I Bid Dawn Adieu

Wed. 12/28

We wake to a leisurely breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and coffee, and reflect on the last five days.  Her fave park was DAK. The best meal was a toss up between Tarintino’s and Johnnie’s. But mostly, she just enjoyed getting away, soaking up the warm temps, and spending time with her big brother. We both agreed Orlando was crazy busy during Christmas week and tried to reconcile this with all the bad economic news pervading the airwaves. I guess people are not willing to give up their vacations, and will put the expenses on their charge cards if necessary and deal with it later.

We have one more meal stop before I take Dawn to the airport, and that is Five Guys Burgers. There’s one not too far from the condo on Kirkman Ave., so we head over there. Dawn gets a single; I get a double. We share a Diet Coke (unlimited refills) and a small fries, and I shell some peanuts. Everything is delicious. As with most restaurant chains, it will only be a matter of time before Five Guys comes to Wisconsin, and then they won’t be “special” any more! (Although their burgers are pretty spectacular, and they are the only ones I know who make fresh French fries from raw potatoes on the premises.)

We head over to the airport, and I drop Dawn off at the Southwest departure entrance to the “A” terminal and tell Dawn to call me when she arrives in Milwaukee. I have my gym back packed and ready to go because I haven’t been to the gym in five days, and head over to 24 Hour Fitness and do my usual workout and swim. The scale says I’m up 4 pounds, but I’m not concerned because this is probably closer to my “true weight” anyway … fully hydrated and with a belly full of food … in this case a double-patty burger from the Five Guys!

Back to the condo, and it’s eerily quiet with just me and the two “girls.” Phoebe and Abby search the apartment, looking for the other “big kitty” (i.e., Dawn) but then settle down, presumably thinking she’s just off in another room somewhere. I have a bunch of leftover beef noodle soup, so that’s what I have for dinner, along with an orange. While having my dessert of Dawn’s leftover Haagen Dazs Rocky Road ice cream, Dawn gives me a call from the Milwaukee airport to let me know she’s arrived safely.

I do a little reading, first the intro to the Steve Jobs biography that Dawn got me for Christmas, then a few “pages” on the Kindle of Stephen King’s “11/22/63.” As I’m about ready to nod off, the phone rings, and it’s Dawn telling me she’s back at her condo in Madison.

Expenses: Lunch: $18; milk at Target: $2. Total: $20

Bruce

Errands and Around Town

Tuesday 12/27

I’m taking Dawn around town today to show her the animal shelter and the IKEA store, and take her to lunch at Firehouse Subs. Our first stop is the animal shelter where I introduce her to Patsy Porter, the volunteer coordinator. Patsy is cordial to Dawn and I, but I can tell she is busy (as usual) so I keep things short, and I volunteer for a couple of additional shifts, which she puts me down for. Afterward, I take Dawn to the cat condo and the cat general population area, and we get out several cats and kittens to play with, which is very much fun. Dawn especially likes this particular grey kitten, and wants me to follow up to see whether it gets adopted.

We leave the shelter. It’s about lunch time now and we are getting kind of hungry. There’s a Jiffy Lube right on the way, and the Prius needs an oil change, so I stop for their standard $39.95 oil change, and it ends up costing me $91 with tax because I need a couple of air filters, one for the engine, and the other for the cabin, and those run me about $25 apiece. I know there’s a HUGE markup on those for Jiffy Lube, but I know it’s been ages since I’ve changed them, so I go ahead. There’s a 7-11 quickmart right next door, so I also fill up with gas, which runs me $30.

Next, we head over to the Firehouse Subs on Kirkman Ave. and I introduce Dawn to my favorite sub there, the “New York Steamer” sub, which is corn beef, pastrami, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and dressing, all on a chewy sub roll. They steam the sub, prior to putting on the lettuce, tomato, and dressings (like all their subs) so the meat and bun are warm, and the cheese is all melty. We get the big 12-incher and split it, along with a medium drink, and Dawn gets to try out the big “Fantasy Coke Machine,” which dispenses 121 different kinds of soda and drinks. She agrees the sub is very yummy, and I’m sure Firehouse Subs will do very well in Wisconsin when they eventually arrive (the closest ones right now are in the Chicago area). While we are eating our subs, I notice a minivan out in the parking lot all decked out with "Five Hour Energy Drink." And sure enough, not five minutes later, in walks this chick who is stacked to the moon, and she starts handing out free samples of the energy elixir. Dawn and I both accept one. I have never tried this stuff, believing it to be yet another variation on snake oil, and whatever energy boost is experienced after swallowing this stuff is based largely in one's head. But I'll give it a try. Dawn and I have a little laugh about "this is how it starts," referring to the cocaine dealers who give first-time users "just a little taste" for free to get them hooked! At least these little bottles are "only" $2.99 apiece. (I wonder what they cost to make? .... About 2 cents apiece?)

From there, we drive back to the Millenia Mall area and spend the greater part of the afternoon in the IKEA store, including a stop in their cafeteria for an afternoon snack. Dawn has never been to an IKEA store before, so this is all new to her and she agrees with me that it’s a great concept to create this “one stop shopping” place for all your interior decorating needs, from rooms full of furniture and appliances, right down to the silverware and plastic plants. It is very crowded in the IKEA store, as well as the entire Millenia Mall. What the hell is everyone buying?

We go back to the condo and both of us go down for a little nap. But then we awake and wonder what to do for dinner. After some deliberation, we decide to drive to Kissimmee and eat at Tarintino’s (T's) for a little trip down memory lane from last winter. I believe I patronized T’s FOUR times last winter, between visits from Dawn, (sister-in-law) Julie, (brother and sis-in-law) Curt and Karen, and myself. The traffic west on I-4 is horrendous. I find out later that all the theme parks (Universal, the four main Disney parks) have all set records this Christmas week for attendance. I believe the news said that some of the parks had even reached capacity and had to turn some visitors away. No recession here I guess. Anyway, we eventually make it to Kissimmess and T's, and and we each order a custom 10-inch pizza and a side salad. (Pizza is about the only thing on the menu we HAVEN'T tried, and it always looks so good that we decide we must try it.) The meal is delicious. The pizza crust is fabulous. Everything is worth the trip. We find out that Leilani, the cute little hostess that worked there the winter before and gave us hugs, is no longer working at T’s, but has gone back to school. Good for her. There’s no future in being a hostess at a restaurant. We stop at a Publix market in Kissimmee on the way back because I am out of eggs and bacon, and we also pick up a slice of Tiramasu in the bakery to take back to the condo for dessert. Dawn also finds a pair of genuine Dearfoam slippers on sale for $6, and she is very happy about that.

