the common shinobi, battle, not to mention even just walking, will become impossible.
2. Chakra enchanted strength
This is a technique where the user focuses chakra into their hands and feet using precise chakra control and releases it with pinpoint timing, which greatly enhances their strength. Tsunade created the concept of this technique to intimidate enemies and keep them at bay while she healed injured ninja. Tsunade herself already possesses incredible raw strength, capable of crushing stones in a single hand with nothing but pure muscle power. This strength is later increased to monstrous levels, when Tsunade uses this technique, allowing her to perform feats like lifting and swinging Gamabunta's sword high in the air, create craters and fissures on the ground by simply tapping on it with either her heel of finger, and destroy Madara Uchiha's Susanoo's ribcage and its sword with relative ease
3. Creation Rebirth
The absolute pinnacle of medical ninjutsu, created by the greatest of medical ninja, Tsunade, it is the ultimate regeneration technique. By releasing the great volume of chakra stored in her forehead at once, the body's cell division is forcibly stimulated by proteins, reconstructing all organs and all tissues making up the human body. The technique itself does not regenerate the old cells, rather it hastens the creation of new ones through division. If this technique is used, a body whose vital organs are so gravely injured that it cannot bear it any longer will be instantly restored to its uninjured state. As long as Tsunade has chakra it is impossible for her to die by any means, as such she gains a form of "immortality" throughout the duration of the technique.
4. Byakugou
While very similar in nature to its parent technique — which facilitates the regeneration of injuries through accelerated cell division — it however does not require the use of hand seals, meaning Tsunade's wounds begin to heal as soon as they are inflicted, whereas the Creation Rebirth technique needs Tsunade's input to both activate, any wound sustained while this technique is in effect will begin recovery automatically. The enhanced regeneration granted by this technique is so advanced, that even impalement by a gigantic sword through her abdomen was completely healed in mere moments after the blade's removal
5. Art of evasion
As a field medical-nin, Tsunade is highly skilled in the art of evasion. In battle, she has shown great ingenuity, able to quickly pick up on her opponent's fighting style and battle pattern to better avoid damage and plan her attacks around that. These traits are to keep herself alive in battle so she may heal her team-mates. She was able to incapacitate Shizune with a quick strike before she could react, use the Body Pathway Derangement technique on Kabuto when he thought she was incapacitated, block Orochimaru from attacking an unconscious Naruto even though she was severely wounded, and even intercept Manda mid-bite while lifting Gamabunta's sword. Before any of the other Kage could react, Tsunade intercepted all five of Madara's flame dragons dissipating them all.
6. Katsuya
Offensively, Katsuyu can spit acid using its Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid technique, which is strong enough to melt through rock with ease. With its Slug Great Division, Katsuyu can divide itself into smaller slugs to evade attacks or to serve small scale functions, and is capable of quickly reforming itself if need be
7. Stamina and chakra reserves
As a Senju, Tsunade inherited an incredible life force and physical energy passed down from her earliest ancestors. She also has immense vitality, stamina, durability, and endurance which stems from this life force, and as a direct descendant of the Uzumaki clan through her grandmother Mito, Tsunade may also possess incredible longevity.her endurance was great enough to survive the normally fatal injuries of being stabbed straight through the shoulder, abdomen, and even chest to still land a powerful blow to Orochimaru. She was also able to continue fighting with extreme force against Madara's Susanoo army despite being impaled through her abdomen with two Susanoo blades. Even after being bisected, she was still able to survive the ordeal, maintain consciousness, summon Katsuyu, and feel confident she could survive long enough to heal the other Kage before being healed herself.
The Kazekage- Main abilities
1. Armour of Sand
Using this technique, Gaara can cover himself in a compacted layer of sand, providing an additional defence should his Shield of Sand fail; combined, these two are known as Gaara's "Absolute Defence" (絶対防御, Zettai Bōgyo). Though quite effective, maintaining the armour requires a large amount of chakra and stamina. Furthermore, it is nowhere as resilient as the Shield of Sand, since it easily breaks away upon impact, indicating that the sole purpose of the armour is to absorb impact channelled unto Gaara's body during battle. Another weakness is the additional weight of the sand which leads to decreased levels of speed and mobility.
2. Desert Suspension
This is one of the multiple offensive and auxiliary methods Gaara has thought of during combat. It is a trick where he uses the chakra-enhanced sand to support his own weight and float in mid-air and to use as a method of transportation if needed. By increasing the size of the platform Gaara can transport others along with him.
3. Shield of Sand
Whenever Gaara is about to be harmed, a shield of sand will automatically surround and protect him. The sand will react regardless of Gaara's will, even protecting him from self-inflicted injuries.Gaara can completely surround himself in the shield to further increase his defensive capabilitie
4. Third Eye
With chakra, the user connects an eye made of sand to their optic nerve, which enables them to know what happens in the artificial eye's field of vision, this is genuinely a third eye for its user.Gaara also uses it when he completely surrounds himself with his Shield of Sand so he can see what's happening outside of the protective dome
5. Sand Control
Gaara possesses the ability to manipulate sand, typically moving it through the air to serve various purposesThe amount of sand he can control at one time is immense. He can use attacks like Sand Coffin ( Gaara encases his opponents in a large amount of the special chakra-infused sand kept inside his gourd, immobilising them), Desert Layered Imperial Funeral, etc.
6. Stamina and chakra reserves
Gaara has a large amount of stamina and huge levels of chakra He was able to gather enough sand to shield the entire village of Sunagakure from Deidara's C3, as well as assist in stopping a giant meteorite, albeit, at great physical exertion.
Now what do you think? Gaara surpassed Tsunade or not ? Personally I think he will surpass Tsunade when he gains enough experience.


text:
Giving life with World Vision Micro
Katie Swift, marketing project administrator for World Vision Micro, tells the story of Sam Mai, an entrepreneur from Cambodia who changed her life and the lives of her children through two World Vision microloans.
* * *
Last week, the World Vision Micro team got together for lunch, and we started reflecting on what motivates us to do the work we do. We all had our own stories: from the excitement of watching Micro grow from an idea to stories of donors whose experience with Micro has changed what they thought about World Vision, to stories of children and families in Rwanda and Cambodia. For me, I couldn't stop thinking about Sam Mai.
Last year, I went to Cambodia to lead a group of college students as they learned about World Vision's microfinance work. We met dozens of families and children, were inspired by the passionate and dedicated staff, and saw evidence of real and sustainable change. The story that changed my perspective, and the story that keeps me sitting in this office all day, is that of Sam Mai.
When we met Sam Mai, we were in the middle of a torrential downpour. We stood under the tin roof of a pavilion in the middle of some government housing in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where Sam Mai lived. As the rain hammered down, I could barely hear her story, but I saw her glow. And I saw her bike. I saw the pride she exuded as she told her story, the joyful way she interacted with her children, and the expression of accomplishment on her face as she showed us around her home.
I would have never guessed it from the way she acted, but Sam Mai had a tough past. Sam Mai had five children when her husband died years earlier. When he died, she was left with no income and little hope — the family ended up living in a garbage dump, scavenging and selling recyclables just to survive. Her oldest son was hanging out with the wrong crowd and started sniffing glue to numb the reality of life in the dump. Her future and that of her children looked bleak.
Then, with a microloan from World Vision, everything changed.
With an initial loan of $50 and a second loan of $60, Sam Mai bought a bike, a basket, and some bread. She now bikes all over the surrounding area to sell bread to make a profit. Now, not only have they moved out of the dump and into a real home, but her children are able to go to school, alleviated from the burden of scavenging through trash all day.
What's most remarkable to me is how little it took for Sam Mai's life and the lives of her children to be completely transformed. A total of $110 (US) — an amount many of us make in a day or two — changed lives. Sam Mai has earned respect among her peers, she has regained her dignity, and she is proud that she can provide for her family. As for her five children — can you imagine where they might have ended up if they had to spend their whole childhood in a garbage dump, without an education? I'm sure those were the thoughts that kept Sam Mai up at night.
So why World Vision? We all know how quickly times can get tough — jobs are lost, loved ones die. But sometimes something as simple as a small loan can completely turn things around. That's why I choose World Vision. World Vision is giving microloans to people just like Sam Mai all over the world who, for whatever reason, are in crummy situations and just need a little boost. These microloans are keeping families together, giving dignity, and giving life. I know it — I've met Sam Mai.
Help support an entrepreneur like Sam Mai. Visit World Vision Micro to choose your entrepreneur today!
