AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

There are a lot of birthdays in August around our house. Since Maggie and Colt were still in town last Sunday we decided to go ahead and celebrate hers (August 22), Mike's (August 15) and mine (August 26). It was a pretty low key celebration. We just grilled up a wonderful dinner and then had cake and presents.

Aaaahh. . .the cake. I ordered the cake. I wrote down what I wanted written on it. CRAP! When I went to get it, my name was spelled wrong. I tried as hard as I could to be a good sport about it. Didn't work. I decided that Mike did not need or deserve a "E" so I stole his.

Margaritaville

Since we needed to take Jonny to Las Vegas for his flight back to Pittsburgh anyway. . . we went to Margaritaville. I had a bit of a relapse and whatever brain cramp hit my head in the Cayman's earlier this year, took control again (This time aided by a couple of Margaritas from the walk up bar) and I went a little crazy in the Smuggler's Hold. Maggie picked up on this quickly and added quite a few new treasures to my pile. It's a good thing Colt didn't get the spirit. He didn't get anything, but Jonny is now the proud owner of a Margaritaville shirt!

After shopping my little heart out, we head upstairs to eat. We order some beverages and appetizers. The guy waiting on us identifies himself as the manager and tells us not to order entrees. He assures us Volcano Nachos, Coconut Shrimp and Conch Fritters will fill us up and not to get anything else. Fooled him. We finished it and our entrees all off!

The "Magic"

We made a pilgrimage to the "Happiest Place on Earth" this month. It was truly one of the best trips ever! We took Maggie's 19 year-old brother, Jonny, with us for his very first trip to Disneyland. It was so much fun to see things again for the first time through his eyes. I even missed my power nap in the Enchanted Tiki Room because he was loving it so.

We drove directly to Knotts Berry Farm when we hit Southern California and ate the best chicken dinner ever. Then we went into Knotts and rode all the crazy coasters there. It was ever so much fun in part because Brad (My adopted nephew/son) and his wife Mandi joined us. After a full day there we headed back to the Disneyland Hotel for a little rest before our Magic Morning in the Magic Kingdom. Bless Jonny's little 19 year-old heart, he didn't even complain about our insistence that we be in line at 6:30 to enter the Main Gates.

The new Toy Story Mania ride in DCA is everything it was hyped up to be. We rode it four times by using the single rider entrance. I never even came close to matching everyone else's score, but I was the most accurate all four tries. Another highlight at DCA was dinner at the Vinyard Room. It was wonderful but we were saddened to learn that it is closing at the end of August.

Jonny caught the spirit of being first in line by the end of the trip though. He and Maggie wiped out a few small children in order to be the first in line for Indy.

After promoting peanut butter and jelly Monte Cristos for a whole year, we were dismayed to learn they are off the menu at the Bleu Bayou. Never fear though. I bought Uncrustables and am going to figure out to make them myself!