Animal Kingdom Lodge

Before discussing anything Disney related, I feel it is important that I disclose to you my addiction.  You see, I love Walt Disney World and most everything encompassed therein.  I have been going to Disney since I was a wee babe and have made a trip most years of my life.  Some years, I've managed more than one trip.

My love of the Disney vacation destination stems from my parents.  When they got married, they decided it would be important to take the kids on vacation each year, as a family.  It was something they didn't really have, so they strove to give us that.  They succeeded and instilled a love for that place in us that is very deep.

A great deal of my joy while planning my trips, talking about my trips, and actually being on my trips stems from the nostalgia I have.  At this point in my life, while I am so far from my family, the thought of Disney makes me happy because I associate it with all the good times we have had there.  Most people can't fathom why I chose to get married there or why my husband and I keep going, even though we have no children.  To me, Disney means I'm going to have time with family, and that time will be spent having fun, not cooking and cleaning.

In my travels, I have visited the four parks located in Florida, both water parks, a multitude of restaurants, and quite a few hotels.  I have only stayed in one value resort; we stayed at Pop Century for a single night.  I have stayed at each of the moderate hotels.  Coronado Springs is my current favorite moderate resort.  I haven't stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter in so long that I don't feel qualified to declare whether or not I like it.  Port Orleans Riverside has always treated us well and is where we stayed when we were married.  Caribbean Beach is a nice resort, as well.

Our little jaunt to the Animal Kingdom Lodge came about because we had to travel to Florida for Mark's sister's wedding.  I can't get that close to Disney and not stop in.  When I started researching for this trip, I was planning on us staying at Coronado Springs, in a king room.  Imagine my surprise when I was able to upgrade to Animal Kingdom Lodge for less than $100 more for the three nights.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is what is considered a deluxe resort.  It's an actual hotel, where the entrance to your room is inside the building.  Each room had a balcony or patio for your enjoyment.  Obviously, this resort is located near Animal Kingdom.  What's neat about it is that you can see animals right outside the building, roaming about.  There are rooms with a Savannah view, which means you can see the animals from your balcony/room.  I don't have that kind of money, so we opted for a pool view.*

Now that I have given you a bit of background on the hotel and myself, let's actually talk about our experience at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  We had driven about four hours up from Miami to reach Disney property.  The nice thing about the Animal Kingdom Lodge is that it is relatively easy to find.  Disney does an excellent job with their signage.  If you know what you're looking for and what area your resort is in, you'll be able to find it.  I know when I reach Disney; I can feel it in my bones.  For other people, there are signs.

It was raining, but I didn't care.

When you reach any Disney resort, there is a little guard house where you check in.  The guard will ask what your business is at the hotel.  Whether you're checking in to your room, visiting for a dining reservation, or just stopping by to look around, the guard is super nice and helpful.  They'll tell you where you need to go.  At the Animal Kingdom Lodge, he actually called someone to let them know we were arriving.  It was pretty neat and the first time they've done that.  After he told us where to go, he welcomed us home.  It's a fun little touch, and it makes me smile.

This is the happy little resort map.

Although the deluxe Disney resorts offer valet parking, we opted not to incur that expense.  The regular parking was not that far away.  We found a nice little spot and wandered through the entrance into the lobby area.

This particular picture was snapped the morning

we left the Lodge.  I was too excited walking in

to check in to take pictures.

The lobby are was vast and impressive.  There are cases with different important looking pieces in them.  I imagine they're all re-productions, but either way, I wouldn't touch them.  I would probably break them.**  There is a very African feel to the decor.  While it feels different than what I'm used to, it still feels welcoming.

Behold the lobby area!

Yay!  Neat light fixtures!

Directly inside and to the left is the Magical Express check in.  Since we didn't fly, we didn't have to worry about that.  A bit farther in, still on the left side, is the actual hotel check-in.  We made a bee-line over there because we were excited to go find our room.

Please step right up for easy check-in!

