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Today was a day that made me extremely proud of our entire Alternative Spring Break team; we got things accomplished in a timely manner. This included: scrapping paint, sanding, weeding, and oh so very much more. I am so happy that I got to meet Rhonda, the homeowner of the house we are working on! While talking with her I got a little insight into her life and was truly touched. I found out how much her and her husband like going out into the yard and looking at flowers while they enjoy their time together. Unfortunately, due to the tornado that hit a couple of months ago there has been debris and destruction that has been left in the way, ruining their view of their beautiful landscape. This immediately made me want to fix this saddening story. A group of girls and I thought about how we wanted their place of relaxation to return. That day I asked Rhonda if she would mind if we created a garden for her and she was thrilled and excited about the idea. We staked out an area and began planning our idea of a lovely looking garden right in front of the porch where Rhonda and her husband can sit and admire it in the mornings while they enjoy their coffee. The girls and I picked out a bunch of perennial flowers that will brighten up the front yard!
After a long work day the entire group got an old fashion, good time, tour of Joplin, MO in the path the tornado took from Howard. Seeing all of the destruction made me realize how truly powerful supporting others can be. Just to be able to see all the progress that has been made in less than a year is amazingly inspiring. The people of Joplin are so kind and genuinely thankful; it makes me want to volunteer for even longer than we are here for. Due to this factor, I know that it is going to be extremely hard to leave!
Krista :)
Fundraising Trip Leader
31 Aralık 2012 Pazartesi
This is not the end, it's only the beginning.
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Molly was totally right when she said for the next couple of weeks you will have withdrawls from ASB. You will want to wake up and work on a house, and make a small change. She was totally right about that. I woke up wondering why there were no alarm clocks waking me up or the slams of the doors from the bathroom. I already miss that place and it hasn't even been a whole day.
This past week was one of the greatest experience I have ever been through. I have never known that a whole pack of 26 people could become so close within 7 days and make such a small but moving change in someone's life. There have been so many memories filled with tears, smiles, laughter, and hardwork. And I will never forget my Spring Break of 2012 due to each and every special person that was able to spend such a great week with. Joplin has left such a huge impression on my life, one that I will never forget. I was absolutely blown away by Joplin's strength and faith throughout all their struggles. Joplin really opened my eyes that material things are nothing compared to people, whether its your family members, your friends, or even your coworkers, those are the things that matter, and Joplin, thank you for really showing that to me. All of these memories will have such a lasting impression on me. Whether it was seeing "Hope" High School, the Hospital, Cunningham Park, Howie's incredible tour, the house we worked on, ziplining, way too many sonic trips or just simply spending quality time with an amazing group, all of those things I will never forget. I hope I will get to see each and everyone of the people that I spent my spring break of 2012 with soon, and I love you all.
Back to Reality,
Melissa
This past week was one of the greatest experience I have ever been through. I have never known that a whole pack of 26 people could become so close within 7 days and make such a small but moving change in someone's life. There have been so many memories filled with tears, smiles, laughter, and hardwork. And I will never forget my Spring Break of 2012 due to each and every special person that was able to spend such a great week with. Joplin has left such a huge impression on my life, one that I will never forget. I was absolutely blown away by Joplin's strength and faith throughout all their struggles. Joplin really opened my eyes that material things are nothing compared to people, whether its your family members, your friends, or even your coworkers, those are the things that matter, and Joplin, thank you for really showing that to me. All of these memories will have such a lasting impression on me. Whether it was seeing "Hope" High School, the Hospital, Cunningham Park, Howie's incredible tour, the house we worked on, ziplining, way too many sonic trips or just simply spending quality time with an amazing group, all of those things I will never forget. I hope I will get to see each and everyone of the people that I spent my spring break of 2012 with soon, and I love you all.
Back to Reality,
Melissa
It's That Time of Year Again!
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How time flies! I cannot believe it is already the end of September. It feels like yesterday we were heading back from Joplin, Missouri and I was eager to apply for a trip leader position. After the last few crazy weeks of the semester and getting the finance trip leader position I was eager to begin planning for the next Alternative Spring Break trip. After what seemed like a quick summer full of researching, planning and fundraising we have finally made it back to Framingham State and guess what... ASB is in full swing!
Applications have been out for a mere four days and already submissions have been coming in fast and furiously! It is hard to contain my excitement about the trip and I cannot wait until we officially have our group that will be heading to Biloxi, Mississippi. I find myself constantly thinking about ASB and putting off school work to focus on this trip. Attending Alternative Spring Break last year changed my life and I only hope that the trip to Biloxi will have the same effect on other Framingham State students. It is going to be a crazy few weeks full of reading applications, interviewing potential ASB members and notifying our final group. These past five months have flown by so I can only imagine how quickly the rest of this year will pass. In no time it will be spring break and ASB will be off to a new location to create new memories that will last a lifetime!
Carolyn Holland
ASB Trip Leader
Applications have been out for a mere four days and already submissions have been coming in fast and furiously! It is hard to contain my excitement about the trip and I cannot wait until we officially have our group that will be heading to Biloxi, Mississippi. I find myself constantly thinking about ASB and putting off school work to focus on this trip. Attending Alternative Spring Break last year changed my life and I only hope that the trip to Biloxi will have the same effect on other Framingham State students. It is going to be a crazy few weeks full of reading applications, interviewing potential ASB members and notifying our final group. These past five months have flown by so I can only imagine how quickly the rest of this year will pass. In no time it will be spring break and ASB will be off to a new location to create new memories that will last a lifetime!
Carolyn Holland
ASB Trip Leader
We're almost there!
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WOW time flies! It's such an awesome feeling to be so close to having a group! Going to Joplin, MO was such an amazing experience, and I'm so excited to be a part of ASB 2013. My perspective, now as a trip leader, has completely shifted from last year. Right now, I just really want to get as many wonderful people as possible involved in this experience. I hope it will change them the way that it changed me, and I want to make sure that I'm making their ASB experience as amazing and life-changing as possible. Picking the group (and the chaperones!) will, I'm sure, be a stressful, but absolutely rewarding experience in the end :)
-Tori Dost
"Blessed are those who see beauty in humble places, where others see nothing." -Camille Pissarro
-Tori Dost
"Blessed are those who see beauty in humble places, where others see nothing." -Camille Pissarro
A Year in Review: I Cannot Wait for 2013
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Hello everyone!
This is my first time posting on a blog and I am really excited to do so. In the past, I feel like I have been able to express myself better.
What a year it has been.....there has been change both in my personal life as well as in the real world. One of the highlights of my year was being invited to join a group of 25 other students and faculty on ASB to Mississippi. I have had many friends that went on the Joplin trip and based on their stories and testimonies, I knew this was something that I wanted to do. I have always loved helping people and wanted to have the chance to make a difference to those who were deeply affected by the BP Oil Spill and past hurricanes. I have seen the photos and the damage that has been done by this community and feel horrible for them. The efforts being made in this instance show who the heroes are in this country; they take time from thier lives and dedicate it towards helping fix the area and make it a better place. It is because of thier continued dedication that I also want to have the chance to make an impact and gain a sense of confidence. I want to challenge myself and do something that I have never done before, and I know that doing this will definetly guide me in becoming the person I want to be.
Seeing everything that has occured in the past year has taught me to be grateful for everything I have.Since becoming a member of ASB, I have begun to see things in a new light that I have never seen before. I have learn to gain a better understanding of what people go through and how much one simple thing really does change everything. These events have shown me how important volunteering is and that doing this does make an impact. I think that by finding photos, it will help me express my true opinions.
The one thing I want to talk about is Hurricane Sandy. Although I was not directly impacted, the devastation was heartbreaking:
This photo was particularly devastating to me. This roller coaster was a part of a boardwalk in which 1000s of people would walk on every summer. It was a part of a culutre that many people looked forward to every year. To many families, the boardwalk symbolizes fun and many family memories. With one storm, everything changed. The rollercoaster is now under water and broken. The places surrounding it are gone and only pieces of it remain. It was so devastating to see this because families did not know what to do. The emotion that came from these pictures are unspeakable; I can only imagine what they are going through. I wish that I could have gone on the boardwalk in order to understand how much this meant to the people that went there. It is through times like these that we truly come together and support one another. I am so lucky to be a part of a nation that is there for one another. I am looking forward to helping/ seeing what happens next.
It was through Hurricane Sandy that I strongly encourage every person to do something towards the cause. It gave me no greater feeling then when I was able to participate in FSU's Kiss a Pig Fundraiser. The event was so much fun and knowing that my money was going to those deeply affected made me feel so good about myself. I could not stop smiling whenever I talked about it because it was so much fun! I cannot wait to do the same when in Mississippi!! I know that going there and helping out CCI will be a grateful experience that will help me understand the serious damage that occured to one of the states in our great nation!
Love
Carly :)
This is my first time posting on a blog and I am really excited to do so. In the past, I feel like I have been able to express myself better.
What a year it has been.....there has been change both in my personal life as well as in the real world. One of the highlights of my year was being invited to join a group of 25 other students and faculty on ASB to Mississippi. I have had many friends that went on the Joplin trip and based on their stories and testimonies, I knew this was something that I wanted to do. I have always loved helping people and wanted to have the chance to make a difference to those who were deeply affected by the BP Oil Spill and past hurricanes. I have seen the photos and the damage that has been done by this community and feel horrible for them. The efforts being made in this instance show who the heroes are in this country; they take time from thier lives and dedicate it towards helping fix the area and make it a better place. It is because of thier continued dedication that I also want to have the chance to make an impact and gain a sense of confidence. I want to challenge myself and do something that I have never done before, and I know that doing this will definetly guide me in becoming the person I want to be.
Seeing everything that has occured in the past year has taught me to be grateful for everything I have.Since becoming a member of ASB, I have begun to see things in a new light that I have never seen before. I have learn to gain a better understanding of what people go through and how much one simple thing really does change everything. These events have shown me how important volunteering is and that doing this does make an impact. I think that by finding photos, it will help me express my true opinions.
The one thing I want to talk about is Hurricane Sandy. Although I was not directly impacted, the devastation was heartbreaking:
It was through Hurricane Sandy that I strongly encourage every person to do something towards the cause. It gave me no greater feeling then when I was able to participate in FSU's Kiss a Pig Fundraiser. The event was so much fun and knowing that my money was going to those deeply affected made me feel so good about myself. I could not stop smiling whenever I talked about it because it was so much fun! I cannot wait to do the same when in Mississippi!! I know that going there and helping out CCI will be a grateful experience that will help me understand the serious damage that occured to one of the states in our great nation!
Love
Carly :)
27 Aralık 2012 Perşembe
Thanks on the Dairy
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During this month of thanks over on Facebook many people have been listing what they are thankful for every day. I have been pondering the things I am thankful for.
There are a bajillion things to be thankful for in my life; Christ, family, friends...etc not the least.
Here are a few other things I am thankful for:
1) Country living.
2) A child who wants her hair long. She's never gone through the 'stage' of wanting to trim her own hair.
3) A husband who says "Thank you" after almost every meal.
4) A climate where we can grow sweet potatoes and watermelons.
5) Good neighbors.
6) A great church family.
7) Wonderful in-laws.
8) A warm fuzzy cat who doesn't get on table.
9) A computer to connect with the outside world
10) Books. I love books.
There's ten of them. At the moment I do not have time to elaborate on each one. Some have funny stories to go with them.
Maybe next time.
There are a bajillion things to be thankful for in my life; Christ, family, friends...etc not the least.
Here are a few other things I am thankful for:
1) Country living.
2) A child who wants her hair long. She's never gone through the 'stage' of wanting to trim her own hair.
3) A husband who says "Thank you" after almost every meal.
4) A climate where we can grow sweet potatoes and watermelons.
5) Good neighbors.
6) A great church family.
7) Wonderful in-laws.
8) A warm fuzzy cat who doesn't get on table.
9) A computer to connect with the outside world
10) Books. I love books.
There's ten of them. At the moment I do not have time to elaborate on each one. Some have funny stories to go with them.
Maybe next time.
More Thanks
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Didn't I leave off at 10?
I believe so.
11. Teaching the teens at church. They never fail to make me laugh. I used to be terrified of kids; teens in particular. But we have such a great group of teens at church. Their sincerity for Christ is always an inspiration.
