On Demand Coffee Makers

Making coffee at home can be a real drag – that’s probably why coffee shops and drive-through windows are so popular; they are fast and easy, even if the coffee is pretty mediocre. There’s no need to settle for average coffee just because it’s convenient – with an on demand brewing system like the K-Cup compatible pods coffee makers you can enjoy top quality coffee along with all of the benefits of speed and convenience at a cost of just pennies per cup.

On demand brewing systems look somewhat like conventional electric drip coffee makers and take up about the same amount of counter space but they operate in a completely different fashion. To begin with, the coffee is brewed by the cup instead of by the pot, so it is much faster to make. Even better, there is no coffee pot to clean since the coffee brews directly into a travel mug, glass, cup or mug. There is no warming plate so the coffee is fresh, hot and flavorful and never scorched or stale.

To make coffee you use individual pre-measured coffee pods – this takes the guesswork out of scooping and measuring coffee and getting the right water-to-coffee ratio; it also means the coffee is fresh because the pods remain sealed until the moment of brewing. There’s no need to deal with messy coffee grounds and with a K-Cup® coffee filter you can even craft your own custom house blend if you feel especially creative. Most folks prefer to go with the samplers and variety packs which offer hundreds of coffee flavors, roasts and blends.

NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center

If you are a frequent reader/visitor in my blogs, you probably seen the photo below for so many times. This is NASA Parkway and one of the routes that hubby and I like to take when we head home coming from Cocoa Beach. Further down the road is NASA's Kennedy Space Center and starting today, I will be posting photos around NASA's #KSC. See the white and orange thing rising in vertical position? That is the Replica Rocket Boosters, an awesome addition to the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit.

I took the photo below when we turn to Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex. The first building on the right is the $100 million home of the priceless and historic spacecraft, the Atlantis. It tells the incredible journey of NASA’s 30-year Space Shuttle Program.

We were driving towards the parking lot of Kennedy Space Center and I can't help but took few shots of the building. I have been here many times but, today is different. This is the first time that I saw the building without the tarp/covers on and work is completed. I was just excited to see the Atlantis for real.

We parked and walked to the entrance passing the Rocket Garden and IMAX theatre then, I saw this sight up close. Remember the first photo above? Inside, this is what it looks like. The massive structure is a beacon to guests. The Replica Rocket Boosters are indeed visible for miles. It would be an awesome dramatic if the shuttle orbiter mated to the stack right?  Anyway, as you can see, the gateway only features the awesome and gigantic twin white boosters and the orange external tank. The orbiter is inside.

Fast forward photos here and let's go up to the building. Check out the gigantic twin rocket boosters and the orange tank from inside the building. Pretty awesome right? Remember that these are only replica.

The rocket boosters are the gateway to the main entrance of the Atlantis building which is a dramatic and a clever idea! The guests looks so tiny.

The first awesome attraction inside the building is a film showing. It was interesting and it brings down memory lane how the Space Shuttle Program started. I suggest that you sit at the middle. If you are taking video, make sure that no one is standing in front of you.

After the film viewing, the next room is another film viewing but you will probably love it more than the first attraction. Guest will experience what's it like to see the shuttle lifts off up close. The whole room will be AWESOME! Then, you will meet the Space Shuttle Atlantis for REAL! It will be dramatic and please .... do not cry. (wink)

In this room, oh my goodness you and your children will enjoy the interactive exhibit! You will never notice the time! Relax and enjoy! Now, do not forget to take a souvenir photo on this spot. You can make it dramatic too. I have an apprentice photographer so; this is my best shot LOL.

Oh, another best shot ... LOL. My nervous photographer is not too thrilled to take my photos LOL. Good thing that I live nearby and I can come here anytime I want. I will get my iconic souvenir photo next time hahaha.

That's all for now and hope to see you again tomorrow. I got more photos of the Kennedy Space Center and more. Thanks for stopping by.

Do you Consider Living in Florida?

Would you like to live in Florida? The state of Florida is situated on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida. We have two time zones: it extends to the northwest into a panhandle and extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico. On the North, the border states are Georgia and Alabama. Several Caribbean countries are just nearby especially the Bahamas and Cuba. I love living in Florida and I am proud to be a Floridian. All photos here were taken by me of course while we were at Blockhouse Beach 45th Space Wing along the South Atlantic Avenue.

