Friday, July 08, 2005
Niagara synopsis
Sunday:
Majoryly sleep in, as still exhausted from drive and long night at reunion.
a little before six, I drove Sadie to the place we were boarding her during our trip to niagara. she had stayed there last year when we went to cedar point. the woman who owned the place (great dane breeder and dog boarding) was out front with a german shepherd. She was using a strange looking brush, and there was literally a 3 foot radius of hair on the grass around them. wow.
"is that something you can do for my dog?"
"yeah, but it costs $20."
"SOLD!!!!"
So I left a very sad looking sadie with the rest of the barking dog multitude and headed home, where mom was about to grill some chicken on a very sad looking grill.
Monday:
We woke up early to get an early start to the trip. Kev and I followed my parents in our rental truck, which we were dropping off at my grandparent's house on the way up.
We got to niagara between 3 and 4, and checked into the hotel. My parents had to upgrade their room, because somehow the reservations had gotten mixed up, and they were registered for a smoking room. I DON'T THINK SO! So they got the two double beds and a jacuzzi bath.
When we got to the hotel, my mom turned to me, very serious. "I got you and Kevin a room together. Is...that OK?"
YEAH it was! Hooray! We all retired to our rooms to "get situated" and "freshen up," which Kev and I took to mean fast and furious monkey sex, before our bags even hit the ground.
Ah, hotel sex. Any time we had some free time together in the room, we were all over each other like teenagers. And again every night. A girl could get used to that. But with all the walking around we did over the three days, combined with hot monkey' lovin', made us EXHAUSTED!
We joined my parents in their room after a little while. There was a lady at the service desk in the lobby who was pushing tours and restaurant reservations. Mom said she'd send kev and I on a tour the next day. My dad didnt' think he could handle the maid of the mist with his cast and crutches, and they had already done that in previous trips. (I had too, but I was 7 at the time). So they would wander about on their own, while we would take the 5 hour grey line tour. I went to make the reservation.
"I think we're both going to take the 5 hour tour"
"OK, then...there's one leaving tonight, and there's one leaving at 8:30 am, and one at 11:30am"
"I think we'll take the 11:30 one"
"OK, well, then the one tonight features the...blah blah blah blah blah"
"that's nice. we'll take THE ONE AT 11:30 TOMORROW!!!"
she was annoying as fuck. and kept pushing reservations to this one italian restaurant on us - that was her only restaurant recommendations. wtf? there were a THOUSAND italian restaurants in niagara. it's like freakin' little italy up there.
After, we drove to the falls and walked around clifton hill until the fireworks started.
Fireworks were cool...but short. Very disappointing. This coming from a bonifide pittsburgh girl. We WORSHIP the fireworks in pittsburgh. If you're having an event somewhere in pittsburhg, you'd BETTER have fireworks or no one will come. Pittsburghers take their fireworks very seriously. So a 10 minute show was somewhat disappointing.
Then we hit the CASINO, BABY! Casino Niagara. Just point me to the nickle slots. After exploring, I found a VERY cool nickle slot with a leprachan theme. Turned my few bucks into $12...then eventually back down to $4. Still, it kept me entertained for 45 minutes, AND I walked out of there with nickles.
The next night, when we went to the newer, fallwater casino, the machines ate my money in 10 minutes. very unsatisfying.
what WAS satisfying, was that I got stopped and occasionally carded every time we entered the casino area. My parents and kev would walk straight in, but I got a hand up, and a "how old are you, miss?"
I'M TWENTY-EIGHT!!!
what's REALLY funny is that the legal age for drinking (and gambling?) in canada is 19!! Do I LOOK like an 18 year old?
Bwaha! it was very flattering.
Tuesday:
sing it with me: a fiiiive hour tour! a fiiiive hour tour!
those pics and stories are up at the flickr site.
Wednesday:
we decided to do some of the kitchy touristy things on clifton hill. we did the ripley's believe it or not 4D film experience. Kind of cool - a 3D movie with seats that move with the action. And then the Louis Toussaud's wax museum. Louis was the grandson of Madame Toussauds, and we all agreed that the talent did not flow pure in his veins. A lot of the figures were pretty weak in their authenticity. It was fun, though. and satifactorally kitchy.
And no trip to canada is complete without a trip to the duty free shop. I got a bottle of limoncello, Kev got some capt morgan's and some whiskey. mom got perfume and a bottle of chambord. We also got our canadian tax refund. Thanks, Canada! I got some money back from my two major purchases: a cranberry glass bell from the Rossi glass studio, and a beautiful, ragged bottom long denim skirt from a shop at the fallswater casino.
We got back on the road later than expected, so it was almost 8:30 by the time we got to my grandparent's house.
When we were there a few days earlier, the basement had puddles from what looked like a leaky hot water heater release valve. an easy fix, so my dad just shut of the water to the tank. When we got back there, the basement was flooded worse. The water heater had rusted out entirely, so we had to drain it, and clean up the mess.
My brother had met us there, and he and Kev loaded up the shopsmith (for us) and a bandsaw (for dad). My brother successfully fought for the washer/dryer. Oh well. That's OK. I got a rocking chair that I loved.
It was weird seeing my grandparents house so empty. It's probaby the last time I will ever see it.
I was a little sad about leaving.
