Jim Riley Part 2

A credit card mishap led us back to Just Drums today where we ran into . . . Jim Riley.  Before we knew it, he and Tyler were camped out in front of a practice snare having an impromptu drum lesson.  Alex's guitar teacher (who works at Just Drums) snapped a few photos and sent them to us via e-mail.  Surreal.  Needless to say I have a very happy 14-year-old.  Oh . . . and for the record, Jim Riley's favorite song to play in concert?  Life is a Highway.  Indeed it is.

God Bless the Broken Road

I think Tyler is blessing the broken road that led us to Toronto tonight!  He is ecstatic about getting to meet Jim Riley, drummer for Rascal Flatts.  Jim put on a 2-hour drum clinic for students at Just Drums (where Tyler plays drums).  After the clinic, Jim gave his drum sticks (that he used for the clinic) to Tyler.  He autographed them and spent some time talking to Tyler.  Tyler was thrilled beyond belief.  Jim seemed like a nice guy.  Tyler said that during the two hour clinic, he played several Rascal Flatts songs.  It was a mini-concert with drum lessons mixed in.  Here is a photo of Tyler with Jim.

And because Tyler is such an awesome big brother, he introduced his sister to Jim so she could get her Hannah Montana CD signed.  Rascal Flatts did two songs for the soundtrack and had a cameo in the movie.  Jim said it was the first time he had ever signed the Hannah CD.  He told us the whole back story of getting to play for the movie, how great it was, etc.  Then, he asked Tyler to take a photo of him with Hannah and the CD for posterity, because he wasn't sure if he would ever be asked to sign a Hannah Montana CD again.   It was a crazy night but one to remember.

Our African Safari!

Everyone who comes to Toronto makes a point of visiting the CN Tower & Niagara Falls.  Most tourists will make an appearance at the Ontario Science Centre or the Toronto Zoo.  A few will be dazzled by the theatre district, the Royal Ontario Museum and Casa Loma.

Very few make it to the African Lion Safari . . . in fact, if it wasn't for the sign between here and Buffalo advertising the African Lion Safari, I would not have known that it existed.  We decided to try our chances today at this "off the beaten path" attraction.  It turned out to be a GREAT DECISION!!!

My kids were immediately impressed/intrigued by the various signage . . .

Now, for those of you who have spent time in Monterrey, Mexico and are familiar with Bioparque Estrella, the obvious question is:  "Is it really dangerous?"  There were several times in Monterrey that I was certain that one of my children would lose a limb or possibly an eye during the safari.  Alas, I will confess that at no time did I truly feel as if my life was in peril during this safari.  But, nevertheless, even without the threat of mortal danger, we still had an amazing time.  The safari consisted of an hour drive through grasslands where visitors (from the safety of their own vehicles) could see lions (hence the name African Lion Safari).

You could also see many other members of the animal kingdom - from bison to kangaroos to giraffe.  The entire safari was narrated by my three children's questionable vast knowledge of animal trivia.  Scott managed to navigate the trail without harming any children animals.  I was the official "safari photographer" and I'm happy to report that no one complained about my constant occasional requests to stop the vehicle.

The part of the safari that elicited the most laughter was the area where the baboons lived.  They frequently tried to "hitch" a ride with a passing vehicle.  My kids were overjoyed by their antics.

There were also lots of ostrich . . . I HATE OSTRICHES (probably caused by flashbacks from Bioparque Estrella) so I did not take their photos.  I did think the eggs were kind of cute . . .

Aside from the safari, the park has several shows/exhibits.  For example, African Lion Safari is also home to several elephants. 

There are elephants who can paint:

There are elephants who can move logs:

There are elephants who are not afraid of mice:

And elephants that you can ride (if your parents are suckers and willing to pay the 5 extra bucks):

There are also lots and lots and lots and lots of birds:

So in conclusion . . . YEAH for African Lion Safari, YEAH for living in Toronto, YEAH for getting to spend time with my husband & children, YEAH for a digital camera so I can take a zillion photos, and YEAH for family and friends who humor me by reading this long, long, long blog entry. 

Beach Day

We spent the afternoon at Woodbine Beach on the shores of Lake Ontario.  Nothing like some sun, sand and surf to forget that we spend 9 months of the year surrounded by snow and ice!  Tyler met some of his friends and youth leaders from FNY.  Hannah, Alex and I tagged along and sat a safe distance away.  It was an amazing afternoon, one that we will definitely repeat soon!

I have now seen you in 3 different countries . . .

I am sad to say that I am one of those people who checks their Facebook updates before 9 a.m.  Today it totally paid off.  There was a one sentence status update from Judith:
"We @ Niagara Falls . . . "

I immediately began bombarding both her and her husband with my own messages:

"WHAT?"
"How long will you be there?"
"CALL ME!"
"Did you really think you could go to Niagara Falls without seeing me??"

Needless to say, they called immediately and plans to reunite were made.  Most of you will remember Judith as "Francis and Samantha's Mom" from our days in Manila.  They are in D.C. for training and decided yesterday to drive the short 10 hours (yes, short because in FS life anything less than 12 hours is a cakewalk) to see one of the natural wonders of the world . . . and I am so glad they did.

The strangest moment came during lunch when we looked out the window and realized we were in Canada ... I've spent so much time with Judith . . . it is almost surreal to think that I have had lunch with her in 3 different countries.  What a strange life we lead . . .

On a completely unrelated note, let me take this time to emphasize that Niagara Falls is one of my absolute favorite places.  It is so beautiful.  The weather today was perfect and we walked almost the entire length of it.  I continue to be amazed that we actually get paid to live about an hour from this amazing piece of creation!