Ken Rockwell

Today I'd like to share about a guy whose work may not mean much to some, but is invaluable to people like me. As an aspiring photographer paying his way through school, I don't have the resources to waste money or time on a mistaken purchase on photography equipment- whether it be as simple as a memory card or as definitive as a new lens. Every penny counts. (Ask anyone who knows me. If I see a penny on the ground, that sucker's mine!) So naturally, I research before I buy something.

The Internet is chock full of forums, discussions, reviews, and articles about almost anything. This is great, but it can be very time consuming to sift through articles looking for information, especially regarding photography equipment. And it seems that everyone has something to say; some sing praises about an item, while others loudly and forcefully denounce the same product. It can be difficult to know who to trust. Does an anonymous commenter really know what he's talking about when he trashes a product, or is the product actually decent? (Or vice versa!) And where can you find stuff once you've made a decision?

Enter this man.

Ken Rockwell

This guy is amazing. His extensive website and blog cover all major photography equipment and manufacturers anyone could ever want to know about. He has used almost every major camera available, and his reviews cover more than just cameras; he also discusses lenses, filters, flash, shooting techniques, and more. Everything he discusses and reviews is provided with purchase locations and information. And the best part? All of this is free on his website. People spend hundreds of dollars on photography books that don't teach even half of the information that Ken Rockwell shares (and his is all up to date!).

Now enter me. I used his detailed information to make my latest lens purchase, and I am now the proud owner of a Nikkor 50mm F/1.8 D fixed aperture lens.

It's so sexy.

I've been wanting a fixed aperture lens for quite some time now; however, there are many out there, and I wanted to make the best educated purchase I could. Unsure exactly which fixed aperture lens I wanted, I consulted Ken's research. Turns out, the 50mm F/1.8 is one of the best lenses any Nikon photographer could own, which I previously wasn't aware of. My current camera, a Nikon D5100, is not autofocus-compatible with the 50mm F/1.8 D lens. However, I am currently in the process of upgrading to the Nikon D7000, which is autofocus-compatible with this lens. Since the lens works manually on either camera model regardless of the autofocus setup, the lens is perfect for me right now. Long story short, I saved at least $150, and it's the little things like this that make me happy. Life is not won all at once, but rather in small steps along the way.

Here are a couple test shots I took with the new lens. I'm in love. 

So yeah, Ken Rockwell wins major kudos from me, hence this shoutout. He's candid, down-to-earth, and honest. He even replied to a brief thank-you email I wrote him that same day. Very impressive.

Closing thought: think before you buy! And look for good honest voices like Ken Rockwell when researching; it's worth it.


**rule 32**

- Knolster

Lent and Withdrawls

Think of this post as a quick muse/devotional thought.

In my quest for the truth (mainly starting this new year), I've been doing some more digging in the Word and just spending time actually paying attention to God. He's always there, you know... and even though you know He knows your thoughts, sometimes it's just helpful knowing you can talk to Him about crap, ya know?

I love properly used memes. This one's a little off par, but it will do.

Enter February. Now, every year around this time, there's a little (err... not so little) day called Fat Tuesday. Everybody loves Fat Tuesday, because Fat Tuesday is fun to say, makes people giggle, and basically gives the impression that you can/should eat and do whatever you want. Basically, it is the YOLO mindset (I freaking hate that word). What people don't really think so much about is the day which follows. The day after Fat Tuesday is Wednesday. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

Lent is defined by Wikipedia as a Christian observance meant to prepare the believer; it is a form of fasting. While the main denominations that faithfully observe this are Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Anglicans, most Christians at least know about the concept of Lent. Mention Lent to almost anyone and they'll look at you and say "Oh, are you Catholic?" No, I'm not Catholic. I just happen to care about my walk with God.

Here is a spattering of the top things people gave up for Lent in 2009. Interesting stuff.

Traditionally, Christians who practice Lent give up something for the forty-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter to better focus on striving towards holiness in life. Now, in the past, I've given up soda pop (and am currently) for Lent, but never really thought much about it. I would do it mainly for the challenge, if you will... the "thrill of accomplishment" -- and go right back to gorging myself with Mountain Dew as soon as Lent was over, gloating at my abilities in self denial. But soda pop isn't that dear to me. Yes, I shamefully love my Mountain Dew (you can buy it for me here at a ridiculous price), but it's not like I can't live without it.

