Marc's Living Room

Saturday was devoted to putting Marc's living room together at his house.  In the morning, he finished most of the painting.  Areas that still need painted are higher than Marc can reach, so we need to find/borrow a ladder.  Since he was in a painting mode, he also finished the insides of all the closets.  I have already the master bedroom's closet, the guest bedroom closet, and the linen closet.  There are still two additional closets that could be used for storage as well as the basement.

While the paint was drying in the living room, we took showers and got ready to go out to lunch.  We did a quick lunch at Bob Evans (I'm obsessed with their crepes!) then headed down to Pirmanti Brothers on the South Side.  The USA soccer team was playing in the World Cup.  Since Marc doesn't have cable yet, we had to go somewhere to watch it.  We met up with some friends, sat around the bar to watch the game, and had a few drinks.  I was really surprised with the amount of people that were there.  I cannot tell you if they just jumped on the bandwagon for the occasion, or if they were truly soccer fans like Marc.  Unfortunately we lost, so the World Cup is over for USA.  Marc is still interested though because he likes some of the other teams that are still going.

After the game, we stopped at Home Depot before returning to the house.  Some small items needed to be picked up for the house, so we thought we would give the paint some more time to dry.  We got home, took naps (yes, we still like to nap), and then began to fill the room with furniture.  We decided that once the bigger remodeling projects are completed in the house (kitchen and bathroom), we will be replacing the couch and coffee table that Marc's dad had given him.  The couch looks like it stepped out of the 1970s, and the coffee table is an all glass top.  I absolutely can't stand the coffee table, but it works for now.  We decided to look for a wooden one that will match the end table and entry-way table.

Below is a picture of what you see when you enter the front door and go up the set of steps.  This long table is one of my favorites, and it is decorated with items that we both had.  Of course, Duke has to be displayed front and center.  Marc didn't mind!

The second picture is the view of the living room.  The only thing missing is the giant TV that we do not yet have.  My TV stand will be coming from my apartment to go in the corner opposite the couch.  Marc is hoping to get a 46-inch flat screen in the near future.  We have other TVs that will suffice for now.

Company Picnic at the Zoo

Last Friday, we had our annual Sisterson Company Picnic.  This year, we decided to change things up a bit, and it was held at the Pittsburgh Zoo.  We were given the off (provided we showed up) and spent the day with good food, fun animals, and some quality conversation.  It was a very, very hot day, so we were thankful for the rented pavilion we had so we could stay cool in the shade.

In the morning, we were split up in groups to take tours of the zoo.  It lasted about an hour, but we only say the larger animals (lions, tigers, bears, giraffes, and elephants.)  We had to go on our own if we wanted to see everything else.  After our tours, we came back to the shade to enjoy lunch.  It was a nice array of hamburgers, macaroni and potato salads, chips, pretzels, waters, and sodas.

After lunch a bunch of us went back through the zoo to see everything and take our time.  Below are a few pictures of what we saw:

Cruise Miscellaneous

Each night after we got back to our cabin, Marc and I found the bed to be turned down with a friend on top.  We got a different towel animal each night.  Below are a few pics.

Here are a few shots of Marc and I throughout the week:

At the dinner table on formal night

After a few drinks... and Marc is still going!

Outside with the sunset (it was a little windy).

Sunset from the deck!  It was so pretty!

We actually lucked out and got put at a dinner table with really good people.  There were six of us all together. 

Front: Marc and Me, Kim and Chase (from Dallas)

Middle: Our waitress, Teresna (from Costa Rica)

Back: Erin and Randy (from Denver)

Nassau, Bahamas

Our last stop on the cruise was Nassau, Bahamas.  This port resembled a United States city the most.  There were taller buildings, concrete roads and bridges, and several fast food chains (we saw McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts). 

We chose the Clear Kayak Adventure for our excursion.  It was a little different than we were expecting.  The kayaks were more like clear plastic canoes.  It was very hard to see out of the bottom of them, but we still have fun paddling around and checking out the area.

On the boat ride out to the reef, we got a historical tour of the island.  We also passed huge mansions that are owned by Chuck Norris, Oprah, Nicholas Cage, and Tiger Woods.  The houses were gorgeous!  I have a picture of one below.

After our excursion, we went into the city and visited many of the shops.  Tourism is Nassau's main source of revenue.  They have a huge white tent that they call the Marketplace.  There are several vendors set up, and you haggle prices on the items you want to purchase.  I purchased an all wooden coffee mug with "The Bahamas" carved in it.  It was something different, and since I'm quite the coffee drinker, it will be useful.