The traffic back is not nearly so horrendous. Back at the condo, I make a French press of decaf coffee, and we split the Tiramasu from Publix. While it is edible, it’s not the greatest, so we just each eat a few bits and toss the rest. No big loss, as the dinner was fabulous. We should have taken a slice of T’s Tirmasu’s to go (it’s homemade). We’ll know better next time.

We hit the sack around 11 p.m. This is Dawn’s last night here; tomorrow I take her to the airport for her trip back home.

Expenses: Oil change/filters, $91; gas $29; lunch $11; snack at IKEA $10; dinner $45; groceries at Publix $10. Total: $196

Bruce

Finally, a Decent Meal

Monday, 12/26

I spend part of the morning perusing the internet for a decent dining spot for tonight’s dinner. I am tired of mediocre food, and want to have one killer meal with Dawn before she leaves. I find a nice steak/seafood place on tripadvisor called Johnnie’s Hideaway at the Crossroads Shopping Center, which I know where it is, and the place has gotten rave reviews. So I call them and make a 6:30 reservation, and we hope for the best.

Today is Disney Animal Kingdom (DAK) so we head over there and get inside the gate around 11 a.m. We get one of the Disney photographers to take our photo in front of the Tree of Life, and here it is:

We head over to Africa for a Fast Pass on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride, but find that the standby wait is only 30 minutes, so we stand in line instead and get the ride in about 20 minutes. The 20-or-so-minute ride is very entertaining, and Dawn gets a seat on the left side of the vehicle, which is the best. We see the antelope, the birds, the rhinos, etc., and it is all very entertaining and Dawn gets to see it all for the first time. Afterward, we walk along the Pangani Jungle Walk and get to see the big silver-back gorillas, which are quite awe-inspiring. After that, we head over to Asia, and I convince Dawn to take the Kali River Rapids ride with me, and luckily we each have our poncho along because we thought it was going to rain today, which is doesn’t, so the ponchos come in handy for the ride, which is very much fun. We take a pause for lunch and each have a kid’s meal with a couple of chicken drumsticks (real) each. After lunch, we take a walk along some of the paths that wind their way through the Tree of Life, admiring all the animals that are carved there. We take a walk past the ride Expedition to Everest and watch all the screaming people coming down the incline, but the ride is too violent for Dawn, so we skip it. We need a little afternoon snack, so we head over to a bake shop and get a brownie and a cup of coffee to split, and we find a nice seat over at a nearby restaurant. After the treat, we are in a good position to see the big afternoon parade of Disney characters and large animal puppets. We take in the bird show (“Flights of Wonder”) at 4:45, and I am picked to be a volunteer to have a dollar bill plucked out of my hand by some large bird. This is very much fun, and I confess I was ready for it, because I did this same thing last winter and was chosen from the audience, so I practically jumped up and down when the master of ceremonies called for a volunteer.

When that is done, we exit the park, and point the Prius in the direction of Johnnie’s Hideway, because I know this area of Orlando/Lake Buena Vista is very congested and will take a while to navigate and find the precise location because this “Crossroads Mall” is a very large place. We arrive about 10 minutes early, and they are able to seat us at a very nice booth for two in on the central dining rooms. The menu looks very inviting, and by the time they bring our cocktails, salads and rolls, we can tell we are going to have a very good meal here. I order a ribeye, and Dawn goes with a  10-ounce filet, and both are cooked to perfection and are delicious, along with the loaded baked potato that we order and split. Our waitress, Katy, is very cheerful and nice, and knows the menu here and what’s the best. The special this night is all the stone crab you can eat for $29.95, and I am very tempted to go with this, but I head my sights set on a steak. We skip dessert and coffee, so our bill comes to $95, and we tip Katy $20. Katy returns the favor by telling me how I can score a $25 gift certificate to a return visit to Johnnies, and I tell her I will do this, along with writing a nice review for Tripadvisor and mention her by name, for which she thanks me. She also knows about Wisconsin, particularly Green Lake, and mentions Norton’s restaurant, which we tell her is right next door to this beautiful Bed and Breakfast (The Angel Inn) which Dawn and I have stayed at a couple of times. Small world.

When we leave Johnnie’s, there is a “Goodings” supermarket in the Crossroads Plaza, and I remember this place from last winter when I stayed a week at an Extended Stay Motel nearby, so we stop there for some Haagen Dazs ice cream and take it back to the condo and have it with a French press of decaf coffee. We both check emails, but nothing from friends or family. Everyone must be pretty busy. How is everyone doing up in Wisconsin? To be around 11 p.m.

Expenses: Park food: $20; Dinner, $115; Ice cream: $5. Total: $140

Bruce

Christmas at the Movies

12/25 Sunday

We rise to breakfast at the condo, and I open my gift from Dawn, which is a copy of the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson. Following breakfast, we decide that we’ve given Disney enough of our money that past couple of days, so we head over to Pointe Orlando along I-Drive because there is a multiplex cinema there (I saw “Sherlock Holmes” there just a while back). We park, buy our theater tickets in advance for “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” ($8.50 each for matinee), and wander the mall a little while because it’s only noon, and the movie starts at 1 p.m. We notice many of the businesses and restaurants are closed, but Opa (the Greek place) is open, as well as Johnny Rockets. We also check out next door to the mall at “Wonderworks,” the tilted mansion, which houses the comedy/magic/all-you-can-eat-pizza show every night. They are open, so we wander in, and tour the small gift shop there as well as a snack bar, but we don’t get to see much of the building because most of the space is dedicated to the actual theater, which they don’t let you in unless you have tickets. People are in line to buy tickets for tonight’s performance, so obviously this place will have a show tonight.

Back to the movie theater, where we stop at the concession stand for a small popcorn and medium drink for $12.25. “Tattoo” is very thrilling and entertaining, and mostly true to the book, I thought. Dawn enjoyed it, too, although there is a scene where a mutilated cat shows up on a doorstep, which was a little disturbing. After that,we buy another pair of tickets to “The Adventures of Tintin.” The price of the movie tickets has now gone up to $14 apiece, and I confess this is the most I have ever paid to see a movie. I also buy a box of peanut M&Ms for the movie, which costs me $4.50. We now, by my reckoning, have $62 invested in movies today between the shows, popcorn, candy, and a drink. The second show is more light hearted and also very entertaining. So we have a day’s entertainment at the theater, and I recognize that if we were at a Disney park, we would certainly spend all of that $57 and more, but I can’t help but feel there is just something incredibly mystifying about spending $62 a movie theater.

