Category Archives: Musings

Hopefully a little more thought-out than the ramblings.

All Things Dad, Trip Reports

Niagara Falls vacation 2016

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Marlene and I have been taking the whole family to Niagara Falls in Canada almost every spring for the last 10+ years. At this point we’ve got the NF trip almost down to a science. Here’s a brief summary of our 2016 vacation.

Skyline Inn

Our hotel of choice is the Skyline Inn. It’s a fantastic combination of family-friendly and economical. With our large, 8-person family, we need two rooms. We like to get two adjoining double-queen rooms. We then leave the connecting doors open for the whole stay, and treat the two rooms like a single suite. One room is the girls’ room, and the other is the boys’. This also provides two bathrooms, which is extremely helpful.

Ricky in the Boys' room at Skyline Inn
Ricky in the Boys’ room at Skyline Inn

Skyline inn has three indoor courtyards, with a few dozen rooms opening onto each. The courtyards are a great place to let the kids “hang out” to get out of the room for a bit. There are often kids from other rooms playing there too, so they can make new friends.

Jacob and Jasmin looking out onto the courtyard from our room
Jacob and Jasmin looking out onto the courtyard from our room
Jacob, Ricky, and Jasmin playing in the courtyard
Jacob, Ricky, and Jasmin playing in the courtyard

We always request that our rooms open onto Courtyard 2 because it is the movie courtyard. Every evening at 8:00, the hotel staff drop a movie screen and wheel out a projector. Kids congregate in their PJs, with pillows and blankets in tow. The staff pass out free bags of popcorn, and they play a family-friendly movie. This year, the selections were Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Garfield, and Rio.

My family waiting for the movie to start
My family waiting for the movie to start
Many families all watching the movie and eating free popcorn
Many families all watching the movie and eating free popcorn

Indoor waterpark

Another great feature of Skyline is that it is directly connected to the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark. The hotel offers a waterpark package deal, which we purchase for one of the nights that we stay. Because of the way the package works, a single night allows us to go to the waterpark for two days.

We usually stay 3 nights, so we try to purchase the waterpark package on the 2nd night. That way we are not going to the waterpark on the day we arrive, or on the day that we leave.

Tim and Nora in the outdoor heated pool. You can't see, but it's snowing.
Tim and Nora in the outdoor, heated pool. You can’t tell, but it’s snowing.

Our family’s favorite waterpark activity is the wave pool. It works well for all of my kids, from my 2-year-old to my 12-year-old. We spend most of our time here. Tim and Nora both enjoy the water slides, though Nora is only brave enough to try 2 of the 8 available.

Jacob and Jasmin spent a lot of time before the trip bragging about how they would try a slide for the first time this year, but each backed out when they saw them. Ricky seemed quite determined to try the green slide one day, but he got scared when it was our turn to go. Now he is convinced that he will do it “next year.”

Tim and Nora in the wave pool
Tim and Nora in the wave pool

Mealtimes

There are several wonderful options for meals in Niagara Falls, though most of them are quite expensive.

Breakfast

There is a Perkins restaurant attached to the hotel, and we breakfast there. My family tends to wake up very early, typically no later than 7:00, and it is very difficult to keep them quiet once they are awake. Out of courtesy to the other hotel guests, we try to get the kids ready and out to breakfast as quickly as possible, so it’s convenient to have a nice restaurant so close by.

We dress them, brush their teeth, and shove them out the door. We wait until after breakfast to do any other preparations for the day. The other guests are usually awake by then.

Dinner

Thursday night, we went to our favorite dinner spot: The Rainforest Cafe. While it’s a bit of a hike from our hotel, most of the trek is indoors. All the kids love wandering around the restaurant to explore the jungle and the animatronic animals. Every 30 minutes there is an indoor rainstorm, complete with thunder and lightning. We always get a “volcano” dessert after dinner, which is a huge platter mounded with brownies and ice cream.

Friday night, we ate in Planet Hollywood. Even though it’s right next to the Skyline Inn, we’ve never been able to try it before. They seem to have somewhat strange hours this early in the season. We very much enjoyed our meal, and I think we are likely to go again. Unfortunately we were seated right near a large monster-skeleton prop from one of the Evil Dead movies, and I think some of the little kids were a bit unsettled by it.

Sunday night we went to Mama Mia’s for dinner. This is another popular destination for the Hentschels. They have delicious Italian food for a (relatively) good price. I had veal parmigiana, one of my all-time favorites.

Lunch

Since breakfast and dinner are so very large and very expensive, we try to do a small, cheap lunch. Each day I walked down the street to Tim Horton’s to get a muffin for each person in the family, plus a 20-pack of Timbits. We would take this “meal” into the hotel courtyard, sit on a blanket, and eat a “picnic” lunch. Our lunch beverage: free water bottles, provided by the hotel.