12. My health. I never take that for granted. I always give God thanks for good health.
13. Music I am not a big music fan; of any genre. But when I get in the mood to listen, I enjoy it very much.
14. The car. You may laugh at this, but I can't overemphasize how nice it is to go grocery shopping in a car instead of a truck. Especially when I have Ellen along.
15. The gift of laughter. The older I get the more I learn how to laugh at myself. I wish I'd learned the knack of not taking myself too seriously back when I was about 12. I think I would have been more outgoing.
16. Living in a land of plenty. There is no other country in the world where food is so plentiful and cheap. It's a privilege we often take for granted.
17. Good teeth. Another one you can laugh at if you want. But I think it's a great blessing to reach age 44 and not have a cavity.
18. The icemaker. It simplifies things in the kitchen for one thing. And for another; all I have to do at meal time is put ice in the glasses and Ellen will hear it and come to the table from where-ever in the house she may be. It's like a dinner bell for her.
19. Electricity. Listen, you may think this is a trivial one, but I know there are places in the world where they don't have any. Back in '07 we went 9 days without it and believe you me, life is so much easier with electricity. As in, hot showers...etc.
20. A husband who knows how to fix things; everything from wells to toilets. He's the man!
I believe so.
11. Teaching the teens at church. They never fail to make me laugh. I used to be terrified of kids; teens in particular. But we have such a great group of teens at church. Their sincerity for Christ is always an inspiration.
12. My health. I never take that for granted. I always give God thanks for good health.
13. Music I am not a big music fan; of any genre. But when I get in the mood to listen, I enjoy it very much.
14. The car. You may laugh at this, but I can't overemphasize how nice it is to go grocery shopping in a car instead of a truck. Especially when I have Ellen along.
15. The gift of laughter. The older I get the more I learn how to laugh at myself. I wish I'd learned the knack of not taking myself too seriously back when I was about 12. I think I would have been more outgoing.
16. Living in a land of plenty. There is no other country in the world where food is so plentiful and cheap. It's a privilege we often take for granted.
17. Good teeth. Another one you can laugh at if you want. But I think it's a great blessing to reach age 44 and not have a cavity.
18. The icemaker. It simplifies things in the kitchen for one thing. And for another; all I have to do at meal time is put ice in the glasses and Ellen will hear it and come to the table from where-ever in the house she may be. It's like a dinner bell for her.
19. Electricity. Listen, you may think this is a trivial one, but I know there are places in the world where they don't have any. Back in '07 we went 9 days without it and believe you me, life is so much easier with electricity. As in, hot showers...etc.
20. A husband who knows how to fix things; everything from wells to toilets. He's the man!
Makin' a List
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Way back when I still lived in Portland, I remember my wry, eye-rolling amusement at my sister-in-law for her lists. She lived her life by lists and her day-runner (Blackberries and iPads and other such high-tech organizational helps not having been invented yet); grocery, errands, church activities, school activities...etc. You name it, she had a list for it.
At that time I lived such a simple life I thought it was all hilarious.
Times have changed.
Not that I don't live a simple life now, and I am still terribly disorganized.
But I find that a running list helps me to get things done. Hubby always has a running list of things to do.
We, hubby and I, are alike in that we use no high-tech gadgets for our list keeping. Not even a day-runner. We specialize in random slips of paper; stuffed in pockets, lying around on tables, counters or chairs.
It certainly helps me focus my activites to get things accomplished; even the simplest weekly house chores. I write them down and then cross them off when I have finished. At the end of the day or week I have a better sense of accomplishment.
Someday Ellen will probably be rolling her eyes at me, but that's all good. I bet anything she will start making lists by time she is in middle school.
Ha.
At that time I lived such a simple life I thought it was all hilarious.
Times have changed.
Not that I don't live a simple life now, and I am still terribly disorganized.
But I find that a running list helps me to get things done. Hubby always has a running list of things to do.
We, hubby and I, are alike in that we use no high-tech gadgets for our list keeping. Not even a day-runner. We specialize in random slips of paper; stuffed in pockets, lying around on tables, counters or chairs.
It certainly helps me focus my activites to get things accomplished; even the simplest weekly house chores. I write them down and then cross them off when I have finished. At the end of the day or week I have a better sense of accomplishment.
Someday Ellen will probably be rolling her eyes at me, but that's all good. I bet anything she will start making lists by time she is in middle school.
Ha.
Where to go, how to go about this
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It is high time to do some Christmas shopping.
Do I shop locally, where they have nothing that I want to give as gifts? Do I get the best of the mediocre that they have to offer around Dallas County?
Do I go out of our county to a larger town that may or may not have what I want? That means spending more on gas.
Or do I just go online and use the credit card? Sometimes you can get good deals with low shipping charges, that would be comparable to the gas I'd spend if I went out of town.
Hmmm...
I dunno.
Ellen wants a Barbie lap top. I don't know what they do or don't do or if they'd grow along with her. I think it'd be a nice idea to get her something computer-ish that she could learn from, with games and such. i would just like her to be able to get some use out of it throughout gradeschool, not just when she is a little'un. I guess I really need to go to a superstore somewhere and investigate the possibilities.
Hubby reads this blog. I already know at least 3 things that I am going to get him. I already have one of them. I think they will all be locally purchased.
The rest of the family. Hmmmm...
Hmmmm, I say.
Do I shop locally, where they have nothing that I want to give as gifts? Do I get the best of the mediocre that they have to offer around Dallas County?
Do I go out of our county to a larger town that may or may not have what I want? That means spending more on gas.
Or do I just go online and use the credit card? Sometimes you can get good deals with low shipping charges, that would be comparable to the gas I'd spend if I went out of town.
Hmmm...
I dunno.
Ellen wants a Barbie lap top. I don't know what they do or don't do or if they'd grow along with her. I think it'd be a nice idea to get her something computer-ish that she could learn from, with games and such. i would just like her to be able to get some use out of it throughout gradeschool, not just when she is a little'un. I guess I really need to go to a superstore somewhere and investigate the possibilities.
Hubby reads this blog. I already know at least 3 things that I am going to get him. I already have one of them. I think they will all be locally purchased.
The rest of the family. Hmmmm...
Hmmmm, I say.
"Take my picture and put it on your blog"
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OK, Ellen. Here is your picture on mommy's blog.
This Santa hat has spent all year on the top shelf of her closet. Off and on she has wanted it down in the worst way, but I have made her wait 'til Christmas. Well....close enough to Christmas. She just couldn't stand it any longer. So last night I got it down and this AM she wanted her picture taken and wanted me to post it on my blog.
This was not what I was going to blog about, but it's awfully cute!
And while we are on the subject of Christmas. Ellen has talked several times about Santa Claus not being real and all. She wants to know the specific reason WHY he isn't real, and we go over how there really are reindeer but that they can't really fly. Elves don't really exist...etc.
But in school they wrote a letter to Santa this week, and Ellen was all happy about that. Hubby wanted her to tell him what she asked Santa to bring her; you know, so he could get her one of those gifts and tell her Santa brought it to her. But to hubby's utter annoyance and vexation she said; "Oh, I can't tell you, it's a secret!" And she wouldn't tell me either. I laughed and laughed.
BUT. Last night she decided she wanted to write a second letter to Santa; and she wanted to dictate it to me. So hubby is going to get some Christmas gift ideas after all. Ha ha...
OK, Ellen. Here is your picture on mommy's blog.
This Santa hat has spent all year on the top shelf of her closet. Off and on she has wanted it down in the worst way, but I have made her wait 'til Christmas. Well....close enough to Christmas. She just couldn't stand it any longer. So last night I got it down and this AM she wanted her picture taken and wanted me to post it on my blog. This was not what I was going to blog about, but it's awfully cute!
And while we are on the subject of Christmas. Ellen has talked several times about Santa Claus not being real and all. She wants to know the specific reason WHY he isn't real, and we go over how there really are reindeer but that they can't really fly. Elves don't really exist...etc.
But in school they wrote a letter to Santa this week, and Ellen was all happy about that. Hubby wanted her to tell him what she asked Santa to bring her; you know, so he could get her one of those gifts and tell her Santa brought it to her. But to hubby's utter annoyance and vexation she said; "Oh, I can't tell you, it's a secret!" And she wouldn't tell me either. I laughed and laughed.
BUT. Last night she decided she wanted to write a second letter to Santa; and she wanted to dictate it to me. So hubby is going to get some Christmas gift ideas after all. Ha ha...
20 Aralık 2012 Perşembe
inSPiRING BREAK!
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This week was truly amazing. I never could have imagined how much I would take away from it. I had some hesitations at the beginning of the week since I hadn't made too many meetings and I didn't know if I would be able to contribute because of my shoulder pain, but the minute I stepped into the airport and met up with everyone I knew this week would be a blast. Being a transfer to FSU I hadn't known more than 5 people on campus prior to this trip. Now that the week is over, I can stay that I have 25 more friends on campus and I love every single one of them like family.
This trip really opened up my eyes to what other people around the world deal with. We don't experience tornadoes in Massachusetts so to see how much devastation one tornado could have on a town made me incredibly thankful for living in a part of the country that doesn't worry about them. It also made me realize how much materials don't really matter. After seeing what these people have lost and how they've continued to live past, it reenforces that though a disaster like this would be devastating, all that matters to me is that my family and friends make it out alive.
The people in this town are more amazing than anyone I have every met. They are so thankful for us being here, but really we are the ones who should be thankful for their hospitality and welcoming. The people of Joplin are strong and they will continue to come back from this unfortunate disaster. As for us, we will forever be changed by this experience and we will never forget our inSPiRING BREAK in Joplin, MO.
-Lynnea
This trip really opened up my eyes to what other people around the world deal with. We don't experience tornadoes in Massachusetts so to see how much devastation one tornado could have on a town made me incredibly thankful for living in a part of the country that doesn't worry about them. It also made me realize how much materials don't really matter. After seeing what these people have lost and how they've continued to live past, it reenforces that though a disaster like this would be devastating, all that matters to me is that my family and friends make it out alive.
The people in this town are more amazing than anyone I have every met. They are so thankful for us being here, but really we are the ones who should be thankful for their hospitality and welcoming. The people of Joplin are strong and they will continue to come back from this unfortunate disaster. As for us, we will forever be changed by this experience and we will never forget our inSPiRING BREAK in Joplin, MO.
-Lynnea
coming to an end, but beginning many new longlasting friendships
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Hi All--
So today is the last work day of our trip. What can I say--this was the best trip I have ever been on. It has been filled with so many memories, emotions, long lasting friendships, tears, laughs, funny stories, discussions, fun, hard work, over coming fears and barriers, and helping people that may or may not have been able to help themselves.
I have loved every minute of this trip from beginning to end. It has been a life changing experiences, that I will never forget, and always keep close to my heart. I love all my new family members--aka the ASB 2012 crew. I think that we were all meant to come together for this great purpose, and I can't think of being here with anyone else.
To all of you--thank you for making this such a memorable trip--you mean so much to me. :) I look forward to deepening our friendships even after this trip is over. Thank you to Scott, Howie, Rhonda, and anyone else in Joplin that gave us such a warm welcome and sincere hospitality. I will always remember you.
Joplin started something very special for me in many aspects and I cant wait to tell everyone at home my stories and experiences.
Love You All,
<3 Mary
So today is the last work day of our trip. What can I say--this was the best trip I have ever been on. It has been filled with so many memories, emotions, long lasting friendships, tears, laughs, funny stories, discussions, fun, hard work, over coming fears and barriers, and helping people that may or may not have been able to help themselves.
I have loved every minute of this trip from beginning to end. It has been a life changing experiences, that I will never forget, and always keep close to my heart. I love all my new family members--aka the ASB 2012 crew. I think that we were all meant to come together for this great purpose, and I can't think of being here with anyone else.
To all of you--thank you for making this such a memorable trip--you mean so much to me. :) I look forward to deepening our friendships even after this trip is over. Thank you to Scott, Howie, Rhonda, and anyone else in Joplin that gave us such a warm welcome and sincere hospitality. I will always remember you.
Joplin started something very special for me in many aspects and I cant wait to tell everyone at home my stories and experiences.
Love You All,
<3 Mary
This is not the end, it's only the beginning.