So this year, I wanted to take things a little more seriously when it came to personal sacrifice for Lent. But what? There's nothing I really do that I can give up... my life is pretty boring, right?

Oh no. HELL NO. Nononononooo...

You might laugh at me. Feel free; I felt pretty pathetic in hindsight. Facebook isn't everything; but hey, it's pretty huge. But then again, you might not hold Facebook at the same esteem that I do. Facebook is a ridiculously integral part of my life, and has been for the past five years. It's my main source of information, and by far my foremost means of staying connected with some of the closest people in my life who pretty much all live as inconveniently far away from me as possible. If I am online, I pop Facebook into its own happy little tab and surf the Internet, peeking up at Facebook's tab every now and then to see if a little (1) appears next to the tab name (meaning I have a notification). Or better yet, hearing that multi-emotional "pling" (depending on the nature of your conversation) that means someone else on Facebook cares enough to chat with you. I love Facebook -- maybe too much. But give it up for forty days? Craziness!
 

Oh, shut up.

Yet here I am. Six days into this suddenly meaningful journey called Lent, and I haven't been on Facebook once. At first I missed my Facebook tab... but now I'm used to it being gone. It feels like it's been a longer time than six days, but in all reality, this is probably one of the longest stretches I've gone without it. I will say it is rather unsettling to be without a security you've felt pretty much every day for five years. Yet, at the same time, it's very freeing. I have more time to do things, and I've been far more productive even when using the Internet. Was Facebook that large of a distraction for me? Apparently so.

So no Facebook or soda. For the first few days, I was very irritable. Think of a room full of girls with PMS (keep in mind, I have five sisters. Nothing shocks me anymore). I was that pissy. But as time has passed, my mood has improved, and I've started thinking more about why I am sacrificing these things. What do I prioritize more-- Facebook or my time spent with God? More times than not, I waste hours on Facebook and don't even think about God. Just six days into Lent, I am thinking more about God and how I am living than I have for the past month.

So be encouraged. I know I am. And hey, only thirty-four days to go for this boy. If Jesus could handle it, and He empowers us to do even greater things, then how can we fail?

I plan to post after Lent on how I feel about everything. It will be interesting to see if/how my perspectives have changed.


**this boy now gets his caffeine from coffee**

- Knolster

Questions About Fruit

It's been aeons since my last post. A lot has happened since then -- I've returned to the Midwest, and am pursuing the truth about things. My mind is amiss with thoughts and feelings regarding my faith, and the more I talk with my peers about it, the more I realize that I am far from alone in my struggles.

This will by my most controversial post so far, so be warned.

Before I say anything, I want to set the tone for this article. I'm reminded of a passage which I feel is one of the best "advice Scriptures" in the Bible outside of Proverbs. Jesus was speaking with his disciples.

Matthew 7:15-20 (NLT)

Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Fruit. Keep it in mind.

I think about a lot of things. Lately, my mind has taken a turn towards the spiritual side of life (I refuse to use the word "religion".) Most of my friends are Christian or have a Christian background; though I also have friends who are atheist, pagan, wiccan, and humanist for their respective reasons. It is not my place to judge how others exercise their faith; that is up to them. However, I personally have been questioning my own faith -- not necessarily in a bad sense of the expression; but rather, I'm questioning why I believe what I believe, and if what I believe is actually real or simply fantastic ideas painted to me in pretty traditional Christian pictures. One of my issues is this: based on the Scripture we just read, where is the fruit of our Christianity?

Read the following real statements from some of my peers.

"I've changed my beliefs to humanism. It's been a process over the last few years, but I've done a lot of searching and don't believe the Bible anymore. My mother keeps saying I just find stuff to prove her wrong, or to tell her that she's uninformed about something. It's not that at all. I started searching, and I want to believe. But the more I've looked, the more I've found that it's all wrong. I'm not atheist, but I feel very close to it. Like, I still feel that God is there but everything I'm finding is saying otherwise, or that it's just a construct in our minds. idk..."