Join us! Change a child's life — for good. Sponsoring a child provides life-saving basics and helps break the cycle of poverty. Consider sponsoring a child today!


text:
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text:
The Cortez Journal encourages people to submit announcements about upcoming events for the Community Calendar. Send announcements to firstname.lastname@example.com. Items submitted at least two weeks in advance will have a better chance of getting published; items submitted several days before the event might not get published. For more information, call the Journal at 565-8527.
Annual Dolores Community Center Christmas Bazaar
The Annual Dolores Community Center Christmas Bazaar will be held this year on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Dolores Community Center, 400 Riverside Ave. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bazaar already has 40 vendors signed up to display various crafts such as Christmas wreaths, scarves, candles, homemade breads, pies and pumpkin rolls. There will also be handmade aprons, ornaments, quilts, afghans, leather items, toys, artwork and jewelry of all kinds. Come and do your special Christmas shopping. Refreshments are being provided by the Dolores Booster Club and all proceeds will go to the Dolores Community Center. Contact Ruby Gonzales for more information at 882-7717.
Catholic Daughters Christmas Bazaar
The Catholic Daughters Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church Hall, 28 E. Montezuma Ave., Cortez. Breakfast burritos will be served on Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. and Navajo tacos will be served from noon to 3 p.m. The Junior Catholic Daughters will serve soup for lunch on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Craft items, gift baskets, baked goods, stocking stuffers, wreaths, Christmas items, and homemade gifts are some of the items that will be available for purchase. All proceeds benefit our organization, which in turn supports local, national and global charities. For more information, call Elva at 565-8741 or Lucy at 564-1468.
Science cartoon art show opening reception, dance
Sideshow Emporium & Gallery presents Adventures in a Blue World, a science cartoon show for all ages written and illustrated by Cathrine Fox, local educator and NOAA Teacher at Sea. The opening reception is Saturday, Dec. 1, from 6 to 11 p.m., with refreshments, dance music from DJ Cannonball, NOAA give-aways, and real scientists! The show will be up through December. Sideshow is at 411 Central in Dolores, call 739-4646 for more details.
Abe & Alice sing cowboy and folk music at indoor flea market
Abe & Alice will play and sing cowboy and folk music at the Mancos Indoor Flea Market on Saturday, Dec. 1, at noon. The Market is open every weekend, Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is located on Main Street, over the bridge, in the old Krayjacks Hardware Store. For more information, call Bonnie at 739-6741.
Open House and Christmas Tea
The Ginger Jar, Rivers Edge, Terris Hair & Nails and Art Girls Studio & Quilting in Dolores will kick off the holiday season with an Open House and Christmas Tea on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Ginger Jar, 202 S. 4th St. in Dolores. There will be a variety of teas served with finger foods, as well as door prize drawings. Call Ginger at 882-7271 (Outpost Motel) for more information.
Veterans Christmas Bazaar
The American Legion, 320 N. Harrison St. in Cortez, invites all to the upcoming first-ever Veterans Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The bazaar will also have food available for purchase. For more information, contact Dale Wilson at 882-4531.
Gospel musicians perform special service, Christmas music concert
Mountain View Baptist Church, corner of Hwy. 184 and CR 30.5 in Dolores, will host gospel musicians, George and Kathleen Abbas from Denver on Sunday, Dec. 2. They will sing special music for the morning service at 11 a.m. and then will present a Christmas music concert at 6 p.m. The Abbas music features a variety of vocal and instrumental renditions using piano, keyboards, trumpets and acoustic guitar. They have been traveling the continental U.S. full-time since 1987. For more information, call the church office at 882-7521 or Pastor Scott Hartle at 739-4496.
Mancos Valley Chorus Christmas concerts
Very soon the snow will be flying, and itll be time to celebrate the season with a Mancos Valley Chorus Christmas concert! This year, in addition to new songs, well bring back some of our favorite Christmas songs from the past ten years, including Sleigh Ride, Im Gonna Email Santa, and Prayer of the Children. Please join us for a Christmas Past concert on one of the following dates: Sunday, Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m. at the Mancos United Methodist Church on 470 W. Grand Ave. in Mancos; Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 515 N. Park in Cortez; Friday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.; or Saturday, Dec. 8 at 3:30 p.m., both at Mancos United Methodist Church on 470 W. Grand Ave., Mancos. Hope to see you there! For questions call Carol at 882-0120 or visit www.mancosvalleychorus.org.
Series of Christian conversations
How You Can Be Part of a Christian Community With Integrity and Not Believe All Those Things You Thought You Had to Believe. On Monday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m., this series of conversations will continue at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 110 W. North Street (corner of North and Elm). The topic for the evening is What/who is God for You? Everyone is welcomed. These gatherings are for folks who cant reconcile what they believe the church requires with their life experience; who dont want to check their minds at a church door; or who just dont want to live in a world they think the Christian church espouses but who might value being part of a community of faith. Questions are required. No answers are promised. Call 565-7865 for information.
Free Zumba adult exercise classes
Beginning Monday, Dec. 3, the Zumba adult exercise classes hosted by the Piñon Project will be free! This is a high-energy fun way to exercise your way to good health. Zumba is an exciting Latin dance-inspired, calorie burning, easy-to-follow workout that is enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. The classes will be ongoing and held Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Cortez Middle School Auxiliary Gym. Attend as few or as many evenings as you like. Beginners are always welcome, so bring a friend or come alone and make new friends. These classes are provided by a grant from the Colorado Health Foundation and taught by a certified Zumba instructor. For information, contact Lara at The Piñon Project at 564-1195.
Healthy Gift Giving I: How to Stock a Healthy First Aid Kit
Are you looking for innovative gift ideas? Paula Parks, LMT, Amy Loschert, ND and Janneli F. Miller, PhD will give a free talk on Monday, Dec. 3 on easy to find and/or make natural gifts that can be used to stock a first-aid kit with cost effective non-pharmaceutical items. Come learn how to give gifts which promote healthy living during the holiday season. The session is from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Dolores Healing Space, 102 S. 4th St. in Dolores. For more information, call 882-3032.
Empire rate issues to be discussed at Chamber Luncheon
The Cortez Area Chamber of Commerce invites you to hear more about Empire Rate Issues at the Chambers Business Luncheon on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at noon at J. Fargos, 1209 E. Main in Cortez. Everyone is welcome to attend. In January 2013 our electric rates are scheduled to go up an average of 4.9 percent due to an increase in the cost of purchased electricity from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. Because 75 percent of Empire Electrics total expense comes from this purchase, Empire then has to pass these costs on to consumers. Empire Electric does not generate electricity. It delivers electricity generated by Tri-State to each Empire customer in their service territory. In addition to the 4.9 percent increase, Tri-State is implementing a new rate design that includes time-of-day energy pricing and seasonally differentiated average demand rates. Call Dena at 565-3414 for information about the Chambers Business Luncheon.
Four Corners Community Band Christmas concerts
The Four Corners Community Band will play three Christmas concerts in early December: Mesa Verde Open House at Chapin Mesa Museum on Thursday, Dec. 6, from 6:25 to 7:15 p.m.; Kiwanis Breakfast With Santa on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9 to 10 a.m. at Montezuma County Annex, 103 N. Chestnut St.; and Luminaria Night at Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery, 26650 Road P on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 6 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.fourcornerscommunityband.com, or call Sue at 564-1245.
For Pets Sake Holiday Bake Sale to benefit local pets
For Pets Sake Humane Society will hold a Holiday Bake Sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 at the north entrance to City Market in Cortez. There will be lots of cookies, cakes, pies, breads, and homemade dog treats! Proceeds from the fundraiser will aid the population of Montezuma and Dolores counties. In addition to running a spay/neuter assistance programs, For Pets Sake provides foster homes for animals awaiting adoption and helps local people pay for emergency veterinary care for their pets. Donations of baked goods from the groups members and supporters can be dropped off at City Market starting at 9:30 a.m. the morning of the sale. Baked goods can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7 at Let It Grow Nursery on Mildred across from the Colorado Welcome Center. For more information, contact Janet at 533-7402.
Southwest Singers Chamber Choir Christmas concerts
The Southwest Singers Chamber Choir will celebrate Christmas with two concerts, at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, Dec. 7 and 8. Concerts will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Cortez, 515 N. Park St. Please join us for light refreshments afterwards. For more information, call Choir Director, Ruth Wilson at 882-3870.
