There is something about Florida that leaves a memorable imprint on my brain everytime I visit there. The first time was 2 years ago with our Friends from AZ. We were attending some management courses for our dental practice (well actually, I was just there to get a break from the kids I really didn't set foot in the class, shocking I know.) we stopped in at a "Checkers" burger joint to grab a quick bite one afternoon. It was a very creepy experience. You order your food outside at the window and then you can sit inside the dining room to eat. So that's what we did. Only so did some creepy, mentally disturbed, I think, homeless lady. I guess she didn't really have food she just liked to hang out and torment the paying customers. I have never felt someone so dark and evilish? She was very intimidating looking with straggly dark and gray streaked hair. Her eyes were the lightest blue green mix I've ever seen. You know that movie "Bedtime Stories"? The guinea pig with the big eyes that "Stare into my very soul?" THAT WAS HER!!! Well, not the guinea pig part, but the staring... She was muttering words, probably some evil cantation and staring at me like she was about to cast a spell on me, probably one of the unforgivable curses. It made me a little uncomfortable. I didn't want to be cursed. She also had quite the potty mouth, I do remember that. Then she said something about the "evil seed growing inside you" How the heck did she know I was pregnant?? I wasn't even really showing yet. I could have been really offended if I wasn't so creeped out by her. I have been back that way a few times since then and I always try to peek in and see if she's there freaking out anyone else. Poor lady. If she hadn't been so rude to me, we may have been friends. After I helped her wax her mustache of course. Oh well....Again this was 2 years ago.....I'm not preggo.

Trip #2 DISNEY WORLD!! Need I say more. I feel the magic just typing the words DISNEY...oooooh there it is again. One more time... DISNEY....I feel downright tingly. IT was pretty much a girls trip. Dr.Van had his management courses and I of course showed no interest in going until he mentioned The most magical place on earth. Then I was "in". The weird thing was though that my #1 son, had no desire to go. He had heard from a very reliable source (some punk "friend" from school) that Disney World was not very fun. I'm sorry but that would be no friend of mine. I tried really hard to talk him into going. And then the truth came out....There was 2 reasons he didn't want to go. The "real" reasons.: #1. He was afraid that the plane would crash. Not very reasonable, but ok. Just FYI son, more people die in car accidents then on plane crashes. He didn't care. Next up. #2 reason. Global Warming. Highly Unreasonable. Yes he was certain that while we were there, Florida was going to flood and be covered up with water from the glaciers. Thank you Al Gore. He was sure this was to be his fate. I told him the chances were highly unlikely that it would happen that same weekend we were there. I told him it scheduled for the following weekend but he didn't care. He was staying on firm dry ground in AZ. Ok, more magic for us. SO it turned into a girls trip. Dr.Van would be mostly busy with his classes, so I needed a travel companion to share the heavy burden of navigating around Disney World for 3 days. SO I enlisted my little sister #3. She was way fun. (Just like her older sister...yes I'm talking about me:) The best part was when we got poured on all of the sudden. I mean drenched. But she didn't let a little typhoon ruin her fun, no sir. She grabbed the hands of the nearest Disney worker and twirled and skipped until they begged her to let them go. Then the next best part I just remembered, was when Dr.Van grabbed me and kissed me in the rain....It would have been romantic if the kids weren't right there in a stroller next to us and if my hair hadn't been half frizzy and my mascara had been water proof..dang I always wreck the moment with something. It was fun, I was just mostly thankful that I didn't wear that white T-shirt that I so often wear, don't want to be a hoochie mamma at Disney World, poor old Walt would turn over in his grave.