"It seems that everything I was told to never do as a child is coming into question now. Or maybe it's just that because I'm older and understand things differently, I'm actually thinking about them. Sometimes I feel like people would categorize me as 'agnostic' rather than 'Christian'. I may not act like a 'Christian' or go to church all the time... I even have trouble reading the Bible. But I know that somewhere deep in me, I believe in and love Jesus... even if I may never feel him like others."
 
 "How can a God of love condemn people that really have no chance to accept him due to circumstance? Do you think our accepting Christ is circumstantial? Do you really believe He is pursuing us? What if we just fail at witnessing and end up turning people away from faith? I'm never going to be good enough to explain faith... I can barely hold onto it myself. I am not a joyful Christian that knows God is real. I do know He isn't going to force anything on anyone. But how can people choose when He doesn't give them the choice? If they don't even know He exists, are they supposed to just know because of nature? Or because someone tells him that a guy died on a cross because He loves them? And what about people with serious mental disorders? What does God do in the event that you are sitting on an existential nihilist's couch balling your eyes out because you don't know what to believe anymore? And you try to explain this to him but since everything is in such spiritual language, you don't know how to put it into plain English? Is God's grace not enough for translation errors? Can Christ reside in me even if I feel confused sometimes?"

I just sense an overwhelming tone of mistrust and questioning in all of these statements, and in my own feelings. Yes, we may still love Jesus; and no, we're not necessarily writing him off as a fairy tale. So why the sudden need for verification of our faith in a deity we've known all our lives? Simple.

We have been told something, but now question its veracity.

Many of us (myself included) grew up in a Christian home. Our parents taught us a certain brand of Christianity (whatever they believed), and we were raised to think a certain way along whatever lines of tradition entailed. Now that we have grown up, we might actually start questioning what has been literally installed in our minds all our lives, such as whether or not alcohol is evil as we were told, or why we can't do certain things. I don't feel that questioning facets of our Christianity is unhealthy, but it may be unsettling at times.

We feel a need to prove our faith because of questions in our own minds.

In the case of my friend crying because she didn't know what to believe, she was in the presence of an educated individual who could not be convinced that the Bible was true. When she found it difficult to explain her faith, she was forced to question what she believed as the other person raised issues she had no answers for. When this happens, how are we supposed to respond? I feel that personally, we need to come to terms with our faith and define our beliefs by the Word of God, but this is no easy task.

We believe and obey the Bible, but don't feel like it's making a difference.

So what do you do when you have read the Bible and are applying it to your life, but it eventually feels more like a charade than a relationship with God? One of my friends has expressed to me that she feels like God never speaks back to her when she seeks Him, and I can definitely relate with that feeling in my own life. This will certainly raise questions and turmoil. Faith becomes an issue, because no relationship will work well if it is one-sided.

We don't see fruit.

This is probably the ultimate reason why we may question our faith. We do everything right, we play church, we read the Bible every day, we pray, and we witness. But we don't see any results. Granted, this isn't always the case; but to me, I feel that our experiences happen like this more times than not. And it's nothing short of discouraging.


Here is how I currently feel. I was raised in a Christian home to believe in God, and that God sent his Son to die for my redemption from sin. I cannot prove this; rather, it is a matter of faith. I do not doubt the existence of God; however, I do challenge the view taught and "imposed" on me by my parents. They told me that alcohol was bad, gays are going to hell, premarital sex is one of the ultimate sins, and that any form of the the theory of evolution is heresy. And I believed them. I've seen my parents literally give their lives for their faith. I have watched them struggle through many things, calling on God to carry them through as they live each step of their lives for Him. Their faith is real. I was with them in this lifestyle for years. We prayed. We worshiped. We interceded. We warred against Satan and the powers of darkness. Sometimes, things got better. But as we did these things, I personally saw no real confirmations from God... nothing to really solidify that what we were believing for was actually working. No fruit. Half of the problems ended up fixing themselves over time, and my family would rave about how "God answered our prayers!" But I felt like I was the only logical mind present who actually figured out that things had naturally changed; there was nothing supernatural going on. These things would happen, and I would think, "Of course it fixed itself. God had nothing to do with it. Of course my cut is better; God created my body to heal itself. God didn't just 'insta-heal' it over three days." You may be thinking at this point, "What a doubter." Granted, this is indeed doubt; but keep in mind, all of these things I am telling you had been happening over a period of ten years. That's a long time. All that time, and nothing really substantial to show for it in terms of fruit. "Oh, but that's what faith is for. Read Hebrews 11:1. This is the part that we have to believe the hardest. Our breakthrough is just around the corner!" Years later, we were still "at that point" with hardly any fruit to show for it.