Getting checked in was incredibly easy.  There was no line, so we walked right up.  The level of service we received was in line with what we have had at other Disney hotels.  The girl was very nice, and when Mark asked if they had any King size rooms available, she called to find out.  Lucky for us, they did!  We were upgraded at no charge to an accessible room.

Our home for the next few nights was located down the zebra wing.  While heading to our room, we spied the animals.  You can look through some windows out on to the Savannah, or there is a place where you can go outside and animal watch.  There are rocking chairs and a viewer to allow you to see better.  If you're an animal enthusiast, it's pretty neat.

Zebra!

After a few minutes spent looking at animals and admiring our surroundings, we sought out our room.

I have nothing clever to say about this.

The room was set up a bit differently, as it was accessible.  If they hadn't told us that in the beginning, I wouldn't have even known though.  I have never stayed in one of the default rooms, so I have nothing to compare it to.

This was the very comfortable king size bed, with a 

pullout bed in the background.

Here is a day-time view of the bed.  

Isn't it pretty??

The decor in the room was as nice as that in the lobby area.  The colors were very pretty, and the dark wood complemented them nicely.  I didn't find any of the basic room ammenities to be any better than those at the moderates, with the exception of the balcony.  Those do not exist at the moderate resorts.

That is condensation on the door; it's

not dirty.

I don't know that I would stay at a deluxe just for the balcony, but it was neat.  I sat out there and talked to my mom on the phone one afternoon, and it was very nice.  The view was great too.  

Night time!

Day time!

I've already mentioned that the bed was comfortable.  There were plenty of blankets and the climate control was full access.  We could turn it down as cool as we wanted.  When we stayed that single night at Pop Century, that wasn't the case.  Luckily, the moderates will let you get it pretty cool.  I did like the easy to use interface and that it was a magic little freezer box.

The washroom was equally impressive.  The biggest difference between the moderates and this particular deluxe, as far as the wash area goes, is that the entire bathroom area is its own room.  In the moderates, the sinks are with the closet area, with the toilet and shower in their own little closet.  Animal Kingdom Lodge was set up more like a real bathroom.

It may look small in the picture, but the shower was actually

quite roomy.  It had plenty of shelves, as well, which are lacking

in the moderates.

The vanity area, while nice, is not much different than Disney's

moderate resorts.

This toilet was scary powerful.  I imagine small children

would be afraid of it.  If you stood in front of it while flushing,

it was only too happy to spray you with a bit of water.

It was not refreshing.

All in all, the room was very nice.  The colors all worked well together, complementing the decor.  I liked the theme they had set up.  It worked well and was cohesive throughout the resort.

Now, after rooms, the next most important thing to Mark and I is probably food.***  Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to two table service restaurants in the Jambo house area, which is where we were.  The more expensive and fancy of the two is Jiko.  We didn't eat there, but I have heard good things.

We did, however, eat at their other sit down restaurant, Boma, and it was great.  Mark pretty much declared it the best meal of the trip.  It is an African inspired buffet.  They had a ton of curry, so Mark was in seventh heaven.  For the less adventurous, they also had standard Americanized options.  While it was expensive, it was no more than most other dinner buffets on Disney property, and it provided a unique dining experience.

Look at the ceiling!  You don't want to see food porn.

Since you've read this far, I suppose you earned some

food porn.  Behold the yummy desserts!

You can look down into Boma from upstairs.

For those in a bit of a bind for time, there is Mara.  It's more of a quick service, cafeteria type place.  If you want cold items or pastries, you just grab them out of the cases.  For prepared meals, you wait in line.  A wonderful cast member will take your order and give you a pager to grab your food once it has been freshly prepared.

So I have a thing for ceilings at Disney!  What of it?

Don't judge me!

I must say, we loved the food we had here.  As is par for the course, whatever I chose was the superior meal.  Luckily, it was all good anyway.  The area was clean, with plenty of seating, and the attendants were incredibly nice.

More food porn!

