Harry Potter World

October 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I know it’s called Throw Back Thursday, but this week I am doing a Throwback Tuesday to when I went to Harry Potter World!

I remember the first time I went to Disney World as a kid.  I was so excited and stared in awe as all of my favorite Disney movies came to life before my eyes.

Well, that happened again for me as an adult when I went to Harry Potter World!

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I love the Harry Potter books, actually let me rephrase that, I am obsessed with the Harry Potter books!  So, when my husband surprised me with a trip to Harry Potter World a couple of years ago I was about as excited as a kid at the Magic Kingdom.

So, let the adventure begin…. No Muggles please!

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Right away when you walk in is a great photo opportunity of the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4

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The park actually has a post office where you can send correspondence by Owl Post!  Owls won’t really deliver your mail though! ;)

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We stopped at the Candy Store and picked up some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavored Bean.  I got booger flavor and James got dirt.

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We stopped into Ollivander’s Wand Shop!

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I really wanted to buy a wand.  They were $40.  James said, “Tim, you are a 30 year old man!  What will you do with a wand?”  I bought one anyway.   Through out the day, I decided to try and embarrass James by waving the wand in his face and screaming “Wingardium Leviosa” in my best British accent.  (I thought I was funny)  and since he didn’t want me to buy a wand, I made him hold Voldemort’s wand.

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They serve Butter beer and I loved it!  It tasted like butterscotch and cream soda.  That might not sound good, but trust me, it was.

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We even snuck into a souvenir shop and dressed up like a couple of Gryffindor Quidditch players.

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But who am I kidding, the Sorting Hat would probably put me somewhere else.

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Rude Sorting Hat!  I would not be in Slytherin!

Everything leads to the Main Attraction of the theme park – the castle of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

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The Hogwarts Castle is actually the line for one of the best theme park rides I have ever been on.  It was also one of the more entertaining lines to stand in because as you wait, there are many things to look at through out the castle.

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Like Dumblebore’s Office, The Mirror of Erised and the Gryffindor Common Room Door.

As I mentioned, the ride inside the castle is one of the better rides I have been on.  It made me nauseous, but I still loved it.

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I loved the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and strongly recommend going there if you love Harry Potter as much as I do.

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See you on Tuesdays!

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Your Fall TV Guide

October 15, 2013 By 2 Comments

I always get in a panic in the fall regarding television shows.

Time is precious… What should I be watching?  Am I missing out on something good? Will I waste my time with something bad? Should I just read a book?

Well, if you have asked yourself the same questions recently, let me help you with:

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Remember back in the day when women would watch soap operas during the day and they would call them their “stories” or their “programs?”  My babysitter would always say, “Now Timmy, my programs are on at 12 so then we have to turn off cartoons!” (Maybe this was just in Wisconsin.)

Anyway, here are my favorite “stories” for the Fall 2013 season!

1. The Black List: Mondays on NBC

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You won’t have the Monday Blues anymore because after work you get to come home and watch The Blacklist!  I am hooked!  One of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, Raymond Reddington, surrenders and helps the agency with a list of the top criminals he knows of, but which the FBI doesn’t know exist.  He will only cooperate with rookie agent Elizabeth Keen.  Why? We don’t know, but I have my suspicions.  So much happened in the pilot, that I have high hopes for this show!

2. Hostages: Mondays on CBS

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Another reason to love Mondays; Hostages is on at the same time as the Blacklist so you will have to set your DVR.  I have to suspend belief a little bit with this show, because I don’t think the American people would know the surgeon that was operating on the President in such a public way…  However, I am hooked on this show too!  The family of Dr. Ellen Sanders, who will be doing surgery on the President, is taken hostage.  She is ordered by the kidnappers to assassinate the President in order to save her family.

3. Modern Family: Wednesdays on ABC

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I love Modern Family and sometimes I feel they steal story lines from my life, but it’s a great show and I always get a good laugh.  There are so many shows that revolve around crime that sometimes you need a good comedy and Modern Family is probably my favorite one out there right now!

4. GLEE: Thursdays on FOX

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If you watch one episode of  Glee this season, let it be “The Quarterback!”  It is a tribute show to Cory Monteith who, if you didn’t know, passed away earlier this year.  I cried like a little girl during this episode.  I commend the cast for being able to film it.  It made me want to pick up the phone and tell those closest to me that I love them because you just never know…  I have always liked Glee though and plan to watch it in full since it is most likely the final season.

5. Homeland: Sundays on Showtime

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This season has not started off the best for me, but I loved the first two seasons of Homeland so I am still giving it a chance. I can only see Clare Daines crying because she is in a psych ward so many times. Last year, Saturday Night Live did a skit on the show and it has never been more accurate than with the first couple of episodes of Season 3.

I am hoping it picks up though and would highly recommend the first two seasons of the show.

Lastly, I would like the TV gods to bring back Smash and The New Normal!  Thank you!

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Those are my top TV shows for this season!  Let me know if I am missing out on any others!

See you on Tuesdays! ;)

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Best Entree on Island

October 8, 2013 By 2 Comments

Nantucket is home to some of the best restaurants I have ever had the pleasure of frequenting.

However, I have a favorite restaurant!  The reason it’s my favorite is because its menu features the best entree I have ever tasted!  This may be a bold statement, but I can honestly say, it’s the truth!

The restaurant is the Pearl!

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And the entree is the Wok-Fried Lobster!

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It’s their signature dish and if you have ever tasted it you know why!  Let’s really dive into it, shall we?

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The dish combines my favorite things: lobster and noodles with an asian inspiration!  Two claws and two tails of fresh lobster which is wok-fried to perfection. This isn’t your typical lobster people!  It has a crunch to it that is simply out of this world! This generous portion of my favorite seafood is served on a bed of lo mein, carrots and asparagus.  I always ask for extra noodles because they are amazing too! It also comes with an asian barbecue sauce on the side that adds to the overall flavor, but you don’t need it in my opinion. On a side note, the lobster is very easy to crack and this 30 year old grown man doesn’t have to ask his husband to do it for him which is always a bonus for my self-esteem! ;)

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If I ever had to choose my last meal THIS WOULD BE IT!

(A close second would be the Beef Wellington at the Club Car.)

So the next time you are ON ISLAND make a reservation at the Pearl!  You will thank me!

See you on Tuesdays!

Filed Under: Food, Tim 2 Comments