Coco Key Water Resort (Fitchburg, MA)

I have to say that I enjoyed my most recent visit to Coco Key Water Resort because I knew what to expect. I have been before and enjoyed it the last time I went as well. I have to completely agree with Brian M however that it was full of a bunch of rude people with out-of-control kids. I guess you can't expect respectful children from disrespectful parents. With that said let me review the park its self.

The park was open from 10am until 9pm but I advise you to get there early to stake out a table in a reasonably good spot. Also make sure you make it clear the table is taken or you might return to someone else sitting and your stuff moved off to the side.

When you first enter you are greeted by very friendly staff who if you are a hotel guest will provide you with a towel. (They will give you one even if you aren't staying at the hotel). Immediately in front of you is the small children's section of the park. It includes small slides water jets and a large bucket that dumps 100+ gallons of water at regular intervals. The water here is less the 6 inches deep and ideal for the little ones to sit and play.

Next you encounter the lazy river where there are ample rafts to take you on a relaxing loop around. Again some of the unpleasant people treat it was a race track and ram into you while you are floating along.

The next section is a pool 3-4 feet deep and contains three basketball hoops and ample balls for everyone to enjoy. This pool also has a jungle gym where you can ease your way across the pool suspended if you like or you can use the massive lily pad floats below to assist. Great place for the kids to enjoy themselves.

The highlight of the park is certainly the three large tube slides that take you outside the building and provide loops and moderate drops. One of the three is designed for little ones and isn't very steep and ends on a mid level and doesn't require a tube. The other two (One dark and one Opaque allowing light in) are similar in size speed and nature. These are fun and provide a little excitement for the older kids and adults.

They also have an indoor/outdoor hot tub which is a great spot to just relax.
The food is very expensive and I absolutely recommend bringing food in with you unless you are prepared to over pay. There aren't any rules about no food from outside so definitely do this.

All in all it is a great time for younger kids and adults with little ones. This isn't a park designed for adults to really enjoy but it does provide a great place to take the kids in the winter. Have reasonable expectation and you will be pleasantly surprised how much fun you can have here.

Christmas Decorations

Today I was greeted with a surprise. There is a lady in the office who is very gifted with art’s and craft’s and has been making mini trees for select people in the office. Apparently I am one of those select people and she made me a beautiful tree.

Normally I am pretty conservative and would never have picked a metallic silver tree for myself much less colored lights but I am very pleased and wouldn’t change a thing about it. Her tree’s are usually themed based on the person’s particular interests but being the relatively private guy that I am I don’t share too much with my co-workers so she opted to make me a traditional Christmas themed tree.


I also included a few other examples of themed tree's she has made. They include the obvious sports teams Bruin's and Patriot's but an even better one for a co-worker named Graham that she refer's to as Graham Cracker. These tree's were all part of her first round and were normal green tree's. Round two are the metallic tree's.

Task 30 - Out Post Farm (Holliston, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (21/20)

Restaurant: Out Post Farm

Website: http://www.outpostfarm.net/

Rating: 5-stars

With Thanksgiving right around the corner I have been craving turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce which lead me to ask around the office for suggestions. Almost unanimously everyone at work pointed me in the direction of the Out Post Farm.

Run by Adrian Collins, the Out Post Farm is not your typical farm stand. In addition to growing fresh produce like apples, pumpkins, corn, tomatoes, squash, and much more on fifty acres they also have a small deli which makes and sells sandwiches and baked goods. While I didn’t stray far from the sandwich menu I did notice that they also have a great selection of hot foods too. The menu is mostly bird centric with turkey and chicken being the main ingredients but there is some other options. There are no seats inside so plan on take out, or if the weather is warm enough enjoy the picnic tables out front.

Craving a sandwich I settled on a #2. If you want a turkey sandwich that reminds you of the one your mother makes then you are in for a treat. My mother is a pretty good cook so it’s a tall order to compare. As described the sandwich looked and tasted like it was made with love by a mother for her child. I couldn't have been more satisfied both in quantity of food and taste. The sandwich had just the right ratio of stuffing and turkey to cranberry sauce and bread.

They offer 6 different bread options from the usual suspects like white and wheat to more unusual options like oat nut and 12 grain. They also have wraps for those looking to cut the carbs.

With all of that said if you are looking for a gourmet sandwich this isn't the place for you but if you’re looking for a tasty sandwich that's sure to satisfy then give it a try.

Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day

This morning while I was putting together my lunch for the day I noticed a few to-go-containers. Given that I am currently in the middle of my month long quest to not eat out I realized that those containers had to be at the very least 15 days old.