Various activities

There are many activities available for our family in Niagara Falls. Here are some that we did this year.

We took a family walk along the Niagara River to see both the US and the Horseshoe Falls. The kids complained about this because it’s a long hike. They quickly got tired and bored, but it’s my favorite part of the trip, so I insist that we do it every year.

In front of the US falls
In front of the US Falls. It’s not obvious from the pictures, but it was a beautiful day for a walk.
Checking out the Horseshoe Falls
Checking out the Horseshoe Falls

We rode on the Skywheel, a large, enclosed Ferris wheel. It’s pricey, but it’s very popular with the whole family.

Riding the Skywheel
Riding the Skywheel

We went to Sugar Mountain, a small candy shop that specializes in 80s culture and candies. Marlene and I gave each child a bit of money to purchase candy, which was eaten during the evening movies.

Tim, Nora, and I spent an afternoon at Captain Jack’s Pirate Cove while the younger kids were napping in the hotel rooms. We did laser tag, mini golf, and a few other such activities while there.

I spent another afternoon with the two older kids in the Mystery Maze. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was an inexpensive, entertaining way to spend an afternoon.

Final day activity

On the last day of our NF trip, we always pack up the van and head out to one of two final destinations: either the Bird Kingdom or the Butterfly Conservatory. This year was a butterfly year. We hadn’t been for a few years, and so the younger kids didn’t remember it at all. It was a very nice end to the vacation.

Jacob with a butterfly on his head
Jacob with a butterfly on his head
And Beth with her own butterfly
And Beth with her own butterfly

Cost

In case you’re considering a Niagara Falls trip, here is a cost breakdown (in US dollars) for our 8-person family:

3 nights Skyline Inn + 1 night waterpark – $770
Perkins breakfast – $105 avg per meal
Rainforest Cafe dinner – $150
Planet Hollywood dinner – $95
Mama Mia’s dinner – $100
Tim Horton’s lunch – $12 avg per meal
Skywheel ride – $50
Captain Jack’s – $55
Mystery Maze – $15
Butterfly Conservatory – $55
Various snacks and treats – $90
Credit card currency conversion fees – $55

 

– danBhentschel

Rants, Tell Me a Story, Yes, I Know Komputors!

RANT: The greatest horrible cell phone feature ever

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A tale of two phones

Marlene and I got new cell phones last spring to replace our aging Samsung Galaxy S4s. We had been quite satisfied with the S4, and so the S6 was an obvious candidate for our new device. We ultimately decided against it, though, and opted to get the Sony Xperia Z3v instead. The three main features we liked about the Z3v were:

  • A large, long-lasting battery (the S6 was criticized for this in revews)
  • A microSD card expansion slot (sadly absent in the S6)
  • IP68 Water-resistant up to 1 meter for 30 minutes (relatively unique among phones at the time)

As of this writing, Samsung is taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S7. The new features promoted on their website:

  • IP68 Water-resistant
  • Dual-Edge Design (S7 edge only)
  • Enhanced Camera
  • Battery Life
  • Expandable Memory (microSD)
  • Marshmallow OS

Interesting that the S7 incorporates all three of the features that I thought were lacking in the S6!

Water-resistant!

Water-resistance is the feature that I want to focus on in this article. It truly sounds like a very cool idea. Given my chaotic household, I knew it was likely to come in handy. I wasn’t wrong.

Since getting my Xperia, I have used it in the rain and snow. I use it at the pool-side and when bathing the kids. It has had apple juice spilled on it… twice!

Whenever I find some mystery substance on my phone (a fairly frequent occurrence) I just run it under the tap to rinse it off. Water-resistance is great…

Water-resistant?

…when it works! And now we come to the “horrible” part. How do I know that the water-resistance of my phone hasn’t been compromised? Answer: I don’t, until I test it.

The only way to test that my phone is still water-resistant is to expose it to water, and if my test fails, my phone is fried. Hmm… Not the best scenario.

The horror story

Yes, this has actually happened to me. Back in September, I dropped my phone, and the screen shattered. At the time, I had insurance coverage on the phone. I contacted the insurance company, and (for a $100 deductible fee) they sent me out a replacement immediately. I received it the next day!

And then Nora and I went swimming. I’m sure you can see where this is headed. My replacement phone was not water-resistant. Not in the least. I did submerge the phone once, a few inches under water for a few seconds, but nowhere near the 1 meter for 30 minutes claim. And it was gone. Dead.

I spent hours on the phone with the insurance company, hoping to get them to take responsibility. From my perspective, they sent me a defective replacement product. I was repeatedly told that they’d be happy to replace my waterlogged phone, for another $100 deductible fee.

The resolution

After many conversations with Asurion, with Verizon, and with Sony, I finally was able to get Sony to replace my phone for free. I was without my phone for two whole weeks while they “worked on it,” but I’m pretty thankful that they were willing to do so at all. I don’t personally consider Sony the responsible party in this case.

