Sunrise Along Port Saint John Boat Ramp

It is Flashback Wednesday still in Beyond Photography.  I am sharing these pictures that I took while I was in Indian River. What a beautiful day huh?

The only building that you see below is the VAB - Vehicle Assembly Area of rockets. The area across Indian River is where NASA's Kennedy Space Center is. It's about 15 minutes drive from here and no traffic at all.

This is Indian River, a great home for manatees, dolphin and maybe, alligator. I said maybe because I have never seen an alligator in this area yet. But, along the canals towards Kennedy Space center, in both sides ... oh yeah, every time we pass by, there are gators. It is expected because the area is part of Merritt Island Animal Sanctuary.

I do believe though that there are gators lurking underneath the murky waters of Indian River. This area where I took these photos is a boat ramp in Port Saint John and the next area is Nicols Park. In the premises of the park, there is a sign which says "Beware of Gators".  

This boat ramp is about 5 minutes drive from our place. This place has an awesome view at sunrise. Truly a gorgeous one.

It’s No Gamble to Get a Car in Sin City

Getting a used car in Las Vegas may seem like a dicey proposition. After all, is that really where you want to gamble when you go to Sin City? You might be surprised by the answer because getting a used car isn’t really a gamble if you know what you are purchasing.

Internet

There are a lot of ways now to verify whatever a dealer may claim on a vehicle. Websites abound that can tell you about the vehicle based on its vehicle identification number (VIN). Moreover, most dealers will be happy to provide you the information on the vehicle.

Safety Checks

Many dealers provide safety checks for their used vehicles that cover all of the possible problem areas. These checks certify that the vehicle is good to go, and they usually come with a limited warranty.

Environmentality

Buying a used car is actually better for the environment than buying a new car. With the amount of raw materials that goes into making a vehicle, even an electric one, the most environmentally sound vehicle is one that has already been made. If a vehicle is driven until it can’t run anymore and there are no replacement parts, then all you have to do is compensate for the gas mileage.

The Wallet

Used cars are generally cheaper than new. That means lower monthly payments and less interest on those payments. In this economy, that is a great thing, especially if you have done your homework on the vehicle’s reliability and the dealer offers a safety check and inspection on all of its used vehicles.

 

All of these things combined make getting a used car in Las Vegas an easy decision. Not only will the dealers and salespeople be honest and fair, but you will have the research to back them up. You will be doing something good for the environment, and you will be saving money. The only thing left to do is to go out and hit a jackpot, but even if you don’t, your new-to-you car will still make you a winner in a town where the house always wins.

The Citrus-Themed Floats in Orlando Citrus Parade

For my Flashback entry this week, I will be sharing these photos that I took during the Orlando Citrus Parade. Hubby and I watch this parade in Downtown Orlando which is scheduled every last week of December. The Orlando Citrus Parade is done annually in Orlando, Florida. This is a holiday celebration for the two annual college football bowl games: the Russell Athletic Bowl and the Capital One Bowl. This event is planned and produced by The Florida Citrus Sports Foundation and has become like a tradition which is already a part of the annual Orlando Bowl Week.

Who are in the Parade?



The parade consists of high school as well as the Bowl-attending university marching bands from the Big Ten Conference and Southeastern Conference. One of the great attractions in the parade is the theme park characters from Walt Disney World as well as the characters featured in Universal Orlando. There are local celebrities and national celebrities too. Also in the parade is the Mayor of Orlando, the firemen, the veterans, the military and police personnel and many more. The most applauded participants in the parade are the men and women in uniform.

If there is an Annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California and Lemon Festival in Menton, France, here in Orlando, we have the Citrus Parade. It is actually the same concept. While California is using flowers for the Roses parade, Orlando Parade uses citrus just like in Lemon Festival.

Main Attraction in the Parade:

The main attraction in the Citrus Parade in Orlando is the citrus fruits used in each floats. Yes, all the floats are decorated with citrus. It could be oranges, lemon, grapefruits, tangerines, calamondin, kumquats and more.

If you wish to come and see the Citrus Parade this year, please come early to get a good parking space. Most of the time it is not free so; $5 to $10 is alright and let me warn you, do not just park anywhere or else, your car will be towed. It will be big time hassle!

Make sure also that you are aware of the streets that will be closed for this event. I suggest, you should find a good area by Lake Eola. It has wide streets so; your kids can see the floats clearly without obstruction. Bring finger foods, drinks and folding chairs too. The weather is always cool so; make sure you have a jacket to bundle when needed.

Have a great Wednesday everyone and I will see you in Downtown Orlando for this event. I will be watching the parade by Lake Eola. See you soon and Merry Christmas.

Bright House Networks TV

This post brought to you by Bright House Networks. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sometimes, when I am preparing for lunch or dinner, I love to watch my favorite show on TV but, I do not want to leave the kitchen while the gas stove is on. Believe it or not, I can watch TV in the kitchen while cooking at the same time. Thanks to Bright House Networks TV for this amazing service that they have for their subscriber.

Make Any Room a TV Room! That is basically what it is! BHTV or Bright House Networks TV is an amazing feature because I can watch my favorite show anywhere in the house. I watch TV in my kitchen a lot. I also watch it in my garden.