It got me thinking I need to clean out my fridge. Funny enough when I got to work and signed online I noticed that today is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. I was curious what the origin of this day was but I wasn’t able to find too much information other then suggestions that Whirlpool originally promoted Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day starting in 1995 and was planned for the third Wednesday in November. In 2000 when the e-cards gave it the fixed date of November 15^th which has stuck since. In 2004 Whirlpool declared April 4-10 Clean out your refrigerator Week but it seems to have been too late to change the date.  I also found other speculation that it was created just in advance of Thanksgiving to allow room for holiday leftovers.

Why is it important to clean out your refrigerator? The answer is simple. Food like everything has a shelf life even if refrigerated or frozen. The food is only safe and health to eat as long as it is stored properly. Proper storage is the most important thing. Improperly stored foods can become rancid or oxidize, making them more dangerous and can lead to other food spoiling or losing its flavor or texture.

Before I grab my gloves tonight to remove the potential biohazards in my fridge I thought I might share some interesting refrigerator facts.

1.    The ideal refrigerator temperature is between 34-40 degrees

2.    Food experts say that fresh poultry, homemade dips, ground meat etc shouldn’t be stored in the fridge for more than 2 days.

3.    Do not store food in the refrigerator in paper bags instead all food should be covered with foil, plastic wrap or in airtight containers.

4.    Some foods can stay longer in a fridge then others and they include raw eggs and cheese.

5.    Never put a hot pan or hot food in the fridge because it can raise the temperature of the fridge beyond the ideal levels. This can cause other food to spoil as a result of the warmth it releases as it cools down.

So guess what I plan to do tonight. That’s right I am going to clean out my fridge. There are a few suggestions on cleaning out your fridge. It doesn’t just involve removing the expired items.

1.    Take everything out of the fridge.

2.    Wash down and disinfect the inside walls of the refrigerator, the shelves, the draws and along the door seal.

3.    Wash everything going back in even the outside of jars;

4.    Vacuum both under the fridge and behind the fridge. Over time dust bunnies accumulate and can reduce the efficiency of the refrigerator.

So guess what I plan to do tonight. I am going to clean out my fridge of anything that is past its prime or nearly there that I don’t plan to use anytime soon is out for good. Wish me luck that I don't run into any USO's (unidentified shriveled objects).

Update: Statue of Liberty

While you may have ready my previous blog entry about visiting the Statue of Liberty I thought I might give an update since it is now closed

Marking her 125^th Anniversary the Statue of Liberty closed for renovations on October 28th. While closed to the public can visit Liberty Island but not the Statue of Liberty. Instead we get an opportunity to see views of the statue and of its surrounding from EarthCam web cameras.

Broadcasting from the torch balcony which has been closed to the public since 1916 the public can enjoy live HD streaming video of New York Harbor and the downtown Manhattan skyline including the Freedom tower rising from Ground Zero.  We also get to see unique views of the Statue herself.  Take a moment to explore: www.earthcam.com/.

Movie Review - Carjacked

Movie: Carjacked

Rating: 3-Stars

Having recently separated from her abusive ex-husband, Lorraine (Maria Bello) is driving home with her young son Chad (Connor Hill) after a session with her support group. Needing fuel for her beater and dinner for both her and Chad she pulls into a gas station. It is clear that she has little control over anything in her life. That's when Roy (Stephen Dorff) appears in her back seat with a loaded gun, and demands that Lorraine starts driving. Roy is a bank robber who's just pulled off a major heist. He's on his way to pick up his money, but with the cops everywhere he's sure to be caught if he goes it alone.

When he asks her if she knows the way to the highway she indicates that she thinks so. He quickly explains to Lorraine that he doesn’t like ambiguity and she tells him that her therapist thinks she is too ambiguous and that is why her life is a mess.

Their 3 hour journey makes several stops along the way and although Roy assures the terrified mother that he will not harm them if they do what he asks, Lorraine begins to suspect they will both be killed once Roy gets his cash. She tries everything to get away. She offers up a police officer at a road block a picture of her family clearly excluding Roy but the officer doesn’t get the hint. She tries speeding to attract a police officer attention and even mouthwash as a pepper spray alternative. Nothing works and they are both trapped.

While refueling again she sees a chance to save her son and tells him to go to the bathroom, then mix with the crowd of children, and get on the bus. Roy quickly discovers he has been had as the bus drives away and he can see Chad sitting in the window.Angered by Lorraine’s deception and lying he locks her in the trunk. She manages to create a hole in the side of the car so she can see and hear what is happening outside.