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Molly was totally right when she said for the next couple of weeks you will have withdrawls from ASB. You will want to wake up and work on a house, and make a small change. She was totally right about that. I woke up wondering why there were no alarm clocks waking me up or the slams of the doors from the bathroom. I already miss that place and it hasn't even been a whole day.
This past week was one of the greatest experience I have ever been through. I have never known that a whole pack of 26 people could become so close within 7 days and make such a small but moving change in someone's life. There have been so many memories filled with tears, smiles, laughter, and hardwork. And I will never forget my Spring Break of 2012 due to each and every special person that was able to spend such a great week with. Joplin has left such a huge impression on my life, one that I will never forget. I was absolutely blown away by Joplin's strength and faith throughout all their struggles. Joplin really opened my eyes that material things are nothing compared to people, whether its your family members, your friends, or even your coworkers, those are the things that matter, and Joplin, thank you for really showing that to me. All of these memories will have such a lasting impression on me. Whether it was seeing "Hope" High School, the Hospital, Cunningham Park, Howie's incredible tour, the house we worked on, ziplining, way too many sonic trips or just simply spending quality time with an amazing group, all of those things I will never forget. I hope I will get to see each and everyone of the people that I spent my spring break of 2012 with soon, and I love you all.
Back to Reality,
Melissa
This past week was one of the greatest experience I have ever been through. I have never known that a whole pack of 26 people could become so close within 7 days and make such a small but moving change in someone's life. There have been so many memories filled with tears, smiles, laughter, and hardwork. And I will never forget my Spring Break of 2012 due to each and every special person that was able to spend such a great week with. Joplin has left such a huge impression on my life, one that I will never forget. I was absolutely blown away by Joplin's strength and faith throughout all their struggles. Joplin really opened my eyes that material things are nothing compared to people, whether its your family members, your friends, or even your coworkers, those are the things that matter, and Joplin, thank you for really showing that to me. All of these memories will have such a lasting impression on me. Whether it was seeing "Hope" High School, the Hospital, Cunningham Park, Howie's incredible tour, the house we worked on, ziplining, way too many sonic trips or just simply spending quality time with an amazing group, all of those things I will never forget. I hope I will get to see each and everyone of the people that I spent my spring break of 2012 with soon, and I love you all.
Back to Reality,
Melissa
It's That Time of Year Again!
To contact us Click HERE
How time flies! I cannot believe it is already the end of September. It feels like yesterday we were heading back from Joplin, Missouri and I was eager to apply for a trip leader position. After the last few crazy weeks of the semester and getting the finance trip leader position I was eager to begin planning for the next Alternative Spring Break trip. After what seemed like a quick summer full of researching, planning and fundraising we have finally made it back to Framingham State and guess what... ASB is in full swing!
Applications have been out for a mere four days and already submissions have been coming in fast and furiously! It is hard to contain my excitement about the trip and I cannot wait until we officially have our group that will be heading to Biloxi, Mississippi. I find myself constantly thinking about ASB and putting off school work to focus on this trip. Attending Alternative Spring Break last year changed my life and I only hope that the trip to Biloxi will have the same effect on other Framingham State students. It is going to be a crazy few weeks full of reading applications, interviewing potential ASB members and notifying our final group. These past five months have flown by so I can only imagine how quickly the rest of this year will pass. In no time it will be spring break and ASB will be off to a new location to create new memories that will last a lifetime!
Carolyn Holland
ASB Trip Leader
Applications have been out for a mere four days and already submissions have been coming in fast and furiously! It is hard to contain my excitement about the trip and I cannot wait until we officially have our group that will be heading to Biloxi, Mississippi. I find myself constantly thinking about ASB and putting off school work to focus on this trip. Attending Alternative Spring Break last year changed my life and I only hope that the trip to Biloxi will have the same effect on other Framingham State students. It is going to be a crazy few weeks full of reading applications, interviewing potential ASB members and notifying our final group. These past five months have flown by so I can only imagine how quickly the rest of this year will pass. In no time it will be spring break and ASB will be off to a new location to create new memories that will last a lifetime!
Carolyn Holland
ASB Trip Leader
We're almost there!
To contact us Click HERE
WOW time flies! It's such an awesome feeling to be so close to having a group! Going to Joplin, MO was such an amazing experience, and I'm so excited to be a part of ASB 2013. My perspective, now as a trip leader, has completely shifted from last year. Right now, I just really want to get as many wonderful people as possible involved in this experience. I hope it will change them the way that it changed me, and I want to make sure that I'm making their ASB experience as amazing and life-changing as possible. Picking the group (and the chaperones!) will, I'm sure, be a stressful, but absolutely rewarding experience in the end :)
-Tori Dost
"Blessed are those who see beauty in humble places, where others see nothing." -Camille Pissarro
-Tori Dost
"Blessed are those who see beauty in humble places, where others see nothing." -Camille Pissarro
16 Aralık 2012 Pazar
Restaurant Review - bd's Mongolian Grill, 300 S. State Road 434 , Altamonte Springs, FL
To contact us Click HERE
South of 436 in Altamonte Springs is bd’s Mongolian Grill, a mid-West chain now in Central Florida. For those of you not familiar with the Mongolian barbecue concept, basically you choose the raw ingredients you want in your meal, present it to a cook, and he or she will grill it up for you.
We went to bd’s Mongolian Grill for lunch and perused the menu while deciding how much we wanted to eat. Pricing is by how much you want to eat rather than what ingredients you choose. There is a One Bowl option ($8.99), a One Bowl plus soup & salad ($10.99), Unlimited bowls plus soup & salad ($13.99), or, you can order a Mongo Rice Bowl ($6.99) if you don't want to bother with coming up with the ingredients yourself and want the cook to make it all for you. There is also a vegetarian option for all of these if you aren't going to add any meats. Pricing is more expensive at dinner (about $2 - $4 dollars more depending on your selection). The only difference at dinner is some of the more premium meat selections are offered such as NY Strip and scallops. Kids prices are by age and include the soup & salad bar, which is great for me since my older boy loves veggies and soups. Kids ages 7 – 11 are $5.99, ages 3 – 6 are $4.99 and 2 and unders are free. Kids prices stay the same at dinner.
Before deciding, I looked over the soup and salad bar. When we went, the soups were chowder and chili. I thought it would be wonton or egg drop or some sort of Asian soup so I was surprised. Also, the salad bar was pretty standard, nothing too different. Because of that, I decided to get the One Bowl option. Actually, I wish there was a Two Bowl option, or an Unlimited without the Soup & Salad but those don't exist.
Here’s what you have to do to make your stir-fry:
Step #1 - Put your raw meat into a bowl. There were pastas, sausage, beef (ribeye), Krab (the "fake" variety), shrimp, calamari, mahi-mahi, pork, chicken, tofu, and others. The selection changes periodically, for example, there was duck available for the holidays.
Step #2 - Add veggies to your bowl, such as mushro
oms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, red skin potatoes, pea pods, pineapple, carrots, baby corn, and broccoli to name a few. There was even raw egg, jalapenos, and cilantro! The bins of food were kept continuously stocked. Both times I went up, a worker was refilling any bins that were low. They were all kept filled to the top, which is really nice.
Step #3 - Put the sauces you want in a different small black bowl. The goal, I believe, is to fill up the small bowl to get the most flavor. There were Asian sauces, both spicy and non-spicy, such as Garlic, Soy, Ginger, Szechuan, Kung Pao, Teriyaki, and Thai peanut. There were also other sauces like barbecue, marinara, spicy buffalo, and a lemon sauce.
Step #4 - Add spices and "mix-ins" to either bowl, t
hings like chopped peanuts, coconut, curry powder, red pepper, garlic powder, sesame seeds, etc.
Then it’s time to bring your creation to the huge circular grill (or to
the separate allergy station if you are allergic to any ingredients or want a truly vegetarian dish). The cooks will grill up your raw ingredients for you, cutting up the meat, and then add your sauce at last minute, and finish by sliding your creation onto a clean plate. If you wish, there are chopsticks available at the grill, and even kid's plastic chopsticks available from your server
. BB got one of these and he liked it better than the wood-and-rubber-band ones you can get at some Asian restaurants. In fact, we took it home and just cleaned it in the dishwasher!
When we returned to our table, our server had already brought white rice (sticky), brown rice, and tortillas to eat with our meals. They also have lettuce wraps if you prefer.
On our first visit, I tried to make something similar to Mongolian Beef. I started with half a bowl of beef, added mushrooms, broccoli, and garlic, and then filled a sauce bowl with two ladles of Mongolian ginger and one of black bean sauce. It came out really good! Although, after having a big bowlful of raw ingredients, it surprised me how small the food looked on the final plate the cook handed to me. Hmm, maybe I need fill the raw ingredient bowl more next time I come. I
added white rice when I came back to the table and ate. Yum!
For LB, I just listened to his instructions as he chose the different ingredients (editing a little when I didn’t think it would come out okay). He had a lot of fun choosing the ingredients h
e liked. He asked for raw beef in the bowl (I only filled the bowl about 1/4 way), then rotini noodles, baby corn (the only vegetable I was able to get him to add), and then I chose his sauces for the black bowl. He was a bit upset by this as he told me that he did not want ANY SAUCE. I convinced him though and chose a ladle of soy sauce and one of teriyaki. He got into it then and asked I add the sweet & sour sauce as well. Sure! He liked going up with his bowl and watching his food get made. He also really liked the tortillas and ended up eating two of those completely plain along with about half of his actual food.
BB started off with a bowl of clam chowder, then came back up for a full bowl of salad and veggies on the salad bar, and then decided he was ready for a stir-fry bowl. Grandpa ended up helping to choose everything so he told me he was not really sure what he got. But he liked it and said he would like to come back. Grandpa liked his as well but couldn't remember exactly what he put in his either. He was not too happy with the concept as a whole. His thinking was that if he came up with something that he really liked, he wouldn't be able to replicate it next time he came. Plus, he was having a hard time deciding what to put in his bowl. He probably would have preferred a few more recipe cards. Grandma made one of the "holiday special" duck dishes, Citrus Duck, that she found on a recipe card and really liked it, although it was a little sweet. Her only comment was that she would have never known it was duck as it tasted a lot like chicken.
My second time at the restaurant, I decided to try for 
a more Thai-like dish. I got chicken, noodles (I would have preferred more of a glass noodle as opposed to the pasta-like noodle available), and then added mushrooms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, cilantro, and brocolli. I loaded the black bowl with just the Thai peanut sauce and added shredded coconut and chopped peanuts. Again, it came out good! I could definitely taste the coconut, due to the coconut milk in the actual sauce and the coconut I added.
Due to the food items available, you definitely don't have to stick with Asian. There were barbecue, burgundy wine, and marinara sauces, plus the pastas, so you could probably come up with some Italian, American, or Mexican dishes as well.
For dessert, we tried the mud pie ($5.99), which was plenty big en
ough to share with the whole table. It was a huge slice of coffee ice cream pie topped with a thick chocolate fudge sauce and with oreo cookie pieces mixed in with the ice cream. Yummy! Also I got the chocolate mousse ($1.99), which the server said was "tiny" but was actually a nice size -- plenty enough for two. It was very light, not too rich at all.
They also have a nice website at http://www.gomongo.com/ where you can create your own recipes in advance and then print them out and take them with you. If you are watching calories, etc, the website will tell you the nutritional information of what you are choosing (I'm sure it's not exactly the same as what you are going to get, but it's probably close.)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
South of 436 in Altamonte Springs is bd’s Mongolian Grill, a mid-West chain now in Central Florida. For those of you not familiar with the Mongolian barbecue concept, basically you choose the raw ingredients you want in your meal, present it to a cook, and he or she will grill it up for you.We went to bd’s Mongolian Grill for lunch and perused the menu while deciding how much we wanted to eat. Pricing is by how much you want to eat rather than what ingredients you choose. There is a One Bowl option ($8.99), a One Bowl plus soup & salad ($10.99), Unlimited bowls plus soup & salad ($13.99), or, you can order a Mongo Rice Bowl ($6.99) if you don't want to bother with coming up with the ingredients yourself and want the cook to make it all for you. There is also a vegetarian option for all of these if you aren't going to add any meats. Pricing is more expensive at dinner (about $2 - $4 dollars more depending on your selection). The only difference at dinner is some of the more premium meat selections are offered such as NY Strip and scallops. Kids prices are by age and include the soup & salad bar, which is great for me since my older boy loves veggies and soups. Kids ages 7 – 11 are $5.99, ages 3 – 6 are $4.99 and 2 and unders are free. Kids prices stay the same at dinner.
