Happy 80th Birthday To My Mother !!

Just attended mass at St. Peters Basilica

Day at the Vatican Museum

Spanish Steps

Dinner at Chinese Restaurant

Trevi Fountain At Night

When In Rome

Rome if you want to.
Rome around the world.

I know it's suppose to be roam ... but I'm in Rome ... so I can say it however I want to.

Piazza Navona

Pantheon

Trevi Fountain

The Colosseum

Papal Wednesday

The Media

The Crowd

The Pope

Welcome To Rome !!

Arrived in Rome on time ~ 9:00 am !!

Customs & Luggage ~ 30 minutes !!

I finally have a FCO (international) stamp on my passport !!

Time to wait for hotel shuttle pickup at 10:00 am !!

Missed Flight ... ALMOST !!

On our stopover in Philadelphia ... we decided to eat in a nice restaurant ... the restaurant was somewhat a walk from our gate ... but since we had two hours until the next flight we decided to eat there.

So we enjoyed lunch at Sky Asian Bistro.

Decided to stopover at a Dunkin Donuts kiosk.

Then started to walk to our gate.

What surprised us was that we heard our names over the intercom ... that our flight was doing final boarding !!  I guess we didn't think of the boarding time being so close.  

We RAN ... found someone with a wheelchair to help my mom ... and then RAN over to the gate!

Made it just in time !!

We are Off to Europe !!!

Goodbye LAX !!  

Checking in at the US Airways was easy.  

However, I really miss the interaction with people.  

I didn't like having to "cheek-in" with a computer.

Top Paris Sights And Attractions

From About.com

Top Paris Sights And Attractions:

  1.  The Louvre
  2.  Notre Dame Cathedral
  3.  Eiffel Tower
  4.  Musée d'Orsay
  5.  The Latin Quarter
  6.  Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees
  7.  Centre Georges Pompidou
  8.  Sacre Coeur
  9.  Pére Lachaise Cemetery
10.  Boat Tour Of the Seine River

Rome Things To Do

I just can't stop doing the travel researching !!

Rome Things To Do:

  1.  Colosseum
  2.  Trevi Fountain
  3.  Pantheon
  4.  Piazza Navona
  5. Galleria Borghese
  6.  Roman Forum
  7.  The Vatican
  8.  Spanish Steps
  9.  Trastevere
10.  Vatican Museum

** Please .. please ... let the weather be nice **

How To Spend Three Days In Rome

I've been going to website after website for things to do while on this trip.  I found a "How To Spend Three Days In Rome" itinerary.

1.  Arrive Early

2.  Hit the Historic Roman landmarks
(Colosseum, The Roman Forum, The Pantheon, and The Circus Maximus)

3.  Spend the first evening at a local restaurant and then go to the Spanish Steps for night life.

4.  Spend the entire second day at Vatican City

5.  Spend the second night at the Trevi Fountain

6.  The third day is for catching up.

**  Please ... Please ... I pray for nice weather **

1 More Month Until The Big Adventure

One More Month Until Europe!

We arrive in Paris of March 5th.

Can't wait to see Eiffel Tower !!

2 More Months Until the Big Adventure !!

 

Two More Months Until Italy.

 

We officially visit Pisa on March 1st

 

Can't wait to see this wonder!

 

 

Ellen's Flurry Of Giveaways!

Alright, alright, alright.

Another year signing up daily for the 12 Days Of Giveaways ... and no luck winning any.

But maybe the Universe has other plans.  Maybe I'm meant to have EVERY SINGLE PRIZE!!

THANKS ELLEN!

Gifts For Myself:
Kindle Fire HD
Google Nexus Tablet
Insigna 42" LED HDTV
Two Years Netflix Streaming Subscription With Playstation Vita
Hulu Plus One Year Subscription & Apple TV
HP Photosmart Wireless Printer
Lytro 8GB Camera
Executive Headphones from BEATS
BOSE Speaker
Starbucks Verismo System
Vitamix
Dyson Bagless Cordless Hand Vacuum
Rosetta Stone
Philips DiamondClean Toothbrush
COACH Casey Sunglasses
Space Shuttle Endeavour Tickets
$300 Cost Plus Gift Card
$1500 JCPenny Gift Card

