Disney With Gina and Adele

Gina and Adele invited me to do a day at Disney with them before Gina heads back to college.  My schedule had me off on Friday, so I decided to leave after work on Thursday, and headed over to Orlando around 7 pm.  After checking into my hotel, I went to Downtown Disney to get something to eat.   I liked the menu at the Rainforest Cafe.  Macadamia crusted tilapia w/teriyaki glaze, mango puree, coconut shrimp w/mango salsa, Caribbean rice and grilled veggies.  What more can I say?

Funny story:  when I talked with the girls, I accidentally  gave them the wrong room number.  A short while later, I was wondering what was keeping them.  Then I thought I heard what sounded like their voices coming from a short distance from my room.  I opened my door and looked out, and there they were, knocking on the door of the room next to mine, and in controlled yells, trying to get someone to answer the door.  They had texted me and called, but with my lousy cell connection inside the room, I didn't get them.  They were picturing me laying dead on the floor, either slashed to death, or by heart attack.  Oh my!

 So, after a happy reunion, and relief that there was no horrible scene before them, we headed over to the Polynesian for lunch.  I'm refraining myself and not posting pictures of the food.  It was all good!  (I loved my pulled pork taco!)

 So after lunch, we took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom.  Adele had to leave us to go to work, so she met her friend.  'Nuff said.

 View from the monorail as we passed the Grand Floridian and approaching the Magic Kingdom.

Look out Main Street!  Just after the parade passed.

 Here Adele met up with her friend.  Soon they would head over to the Contemporary for lunch.

Posing for our obligatory tourist castle shot.

 And another.

 And another.

We were making a loop, killing some time before Adele had to leave us.  Snapping pics here and there.  It was HOT!  Somewhere in the low to mid 90s.

 Balloons on Main Street.

 And more.

The case at the Confectioner's.  We returned to the scene of this crime at night before we left the park.

It was so hot walking around just after Adele left, that Gina and decided to catch the monorail to Epcot.

 Coming into the Magic Kingdom Station.

View from the monorail as we were arriving at Epcot.

 I haven't been to Epcot in a long time, so it was nice to hang out there for a while.  It started sunny, but in a short while, clouds rolled in and there was thunder and lightning.

Our obligatory tourist shot at Epcot.

 A familiar scene:  Gina holding my soda cup as I was taking another picture.

In Spaceship Earth, they have you pose for a picture, and then towards the end of the ride, after selecting your "future" by answering a series of questions on a screen in your car, you appear in the little movie they put you in.  Tres cute.  I was so busy snapping these goofy pics that I didn't pay any attention to what the narrator was saying.

 Some majestic clouds starting to roll in.

Here I was attempting to catch some lightning flashes at the temple at the Mexico site.

The plaza inside the Mexico pavilion.

Gina dresses up the Donald piñata.

Just after snapping this photo, I put on the sombrero and was getting ready to pose, when I heard coming from behind me, "Excuse us . . . " and there was Donald coming to greet his fans!

Gina was holding the small Donald doll, so handed to Donald and he placed it on his beak.  Awk!

On the boat ride.  They have updated it since I last rode on it many years ago.  Added the Three Caballeros theme.

And there they are!

 Rain over Canada . . .

Passing China.

 Did a stop at Norway to do the Troll Ride.  Gina ducking in out of the rain drops.

 Gina found this baby seal.

On to Germany! Fortunately the rain stopped.

We stopped in the cafe to share a piece of cheese cake.  The cheese was between thin layers of vanilla cake.  It was good!!!

This was interesting.  Kids from this camp were stretched out in a line and one of the adults had a funnel cake and was breaking off pieces and handing them out to each kid.  We thought it looked like a communion line . . .

Then on to Italy.

 *Sigh*  If only it was the real Italy!

Snap!

Strolling the piazza . . .

The view from the piazza, across the lagoon.

Some details.

 Awesome sky over Morocco . . .

This group was awesome too . . . Mo'Rockin'

 France.  Kind of like, "if it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium."  I am dating myself.

 On to Wee Britain.  The building on the right looks like one of the buildings on the Wellesley campus.

Gina was trying to contact Doctor Who.

Oh Canada!

On the way out . . . going to head back to the Magic Kingdom to meet up with Adele later when she gets done with working.

 We stopped back at the pavilion to sample the sodas from different countries.

 Italy was the worst . . . bitter . . .

 Lighted for the night.

And . . . back to the Magic Kingdom.

Tomorrowland was like a carnival, sort of like Pleasure Island from Pinocchio.  We didn't run into Lampy.

The castle gets lit for this new show that projects objects, photos, and colors onto the walls and makes the castle come alive with movement.  An amazing show.

We didn't ride the teacups tonight, but I had to take a few shots.

We met up with Adele on Main Street, back at the Confectionary.  Brought her a Donald gift . . .

 Outside the parade was passing by.