The sit down restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge trump those at the moderate resorts.  When it comes to variety in the quick service arena, the moderates are leaps and bounds ahead.  It seems that to have more interesting dishes, you must sacrifice variety.  We really enjoyed the food at Mara, but I would want more options if I was staying for an entire week.  There is no clear winner between moderate or deluxe when looking at quick service meals.

I do have to give Animal Kingdom Lodge the edge on in room dining though.  In a moderate hotel, there are a few things you can have delivered to your room, mainly pizza.  At the Animal Kingdom Lodge, there was an entire menu that spanned breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  They even had fancy desserts.  This came in particularly handy, as I was on a mission to get us out of the room early in the morning.  Since I could order breakfast to be delivered whenever I wanted, it really sped up the process.

Those are Kellogg's Frosted Flakes. 

Show them the proper

respect.

We had a 7:00AM delivery on our first morning.  Everything we could have needed was provided, including a toaster!  It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.  It fit our schedule, and the food was delicious.  I wouldn't do it every day of the trip, but splurging once or twice is fun.

Since we've eaten, it's time to go swimming!  We don't really have to wait twenty minutes.  The pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge has zero entry, meaning in one section, you just walk into it.  I would imagine it is great for young children.  Additionally, there are hot tubs and children's areas.  There is a slide, which we both went down.  I think we were the only adults, but it was fun anyway.  I'm pretty sure the lifeguard was laughing at us.

Here you can see both the zero entry part and a duck!

Now, most of the moderate Disney resorts have a theme pool, like the main Animal Kingdom Lodge one, but they also have what are called quiet pools.  There were no additional pools in our deluxe resort.  Since the big pool wasn't that crowded, that was fine.  I rarely, if ever, use the themed pools at the moderates because they are usually crowded.  I like having those additional pools to utilize.

Aside from all the animal viewing areas, they also offer a unique experience in the evening.  You can borrow a pair of night vision goggles and watch the animals.  It was really, really neat, and I probably would have enjoyed it if I wasn't being eaten alive by bugs at the time.  It  had rained all morning, and the bugs were very thick that night.  I sustained at least six bug bites in the five minutes or so we spent looking.  I didn't really encounter bugs in other areas of the resort, so be prepared with bug spray if you choose to do this experience.  It was something I'll probably never have the opportunity to do again, so I suggest you take advantage of it if you are there.

All in all, I really enjoyed our stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  It was very fun and different.  That being said, if you have to pay rack rate, it really isn't worth that much more money.  My favorite resort is still Coronado Springs, which is actually a relief.  It's probably good that I'm not addicted to deluxe resorts.  I'm glad I was able to have this experience though.  I'm sure if the opportunity arose again, I would jump on it.  My dream is still to stay at the Polynesian, but I don't have that kind of money yet.

If you have an animal lover in the family, you should try to stay here at least once.  We saw plenty of animals without paying for the Savannah view, but if you have the money, go for it.  There are viewing guides in the rooms, as well.  The people working in this hotel really want you to have a good time.  They're amazing in every way.  That alone is worth the price of admission.

Here, you can see the balconies from the outside.

I'm standing down by the pool, and Mark is 

waving.  Hi!

Yet another shot of the lobby.

I just can't do it justice.

Here, you can see some of the cases.

It's time to say good-bye.  This 

was one of the last pictures I took

at Animal Kingdom Lodge. I was waiting

for Mark to bring the car around.

*We were able to see a different kind of animal, a human animal.  You are a human animal.  You are a very special breed.  For you are the only animal who can talk, who can reason, who can read!

**I bet they're heavy, which means they're expensive.

***If we were younger or skinnier, it may have been the pool, but we'll get to that later.

Miami: Where I Met Bubbles

I'm pretty sure that you all know how I feel about big cities by now.  I went off about it when I talked about Savannah a few weeks ago.  As I keep having the opportunity to experience new places, I have now visited Miami, Florida, as well.  Let's just say that it wasn't really my speed.

