Friday, December 31, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas Eve 2010
Ho! Ho! Ho!.......I've been good.......The question is Have YOU been good?So here we are.....it is yet another Christmas Eve.........and many things have changed over the years..........I am thinking that in the grand scheme of things, out best days are all behind us. Yeah, I know........that is not a very cheerful thing........but the times indicate these things and the outlook is not very good......more crime......violence...higher taxes....lack of jobs.....higher grocery bills.........you know the deal. On the bright side......none of that stuff makes too much of a difference if you stand in defiance and resist....and in spite of it all, and do the best that you can to have a good time and celebrate the holidays......as I will be doing.
I really miss when my kids were little..........Christmas.........it was a special time for me. It was always about the kids. They are all grown up now........the girls have their own children......the boys, well...........their time will come...........and Christmas in the Signtopia home is different these days.
Don't get me wrong.........Christmas is still special for us..........sure, we still decorate........BUT.........
..........we wait until Princess Fartknocker and........
her brother, the Mayor of Simpleton, can be here to help us decorate the tree. Everything is good........and while Christmas has changed alot for me and Supernurse.....it is still about kids......albeit GRANDkids......hehehe....er....hohoho!
Crabs..................................crabs?
Yeah..........CRABS!.............painted crabs.I have been calculating and planning and thinking for quite some time about making a few extra bucks here and there via the internet. One of those plans include crabs. I paint them, decoupage them........and hopefully very soon, will be selling them online. Everything is in the preliminary stage and at this point I am a dime short and a day late to start now.......it is Christmas already for crying out loud. Nonetheless, I have plans for the new year.
I have all sorts of ideas for crabs.......
.......some are obvious..........
..........most of my ideas are not available anywhere else......
and the ones that are.....well..........MY crabs will be a bit different.
If you like what you see............leave a comment and let me know.
If you have some ideas for me...........again.....leave a comment.
If you really. really, want one or two of these........leave a comment and let me know about it........Soon, I will be posting information as to how you can buy one from me........so stay tuned!
Meanwhile............the Weather Channel has been very nebulous with the forecast for our area. The live reports have flip-flopped all week. We are goona be nailed with a snowstorm in the mid-Atlantic on Christmas Day...........then it was we MIGHT get some flurries........then it was "snow showers"........."it is taking a more southerly track"......and then they said it could stall right off the coast........and it also COULD just zip right out to sea. Hmmmmmmmmmmm......now it says "30% CHANCE of snow"......which means there is a 70% chance that it WON'T!
oh well...............we shall see soon enough.............White Christmas?
Here is some fun stuff for you from Kevin Meaney. You cannot get in the Christmas mode without Kevin Meaney. Watch these videos of him promoting his Christmas shows the past few years...........I think he is hilarious.......and his kind of humor is right up my alley.
Enjoy!...........and oh..........I almost forgot........
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas - Polish Traditions
Okay.......here we go.........Perhaps these videos that I found on You Tube will educate some of you regarding Polish traditions at Christmas. Our family heritage is Polish and most of the old folks on my father's side of the family are long gone...................I really do miss them all...........only one uncle is left.
I hope you enjoy these:
Riviera Maya Vacation - Part Ten
Pictures and words........that's all I have to show everyone and hopefully convince you that the Grand Palladium Resort in Mexico is the one of the best, if not THE best, place to vacation. Forget Ocean City, MD...........forget Florida.......you need to experience some paradise as I have. So what does it cost you?.......a ten day all-inclusive package including airfare will cost you about what you would spend on a weekend in Atlantic City........imagine that. This is one of the reasons that me and Supernurse go to places such as this.........value. Who doesn't want more bang for your buck?
You have seen the Corona beer commercials.........and yes......it is just like that.
As I write this........I wish I was there right now.........again and again..........
If you look real hard you can see how calm and beautiful the Caribbean water is.
Vacationers of all ages, sizes, and shapes.............from all over the world...........and everyone is comfortable with their own self.
One day......maybe I will get to see the turtles...........instead of the empty nests. 
Guided Segway tours of the resort......including the beach!I have this thing that I do when on vacation and there happens to be someone serenading you.......as in this case.......while we were eating..........I make a request...........Malaguena Salerosa.......so far, I have never been told "Sorry....can't do that". These guys were great......and they did this just for me and Supernurse:
The food was great. Something for everyone. If you can't find something that you like on any given day........well.......there is something wrong with you and you need counseling. Princess Fartknocker.......as skinny as she is........had no trouble filling up her plate and her stomach.
I noticed that the orange juice tasted better here than the orange juice back home. I found out that it is because they use REAL sugar to sweeten things in Mexico. In the USA, our government encourages the use of corn products to sweeten things.....and the result is that actual sugar is too expensive to use. It is not that way in Mexico.......even the sodas taste better.
You want fancy?...........you can have fancy.Here's a clip of the flaming drinks at the bar...........