Jesus & Java will meet first Fridays
Join us for an evening of Jesus & Java sponsored by The Underground Movement the first Friday of each month at Saint Margaret Mary Church, 28 E. Montezuma Ave. The first evening will take place on Friday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. and will feature music by Dan Anguis, scripture, and guest speaker, Carl Wertin. Jesus & Java evenings will offer free coffee and wi-fi, live music, open mic, poetry, and a variety of espresso beverages every first Friday of the month. Open to the public, for ages 18 and over through ages 20s and 30s. For more information, call 570-3298.
Art, Herbs & Gadgets Holiday Party
Join the Geeks on Grand, Twig Woman Herbs and the Accidental Art Gallery on Friday, Dec. 7, for an evening of food, friends, fun, and good cheer! Immediately after the Christmas Tree Lighting, we will open our doors at 145 Grand Ave. in Mancos to the community for an open-house Holiday Party. The Geeks will showcase some technology and gadgets, Twig Woman Herbs will have samples of teas, essential oils and other natural remedies, and the Accidental Art Gallery will feature new art! Come on downtown and help us celebrate! For questions, contact Victoria Petersen at 533-9926, or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Dolores River Brewery Holiday Arts and Crafts Show
The Dolores River Brewery Holiday Arts and Crafts Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Brewery, 100 S. Fourth Street, Dolores. Local artists will have pottery, jewelry, photography, fiber arts, fine chocolates, handmade soaps and more for sale. There will also be live music, chair massages, refreshments and good cheer! For more information, contact Michele Martz at 562-4494.
Christmas wreath-making workshop
Would you like to make your own Christmas wreath to hang on your door? Come to Trinity Lutheran Church, 208 N. Dolores Rd. on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will provide all of the pine trimming and supplies you need to make and decorate your own live Christmas wreath for the holiday season. Please bring your own pruning shears. This is a fundraiser for the Trinity Lutheran Youth Groups trip to San Antonio, Texas in July 2013. The suggested donation is $20 per person. For more information, contact Jacqueline Chittick at 560-3337.
Let it Grows 7th Annual Free Coffee Tasting
Let it Grow is proud to present our 7th Annual Free Coffee Tasting on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Let It Grow Nursery & Garden Market, 90 N. Mildred Rd. in Cortez. Exceptional coffees from around the world micro batch roasted on site will be featured for your sampling enjoyment. Call 565-3099 for more information.
Elks Christmas Bazaar
The Cortez Elks Lodge, 2100 N. Dolores Rd., will hold their 17th Annual Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, Dec. 9. The Bazaar begins at 10 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m. Entertainment will be at 2 p.m. with the arrival of Santa at 3 p.m. He will visit with all the children who attend. There will be door prizes at least every hour, and food will be available for purchase. For more information call Sally at 739-0616.
Singers invited to take part in Messiah Sing-In
For the first time in Cortez, a Messiah Sing-In will be performed on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. at the Cortez Methodist Church, 515 N. Park St. This is a great opportunity for those who have always wanted to sing The Messiah but could not devote three months to practice beforehand. Music will be available to check out for those who do not have a copy of the score. Free childcare will be provided at the Methodist Church. Participants for the choir and audience members are encouraged to come and enjoy an exciting new experience as part of the celebration of the Christmas season. For more information, call Patricia Faulkner at 564-9458.
Family Leadership Training Institute Open House
Applications for the 2013 Montezuma/Dolores County Class of the Colorado Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) are being accepted. The community is invited to join us for an FLTI Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the First National Bank in Cortez to learn more about Montelores Family Leadership Training Institute. FLTI is a series of classes on leadership training, civic literacy, and civic participation for those who wish to improve the lives of children and families in community. For more information, contact Trish Peters, FLTI Site Coordinator, at 560-1360 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring II in the United States, 2013 (Restricted Use) (ICPSR 35169)
Principal Investigator(s): Hunt, Dana, Abt Associates
The Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring II, 2013 is a collection of interview and bioassay data provided by over 3000 arrestees from five county sites within the United States. Under the sponsorship of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the ADAM II program monitors drug use and related behaviors (treatment experiences, housing stability, drug market activity, age at first use, employment, etc.) in a probability based sample of male adult arrestees within 48 hours of their arrest. The five ADAM II sites for 2013 were: Atlanta, GA (Fulton County and the City of Atlanta); Chicago, IL (Cook County); Denver, CO (Denver County); New York, NY (Borough of Manhattan); and Sacramento, CA (Sacramento County). The 2013 survey represents the seventh year of ADAM II and includes data from 1,900 interviews and 1,681 urine tests that were conducted at the five ADAM II sites over a 21-day period, between May 5, 2013 and July 28, 2013. ADAM II data include official records, arrestee responses from a 20-minute face-to-face interview, and results from voluntary urine samples which tested for the presence of nine different drugs. Identifying information on the arrestees was not retained or shared with law enforcement. Demographic variables include age, gender, race, citizenship, marital status, arrest date and time, county of arrest, number and type(s) of offense(s), education, work status, and language of interview.
Series: Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program/Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) Series
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
One or more files in this collection have special restrictions ; consult the restrictions note to learn more.
This data collection may not be used for any purpose other than statistical reporting and analysis. Use of these data to learn the identity of any person or establishment is prohibited. To protect respondent privacy, this data collection is restricted from general dissemination. ONDCP would like to be notified when the data files are requested to be used. To obtain this file, researchers must agree to the terms and conditions of a Restricted Data Use Agreement in accordance with existing ICPSR servicing policies.
Study Description
Hunt, Dana. Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring II in the United States, 2013 (Restricted Use). ICPSR35169-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2014-08-01. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR35169.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR35169.v1
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
This study was funded by:
- Office of National Drug Control Policy
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: ADAM/DUF Program, arrest records, arrests, criminal histories, drug testing, drug use, imprisonment, jails, mental health, substance abuse, urinalysis
Smallest Geographic Unit: county
Geographic Coverage: Atlanta, California, Chicago, Colorado, Denver, Georgia, Illinois, New York (state), New York City, Sacramento, United States
- 2013-05-05--2013-07-28
- 2013-05-13--2013-06-03 (Atlanta data)
- 2013-07-08--2013-07-28 (Chicago data)
- 2013-06-02--2013-06-22 (Denver data)
- 2013-05-06--2013-05-26 (New York data)
- 2013-05-05--2013-05-25 (Sacramento data)
Unit of Observation: individual
Universe: Adult male arrestees booked at the five ADAM II sites.
Since the ADAM program was reinstated by ONDCP as ADAM II in 2007, all instrumentation, sampling, and data collection protocols that were utilized in the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded ADAM program (2000 to 2003) have been replicated in the current ADAM II sites, permitting trend analysis from 2000 to 2013.
There are date discrepancies between the data, the Technical Documentation Report, and the ADAM II 2013 Annual Report. The data reference collection dates from May 5, 2013 to July 28, 2013. No additional information was provided.
For additional information, please refer to the ADAM II 2013 Annual Report.
The original 35 counties in ADAM (2000-2003) were selected through a competitive grant process sponsored by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). In 2007 for ADAM II, ONDCP selected 10 counties from the original 35 based on geographic distribution (to represent different regional drug use) and adequacy of prior data (complete quarters of collection from 2000-2003). In 2013, ADAM II limited collection to 5 of the 10 counties from 2007. The retention of 5 of the 10 sites was based on case production and response rates, cost efficiency and geographic representation of drug use patterns. For additional information on the study design, please refer to the ADAM II 2013 Annual Report, or see the ICPSR Technical Documentation Report.
This collection represents a probability-based sample of adult male arrestees booked in each 24-hour period in the five ADAM counties during a 21-day data collection period. For additional information on sampling, please refer to the ADAM II 2013 Annual Report, or see the ICPSR Technical Documentation Report.
The data are not weighted, but contain two weights which users may want to apply for analysis: WGT_Q (Weights when analyzing interview questions) and WGT_U (Weights when analyzing urine tests). For additional information on weights, please refer to ADAM II 2013 Annual Report.
Mode of Data Collection: record abstracts, face-to-face interview, paper and pencil interview (PAPI)
Response Rates: Overall 62 percent; conditional 89 percent. Two response rates were calculated for ADAM II 2013: (1) The overall response rate (62 percent) refers to the rate of successful interviewing of all adult male booked arrestees who were sampled; and (2) The conditional response rate (89 percent) refers to the proportion of adult male arrestees physically available in the facility who consented for the interview.
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Created variable labels and/or value labels.
- Standardized missing values.
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Original ICPSR Release: 2014-08-01
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- Citations exports are provided above.
Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


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New Single Announcement
Arctic Monkeys are pleased to announce that the 2nd single from their recent album 'Humbug' will be 'Cornerstone'. 'Cornerstone' shall be released on Monday 16th November 2009.
Arctic Monkeys will once again join forces with Oxfam, more information to follow.
'Cornerstone' will be available on 7", 10" and Digital Download. The single will be backed with 3 brand new b-sides - 'Catapult', 'Sketchead' and 'Fright Lined Dining Room'.
A: Cornerstone
B: Catapult
A: Cornerstone
A1: Catapult
B: Sketchead
B1: Fright Lined Dining Room
Digital Download
1. Cornerstone
2. Catapult
3. Sketchead
4. Fright Lined Dining Room


text:
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Send us a photo of you and your family or friends holding up a copy of The Signal, with your exotic locale in the background.
E-mail your digital image to firstname.lastname@example.com and be sure to put ON THE ROAD in the subject field of your e-mail.
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PUEBLO Western Colorados congressional candidates saved the fireworks for their fourth and possibly final debate.
A spirited crowd of 200 ignored the moderators pleas to hold their applause as Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, and Democratic challenger Sal Pace argued about the tone of the campaign and each others accomplishments.
Throughout the race, Pace has positioned himself as a bipartisan legislator who can help end fights in Washington, while Tipton has touted his own record in the U.S. House and painted Pace as tax-happy. Wednesday night was no exception.
Tipton ripped Pace for his votes in the Legislature that eliminated tax breaks and raised auto-registration fees.
My opponent voted to increase your taxes, hurting rural Colorado the most, Tipton said.
Pace nailed Tipton for running a 100 percent negative campaign, with television ads that he said made his 5-year-old son, Wyatt, ask, Dad, are you as bad as they said on TV?
The most heated moment came when Tipton accused Pace of never holding a full-time private-sector job. Pace countered that he worked full-time as a waiter in Durango, something he has told Tipton before.
Just like your ads, you like to distort the facts for political gain. Everyone in America is sick of this fighting and this partisanship, Pace said.
Tipton pointed to his record of passing five bills through the House, including one to make it easier to install small hydroelectric projects. Each bill had bipartisan support.
We need a legislator who can actually get bills through, Tipton said.
But Pace said its not enough to pass a bill through the Republican-controlled House.
What we need are people who can pass bills through the House and Senate and get them signed into law, Pace said.
Pace also criticized Tipton for Congress failure to pass a farm bill before it expired and for not extending the wind-production tax credit, which has led to 90 job losses at the Vestas windmill plant in Pueblo.
Tipton said he is working with Colorados two Democratic senators to extend the wind tax credit, but hes adamant that it not add to the national deficit.
Pace knocked Tipton for voting almost all the time with GOP leadership, but Tipton said the wind debate proves he doesnt.
My presidential candidate and I disagree on this, Tipton said, referring to Mitt Romneys opposition to the tax credit.
The two also fielded a question about President Barack Obamas order not to deport illegal immigrant students who crossed the border with their parents.
Pace said the order makes sense, but the country has a broken immigration system.
Tipton said he sympathizes with the young immigrants, but the country needs to seal its borders before it makes any other immigration changes.
Once we secure those borders, we will deal with this with the good hearts of Americans, as we always have, Tipton said.
It was the only debate in the campaign that excluded unaffiliated candidate Tisha Casida.
The race is getting renewed attention in its final month. Hours before the debate, Tipton announced that Speaker of the House John Boehner would hold a fundraiser for him Oct. 21 in Durango. Tickets for the event at the Glacier Club range from $250 to $2,500.


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Niche Trade Groups Brim With Special Services
When credit union trade associations are brought up in a conversation, CUNA and NAFCU are often the first ones that comes to mind. But there are plenty of smaller niche groups making people sit up and take notice.
There are groups that cater to marketing and CUSOs and technology and specific groups such as teachers, police officers, scientists and more. But what exactly is the purpose of these groups other than to take members' dues and write press releases? Do they work on the credit union's behalf in Washington? Do they go to bat for the smaller credit unions when things go south?
Here's a look at five specialty groups that work with and for credit unions across the country.
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night: the National Council of Postal Credit Unions. NCPCU, headquartered in California, is the only trade association dedicated to the education and networking of postal credit unions nationwide. The primary purpose of the group for more than 30 years is to promote a channel of cooperation, exchange, and consultation for issues related to the U.S. Postal Service as they affect credit unions.
"Postal Credit Unions are some of the oldest credit unions in the United States. Many of them have charters that predate the Federal Credit Union Act," said Kevin Yaeger chairman of the National Council of Postal Credit Unions and president/CEO of the $38 million Post Office Credit Union in Madison, Wis. "In fact, the U.S. Postal Service was instrumental in chartering credit unions around the nation in the 1920s and early 1930s."
The National Council of Postal Credit Unions is the only trade association dedicated exclusively to postal credit unions. Each year, during the annual meeting and convention, postal credit unions have an opportunity to hear from, and provide input to, top management of the U.S. Postal Service. The conference program includes both credit union topics and strategic updates from the Postal Service. Every year a high-level speaker from the Postal Service is on the program. Last year, Patrick R. Donahoe, postmaster general, spoke to the group. The group currently has $82,963 in assets and $156,827 in income, according to Guidstar.
"As a whole, postal credit unions have been impacted in two ways, consolidation within the credit union movement and plant closures and downsizing by the U.S. Postal Service," Yaeger said. "Many of our member-credit unions have switched to community charters in order to sustain growth, while remaining focused on their postal base. In recent years, some of the smaller postal credit unions have been merged into larger non-postal credit unions. The consolidation issue has been a standing item on our group's agenda for years and we'll continue to keep a close eye on how changes at the Postal Service will impact our member-credit unions."
Montana Credit Unions for Community Development is the charitable arm of the Montana Credit Union Network and helps implement programs that improve the social and economic well-being of Montanans. Located in Helena, Mont. it delivers programs reaching consumers and credit union members across the state.
MCUCD provides marketing and technical support to the credit unions for each of the programs they administer. Currently, MCUCD's efforts center in financial and consumer education, free tax services and matched savings accounts.
MCUCD works directly with credit unions and community organizations to support their programs that strengthen and educate members and the community. When a credit union or partner calls looking for help to prepare for a classroom financial education presentation, this organization provides appropriate tools and resources. In addition, it advocates at the state level to encourage law makers to support programs that are or can help Montana families.
Debra Kelly, compliance manager at the $88.5 million Sky FCU in Livingston, Mont., said her credit union belongs to the organization because "they have a genuine desire to reach out and help–in so many areas–with their member credit unions and the communities and members that the credit unions serve."
The National Coalition of Firefighters Credit Unions offers its services to all credit unions primarily serving firefighters and their families. Credit union paid membership is voluntary. Funds received go toward providing conference scholarships and access to the benefits offered by NCOFCU.
NCOFCU was officially incorporated in 2010, and offers an annual meeting and educational conference, scholarships towards attending NCOFCU conferences, networking opportunities with credit union colleagues, access to membership database, members share policies and procedures, discussion forums, exclusive CEO listserv network, exclusive volunteer listserv network, NCOFCU voting privileges, member discounts on purchases and webinars, and unlimited staff and volunteer participation.
"After attending many conferences, serving as a volunteer director and firefighter and later CEO of a firefighter credit union, I found myself sitting in rooms filled with people I really didn't know, and not much in common with," said Grant Sheehan CEO of NCOFCU. "It was then that I decided to look to putting the directors and staff of firefighter credit unions in the same room. From that point on, the attending firefighters and staff found that the brotherhood of firefighters and CEOs bonding and open round table sharing of ideas and solutions was a terrific benefit that they have not found at any other conferences they have attended."
What makes the National Association of Credit Union Chairmen (NACUC) located in California unique is that it is an all-volunteer group dedicated to the education and networking of credit union chairmen. Attendance at NACUC's Roundtable Forum is limited to chairmen and volunteer board members only. Chairmen who attend the Roundtable Forum prepare white papers and provide in-depth Call Report data. While the topics change every year, the format has not changed in more than 30 years.
"All trade groups face challenges regarding membership in difficult economic times but we consistently get comments like "I can only attend one conference a year and this is the one that I always take back ideas from," said Chuck Smith, chairman of the board, $264.5 million First New York Federal Credit Union in Schenectady, N.Y. "This is powerful in that unlike most conferences where we simply are part of a huge audience and get talked at, NACUC Roundtables require us to come to the small group discussions prepared to contribute. Participants are encouraged to prepare position papers on each of the roundtable discussion questions prior to the conference."