We were only in Miami for about a day and stayed overnight at the Hyatt Regency.*  The most difficult part of visiting Miami was getting there.  I am by no means a veteran driver yet, so that is yet another factor that turns me off to big cities.  The traffic is usually crazy.  On your way to Miami, there is toll after toll after toll.  The drivers are crazy, and for us, the traffic was thick.  I made Mark take over about an hour and a half away from Miami because I was uncomfortable.

When we actually reached the city, the streets to our hotel seemed cramped and scary.  Everything was quite clean, but the whole set up made me nervous.  All those big buildings so close together was intimidating.**  It was just not a place that made me feel comfortable.

After we got checked into our hotel, we decided to go for a walk, see what Miami had to offer nearby.  It turns out that it was more about what we had to offer.  In front of our hotel, waiting to cross a street, we met a very nice man.  Now, when I say we met him, I mean he gallantly directed the traffic already stopped at the red light to remain back, so Mark and I could cross the road.  Sounds funny and kinda nice, right?  Miami is full of characters.

This gentleman, who I shall refer to as Bubbles***, proceeded to walk down the street with us.  He insisted, in a fun way, that Mark actually say hello to him.  He also promised to guess our ages.  Now, he was a true showman and knew how to play the crowd.  As I'm sure he does with any female, he guessed low on my age.  I think  he guessed over on Mark's age.  Either way, Bubbles said it was his birthday and gave us a bit of a show.

Well, nothing in this world is free, so he asked us for ten dollars.  He was up front and honest, told us that he had some food in his backpack and just wanted to go buy a beer and relax.  Mark only had six bucks on him, as we don't really carry cash.  When Mark offered it, the guy still pushed for ten, but Mark pulled a Pawn Star move on him and said best he could do was six.  Bubbles took it and strolled away into the night.

Now, I've had people come up to me in the Wal-Mart parking lot and ask for money.  One time, a really scary lady stopped us in a rest stop parking lot to ask for money.  Since I'm already leery of people, being panhandled is one of my worse silly fears.  I must give Bubbles credit though; he was a consummate professional that offered up a bit of entertainment before asking for money.  At least he didn't' ask for something for nothing.  Should he ever read this, bravo, sir.

After our random encounter, we continued walking for a while.  Did you know Miami is ridiculously hot?  It's also humid!  While I knew this beforehand, it didn't make walking around any more pleasant.  Additionally, the shops we found were a bit seedy.  Even the stores with names I knew, like Payless, were a bit dirty.  I found a pair of shoes for sale that I'm pretty sure had been worn for a couple months already.

I haven't experienced all that Miami has to offer, but I didn't care for what I saw.  It further reinforced the idea that big cities are scary places with a lot of people.  I would hate to be there when the zombie apocalypse starts.  Although, I'm sure Bubbles will be safe.  He'll be the wise cracking guy that survives.

*Actually, I'm not really sure of the hotel we stayed at.  It's really not that important to the story, and I don't want to wake Mark up to ask him where we stayed.

**Yes, I know I'm a country bumpkin. Don't judge me!

***Wire, represent, yo!  By the way, I'm not indicating that the man was a drug addict.  He just seemed nice and relatively harmless.

Holiday Inn Express

When I stay in a hotel, where do I stay?  Well, the only time I really travel is to go to Disney, and when I do that, we stay at Disney hotels.  On the odd occasion that we need a hotel when travelling anywhere else, I usually opt for Holiday Inn Express.  Mark says it is because I had one good experience there, which earned my trust.

The first time I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express was in the fall of 2008.  We were flying out of Pittsburgh to Disney, and since our flight was so early, we decided to find a place to stay near the airport.  Not only did the Holiday Inn Express there let us park our car there during our trip, they also provided a shuttle to and from the airport.

Since then, we've visited two more hotels of the chain.  We stayed at one in Savannah, which was okay, and we recently stayed in one located in St. Augustine, Florida.  We left after work to head to Miami and decided to stop about halfway there.

When we pulled up after midnight, I was relieved to see that the hotel was well lit with ample parking.  We actually found a spot right near the doors.  It's important to feel safe when you're leaving your vehicle alone over night, especially since we were leaving some of our stuff in it.  The clean parking area and well lit outside were in line with the experiences we had previously had with Holiday Inn Express.