And this time we did return to the salt water pool..........that is located right at the water's edge.
If you look carefully.........there is a rainbow straight ahead.
The pictures do not do this place any justice.........
.............is there anything more beautiful?
God willing, I will go back again and spend more time soaking it all up. It is a great escape from the rat race........and a ten day stretch in the lap of luxury where we lived like royalty with servants everywhere..........well......maybe not everywhere......but you catch my drift, don't you?
It is good for your soul..........therapeutic..........it cures what ails you........healing........a feast for the eyes.........and.........the best part........
I was there with the love of my life.......Supernurse.........it just doesn't get any better than this.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Riviera Maya Vacation - Part Nine
I may look a bit rough.......but.......I have several excuses.Excuse #1: I drank more than my share of cerveza.
Excuse #2: I also drank Supernurse's share of cerveza. (actually, she drank stuff like margaritas)
Excuse#3: Earlier that day I tried to eat some chili......whoa!....I though I was on fire....hot!.....resulting in my downing of more cerveza.
Excuse#4: I am on vacation with Supernurse........did you think that I would be sleeping every night?
Excuse#5: I was waterlogged from being in the water all day.....and a bit toasted from the sun.
Excuse#6: I am Signtopia......of course I look a bit rough.....hehehe.
So here we go with the ninth installment of my report about the Riviera Maya vacation at the Grand Palladium Resort in Mexico. There's tons of entertainment throughout the day and at night, the stage shows kick into gear........if you like such things......and I do.......The resort has a staff of entertainers called "People Of Palladium".........and they perform shows every night.......a different show every night.........music, dancing, musicals (albeit lip-synched), comedy, acrobatics, costumes and more costumes..........wow! This group does it all.......and they are very good at what they do.
In the hotel lobby, there are bulletin boards with information about the staff and the schedule for the shows.
The theater is quite large and is open-air.
One of the shows began with a couple of performers doing a ballet dance routine and things were going well when all of a sudden they tripped and the guy dropped the girl and she indicated that she could not continue the show........they carried her offstage.......and then one of the staff came out onstage and asked if there was a doctor in the audience........oh no.....this is not good.......he goes backstage and then comes out again after a couple of minutes and announces that the show will continue because they have someone to fill in for the injured female dancer. Fantastic!.....................but...........
.........they have got to be kidding...........THIS is the fill-in?..........
Yep...........THIS is THE fill-in!
It didn't take long to figure out that it was all pre-planned..........the joke was on us.......the injury was faked........but very convincing.......
..........and this guy was hilarious. (click on the pictures for a larger view, then hit the escape key to return)
The costuming is wonderful and well done......the choreography was top notch.
Always smiling............they really enjoy their work.
Lot's of them.......male and female........all of them very talented and seemingly tireless.
A wide variety of themed routines...........
..........and the crowd is always pleased.
They take a bow.......
.......and happily pose for pictures.
Imagine this work environment..............it must be nice.
From assorted Disney themes........
.............Little Mermaid..............
......great sets and effects.......
..........did I mention costumes?
...........and assorted Disney characters.........
...........WHO doesn't like this stuff?
Princess Fartknocker loved it!
Beauty and the Beast..........
............and Snow White!
.......Sleeping Beauty.........
.....this is good stuff.....
.........and the shows are all part of your all-inclusive package............imagine that!
Every night.........
This is not a rinky-dink wannabee group of wish they were entertainers...........
.........I would say that they are professionals and extremely talented.
Aladdin.........
........and this is just the Disney show on one night..........other shows on other nights............native dance routines, traditional dance and music, etc, etc..........there is something to please everyone.
These guys walked past me in the lobby...........they are wearing Mayan outfits..........this is 2012 stuff......hehehe.....
"Okay pal........hurry up with the picture".........."Okay Mayan dude....just don't cut my penis off in celebration of joy or anything like that 'cause I read where they really, really did that stuff to people back in the day.......you know......the Mel Gibson movie?"Hehehehe........just kidding........oh.......and yet more entertainment in the lobby......each night.....a different performer...........solo performances, bands..................oh and this one particular band only played one night.......their name is Quarzo and they are fantastic. Rock and roll as it should be played.......loud and proud and proper. I was stunned at how good a singer Mauricio is.......and the rest of the band......well.......I cannot remember their names but any one of them could hold their own anywhere at anytime in anyplace in any big name band. We are talking Led Zeppelin, Van Halen.....ACDC.......yes indeedy!
They should be on stage.............great guys too........here's a short video of Quarzo performing some Pearl Jam.......I apologize for the sound........the video was taken with my Kodak camera and the loud music overwhelms the teeny tiny microphone embedded in it.And here is another video, shot by someone else that must have had a better camera, of Quarzo doing some Led Zep.
Stay tuned.........Part Ten is next and the final installment.