I’m happy to report that my Xperia is fully functional now, including water-resistance. I’m somewhat nervous, though, every time it’s exposed to liquid. Is it still water-resistant?

Feature or safety net?

Perhaps I shouldn’t rely on water-resistance. Maybe I should shun  water as though my phone were not water-resistant, and just be thankful if it protects me against accidental exposure. But I’d prefer not to do so.

I’ve become accustomed to the convenience of a water-resistant device. It was one of the features that first attracted me to the Z3v, and I don’t want to give it up. And yet the doubts remain…

– danBhentschel

Musings

On church and football

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The Superbowl is near, and much discussion and speculation is bent toward the sport. Strange creation that I am, I look at a football team and see, of all things… a church. Let me explain

The strategy

Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together.

Ephesians 4:16 (NIRV)

Just as the members of a football team work together to accomplish a common purpose, the members of a church also collaborate to achieve God’s purposes.

Different football teams have different personalities and skill sets, and the composition of a team affects the team’s strategy. Are they a running team or a passing team? Offensive or defensive? Do they tend to play short or deep?

In the same way, the makeup of a congregation will drive the strategy of the church. How much do they focus on community outreach? On missions? Do they attract young families? College students? The elderly?

In order to truly be successful, a football team needs to be able to execute well even in its weak areas; to play a well-rounded game. So too, a successful church must be able to effectively reach a broad demographic, through a variety of ministries.

The head

And [the Son] is the head of the body, which is the church.

Colossians 1:18 (NIRV)

In the world of football, the team manager is the highest authority. He formulates the overall strategy and orchestrates the execution during a game. He encourages and motivates the players before the game. He celebrates with them when they win. He comforts them when they lose.

The whole team executes according to the manager’s wishes, and if they don’t then they will need to answer to him. In order to succeed as a team, they must put their trust in what he instructs them to do.

In the same way, Christ is the head of the church. He also encourages and motivates us. He celebrates our victories and comforts us in our defeats. If we don’t execute according to His instruction, we are ultimately answerable to Him.

The leader

The Holy Spirit has made you leaders over them. Be shepherds of God’s church.

Acts 20:28 (NIRV)

While a manager is the director of the team, he’s not a direct participant in the game. During a match, it’s the quarterback who calls the shots. He is in tune with the manager’s vision, and on a play-by-play basis, it is the quarterback who relays the manager’s instructions to the rest of the team.

The quarterback is in constant communication with the manager, and on the field, speaks with his authority. If anyone refuses to follow the quarterback’s leading, then that person will need to account for his actions to the manager later.

If the quarterback misrepresents the manager’s direction, then he, himself, will need to answer for his failure. If a quarterback repeatedly goes against a manager’s leading, he most likely will be removed from his position and replaced with a more compliant player.

There are no authorities except the ones God has chosen. Those who now rule have been chosen by God.

Romans 13:1 (NIRV)

A pastor is Christ’s ambassador to a church. He guides the church’s day-to-day execution, in line with Christ’s vision and instruction. The church members are free to individually seek out God’s guidance, and even encouraged to do so. But just as a the manager of a football team would never give his players conflicting instructions, God would also never give His followers conflicting instructions.

God is not a God of disorder. He is a God of peace, just as in all the churches of the Lord’s people.

I Corinthians 14:33

The team

 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.

I Corinthians 12:17-20

If the whole team were a quarterback, who would catch the ball? If the whole team were receivers, who would block? The quarterback is extremely important, and is arguably the star of the show, but there’s no denying that he can’t play the game by himself.

If a football team were short even a single player (ignoring the fact that it couldn’t legally continue to play) then it would be at a significant disadvantage, regardless of which position was absent. Each and every player has a position to play, with an associated role to perform. Some roles are more glamorous than others, but none is dispensable.

In a similar way, in order to be successful, a church requires a variety of roles to be competently filled. The role of pastor gets a lot of attention, but without worship leaders, sound technicians, Sunday school teachers, nursery workers, and even toilet scrubbers, the pastor would not have much of a congregation to lead.

Don’t know where you fit into the team? Not sure what role you should fill? In football, one of the least visible of roles is that of a lineman. It’s a lineman’s job to protect the quarterback, or whoever else has the ball, by blocking the opposition. In front of any successful quarterback, there is always a strong offensive line.

There is a similar role in church: the prayer warrior. Behind any successful pastor, there is always a team of strong Christians praying for God’s blessing, protection, and guidance.

Unlike football, though, church is not a spectator sport. Christ, the head, fully expects everyone in the church to be an active participant. Get off the bench and get in the game. I am so thankful for my own role in my collaborative, cohesive, successful church.

 – danBhentschel