When we get out of the movie theater, it’s time for dinner, and our dining options are limited, at least at Pointe Orlando. I don’t want to take Dawn to “Opa,” because it wasn’t real great the first time around, so we end up at “Johnny Rockets” for burgers and fries. This will certainly be a memorable Christmas. Last year on the date, Dawn and I were at “Hugo’s Cellar” in Las Vegas for a gourmet meal of epic proportions. This year, Christmas at the movies, and burger and fries. I hope all who are reading this had their own memorable Christmas in their own way.

We exit the parking ramp, and drive along I-Drive for about a 1.5 miles to our turn on Sand Lake Drive, and we notice many people and families walking along the drive, and many of the chain restaurants are open. So clearly, this whole idea of spending Christmas in Orlando is not nearly as crazy as I thought. In fact, it appears to be perfectly normal for thousands of people.

Expenses today: $62 movies, $6 parking, $30 dinner. Total: $98

Bruce

Christmas Eve at Downtown Disney

Saturday 12/24

After our big day at Epcot, we decide to slow down the pace a little bit and just do a little leisurely shopping and knoshing at Downtown Disney (DD). We arrive about 11 a.m. after breakfast at the condo of pancakes with real maple syrup and bacon and coffee and peeled/sectioned Indian River (Florida) grapefruit. We check out a couple of stores, including the giant “Disney Crap Store,” which houses all souvenirs Disney from T-Shirts, to princess outfits, to coffee mugs, to ice cube trays. There’s even a salon for little girls so for around $100 your daughter/granddaughter, niece, whatever, can have her hair and makeup done, and photographs taken (for another C-note), to complete the look.

We check out the movie offerings at the cinema (but do not see a movie), and another cool store called “Basin,” which offers soap, shampoo, bath salts, etc. For lunch, we check out a new place (new for us) called “Earl of Sandwich,” which serves hot sandwiches on this fabulous bread (more like a hoagie bun) which they bake on the premises. It is the new hip-hop-happening place to eat at DD, and it is so busy they have employees directing traffic. We order one “original” (which we split) which is thinly sliced roast beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mustard/mayo. We get that with a side of cole slaw and a side of fresh fruit, and two Diet Cokes, which comes to about $17, mostly because these cute little Cokes are in souvenir 8.5 ounce aluminum bottles. (We could have gotten a couple Cokes from the fountain machine, but I wanted these little souvenir bottles.) We manage to find a little 2-top table amid the crush of people, and dig in. The sandwich was delicious, as well as the sides. There are only four of these sandwich establishments in the U.S. right now, all in Florida, and one in Great Britain, but I think more are on the way. They are actually owned by the family of the 11^th Earl of Sandwich, who started the chain because the family needed to money to fix up their castle. I swear I am not making this up, and you can check it out online if you want! We topped that with a hot fudge/butterscotch/peanut sundae at the Ghiradelli chocolate shop/soda fountain across the way, and have that with a cup of coffee, and that was equally delicious.

We decide an afternoon nap is in order, so we hike back to the other end of DD where the Prius is parked. Dawn makes one last stop at a gift shop called “Pop Gallery” and buys a few souvenirs for her friends back home. We head back to the condo and go down for a 2-hour nap. I am surprised at how tired I am as well. I think Dawn’s late-night pickup at the airport combined with a  12-hour day of walking in the sun at Epcot the following day has taken its toll. We wake, and head back to DD because we have 6 p.m. reservations at the Fulton Crab House. I have to say, having had a great meal meal the last time I was there in 2004 with Gwen, that this time around was very disappointing. Especially since I was planning this as a “killer meal” for Dawn and I. The food wasn’t terrible or anything, it just wasn’t anything to rave about. We both commented that the seafood had a very “generic” taste and was reminiscent of the quality of seafood you would get at a Red Lobster for half the price (or even cheaper). I had a stuffed lobster, and Dawn had a seafood trio platter. I had a Caesar salad. Dawn had a side order of creamed spinach. She had a glass of wine; I had water. The bill came to $113, and we begrudgingly added a 15% tip. The service was good, and realized it wasn’t the waitress’s fault that the food was mediocre, but we felt bamboozled and just couldn’t bring ourselves to part with any more of our hard-earned money than we had to. We drowned our sorrows in some ice cream at a nearby Haagen Dazs ice cream parlor, sat by the water’s edge for a while. We returned to the car, where we called Aunt Pat and told her that our meal at Fulton Crab House was wonderful because it we used her money that she gave us for Christmas to help pay for part of the meal, and we didn’t want her to feel bad.

We were completely out of eggs, so we had to stop at a Publix on our way back to the condo, and we found it closed. Luckily, the Walgreens next door was open, and they have a small grocery section. The place was buzzing with last minute shoppers and people like us picking up last minute things. We found a dozen eggs for $1.20.

Back at the condo, we happily found the movie “Forrest Gump” playing on one of the TV channels and watched that. I worked out some of my frustration by writing an appropriate review of the Fulton Crab House on Tripadvisor.com and only giving it two stars. I’ll supply the link as soon as tripadvisor approves it. We hit the sack around 11 p.m. Expenses today again consist of food. We spend about $32 on lunch and $135 (sadly) on dinner, and $1.20 for eggs, for $168 total.

Bruce

We Visit Epcot

Friday 12/23

We awake, have breakfast, and shower, and head over to Epcot to spend the day, getting into the park at about 11 a.m. The park is VERY busy, and we make a beeline for “The Land” exhibit so we can get a Fast Pass to “Soarin’” Our ride time is between 6:30 and d 7:30 p.m., and soon after that, all Fast Passes for the ride are distributed for the day. We head over to the World Showcase, starting with Canada, and make our way around, getting as far as Germany (where we buy a couple of milk-chocolate covered caramels) before heading back to the United Kingdom, where we have 1:15 p.m. lunch reservations. We split an order of fish and chips, which is very good, and I have a Harp lager which is lovely. It is quite warm today, so the cold beer tastes very good. We later learn the Orlando in fact broke a record for warm temperature today at 85 degrees, surpassing the previous record high for this date of 84 degrees.

We have a charming waiter named Alan from Belfast Northern Island, and I am tempted to ask him how that Catholic-Protestant thing is working out back home, but I resist the temptation, especially since Dawn has fallen in love with him. We finish our meal with the caramels we each bought for ourselves, and they are quite good.