Reaching the ranch where Roy planned to meet up with one of his accomplices the whole proves useful and she witnesses that the money isn’t there but at a factory. Roy angered by the revelation loses his temper and murders his accomplice.

He quickly puts his dead accomplice in the trunk with Lorraine and sets the car ablaze leaving her to burn alive. Quick thinking saves her life when finds a gun on the accomplices dead body which she uses to shoot the lock on the trunk.

Relieved that she is finally free she begins the task of tracking down her son. She ends up at a truck stop and with no money or cell phone where she begs the clerk for 50 cents to make a call. While on the phone with the police that have her son she witnesses Roy kidnap a mother and daughter.

Determined not to let another family suffer the same fate she takes the law into her own hands and steals a truck and begins pursuing Roy. In a spectacular chase she temporarily disables Roy’s new transportation long enough for the other family to escape and when her truck is destroyed in a spectacular crash takes the upper hand and insists at gun point that Roy take her to the money.

Roy takes control by disarming her once they get to the factory and she narrowly escapes.  Not out of the woods yet she finds herself back in the car with Roy shooting at her. With nothing to lose she runs Roy down. A police officer now on scene quickly orders her out of the car. Before she can explain what was happening Roy appears from the back of the car and guns down the police officer. 

Roy is now looking for any excuse to kill her and tells her to go for the gun at her feet. He goes so far as to shoot her in the leg to bring her closer. Little does Roy know she still had the accomplice’s gun in her belt and quickly fires a shoot into Roy’s chest.

Next we see Lorraine she recovered from her wounds and in court for a custody hearing. A newly confident Lorraine wins not only custody but child support from her unhappy ex-husband. While walking out she takes Chad out for lunch and explains he can have pizza. When he asks if he can have ice cream too his Grandma shares that she found the duffle bag and thinks he can have both if he wants.

Task 37 – Immortals Movie Review

(37) Watch 26 Movies (17/26)

Movie:    Immortals

Rating:   4-Star

Mad with power and a desire to conquer King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) has amassed a blood thirsty army of disfigured soldiers and has declared war against humanity. He is scouring Greece in search for the legendary Epirus bow. The Epirus bow is so powerful and forged in the heavens by Ares that with it he can’t be stopped even by the Gods. The Epirus bow is the key to unleashing the titans who remain imprisoned and bound deep in the walls of Mount Tartaros.

While searching for the Bow King Hyperions men pillage the Greek country murdering the women and children and enslaving the men. He believes that the Sybelline Oracle (Freida Pinto) can tell him where to find the bow and attacks the monastery where she lives. Before he captures the monastery the oracle and her maidens escape into the desert.

In a small Greek village we meet Theseus (Henry Cavill) a peasant born a fatherless bastard. He is coached by an old man how to fight and he protects those he loves from any and all threats. With King Hyperion’s army not far away the village is evacuated but he the other peasants are forced to stay behind to travel the next day.

The old man is shown to be no other then Zeus and we learn that he has chosen Theseus as hero of mankind. Zeus shares this with his daughter who he discovered hiding in the village.

Before they can leave they are betrayed by a traitorous Greek soldier who tells King Hyperion of the village. In a deadly battle the village is obliterated and his mother is killed at the hands of the King himself. Theseus is captured and enslaved and he vows to avenge his mother’s death.  While being taken to the mines as a slave he meets the now captured Sybelline Oracle who sees that he is the key to saving the Greek people. Secretly chosen by Zeus, Theseus must lead his people to victory. After escaping the Sybelline Oracle insists that Theseus give his mother a proper burial and they return to the village. While in the catacombs Theseus discovers the Epirus Bow is attacked by one Hyperions’ beasts and narrowly defeats the masked giant.

They then race to the monastery to stop King Hyperion they are chased by the Kings men and when it seems unlikely they can survive Poseidon intervenes and saves them. Zeus reminds the other gods that ancient law prohibits the Gods from intervening in the conflict of men and tells them if they get involved again he will kill them. Before continuing on to the Monastery they regroup and rest for the night. Here the love story between the Sybelline Oracle and Theseus begins and we watch as she gives herself to him.

Once at the monastery they discover that the King is not there and has a trap for them. Ensarled again in a deadly battle and with the Epirus Bow taken they are once more assisted by the Gods. Zeus angry the Gods intervened kills one of his own and tells Theseus that they will never again help him and that he must be victorious on his own.

They race to get to Mount Tartaros before King Hyperion and they advise the council that King Hyperion has the bow and to seal the city gate. Ridiculed for believing in such myths the council believes they can reach a diplomatic end to the battle. Before attacking King Hyperion offers Theseus a chance to join him. Theseus rebukes his offer and reminds him he killed his mother and he will settle for nothing less than retribution.