I love the Lord, and ultimately I live along His guidelines as portrayed in the Bible. But as for the hardcore "Ermergherd, FAITH!!!" lifestyle, I'm more disheartened than anything. I feel like sometimes my family members are "faithing" and "Bibling" themselves to death. We've been rejected by churches for how we believe. For encouragement, we would listen to faith teachers who promised and reassured us with smiles on their faces that "this stuff works." While I don't doubt that faith is necessary for every Christian, I can't help but feel literally smothered by the Bible I've been taught, and I feel bad for wanting to run from it. I'm tired of it being shoved down my throat, and I'm sick of the judgments leveled against me by self-righteous bigots who call themselves Christians, yet act anything like Christ. I'm discouraged by the lack of fruit in the church today. And while I realize that there are many wonderful things being done for Christ, I can't help but think that there are more people than just me who feel the way I do. "Why do I believe? Is it really worth it?"

My views on several facets of life have changed since I was a little kid. These things happen when one grows up; their mind begins to work for itself and that individual can discern what is truth from what is false. This is called maturity, or sophistication. I know that alcohol isn't evil, and I know that homosexuality isn't (as I was taught) a one-way ticket to hell. But if I was to say these things to my parents, you can bet that they would immediately defend their beliefs and write me off as a prodigal. (Slight exaggeration, perhaps. Still, you get the point.)

It's intimidating and a bit unnerving to take a stand, especially when you disagree with tradition regarding faith. This post has been a bit of an outlet for many feelings, but also the beginning of a discussion I genuinely care about. I am daring us (me and you) to at least think about things before we defend or denounce them, and I encourage you to research what and why you believe what you do. I know I'll be doing my homework in the coming weeks... more thoughts to follow. Feel free to comment.


**deuces**

- Knolster

Closure: A Dream

It had been a good work day. No better feeling than punching out, he thought. He wasn’t tired so much as relieved... that feeling that a runner has at the finish of a race. Exhilaration? No, that was a bit much.

Turning around the bend in the walk, he slowed as he saw her coming. She was still a ways away; maybe she hadn’t seen him. He slowed his pace a bit, but tried to look elsewhere. He could not. Just the sight of her spurned a sea of memories and emotions he had tried to calm for weeks now. He couldn’t even look at her blonde hair without remembering it being draped across his chest, the cool feeling he got when he ran his fingers through it... the scent of her, the way her eyes fairly danced when she smiled.

They met at the fork in the path. One way from here... they would have to walk together, or else it would be awkward. He spoke first. “Hi, Lynn.”

Her blue eyes met his for the first time in what felt like eons, bringing back memories. Even after work, she looked amazing. “Hello.” She was distant, but was not cold.

He cracked a grin. It hurt a bit. Still tender. Damn, she did a number on you, he thought to himself. Get it together. It’s water under the bridge.

They walked on for a bit. There was no one else in sight. Fancy that... and yet after weeks of the silent treatment, here they walked together. Fate can be such a bitch sometimes.

The path narrowed, and their hands almost touched. Electricity seared through his mind, momentarily stunning him. Recovering, he forced himself to not think about the sheer joy her fingers had brought him when they were lightly clasped between his own. The way his heart had melted effortlessly in her hands when she caressed his arms with her fingertips. Their hands touched again. This time, they both stopped, turning to each other. He was still a bit at a loss on what to say. She seemed a bit perplexed, but said nothing.

