Swimming With Dolphins

Puerto Vallarta - 1.16.11

More updates from Puerto Vallarta! Another Vallarta Adventure we went on was swimming with the dolphins! I loved those dolphins! We had Gandalf and Ally as our dolphins (both male) and they were so sweet to play with us! Our trainer's name was Janet and we had a blast. We did the Signature Swim which included an hour of interacting with the dolphins. While it was the most expensive package, it gave you the most time to really play and interact with the dolphins. We even got to see the head trainer dolphin surf.

Here is the head trainer surfing on the dolphin. Seriously one of the most amazing things EVER.


Jumping dolphins! They could do backflips too!

We're conducting them here - literally.

We also got to ride our dolphins!

And feed them!

Hugging the dolphin. I think this is Gandalf (he had a huge cut by his blownose). Obviously I'm biased since his name is GANDALF. I mean, how cool is that? Says the nerd in me. I asked the trainer how they pick the names and the group votes. Well, you have my vote for Gandalf for sure! =D

The dolphins were really sweet and let us pet them as they swum around in a circle around us.

Finally, Dolphin kisses!

I loved swimming with the dolphins and if I were to go back, I think I would try to swim with the seals! It was worth every penny and I'm seriously thinking of becoming a dolphin trainer so I can have my own Gandalf and Ally. =D

Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta - 1.15.11

I've been back from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for less than a month and I already want to go back! JAX took down Puerto Vallarta. I'll probably have to update over the course of a number days, but I'll just put up some snapshots.

Outdoor Adventure - One of the best adventures I've ever been on! We had a great host of guides who guided us through a course of ziplining and rappeling. They were the most amazing and caring guides. I felt completely safe on the ziplines and trusted the guides. If you're ever going to Puerto Vallarta I strongly suggest this tour at Vallarta Adventures! Here's the course map which started with a boat ride from our resort to the adventure location. Then we rode on open air 4x4s to the location on the mountain.

Then, mules up the mountain!


Then, ZIPLINING!!!




We also rappelled down a waterfall!


Ziplining into the water!


There was actually this one incident where the guide asked me, "Do you want to get wet?" and my response was "I don't care" and then he DROPPED me straight into the water. Which, while refreshing, was very very cold.


JAX being the ziplining monsters we are! =D

Favorite Thing #4

Blunders.

Not the life changing type of blunders, but the type of blunders where all you can say is "doh". These are the moments where you look back and say, "wow, what happened." The moments where everything just happened in the wrong sort of way. Now, looking back, its actually quite amusing. =D

- In second grade I peeled off all the stickers to the rubix cube (because I was bored in class) and rearranged them correctly. The teacher tried to give me a prize and I kept saying, "its no big deal, its no big deal."
- My first time I said a curse word, I was in third grade. I asked a girl what she had drawn on the bottom of her dinosaur picture and she whispered, "s***, but don't tell anyone!" A few minutes later, one of the guys in the class asked her what she had drawn on the bottom of her dinosaur picture and I blurted, "S***!"
- Senior year of high school I had dated guy A (and met his mom). We had a terrible break-up which left us not speaking. At senior night, a woman came up to me and said, "I haven't seen you in a while!" I stared at her and for the life of me could NOT place where she came from. Suddenly, I blurted, "OH you're B's mom!" She stared at me blankly as started to walk away in utter confusion when I heard one of my other friend's say, "Hello Mrs. A!" I could not scurry out of there fast enough.
- During a Sorority event in college I was wearing a jacket over my skirt. I had my back to my Sorority when I took off my jacket and suddenly I heard giggles. My big ran up to me and pulled out my skirt from where it was tucked into my underwear.

Haha, don't you love it? =D

Favorite Thing #3

Hating on Valentines Day.

I know, I know ... its ironic for me to hate something that's supposed to be all about love. But hear me out on this one. Everyone knows the basic reasons my fellow Valentines Day haters claim ... how if you love someone you should show them love every day, how Hallmark has commercialized love, and how people think Valentines Day is an excuse for PDA. Okay, so the last one isn't really one of the common reasons to dislike Valentines Day, it just peeves me. This may make me sound like a bitter old hag, but I'm all for love and affection as the biggest Valentines Day advocate out there.

Some people love Valentines Day and all its mushiness, but I think it just isn't for me. I live for the little everyday things that occur ... when he tugs on my arm so I'll hold his hand and he can rest on my shoulder, when we chase each other with our freezing cold hands to annoy the other person, or when we whine for the other person's attention ... just for the heck of it. I don't think there needs to be a reason other than you love the person. You don't need Valentines Day to show a person you care - you can show it many other ways, every minute of every day.

Favorite Thing #2

Superstitions.

What about them? I love them. Haha. SOME people say I have too many, but i don't even know how they came about most of the time. I'm not so sure I should call them superstitions. They're more like ... good luck charms! ^_^

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Three of the ones I'm probably more known for:

- I can't go to the second stall of the bathroom to pee. ITS BAD. Or there might be a ghost in there. I'm really not too sure which one it is. When I was in 5th grade, a girl told me a story about the ghost in the second stall. So since then, I've resent peeing in the second stall. You may ask, what if there's only two? Well, its finger crossies all the way. Haha, don't know what that is, well, I guess you're not very superstitious then.

- Lifting my feet up when crossing railroad tracks. ITS GOOD LUCK! I really have no idea why. Haha ... One time on the way home from the beach my Junior or Senior year of high school I was told I HAD to lift my feet up, and its stuck with me. And it really does give you good luck!

- Changing the color of my toe nail polish before big events. This started off before college swim meets when I needed something to relax me, I would change the nail polish of my toes. This started to become a ritual that started to bleed into my non-swimming life.

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Funny how these work right? Doing these things really do make me feel better, and I'm not even sure why. I totally know its all mental, but why not? Its all in good fun anyway! ^_^

My Favorite Things

So, after sitting on the highway for about 4 hours to get home to Jersey, I decided what my future posts will be on. The little (or big) things in life that make me happy. Haha.

Because that is my life - being happy. =)

Favorite Thing #1:

This Favorite Thing was actually inspired by my long trip back. I was tired and grumpy, but yet, everytime I saw a car carrier truck (I couldn't find the "official" name anywhere online) it makde me smile! I think they're so cute. Why? It looks like their wearing hats!


But my question is ... how exactly do they get those cars on that truck? And not fall off? Especially when you're driving past the truck at 80 miles an hour and the wind is blowing and you wonder ... how secure are those cars?

1. You drive the car up the ramp

2. Get out of said car once you've driven up the ramp

3. Slowly use the mechanics to lift car (did you do step two? or else you're screwed)

4. Check mechanics/lock car in place (this will only work if you did step two)

5. Admire your work!

Image Source: http://www.ship-auto.com/how_a_car_is_loaded.php

TaDa! ^_^ Aren't they cute? I love their little car hats!

We miss you!!!!!

Between You and Matthew Kinney

Matthew Kinney
Today at 8:35pm
We were just talking about you today.......we miss that big heart in a little body...:)

Hope all is well!!!!!!!!

"It's all about love.

We're either in love,
dreaming about love
recovering from it,
wishing for it or
reflecting on it."

--Michael Buble, singer