With the city gate now sealed King Hyperion uses the power of the Epirus Bow to penetrate the fortified city. He makes easy entrance and a deadly battle ensues. In the fight King Hyperion sprints to the prison of the titans in the depths of Mount Tartaras and releases the titans. With the titans now released Zeus and the other Gods intervene and begin a deadly battle of Gods and man. Titans vs. the Gods and King Hyperion vs. Theseus.  With the battles nearly ending with the Gods loosing and Theseus being defeated Zeus is forced to destroy Mount Tartaros to entomb the Titans. Just prior to the collapse Theseus’s will gives him the strength to defeat King Hyperion and exacting his revenge for his mother’s death. We watch as the mountain collapses destroying King Hyperion’s men and once again entombing the titans.

When the dust settles we are back in Theseus’s village and watch his son from his night with the Sybelline Oracle gaze proudly at his father’s memorial. The old man who had coached Theseus before is again telling Theseus’s son that he too like his father has been chosen and will be called on to protect mankind.

Eli's Morning Ritual

I just had to post this animated cartoon of a cat and his relationship with his owner. This reminded me exactly of the relationship I have with my kitty Eli. Enjoy!!

Task 5 – Anheuser-Busch Beermaster Brewery Tour

(05) Visit a winery or brewery & take the tour

Activity:    Anheuser-Busch Beermaster Brewery Tour

Location: 221 Daniel Webster Highway,  Merrimack, NH 03054

Website: www.budweisertours.com/

Cost:         $25.00 per person

When:       October 21, 2011

Rating:     5-Stars

If you haven't tried the un-pasteurized beer straight from the cold finishing tanks at the Anheuser-Busch Merrimack Brewery then you really haven't tried beer at its best. With the Anheuser-Busch Beer Master Tour you get to do that and much more.

When you arrive at the brewery welcome center for your tour expect to spend some quality time with your tour guide and be prepared to drink some beer. Your Anheuser-Busch tour guide will start by sharing some interesting company history while you sample your first beer. We tried the Shocktop Pumpkin Wheat. Your tour guide will then show you the magic in a step by step tour from the raw ingredients to the cold frosty end result.

You start the walking tour in the perfectly manicured grounds looking at the hop garden. There the guide will explain that hops are cone-shaped blossoms and is the spice of beer.  You learn that hops contribute the bitterness that balances the malts sweetness.

Before entering the building they walk you by the grain handling area and you begin to appreciate the true scale of the operation in Merrimack. The train cars filled with grain dwarf humans and automobiles alike.

When you enter the building you are immediately looking at the bottom of the huge mash tanks. After a quick elevator ride you find yourself learning the intricate process of beer making in their master control room. Here you get to ask questions to the guys making sure that every step of the process is going exactly as they planned.  The room has a wall of monitors you would expect to see at NASA. Each screen represents a different step in the process and with the click of the mouse they can control and makes changes on the fly when required.

Next you venture out into the tank room controlled by those guys. The first set of tanks are where the mashing process takes place. The mash tanks are where they combine ground barley malt and water. Next to it is the cooker where they mix milled rice and water. Eventually, boiled rice is mixed with the malt in the mash tank.  This is where step one in the magical process occurs. When combined the natural enzymes the malt breaks down the grains starch into fermentable sugars.  This malty liquid is called wort.

Next, the converted mash goes into the Lauter Tuns where the mash is strained and the wort is slowly drawn off. This process takes over an hour to complete and once complete the wort is moved to the Brew Kettle where the secret blend of hops is added. Here the wort and hops are vigorously boiled and the liquid is again strained and cooled in sterile conditions.

Once cooled the wort  is moved to the fermentation tanks. In the fermentation tanks yeast is added. Here yeast metabolizes the sugar in the wort into ethyl alcohol and CO2 with the help of beechwood chips; they aren't kidding when they say "Beechwood Aged". The Beechwood chips enhance the fermentation process and are said to create a more crisp and naturally carbonated beer.

It is then moved to the finishing tanks where it takes 30-45 days to age to perfection. This is also where the beer is filtered if desired. This was my favorite stop as we again got to sample beer. We got to sample Bud Light which, I am not usually a fan, but I found that it was really tasty right from the finishing tank. If only you could swing by the brewery for fresh beer.