If you arrive after a certain time, they have to buzz you in or you use your room key to open the door.  It's additional security that probably doesn't really do much, but it makes you feel better.  The lobby area was even nicer than the outside of the hotel.*  The gentleman that checked us in was a bit odd, but then, so are we.  He was really nice and made the process quick and easy.

After we found our room, we went back out to the car to bring a few things in.

So much space!

As we were walking through, the attendant gave us some Famous Amos cookies.  They had a little area with food that they were selling them from, but he gave us two bags at no charge.  It was a small thing, but it was very kind of him.  I think he heard me talking about being hungry.

It turns out that it was a good thing they had a little market section, as Mark and I were starving.  After getting settled in the room, we went down to find something to eat.  Since there was a microwave in the room, as well as a fridge, they had both cold and frozen options, in addition to the dry type goods.

Amazingly, we didn't forget anything in the fridge.

Mark picked out chicken salad and crackers, while I got some Campbell's soup.  The attendant was kind enough to let us in the breakfast room so we could get silverware and napkins.

After a bit of snacking, we showered and got ready for bed.  The first time I saw one of those curved shower curtain rods was at the Holiday Inn Express in Pittsburgh, and I fell in love with it.  I'm happy to see those in all the hotels of that chain.

Maybe the colors aren't remarkable, but 

it is still welcoming.

The bathroom was also very nice; it didn't look like a generic hotel bathroom.  They utilize unique shelving units and fixtures to set themselves apart.

The bed was very comfortable.  The pillows were not up to our standards, but we're a bit spoiled.  We usually carry our own pillows, so that's not a make or break factor in my love for the Holiday Inn Express brand.  The bed was clean and didn't look like I should be afraid to sit on it.**

We slept well.  Some hotels limit your access to climate control, but we were able to set the air where we wanted it to be.  I was able to burrow into the blankets and blast the air conditioning, just the way Mark and I like!

Perhaps the highlight of the Holiday Inn Express experience is the free breakfast.  Now, I'm not a huge fan of that particular meal, but that doesn't make it any less important.  At the complimentary breakfast, you could have the following:

• Pancakes - They came out of a machine!  It was amazing!
• Scrambled Eggs
• Cereal
• Sausage
• Milk
• Biscuits
• Sausage Gravy
• Toast
• Bagels
• Muffins
• Yogurt
• Sweet Rolls
• Orange Juice

There was probably even more food, but I think that gives you a pretty good idea.  You don't just get just dried out pastries and orange juice.  You get a real breakfast.  There was a young lady monitoring the buffet that was kind enough to get the door for me.  She was super friendly, even though it was early.

I had to bring breakfast back to the room

for Mr. Sleepy Head.

If I am travelling and don't have access to a Disney hotel, I will opt to stay at a Holiday Inn Express.  We usually get a pretty good deal on the room, which is important, and we can count on a pretty nice experience.  The rooms have consistently been nice, and that is important.  When we're travelling, the last thing I want is to have to worry about where we're sleeping.

*I really liked the big light fixture, but I didn't take a picture of it.  I didn't want to look crazy.

**I don't think I am brave enough to take a black light to it, but I don't think I could do that in any hotel.

Mirage Hair Salon

Why is it so hard to find a hair salon that works for me?  I'm sure it has to do with me, but I just don't have any luck.  I've already talked about the R Salon on here before, and now, I'm going to tell you about Mirage Hair Salon, which is located here in sunny Myrtle Beach.  

I think it's important to let you know that Mirage Hair Salon was a very nice place.  The appearance of the salon was very professional and clean.  I liked the set up they had, and the employees were all very fashionable.  