Finally he breathed. “It’s been a while. How have you been?”

She turned and took another step forward. “Busy with work. But I’ve been doing okay... you?”

“Same, actually... work, life, work.” He walked beside her again, and her hand slipped into his. In that moment, he was reminded of just how dangerous her touch was... how fast she had seduced him. But he let her hold his hand, and entwined her fingers between his. Their history preceded them. The talking was easier now.

“Dating? Me neither.”

“Weekend’s coming up. I can’t wait.”

They walked slower now. His left hand on her side, holding her body close. Her right hand on his shoulder. Just like old times... almost.

They were at the parking lot now. Their walk slowed even more. Her fingers slipped from his, but lingered across his palm. “Well if you’re not busy tonight, I’ll be making Italian. You can come if you’d like; I could use the company.” Her voice was velvet.

He paused a moment before looking back into her eyes- a dangerous move. She was beautiful. But he brushed her hand from his. “No. This is closure.”

She said nothing as he turned and walked away.

Chapters

What do most people do when they've been courting someone for a year and a half and break up? I'm not sure, but apparently it's different from my experience.

For those of you who aren't aware, I have been dating a wonderful girl from Ohio for the past year and a half. Rebecca has been a close friend for several years now (we met in college), and it was summer of last year when we decided to shake things up and go on a date sometime. Going into the relationship, we knew it would be tricky since we live seven hours apart and literally wouldn't see each other much due to her graduating and my still being in school. Long distance relationships are difficult. But we made it work... we wrote letters incessantly, texted/Facebooked, and talked on the phone. There were many pitter-patterings of the heart, fireworks, and twitterpation. All was wonderful and beautiful, save for the fact that we never got to see each other. We saw each other face-to-face only three times over the course of our courtship, but they were always happy times. After 2011, I returned to school, she went to Africa, I went to work at Disney World, she returned from Africa... life happened. Our talks grew less interesting and less frequent... the letters stopped. We saw the inevitable coming. So when it finally happened, we were in mutual agreement. The end of our romance came peacefully.

I love Facebook's Pirate language. It makes everything better.

As soon as "Andy Knol went from being 'in a relationship' to 'single' " hit Facebook news feeds everywhere, the replies were mostly along the same lines...

"That sucks, man."

"Just know you're still a wonderful person!"

"I'm so sorry!"

While I do greatly appreciate the sympathy of my friends and family, I would like to make something clear. Yes, we broke up... but it's not as harsh as it may sound. The term "break-up" doesn't really apply in this case. A real break-up would involve severance... of hearts, of feelings, of relationship. But we didn't lose anything by ending our pursuance of romance. We're just as good of friends still, if not closer because of our history. The ending of our courtship was not the result of anger, heartache, and a strongly toned "I'm breaking up with you" laced with expletives, but rather a mature decision made as a result of much thought and prayer. And as such, we are perfectly okay with getting back together if God decides to bring us closer together in the future.

No matter what happens, there will always be Halo.

I don't regret anything about my relationship with Rebecca. There were many joyful moments, and countless moments when my heart skipped beats. Love is wonderful, but true love usually masks itself in many facets. I discovered many facets of love with my relationship with Rebecca, and I am very appreciative of the friendship we still share. As for our future, we will always be friends, but we leave it up to God if He wants to write more into our later chapters.

So where am I now through all of this? Florida, for starters. I have just less than two months left at Disney World. After that, I'm not sure. Maybe I'll go back to school and work on that double art degree I've been chipping away at. Or maybe I'll stay local in Indiana for a while. Or maybe pick up some field work elsewhere. I'm not sure. But now is when I close my eyes and breathe, thanking God for each chapter of my story.


**42**

- Knolster

Challenge

Today in one of my college-level classes, I was asked to list the importance of different values in my life. The paper before me listed several wonderful things, such as integrity, love, creativity, and power. One item on the list struck me, however. Challenge. While things like integrity are key to my character, and things like creativity are definitive of my personality, challenge stopped me in my mental tracks. The more I thought of it, the more I realized how valuable challenge can be to an individual, and the potential power it holds.