The National Association of Credit Union Supervisory and Auditing Committees' main objective is to provide education for supervisory committee's that is very specific to the committee's needs. The group also invites and has participants from internal auditors and credit union board members and credit union staff at their annual conference and our periodic webinars on topics of interest.
What sets NACUSAC apart from some of the other organizations is that it was established by supervisory committee members to educate supervisory committee members.
"Most of the CPA firms that specialize in credit unions have a training conference. However, their primary focus is normally only to present their staff members and market their services," said Gerry Dunning, chairman of the supervisory committee, $1.2 billion Caltech Employees Federal CU in Pasadena, Calif., and supervisory committee member, $1.1 billion Partners Federal Credit Union in Burbank, Calif. "At NACUSAC we have our annual conference where NACUSAC controls the agenda for the program and we bring in speakers from multiple CPA firms and supervisory committee members to present topics that are timely for the committee's."


text:
ADP - Live From Disney World - Family Holiday Adventure
Posted 26 December 2009 - 09:14 PM
Pre Trip Report
The Cast -
Me - ADP
DW - Kim
DD - Anna (9)
Crowds, lines, and prices OH MY!!! I expect to be saying that phrase quite a bit in the upcoming week. After all, it is the busiest week of the year at Walt Disney world. The week between Christmas and New Years has been known to bring hoards of people to Orlando since most of the country's school systems are on winter break. Yes, we plan to be one of them braving the elements. However, we know better than to "bum rush" the parks during this busy season. Although we will be visiting the parks we plan to go early and not make a day of it. We've also planned some hard-ticketed events which limits the number of guests who can attend. More on those in a minute.
Two weeks ago I visited Disney World for the meets that took place around the resort. Who could forget the fun we had attending the cool meets and seeing friends at our favorite place on earth. Now it's time to move to a family vacation. Although the meets will almost be impossible to top I do love our family vacations. I must admit, I really did miss my family during the reunion; especially towards the end. Hanging out with friends (tequilla bar..cough...cough..) was loads of fun, and I relish those opportunities as well.
During this trip we are staying at the Animal Kingdom Villas (Jambo House Kilimanjaro Club Level on DVC points. The lodge is beautifully decorated during the holidays. I can't wait to hang out in the lobby on a sofa admiring the Christmas decorations. The Animal Kingdom Lodge/Villas is a very unique resort experience. We love the free-roaming savanna surrounding the resort(s). In fact, we plan on experiencing something this trip I've wanted to try for many years and just haven't had the chance; The Sunrise Safari.
Some of the things I'm looking forward to on this trip:
- Seeing Cirque Du Soleil - La Nouba for the first time
- The Candlelight Processional
- The Sunrise Safari
- Watching Anna go through the Pirate League
- Spending New Years Eve and New Years Day at Disney World
- Seeing New Years Eve fireworks
- Warmer weather than central Indiana
- As Always....Seeing friends
During the upcoming week I'll be posting photos and writing about our daily adventures as they happen. Our flights leaves tomorrow morning and we should arrive in Orlando around 1:15PM. I've said this before, but 11 months ago, to the day, I booked our stay at AKV - Kilimanjaro Club and now it's finally upon us. It's a reminder of how fast time flyes. 11 months of waiting for 8 days of fun and excitement.
Let the fun begin!
Next Up:
- Arriving in Orlando
- Checking Into AKV
- A visit to the Animal Kingdom
- Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade
P.S. Here are some photos I took a few weeks ago during the Reunion
Gingerbread House
Castle Lights
Dolphin Christmas tree
Princess Tiana
Beginning of the Candlelight Processional
Disney Dream cruise ship model
Green Army Men skit
Silly Spud
Citizens of Hollywood streetmosphere welcoming guests to Hollywood Studios
Posted 27 December 2009 - 01:05 PM
Posted 27 December 2009 - 11:38 PM
Hi Everyone,
We are back from our afternoon/evening at the Animal Kingdom. Surprisingly, the park wasn't too crowded at all. I expected crazy, busy type crowds, but only saw busy crowds. The wait time at Primevil Whirl was only 30 minutes at 7:00PM.
Before we entered the park we stopped and took some photos of the Animal Kingdom Christmas tree. It's my favorite tree of the 4 parks.
The ornaments are what make this tree the best
We arrived at the Animal Kingdom around 4:00PM. The bus ride from the Lodge to the park is under 5 minutes. We had to stop at Guest Services outside the park to exchange Kim and Anna's AP vouchers to actual APs. We entered the parks and staked out our spot on Discovery Island for the Jingle Jungle Parade. Basically, this is the Jammin Jungle parade with a Christmas overlay. The floats are very similar except with Christmas decorations and Christmas music.
Here are some photos from the parade today.
Mickey & Minnie - Minnie's float smelled like hot chocolate.
After the parade ended we headed for the 5:45PM showing of the Festival of the Lion King. The theater was jam packed with guests. I love that Timon's mouth and eyes move to the script of the show. Disney has done a lot in the last 2 years with costume character technology. Watching the characters mouths' and eyes' move to words and music is truly amazing.
Anna met a friend while we waited in line for the show. We watched the show with that family. We spent the rest of the evening with the family. They even came back to the Animal Kingdom Villas with us to check out the resort. Anna is very sociable and enjoyed the company of someone her age.
I forgot how dark it got so early in December. When we left the Festival of the Lion King theater it was pitch dark. I love the Animal Kingdom at night. The park is lit really well with the ground multi-color lamps. Expedition Everest and the Tree of Life are lit beautifully giving the park a very unique effect.
After we came back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge we went to the Mara for some food. The Mara is the resort's quick service restaurant. The club lounge food was gone at 7:00 so we were stuck with the Mara. In case anyone wants to know you can buy a 5 pack of Zebra Domes inside the Mara. There's no need to pay for the buffet at Boma to get Zebra Domes.
After we left the Mara we went up to the club lounge for desserts and cocktails. There was a selection of cookies out along with Kahlua and other dessert beverages.
We are turning in early for the evening because we plan on getting up early to head to the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom has morning extra magic hours starting at 7:00AM. We are going to try and get there before 8:00AM so we can get on Big Thunder Mountain railroad without a 60 minute wait. We also plan on catching the Noon Christmas parade. Another order of business is to stop in the Art of Disney on Main St. and check out a piece of art I purchased during my last solo trip from Larry Dotson. He is an artist who specializes in painting Disney attractions.
One final comment...I found the Christmas decorations at the Animal Kingdom to be sparse compared to the previous years. Is it me, or are Christmas decorations disappearing across property each year?
I did manage to take a picture of a rather large snowman in Dinoland that I thought was pretty cool.
I'll have more tomorrow from the Magic Kingdom.
Up Next:
The Magic Kingdom
The Magic Kingdom Christmas Parade
The Pirate League
Pictures from Around the Animal Kingdom Lodge
Animal Kingdom Evening EMH
Posted 28 December 2009 - 05:12 PM
Hi Everyone,
we are back from our Morning/Afternoon at the Magic Kingdom. We got quite a bit accomplished mostly because we got to the park extremely early. We arrived at the gates of the Magic Kingdom at 7:45AM with very few people on Main St. Thank goodness for breakfast in the club lounge. It saved us quite a bit of time.
A pretty quiet Main St.
An even quieter Frontierland
As we walked through the Main St. train station a Cast Member was handing out 20% off lunch coupons. You had to use these coupons before 11:30AM or after 3:00PM to get the 20% discount. I should also mention all of the shops are still offering a 20% discount to AP holders for general merchandise.
Here's the coupon handed to me for the 20% lunch purchase
Our first stop was over in Fantasyland where all the attractions were walk-on. Later in the morning we walked over to Frontierland and got fastpasses for Big Thunder. By 10:00AM it was obvious the crowds were growing rapidly. We had already accomplished what we wanted except for our fastpass attractions (Big Thunder and Buzz Lightyear).
Here's a photo of the crowds streaming into the Magic Kingdom
Here is one bit of information I recently discovered on a tour. Over in Liberty Square there is a replica of the Liberty Bell located in Philadelphia. Each state recieved one of the replicas in 1976 (200 year anniversary of the U.S.A.). 50 replicas were made; however, Pennsylvania did not need their replica since they have the original. Walt Disney World asked for the unused replica and it sits in the center of Liberty Square today. So, baiscally Florida has 2 of the replicas.