Next, we went back to the front of the park and went through Spaceship Earth, which is very much fun. Our Fast Passes still have a time to go, so we decide to exit the park and ride the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and its associated resorts, especially to see the Christmas atrium spectacular at the Grand Floridian. We arrive there to find the resort has scaled way back on the Christmas Village, instead of doing the whole atrium, they have done just one corner with a large Santa Cottage made entirely of gingerbread. It is very lovely, but the downsized Christmas decorations are yet another sign that economic times are affecting everyone, including Disney.. We also take the next monorail hop to the Contemporary Resort, and check out that place, too. Then, back via the monorail to Epcot. We head over to China in the World Showcase and check in for our dinner reservation, and they let us in a bit early which is a good thing. The bad thing is they’ve taken those lovely chicken/shrimp eggrolls off the  menu and substituted vegetable spring rolls. Damn. So we get some potstickers instead for appetizers. Thankfully, the sweet/sour pork over green noodles is still available, so we order that for our entrée and while it is good, it’s not as good as we remember it the first time … the portion was a little “downsized” and we noticed quite a bit of oil floating on the bottom… they must have had the “B” team on in the kitchen that evening. Still, a delicious meal.

From there we made a beeline over to “Soarin’” where we had Fast Passes. We asked to sit in the front row (to avoid legs in front of us) and the ride continues to be awesome. Dawn and I agreed it is the best ride at Epcot. From there, back to the World Showcase and the “American Experience” to hear the tail-end of the Candlelight Processional performance, which tonight is narrated by Susan Lucci. We got to hear several  hymns, but of the course the finale was the Hallelujah Chorus, which brought the crowd to its feet. From there, we scoped out a place between the United Kingdom and Canada to watch the Illuminations pyrotechnics extravaganza, and even though I’ve seen it about a dozen times, it never fails to bring a lump to my throat. They added an encore to the end, with more fireworks choreographed to “Let There be Peace on Earth.” We exit the park and get back to the condo at about 10:30, and we are both exhausted. It’s been quite a day. Expenses today are all about food, and I’m going to estimate about $35 apiece, or $70 for the two of us. And Dawn bought a two-day park pass for around $165 including tax.

Bruce

Dawn Arrives

Thursday 12/22

My 11 to 4 shift at the animal shelter goes well today. In addition to showing lots of cats, I also help out over in the dog kennels, showing a Yorkie and an 8-month old pit bull pup. I get done and head over to 24 Hour Fitness for a workout and swim. When I get out, there a couple messages on my phone from Dawn, so I call her cell number and find out her flight from Milwaukee has been delayed for a couple hours for reasons known only to Southwest Airlines. So now she will arrive in Orlando at 12:15 a.m. instead of 10:40 p.m. I tell her that’s fine, to just hang in there, and I’ll her when she gets here. I go to the Target store and pick up some needed things, including some diet Canada Dry ginger ale, which I know she likes.

I go back to the condo and make a dinner of a ground turkey patty, some hashbrowns, and carrot sticks. I decided to lay down, and set the alarm for 11:15 p.m. I just rest, but do not sleep. I  get up at 11:15 a,d head to the airport, about a 20-minute drive with two toll booths, which I am able to drive right through with my Sunpass. The Sunpass also served as my parking payment for the airport parking ramp. I paid $1.50 in tolls each way, and $4 for parking at the giant garage at Terminal A at the airport. I’m not putting that in the expense report, because I think I already recorded the prepayment I put on the Sunpass. for  I met Dawn at baggage claim at about 12:30 a.m., we picked up her bag at the carousel, and headed over to the parking garage, and back to the condo.

During the ride back, Dawn told me about her trip (lots of kids everywhere, going with their parents to Florida) and recent developments on the home front, including the significant amount of swag she received from her bosses at work for Xmas presents, along with a $500 Christmas bonus.

We arrived at the condo about about 1 a.m. I think the kitties were very glad to see her! I gave her the quick tour of the condo, but then set up her up in her bedroom. I think we finally got to bed at around 2 a.m., which is latest I have gotten to bed since I have been here. We have a big day ahead of us, with going to Epcot!

Expenses: Groceries: $18

Bruce

A Visit to Universal’s City Walk

Wed. 12/21

Today I decide to visit “City Walk,” the giant shopping/eating venue at Universal Studios. The City Walk is “free,” but you still must pay the $15 for parking, but I feel it’s worth it because I want to see what they’ve done with the place since I was last there in 2004 with Gwen (and the highlight was our meal at Emeril’s Restaurant).

I get there, and park in what must surely be the mother of all multi-level parking garages, at least those that are privately owned. I am parked in the “Cat in Hat,” area, row 431, which puts me in the fourth level. I start with a walk from end to end, with Universal Studios on one end, and “Islands of Adventure” on the other. Sure enough, they have added a whole new “side” to the City Walk, which contains a Blue Man Group theater, a concert venue sponsored by Hard Rock Café, and two more restaurants, one of which is a Hard Rock, and the other an NBA Basketball themed restaurant.

I walk past the places where Gwen and I ate, including Emerils, and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, and Jimmy has added a drinks-and-snacks addition onto his place, which is called “The Porch of Indecision,” which I find amusing. You can relax with friends, have drinks, all the while listening to JB tunes.

I want to have a nice lunch, but am undecided where to go. I don’t wish to further subsidize Emeril, especially since he turned so unbelievably corporate. (He lost me when he came out the canned soups with his puss on the label). Jimmy Buffet’s is OK, but I’ve eaten there a couple of times already. Some of the venues, like Pat O’Brien’s and Bob Marley’s, are only open for supper. And I sure as hell don’t want to eat at the NASCAR Café or the basketball place. One of these times, I’m going to try a Hard Rock, but not today. So that leaves Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. I’ve eaten there before, at the one at Navy Pier, and it’s not bad, so it’s there or the food court. (As an aside, there’s a place in the food court called the “Burger Kind Whopper Bar.” This kind of scares me, but I do have to check it out. It’s basically a Burger King that serves only Whoppers, fries, shakes, and soft drinks. But once you order your Whopper, you can have stuff added to it. There’s a long list of fixins’ beyond the usual cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, etc. These include mushrooms, bleu cheese crumbles, crumbled bacon, pepper jack cheese, etc. Each item costs you 50 cents. So conceivably you could order a “base model” Whopper for three bucks, and spend another $5 on toppings, and end up with an $8 Whopper).