Before deciding, I looked over the soup and salad bar. When we went, the soups were chowder and chili. I thought it would be wonton or egg drop or some sort of Asian soup so I was surprised. Also, the salad bar was pretty standard, nothing too different. Because of that, I decided to get the One Bowl option. Actually, I wish there was a Two Bowl option, or an Unlimited without the Soup & Salad but those don't exist.
Here’s what you have to do to make your stir-fry:
Step #1 - Put your raw meat into a bowl. There were pastas, sausage, beef (ribeye), Krab (the "fake" variety), shrimp, calamari, mahi-mahi, pork, chicken, tofu, and others. The selection changes periodically, for example, there was duck available for the holidays.Step #2 - Add veggies to your bowl, such as mushro
oms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, red skin potatoes, pea pods, pineapple, carrots, baby corn, and broccoli to name a few. There was even raw egg, jalapenos, and cilantro! The bins of food were kept continuously stocked. Both times I went up, a worker was refilling any bins that were low. They were all kept filled to the top, which is really nice.Step #3 - Put the sauces you want in a different small black bowl. The goal, I believe, is to fill up the small bowl to get the most flavor. There were Asian sauces, both spicy and non-spicy, such as Garlic, Soy, Ginger, Szechuan, Kung Pao, Teriyaki, and Thai peanut. There were also other sauces like barbecue, marinara, spicy buffalo, and a lemon sauce.Step #4 - Add spices and "mix-ins" to either bowl, t
hings like chopped peanuts, coconut, curry powder, red pepper, garlic powder, sesame seeds, etc.Then it’s time to bring your creation to the huge circular grill (or to
the separate allergy station if you are allergic to any ingredients or want a truly vegetarian dish). The cooks will grill up your raw ingredients for you, cutting up the meat, and then add your sauce at last minute, and finish by sliding your creation onto a clean plate. If you wish, there are chopsticks available at the grill, and even kid's plastic chopsticks available from your server. BB got one of these and he liked it better than the wood-and-rubber-band ones you can get at some Asian restaurants. In fact, we took it home and just cleaned it in the dishwasher!When we returned to our table, our server had already brought white rice (sticky), brown rice, and tortillas to eat with our meals. They also have lettuce wraps if you prefer.On our first visit, I tried to make something similar to Mongolian Beef. I started with half a bowl of beef, added mushrooms, broccoli, and garlic, and then filled a sauce bowl with two ladles of Mongolian ginger and one of black bean sauce. It came out really good! Although, after having a big bowlful of raw ingredients, it surprised me how small the food looked on the final plate the cook handed to me. Hmm, maybe I need fill the raw ingredient bowl more next time I come. I
added white rice when I came back to the table and ate. Yum!For LB, I just listened to his instructions as he chose the different ingredients (editing a little when I didn’t think it would come out okay). He had a lot of fun choosing the ingredients h
e liked. He asked for raw beef in the bowl (I only filled the bowl about 1/4 way), then rotini noodles, baby corn (the only vegetable I was able to get him to add), and then I chose his sauces for the black bowl. He was a bit upset by this as he told me that he did not want ANY SAUCE. I convinced him though and chose a ladle of soy sauce and one of teriyaki. He got into it then and asked I add the sweet & sour sauce as well. Sure! He liked going up with his bowl and watching his food get made. He also really liked the tortillas and ended up eating two of those completely plain along with about half of his actual food.BB started off with a bowl of clam chowder, then came back up for a full bowl of salad and veggies on the salad bar, and then decided he was ready for a stir-fry bowl. Grandpa ended up helping to choose everything so he told me he was not really sure what he got. But he liked it and said he would like to come back. Grandpa liked his as well but couldn't remember exactly what he put in his either. He was not too happy with the concept as a whole. His thinking was that if he came up with something that he really liked, he wouldn't be able to replicate it next time he came. Plus, he was having a hard time deciding what to put in his bowl. He probably would have preferred a few more recipe cards. Grandma made one of the "holiday special" duck dishes, Citrus Duck, that she found on a recipe card and really liked it, although it was a little sweet. Her only comment was that she would have never known it was duck as it tasted a lot like chicken.
My second time at the restaurant, I decided to try for a more Thai-like dish. I got chicken, noodles (I would have preferred more of a glass noodle as opposed to the pasta-like noodle available), and then added mushrooms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, cilantro, and brocolli. I loaded the black bowl with just the Thai peanut sauce and added shredded coconut and chopped peanuts. Again, it came out good! I could definitely taste the coconut, due to the coconut milk in the actual sauce and the coconut I added.Due to the food items available, you definitely don't have to stick with Asian. There were barbecue, burgundy wine, and marinara sauces, plus the pastas, so you could probably come up with some Italian, American, or Mexican dishes as well.
For dessert, we tried the mud pie ($5.99), which was plenty big enough to share with the whole table. It was a huge slice of coffee ice cream pie topped with a thick chocolate fudge sauce and with oreo cookie pieces mixed in with the ice cream. Yummy! Also I got the chocolate mousse ($1.99), which the server said was "tiny" but was actually a nice size -- plenty enough for two. It was very light, not too rich at all.They also have a nice website at http://www.gomongo.com/ where you can create your own recipes in advance and then print them out and take them with you. If you are watching calories, etc, the website will tell you the nutritional information of what you are choosing (I'm sure it's not exactly the same as what you are going to get, but it's probably close.)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
Quick Bites - Ostrich and Buffalo burgers at Fuddrucker's
To contact us Click HERE
At the Fuddrucker's restaurant in Crossroads in Lake Buena Vista, I 
noticed that they have a "healthy choices" menu with different types of burgers such as turkey, veggie, and yes, buffalo and ostrich. I was very intrigued by these exotic offerings, so with the help of one of my co-workers, we split an ostrich burger and buffalo burger.
Cost: The exotic burgers are a bit more expensive than the regular burgers at Fuddrucker's and they only come in the one size - 1/2 pound. For comparison, a regular 1/2 pound beef burger is $5.69 while the Ostrich burger is $8.49 and the Buffalo burger is $7.99.
Looks: The buffalo burger looked more like a beef burger than the ostrich did, which makes sense. The ostrich burger was a very light brown, almost grey, with what looked like black pepper flecks scattered throughout the meat.
Taste: The ostrich burger was not greasy at all, though it wasn't dry either. To me, it tasted like veal. Unfortunately, I am not a big veal fan so I wasn't too keen on finishing the burger. My co-worker didn't fancy the taste either, so we ended up putting lots of condiments on it and finishing the burger. The buffalo burger, however, tasted just like a regular beef burger and we had no problem finishing that one.
Nutrition: Are these really healthier choices? I asked the question on the Fuddrucker's website and the nice people at Fuddrucker's sent me their nutritional information for all of their food products. Guess what? The ostrich burger really is better! Here's the breakdown: Ostrich burger, 1/2 pound prepared, 390 calories, 60 calories from fat, 6 grams of fat; Buffalo burger, 1/2 pound prepared, 520 calories, 330 calories from fat, 36 grams of fat; Beef burger, 1/2 pound prepared, 656 calories, 504 calories from fat, 56 grams of fat.
Taking all into consideration, I might be tempted to get another buffalo burger when I go to Fuddrucker's, but I'll probably pass on the ostrich. If you like veal, though, you might want to try it.http://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
At the Fuddrucker's restaurant in Crossroads in Lake Buena Vista, I noticed that they have a "healthy choices" menu with different types of burgers such as turkey, veggie, and yes, buffalo and ostrich. I was very intrigued by these exotic offerings, so with the help of one of my co-workers, we split an ostrich burger and buffalo burger.Cost: The exotic burgers are a bit more expensive than the regular burgers at Fuddrucker's and they only come in the one size - 1/2 pound. For comparison, a regular 1/2 pound beef burger is $5.69 while the Ostrich burger is $8.49 and the Buffalo burger is $7.99.
Looks: The buffalo burger looked more like a beef burger than the ostrich did, which makes sense. The ostrich burger was a very light brown, almost grey, with what looked like black pepper flecks scattered throughout the meat.
Taste: The ostrich burger was not greasy at all, though it wasn't dry either. To me, it tasted like veal. Unfortunately, I am not a big veal fan so I wasn't too keen on finishing the burger. My co-worker didn't fancy the taste either, so we ended up putting lots of condiments on it and finishing the burger. The buffalo burger, however, tasted just like a regular beef burger and we had no problem finishing that one.
Nutrition: Are these really healthier choices? I asked the question on the Fuddrucker's website and the nice people at Fuddrucker's sent me their nutritional information for all of their food products. Guess what? The ostrich burger really is better! Here's the breakdown: Ostrich burger, 1/2 pound prepared, 390 calories, 60 calories from fat, 6 grams of fat; Buffalo burger, 1/2 pound prepared, 520 calories, 330 calories from fat, 36 grams of fat; Beef burger, 1/2 pound prepared, 656 calories, 504 calories from fat, 56 grams of fat.
Taking all into consideration, I might be tempted to get another buffalo burger when I go to Fuddrucker's, but I'll probably pass on the ostrich. If you like veal, though, you might want to try it.http://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
Restaurant Review - Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, 8031 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, FL
To contact us Click HERE
Recently opened, in the Whole Foods shopping center at the intersection of Turkey Lake Road and Sand Lake Road, is Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, a pizza chain started in South Florida. The inside of the restaurant is very open, with walls covered with black & white and color photographs of NY icons, and a few wide-screen TVs.
The menu is limited with just pizzas, a few side orders, grilled wings, and one dessert, NY-style cheesecake naturally, although there
are some other sandwich and salad items available for lunch that are not on the main menu. There is no kids menu but you generally don't need one for a pizza place as everyone can dig into a pie. When the server came to get our drink order, we found out something interesting. Anthony's only serves bottled drinks (there is no soda fountain, although you can get wine by the glass). Since it was just me and my boys, we ordered two sweetened Gold Peak Tea bottles ($2.50), and one Minute Maid Lemonade ($2.50). There are also sodas available and unsweet tea. The Gold Peak teas were 16.9 oz bottles and the Lemonade was 20 oz which allowed for about a glass and a half each. The only problem was telling my kids to make it last as there are no free refills.
Pizza prices are pretty reasonable with a small 12" starting at $11.50 and a large 16" starting at $14.50. Toppings for the small start at $1.50 and for the large at $2.50, but there is a volume discount -- the more toppings, the less per each you pay. Toppings available are Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, Calamata olives (yep, not just your regular black olives), prosciutto, Long Hot Finger Peppers (um, not exactly sure what these are), anchovies, onions, pepperoni, or sweet peppers. There are also Specialty pizzas for $15.95 for a small and $18.95 for a large. These looked very interesting such as the Meatball & Ricotta, the Frittata (Onion, pepper, and egg), Eggplant Marino, and more. For this visit, we ordered a large with 1/2 cheese and 1/2 mushrooms and olives ($17.00). We also order the Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad to start ($6.25).
Our salad arrived, with four large slices of deep red tomato, topped with thick slices of fresh mozzarella, many strands of basil, olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar. In the center was piled a mound of sweet peppers. BB and I each had two of the tomato stacks. The tomatoes were cold and fresh and the mozzarella was creamy, plus there was plenty of basil for each piece. We left the sweet peppers alone as we both aren't fans. Another side dish is the grilled chicken wings. We didn't order it but saw a plate of them pass by. It looked like a huge portion of grilled wings, settled on slices of foccacia bread and them completely covered with grilled onions. That doesn't really appeal to me, but it might to you!
As soon as we were done with the tomatoes, the pizza came out.
As their motto implies, the pizza at Anthony's was definitely "well-done" which also means that the edges and bottom of the pie can look a bit charred. That was not a good thing for LB who instantly balked at eating the pizza. I had to cajole him into eating it. Of course, he just wanted the cheese. Unfortunately, the cheese had large "holes" of just sauce that he didn't like either. Oh, the curse of a picky eater!