As I am not particularly fashionable, I may not be the best person to be reviewing a salon.  I am not fancy, and my hair spends most days up in a clip.  Mother nature got together with my genes to provide me with mousy brown hair.  My brain got together with my crazy to insist that red hair would be better.  For the last couple of years, we've all compromised and gone with reddish brown hair.  Going too funky would probably be frowned on at the bank.*  For this go round, I wanted to go all over red, but I defer to the stylist, as they're a lot more in tune with what looks good than I am.

My stylist at Mirage Hair Salon was Marissa, and she was incredibly friendly.  Unfortunately, the socially awkward penguin in me just stumbles through small talk that isn't necessitated by my job.  Marissa never let on about how odd I was though.  She listened to what I wanted and then gave me feedback as to what she thought would work best for me.  I really can't say a bad thing about her because she was great.

The decision was made to cut off a few inches, add some more layers, and go with red highlights.  Now, I've never had highlights before, as they're expensive and can look terrible when done wrong.**  I trusted Marissa and just went with it. 

One of the most integral parts of the salon experience revolves around the care shown to your locks.  If someone pulls and tugs at your head, you start to feel as if they don't really care.  Marissa barely ever pulled my hair when she was working with it.  After my experience at R Salon, this was a welcome change.  Marissa had a delicate hand and a good eye.  

The highlights she did for me were a beautiful color and well positioned.  It wasn't overwhelming, and it was very simple.  She did an excellent job.  The hair cut is equally well done.  

The issues I have with my experience at Mirage Hair Salon are all of a more personal nature.  For example, they have their regulars.  When someone walks into the establishment and they all start talking to each other, it makes me feel like the odd man out.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with them having such a great rapport with their customers.  It's what they should do; it's not their fault it makes me uncomfortable.

As I asked for Marissa's opinion and took her advice, I don't really have any room to be upset with the final product.  She provided what we agreed upon and did a good job at it.  It just wasn't what I wanted.  I'm nervous about going all over red again, which made me accept her suggestion for highlights.  Yet again, it's a personal problem.

As it would with all over color, the highlights are fading a bit already.  Red is a difficult color to keep bright.  There were suggested products to counteract the dulling, and Marissa was awesome enough to give me a few samples.  Even using those, the color seemed to fade in even a few washes.  I'm sure some of it is in my head; I don't really trust my eyes when they are judging me.

Finally, the cost was pretty steep.  For a haircut and a partial head of highlights, it was $150.  Now, I was prepared to spend that kind of money.  I had gotten my bonus and don't visit the salon very often, so I was okay treating myself.  The problem is that it wasn't a remarkable enough change to feel worth that kind of money.  

I really have nothing bad to say about Mirage Hair Studio, as everyone was nice and the product I requested was delivered.  That being said, I don't believe I shall be returning.  It was just too expensive for the services I received.  I didn't feel like I looked like $150.  Of course, all of my criticisms are of a personal nature and not the fault of the salon.  If you're looking for a high quality salon in the Myrtle Beach area, Mirage Hair Studio is that.  Marissa is very talented, and everyone is professional and friendly.  Just keep in mind that it will be expensive.

*Although one girl has some pink hair, and it is marvelous!

**I once saw a girl that looked like she had dye dumped on her hair, rather than actual thought out highlights.  It was bad.

Star Nails & Spa

In honor of my sister-in-law's upcoming nuptials, Mark and I decided it was our duty to have manicures and pedicures.  We didn't want to look shabby for the big day.  This trip to the nail spa brings my total number of manicures and pedicures to three.  It's not something I do very often.  I went for my best friends' wedding, and Mark and I went before our vacation last year.  The important question wasn't whether we would go to a nail spa but rather which one to go to.

My initial salon visit was a place in State College, PA that did an amazing job.  Our visit last year was to a place that did an okay job.  Actually, I was a bit disappointed in their work.  This left me in a bind, as we couldn't afford to travel to State College to get our nails done.  We ended up going to Star Nails & Spa, located in the Coastal Grand Mall here in Myrtle Beach.  They're on the end near the Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  I must say it was a wise decision.