Anyway, I order a fish sandwich and Yeungling tap at Bubba Gump. The fish appears to be catfish, or some other “eco-friendly” variety (cod is harder to come by these days), and it ends up costing me $20 with tip. That’s seems to be the “benchmark” for what tourists will tolerate for the cost of lunch around here, as probably determined by some marketing group. My waitress’s name is “Rachel” and she is fun. It’s kind of a slow lunch here today, so I talk with her for a while and ask if she wonders whether the  movie Forrest Gump will soon fade from the public conscience and they’ll have find a new name for the restaurant? I get the “look,” and she replies that Bubba Gump has opened two new locations and is more popular than ever. And she decides to test my knowledge of the movie with some trivia, and I pass with flying colors. I win nothing (no free dessert or anything), just the pleasure of Rachel’s company. I find out that the Landry’s Corporation has just bought Bubba Gump, so I’m sure they will find a new name for the place when nobody can remember who Forrest Gump is anymore!

After Bubba Gump, I hang out at a Starbucks for a while, and they have brownies there, so I enjoy a brownie and coffee and read a little more Stephen King. After that, I head over the gym for a workout and a swim, then back to the condo where I prepare some beef noodle soup with some leftover pot roast. It turns out quite good, and I have that with some steamed broccoli. I head of to bed at about 10 p.m. Tomorrow will be a long day with working at the shelter and picking up Dawn at the airport.

Expenses: Parking: $15;, lunch, $20; Starbucks, $4; total: $39

Bruce

First Visit to Hollywood Studios

Tuesday 12/20

Today, I will visit Disney Hollywood Studios (DHS), the one remaining park I haven’t visited so far this winter season. In some ways, this is my least favorite park of the four, not necessarily because it isn’t “fun” but because of the way the park is designed. It’s the most difficult park to get in and out of because it’s been crammed into a piece of property that’s too small. It’s also the smallest of the four parks, and tends to get overjammed with people. This will be an especially busy day today because there are TWO performances of “Fantasmic,” and people tend to flock to DHS when Fantasmic is performed, because it is such a huge and expensive show that the park does not do it every night.

But before I can head over, I have another chore to take care of, and that is getting Aunt Pat’s Christmas card off in the mail with her gift of $50 cash. I have let this go until the last possible moment, and I must get this taken care of, or risk having the card arrive after Christmas, in which case I will have to endure a shit storm of verbal abuse and guilt of such proportions that I dare not even think about it. So I head on over to a Walgreens store and buy a $2.99 Hallmark card. It is a generic one because they are down to their last “Aunt” Christmas card, and it sucks, and I’m not prepared to go driving all over Orlando looking for an “aunt” card.  I don’t have any postage stamps with me (brother Curt, if you’re reading this, you’ll enjoy this), so I have to buy a BOOK of first class postage stamps (they won’t sell me a single stamp) at the Walgreens checkout for $8.80 (full face value). I cannot even tell you the last time I bought a postage stamp for full price, let alone a full book, with all my various contacts in the discount postage business. So all told, it costs me nearly $12 to get this $50 cash gift off in the mail to Aunt Pat, but this is the price for procrastination. It should arrive by Saturday, the postal gods willing.

I get to DHS, park, tram in, get through the entrance, and it is about 11 a.m. It’s VERY busy, and both the major rides (Tower of Terror, and Rockin’ Rollercoaster) are bedlam and stay that way all day. I grab a Fast Pass for the Tower, and can’t even get a Fast Pass for the rollercoaster because of the way Disney “staggers” the access to Fast Passes to ensure they don’t go to waste by idiots who load up on too many Fast Passes and then “burn them” because they’re busy on another ride.

So I head over to the bakery and coffee shop and sit down with a very nice couple originally from Massachusetts, who are now living in “The Villages,” a planned community for seniors north of Orlando. The husband is wearing a vintage Rolex Air King, so this starts my conversation, and in the next 30 minutes of conversation, we end up exchanging names and phone numbers, and they offer to give me the grand tour of The Villages on my way back up north.

I end up staying the day and well into the night at DHS. I have a kid’s meal in the “ABC Commissary,” which is one of the “quick dining” venues at the park.  Now this is interesting, at least to me: For one of my "side choices" I order something I think is healthy, which is "yogurt" (with my other choice being french fries). The container is listed "strawberry yogurt," but when I look at the fine print, it says "STRAWBERRY," but then in fine print is says "flavored." A look at the ingredients reveals not one milligram of actual strawberries in this concoction. It contains milk, sugar, water, gelatin, vegetable juice (for color), and "natural flavorings", and something called "agar."  I almost believe the french fries are better for you; at least there's no pretense of healthiness. Just potatoes, some kind of vegetable oil, and salt.

Anyway, I am happy to report that my little “oasis” in the park, called the “Writer’s Stop” is still there, and I think it’s one of the best kept secrets in the park. I spend about half an hour there, reading my Kindle and enjoy a huge hunk of almond toffee bark from the display case. They also have a coffee bar there. It’s like a little “Starbucks,” but of course all “Disney-fied,” and there are many books for sale there, with about 90% of them about Disney, but also a rack of paperback bestsellers. Also, writing-related stuff, like pens, notebooks, etc. A very nice place to just sit and chill.

I catch the 6:30 performance of “Fantasmic,” and even though I am 45 minutes early, I get a seat near the left-hand side of the lagoon, with the remaining seats gone shortly after I arrive. I pass the time before the show starts by reading my Kindle. The Stephen King novel I am reading  (“11/22/63”) is fascinating and very engaging. The show is wonderful. I worm my way through the crowd, and head over to the Rockin’ Rollercoaster for one last time. The stand-by wait time is 90 minutes, but I say screw it, and stand in line and continue to read my Kindle to pass the time. I arrive at the loading dock in about 60 minutes, and ride the fantastic coaster which takes you on this fantasy ride through Los Angeles from an imaginary parking garage to an “arena” somewhere in LA where Aerosmith is performing. Through the ride, you do one complete inverted loop, and numerous banked curves. The “big wow” of this ride is actually the startup. Through some ingenious “electro-magnetic assist” technology that Disney invented, your rollercoaster car starts out at a dead stop and goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds, while going up an incline. Talk about being pinned to the back of your seat! Anyway, it is great fun, and I’m glad I stuck it out.

I get back to the condo around 9 p.m. and am hungry because I haven’t eaten since the “kid’s meal” at about 2:30 (except for a frozen lemonade), so I settle on a bowl of cereal and a couple of ham-n-cheese rollups at this late hour. I watch a little bit of a Saturday Night Live Christmas special, where they are airing some highlights of past holiday shows. I stick with it to the end, and am rewarded by the finale … the “Schweddy Balls” skit with Alec Baldwin as “Pete Schweddy,” and two female cast members (can anyone even remember their names?) playing NPR-like radio show hosts. It has to rank up there with the all-time funniest SNL skits.

I hit the sack around 11 p.m., exhausted.

