We Salute You....Lieutenant Dan.

Lieutenant Dan.

Twenty years ago, character actor Gary Sinise played the supporting role of Lieutenant Dan in the movie classic, "Forrest Gump". For me, that film holds a very special place in my heart. Not only is it one of my all time favorite movies, but while at the theater watching the movie, deep in the summer of '94, two days after my due date with Frick, my water broke. After the movie I went directly to the hospital to give birth to my first child. My bay girl.

But this morning I saw a piece on GMA about actor Gary Sinise and about how the role of Lt Dan changed his life. WOW, wow, WOW! is just about all I could say...

The role of Lt. Dan earned Sinise an Oscar nomination but his dedication to the role didn't stop there. Gary Sinise, since playing the role in the early 90's, has dedicated his time honoring and serving disabled US veterans and their families. Sinise told GMA's Josh Elliot, "I've walked into so many hospital rooms and they (the veterans) look at me and they think I know what they're going through." 

He founded the Gary Sinise Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to raising money for veterans and their families and he hasn't stopped there. Sinise says, "I just couldn't not do anything. I've seen a lot of need and I've become very committed to [being] somebody who can try to make a difference."

Earlier this month Sinise had the rare opportunity to take 50 disabled veterans and their families on an all expense paid, 3 day trip to Hollywood, where the real Lt Dan was created. Sinise was able to fly them on American Airlines to Los Angeles where they were greeted by a police escort to their Los Angeles Destination. They went to Disneyland and enjoyed a carte blanche day of enjoyment on the rides and were inspired by other veterans to try some things they normally would not. Of course, Lt. Dan was there every step of the way.

The next day the vets went to Paramount studios where they were treated to a special screening of "Forrest Gump".
"The film's producer Wendy Finerman helped remake the studio's backlot into an A-list-heavy celebration, complete with a flyover from a pair of P-51 Mustangs, and helped set up a screening of the movie." 

And in after the screening, a special surprise visit from Forrest Gump himself! Oscar winning actor Tom Hanks came out to greet the vets and express his thanks for their sacrifices. Even the most hardened heart would be hard pressed to keep a dry eye when watching this. 

Lt Dan, we salute you! And Gary Sinise salutes our vets,
"The whole purpose is to send them home smiling," Sinise said. "They should know that they're appreciated and that's what we're trying to do here."

The Giblets...

Ok, so I'm a Partiots season ticket holder and my family has been for at least 10 years. This means I am a big fan with a lot of great football watched by my two eyes.

Every season there is one game that is just soooo cooold that it makes you wonder why we pay premium prices to sit and freeze in the figid temps. Take last night's game:

It was a legendary set up; Brady vs Manning in the game of the year played in Foxboro in sub par temps with the frigid wind chill. I can't even tell you how cold it was because it doesn't really matter. I have been to and survived frigid games before. The Snow Bowl? Yeah, I was there and I lived to tell about it. But last night? I don't ever remember a cold like last night. It wasn't so much the cold as it was the wind. It was the gustiest, windiest, most freezingly biting cold wind I have ever experienced. And I was wearing fur!! It was insane.

Then there was the game.

Oh boy! I was ready to leave after the first three possessions of the ball. No wonder they fumbled three times in a row! It was so cold I'm not sure how they played in those conditions, but play they did. Going into half time at 24-0, I had enough. I could watch these guys loose big from the warmth and comfort of my own home, why should I torture myself? Then Gronk showed up and suddenly the momentum shifted. Suddenly it didn't seem so cold and the drink in my hand served to warm my soul. I still was disgusted, but when the score was 24-14 with more than enough time left, it was as if the Miami sun had shined it's warmth on every living, breathing Patriots fan in attendance.

Suddenly we were hugging and high-fiving and it wasn't because we needed the body heat of the person standing next to you. It was a new game entirely and the ticket money turned into money well spent. Then they tied the game and every fan practically disrobed because the adrenaline served to warm and wrap everyone up like a blanket. If you don't know what happened next, it was the stuff of legends.

Finally tucked into my bed at 2am, I was blanketed in victory and the cockles of my heart burned like a the hearth in a cozy Inn. And the cold?

What cold? Was it cold last night?

De-Toxic

Remember this photo?

This was one of our clues that I shared with you last Thursday regarding the Magical Mystery Tour the Toxic Trio embarked upon this past weekend. The Trio asked what the significance of this photo was, to which a blurry answer was provided. But since we were a wee bit blurry ourselves, we didn't pursue. When trying to recall the significance, I could only come up with the clues; three blue wine glasses and something about three's. That was it. 

Anyway, when we arrived home we were told that the Trio Trip was not complete. There was yet more and a delivery would be coming to our home Tuesday night.
Really? 
I was quite sure my liver would go on strike if there were more, but I anxiously awaited this new development. It was an exciting new surprise, and I thought for sure there was no way to top the weekend.
But this? Turns out, it was far better than anything I could have ever imagined.

Delivered to us, complete with enough for an entire day for both My Guy and I was The Blue Print Cleanse. I couldn't have been more thrilled and more curious. 