// ranted by evilsciencechick @ 7/08/2005 11:41:00 PM
Majoryly sleep in, as still exhausted from drive and long night at reunion.
a little before six, I drove Sadie to the place we were boarding her during our trip to niagara. she had stayed there last year when we went to cedar point. the woman who owned the place (great dane breeder and dog boarding) was out front with a german shepherd. She was using a strange looking brush, and there was literally a 3 foot radius of hair on the grass around them. wow.
"is that something you can do for my dog?"
"yeah, but it costs $20."
"SOLD!!!!"
So I left a very sad looking sadie with the rest of the barking dog multitude and headed home, where mom was about to grill some chicken on a very sad looking grill.
Monday:
We woke up early to get an early start to the trip. Kev and I followed my parents in our rental truck, which we were dropping off at my grandparent's house on the way up.
We got to niagara between 3 and 4, and checked into the hotel. My parents had to upgrade their room, because somehow the reservations had gotten mixed up, and they were registered for a smoking room. I DON'T THINK SO! So they got the two double beds and a jacuzzi bath.
When we got to the hotel, my mom turned to me, very serious. "I got you and Kevin a room together. Is...that OK?"
YEAH it was! Hooray! We all retired to our rooms to "get situated" and "freshen up," which Kev and I took to mean fast and furious monkey sex, before our bags even hit the ground.
Ah, hotel sex. Any time we had some free time together in the room, we were all over each other like teenagers. And again every night. A girl could get used to that. But with all the walking around we did over the three days, combined with hot monkey' lovin', made us EXHAUSTED!
We joined my parents in their room after a little while. There was a lady at the service desk in the lobby who was pushing tours and restaurant reservations. Mom said she'd send kev and I on a tour the next day. My dad didnt' think he could handle the maid of the mist with his cast and crutches, and they had already done that in previous trips. (I had too, but I was 7 at the time). So they would wander about on their own, while we would take the 5 hour grey line tour. I went to make the reservation.
"I think we're both going to take the 5 hour tour"
"OK, then...there's one leaving tonight, and there's one leaving at 8:30 am, and one at 11:30am"
"I think we'll take the 11:30 one"
"OK, well, then the one tonight features the...blah blah blah blah blah"
"that's nice. we'll take THE ONE AT 11:30 TOMORROW!!!"
she was annoying as fuck. and kept pushing reservations to this one italian restaurant on us - that was her only restaurant recommendations. wtf? there were a THOUSAND italian restaurants in niagara. it's like freakin' little italy up there.
After, we drove to the falls and walked around clifton hill until the fireworks started.
Fireworks were cool...but short. Very disappointing. This coming from a bonifide pittsburgh girl. We WORSHIP the fireworks in pittsburgh. If you're having an event somewhere in pittsburhg, you'd BETTER have fireworks or no one will come. Pittsburghers take their fireworks very seriously. So a 10 minute show was somewhat disappointing.
Then we hit the CASINO, BABY! Casino Niagara. Just point me to the nickle slots. After exploring, I found a VERY cool nickle slot with a leprachan theme. Turned my few bucks into $12...then eventually back down to $4. Still, it kept me entertained for 45 minutes, AND I walked out of there with nickles.
The next night, when we went to the newer, fallwater casino, the machines ate my money in 10 minutes. very unsatisfying.
what WAS satisfying, was that I got stopped and occasionally carded every time we entered the casino area. My parents and kev would walk straight in, but I got a hand up, and a "how old are you, miss?"
I'M TWENTY-EIGHT!!!
what's REALLY funny is that the legal age for drinking (and gambling?) in canada is 19!! Do I LOOK like an 18 year old?
Bwaha! it was very flattering.
Tuesday:
sing it with me: a fiiiive hour tour! a fiiiive hour tour!
those pics and stories are up at the flickr site.
Wednesday:
we decided to do some of the kitchy touristy things on clifton hill. we did the ripley's believe it or not 4D film experience. Kind of cool - a 3D movie with seats that move with the action. And then the Louis Toussaud's wax museum. Louis was the grandson of Madame Toussauds, and we all agreed that the talent did not flow pure in his veins. A lot of the figures were pretty weak in their authenticity. It was fun, though. and satifactorally kitchy.
And no trip to canada is complete without a trip to the duty free shop. I got a bottle of limoncello, Kev got some capt morgan's and some whiskey. mom got perfume and a bottle of chambord. We also got our canadian tax refund. Thanks, Canada! I got some money back from my two major purchases: a cranberry glass bell from the Rossi glass studio, and a beautiful, ragged bottom long denim skirt from a shop at the fallswater casino.
We got back on the road later than expected, so it was almost 8:30 by the time we got to my grandparent's house.
When we were there a few days earlier, the basement had puddles from what looked like a leaky hot water heater release valve. an easy fix, so my dad just shut of the water to the tank. When we got back there, the basement was flooded worse. The water heater had rusted out entirely, so we had to drain it, and clean up the mess.
My brother had met us there, and he and Kev loaded up the shopsmith (for us) and a bandsaw (for dad). My brother successfully fought for the washer/dryer. Oh well. That's OK. I got a rocking chair that I loved.
It was weird seeing my grandparents house so empty. It's probaby the last time I will ever see it.
I was a little sad about leaving.