I read online that Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state. That could be true because Florida is really flat compared to other states. Most of Florida has an elevation of less than 12 feet and that includes the many populated places including Miami down south of Florida.

The climate in Florida varies in places. Some areas have prevalent climate like humid subtropical while coastal areas down the south have a true tropical climate. I really do not know the difference. I live in Orlando and it is super hot especially in summer time.

The mean high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90s while the mean low temperatures for early to mid January is usually from the low 40s to above 60s. The average daily temperature is 70s. That is the reason, winter season is my most favorite time of the year. It is truly hot here in Florida especially at summer time where temperature could exceed 100 degrees. Freezing? I don't recall that we ever have one.

There was a record that shows the coldest temperature was −2 °F but, that was on February 13, 1899 near Tallahassee according to what I read in Wikipedia. We have no snow here Florida ... or/ rarely receives snow but, we have frost here which is common during the winter months.

Frost is a huge problem especially for Citrus farmers here in Florida. Anyway, do you consider living here in Florida?

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Florida had a population of 18,801,310. Here's the breakdown of race and ethnicity:

75 % are White Americans comprising 57.9% are Non-Hispanic White and  17.1% are White Hispanics
16 % are Black or African Americans
0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native
2.4% Asian American
0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
3.6% from Some Other Race
2.5% Multiracial American

If you visit Miami, you should learn to speak Spanish because most people living there speaks bilingual. Some only communicate with Spanish language.

Why I am showing you these photos of the beach? It is because when you live in Florida, the access of the beach is in every direction. You can choose the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic, take your pick and it is very accessible. Weather is great here all year-round well, unless if there are hurricanes. Living in Florida is a perfect place to enjoy the sun, the beach, and the pleasure of having a sunny weather most of the time.

Off to the Beach Today

Blogging is a bit slow this week. I thought I will have tons of offers instead, I had tons of review products in my mail. I had to clear my mind this week and clear the review products area. Hoping I can take photos, pose with it (wink) and review them this week. Praying that next week will turn out great. Anyway, since I am not busy this week, hubby and I plan to go to the beach and unwind. For sure, I will stay under the shade and just take photos. Have a great day everyone.

The Rocket Garden at #KSC

Kennedy Space Center has a new entrance now. As you go in, on the left side is the Rocket Garden, an outdoor display of historic rockets that truly put the Americans and satellites in space. In this attraction, you can walk around the base of the rockets. The rockets which are mounted upright are: Mercury-Redstone, Mercury-Atlas, and Titan II (launched the astronauts); Juno I, Juno II, Thor-Delta, and Atlas-Agena (launched satellites). The largest rocket is Saturn IB which is mounted on its side. This rocket launched Apollo Command/Service Modules into Earth orbit for Apollo, Skylab, and the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project.

The garden also has mock-ups of capsules from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs which you can get in personally. This garden also has the walkway and white room that Apollo astronauts used to access their capsules from the launch tower. I will show some pictures next time. Attached to the white room is a Command Module trainer. Also, the F-1 rocket engine that powered the first stage of the Saturn V is also on display. This attraction is truly an amazing place to visit and you should check it out!

Space Shuttle Atlantis on Display at Kennedy Space Center

From the outside look on this part alone, you can tell that the latest attraction of the Kennedy Space Center is truly one of a kind. The cost of this 90,000 sq foot building is a $100 million which is now the final home of the Space Shuttle Atlantis located at the Visitor Complex of #KSC in Titusville.

Space Shuttle Atlantis is described as "one of the most complicated and sophisticated pieces of equipment ever built, the shuttle is a vehicle that launched like a rocket, flew in orbit like a spacecraft and landed on a runway like a glider." 

July 4th was my first visit inside this building. It was awe-inspiring! The attraction is truly unique with a hundred million dollar look and everything inside is perfect especially when I saw the priceless spacecraft tilted at an angle with cargo bay doors open wide. 