Definition 5 on dictionary.com fits my perspective perfectly.

chal·lenge [chal-inj]

difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it

Thinking on this, I marveled at the prospect of challenge. When facing a crisis, I always analyze the situation, deduce my options on how to deal with that situation, and make a decision. Once that decision has been made, I follow through and (if possible) avoid or solve the problem. This usually takes milliseconds, and I don't even notice. What I never think of, though, is the challenge I have faced and defeated. Challenge can be horrific, but if faced properly, it can make a person better. I feel that every challenge holds potential for progress, and if dealt with correctly, will make a person stronger.

The more I think about challenge, the more I value it. Challenge ushers motivation to progress oneself. This progress can be physical, mental, social, emotional, or spiritual. Challenge knows no bounds, and the only limit with challenge is one's response to it. Without challenge, we become stagnant. Challenge holds the power to change every facet of an environment, but only through those who choose to face that challenge. So with that in mind, think about the challenges in your life, and their potential to make you a stronger person.

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." - James 1:2-4 NLT

And with that, I say challenge accepted.

Working For A Rodent

Wow, time flies! It's been over a month since my last blog post; so I'm going to skip the many sincere and profuse apologies to my audience and get right to it. The first month and a half of working and living at Disney World has taught me a lot. It's hard to describe, but there are things that I have learned simply about myself that it took working for a mouse to figure out.

The best boss I'll ever work for

Let's break it down into three major arenas, shall we?

Arena #1 - PUBLIC TRANSIT SUCKS. PERIOD.
Yes, we all knew this, but when it's your only modus ferre (way of getting anywhere), you come to realize just how usefully horrid it really is. My worst day thus far with our bus system was on one of my days off... our ugly metal people movers broke down consistently enough to piss me off to the point that I wanted to disown buses forever. Amid stories of buses catching fire and overheating on interstates, one may question why we still use them if they are truly this terrible. It's painfully simple: we don't have a choice. If I had a car, I would use it and get wherever I want to go 75% faster than if I took a bus. But, the major tradeoff is gas money: at this time, I pay nothing to get from point A to B. Free is wonderful, but you get what you pay for. It doesn't help anything that our ailing buses are old and worn out to begin with; add to that the factors such as heavy traffic, cranky bus drivers, and unmerciful Florida heat, and you have a recipe for a carless disaster. Oddly enough, I'm figuring out which buses are lemons by the bus number... bus #86929 has broken down every time I've ever seen it. #87054 and #87069 have been the best I've encountered thus far...

 Let's hope that nothing like THIS ever happens to my bus...

Arena #2 - PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF WORK ARE ALWAYS MORE DIFFICULT THAN EXPECTED.
I found this out the hard way. I knew that PhotoPass was a job that would have me on my feet all day, but I never expected the constant wear and tear. After the first week of work, I bought gel inserts for my shoes. Second week, Vitamin C to stay healthy. Third week, I was bedridden. Fourth week, got better only to get sick AGAIN. Seriously?! In the first month of working for Disney, I got sick TWICE. Thing is, I never get sick. Yes, Florida has different germs than the Midwest, but it's nothing my immune system can't handle, right? Oh, how wrong I was! Three days straight I had to call in sick, followed by another sick day the week after. My throat was so sore I couldn't even moan... partly from hollering at Guests to smile for the camera. "Okay, move this way... now back a step... hey! COME BACK! Now smile... that's great... smile! SMILE!!!" (slight exaggeration, but you get the picture) Just try to get stubborn people to listen to you over the sounds of a theme park filled with people... then do it all day, and let me know how your throat feels when you get home. Not that I'm complaining, I love my job... it just wears on me.



Arena #3 - MONEY DISAPPEARS.
Again, common knowledge. But the realization of this fact just became real to me. I'm paying my own rent now. I'm buying my own food, and toilet paper, and food, and I shouldn't have bought that TV, and "crap, I eat a lot... must stop... can't stop, dangit..." There's no college loans to help pay for anything now; it's all on me. Gotta love responsibility! I knew I'd have to be responsible, but reality is a dog...