Bright House Networks TV or BHTV is both a free app and a Website so; subscribers can view live HD programming anywhere in the house using the iPad , iPhone and other Android gadgets as well as computers but,  BHTV only works within the range of the home's wireless network only. Therefore, I cannot use the BHTV away from the wireless network of my home. For more information, check out BHTV’s FAQ and download the app here.

Such a Beautiful Sunset

We were so busy last week going to Orlando and back in Cocoa Beach. I think in one day, we drove three times. We were in Orlando because the renter of our condo moved to Oklahoma. Our condo was vacant for 3 days and we did the cleaning. Thank God that we were able to rent it in 3 days. The renter is a single mom with three kids. We hope and pray that this family is a good tenant. We allow them to rent without a background check but, the HA in our condo will do that. It will take two weeks plus there's a holiday coming so; we were just praying that we have a good tenant. It will be too late if the background check will come out unfavorable.

On our last trip to Orlando, it was already 6 PM and the horizon was so pretty. I took series of photos as we drove the 407. The sun was incredibly huge glimmering with golden orange color. It was such a beautiful sunset.

We planned to visit Disney but, because of the late notice by our tenant, we cancelled it ...again... for the nth times. Oh well, we will this week and we will be heading to a less crowded theme park. I will just take photos of the Christmas Decors of each theme park.

Anyway, are these photos beautiful or what? While other states in the US are freezing cold, ours here in the Space Coast of Florida is on the 70's. Crazy huh? I heard the news today that we will reach 84 in the afternoon. I don't like that! 50's and 60's are ideal temp for me. Bring on the wintry chill in Florida dear weather. Enjoy your week everyone and thanks for stopping by.

Flashback Wednesday: Rest Area

When we travel from Florida to Mississippi, it will take us 12 hours on the road. If we leave early in the morning, we usually arrive at dusk. There are instances that we leave after lunch so; we either spend a night in Panama or Destin. I love it when we spend a night in one of the hotels in Destin Beach. Anyway, road trip is fun and I like taking pictures when I sit by the passenger seat. Most of the time, we stop in the rest area to attend the call of nature and stretch a bit as well. The photos below were taken in one of the rest areas during our trip.

Rest Area is a public area which is also called as travel plaza, rest stop, service center, service plaza, service station or service area. Most of them are located next to a highway, an expressway, or a freeway. Thank goodness for rest areas because both drivers and passengers can rest as well as buy food and eat in the car or in the picnic area. Most rest areas have these facilities: park with picnic area, fuel station, rest-rooms, convenience store, drinking fountains, vending machines, pay telephones, gas station and restaurants. It also has parking areas for buses, trucks as well as recreational vehicles. At night, rest areas usually have a security officer.

Facilities may vary in every states and every town. Some have complete facilities while others have only the basic such as the car washing area minus the gas station, Some rest areas have the vending machines minus the restaurants. Most rest areas though have driving information bulletin, maps and traveler information or exit guides which contain maps and advertisements for hotels, tourist attractions and restaurant discounts. Anyone can have all these for free. Some of the rest areas have visitor information centers with staffs on duty too. In Florida, there is a welcome center or Visitor Information Center that give out free orange juice for everybody and the juice is made from a fresh Florida orange produce. I also remember that it is either Alabama or Mississippi Visitor Information Center that give out free can of soda to everyone.

What Is Needed for Underground Utility Locating?

To keep down the visual clutter, many utilities bury their lines or pipes underground. For some utilities, such as water, burying the pipes deep enough means that the earth’s very stable temperature below four feet (50°- 55° F) keeps water from freezing and bursting pipes, and this reduces repair costs. So what happens when you want to dig a trench for a new sprinkler system or build a kitchen addition onto your home? You need to get someone with experience in utility locating in South Carolina to tell you where lines and pipes are buried to prevent an accident. Why is this necessary, and how is it done? Read on.

Why Call 811?

You’ve seen the commercials that instruct you to call 811 before digging. When you call the number, you are connected to a company that will come to your location and find and mark underground lines. Though it might seem like a hassle to put off your project until the utilities are marked, you can do some serious damage to yourself and your wallet as well as inconveniencing your neighbors by cutting into one of multiple types of utility lines. With so many of them buried every which way beneath your lawn, it’s always a good idea to make the call first and start digging later. Severing a gas line, for instance, might require an evacuation of your home and neighbors, as well as a lengthy repair. You also don’t want to start a geyser by cutting into the water line. And shoving a metal shovel or digging tool directly into a live electric wire could leave you dead. So even if you’re frustrated by the delay, call 811 before any major digging project. Besides, it’s a free service. Fixing severed lines and cleaning up the resulting mess can be very expensive.

How Are Utility Lines Located and Marked?

Once you make the call, an expert will show up with the proper equipment to locate buried utilities. Using electromagnetic equipment for buried metal pipes and cables as well as ground penetrating radar for non-metal lines and pipes made of plastic and concrete, each of the utilities buried in your yard will be unearthed, so to speak. Once the expert has located a line and determined what it is, he will paint the ground a specific color to identify the type of utility, marking the direction of the line. He will do this as far as is needed for the scope of the project.