Expenses:  Xmas card and postage: $12; park food: $20. Total: $32.

Bruce

New Shorts and Swimsuit

Monday 12/19

We seem to have a shortage of cats and kittens today at the shelter. I think they did one of those “off site” adoptions this weekend at one of the Pet Smarts in the Orlando area, and it must have been very successful. Both the cat condo and the general cat population area are about half full. Still, though, lots of cats, and I busy myself with socializing them and cleaning their cages. I sign off on several adoption forms, but how many of these actually go out the door I do not know because these sign-offs (showing the office staff that Introduced the cat to the prospective owner) are late in the day, and sometimes the paperwork can take up to an hour depending on how busy the up front office is. I do have one touching story: a woman who appeared to be in her late 30s or early 40s came in looking for a white cat (more like an 8-month kitten) who was in a cardboard box nursing 4 kittens of her own, and someone had left the entire box by the side of some road. She took the time to bring mom and 4 babies to the shelter. This was on Friday. She came back today to check up on them, and couldn’t find them and was almost distraught because she thought we had euthanized the whole batch. I finally found them with the help of another shelter worker in the “nursing” area of the shelter which is off limits to general visitors. When I finally unite the lady with the beautiful white cat and her white young ones (who were all nursing at momma's belly), the lady knelt down by the cage and looked at the momma and said, “I told you I would save you,” and then she started to cry. The shelter worker told the lady they were looking for someone to foster momma and her kittens over the holidays, and some shelter employee had offered, but it hadn’t been approved yet. They lady said if the approval didn’t go through, she would take them and foster them. Before I left the room, I looked into the cage and said, “Merry Christmas, kitties.”

I went the gym after my shift and realized I could not change into my workout clothes because I forgot the bring a pair of shorts. So off to the Target store (right next door) to buy a new pair of workout shorts, which is OK anyway because all mine are too big. I also pop for a new swim suit since I’ve been swimming in regular shorts up to this point in the trip, and they just don’t work very well. So this runs me $36 and delays the start of the workout, but it’s OK. The workout shorts are a “large,” and had plenty of stretch room, and I can’t even remember the last time I was in a “large.”

I was going to cook beef noodle soup tonight, but I get back to the condo so late (around 9) that I just don’t have the energy. So I thaw a few shrimp and eat them with cocktail sauce along with the rest of the potato salad from the night before. I also whip up a nice large margarita in the blender. I am exhausted, and hit the sack around 10 p.m.

Expenses: clothes: $36

Bruce

Time to Lay Low

Sat/Sun 12/17 and 12/18/11

With this being the last full weekend for holiday shopping, I don’t think it’s wise to go anywhere near the malls today or tomorrow, so I just lay low. Saturday morning I change out the kitty litter. I make a trip to Walgreens for a comb and some hair conditioner. I never usually use conditioner, but I think all the chlorine in the swimming pool and whirlpool at the fitness center is wreaking havoc with the little bit of hair that I have left, so I’m hoping the conditioner will put a little bit of moisture back. I have lunch at Firehouse Subs, then get a brownie at Bubba Lou’s Bodacious Bar b Que and have it with a cup of Starbuck’s Coffee because this particular Starbucks does not sell brownies, and the gal masquerading as a barista behind the counter claims they've never had brownies. I did not realize this, but the bakery items are not consistent from store to store, which is kind of maddening. She tries to sell me instead on a Salted Caramel Sweet Square, which is part of SB’s new “Sweet Bites” menu. I try to tell her it’s not the same thing; that when you’re hungry for a brownie, there is no substitute. I get “the look” from her that tells me that a) she’s not a foodie; and b) she wishes that I would curl up and die, preferably someplace else lest she have to get involved in the removal of my corpse. I sit outside awhile,  reading my Kindle. Then, head over to 24 Hour Fitness for my usual workout and swim.

I go to the Target Superstore afterward for some vegetables to make an Asian orange beef this evening. I get a sweet green pepper, some celery, and an onion. I take a back route to return to the condo because I know I-4 is jammed at the Conroy Road exit with holiday shoppers. Back at the condo, I prepare a delicious orange beef with rice, with chocolate cake and decaf coffee for dessert. TV is lousy again tonight, so I go to history dot com on the computer and watch 2 full episodes of “Pawn Stars,” and also one episode of “Real Deal,” which is kind of a new show on the History Channel where collectors have to decide whether to sell their item to a dealer for a known quantity of cash, or sell it at an auction and take their chances. It’s a very entertaining program. I hit the sack around 11 p.m.

Sunday:

OK, I’ve tried on this trip thus far to eat healthy and avoid the most blatant forms of crap. I’ve avoided McDonald’s like the plague, and have tried to be reasonable with the sweets. But truth be told, I have googled “Krispy Kreme donuts,” and there is an outlet less than a mile from me by the Millenia Mall. And today is the day I’m going to splurge.

I head over there, and the “hot light” is on, so I know fresh hot classic glazed raised donuts are coming off the line. I enter the store, and it quickly becomes obvious that the gal behind the counter hates her job, hates me, and hates being here. Her disdain is plain as the nose on Adrien Brody’s face. I guess working at a Krispy Kreme donut factory is not the happy job I imagine it to be. But do you ever run into these kinds of people? I can’t be the only one. So after a couple of attempts to say “Good morning” and “How are you?” I give up. I want to say to this woman, “Pardon me, but would you mind awfully much selling me some donuts so that I can subsidize this horrible existence you have carved out for yourself, or would you prefer that I simply go fuck myself?” But I resist the temptation, and simply tell her I want six donuts in a box, and a small coffee. I ask if they sell the Orlando Sentinel newspaper here, to which I receive a “no,” so I retreat to a corner booth and eat the two warm glazed donuts (delicious), and save the rest for later. I drink about half my coffee, and head out.  This place that should be a beacon of fun and pleasure is depressing the hell out of me. I shall eat my donuts somewhere else.

The whole episode reminds me of something my friend, Chris Vandall, told me about his (and his family’s) experiences in Orlando. And that is Orlando seems to be one of those cities without a heart or a soul. If you’re at a Disney venue, you can expect to be treated with some degree of kindness and courtesy, because it’s drilled into these people that they are to provide their guests with a “magical experience” and anything less is grounds for immediate dismissal from the kingdom. The “Disney rejects” basically wind up at every other place you might have a need or an inclination to visit … from the Walgreens, to the Denny’s, to the Krispy Kremes, to the cheap hotels that line Highway 192 in Kissimmee, where minimal service is not only tolerated, but seems to be the norm. The attitude by the employees seems to be, “You’re not from here, I’ll never see you again, and it doesn’t really matter that I give you poor service because you’re one of a gazillion tourists that pass through here.” It’s kind of a pessimistic view of things, but this little episode certainly bears out Chris’s observation.