That being said, and in lieu of my eating and spending habits, I have decided to review a local eatery to relieve stress and splurge on myself. (I'm so lavish...)

Bahama Breeze is a local restaurant located just down the street from Vista Way. A 20 minute walk on a good day, it's a scenic journey through foliage, sidewalks, and an asphalt jungle filled with emotionless motorists. Once you arrive at Bahama Breeze, however, the stress of the journey melts away into the Caribbean aura that envelops you upon arriving. The restaurant offers standard valet parking - a necessary commodity in the ever-selfish society of modern times. Valet parking, an ever-present staff, and live music lend the atmosphere an upper-class feel, though the restaurant is very relaxed and open. Bahama Breeze features both indoor and outdoor dining arrangements.
The outdoor pavilion-like section features large tables and a stage where music artists perform live shows as guests dine; while the indoor section boasts intimate booths, darker lighting, and a full bar. In terms of alcohol, the restaurant spares no expense; there is a book of mixed drinks and Caribbean concoctions at every table; however, the restaurant also offers many non-alcoholic exotic beverages as well as Coke products.

I didn't realize I had the menu opened to the "Beer" section when I took this... >.>

The menu is decent, offering the usual entree and appetizer variety that can appeal to anyone's tastes; there's always something one would love to try. There are many seafood and sandwich options, including a "Build Your Own Burger" section that I would love to have sometime. Only two steak options exist, though I feel the variety of the menu makes up for it.

For an appetizer, I chose Bahama Breeze's signature coconut shrimp, served with fresh sliced pineapple and a lightly tart citrus mustard dipping sauce. My server for the evening, Spencer, informed me that this was Bahama Breeze's "house" sauce; an original blend similar to honey mustard, but smoother and with a tart punch of citrus that contrasts nicely with the delightfully sweet taste.

Signature Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple - one of Bahama Breeze's signature appetizers

Looking on to the entrees, I selected the buttermilk fried chicken, battered in-house and served on mashed potatoes, drizzled with lemon butter sauce on layers of spinach and tomatoes... all garnished with corn, chives, and black beans. The chef who prepared my entree also delivered his creation right to my table, which added a personal touch to my experience. The portion sizes were also wonderful; two large boneless chicken breasts with a delicious breading served atop a bed of hand mashed potatoes. I definitely got enough to fill my hungry tummy.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast

No review would be complete without a dessert, so to close out my already-sufficient meal, I chose another Bahamas Breeze signature menu item: Rebecca's Key Lime Pie. Smooth and rich with delightfully popping lime flavor that dances on the tongue and topped with lightly toasted whipped cream, it was delectable. The pie was served with two drizzles of syrup on the side - raspberry and mango. When eaten with the raspberry drizzle, the pie gained a sweet tang; the mango added a tropical swirl of additional flair. Needless to say, I savored every bite of this delicacy that was truly worth the extra money, though the last two bites were a bit rich...

Rebecca's Key Lime Pie - a Bahama Breeze signature dessert

All in all, I would say that though it is expensive, you definitely get your money's worth at Bahama Breeze. The service is wonderful, and the food is simply amazing. I give it an 8 out of 10! Good thing I had a $10 dollar off coupon ;)

And, the coolest thing ever, they draw on your to-go boxes!

Oh, this made me happy.

In other news, I am now fully trained in my job as a photographer, which means I get to hang out with characters like Tigger and Mickey. It's much more fun than taking pictures of immobile objects (think of a giant tree in Animal Kingdom, for instance... I wonder how many thousands of photos I've taken of that beautiful thing!) I now look forward to park hopping with my shifts; I would love to pick up a shift or two at Hollywood Studios, for instance. A change of scenery is needed... I think Animal Kingdom is going to drive me cray cray soon.

In closing, I've never loved Mickey more. The longer I work at Disney, the more I see how dedicated to quality the company is. Nothing is perfect, but in terms of integrity, Disney is very committed. Walt's legacy lives on through all of us, and it's pretty cool to see people's dreams coming true every day I'm here. So, thanks Lord for getting me here. Now show me what to do...



**om nom nom**

- Knolster