Sweet treats before heading out.  We stopped at the 7 Eleven across the street from our hotel for some water and soda for the room.  We commented about how we used to always stop at the 7 Eleven when we visited Florida on vacations in the past because we didn't have them in our area.  Now we in the middle of them all over the place.  It was a very fun day!!!

Franks and Beans

On Saturday around mid-afternoon, we stopped at the Dairy Inn on Dr MLK N for lunch.  I've always heard such good things about it.  And, it's been a local landmark for over 60 years.  I've had a shake from here a short while ago when our assistant manager bought a round for all of us.  And it was goooood!

We opted for the cheeseburgers and chocolate malts.  The burgers and the shakes lived up to the raves.  This place reminds me of the summer snack 'shacks' up north, open in the summer during the nice days, closed on rainy days.  I am so going to try other menu items.  Oh, and more shakes!

On the way home from the beach on Sunday, I was getting into that summer menu groove again,  so I decided to make up some franks and beans.  I could eat it all in one sitting, but am controlling myself.  If only I can stay away from ice cream . . .

Sunset Beach Sunday

In between celebrating Lucy's B'day, watching marathon on Hallmark channel, spent a few hours at the beach with the boys.

Hot day at the beach.  Had to stop at  the 7 Eleven on the way back!

First Friday in St Pete

The first Friday of each month, downtown St Pete has a lot going on.  Bands, specials at restaurants and bars, lots of people.  After I got out of work Wayne met me and we walked downtown to meet up with Pete and Joe who were at happy hour at the Ale and the Witch.  Shortly after arriving, we all decided to head over to Meze 119 on 2nd St to try some of their vegetarian fare.   It's definitely a repeat!  I had the falafel sandwich.  Excellent!

 Wayne's vegetable Napoleon.

Pete and Joe each got the Mediterranean pizza.

We each had to take turns using the bathroom to hear the music playing in there.  It was "be sure to wash your hands" to the tune of "I want to hold your hand".

Remembrance of Things I Forgot

Yesterday I received two books that I had ordered from Amazon.com.  Neither is available in digital copy, so old school hardcover they are.

Remembrance of Things I Forgot is this months read for the book club I belong to.  One review:

“An extraordinary novel: smart, funny, fiendishly inventive, often moving and ultimately profound. I've never read anything like it. Bob Smith combines the ingenuity of science fiction with the emotional weight of autobiographical fiction. He then adds politics—in the form of the greatest villain of recent American history. This is a comic novel, but reading it can be a life-altering experience, like falling through a rabbit hole in space/time, and coming out the other side a better person.” —Christopher Bram, author of Gods and Monsters

“It’s safe to say your relationship is in trouble if the only way you can imagine solving your problems is by borrowing a time machine.”

            In 2006 comic book dealer John Sherkston has decided to break up with his physicist boyfriend, Taylor Esgard, on the very day Taylor announces he’s finally perfected a time machine for the U.S government. John travels back to 1986, where he encounters “Junior,” his younger, more innocent self. When Junior starts to flirt, John wonders how to reveal his identity: “I’m you, only with less hair and problems you can’t imagine.” He also meets up with the younger Taylor, and this unlikely trio teams up to plot a course around their future relationship troubles, prevent John’s sister from making a tragic decision, and stop George W. Bush from becoming president.

            In this wickedly comic, cross-country, time-bending journey, John confronts his own—and the nation’s—blunders, learning that a second chance at changing things for the better also brings new opportunities to screw them up. Through edgy humor, time travel, and droll one-liners, Bob Smith examines family dysfunction, suicide, New York City, and recent American history while effortlessly blending domestic comedy with science fiction. Part acidic political satire, part wild comedy, and part poignant social scrutiny, Remembrance of Things I Forgot is an uproarious adventure filled with sharp observations about our recent past.

It's ironic how just this past week I was listening to a Firesign Theater CD of "The Further Adventures of Nick Danger" from the album "How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All".  Somehow, reading this book reminds me of that, what with time travel and one liners.

The book club has given me the opportunity to spend some time with the TV turned off and to instead, loose myself in the pages of some entertaining stories and meet some fascinating characters.  I have been enjoying most of the books we have read and this one is turning out to be a good one.  I look forward to our monthly meetings where we gather at a restaurant and discuss the book over dinner.  And those of you that know me, know that I love to eat!

Sheesh!!! I sure am a Grandpa!

When Wayne came over to visit last Sunday, he said that he thought I would have some pictures of Ruby around my apartment.  I was so distracted by her pictures I posted as 'PhotoStickies' on my iMac screen, and working on Ruby slideshows, and starting a Ruby DVD of slideshows and her "Hiccup" video which has gone viral . . . (well almost! and she seems older than 4 days in that video) that I didn't even think of printing some of Joe's photos and putting them in frames.

So, to all the skeptics, I guess now I am well on my way to being a full fledged Grandpa.  I know I've got miles to go, but am already planning to add to my collection of photos, PhotoStickies, slideshows and DVDs.  All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.