I look for a Sunday paper three other places and find none. So I put that little project on hold, and head over to the gym for my usual workout and swim. On the way back to the condo, I stop at a Walgreens and finally find a Sunday paper. Guess what? No “coopens.” Did you know that, across the nation, there are no coopens in ANY Sunday newspaper the last two Sundays of the year? Check it out. All the major coopen brokers (Smart Source, Red Plum and Proctor/Gamble) take a break during Xmas and New Year’s. I guess they figure people are just too busy to be clipping coopens. The rest of the paper is pretty much a waste of time, so once again the forces of the cosmos were trying to tell me something, and I wasn’t listening.

Back at the condo, I prepare some pot roast in the microwave (Hormel, ready cooked, not too bad) and some potato salad from the Publix deli. I also call Aunt Pat and talk with her about 20 minutes.

Expenses: Saturday: Lunch: $9, groceries $7. Total: $16

Sunday: Donuts: $7; Starbucks: $2; Walgreens $11; Publix $11. Total: $31

Bruce

Greek Food and Sherlock Holmes

Friday 12/16

I need to get my eBay packages mailed today, especially since all three are international destinations. I start by locating a Fed Ex/Kinkos office center, because I have no printer with me. The closest one is located in a giant Marriott hotel/convention center about 6 miles away. I head over there, and thankfully they are not very busy there because there are no conventions going on this close to Christmas. I get my labels printed, and the printing plus the computer time (about 10 minutes) comes to around $8. I know that sounds like a lot, but it’s still cheaper in my mind than going out and buying a printer and paying for toner cartridges and lugging the damn printer around. Next, I head over to post office. And despite near bedlam conditions in the lobby, I actually get in and out pretty quickly.

I need to overcome my phobia of the infamous International Drive (called I-Drive by the folks down here). Ever since Dawn and I had that hair-raising experience last winter of going to the Oceannaire seafood restaurant (excellent though the meal was) I have avoided I-Drive like a Pakistani cab driver avoids the bathtub. So I decide to visit Pointe Orlando and take my massage therapist’s advice and access it via Universal Boulevard. This works like a charm. I sail about 2 miles along Universal Blvd., then cut over by the Convention Center (left) onto Pointe Plaza Ave., then one block up and right on I-Drive, and BOOM, I am there. It’s not very busy today because It’s only 11 a.m., and there are no conventions going on, at least not any sizeable ones. I pull into the parking garage, and score a slot on the first level.

I take a look around the place to get my bearings, and I revisit the Oceannaire and give Dawn a quick “guess where I’m calling from” message on her answering machine. Next, I buy a $8.50 ticket at the Regal 20 cineplex to see “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” and it is immensely entertaining, and the theater only has about 20 people for the noon show. That’s surprising to me since it’s opening day, and the movie has received a lot of hype. But, hey, it’s OK with me. Noomi Repace is great as the gypsy woman, and she kicks butt in the movie. Jared Harris is a great villain playing professor Moriarty. My only disappointment was they killed off Irene Adler  (Rachel McAdams) fairly early in the movie, and I really liked her character and thought she had good chemistry with Downey’s Holmes.

After the flick, I visit “Opa,” which is the Greek restaurant my massage therapist told me about. It’s about 2:30 at this point, and I’m the only one seated in the restaurant, which as many of you know can be both a good and bad thing. My waitress got my beverage (iced tea) and order right away … a Gyro platter which comes with the sandwich and fries. My food came up quickly and was piping hot, but then my gal basically forgot about me and went off to a corner folding napkins with her back to me. It was nothing life or death or anything like that, but I would have liked some ketchup for my fries. The meal itself was good, though I thought they were a little stingy on the gyro meat. The bill came to $15,and I just left the obligatory 15% tip. I was thinking of taking Dawn to this place, but I’m glad I tried it out first. It was good, but nothing to rave about. I’ll bet the joint is jumping when they have a big convention in town and the belly dancers come out.

I exit Pointe Orlando, pay my parking ($6) and head back to the condo, feeling a little more confident now about navigating I-Drive. I head back to the condo, pack my gym bag, and head off to the fitness center. I’ve been fighting a little queasiness in my stomach all day today, and I don’t know what’s quite up with that, but I try to shake it off. I have a good workout and swim, and then stop at the Super Target afterward for some milk and other needed supplies, including a bag of dry kitty food because I’m almost out, going through my first 4-pound bag in about 2 weeks. I get back to the condo, and decide to just have a little cereal with milk for my supper. I hit the sack around 10 p.m.

Expenses: movie: $9; lunch with tip $17; parking $6; groceries: $21 total: $53

Bruce

Massage Envy

Thursday 12/15

I was thinking of going to Disney Hollywood Studios, but after the hectic day yesterday, I decide to take things a little more easy. There is a spa at the shopping center where the fitness center is called “Massage Envy,” and they are advertising first-time customer massages for $39 for 60 minutes. That’s too good to pass up, so I call them and they can get me in at 1 p.m. today. I pack the gym bag, but with no intention of working out; only to use the pool and whirlpool at the fitness center after the massage. I get checked in at Massage Envy, fill out the paperwork, and am introduced to “Eileen,” my massage therapist.

She does a nice job, concentrating on my neck and shoulders, which I’ve requested. Not the best massage I’ve ever had, but certainly very nice, and Eileen is “chatty,” and gives me a couple of tips about navigating Orlando, specifically to take Universal Blvd. when trying to get anywhere on I-Drive, since Universal parallels I-Drive and is much less busy … all the locals do this. You just have to know the closest cross street, then cut over to I-Drive. And she tells me about Point Plaza, which has all kinds of nifty shops, restaurants, and a movie theater, and is kind of like Downtown Disney, but on a smaller scale, and closer to where I live. She tells me to try “Opa,” this Greek restaurant, and I tell her I’ll check it out. The massage plus $13 tip comes to $54. The people at the front desk proceed to try and sell me on an annual membership, citing 700 locations across the U.S. But I tell her no thanks, since there are no locations close to me. She checks my home zip code of 53536, and sure enough there are none. Another long sales pitch averted. (Dawn later tells me that there is a location in Madison by East Towne next to IHOP.)

Next, I soak in the whirlpool at 24 Hour Fitness and hit the pool for a cool dip. Then off to a Starbucks across the street on Orange Avenue for a tall Pike Place, and reading my Kindle for about an hour.