The replica liberty bell located in Liberty Square
At 11:15AM we decided it was time to stake out our Christmas parade spot on Main St. I had already seen this parade during the Reunion. I must admit, there isn't much of a difference between the Christmas party and what you can see the days between Christmas and New Years. Same parade, same fireworks, same shows the only difference is you get hot chocolate, cookies, a dance party, and it snows on Main St. It sort of makes you wonder why you are paying so much for a hard-ticketed party. I honestly can't eat $50 worth of cookies and hot chocolate. Anyway, the parade was very good. Here are some photos of the parade.
After the parade ended we headed to Adventurland for Anna's Pirate League reservation. The Pirate League gives children and adults the opportunity to be made up in pirate costumes and make-up. It's located right next to Pirates of the Caribbean. Currently, you can save 50% off all 3 pirate packages by being a Disney world resort guest. A great deal!
You start off in an entry room with a pirate who has you roll 2 dice and asks your child their birthday. The combination of the 2 (roll of the dice and birthday) assigns a pirate name to the guest. This is your name throughout your adventure. Next you are brought into the room where you are made up and turned into a pirate. Anna chose an Empress package which included painted nails, bandana, make-up, a tattoo, 5 X 8 photo and sword. Once you are made-up you are lead into a 3rd room where you get your photo taken and you can find a burried treasure. The burried treasure is really a pirate coin necklace which you get to keep.
I thought this was a very good experience; especially for the $25 we paid for it. I highly recommend it.
Here's a photo of Anna getting her make-up done during the session.
Posted 28 December 2009 - 05:13 PM
The Dapper Dans!
The Main St. Piano Player near Casey's Corner
That was our day so far. We got way more accomplished than I could have imagined considering the time of year. Later we hope to head back over to the Animal Kingdom for evening Extra Magic Hours, but I'm not sure if we will make it over. If not, we may spend some time outside at the resort's fire pit. It's going to be a cool evening and spending some time next to a fire sounds like a good idea.
More to come!
Posted 29 December 2009 - 10:37 PM
Hi Everyone,
We are back from a long day at EPCOT. The crowds were thick today. We didn't plan to get much accomplished except for shows and other experiences I'll get to in a minute. As for attractions....Forget it. Test Track and Soarin saw 160 minute waits, but we expected it. We did nab fastpasses for Soarin earlier in the day for 7:39PM, so we were able to at least ride that.
I woke up this morning fighting a bit of an eye infection, but it's cleared now. My eye looks and feels normal again. I was a bit worried this morning. I ended up wearing my glasses to the park today. I never wear my glasses unless I have an infection or discomfort.
We arrived at EPCOT around 10:45AM. The weather was beautiful today; however, it did get a bit chilly this evening. Hats and gloves were nice to have in your possession.
Spaceship Earth welcoming guests this morning
Anna and I decided to give the Kim Possible adventure a try. We picked our Kimmunicator at the International Gateway and were given the France mission. Today, because of the crowds, we were only allowed one mission at a time. We couldn't do more than one like before.
As I mentioned earlier wait times were out of control.
Here's a look at the digital tip board around 10:45 this morning
Here's a photo I took of the crowds in World Showcase around Noon
Knowing crowds would be thick we turned our attention to shows and Christmas entertainment. We were able to catch some very good shows today.
Off Kilter
Sergio in Italy
Canadian Santa Claus storyteller
Chinese Twirler
Morrocan belly dancer
Anna with the German Christmas storyteller named Helga
The German Christmas story included a live nutcracker. Apparently, the nutcracker is/was a German tradition
Posted 29 December 2009 - 10:38 PM
Our service was excellent! Felipe did a great job; especially with Anna. Here's a photo of my main entree, the grilled tenderloin. I really enjoyed it. The best compliment I could give it is I'd order it again the next time I visit.
After dinner we strolled around World Showcase until it was time to line up for the Candlelight Processional. We waited in the line with other dinner package guests. As usual, there was quite a line stretching all the way to Morrocco. We were fortunate enough to get great seats for the show. Guest narrators were Courtney Vance and Angela Bassett. They are a married couple both Hollywood actor and actress.
After the processional ended we walked around World Showcase and used our Soarin fastpasses. Another great ride!
That was pretty much our day. We are now back at the lodge enjoying evening desserts from the lounge. We are planning on waking up early tomorrow to try and get to Hollywood Studios for an 8:00AM rope drop and a ride on Toy Story Mania. Wish us luck! We also hope to check out some of the Streetmosphere after TSM.
Before I call it a night here are a few photos from last night.
Mickey and Minnie at the Animal Kingdom evening Extra Magic Hours
I found a hidden Mickey at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. This was way down low and I was on the ground to get this photo.
Up Next:
Hollywood Studios
Downtown Disney
Cirque Du Soleil - La Nouba
Posted 30 December 2009 - 09:41 PM
Hi Everyone,
We are back from our morning/afternoon at Hollywood Studios and the AKV Jambo pool. The weather has warmed up a bit so swimming was a possibility and we took advantage of it.
We woke up a bit late this morning so we got a later start than we wanted. It cost us as we couldn't get on TSM. By the time we got to Pixar Place the wait was already 60 minutes. That's a bit too long for us. The line across the street to see Buzz and Woody was short so we jumped in line and saw them.
Hollywood Studios got crowded very quickly today. Here's a photo of the crowds pouring in as we came in.
Another of my favorite trees is the one outside of Hollywood Studios. We love the film strip at the bottom.
The only attraction we experienced today was Star Tours. The wait time wasn't too bad so we decided to give it a spin. On our way out we strolled through Tatooine Traders where I saw this pretty cool T-Shirt.
Because the crowds were so thick we decided to check out some of the Streetmosphere. They were great as usual. One of our favorite Streetmosphere characters is Paige Turner.
A very popular character is Alberto Dante....Italian movie director.
Sounds Dangerous was actually open because of crowd levels.
I enjoyed seeing this quirky large Christmas card.
On our way out of Hollywood Studios today we stopped at Sid's of Hollywood. Here is the board they had posted.
After we returned to AKL we had some cookies in the lounge. We then proceeded to the pool because the weather had warmed-up nicely. The pool was beginning to get a bit crowded, but not too bad. It was nice to be able to get out and enjoy the pool because both pools at AKV are very nice.
We spent a few hours at the pool and now we are getting ready to head out to Downtown Disney to shop and catch the 6:00PM show of Cirque Du Soleil - La Nouba. It will be our first time to see it. I don't think we can take photos so unfortunately I won't be able to post any, but I'll have some photos of Downtown Disney later.
More to come!
Posted 30 December 2009 - 09:43 PM
We are back from our evening at Downtown Disney. We saw La Nouba. It was great and really worth every penny we paid to see it. As I said in my previous post you should go and see it at least once. The theater was about 80% full. Our seats were Category 2 in the upper section right behind the main path. Great seats except for the many people who showed up 5, 10, 15, and even 20 minutes late for the show walking right in front of us. Some even decided to stop in front of us to figure out where to go in the dark.
Before we went to La Nouba we stopped in at Earl of Sandwich to grab a bite to eat. We then proceeded to TrenD and World of Disney to look around a bit. Time was moving fast so we didn't get to shop much. We needed to be over to the West Side as quickly as possible.
Just one quick observation about La Nouba. The Chinese acrobats don't look anywhere close to 16 years of age. It they are 16 or older then the chinese have figured out some sort of youth cream they haven't shared with us Americans.
Tomorrow morning we will be embarking on the Sunrise Safari. We are really looking forward to it. In order to participate in the Sunrise Safari you must be staying in the Kilimanjaro Club Level. Our group is to meet at the lounge between 6:15 and 6:30AM. From there we head to the AKL Savanna overlook and board our safari vehicle. I'll have much more tomorrow with photos about the safari.
Before I end tonight here are a couple of photos from the club lounge.
Breakfast offerings
Our view from the 6th floor club lounge looking down into the lobby
Tomorrow is New Years Eve....Here's wishing all of you..........
Posted 31 December 2009 - 11:58 AM
Hi Everyone,
We are back from our Sunrise Safari experience and morning at the Animal Kingdom. The Sunrise Safari was very nice and about everything I expected. We got to ride a Disney bus and walk around the backstage area of the Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately, no pictures or video in the backstage area. The one thing I found very interesting was a 150 cell tower used by Disney personnel cleverly disguised as a large tree. It was done that way so it would blend into the Animal Kingdom landscape and areas surrounding the park.
