Our Carolina Trip....

Senior, the kids and I are back from a brief vacation to visit family up in South and North Carolina. The weather was wonderful over the past weekend. Seeing my 81 year old Father n Law was great, he is doing well.

We stayed with my brother n law and his girlfriend and her family... She has 28 acres north of Charlotte with 2 homes at the front of the property. We did lots of talking and lots of catching up, it was nice to visit. Senior and I did roll our eyes a few times with his brother as he is a die hard Liberal...the kind that believes Obama can do no wrong. He does not examine the facts and believes everything he sees on the news. So the best thing Senior and I could do was just not discuss politics at all.

 The best part about the staying in her house was she had a Jacuzzi tub...the boys went nuts in it when I poured in some bubbles and turned on those jets..The girlfriend is a very eclectic person, every room was a different color and abstract art covered her walls. We first walked in to her home and incense was burning everywhere.. She is also very "lovey dovey"..everyone gets hugs and kisses...
and well senior and I just aren't the huggie kind of people...

We left there on Sunday and headed down to Columbia and took the kids to the Zoo...they loved it! Especially the Penguin exhibit...our youngest got a real kick out of watching them. Then it was to a local "Fudruckers" for a good burger...we had hoped to relax in the pool at our hotel, but mother nature had other plans, it seems  all the rains in Florida found us in the Carolinas. Of course Senior was a bit bummed, his beloved South Carolina Gamecocks were playing baseball in the super regionals and we did not know it, he would have loved tickets to that game, but again mother nature caused it to be postponed. He did get a good deal on some new Gamecock T-Shirts though...so all was better.  : )

So, we are now safely back home, doing lots of laundry and getting back to our routine., It is so nice to go away and have a change of scenery, but darned if its not even better to be back home and in your own bed..   : )

Michelle on Vacation ...AGAIN!

Gas prices are to hit an all time high, Iran has cut oil to the UK and France, Saudi has announced its cutting back its production, Millions are out of work, people can't afford the clothes on their backs, much less a vacation. Wouldnt we all like to just take off when ever we chose? The First Lady must have been feeling really stressed, and in desperate need of another vacation...just a month after returning from their yearly Hawaii vacation( which i might add, I hate the fact they take because it makes their entire entourage miss the holidays with their families)
 She and the kids are enjoying  the slopes of Aspen, CO. 
In case you were curious, here is a rundown of her lavish vacations since 2010... I am also willing to bet, she will be headed to London later this year for the Olympics......

FIRST LADY OF LUXURY TRAVEL: THE COSTLY TRIPS

SPAIN: AUGUST 2010

• Michelle Obama and 40 of her friends paid for personal expenses, such as hotels and meals themselves.
• But the U.S. taxpayer would have paid for the 68-strong security detail, personal staff and use of presidential jet Air Force Two.
• Payment for the secret service team ran at around $281 each - nearly $98,000 for the duration of the summer break.
• Use of Air Force Two comes in at $149,900 for the round trip, not including time on the ground.
• Mrs Obama's personal staff, of which there were an unknown number, should also be taken into account

HAWAII: DECEMBER 2010
According to the Hawaii Reporter the costs were:

• $63,000 on an early flight bringing Mrs Obama and the children to Hawaii ahead of the President
• $1,000,000 on Mr Obama’s return trip from Washington on Air Force One
• $16,000 to rent nearby homes for Secret Service and Navy Seals
• $134,000 for 24 White House staff to stay at the Moana Hotel
• $251,000 in police overtime
• $10,000 for an ambulance to be on hand at all times

SKI TRIP TO VAIL: FEBRUARY 2011

• Michelle Obama and her daughters stayed at the Sebastian hotel on Vail Mountain, where rooms cost more than $2,400 for multi-bedroom suites.
• The family appear to have flown there on Air Force Two.
• They were escorted to the resort by about a dozen vehicles, including 15 state and local law enforcement officers.

MARTHA'S VINEYARD: AUGUST 2011

• The Blue Heron Farm estate, where the Obama family stayed, rents for about $50,000 a week.
• Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama flew to the estate just hours before the president to make the most of the holiday - again, incurring extra flight costs.
• According to U.S. News and World Report, the Coast Guard was required to keep ships floating near the property. The presidential helicopter and jet remain at the ready and security agents will be on 24-hour duty.

HAWAII: DECEMBER 2011
According to the Hawaii Reporter the costs were:

• $63,000 on an early flight bringing Mrs Obama and the children to Hawaii ahead of the President but add security and personnel for a total of about $100,000
• $3,271,622 on Mr Obama’s return trip from Washington on Air Force One
• $151,200 to rent nearby homes for Secret Service and Navy Seals
• $72,216 for 24 White House staff to stay at the Moana Hotel