Permanently Marking Buried Utilities

When you lay new pipe underground, it’s a good idea to have it marked in a more permanent manner. This is especially true for commercial or industrial applications. The markers, when placed correctly into hard ground, will provide information about the type of pipe that is buried and who to call if repair is needed. When your company needs to remain Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) compliant, this is a crucial service. So, before you start digging the trench for your new sprinkler system or scooping out the dirt for the foundation of your new kitchen addition, get utility locating in South Carolina completed first.

At Universal CityWalk in Hollywood

For travel post this week, I am sharing the photographs from Universal Studios in Hollywood. After working for 10 months, I went for a 10-day vacation in California. I visited a friend and it was a blast mostly on church activities and road trip to San Francisco. On this particular day, we decided to check out Universal CityWalk.

It was chilly at night time and we had dinner at Tony Roma's Ribs-Seafood and Steak restaurant.

There was a live band after 6 and I noticed, night time is more crowded. There are many places to check out for dining here. More than 30 places to eat and six nightclubs. This place also has 19 screen theaters with state of-the-art IMAX.  There are also more than 30 unique shops for your shopping needs.

I forgot how much we paid for parking but, we did find a good spot.

I love this place and I would definitely comeback someday.

This is the favorite of kids ... and kids-at-heart hehehe.

The Tony Roma's Restaurant is on the left side of this photo with red signage.

We had a great time taking pictures and we stayed here for awhile. It was a gorgeous day. A bit chilly but, I love it.

There's so much to see here and I thought, we did explore the shops good. After dinner, can you believe that we still have the energy to check out the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Santa Monica Boulevard? Oh yeah, and it was really chilly. We did not stay longer and we head home.

My 10 days vacation seemed one month. The days were dragging as if the time was frozen but, on my advantage.

When I return to California in the near future, I will visit CityWalk again. hopefully with my mom, brother and his family. I hope that day will come. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your Tuesday.

Watching the Rocket Launch: Falcon 9 GEO Transfer Mission

Last week, the Falcon 9 SES 8 communications satellite was scheduled to launch at SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The mission of SES 8 is to "provide Ku-band and Ka-band direct-to-home broadcasting and network services over the Asia-Pacific region. This rocket will fly in the Falcon 9 v1.1 configuration with upgraded Merlin 1D engines, stretched fuel tanks and a payload fairing." Two  seconds to lift off, the launch was aborted. The second attempt to launch was scheduled Nov 28- Thanksgiving Day. We were watching the launch at Port Saint John by the Indian River.

It was a chilly afternoon on a Thanksgiving Day. There were quiet a few people who were not Floridians and were hoping to see the launch for the first time. It was cloudy but, the weather was not the factor of the aborted launch.

There was a Wifi signal by the boat dock, thanks to Bright House, I was able to use my iPad to monitor the Space X live webcast. It was truly chilly outdoor so; we stayed inside the car the whole time.

The launch pad is straight ahead. On a clear day, the rocket launch is clearly visible from here. The best spot to watch the launch is at Kennedy Space Center in the Apollo premises.

The parking space in the boat dock is full but, not crowded. Most of all, it was okay to wait because the weather is cool.

The window for the launch was between 5:37 to 6:43 PM EST but, as you can see, it was really cloudy. There was a second attempt to launch and aborted. They re-scheduled by Monday, December 2 but, it was delayed. Today is the third attempt. I hope it will be successful this time.

We can see the rocket from our front yard but, it is nicer to see it from here. I will be taking photos for comparison. Have a great day everyone!

Make Your Wedding the Party of a Lifetime

Getting married is a big investment. There are typically thousands of dollars spent on the venue, food, décor, dresses, tuxedos, music, and a number of other equally important details. Marriage is not just a financial investment though. You are investing your heart, your trust, your devotion and loyalty, and you are investing a lifetime of commitment in that one incredible person who makes your heart beat wildly. If you are looking for ways to make this celebration even more extraordinary, you will want to consider hiring one of the many talented NYC wedding bands.

You want your special day to be memorable, and not just for you and your new spouse. When you invest in a really good band, you know your party is going to go all night long. When there is a good beat, a crowded dance floor, and a few good hours before dawn, your friends and family are going to let their hair down and celebrate your love.

 

Planning and executing a wedding can be a lot of work. When everything is said and done, and all of the vows and formalities are final, there is nothing like letting it loose on the dance floor. More and more couples are having choreographed dance routines performed at their weddings. Sometimes the bride and groom are participants and sometimes they are the surprised spectators. Either way, there is no denying that good music and carefree dancing are the perfect medicine after the stress and excitement of your beautiful wedding day.

 

When you arrive in your honeymoon suite, you can fall into bed with the buzz and dizziness of the dance floor pumping through your veins. Life is meant for celebrating, and there are a few milestone occasions like a wedding that really need to be done right. There is nothing as rewarding as choosing one of your favorite NYC wedding bands to serenade you and your guests until sunrise on the greatest day of your life. The best wedding advice you can receive is to simply throw your hands in the air like you just don’t care and celebrate like there is no tomorrow.