We started the Safari at the club lounge at 6:15AM where we had coffee and juice. Our park tickets were scanned by the club lounge staff. After coffee and juice we went down to the main lobby where we met our tour guide/Curator. I recognized him right away as the head Curator of Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. He's been on the Travel Channel specials and promotional videos I've seen over the years. His name was Greg, but his last name escapes me at the moment.
We were escorted to Disney busses at the front of the resort which took us backstage at the Animal Kingdom. Our Curator Greg was with us telling us facts about his job and the animals. Once we arrived backstage we walked to the back of Africa where we caught the queue line to Kilamanjaro Safaris. We boarded our safari vehicle with Greg and started our adventure.
So, what makes this safari different than the rest you ask? We get to stop at various point through the sarari to take pictures and observe the animals up close. We can't get out of the vehicles, but the animals seem to be more active and some even walk up to our vehicle. We actually heard the lions roar this morning. Pretty cool!
Here are some photos from our safari this morning
After the safari ended we were escorted through Africa to Pizzafari on Discovery Island for a buffet breakfast. We were in a private room with assigned tables for each family. There were approximately 50 people who attended the Sunrise Safari. That is the capacity for the sarfari.
The chef who prepared the breakfast came out and described the buffet to us and asked if anyone had any allergy concerns.
Here are a couple photos of the buffet. I know its just breakfast and it's hard to mess up cooking breakfast, but this was the best Disney breakfast I've ever had.
Our Curator, Greg came around the tables during breakfast and asked us if we had any questions. Anna and I asked about insects in the park(s). We were curious why there doesn't seem to be too many insects in the parks during the day. Greg explained a process the resort uses to limit the amount of insects; however, he said they are out there. He also said the hot pavement and colder days (like now) keep them away from guests.
After breakfast we were free to go. It was 9:00AM and we chose to stay at the park for a while. The Animal Kingdom opened at 9:00AM so we thought we could get a couple attractions in before crowds got too heavy. Kim and Anna went to Tough to be a Bug while I went to get Fastpasses for Expedition Everest. Although we probably could have went into the stand-by line I just assumed get fastpasses for later.
I grabbed this photo of Expedition Everest after I got our fastpasses
After we met back up we did a little shopping and Anna got her face painted for New Years. We also played a few games in Dinoland. It was time for our fastpasses so we rode Expedition Everest.
After we rode Everest we decided to leave. Crowds were picking up considerably. It seemed like we were the only ones leaving the park. We felt like fish swimming upstream trying to get out.
As we left the park we saw this sign that signaled the Magic Kingdom was already filled to capacity and closed. The other 3 parks remained open.
We are now back at the resort. Thank goodness too because I wouldn't want to be out in the crowds today. You could just tell it was going to be one of those days of fighting and dodging hoards of people if we decided to stay longer. We plan to stay at the resort and enjoy the resort amenities. It's warm enough to swim and we may hit the arcade later. We are also considering going to Hollywood Studios late tonight to watch the New Years Eve fireworks.
I'm not sure if I'll post again today. If I don't here's wishing you all a wonderful New Years and a more wonderful 2010!
More to come!
Posted 31 December 2009 - 07:19 PM
Posted 01 January 2010 - 11:20 AM
Like most of the population here at Walt Disney World we slept in. It's currently raining and we were woke-up by the sound of African bongo drum musicians playing in the lobby of Jambo House. :laughing:
We decided to spend our evening at the Boardwalk. We planned on heading over to Hollywood Studios to meet up with Matt et all, but it didn't work out. The setup at the Boardwalk was really great. They had a DJ spinning tunes from several decades. The lines for food and drink were short. There were even tables and chairs available at times to sit and relax. Considering the crowds at Walt Disney World how can you beat that. I should also mention free hats and blowers were provided by Walt Disney World. I'll be at DHS on Sunday....Hopefully I'll catch up with Matt and even Glenn during the day while they are doing the Studios Update.
As we were sitting along the Boardwalk I snapped this photo.
There were several people dancing in the courtyard area of the Boardwalk where the DJ was located.
Even the children got into the act
Our daughter Anna had a great time dancing and singing along with the music and DJ. She made it until midnight.
We did get to see the EPCOT fireworks from a distance. We saw most of them. First they did regular Illuminations, then went around to each country in order of how they celebrated New Years. Each country had an individual firework display over their pavillion. Then there was a grand finally right at midnight over the World Showcase lagoon. I firmly believe seeing the fireworks from the Boardwalk versus inside EPCOT was much better because we avoided the uncomfortable crowds inside the park.
We arrived back to our room around 1:00AM and fell right asleep.
Looking out our room window the rain has cleared and it appears there are some breaks in the clouds. Our evening is open so we are not sure where we will end up. Considering last evening I'm glad we have no plans.
I'll have more later on our day.
Posted 01 January 2010 - 10:10 PM
Hi Everyone,
We are back from our day at Hollywood Studios. Apparently, I'm not taking my own advice and not staying away from the parks. We were there most of the day today. The reason was the crowds weren't too bad today. It rained most of the morning and the temperartures were on the chilly side. That really helped keep crowds at bay.
Here's a look at a very quiet Hollywood Blvd when we arrived today
We were able to get fastpassed for TSM today at 1:00PM. The return time was 7:20PM. Once we got fastpasses we decided we'd spend the day at DHS. We did various activities like see Lightning McQueen and Tow Mator, Mike and Sulley, rode Star Tours, The Great Movie Ride, and saw Muppets 4-D. We ate at the Sci-Fi Dine In as a walk-up. We only waited 5 minutes for a table. We also saw the Osborne Lights.
Anna with Lightning McQueen and Tow Mator
Mike and Sulley from Monster's Inc.
We also managed to do a little shopping. One of my favorite shops in Hollywood Studios is this Christmas shop near Muppet Square
at 4:00PM a band took over the stage in front of the Scorcerer Mickey's hat. They were a rock n' roll band who got the crowd excited for the new year.
Later in the afternoon we dined at the Sci-Fi Dine-In. It was a quick meal because we didn't each much during the day. I had a Ruben while Kim had a chicken sandwich. The food was very good, but certainly nothing to write home about. It was basic fare. Our total bill for the 3 of us was $54. The 20% Tables of Wonderland was not accepted today because it's a holiday. Our waiter was really good. He was very attentive and very kind. He even made a mickey out of ketchup for Anna.
As I mentioned earlier. We were able to walk-up and get a table. The restaurant didn't appear full. The Sci-Fi is not my first choice for dining in DHS, but since it had tables we decided to give it a try.
After dinner we walked around the corner to see the Osborne Lights. Surprisingly, the Streets of America were not crowded at all. It was a bit chilly, but it was a great night to view the lights.
After we viewed the lights it was time for our Toy Story fastpass. We entered the TSM fastpass queue at 7:24 and didn't make it to our ride vehicle until 7:50. That's 26 minutes and really too long to wait when you have a fastpass. The standby line was 80 minutes, but even so fastpasses should move quicker than 26 minutes. Disney markets their fastpass system for little to no wait, but it didn't work that way for us during this attraction.
So, thanks to a recent WDWToday podcast I was able to learn some of the scoring secrets on TSM. As we rode along I informed Kim what she need to do in order to unlock some of the scoring secrets. I took care of the Ham & Eggs seen by shooting the fox and the hens near the henhouse. Next was Bo Peep. We shot the last balloon on the cloud at the same time to release the 2000 point balloons. Next we were able to hit the flying plates and to reveal the tank. Unfortunately, we just missed revealing the big alien; which I'm sure cost us. On the last scene(s) I was able to reset the targets for larger point values and hit the bat twice in the mine cart scene.
I ended up with a score of 226,000. The high score for the day was 354,000. An amazing score. It makes 226,000 look meager. What a great ride though.
Here's Anna in the TSM queue while we waited in line
After our ride on TSM we decided to head out for the day. Before we left we stopped in Sid's of Hollywood near the exit. Anna wanted to answer the 5 questions on the board. We walked into the store and the Cast Member asked Anna the 5 questions. She answered them all right and received this certificate.
We arrived back at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in time for evening desserts and drinks.
Tomorrow we are not sure what we are going to do. We've talked about going to the Magic Kingdom or going over to Winter Summerland for miniature golf. We don't have any solid plans....yet!
More to come!