Mark had grudgingly agreed to get a pedicure with me, as he has done once before.  On the drive over, while stuck at a red light, he starts picking at his nails.  When he realized how bad his cuticles were, he jokingly said he should get a manicure.  I immediately said yes, as I didn't think it was a big deal.  Apparently, he kept thinking about it and decided to go for it.

The most uncomfortable part of any nail salon experience is the initial entrance.  You step in and are expected to know what to do.  I am not yet comfortable with that, as I don't visit them very often.  This leads to me standing around awkwardly.  Once we were greeted, we told them what we wanted done; they instructed me to pick out a polish and then have a seat in the fancy pedicure chairs.*  It took me a while to pick out the right color for my toe nails, as it's a big decision!

So many colors!

Once the color was chosen**, we both had a seat.  For those of you that have never had a pedicure, let me give you a run down of what happens.  Usually, you're sitting in a fancy chair that has a massage apparatus in the back.  So, free back massage.  There is usually a place for the water attached, as well.  They get the water to a comfortable temperature and have you put your feet in.  It feels very nice.  Then, they will take out one foot at a time and work on it.  They trim your nails and clean up your cuticles, as well.  They usually rub your feet a bit, as well as your calves.  They'll toss a hot towel on your legs after they're done having your feet soak.  If you're hesitant about having a pedicure because you have a messed up toenail or such, don't worry.  They will take care of it and make you feel better than when you started.

If you're getting polish, they put on a coat of something that helps your nails keep from discoloring from the nail polish.  Once that dries, they begin putting on the polish.  They'll use as many coats as it takes to make it look good.

After you finish the pedicure portion of your adventure, they take you to one of the stations where they do manicures.  In my case, I asked for some a French manicure, where they put the white lines on the end.  Mark, of course, opted to forgo polish.  They do a lot of the same things with your hands that they do with your feet.  They clean up your cuticles and trim your nails.  They rub some lotion on them and massage your hands a bit.  Once again, they'll use as many coats as it takes to make your polish look smashing.

Overall, Star Nails & Spa did a spectacular job.  They were kind enough to have a woman work on Mark's appendages, which put him more at ease.  The last time he had a pedicure, it was a man doing it, which was awkward.  Additionally, the girl was very nice.  She chatted with both of us during the pedicure phase, which further relaxed Mark.  The prices were comparable to other places I've been, so I had no real complaints in that department.

If I were to bring forth any factors I took issue with, it would be the fact that the tips on my finger nails were quite thick.  Now, I am obviously no expert regarding manicures.***  It was actually my fourth manicure because I forgot to count the one I had before I got married.  The day before our nuptials, a nice Disney castmember came to our room and did a manicure for me, my first ever.  She told me that the white lines at the end of the nails, on the tips, should be thin in an effort to make the nail bed appear elongated.  That has always stuck with me, and I prefer that style.  That being said, I was still very happy with how everything turned out.

My manicure last year was chipping with-in two days.  I was being incredibly careful, but the polish just wasn't staying as nice as I would have liked.  My manicure from Star Nails & Spa didn't show a chip for almost five days.  I got it on Monday and noticed the first chip on Friday night.  I thought that was pretty good.  We will probably return there next year, when it's time for another manicure/pedicure day.****

*This is where a picture of those chairs would go, but the only pictures of them I took have Mark in them.  He has asked that I not put his pedicure pictures up.  Spoilsport.

**It was red, by the way.  It seemed appropriate and classy.  I did feel a bit slutty though.

***I think that's pretty obvious.

****By the way, Mark says I need to get some more female friends.

Copper

You know, I'm still undecided on Copper.  I'm so on the fence that I haven't even finished watching the episodes on my DVR.  The show is well put together, but I don't know if it works for me.

Copper is like Sherlock Holmes meets Luther.  For those of you unfamiliar with Luther, he's a bit of an out of bounds cop.  He does what he has to, whether it is lawful or not.  I trust you know who Sherlock Holmes is.  I will say that there is not as much going on mentally on Copper as there would be in a Sherlock Holmes novel.

