Spring Break = Party Time, Excellent!

So it's Spring Break and all your travel plans went bust...what to do, what to do...

Ah ha! You have lots of fun anyhoo! Grace went with her BFF and her family to Great Wolf Lodge near Cincinnati for 2 days. They had an absolute blast! Later in the week, Bill was able to get a much deserved day off (One WHOLE day! Whoo hoo! Um, did that sound sarcastic? Sorry!) so we headed to Cincinnati with Grace, Miss K and Miss K's Mom and brother! Our destination? The Newport Aquarium just over the bridge from Cincy.

We got a very early start and were

there when they opened the doors...

Let's head inside...

The girls meet up with Carrie...Carrie looks a little non plussed about it all.

I got such a giggle out of Carrie's little wagon...it's called the Penguin Mobile.

You are a cutie Carrie!

2 lovely ladies

Here we are in the Lorikeet zone. You get your little cup of nectar, hold it up

and voila! You are feeding the birds! Gosh are these little guys bee-yoo-tee-ful!

Grace LOVED this...I didn't think she would ever leave...well. That is until one of the those pesky birds had had quite enough of the nectar and felt the call of old Ma Nature. Uh huh. Let go right on the girls. That was it! They were more than happy to leave then!

This is Miss K's very pretty Mom!

Mr. Bill petting a shark. yes. That is what I said. Petting a *shark*.

Miss K petted a shark. Her brother petted a shark. Grace petted a shark. Did *I* pet a shark? Me? Are you kidding? Penguins I pet. Lorikeets I pet. Stingrays, maybe. Dolphins I hug.

Why I even petted a very dapper tree toad.

Sharks? Um, no.

By mid afternoon we were all famished. and headed into downtown Cincinnati for lunch.

My oh so generous brother and sis in law had given us certificates for a place we had yet to try.

Delicious food, a wonderful waiter, lots of laughs and good conversation.

Here is Grace with Miss K and her so, so cute brother posing in front of the mechanical bull. I think the kids were a teensy bit disappointed that only those over 18 could take a ride. I offered to represent our group and saddle up but, after looking me over, the bull up and went on strike. Sad.

The view of Cincinnati from Newport on the Levee, an area filled with shops, restaurants and

entertainment venues..it is also home to the Aquarium. The next day we had an all girls trip to The Greene, a shopping and foodie paradise not too far from Rabbit Run.

Miss K, her Mom, my Mom and I had a wonderful afternoon!

Here are the girls chatting up one Mr. Easter Bunny.

Lunch was at Brio...I had their shrimp risotto ...oooh. To die for!

And then we headed for the shop to end all shops, well, at least that is how two BFFs describe Justice! the aptly subtitled, The Store For Girls, is always a big hit for Grace and Miss K! Both had birthday monies burning proverbial holes in their pockets and they wanted to check out the newly arrived Summer merchandise. Whew! After all of that trying on and deciding and spending money, the girls

were ready for a treat! Off to Coldstone Creamery!

The ice cream was on Grandma (No, not literally you sillies!) and the smiles were

on the faces of the two happy, silly Spring breakers!

I do hope your week has been a good one.Ours started off cold, rainy and yes. Oh so snowy on Tuesday. But it has still been a good few days. Tuesday I had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory with two dear friends, Wednesday afternoon I had lunch at Christopher's with two more of my closest, most special friends and my Mom! Days spent with such people are always blessings!

Last evening, Bill and I had Mom and another special friend over for dinner. Spaghetti and meatballs and lots of laughs. No silly! They weren't laughing AT my spaghetti! Okay, maybe they WERE but we had fun anyway!

And yes. I KNOW I am lucky! These friends (and Mom too of course!) have all known me since I was a rug rat, seen me through every moment of my life, good and not so, and STILL like me! Hard to believe but oh so sweet. I count those blessings every day!

And when I count those blessings, each one of YOU is on that list too.

You are all so, so important to me.

Yesterday was sunny, warmer and very pretty. Today is to be the same...ahhh.

Well, I am off to pick up my nephew, run some errands and give a little tender, loving

care to my much neglected cottage!

Happy Thursday!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

Springsteen Saturday Night

The next several posts will be about our Saturday night with The Boss! If you wish to hear the videos below, just press the mute button on the music player. Of course, The E Street Band is wonderfully loud so it may well drown out the lovely New York Philharmonic strings anyhoo! Here is a review from Ron Rollins of the Dayton Daily:

Springsteen in Cincinnati, March 22

By Ron Rollins | Sunday, March 23, 2008, 09:56 AM

There were a couple of nice surprises at Bruce Springsteen’s US Bank Arena show Saturday night, including a version of “Lost in the Flood,” from his earliest days and which he doesn’t perform very often.

The initial reports on the show on the irritatingly complete fansite http://www.backstreets.com assessed the concert as a disappointment … judged mostly from the pacing and speed with which Bruce tore through some of the songs. One fan called the show “perfunctory.”

Maybe, but I think you’d have to be a hardest of hardcore to feel that way. The crowd was very into it, and was appreciative of Springsteen’s efforts — which, while they aren’t what they were when the guy was a bit more spry, were more than satisfying in my book.

Springsteen mixed up the set list as he’s known to do, bringing in good stuff from all through his varied career, and reminding one and all just how much material he has to choose from. From the heavy guitar clang of “Radio Nowhere,” off his newest CD, “Magic,” to the cool-as-ice, jazzy jam of the oldie “Kitty’s Back,” with tons of good stuff sandwiched in between, he and the deservedly fabled E Streeters put on a great show.

Hey! Yours truly stumbled into some tix for the Columbus show on Monday, so I’ll bring in another report.

Here, meanwhile, is the Cincy setlist, courtesy of backstreets:

Darlington County

Radio Nowhere

Lonesome Day

Gypsy Biker

Magic

Reason to Believe

Candy’s Room

Prove It All Night

She’s the One

Livin’ in the Future

The Promised Land

Be True

Lost in the Flood

Devil’s Arcade

The Rising

Last to Die

Long Walk Home

Badlands

---

Glory Days

Born to Run

Dancing in the Dark

American Land

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Kitty’s Back

We had a wonderful Saturday night thanks to my brother and sis in law. On Christmas they gave us Springsteen concert tickets and a gift certificate to The Hofbrauhaus , a restaurant just over the state line into Kentucky at "Newport on the Levee". We enjoyed a delicious dinner, traditional German music and just being by ourselves for a change! It was like being 20 and on a date again! Okay, except for the bad knees and the extra weight...so it was ALMOST like being 20 again. Baby, I was "born to run"! Then it was onto the US Bank Arena to see Bruce Springsteen and the *Original * E Street Band! The crowd was the best I have ever seen at a concert. No wild partying, no drunks, no smoking. Just thousands of happy people there to hear fantastic music and see one of the greatest bands ever. Bruce is 58 years old and the guy can still do it all. Am I gushing? Super concert and a sweet night with my darlin' husband. I have lots of pictures from the rest of our Easter weekend to share. I also have some from last week...and such a busy week it was! From "Lord of the Dance" to "The Boss", it was 7 days of music, dance and good food. Happy smiles and a blissfully happy Susie Q. One for the books. I hope your weekend was a sweet one too. I will be hopping by to visit soon! Until then, stay well and be good to yourself!

Love and Hugs, Susie Q