Trip #3. Nov 2009 Dr.Van and I headed once again to the land of retirees. This time it was for a good cause. A benefit dinner to raise money for the Firefighters of 9-11. It was a formal affair, well, more cocktail dress really. And the best part? No not the food, although that was quite delightful too, John Travolta was going to be there to speak. Not only that but, he was also going to be taking pictures with any star struck being in the vicinity. That would be me. OMGOSH. What the heck was I going to wear?? I couldn't find a thing. I still had baby weight that was happy staying right where it had been residing for the past several months, which made it even more discouraging to shop. I ultimately found a dress courteous of my friends closet. It looked good on me. But it looked better on her. Dang. Oh well. It's just a good thing that I like her so much or else I wouldn't. So I felt semi- confident as I swept into the door of the benefit...until I saw all the other gals in their "barely there cocktail dresses". I'm reminded of a talk I once heard as a youth about the decline of modesty in female clothing. It was mentioned how dresses have turned from "strapless evening gowns" to "Gown-less evening straps."...It still makes me giggle when I picture that in my head. Anyhow, I am a modest girl, no shame here, I just felt a little under dressed, or over dressed if we are grading on the amount of fabric being worn:) I waited in line patiently practicing what I would say to Mr. Travolta. I glanced ahead to see him talking with those who beat me to him first. He was so tall. And handsome. Something about him reminded me of my dad. Not the tall part. No offense dad. Maybe it was just his warm smile, or the dimple in his chin...My pitters were getting sweaty as we got closer and closer to him. My hands started to shake a bit. Why couldn't I hold it together? He was just a person. Almost exactly like me even. He did normal person stuff too right? I'm sure his pitters were just as sweaty as he saw me slinking towards him. K probably not, I'm sure he uses really expensive deodorant. I was watching how the pictures were being taken. Crap. They guided every one to his right side. That was not my good side. How was I going to do this. I needed to be positioned in such a way that my left side was forward. My face was still so round and shapeless that I depended on that dimple in my left cheek (the cheek on my face, not my rear, although those ones never seem to let me down either) to give me a bit of definition....Yes, I had thought waaaaaaay too much about this. But this was my only chance to prove to John that I would make a stellar leading lady in his next blockbuster hit. I NEEDED THAT LEFT SIDE SHOT. It was my turn to meet him now. Ok, our turn, I had temporarily forgotten I had a husband next to me. John will do that to you...I walked slowly, I didn''t want to trip afterall. I had to prove I could handle the pressure of being in front of others, like on the red carpet. But secretly I couldn't. But he didn't need to know that. He smiled that big Danny Zukko smile of his....I wanted to hurl. His teeth were so amazingly white. Dang it why didn't I bleach! His blue eyes how they twinkled. His dimples, how....merry? His cheeks were like roses his nose like a ....Was this guy related to Santa??. This was too much. My sweaty shaky hand met his. His hands were huge. Is it hot in here? We were introduced by someone I didn't care enough about to remember at the moment ( no Offense whom ever you were, I'm sure you're great but you can't expect me to remember you with Mr. Saturday Night Fever standing next to you) He clasped my hand with both hands "So nice to meet you". I smiled, it was nice to meet me. I was grateful I had passed on the appetizers and didn't have to worry about spinach being in my teeth. I only hoped that my mouth wasn't so dry that when I stopped smiling my upper lip would stick to my teeth. It was time for the picture. Hope they had the right shutter speed and lighting. And without even thinking I turned and backed up into John so my left side was to the camera and his hand was on my waist...I smiled big like I knew John would be too. "Can we do that again? I think I blinked." I then turned and stuck out my hand again and said "thank you". He wasn't expecting that, I'm spontaneous and crazy like that. He said "you're welcome, would you like to be in my next movie?" I blushed and politely declined because I was currently working on another project, I just didn't tell him it was child rearing. Besides, what would Dr.Van do without me? He would be eaten alive in Hollywood, he's not strong like me. Thanks for the offer Mr. Travolta but, I'm going to have to take a rain check. Tell Kelly "Hi" for me.

3 trips down one to go.....My typing is keeping Dr.Van up, or so he says, must not be bugging him too much, sounds like he snoring pretty loud to me. The couch is looking pretty good right now...Oy Vay. More on Florida later if you're interested.