The Renovation Cleanse, by Blueprint, is today's complete menu for us and I'm looking forward to food deprivation like I never have before. I've always wanted to try a cleanse, but wasn't exactly sure how to start or where to start. Looks like I need no longer wonder.

The Renovation Cleanse is 6 juice drinks, each 16 oz to be consumed throughout the course of 3 days. The goal is to abstain from solid food and to cleanse your body. Instructions are to space them out as you like, but to stay hydrated with herbal teas and water in between. The only specific instruction is to try to have #6 two hours before bedtime.

So I'm anticipating an interesting day for me today, considering I have never done any type of fast or cleanse before. BUT I LOVE IT!!! I'm excited, and if I make it through today successfully, I just may purchase days 2 and 3 and go for it all. Cuz that's how I roll!

Oh, and incase you were wondering about the picture above and significance of the clue? It was quite brilliant, really. 

Three blue wine glasses- We had three blues:

• Jet Blue
• Fontainebleau
• Blue Print Cleanse

Good luck De-Toxing Trio!

Wiggle It, Just A Little Bit

And the winner is.......Miami's Fontaineblue Hotel and Happy Mommy! 

And it did not disappoint! We arrived Friday afternoon to pouring rain and lots of excitement. Of course a little rain never never held back this group, and we quickly had lunch, unpacked and went down to the lobby to explore our new surroundings. In hindsight, I should have realized that a lobby that has a huge bar, complete with a light up disco floor in the larger portion of the lobby was there for a distinct reason, but in my "just arrived" excitement I hardly noticed.We had a few drinks then went off to the first destination, Mr. Chow in the W Hotel. 

Is everything in Miami a "scene"? I'm not complaining, because I seemed right at home in the nightclub atmosphere of the Asian Fusion  famous chain restaurant. The food was outstanding, the wait staff amazing and the atmosphere was fun and young, but a bit loud for an intimate dinner if that's what you are looking for. But that's not what this group was looking for. This group was ready for a little party. I said little right? 

All of that was fine and well, but the real heartbeat of Miami and our trip was yet to come. We had no idea what we were about to encounter. Now, I had been to Miami before, but I brought the children last time and we enjoyed the famous South Beach in a different way. This time it was from an entirely new perspective. The Fontaineblue has a unique vibe and by unique I mean after dark it turns into something completely UNBELIEVABLE. (Heff and Bama, save your pennies, cuz this place is your kind of vacation!)

After Mr. Chow, we arrived at the front of the Fontaineblue among what looked like lots and lots of young people. Did I mention lots? and we sort of looked at each other like, "What's going on here?" 

WHAT WAS GOING ON? Hundreds, and I'm not kidding you when I say hundreds, of scantily clad young women and men had descended upon the lobby of our hotel. Scantily clad being the operative words here. One young lady was more "naked" than the next and it was then that we decided that this "show" was so much better than anything we would have paid admission for. 

For the next two to three hours, we sat at the lobby bar and had what was the best part of the trip: the people watch. The Fontaineblue has a famous four story night club called LIV and no we didn't go into it, but believe me when I tell you, we didn't need to. The line to get into LIV starts forming early in the evening and never stops. The club opens at 11:30 and closes at 5:30 am, but the real show is what takes place outside the club in the expansive lobby. 

Jiggle and wiggle were jiggling and wiggling all over the place and I'm sure jiggle did not know what wiggle was up to. Boobs, butt and legs were on display in every size, shape, color and creed and even the fat ones looked gorgeous. I swear. It was hilarious and us newbies did not know where to look next. The entertainment was endless. The best part were the dresses..or lack of and the high heels. Judging by the height of the high heels and the length of the dresses, (strategically just above the coochie area, was the average) you would have SWORE there was a stripper convention going on at that hotel, and not the medical convention that was taking place in another part of the hotel. 

That scene was only topped by the scene at the hotel pool the next day. Really, that scene was much better if  I ever believed that could happen. I never have seen more bikini's, boobs and big heels at a beach destination. Skin was a pre-requisite and if you weren't showing lots skin, you were the one who was looking uncomfortable. God bless them, they were out in full force at the pool too. What a scene. 

We saw much more on our ventures up to Ocean Drive. That's where the late great Gianni Versace was brutally murdered on his front steps in 1997. His palatial private residence is now a private club complete with a restaurant, but you can't walk by there without stopping to ponder the sad shame of his untimely murder.  On our trek further down we caught a full on Drag Queen show that was amazing! We didn't even need to go into the bar that was hosting it, this one was right on the street for all to enjoy! Some of the most beautiful transgendered men/women I ever had the pleasure of judging with my applause. It was at The Clevlander, a few crazy blocks down, that we saw first hand the art of naked body painting and pole dancing right on the street!!! In full on view of everyone. The point here is, if you can't beat em', join em', so we sat and had a few jovial cocktails and enjoyed yet another show. 

All in all, the endless skin show was a blast, and the trip a huge success, but the greatest thing of all was the great time spent with great friends. Like the name of the famous night club in the Fontainebleu, it makes you want to LIV your life to the fullest. Miami beach is one of those places that really enjoys life. 

And a life like that is certainly worth living every once in a while.