BB and I loved the pizza. It has a sweet sauce that was more pronounced with the plain cheese side. The crust is a bread-like consistency, not doughy at all. The mushrooms were piled on generously although we were a little disappointed with the amount of olives. I know that Kalamata (on the menu they were spelled "Calamata) olives are typically a lot stronger in taste and a bit salty; maybe that is why there was only a sprinkling of finely chopped olives on the pie? Just wish there was more.
Between the three of us, we ate all but slices, which we took home to Hubby. I'll definitely be back, and I'm sure BB will want to come as well. We'll probably have to leave LB at home with Hubby, though.
Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza website: http://www.anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com/index.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
Recently opened, in the Whole Foods shopping center at the intersection of Turkey Lake Road and Sand Lake Road, is Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, a pizza chain started in South Florida. The inside of the restaurant is very open, with walls covered with black & white and color photographs of NY icons, and a few wide-screen TVs.The menu is limited with just pizzas, a few side orders, grilled wings, and one dessert, NY-style cheesecake naturally, although there
are some other sandwich and salad items available for lunch that are not on the main menu. There is no kids menu but you generally don't need one for a pizza place as everyone can dig into a pie. When the server came to get our drink order, we found out something interesting. Anthony's only serves bottled drinks (there is no soda fountain, although you can get wine by the glass). Since it was just me and my boys, we ordered two sweetened Gold Peak Tea bottles ($2.50), and one Minute Maid Lemonade ($2.50). There are also sodas available and unsweet tea. The Gold Peak teas were 16.9 oz bottles and the Lemonade was 20 oz which allowed for about a glass and a half each. The only problem was telling my kids to make it last as there are no free refills.Pizza prices are pretty reasonable with a small 12" starting at $11.50 and a large 16" starting at $14.50. Toppings for the small start at $1.50 and for the large at $2.50, but there is a volume discount -- the more toppings, the less per each you pay. Toppings available are Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, Calamata olives (yep, not just your regular black olives), prosciutto, Long Hot Finger Peppers (um, not exactly sure what these are), anchovies, onions, pepperoni, or sweet peppers. There are also Specialty pizzas for $15.95 for a small and $18.95 for a large. These looked very interesting such as the Meatball & Ricotta, the Frittata (Onion, pepper, and egg), Eggplant Marino, and more. For this visit, we ordered a large with 1/2 cheese and 1/2 mushrooms and olives ($17.00). We also order the Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad to start ($6.25).
Our salad arrived, with four large slices of deep red tomato, topped with thick slices of fresh mozzarella, many strands of basil, olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar. In the center was piled a mound of sweet peppers. BB and I each had two of the tomato stacks. The tomatoes were cold and fresh and the mozzarella was creamy, plus there was plenty of basil for each piece. We left the sweet peppers alone as we both aren't fans. Another side dish is the grilled chicken wings. We didn't order it but saw a plate of them pass by. It looked like a huge portion of grilled wings, settled on slices of foccacia bread and them completely covered with grilled onions. That doesn't really appeal to me, but it might to you!As soon as we were done with the tomatoes, the pizza came out.
As their motto implies, the pizza at Anthony's was definitely "well-done" which also means that the edges and bottom of the pie can look a bit charred. That was not a good thing for LB who instantly balked at eating the pizza. I had to cajole him into eating it. Of course, he just wanted the cheese. Unfortunately, the cheese had large "holes" of just sauce that he didn't like either. Oh, the curse of a picky eater!BB and I loved the pizza. It has a sweet sauce that was more pronounced with the plain cheese side. The crust is a bread-like consistency, not doughy at all. The mushrooms were piled on generously although we were a little disappointed with the amount of olives. I know that Kalamata (on the menu they were spelled "Calamata) olives are typically a lot stronger in taste and a bit salty; maybe that is why there was only a sprinkling of finely chopped olives on the pie? Just wish there was more.
Between the three of us, we ate all but slices, which we took home to Hubby. I'll definitely be back, and I'm sure BB will want to come as well. We'll probably have to leave LB at home with Hubby, though.
Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza website: http://www.anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com/index.htmlhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
Restaurant Review - Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, 7339 W. Sand Lake Road, #406, Orlando, FL
To contact us Click HERE
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, located on Sand Lake Road’s “Restaurant Row”, is a fun, interactive dessert store. It is do-it-yourself with simple instructions: Fill your bowl with frozen yogurt. Top with snacks and candies and sauces. Weigh. Then pay. For 44 cents an ounce, you can get what you want, in the quantity you want. The concept is brilliant. The staff just makes sure the toppings are kept filled up and then monitor the scale as 
customers finish their creations and weigh and pay.
Don’t worry if there is a crowd milling about inside. Remember, this is do-it-yourself. So, step right up, grab a bowl, and start pouring your frozen yogurt. There are 12 flavors every time, with only chocolate and vanilla staying the same, as far as I could tell. With more than 40 different flavors, including seasonal offerings like pumpkin and eggnog, rotating constantly, you will find a different variety available almost every time you visit. At the “Snackage” bar, where the dry toppings reside, are about 30 different types of add-ins, including nuts (peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans), candies (Reese’s Pieces, chocolate chips, yogurt chips, Jelly Bellies, M&M, Snow Caps, Gummy Bears, Rainbow Nerds, etc), cereals (Cap’n Crunch, Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, etc.) an
d other toppings like coconut flakes, granola, and graham cracker crumbs. At the “Chill” bar, are freshly cut fruits such as strawberry slices, maraschino cherries, mango, kiwi, bananas, pineapple, as well as the decadent stuff such as mini-peanut butter cups, cookie dough balls, mini-cheesecake bits, and even mochi, a sticky Japanese confectio
n. Finally, there is the “Hotties” sauce bar with caramel, chocolate, peanut butter sauce, and hot fudge, as well as marshmallow sauce and non-dairy whipped topping.
On our first visit, I tried both the Pralines ‘n’ Cream and Pistachio frozen yogurt flavors and thought they made a great combination. I added pecans, coconut flakes, mini-cheesecake bites, and then topped that off with caramel sauce. BB was happily moving along, getting his yogurt and toppings while I helped LB put the yogurt flavors he wanted into his cup. By the time we reached the scale to weigh our creations, I glanced over and noticed my older son’s cup was completely filled to the top with yogurt and toppings. Oh dear, I should have been watching more closely. I had the staff weigh his separately from ours and, as I suspected, he had passed the pound mark! Yep, at 44 cents an ounce, he was looking at a $7.80 cup of dessert. The real test was, did he finish it? Of c
ourse not! Luckily, Menchie’s has lids to place on your creation so you can take it home if you want.
Next time, I walked in and was shocked to find that most of the flavors had changed and my Pralines ‘n’ Cream AND Pistachio were gone. After a moment, I realized this was probably a good thing so I could try some of the other flavors and I would not be stuck
in a rut getting the same flavors every single time. This time, I did a Cookies ‘n’ Cream and Cheesecake swirl (if two flavors are in the same machine, you can do a swirl), and then added some of the French Vanilla flavor. I also added some different toppings, trying peanuts this time, Snow Caps, and strawberry slices.
You can also try tastes of the different flavors first with the provided mini paper cups. This is actually a pretty good idea. I did not try the Cappucino flavor before I added it to my cup and when I was eating it later, it had a very strong coffee taste (it should have been called Espresso instead). So definitely taste-test if you are not sure what a flavor will taste like.
This visit, I watched BB like a hawk, and stopped him several times by the yogurt machines as I saw him place too much of each flavor in his cup. I also had to watch him at the toppings bar as I discovered he was putting scoop after scoop of chocolate chips into his bowl. “Hey, this is a yogurt shop, not a candy store!”
LB was more adventurous than I thought, trying more than just chocolate and vanilla and venturing to the Irish Mint and the Cheesecake flavors, though his favorite was Cookies ‘n’ Cream. This time, all of our creations came out to around $15 total , putting us closer to the 10-12 ounces per cup mark.
This is currently the only Menchie’s location in Florida, although another is planned for Fort Lauderdale. The shopping area it is in has several other restaurants so parking can be tight. However, there are “30 minutes or less” parking spots right in front. Menchie’s has already become a habit with us and I look forward to going every couple of weeks, especially to discover the new flavors in store for us.
Website: http://www.menchies.com/http://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, located on Sand Lake Road’s “Restaurant Row”, is a fun, interactive dessert store. It is do-it-yourself with simple instructions: Fill your bowl with frozen yogurt. Top with snacks and candies and sauces. Weigh. Then pay. For 44 cents an ounce, you can get what you want, in the quantity you want. The concept is brilliant. The staff just makes sure the toppings are kept filled up and then monitor the scale as customers finish their creations and weigh and pay.Don’t worry if there is a crowd milling about inside. Remember, this is do-it-yourself. So, step right up, grab a bowl, and start pouring your frozen yogurt. There are 12 flavors every time, with only chocolate and vanilla staying the same, as far as I could tell. With more than 40 different flavors, including seasonal offerings like pumpkin and eggnog, rotating constantly, you will find a different variety available almost every time you visit. At the “Snackage” bar, where the dry toppings reside, are about 30 different types of add-ins, including nuts (peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans), candies (Reese’s Pieces, chocolate chips, yogurt chips, Jelly Bellies, M&M, Snow Caps, Gummy Bears, Rainbow Nerds, etc), cereals (Cap’n Crunch, Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, etc.) an
d other toppings like coconut flakes, granola, and graham cracker crumbs. At the “Chill” bar, are freshly cut fruits such as strawberry slices, maraschino cherries, mango, kiwi, bananas, pineapple, as well as the decadent stuff such as mini-peanut butter cups, cookie dough balls, mini-cheesecake bits, and even mochi, a sticky Japanese confection. Finally, there is the “Hotties” sauce bar with caramel, chocolate, peanut butter sauce, and hot fudge, as well as marshmallow sauce and non-dairy whipped topping.On our first visit, I tried both the Pralines ‘n’ Cream and Pistachio frozen yogurt flavors and thought they made a great combination. I added pecans, coconut flakes, mini-cheesecake bites, and then topped that off with caramel sauce. BB was happily moving along, getting his yogurt and toppings while I helped LB put the yogurt flavors he wanted into his cup. By the time we reached the scale to weigh our creations, I glanced over and noticed my older son’s cup was completely filled to the top with yogurt and toppings. Oh dear, I should have been watching more closely. I had the staff weigh his separately from ours and, as I suspected, he had passed the pound mark! Yep, at 44 cents an ounce, he was looking at a $7.80 cup of dessert. The real test was, did he finish it? Of c
ourse not! Luckily, Menchie’s has lids to place on your creation so you can take it home if you want.Next time, I walked in and was shocked to find that most of the flavors had changed and my Pralines ‘n’ Cream AND Pistachio were gone. After a moment, I realized this was probably a good thing so I could try some of the other flavors and I would not be stuck
in a rut getting the same flavors every single time. This time, I did a Cookies ‘n’ Cream and Cheesecake swirl (if two flavors are in the same machine, you can do a swirl), and then added some of the French Vanilla flavor. I also added some different toppings, trying peanuts this time, Snow Caps, and strawberry slices.You can also try tastes of the different flavors first with the provided mini paper cups. This is actually a pretty good idea. I did not try the Cappucino flavor before I added it to my cup and when I was eating it later, it had a very strong coffee taste (it should have been called Espresso instead). So definitely taste-test if you are not sure what a flavor will taste like.
This visit, I watched BB like a hawk, and stopped him several times by the yogurt machines as I saw him place too much of each flavor in his cup. I also had to watch him at the toppings bar as I discovered he was putting scoop after scoop of chocolate chips into his bowl. “Hey, this is a yogurt shop, not a candy store!”
LB was more adventurous than I thought, trying more than just chocolate and vanilla and venturing to the Irish Mint and the Cheesecake flavors, though his favorite was Cookies ‘n’ Cream. This time, all of our creations came out to around $15 total , putting us closer to the 10-12 ounces per cup mark.
This is currently the only Menchie’s location in Florida, although another is planned for Fort Lauderdale. The shopping area it is in has several other restaurants so parking can be tight. However, there are “30 minutes or less” parking spots right in front. Menchie’s has already become a habit with us and I look forward to going every couple of weeks, especially to discover the new flavors in store for us.