My most favorite part is right at the end of the film viewing and seeing the Space Shuttle Atlantis for the first time. It was an awesome experience! I truly recommend that you should visit the Kennedy Space Center soon.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center

As promised, here is one photo that my husband took with me while visiting the ATLANTIS at the Kennedy Space Center here in Florida last July 4. Hubby and I agreed to just go to one attraction, the Atlantis which is the baby attraction of KSC, newly opened last June 29, 2013.

It was my birthday in 2011, when Atlantis had its final mission/launched. It was a symbolic event because it was the final mission of the American Space Shuttle Program. A sad day to most people in the Space Coast because it means losing their job as well.

The final launch of Atlantis was known as STS 135 and its mission was ISS-International Space Station logistics. The cargo on that launch are "Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module" and the "Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier" (LMC), delivered to the ISS. On this mission, STS-135 had 4 astronauts on board. They safely went back home on July 21,2011.

This baby has a total of 33 missions, 207 crew members, and deployed 14 satellites. The first flight of Atlantis was October 3 in 1985 and came back safely to Earth on the 7th.

You should come and visit the Kennedy Space Center, and see the Space Shuttle Atlantis on display. It is worth the money you are paying for, I can promise you that.

Celebrating July 4th at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

Now, this is an interesting plan that I just thought of doing for the Fourth of July. Hubby and I will be going to Kennedy Space Center using our Commander's pass. I just got an email newsletter from KSC and this gives me an idea. A great way to celebrate July 4th is with Space Shuttle Atlantis. The Space Shuttle Atlantis is included with admission. If you live nearby, you should visit Kennedy Space Center and see the newly opened home of the Atlantis.

I haven't been there since it was opened last week. Shall I get the chance to be as close as this woman taking photos of Atlantis? Should I be able to take photos nose-to-nose with the priceless spacecraft as only astronauts have seen it before? It is exciting to see because the payload bay doors is swung open as if it were floating in space.

Let's see, from Space Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station (ISS) to the Hubble Space Telescope, that's a lot to explore don't you think? They have more than 60 interactive exhibits, and hands-on simulators. It is interesting to learn about the universe through the Hubble telescope, I am curious about that exhibit as well.  Now, this is fun ... the exciting exhilaration of lift-off aboard the Shuttle Launch Experience, I haven't seen that too. Let's see and I will surely share the photos right here! Are you excited?

Myself Under the Apollo/Saturn V Rocket

Whoaaa... Oh yeah, this is me standing below the gigantic Apollo/Saturn V Rocket. This was taken years ago and though I live about 15 minutes away from Kennedy Space Center, I never get the chance to pose another photo like this. I have been here many times and took pictures but, without me. That's the sad reality for photographers; no one takes their photos exactly as they want it. Anyway, this is the Apollo and Saturn V Center where guests can touch a moon rock and stand under the largest rocket ever built.

 

Why to Go to Used Car Dealerships

When you are looking for a car, you may not want a new car. If this is the case, then you may choose to get a used car instead. Some people worry, however, that used car dealerships cannot offer you the same services in getting a car as a new car dealership. They may also worry that used car dealerships don’t have the same amenities to help you take care of your car after purchasing it. In Kansas City, used car dealerships can offer a lot of services that you may not realize they have. Here are some things that you can expect to get from a used car dealership.

Selling and Financing

First, and probably most obvious, a used car dealership sells used vehicles. Used car dealerships are the best place to look for used vehicles that are still in good working condition. When you are looking for a used vehicle, you want to make sure that you get it from a legitimate dealership so that you can find out the car’s history and working order before you buy it. This can save you from making a huge mistake in buying a vehicle that is not going to last or is not safe. Additionally, used car dealerships, like new car dealerships, can provide financing options for purchasing a vehicle. This can make buying a used car very easy and convenient.

Taking Care of Repairs

Repair work is one service that you may not realize a used car dealership offers. In Kansas City, used car dealerships can help you take care of your car when you need to make repairs. If you get in an accident, you can take your car to the used car dealership that carries your car model to have the repairs taken care of. The advantage to taking your vehicle to a used car dealership is that you know that the dealership and the mechanics there have experience with that kind of vehicle and can, therefore, make repairs effectively and efficiently. Also, if your car just needs some maintenance repairs or tune-ups, a used car dealership can provide those for you too.