The city of Nassau from our ship.

This is not Marc and I, but it is a picture of the clear kayak that we were in.

One of the gorgeous mansions on the Nassau coast.

Nassau was a busy place this day.  These were all the ships docked at the port.  From the left to the right:

Carnival Sensation, Disney Wonder, Carnival Destiny (OURS), and Carnival Fantasy

On the boat ride back to the city.

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

The second port that we stopped at on our cruise was Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.  This is a private island owned by Carnival.  We found out that only thirty people live on the whole island.  We had to get tendered in from the ship.  Marc and I chose not to do an excursion here.  We took the day to walk around and lay on the beach.  There were a lot of people on the beach, and the Carnival bar staff was also wandering around offering us beverages.

There was a BBQ on the island for lunch.  This consisted of hamburgers and chicken.  There was a good selection of fruit and other munchies.  Ice tea, lemonade, and water were available to drink. 

The path to get to the beach.  Of course you had to pass the bar!

In the water at Half Moon Cay.  That is our ship in the background.

Someone parasailing over the ship.  I thought this was a good photo-op.

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

Our first stop on our cruise (after a full day at sea) was Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos.  It is the largest island of Turks and Caicos.

Marc and I chose to go snorkeling and swim with the stingrays.  I don't have pictures of these two events because we didn't have an underwater camera.  It was my first time snorkeling, but Marc had done it before.  It was different.  The reef that we visited was not very big.  There was not a lot of different types of coral, but the fish were everywhere!  Marc and I got to pet the fish, and we even saw some eels lurking in the coral.  Good thing they stayed away from us!  The water was very warm, and it was a beautiful day.

After snorkeling, we got back on our boat and traveled to the other side of the island to see the stingrays.  Marc thought they were awesome, while I was terrified!  We were allowed to hold the stingray, feed it, pet it, and kiss it.  Marc did it all.  I on the other hand, stayed off to the side and watched.  Our instructor made me touch the stingray.  That wasn't so bad until it started thrashing it's tail.  Then I began to freak out.

Our stingray was a female, and she was three to four feet in diameter.  These things are huge!  The men don't grow that big, and they don't like people.

After our excursion, we went back to the island and walked around the shops.  I got some postcards and souvenir coffee mug.  Since our excursion was in the morning, we had the rest of the day to ourselves.  We went onto the beach, took naps in the sun, and splashed around in the water.  I also finished book number one in the afternoon.  Good thing I brought three with me!

Here we are in the plaza waiting to go to our excursion.

Some of the shops on Grand Turk.

A view of Grand Turk while we were on our way to the stingrays.

Our ship and the beach!

Cruise 2010

Marc and I just returned from our cruise vacation Saturday evening.  The pictures are uploaded on snapfish (of course), and now it is time to update you all on our adventures.  I have lots to share, so there will be frequent blog posts.

We left Pittsburgh the morning of Monday, May 17th.  Our flight left the Pittsburgh airport a 6:05AM.  It was definitely an early morning!  We arrived in Atlanta, and we had about an hour-and-a-half layover.  During this time, we went to the restroom, looked around the little shops, and got something to eat.  Thank goodness we didn't have to change concourses in Atlanta.  They have little trolleys to each one because it is such a large airport.  We boarded our plane, and arrived in Miami at 11:45AM.

When we purchased our trip, we also purchased shuttle passes.  Carnival was waiting for us at baggage claim.  We collected my one suitcase, and off to the bus we went.  We arrived at the boat terminal, and waited forty minutes to check in.  The lines were horrendous.  Not to mention that everything is automated now, and half of the machines were out-of-order.  So much for "speedy check-in."

Above is a picture of our ship, Carnival Destiny.  We had an inside cabin on the first floor.  It was a cute little room with a lot of storage space, our own bathroom, and a television.  We liked to watch the TV in the evenings because there were movie channels that played Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, and some other newly released movies.  We definitely had a good selection of food on the ship.  We ordered room service for lunch one day, and I became crazy for sushi.  I dragged Marc up to the sushi bar every night before dinner.

The ship had various pools, a few hot tubs, and a water slide.  There was a put-put course and a basketball court.  An outdoor track was also included.  We enjoyed the evening shows, stuffed our faces, and tried exotic beverages.  It was a great way to spend a lot of time together, and the two of us were very relaxed.  It was sad to get up early this morning and go to work...