Website: http://www.menchies.com/http://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
Restaurant Review - TooJay's Original Gourmet Deli, 10185 West Colonial Drive, Ocoee, FL
To contact us Click HERE
If you are looking for enormous corned beef sandwiches on thick-cut rye bread with hot deli mustard, then TooJay’s Original Gourmet Deli is for you. But TooJay’s has a lot more than just deli food, although that is their specialty.
In fact, when we recently dined at the Ocoee location for dinner, it took me a while to read through the regular menu and special dinner menu. There are soups, salads, and sandwiches, plus dinner entrees such as meatloaf, lasagna, pot roast, and also baked salmon with dill sauce, peppercorn crusted steak, and even vegetarian options. All of the dinner entrees come with slices of rye bread on the side and a choice of soup or salad. There are also specialty drinks such as old-fashioned egg creams and Dr. Brown sodas.
The kid’s menu also offers a lot of choices as well with grilled cheese, hot dog, peanut butter and jelly, French bread pizza, or mac-n-cheese (available for $3.75), and hamburger, cheeseburger, chicken tenders salad, chicken tenders, or a Jr. tuna melt (available for $4.75). While the kids’ entrees don’t include a drink, they do include a choice of two of the following: applesauce, French fries, Mandarin oranges, red grapes, chocolate pudding, mini Black and White cookie, or carrot sticks with Ranch dressing. The hard part is trying to convince your kids that they cannot choose both the chocolate pudding and Black and White cookie as their sides.
Grandpa decided on a hot Pastrami sandwich on rye bread ($7.95) which comes with cole slaw and a pickle. He also elected to get an extra side of fries ($1.75). The sandwich had the meat rolled on the bread and was a huge amount. However, for those with an even bigger appetite, TooJay’s offers the Jaynormous sandwich ($14.95) that has a pound and a half of your favorite deli meat. I can’t even imagine eating that! Grandpa loved the Pastrami and said it was very lean and delicious.
Grandma, went for sweet and ordered the Cheese Blintzes dinner ($10.75). This is three crepes filled with a sweetened cottage cheese, fried, and served with fruit topping and sour cream. Since it was a dinner, it also came with the rye bread and Grandma ordered the cup of matzo ball soup as her appetizer. The soup was very flavorful with chunks of carrots and celery and a large, but light, matzo ball that fills the whole cup. She polished off all of the blintzes, smearing each with the blueberry fruit topping and sour cream first.
Knowing how large the portions of food at TooJay’s are, I decided on the Half Sandwich and Soup or Salad ($7.95), ordering a Corned Beef on rye and a cup of the matzo ball soup as well. I put a bit of the hot mustard on the sandwich and yum! The corned beef was very lean and the matzo ball soup was comfort food at its best.
LB ordered the peanut butter and jelly sandwich with applesauce and chocolate pudding on the side ($3.75). The sandwich was cut into quarters, which was nice, although my son thought there was too much jelly (I’ll have to order “light jelly” next time). He, of course, wanted to dig into the chocolate pudding as soon as they set down his plate, but I pulled it off his plate until he finished his dinner.
BB ordered the French Bread Pizza, with French fries and the Black and White mini-cookie ($3.75). The pizza was a small baguette sliced diagonally with sauce and cheese and was pretty good. He actually got full on the pizza and fries and had to take the cookie home.
All of the adults were also full so we didn’t order any desserts although they are very tempting. Besides large slices of chocolate cake, TooJay’s also has smaller desserts such as the mini-cookies and mini-Napoleans and mini-Eclairs. In fact, you have to pass the deli and dessert counter on the way out and we ended up getting a little dessert “to go” to eat at home later.
Website: http://www.toojays.com/
http://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
If you are looking for enormous corned beef sandwiches on thick-cut rye bread with hot deli mustard, then TooJay’s Original Gourmet Deli is for you. But TooJay’s has a lot more than just deli food, although that is their specialty.
In fact, when we recently dined at the Ocoee location for dinner, it took me a while to read through the regular menu and special dinner menu. There are soups, salads, and sandwiches, plus dinner entrees such as meatloaf, lasagna, pot roast, and also baked salmon with dill sauce, peppercorn crusted steak, and even vegetarian options. All of the dinner entrees come with slices of rye bread on the side and a choice of soup or salad. There are also specialty drinks such as old-fashioned egg creams and Dr. Brown sodas.
The kid’s menu also offers a lot of choices as well with grilled cheese, hot dog, peanut butter and jelly, French bread pizza, or mac-n-cheese (available for $3.75), and hamburger, cheeseburger, chicken tenders salad, chicken tenders, or a Jr. tuna melt (available for $4.75). While the kids’ entrees don’t include a drink, they do include a choice of two of the following: applesauce, French fries, Mandarin oranges, red grapes, chocolate pudding, mini Black and White cookie, or carrot sticks with Ranch dressing. The hard part is trying to convince your kids that they cannot choose both the chocolate pudding and Black and White cookie as their sides.
Grandpa decided on a hot Pastrami sandwich on rye bread ($7.95) which comes with cole slaw and a pickle. He also elected to get an extra side of fries ($1.75). The sandwich had the meat rolled on the bread and was a huge amount. However, for those with an even bigger appetite, TooJay’s offers the Jaynormous sandwich ($14.95) that has a pound and a half of your favorite deli meat. I can’t even imagine eating that! Grandpa loved the Pastrami and said it was very lean and delicious.
Grandma, went for sweet and ordered the Cheese Blintzes dinner ($10.75). This is three crepes filled with a sweetened cottage cheese, fried, and served with fruit topping and sour cream. Since it was a dinner, it also came with the rye bread and Grandma ordered the cup of matzo ball soup as her appetizer. The soup was very flavorful with chunks of carrots and celery and a large, but light, matzo ball that fills the whole cup. She polished off all of the blintzes, smearing each with the blueberry fruit topping and sour cream first.
Knowing how large the portions of food at TooJay’s are, I decided on the Half Sandwich and Soup or Salad ($7.95), ordering a Corned Beef on rye and a cup of the matzo ball soup as well. I put a bit of the hot mustard on the sandwich and yum! The corned beef was very lean and the matzo ball soup was comfort food at its best.
LB ordered the peanut butter and jelly sandwich with applesauce and chocolate pudding on the side ($3.75). The sandwich was cut into quarters, which was nice, although my son thought there was too much jelly (I’ll have to order “light jelly” next time). He, of course, wanted to dig into the chocolate pudding as soon as they set down his plate, but I pulled it off his plate until he finished his dinner.
BB ordered the French Bread Pizza, with French fries and the Black and White mini-cookie ($3.75). The pizza was a small baguette sliced diagonally with sauce and cheese and was pretty good. He actually got full on the pizza and fries and had to take the cookie home.
All of the adults were also full so we didn’t order any desserts although they are very tempting. Besides large slices of chocolate cake, TooJay’s also has smaller desserts such as the mini-cookies and mini-Napoleans and mini-Eclairs. In fact, you have to pass the deli and dessert counter on the way out and we ended up getting a little dessert “to go” to eat at home later.
Website: http://www.toojays.com/
http://feeds.feedburner.com/centralfloridarestaurantmom
12 Aralık 2012 Çarşamba
Time well spent
To contact us Click HERE
This trip to Joplin, MO was very eye opening and so much fun. The first day was a little rough with the rain and the flight delay but it smoothed out for the rest of the trip. When we first got to the job site it was looking pretty poor and I thought, oh no what did we get our selves into? But as 26 people mobilized onto the property within as little as 4 hours it started to look so much better. Then, once we started to sand, paint, and wash down the house it made me feel so happy to see how far we had come in only a few short days. We spent a day in Branson and it was so much fun; even though I was dizzy half the time. We saw a lot of sites and pretty country sides and the steak and shake was amazing. The next two days of work were the most fun because we really accomplished a lot, all the hard prep work really paid off. As the coats of paint went on and the new trim was nailed to the house it all started to come together. Even with all the hard work and great memories I still feel sad that this is our last night here even though it feels like yesterday we were just getting off the flight. A special shout out to Krista Landry and Angel Seto for going to the hospital with me after a really fun but tiring day I know it was the last thing anyone wanted to do. Also the rest of the trip leaders and chaperons you all were amazing and made the trip very special for all.
Chris Peck
Chris Peck
This is not the end, it's only the beginning.
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Molly was totally right when she said for the next couple of weeks you will have withdrawls from ASB. You will want to wake up and work on a house, and make a small change. She was totally right about that. I woke up wondering why there were no alarm clocks waking me up or the slams of the doors from the bathroom. I already miss that place and it hasn't even been a whole day.
This past week was one of the greatest experience I have ever been through. I have never known that a whole pack of 26 people could become so close within 7 days and make such a small but moving change in someone's life. There have been so many memories filled with tears, smiles, laughter, and hardwork. And I will never forget my Spring Break of 2012 due to each and every special person that was able to spend such a great week with. Joplin has left such a huge impression on my life, one that I will never forget. I was absolutely blown away by Joplin's strength and faith throughout all their struggles. Joplin really opened my eyes that material things are nothing compared to people, whether its your family members, your friends, or even your coworkers, those are the things that matter, and Joplin, thank you for really showing that to me. All of these memories will have such a lasting impression on me. Whether it was seeing "Hope" High School, the Hospital, Cunningham Park, Howie's incredible tour, the house we worked on, ziplining, way too many sonic trips or just simply spending quality time with an amazing group, all of those things I will never forget. I hope I will get to see each and everyone of the people that I spent my spring break of 2012 with soon, and I love you all.
Back to Reality,
Melissa
This past week was one of the greatest experience I have ever been through. I have never known that a whole pack of 26 people could become so close within 7 days and make such a small but moving change in someone's life. There have been so many memories filled with tears, smiles, laughter, and hardwork. And I will never forget my Spring Break of 2012 due to each and every special person that was able to spend such a great week with. Joplin has left such a huge impression on my life, one that I will never forget. I was absolutely blown away by Joplin's strength and faith throughout all their struggles. Joplin really opened my eyes that material things are nothing compared to people, whether its your family members, your friends, or even your coworkers, those are the things that matter, and Joplin, thank you for really showing that to me. All of these memories will have such a lasting impression on me. Whether it was seeing "Hope" High School, the Hospital, Cunningham Park, Howie's incredible tour, the house we worked on, ziplining, way too many sonic trips or just simply spending quality time with an amazing group, all of those things I will never forget. I hope I will get to see each and everyone of the people that I spent my spring break of 2012 with soon, and I love you all.
Back to Reality,
Melissa
My ASB experience
To contact us Click HERE
Rather than blog throughout the trip I kept a journal going in a word document. When we arrived back at FSU I took a look through at all the wonderful memories I had documented. It seemed like so long ago when Alex and I were sitting in Mad Willies for 2 hours after being kicked out of the dorms. It made me realize how much we accomplished in such a short amount of time. I decided the best thing to do would be to write about my favorites.
The first full day we spent in Joplin was one of the most emotional experiences of the trip. It was unreal to see how much damage occurred in such a short amount of time. The only way I can put it into words is to compare it to a bomb. There were areas of the town that were completely leveled, no trees, no homes, nothing. I cannot imagine what it is like to be a resident of Joplin and drive through town seeing that everyday. It must bring back so many memories that people must want to forget. The last leg of our mini tour was to see the high school. Being there hit me harder than anything else. It made me think of my high school and what it would be like to go home and see it as a pile of rubble. A high school is typically the heart of a town and to see the high school in Joplin destroyed was heartbreaking.
Meeting Rhonda and spending time working on her house was inspiring. To see the debris that had blown into her yard from the hospital down the street put into perspective the power of the storm. It felt so rewarding to help someone who needed it and to see how grateful she was that we were there. I loved watching the house change day by day. I helped to build a garden in the front of her house so she would have something beautiful to look out her window at. Seeing how happy she was that we were there touched me. It made me realize even more that the smallest person can make the biggest impact in the life of another.
Our day off in Branson was a blast. I had never been ziplining before but it was the coolest thing ever! We all had a blast and even Joplin got to go (twice). After ziplining we spent time in the Branson landing. We got to walk around the shops and take in the sights. For dinner we went to the Dixie Stampede. We had to eat with our hands which bothered me, but I put on a smile and did my best to eat. The show was pretty entertaining and so different from anything we have up north. The best part was watching our fellow ASBers race around the arena representing the south. It was an experience I will not forget.
