Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Dear Charlotte ... 2008

Dear Charlotte,
Now that 2008 is over I wanted to let you know that many things happened in the year of your birth. I am hoping that this blog may be around in the future so you can read this note and you can see what happened in history. This was a very historic year in many ways, I will mention some that probably will never be in the record or history books and others that I am sure will endure through time. This was a year was filled with many highs and lows, deaths and creations, this year saw crazy gas prices peaking around $4.10 at one point and $1.46 this morning. Also everyone “found..." something, "...their way”, “...old friends”, and "...health" in 2008, there was a huge rise of in-car GPS devices, Facebook seems to have almost everyone I have ever known now logging on, as well as the large increase of organic foods in your local mega marts. The economy was filled mostly with lows, many people have lost jobs and most will not be receiving annual bonus and raises. Most holiday parties were canceled because of cost savings and I am sure tonight’s New Years will have many people at home instead of at grand balls and lavish parties. Although from the feeling I get around town, everyone is ready to start 2009 with a bang.

2008 In Review:
January 11 – Sir Edmund Hillary died. This was the first person to conquer Mount Everest.
January 17 – Bobby Fisher died. He could have been the best chess player of all time.
January 22 – Heath Ledger died. Actor.
February 10 – Roy Scheider died. Actor. Famous lines from the movie Jaws. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat”
March 18 – You were born at Riverside Hospital near The Ohio State University campus in Columbus, Ohio.
March 19 – Arthur C. Clark died. Author whose most famous work was “2001: A space Odyssey”
March 28 – The HD DVD Promotion Group was dissolved ending its run to take over BluRay media.
April 5 – Charlton Heston died. Actor
April 28 – Dow peaks.13,058
May 29 – Harvey Korman died. Actor. Famous for some of my favorite movies including History Of The World and Blazing Saddles.
June 13 – Tim Russert died. Washington bureau chef and the moderator of “Meet the Press”
June 13 – Isabella turns 2. We had a great party at a place called “Pump it Up”
June 22 – George Carlin died. Comedian. One of my all time favorite people.
July 11 – People lined up outside ever Apple store to get a new G3 iPhone
July 18 – Dark Knight made $67.2 million in a single day, the most lucrative opening for any film and ended as the second highest grossing movie of all time behind Titanic.
August 9 – Bernie Mac died. Actor
August 10 – Isaac Hayes died. Singer song writer.
September 1 - Tropical Storm Ike is upgraded to Hurricane Ike later destroying the Huston Coast line and reminisce coming and causing power outages in Ohio.
September 26 – Paul Newman died. Actor and over all superstar. Stared in one of Nicole's all time favorites, Cool Hand Luke. You and your sister have eaten a lot of his namesake food products.
November 5 – Michael Crichton. Author. Jurassic Park, “ER” and many more.
November 15 – Probably the most historic day of this year. Americans elected the first African American president after the longest primary season in modern history.
November 17 – Dow hits bottom. 8,042
December 11 – Bettie Page died. Model
December 31 - Extra leap second added to the Atomic Clock.


Winners:
Oscars –
Actor – Danial Day Lewis – There Will be Blood
Actress – Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose
Directing and Best Picture – No Country For Old Men

American Idol - David Cook

NASCAR - Jimmie Johnson
Heisman trophy - Sam Bradford
Super Bowl – New York Giants
World Series – Philadelphia Phillies
NBA Champions - Boston Celtics

NBA MVP – Kobe Bryant
Olympics -

Usain Bolt - Bolt became the first man since Carl Lewis to earn gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters and the 400 relay, and he (and his teammates) broke the world records in all three events.
Michael Phelps - Phelps won eight gold medals in Beijing, breaking the 26-year-old record for gold medals in a single summer Olympics. You were mostly awake to watch it all, while Isabella was asleep.


AOLs Top searches of 2008:
General
‘American Idol’ - Top TV & Movies
NASCAR - Top Sports
Britney Spears - Top Celebrity
Flat Belly Diet - Top Health
iPhone - Top Shopping
Jonas Brothers - Top Musician
Presidential Election - Top News

TV and Movie Searches
American Idol
Dancing with the stars
Hanna Montana
The View
Lost
Deal or No Deal
Days of Our lives
Juno
So You Think You Can Dance
High School Musical


Primetime Show Searches
‘American Idol’
‘Dancing With the Stars’
‘Lost’
‘Deal or No Deal’
‘So You Think You Can Dance’
‘Big Brother’
‘Survivor’
‘The Bachelor’
‘Saturday Night Live’
‘The Bachelorette


Reality TV Show Searches
‘American Idol’
‘Dancing With the Stars’
‘So You Think You Can Dance’
‘Big Brother’
‘Survivor’
‘The Bachelor’
‘The Bachelorette
‘Project Runway’
‘Biggest Loser’
‘America’s Next Top Model’

Movie Searches
‘Juno’
‘High School Musical’
‘The Dark Knight’
‘Iron Man’
‘Indiana Jones’
‘Sex and the City’
‘Jumper’
‘No Country for Old Men’
‘Hancock’
Kung Fu Panda’

Top Celebrity Searches
Britany Spears
Miley Cyrus
Kim Kardashian
Paris Hilton
Oprah Winfrey
Angelina Jolie
Vanessa Hudgens
Lindsay Lohan
Jamie Lynn Spears
Jennifer Lopez


Top Shopping Searches
iPhone
Wii
iPod
Garmin Nuvi
Bratz
Crocs
PS3
Guitar Hero
Uggs
Rosetta Stone

Top News Searches
Presidential Election
Olympics
Bailout
Hurricane Ike
Unemployment
Stock market
Bigfoot
Stimulus checks
High gas prices
Eliot Spitzer scandal

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Isabella's First Ballet


Isabella's First Ballet
12/23/2008 Ohio Theater
"The Nutcracker"

According to Wiki: The Nutcracker is a fairy tale-ballet in two acts, three scenes, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composed in 1891–92. Alexandre Dumas père's adaptation of the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann was set to music by Tchaikovsky (staged by Marius Petipa and commissioned by the director of the Imperial Theatres Ivan Vsevolozhsky in 1891). In Western countries, The Nutcracker has become perhaps the most popular of all ballets, performed primarily around Christmas time.
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Monday, December 22, 2008

Two Peas In A Pod

Now when we get Isabella and Charlotte laughing together they sound the exact same. Take a look.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Wildlights presented by American Electric Power

Last night for Nicki's birthday we went to Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo. It was very cold but we had a great time. You can see Isabella, Charlotte, and Gigi all bundled up. If anyone reads this blog and they live anywhere remotely close to Columbus you NEED to go to this. It was absolutely amazing. I have seen a lot of holiday lights this year, this by all means surpasses everything put together!

Wildlights presented by American Electric Power
Date: November 21, 2008 to January 03, 2009
Time: Sun through Thurs 5 pm - 9 pm Fri & Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Cost: Free with Zoo admission

Details:Turn up the wattage on your holiday season with Wildlights at the Zoo, presented by American Electric Power, AEP... In celebration of our 20th Wildlights season, we have made Wildlights Brighter and Greener than ever! With the generous support of our good friends at AEP, half of our light display was converted to energy-saving light emitting diode (LED) lights. Also new this year is “Rhythms around the Watering Hole,” an all new animated musical light show.
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Wildlight 360 !!

Crazy 360 degree view of Wildlights.

Do you see what I am talking about? Amazing!!

This view is only the tip of the iceberg.

Wildlights Cont.


"Now then what'd be nice... We'll start with raspberry ice... And then some cakes and tea."
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