Gifts For Family:
Giada Kitchen Items ~ Rowena
Gemesis Diamond Necklace ~ Rowena
$200 Lacoste Gift Card ~ Jimmy
$1500 Target Gift Card ~ Rowena & Jimmy
Bulova Diamond Watch ~ Juliet
$500 Gift Card for Calphalon Pots &  Pans ~ Juliet
Calvin Klein Collection Aviators ~ Franco
Venetian Hotel Stay ~ Juliet & Franco
Nike + FuelBand ~ Kathleen
$250 Gift Card for Ticketmaster ~ April
$300 Gift Card from Alternative Apparel ~ Rochelle
Acer Ultrabook ~ Jasmine
Epson Expression Printer ~ Jasmine
BEATS Pill Speaker ~ Jasmine
La-Z-Boy Sofa ~ Rommel
$600 Bodum Products ~ Let
Montag Laguna Beach Stay ~ Rommel & Let
Playstation 3 & Wonderbook ~ Nathan & Matthew
Vinotemp Wine Cooler ~ Rodel
Closet Makeover from Container Store ~ Brenda
Caesars Palace Stay & 2-Tickets Shania Twain ~ Rodel & Brenda
Olympus Camera ~ C.J
Nikon Coolpix Camera ~ Krisha
Gift Card From MasterCard ~ Roey & Belle
Dance Central & X-Box With Kinect ~ Hazel / TJ / JR
Bluebird by American Express ~ Rod & Agnes
Neato Robot Vacuum ~ Ronald & Lota
Just Dance & X-Box With Kinect ~  Rhona / Lisa / Christian / OJ

Gifts For Friends:
2 Tickets 2013 Dodgers Game ~ V & E
LA Phil Walt Disney Concert ~ Sara
LA Tourism Board Package ~ Tash
Grammy Museum ~ A.A.
LACMA ~ D.B.
$250 ebay Gift Card ~ Mickey
$1000 at Shutterfly ~ Z

12 Days Of Giveaways ~ DAY TWELVE !!

$250 Zappos Gift Card

$400 Oliver Peoples Sunglasses

$500 Set of Samsonite Luggage

5 Day $3000 All Inclusive Trip to Jamaica

25,000 AAdvantage Miles for YOU & a FRIEND

** Thank You Universe (and Ellen) **

12 Days Of Giveaways ~ DAY ELEVEN

Kindle Fire

Lytro Camera

Bose Speaker

X-Box with Kinect AND Just Dance 4

Epson Printer

Acer Ultrabook

** Thank You Universe (and Ellen) **

Magic Mike

Today was another Sunday DAY OFF and I really needed to take my mind off all the sadness going on. 

I wanted to STOP watching the news and maybe watch something fun.

I got the Magic Mike DVD as an automatic delivery from my DVD club ... didn't really want it .. but thought it might be something fun. 

I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO WATCH IT WHEN IT WAS OUT IN THE THEATRES.

I don't know if I'm the only girl that will admit this ... BUT I DID NOT LIKE THIS MOVIE!

THIS WAS BORING!!  THE PACE OF THE MOVIE WAS SLOW!!  AND THE ACTING!! OMG!

I had more excitement reading Fifty Shades Of Grey!!

I really wished I declined the shipment (forgot I guess).  I really wish I sent it back and just borrowed it from the library!!

Matthew McConaughey had only TWO really good scenes the beginning ... alright, alright, alright, and the ending ... when he does his stripping.

BUT THE MOVIE ITSELF ... OMG .. NOT INTERESTING AT ALL !!

Heartbroken

My heart is broken.

I try not to go online or watch the news ... but IT is everywhere.

I'm crying.  I know the names and ages of those kids.

I'm crying.  I know that each one was shot more than once.

I'm crying.  Six women who devoted their lives to this school are gone.

My heart is broken. 

Dear God ... please help these families ... please, please, please, somehow ... let us just be KIND TO EACH OTHER.

12 Days Of Giveaways ~ DAY TEN !!

3-Day / 2-Night Stay at Montage Laguna Beach

$200 Bluebird Card

$300 Mobile/Exxon Gift Card

Kiehls Gift Set

$200 Lacoste Gift Card

** Thank You Universe (and Ellen) **

12 Days Of Giveaways ~ DAY NINE!

Nikon Coolpix Camera

HP Photosmart Printer

Beats Speaker

Neato Robot Vaccum

$250 ebay Gift Card

Google Nexus 10 Tablet

X-Box with Kinect AND Dance Central 3


**  Thank You Universe (and Ellen) ***

12 Days Of Giveaways ~ DAY EIGHT !!

$200 Le Mystere Gift Card

Coach Casey Sunglasses

Denon Headphones

$200 Shell Gift Card

3-day/2-Night stay at Caesars Palace AND tickets to Shania concert

** Thank You Universe (and ELLEN) **

12 Day's Of Giveaways ~ DAY SEVEN !!

Philips Sonicare toothbrush

PlayStation 3 AND Wonderbook of Spells

$300 Rosetta Stone 1-year subscription

$200 Dyson Cordless Hand Vacuum

1-Year HuluPlus Subscription AND AppleTV

42" Insignia HDTV

** Thank You Universe (and Ellen) **