While there are many more incredible experiences I could write about, there is one thing that sticks out in my mind even more; the people of Joplin and all that they taught me. Being surrounded by devastation made me think about my own life. It really made me realize that materials and possessions do not matter as much as we normally think they do. Some people in Joplin lost everything. However, they are grateful and resilient and just happy to be alive with their family. This made me realize that it wouldn't matter how big my house was, where my house was, or how much money my family had. All that matters is that you surround yourself with the people who love you. As long as you have them by your side everything will be alright. Joplin proves that by sticking beside one another, you can overcome any obstacle life puts in your path. I am so thankful that my life was touched by the residents of that community. I truly believe that they impacted me, more than any impact I or ASB as a group could have had on them.
The first full day we spent in Joplin was one of the most emotional experiences of the trip. It was unreal to see how much damage occurred in such a short amount of time. The only way I can put it into words is to compare it to a bomb. There were areas of the town that were completely leveled, no trees, no homes, nothing. I cannot imagine what it is like to be a resident of Joplin and drive through town seeing that everyday. It must bring back so many memories that people must want to forget. The last leg of our mini tour was to see the high school. Being there hit me harder than anything else. It made me think of my high school and what it would be like to go home and see it as a pile of rubble. A high school is typically the heart of a town and to see the high school in Joplin destroyed was heartbreaking.
Meeting Rhonda and spending time working on her house was inspiring. To see the debris that had blown into her yard from the hospital down the street put into perspective the power of the storm. It felt so rewarding to help someone who needed it and to see how grateful she was that we were there. I loved watching the house change day by day. I helped to build a garden in the front of her house so she would have something beautiful to look out her window at. Seeing how happy she was that we were there touched me. It made me realize even more that the smallest person can make the biggest impact in the life of another.
Our day off in Branson was a blast. I had never been ziplining before but it was the coolest thing ever! We all had a blast and even Joplin got to go (twice). After ziplining we spent time in the Branson landing. We got to walk around the shops and take in the sights. For dinner we went to the Dixie Stampede. We had to eat with our hands which bothered me, but I put on a smile and did my best to eat. The show was pretty entertaining and so different from anything we have up north. The best part was watching our fellow ASBers race around the arena representing the south. It was an experience I will not forget.
While there are many more incredible experiences I could write about, there is one thing that sticks out in my mind even more; the people of Joplin and all that they taught me. Being surrounded by devastation made me think about my own life. It really made me realize that materials and possessions do not matter as much as we normally think they do. Some people in Joplin lost everything. However, they are grateful and resilient and just happy to be alive with their family. This made me realize that it wouldn't matter how big my house was, where my house was, or how much money my family had. All that matters is that you surround yourself with the people who love you. As long as you have them by your side everything will be alright. Joplin proves that by sticking beside one another, you can overcome any obstacle life puts in your path. I am so thankful that my life was touched by the residents of that community. I truly believe that they impacted me, more than any impact I or ASB as a group could have had on them.
It's That Time of Year Again!
To contact us Click HERE
How time flies! I cannot believe it is already the end of September. It feels like yesterday we were heading back from Joplin, Missouri and I was eager to apply for a trip leader position. After the last few crazy weeks of the semester and getting the finance trip leader position I was eager to begin planning for the next Alternative Spring Break trip. After what seemed like a quick summer full of researching, planning and fundraising we have finally made it back to Framingham State and guess what... ASB is in full swing!
Applications have been out for a mere four days and already submissions have been coming in fast and furiously! It is hard to contain my excitement about the trip and I cannot wait until we officially have our group that will be heading to Biloxi, Mississippi. I find myself constantly thinking about ASB and putting off school work to focus on this trip. Attending Alternative Spring Break last year changed my life and I only hope that the trip to Biloxi will have the same effect on other Framingham State students. It is going to be a crazy few weeks full of reading applications, interviewing potential ASB members and notifying our final group. These past five months have flown by so I can only imagine how quickly the rest of this year will pass. In no time it will be spring break and ASB will be off to a new location to create new memories that will last a lifetime!
Carolyn Holland
ASB Trip Leader
Applications have been out for a mere four days and already submissions have been coming in fast and furiously! It is hard to contain my excitement about the trip and I cannot wait until we officially have our group that will be heading to Biloxi, Mississippi. I find myself constantly thinking about ASB and putting off school work to focus on this trip. Attending Alternative Spring Break last year changed my life and I only hope that the trip to Biloxi will have the same effect on other Framingham State students. It is going to be a crazy few weeks full of reading applications, interviewing potential ASB members and notifying our final group. These past five months have flown by so I can only imagine how quickly the rest of this year will pass. In no time it will be spring break and ASB will be off to a new location to create new memories that will last a lifetime!
Carolyn Holland
ASB Trip Leader
We're almost there!
To contact us Click HERE
WOW time flies! It's such an awesome feeling to be so close to having a group! Going to Joplin, MO was such an amazing experience, and I'm so excited to be a part of ASB 2013. My perspective, now as a trip leader, has completely shifted from last year. Right now, I just really want to get as many wonderful people as possible involved in this experience. I hope it will change them the way that it changed me, and I want to make sure that I'm making their ASB experience as amazing and life-changing as possible. Picking the group (and the chaperones!) will, I'm sure, be a stressful, but absolutely rewarding experience in the end :)
-Tori Dost
"Blessed are those who see beauty in humble places, where others see nothing." -Camille Pissarro
-Tori Dost
"Blessed are those who see beauty in humble places, where others see nothing." -Camille Pissarro
11 Aralık 2012 Salı
Outlet mall could clog interchange
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John Day, 60, of Delaware, who also was filling up, said that without new access roads or otherimprovements, “you’ll have cars backing up, causing more delays, wasting more gas.”
Just weeks ago, the Ohio Department of Transportation finished $3.9 million in safetyimprovements at the interchange, including widening three of the interchange’s four ramps andbuilding turn lanes.
Day and other drivers said the fixes have helped during rush-hour snarls. But those fixes weremeant for only the short term, maybe five years.
State officials have long said the area’s population has outgrown the interchange, and plans toput in a new one are in the works. But construction won’t begin until late 2014 at the earliest,said ODOT spokeswoman Nancy Burton.
Developers behind the proposed 350,000-square-foot outlet mall say doors will be open in timefor the 2014 holiday season.
As with any similar project, ODOT will require mall developers to submit a detailed plan showingthe projected impact on traffic and what they would do to address it, Burton said. “We will makesure the infrastructure can handle the traffic.”
Although plans have not been released, Delaware County officials said on Friday that the mallwill be on the interchange’s southwestern corner, off Four Winds Road behind the Cracker Barrel andWhite Castle restaurants.
The mall is expected to create 300 construction jobs and 900 retail jobs.
Traffic headed to and from Polaris Fashion Place, which is south of the interchange off I-71,has increased since that mall opened several years ago. Another draw will be Cabela’s, the popularhunting, fishing and outdoors retailer that plans to open its first Ohio location in the Polarisarea in the spring.
Nick Gill, the assistant director of transportation for the Mid-Ohio Regional PlanningCommission, said development has been expected in the area near Rts. 36/37 for years but has beenheld up by uncertainty over the interchange.
Gill said traffic forecasters can’t yet say how the proposed outlet mall might affect the area.He did say it likely could affect the interchange more than I-71 itself.
“Obviously, it will add traffic, but the expectation of there being a lot more traffic cominghas been there for a while. The solution to address it is still to be determined,” Gill said.
Delaware County Commissioner Ken O’Brien said the proposed outlet mall could help traffic in anindirect way.
“I think it’s an opportunity,” O’Brien said. “As there’s more retail, there will be more of animpetus to get something done.”
Some worry that area’s heavy traffic will only get worse
A planned new Tanger Outlets mall at the I-71 and Rts. 36/37 interchange might have central Ohioshoppers excited, but some drivers say they dread the extra traffic that is sure to come.
“The traffic here is going to be awful,” said a woman who did not want to give her name as shepumped gas at a Shell station near the interchange last week.John Day, 60, of Delaware, who also was filling up, said that without new access roads or otherimprovements, “you’ll have cars backing up, causing more delays, wasting more gas.”
Just weeks ago, the Ohio Department of Transportation finished $3.9 million in safetyimprovements at the interchange, including widening three of the interchange’s four ramps andbuilding turn lanes.
Day and other drivers said the fixes have helped during rush-hour snarls. But those fixes weremeant for only the short term, maybe five years.
State officials have long said the area’s population has outgrown the interchange, and plans toput in a new one are in the works. But construction won’t begin until late 2014 at the earliest,said ODOT spokeswoman Nancy Burton.
Developers behind the proposed 350,000-square-foot outlet mall say doors will be open in timefor the 2014 holiday season.
As with any similar project, ODOT will require mall developers to submit a detailed plan showingthe projected impact on traffic and what they would do to address it, Burton said. “We will makesure the infrastructure can handle the traffic.”
Although plans have not been released, Delaware County officials said on Friday that the mallwill be on the interchange’s southwestern corner, off Four Winds Road behind the Cracker Barrel andWhite Castle restaurants.
The mall is expected to create 300 construction jobs and 900 retail jobs.
Traffic headed to and from Polaris Fashion Place, which is south of the interchange off I-71,has increased since that mall opened several years ago. Another draw will be Cabela’s, the popularhunting, fishing and outdoors retailer that plans to open its first Ohio location in the Polarisarea in the spring.
Nick Gill, the assistant director of transportation for the Mid-Ohio Regional PlanningCommission, said development has been expected in the area near Rts. 36/37 for years but has beenheld up by uncertainty over the interchange.
Gill said traffic forecasters can’t yet say how the proposed outlet mall might affect the area.He did say it likely could affect the interchange more than I-71 itself.
“Obviously, it will add traffic, but the expectation of there being a lot more traffic cominghas been there for a while. The solution to address it is still to be determined,” Gill said.
Delaware County Commissioner Ken O’Brien said the proposed outlet mall could help traffic in anindirect way.
“I think it’s an opportunity,” O’Brien said. “As there’s more retail, there will be more of animpetus to get something done.”
Tanger tax break may leave district in bind
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By - Newsday.com
The Babylon Industrial Development Agency has approved a request from a Deer Park outlet center for a tax abatement extension that local school officials said will financially burden the district in coming years.
The seven-member IDA board, chaired by former Suffolk County Executive Patrick Halpin, unanimously approved the request last week. Deer Park Enterprise Llc, owner of Tanger Outlets at the Arches, had asked the IDA to extend a 15-year tax abatement deal by another eight years.
The original agreement called for an initial 60 percent cut in taxes, with an annual 6 percent increase until full taxation was reached. The extension will slow down the increase to 2 percent per year.
David Blumenfeld of Syosset-based Blumenfeld Development Group Ltd., a partner in Deer Park Enterprise, said the slowdown was needed because the center is only 78 percent full, and 20 of its 100 businesses will soon renegotiate leases. He said the original abatement deal, which is actually an annual increase of the center's assessed value, resulted in the company paying nearly 20 percent in taxes this year.
IDA head Robert Stricoff stressed that the abatement modification is "not an additional tax break" and that "all taxing jurisdictions will not see a decrease" in next year's tax revenue. "This modification will allow for an additional $26 million capital investment into the center and the hiring of some 300 new employees to add to the already 900 full-time employees, many of which are town residents," he said.
The extension also means less money than originally projected for Deer Park's school district -- a total of $482,000 less over the next two years, and more in ensuing years.
In a statement, Superintendent Eva Demyen wrote that she understood the necessity of the modification and is grateful for the "scholarships, contributions toward school improvements and community service" Tanger has provided. However, she wrote, "the timing of reduction . . . is a burden considering the uncertainty of our state aid and the mandated tax levy cap."
Blumenfeld said the reduction shouldn't hurt the district because "their operating budgets are not going to increase at the rate the taxes were increasing."
But Demyen stated the district planned on that money. She wrote, "We have used the original abatement percentages for our financial projections over the next few years and with our budget season upon us, adjustments will need to be made in order to make up for the reduction."
The district has not decided how to do that, Demyen stated.
Stricoff did not respond to a request for comment on the school district.
By - Newsday.comThe Babylon Industrial Development Agency has approved a request from a Deer Park outlet center for a tax abatement extension that local school officials said will financially burden the district in coming years.