The casting seems a bit off to me.  The actor behind the main character does a decent job, but the look seems off to me.  It's like Leonardo DiCaprio in Gangs of New York.  He's a great actor, but he just didn't fit in.  Copper has the same problem with their main character, Detective Corcoran.

The story has potential, following this cop as he seeks answers to a personal issue while also doing his job.  Corruption abounds, and there are plenty of other colorful characters present.  All the pieces are present.

Sometimes, Copper feels like it is trying too hard to be edgy.  There are scenes that are unnecessarily violent, putting somewhat innocent characters into terrible situations, and Detective Corcoran is fine with it.  They also deal with some uncomfortable subject matter, but that would be acceptable given the time period the show is set in.

I've only watched three or four episodes of Copper.  I'm not sure if the rest of the season is more of the same or if they find their way.  Eventually, I'll get around to finding out.  Until then, Copper just hasn't pulled me in.

Doctor Who

I had a couple options for today's review, but after Chris Hardwick encouraged those of us in the know to spread the word, I decided I really had to talk about Doctor Who this evening.  If you're lucky enough to have BBC America, I do hope you watched the season premiere tonight.  If you're not familiar with Doctor Who just yet, I suggest you get watching; you've got a lot of catching up to do.

Doctor Who is an ancient show.  It has been on for years but is enjoying a resurgence in popularity after its reboot a few years ago.  For the uninitiated, Doctor Who is the story of a Time Lord who can travel through time and space, having adventures.  He usually travels with one or two people who serve as his companion.  The actor playing the Doctor changes, as do the companions.  Since the show has been on the air pretty steadily since the 1960s, you can see why actors change out.

The show had lost its way and not been doing much as a television program when it was relaunched in 2005, starring a new doctor in the form of Christopher Eccleston, who would go on to collect a new companion, hence starting the cycle anew.  While some purists would frown upon me for only being familiar with episodes from 2005 on, I may one day embark on the adventure that is the original Doctor Who episodes.  Of course, that would require a great deal of time, as there are a whole lot of episodes.  If you start with the relaunch, you only have to catch up on episodes as far back as 2005.

While you do not have to watch the original Doctor Who seasons, the current episodes do hearken back to their source material.  Old villains re-appear, and past companions are sometimes mentioned.  I had no real issue following along though, so I feel confident in encouraging you to start with Eccleston's Doctor.

As the show does resurrect old foes, some of the character designs may seem a bit silly.  The daleks, in particular, seem a bit odd, but I love it.  They pay homage to the original design while still conveying the evil and hatred the daleks are known for.

While some lesser re-launches may have failed to create memorable new foes, Doctor Who has no such problem.  If you've had the pleasure of seeing an episode with the weeping angels, you know what I'm talking about.  The show-makers were able to create a villain that was every bit as iconic as some of the classics.

Doctor Who succeeds because it is not afraid of change, nor does it ignore where it came from.  With each season, the show improves.  Of course, everyone has their favorite doctor.  In case you were wondering, mine is David Tennant.*  It's risky to remove the main actor from a show, and when Doctor Who does it, they hit you right in the feelings.  When the show brought in David Tennant, I didn't like him at first.  At the same time, I bawled like a baby when he took his leave.  They know how to make you care, and they're not afraid to go dark.

There is a reason Doctor Who has been such a long running show.  They're created an interesting character that is able to regularly change on a very basic level.  Because his companions are equally important, the show can survive the change of Doctor.  When you add in the other recurring characters, including villains, you have what is currently one of the better shows on television.

If you're not a whovian, join us.  It's a whole lot of fun.  I can't guarantee that you'll love every episode that you watch, but I can tell you that they all serve to build an amazing series with some truly stand-out episodes and plot lines.  Doctor Who is well acted, well thought out, and well worth your time.  While some of the special effects are a bit unimpressive in the Eccleston season, they continually improve, as does the quality of the show as a whole.  Give it a go.  My only regret is that I didn't join the club until later.**

*  He's on my list.  I think he's also on Mark's list.

**I should have listened to Spank earlier.