Posted 02 January 2010 - 05:12 PM
Hi Everyone,
We are back from our day at Winter Summerland and the Magic Kingdom. We had breakfast in the club lounge and headed to the bus depot where we caught the Hollywood Studios/Blizzard Beach bus. We were heading to Winter Summerland first. Winter Summerland is located near the Biizzard Beach parking lot.
When we arrived at 10:30 we weren't too surprised to see only one car in the Blizzard Beach parking lot. It was pretty chilly this morning.
We find Winter Summerland to be the better of the two Disney mini golf courses. We decided to stay in the holiday spirit and play the Winter course.
The course is very well maintained; however, it would cost a family of 3 $36.50 to play 18 holes. That's a pretty hefty price for 18 holes of mini golf. Because we are annual passholders we got 50% off our round, so we only paid $18.25. That's more reasonable in my opinion.
We left Winter Summerland and decided to go to the Magic Kingdom. We took the bus from Bizzard Beach to the Polynesian. I was glad we had a chance to visit the Polynesian because we really like this resort.
Here's a photo inside the lobby
We walked upstairs and caught the monorail. We decided to stop at the Grand Floridian on the way and take a look at the gingerbread house in the lobby. The store inside the gingerbread house is closed, but the house is still up for guest viewing. The house is made of mostly gingerbread shingles and icing. You can smell the scent of gingerbread from far away.
After we viewed the Grand Floridian decorations we jumped back on the monorail and headed for the Magic Kingdom. I could tell by the crowd inside the monorail the Magic Kingdom would be crowded. When we arrived on Main St. it was obvious the park was crowded.
We did manage to get fastpasses for Buzz Lightyear and rode that later. We also got to ride TTA and watched a Laugh Floor show. We stopped and got ice cream at the ice cream parlor despite the barely 60 degree temps. Anna did some pin trading with cast members along Main St. We also had lunch at Cosmic Rays where cast members were directing guests in and out specific doors and seating was very limited because of the crowds. There was a line queue guests used when they first walked into the restaurant. Once you left the queue you went to your bay to order. The lines at the bays were very long as well.
We are now back at AKL. We plan on going down to the club lounge to get some food and drink. We are also getting a few things together because we are leaving on Monday to head back home.
I'll have more later.
Posted 03 January 2010 - 07:03 PM
We just returned from the AkL gift shop, Zawadi Marketplace (it's the largest resort gift shop on property). While we were there I took a picutre of the current watch(es) you can purchase at a discount. The watch(es) can be purchased for $15.95 with the purchase of $30 or more at the gift shop. The same watch and promotion can be found at most gift shops across property.
Posted 03 January 2010 - 07:08 PM
HI Everyone,
Well, it's our last full day in Orlando. To be perectly honest, I'm ready to go home and get back to our daily routine. Kim left today to head home. She is an accountant and had to leave early to close the books for the year. Anna and I stayed for an extra day because of airfare prices. Anna starts school again on Tuesday, so staying an extra day is ok. We do miss Kim though, even if it is for 1 day.
Our day started at the club lounge where we grabbed some breakfast. We decided last night we'd go to Hollywood Studios one more time, then the Contemporary resort arcade, and finally, the Magic Kingdom. I wasn't sure how crowds would be today. There was a noticable down-tick in crowds, but it certainly wasn't uncrowded by any means. I was hoping to run into Matt today, but missed him. We had planned to meet New Years Eve for the Hollywood Studios fireworks, but we never made it. Sorry Matt, we'll try and get with you and Glenn during our next trip.
Main St. crowds in the Magic Kingdom around 1:30PM
Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood Studios early this morning
As you've probably noticed in the photos jackets, scarves, gloves and hats were abundant. It was cooolllld this morning. Temperatures were in the 30s and 40s most of the morning into the afternoon. That's the coldest daytime temps I've ever experienced in Orlando. Quite a contrast to the middle of summer.
As we walked up Hollywood Blvd I snapped this photo of a Christmas window display. It's one of the best Christmas displays I've seen in any gift shop.
Most of our time at Hollywood Studios was spent walking around and enjoying the Christmas decor. Anna got her hair wrapped and we experienced other attractions.
This snowman is smiling because it's COOOOLLLLD!!!!
We also caught a couple of streetmosphere skits on Hollywood and Sunset Blvds. One of the most entertaining things to do in all of Disney World is to watch the Citizens of Hollywood perform their skits. It's worth the price of admission.
While on Sunset Blvd I snapped this photo of a DVC booth. Why you ask? Well, I'm told this was the first DVC booth in any of the 4 theme parks at Walt Disney World.
We strolled over to Pixar Place to check out the wait time at TSM. Only a 60 minute wait at 10:13AM. Not too bad.
We alos saw at Pixar Place the Green Army Men performing a skit with the kids who wished to participate.
We then headed to Starring Rolls for some hot chocolate and a cookie. I was surprised to see they had lunch food out already. One thing I saw that blew my mind was a huge ham sandwich pie. This looked totally awesome! If it wasn't so early in the morning I would have tried a piece.
Posted 03 January 2010 - 07:09 PM
After we left Hollywood Studios we boarded the Contemporary resort bus. We wanted to spend some time at the best Disney arcade on property. This arcade used to be huge, but after the 4th floor rehab at the Contemporary it is now half the size. But, it's still the best on property.
While at the Contemporary we viewed some of the Christmas decor at the resort.
We left the Contemporary via the monorail and headed to the Magic Kingdom. The park wasn't too crowded, but as I mentioned earlier attractions were still busy. We did manage to get fastpasses for Buzz Lightyear and take a spin on the TTA. We also spent time shopping. I believe today is the last day annual passholders can get 20% off at most Disney World gift shops.
During our time in Tomorrowland we ran into the talking trash can that wanders around speaking with guests. It even picked on Anna because she was carrying a light sabre. Apparently, the trash can thought it could be R2-D2 next to Anna's light sabre.
We left the Magic Kingdom around 4:30PM and headed back to AKL. We are going down to the club lounge for some food and drink. I've finished packing some last minute things because we leave for the airport tomorrow morning around 7:30AM. Our 8 days have passed and it's time to head back to reality and the daily grind. It's been a fun holiday adventure though. We've accomplished quite a bit considering the crowds. It is, after all, the busiest week of the year at Walt Disney World.
I'll have more later
Posted 04 January 2010 - 11:14 AM
Posted 04 January 2010 - 04:29 PM
Hi Everyone,
We are back home in snow covered central Indiana. The temperature is a balmy 18 degrees. When we left Orlando this morning the temperature was only 42 degrees. Not a huge difference, but we could sure feel the difference when we got off the plane.
In fact, here's what it looks like outside the back of my home, and I don't mean my DVC home.....My actual home.
This type of weather makes me want to have this face
(From the Muppets 3-D attraction queue). I find the Muppets pre-show to be the best pre-show in all of Walt Disney World.
Here's a picture from last night in the AKV club lounge. I was a bit disappointed in the club food offerings this trip. I'll talk about it more in my final post, but the food; especially the appetizers were not very good. When we stayed club level last August it was much better in my opinion. The staff was wonderful though.
Now that I'm home I can tell you that we were in room 6406. All the way down the hall. It was a nice room in a good, quiet location. Except for the bongo noise from the main lobby it was peaceful. We had a pool view; which I liked. We didn't feel the need to have a savanna view.
Outside our door we had a view of a triangle opening into the main lobby. It was a nice window to stick our head through to see what was going on in the lobby below.
Thanks to everyone who read along. It's been a fun trip and I'm glad you could see Disney World through our eyes. I must admit, I love reading trip reports simply to find out what's going on in our favorite place. Disney World is constantly changing. Having pictures and even video to view the changes really speaks volumes to people who love to vacation at Disney World. I also love writing in general. So, writing trip reports for me is fun. Plus, I get to reflect on our trip each day and into the future. I've made a lot of connections and friends at Disney World; especially thorugh fan sites like this. As these relationships evolve and as new relationships are formed I'm reminded of one thing I was thankful for in 2009, and what I will be thankful for in 2010.....Friendship!
I'll have one more post to give my thoughts about what we experienced this trip.
More to come!
Posted 04 January 2010 - 07:11 PM
Thanks again for an excellent trip report Aaron


text:
I seem to remember jay had us in fifth place at one point. What's Casey had us at best... 12th!?
Answer me this if Bosh makes that tip in vs. G state, your opinion of Triano become what it is today?
Don't lie either.
As for Casey having more experience a bit absurd.
For some of you it seems like you'd have an orgasm and would care about nothing else so long as Casey and Batum were part of the team.