The seven-member IDA board, chaired by former Suffolk County Executive Patrick Halpin, unanimously approved the request last week. Deer Park Enterprise Llc, owner of Tanger Outlets at the Arches, had asked the IDA to extend a 15-year tax abatement deal by another eight years.
The original agreement called for an initial 60 percent cut in taxes, with an annual 6 percent increase until full taxation was reached. The extension will slow down the increase to 2 percent per year.
David Blumenfeld of Syosset-based Blumenfeld Development Group Ltd., a partner in Deer Park Enterprise, said the slowdown was needed because the center is only 78 percent full, and 20 of its 100 businesses will soon renegotiate leases. He said the original abatement deal, which is actually an annual increase of the center's assessed value, resulted in the company paying nearly 20 percent in taxes this year.
IDA head Robert Stricoff stressed that the abatement modification is "not an additional tax break" and that "all taxing jurisdictions will not see a decrease" in next year's tax revenue. "This modification will allow for an additional $26 million capital investment into the center and the hiring of some 300 new employees to add to the already 900 full-time employees, many of which are town residents," he said.
The extension also means less money than originally projected for Deer Park's school district -- a total of $482,000 less over the next two years, and more in ensuing years.
In a statement, Superintendent Eva Demyen wrote that she understood the necessity of the modification and is grateful for the "scholarships, contributions toward school improvements and community service" Tanger has provided. However, she wrote, "the timing of reduction . . . is a burden considering the uncertainty of our state aid and the mandated tax levy cap."
Blumenfeld said the reduction shouldn't hurt the district because "their operating budgets are not going to increase at the rate the taxes were increasing."
But Demyen stated the district planned on that money. She wrote, "We have used the original abatement percentages for our financial projections over the next few years and with our budget season upon us, adjustments will need to be made in order to make up for the reduction."
The district has not decided how to do that, Demyen stated.
Stricoff did not respond to a request for comment on the school district.
Hit's Of The 60's Branson Music Show in 2012, Schedule Info
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There's nothing like 60's music and thankfully Branson has a show that plays nothing BUT music from the 1960's! Hit's of the 60's is back for another season in 2012 and this year is going to be "Rockin" more than ever!
Hit's of the 60's offers the Branson audience a family oriented, high energy show that will take you back to the "British Invasion", "Beach Boy Surfin", "Motown", the "Age of Aquarius", and much more. There is also a heartfelt special tribute for the Vets who served and protect the freedoms that our Country enjoys every single day!
The Hit's of the 60's show runs from Mid March right up through Mid December. An entire season of fun for Branson travelers in 2012. Also, in November and December the Show adds holiday and Christmas songs along to help celebrate and spread the Christmas Spirit (While still maintaining the 1960's music and dance theme).
Looking for tickets and schedule information for the Hit's of the 60's show? For detailed information all you have to do is click on a date that you are planning to visit Branson on the season schedule that is listed below. You can purchase tickets to the show, buy entire travel packages, and/or even book your hotel stay all in one convenient location! Simplicity at it's best for Branson guests. 2:00 PM and 8: PM Shows. 2012 Hit's of the 60's Tickets and Schedule Information.
Hit's of the 60's Branson Music Show In 2012 - Tickets and Schedule Information
There's nothing like 60's music and thankfully Branson has a show that plays nothing BUT music from the 1960's! Hit's of the 60's is back for another season in 2012 and this year is going to be "Rockin" more than ever!Hit's of the 60's offers the Branson audience a family oriented, high energy show that will take you back to the "British Invasion", "Beach Boy Surfin", "Motown", the "Age of Aquarius", and much more. There is also a heartfelt special tribute for the Vets who served and protect the freedoms that our Country enjoys every single day!
The Hit's of the 60's show runs from Mid March right up through Mid December. An entire season of fun for Branson travelers in 2012. Also, in November and December the Show adds holiday and Christmas songs along to help celebrate and spread the Christmas Spirit (While still maintaining the 1960's music and dance theme).
2012 Branson Show Schedule and Tickets Information
Looking for tickets and schedule information for the Hit's of the 60's show? For detailed information all you have to do is click on a date that you are planning to visit Branson on the season schedule that is listed below. You can purchase tickets to the show, buy entire travel packages, and/or even book your hotel stay all in one convenient location! Simplicity at it's best for Branson guests. 2:00 PM and 8: PM Shows. 2012 Hit's of the 60's Tickets and Schedule Information.
Myrtle Beach's Best Kid-Friendly Attractions
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Family vacations create experiences and bonding moments that your kids will remember forever and the Grand Strand is the perfect place for just such a vacation! The area is filled with shows and attractions that provide hours of fun for the whole family. With everything from rides to shows, these kid-friendly events are sure to be fun for you, too.
WonderWorks
While Professor Wonder and his group of scientists were creating a contained man-made tornado at their lab in the Bermuda Triangle, they lost control of the daring experiment. The building was blown all the way to Myrtle Beach where it landed, upside down, on top of a Crab Shack. Fortunately, the other experiments in the lab remained intact and are now here for us to enjoy. This indoor amusement park features a wide variety of activities that thrill (and educate!) both young and old. Feel how cold the water was the night the Titanic sank, visit the bubble lab, experience the winds of a Category 1 hurricane, try to make a complete revolution on the Extreme 360° Bike, lay on a bed of nails and ride the roller-coaster simulator! After you've wound your way through the 100+ exhibits WonderWorks has to offer, you'll finish off the fun with a 3 story indoor ropes course!
Medieval Times
The Royal Family cordially invites you to attend a night of skill and competition where the bravest knights of the realm will compete for honor in a series of epic battles. Cheer your champion as he spurs his horse in the relay race, battles his opponents in daring sword fights and finally competes in the perilous joust. But no 11th Century tournament would be complete without a banquet! As you watch the brave knights battle, you'll dine on simmering tomato bisque soup, golden garlic bread, tender oven-roasted chicken, BBQ spare rib, herb basted potatoes and a flaky apple turnover.
The SkyWheel
Soar to new heights! In May 2011, Myrtle Beach welcomed a thrilling new attraction: the largest observation wheel in the United States. This is unlike any ferris wheel you've ever experienced! After being seated in one of the 42 climate-controlled gondolas in groups of 2 to 6, you'll slowly be raised to 187 feet in the air. Here, you'll enjoy sweeping views of the city and beaches along the Grand Strand. At night, the SkyWheel illuminates the coastline with a breathtaking light show.1 million LED lights set into the side of the wheel swirl in a variety of colors and designs and create the perfect backdrop for an iconic family vacation picture!
Ripley's Aquarium
Come find out why Ripley's Aquarium is South Carolina's most visited attraction! Explore the depths of the ocean while traveling through the aquarium tunnel on a 340 ft long moving glidepath. You'll come face-to-face with dozens of sharks, snappers, sawfish, a sea turtle and a wide variety of beautiful fish swimming above and beside you. The aquarium's smaller tanks also feature tropical fish, piranhas, jelly fish, a Pacific Giant Octopus, poison dart frogs and more. If you're looking for a hands-on experience, be sure to stop by the Discovery Center and Friendship Flats, where you have the opportunity to pet horseshoe crabs and stingrays!
Pirates Voyage
Ahoy, matey! Hundreds of years ago, fearsome pirates roamed the Carolina coast. Today, the crews of two dread pirate ships have returned and are battling for their lost treasure! Watch as they compete on deck and in the water with thrilling acrobatics, daring sword fights, dives and even live animals. As you cheer on your crew, your captain will treat you to a mouth-watering pirate feast that includes creamy vegetable soup, flaky buccaneer bread, half o' roasted cackler (chicken), the Captain's BBQ pork, buttery corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and apple pie.
MagiQuest
Upon entering MagiQuest, you find yourself in an enchanted realm where you use your own magic wand to help you in your journey to become a Magi.This indoor, multi-level attraction is like being inside a video game! As you wander through the realm, use your wand to duel, learn from ancient wizards, defeat dragons and meet pixies. Every Magi's journey is different based on the decisions they make and the battles they win. Each time you visit, your wand will remember what you have done and what you have left to accomplish. Master your skills, beat the game and become a true Magi!
A visit to any of these fun-filled attractions will leave behind lasting memories that your kids will talk about for years to come. To top it all off, discounted tickets to most of these attractions can be purchased at our Front Desk! For additional information, call 1-800-845- 5039. We look forward to seeing you and your family here soon!
Family vacations create experiences and bonding moments that your kids will remember forever and the Grand Strand is the perfect place for just such a vacation! The area is filled with shows and attractions that provide hours of fun for the whole family. With everything from rides to shows, these kid-friendly events are sure to be fun for you, too.WonderWorks
While Professor Wonder and his group of scientists were creating a contained man-made tornado at their lab in the Bermuda Triangle, they lost control of the daring experiment. The building was blown all the way to Myrtle Beach where it landed, upside down, on top of a Crab Shack. Fortunately, the other experiments in the lab remained intact and are now here for us to enjoy. This indoor amusement park features a wide variety of activities that thrill (and educate!) both young and old. Feel how cold the water was the night the Titanic sank, visit the bubble lab, experience the winds of a Category 1 hurricane, try to make a complete revolution on the Extreme 360° Bike, lay on a bed of nails and ride the roller-coaster simulator! After you've wound your way through the 100+ exhibits WonderWorks has to offer, you'll finish off the fun with a 3 story indoor ropes course!Medieval Times
The Royal Family cordially invites you to attend a night of skill and competition where the bravest knights of the realm will compete for honor in a series of epic battles. Cheer your champion as he spurs his horse in the relay race, battles his opponents in daring sword fights and finally competes in the perilous joust. But no 11th Century tournament would be complete without a banquet! As you watch the brave knights battle, you'll dine on simmering tomato bisque soup, golden garlic bread, tender oven-roasted chicken, BBQ spare rib, herb basted potatoes and a flaky apple turnover.
The SkyWheel
Soar to new heights! In May 2011, Myrtle Beach welcomed a thrilling new attraction: the largest observation wheel in the United States. This is unlike any ferris wheel you've ever experienced! After being seated in one of the 42 climate-controlled gondolas in groups of 2 to 6, you'll slowly be raised to 187 feet in the air. Here, you'll enjoy sweeping views of the city and beaches along the Grand Strand. At night, the SkyWheel illuminates the coastline with a breathtaking light show.1 million LED lights set into the side of the wheel swirl in a variety of colors and designs and create the perfect backdrop for an iconic family vacation picture!Ripley's Aquarium
Come find out why Ripley's Aquarium is South Carolina's most visited attraction! Explore the depths of the ocean while traveling through the aquarium tunnel on a 340 ft long moving glidepath. You'll come face-to-face with dozens of sharks, snappers, sawfish, a sea turtle and a wide variety of beautiful fish swimming above and beside you. The aquarium's smaller tanks also feature tropical fish, piranhas, jelly fish, a Pacific Giant Octopus, poison dart frogs and more. If you're looking for a hands-on experience, be sure to stop by the Discovery Center and Friendship Flats, where you have the opportunity to pet horseshoe crabs and stingrays!
Pirates Voyage
Ahoy, matey! Hundreds of years ago, fearsome pirates roamed the Carolina coast. Today, the crews of two dread pirate ships have returned and are battling for their lost treasure! Watch as they compete on deck and in the water with thrilling acrobatics, daring sword fights, dives and even live animals. As you cheer on your crew, your captain will treat you to a mouth-watering pirate feast that includes creamy vegetable soup, flaky buccaneer bread, half o' roasted cackler (chicken), the Captain's BBQ pork, buttery corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and apple pie.MagiQuest
Upon entering MagiQuest, you find yourself in an enchanted realm where you use your own magic wand to help you in your journey to become a Magi.This indoor, multi-level attraction is like being inside a video game! As you wander through the realm, use your wand to duel, learn from ancient wizards, defeat dragons and meet pixies. Every Magi's journey is different based on the decisions they make and the battles they win. Each time you visit, your wand will remember what you have done and what you have left to accomplish. Master your skills, beat the game and become a true Magi!
A visit to any of these fun-filled attractions will leave behind lasting memories that your kids will talk about for years to come. To top it all off, discounted tickets to most of these attractions can be purchased at our Front Desk! For additional information, call 1-800-845- 5039. We look forward to seeing you and your family here soon!
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