Of course all products have to go through QA which was our next stop. Here we got to see science at work as they tested the beer to ensure consistency and perfection.  We also learned that the Beer Master samples the beer regularly. To do this he has a finely tuned pallet which prohibits him from smoking, drinking anything alcohol based, or engaging in any other activities that might alter those taste buds.

After passing the QA testing the beer is packaged for distribution. It is also pasteurized by heating and cooling the beer which kills the bacteria that causes the yeast to grow. This is done to increase the shelf life of beer from 60 days to about 120 days.  The bottles and cans are washed, filled, capped, sealed, pasteurized, labeled and boxed in a nearly automated system of conveyors, lifts, flippers and all kinds of crazy things.

Once completed the tour ends in the tasting room. Here you get 4 samplers to try which was picked by the tour guide. We tried Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Style Lager, Stella Artois, Redbridge, Shock Top Raspberry Wheat & Rolling Rock. We got one extra because I asked to sample the gluten free Redbridge.

Then you get one more full size sample. I choose the Shock Top Raspberry since I prefer unfiltered beer.  Let's just say by this point everyone in the group should at least be feeling good. Before leaving the brewery to see the horses we got a surprise care package which included our honorary Beer Master Certificate and a 12oz Anheuser-Busch glass to take home in addition to the hat we received at the beginning of the tour.

After the tour is over you have the option of going to see the clydesdales in their barn. The beautiful horses are an icon of Anheuser-Busch and have been almost since the beginning. It was a little cold so we didn't stick around very long but got to appreciate their size and mild mannered disposition.

Task 38 – 2011 Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular @ Roger Williams Park Zoo

(38) Visit 10 Festivals of Fairs (06/20)

Festival:    Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular

Website:    http://www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org/jols/

When: October 6 - 31, 2011

Rating: 4-Stars

This past weekend Dan and I braved the two hour long line and experienced the amazing glow of over 5000 pumpkins all intricately carved with painstaking detail at the Roger Williams Park Zoo Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular. They were displayed according to this year’s theme of “A Journey Around The World”. It includes pumpkins of all different sizes from the smallest sugar pumpkins to the biggest pumpkin I have ever seen weighing in at over 1600 pounds all carved with iconic images of places and people from around the world and depicting scenes from the Seven Wonders of the World. It also included representations of nations from around the world including a European Vacation and a trip through the Great North complete with falling snow. The main centerpiece was the Laughing Tree with its branches covers with pumpkins and surrounded by its army of pumpkin followers.

The Spectacular was founded by John Reckner, an Oxford, Massachusetts postal carrier. Inspired by a Vermont farm he had seen lined with glowing jack o’ lanterns, Reckner organized the first Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular in Oxford in 1988. The 185 jack o’ lanterns featured in this first Spectacular were carved by local residents and displayed for only one evening on a hillside behind a local school. About 300 spectators attended. Today, Mr. Reckner, his family, and their crew of jack o’ lantern artists continue to bring the Spectacular to life, thrilling tens of thousands of visitors each October.

If you live anywhere within driving distance of Providence, RI it is definitely worth the trip. It is open nightly through Halloween night beginning at 6 pm (be aware that weekends have long lines) and going until 10 pm for a cost of $14 for adults. Use your AAA Membership to save $2.

Dragon Kite

Over the summer, on one of my better tag sale adventures, I purchased a 76” kite for $2.00 which when flown looks like a dragon in the sky. We really haven’t had a very windy day and so it sat in the corner still in its original packaging.

Today with the winds howling I thought it would be an idea day to break out the new kite and let it take its maiden flight. Dan and I made our way up to Green Hill Park where we knew the winds would be ideal and picked a spot away from most of the people enjoying the park. Surprisingly there was only one other person out with a kite and he seemed to be having a great deal of difficulty keeping his kite in the air.

Hoping to have better luck we carefully unpacked the kite and got it all set up. I discovered that there were two options when configuring the wing setup and picked the one closest to the body structure.

The kite quickly took flight and as quickly crashed into the ground. This back and for went on for about 10 minutes before I decided to take another look at the wing configuration. I discovered that the main supports had almost come undone. I tightened them and put the wing supports in the option farthest out on the wing to give it more stiffness.

I offered the string to Dan and this time the kite went right up and flew consistently. I got some great pictures of it soaring high above in the sky. It crashed a few more times but mostly because the wind was finicky and was howling one minute and gone the next.

I took the controls for the second half and enjoyed flying the kite much more once we got the kinks ironed out of the wings and untangled the string.

It did provide almost 90 minutes of fun for us both and it was a great way to spend a relaxing weekend. I am sure that Dan and I will be flying this beauty again. Here are a few pictures of the Dragon Kite.