Back at the condo, I bake the stuffed green pepper I was going to have last night, and it is delicious. I settle in for NBC Comedy night, and damned if it isn’t all repeats, but still fun. I hit the sack around 10 p.m. It’s been a great, relaxing day, the kind of day that I almost feel guilty about. Almost.

Expenses:  Massage: $54, Starbucks $2 total: $56.

Bruce

Kitten Poop and Hot Dogs

Wed. 12/14

Today is another 5 hour shift at the animal shelter. Things get off to a good start, but then somebody wants to see one of the kittens, and I discover her hind quarters and rear legs are covered in her own poop. Is there anything more pitiful? So I do the best I can to wash her off, with her screaming and flailing her little razor tipped claws all the while. I manage to get her cleaned up, and the lady adopts her (whatever it takes for a good cause I guess) but now my volunteer T-shirt smells of kitty poop, and I guess it’s OK because it goes well with the cat urine I got on myself because I handled a Persian who apparently peed all over herself coming out of anesthesia. So I feel I really earned my stripes today.

But then I walk into the break room, and some shelter employee is selling hot dogs for a buck apiece to help United Way. I of course oblige, but then she hits me up for a $10 scented candle, and this is where I draw the line, and politely say no. And I am reminded of another reason why I love not working anymore, and that is because somebody in any given office is always selling shit, and this is where political alliances among employees are drawn and torn apart. It should be banned. But anyway, the hotdog sets in motion a series of events that screws up my entire day as far as eating goes. I now forego the sandwich I brought that I was going to eat because now I am not hungry. Then, I eat the sandwich after my shift ends at 4 p.m. for an early supper.

I go to the fitness center and do a workout, and this is a good because I work out the frustration. I stop at the Publix for some needed supplies, and I don’t arrive back at the condo until 8:30 p.m. I’m hungry again, but it’s too late to cook the stuffed green pepper I was going to make for dinner. Instead, I eat a handful of pretzels and the rest of the day-old cookies I bought at the outlet mall, which of course are now two days old. So all in all, not a very good food day, and all because of a God-damned hot dog. And it wasn’t even a GOOD  hot dog, like a Nathan’s or a Hebrew National. It was some kind of Sam’s Club or Costco generic hot dog made from God knows what parts of the pig. So next time, better to just say “no” to the hotdog and feign Crohn’s Disease or something, and just throw a buck in the jar for Jerry’s Kids (or whatever).

When I finally get back to the condo, I immediately strip down to my underwear and throw my outfit into the washer because it has remnants of cat poo and piss on it, and I don’t want the kitties to come anywhere these clothes. Abby is already “on it” anyway when I walk through the door with her nose is sniffing the air like I just came out of a giant litter box somewhere.

I am really tired tonight and hit the sack around 10 p.m. Today was almost too much like actual work!

Expenses: $21 groceries, including $10 for coffee beans.

Bruce

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Tues. Dec. 13

Today is the first visit to DAK. It’s a gorgeous day today weatherwise. I get to the park about 11 a.m., and the park looks to be pretty busy. I’m parked in the “Dinosaur” lot, which is the second lot out from the entrance. I tram in, get through the entrance, and head to “Expedition to Everest” which is the signature ride in the park, only to find it closed due to repairs. It never re-opens the entire day, and there is a lot of disappointment in the park. So I go for the Kali River Rapids instead, donning my poncho. I draw the unlucky straw, and am seated on the leading edge of the raft as it goes over the falls. The poncho protects me somewhat, but the entire seat of my pants gets soaked as the tsunami of water spills over my head. It is great fun.

I stop at the “Yak and Yetti” café and get a not-too-terrible cup of coffee for $2.99 to go with the half of an energy bar that I brought along. I find a secluded table around the corner from the main seating, and enjoy my coffee/energy bar, and finish the sample of Stephen King's “11/23/63” that I have downloaded onto my phone. I think I’m hooked on the story!

After that, I roam the park for a while, then get a “Fast Pass” for the safari ride. I bide my time by taking a walk through the African jungle, stopping to admire the gorillas. After that, I sit for a while on what I can only describe as the most uncomfortable benches I have ever sat on at the entrance to the safari ride. Dawn, I will have to point these out to you. These are designed to cause pain and urge the visitor to move on quickly.

The safari ride is very much fun, and the highlight was that we got within 30 feet of a couple of white rhinos, which are magnificent creatures. After the ride, I head over to a food stand and get a kid’s meal consisting of two oven baked chicken drumsticks (actual legs from a chicken … not strips or nuggets or other chopped/pressed/formed chicken byproduct), a sealed portion bag of grapes which have managed to go soft during their handling/processing/packaging, a sealed bag containing a chocolate chip cookie, and a carton of milk, all for the bargain price of $6. Which is cheap by Disney standards as far a “meal” is concerned. It fills the hole, and the chicken is actually pretty good, but I wonder if the kiddies think it tastes “strange” because it’s not formed into pellets, coated with breading, nor does it come with any sweet, corn-syrup-laden dipping sauce.

I take another stroll through the serpentine, maze-like walkways of the park, exploring little nooks and crannies. But then, since the rollercoaster ride is a lost cause, I decide to exit the park before its 5 p.m. closing and get back to the condo so I don’t have to fight the rush-hour traffic. I take about an hour nap, then head over to the Orlando Premium Outlet Mall on International Drive, one of about a dozen such malls in Orlando, with many of the largest ones along the infamous I Drive. I need a new pair of slacks at Eddie Bauer because the jeans I have brought along have become too big. I navigate to the mall and secure a parking place, and head to the EB store, where I find a nice pair of pants, not jeans (because they are out of my “new” size, which is a 40 inch waist with a 30 inch inseam) but nice casual slacks nonetheless. I also buy a belt. Together, they come to $60, but I am able to arbitrage a $5 reward check with a Tuesday 10 percent “senior discount” at the mall, so my stuff ends up costing $49 plus tax.

I also find a “Toll House” outlet at the mall, which sells cookies, and I buy a pack of day-old assorted cookies for $3.99, normally $8. I look around the rest of the mall, but nothing strikes my fancy. There are a TON of apparel stores. Out of 100 stores, 83 are listed as apparel stores, with most of those being exclusively for women. Does anyone else but me see anything inherently absurd with that picture? Anyway, I head back to the condo and prepare a 5 ounce turkey patty and hash browns for my supper, along with a couple of cookies for dessert. I watch the season finale of The Biggest Loser and see “John” win a quarter million dollars. He wasn’t my favorite contestant, but the guy sure had determination, and lost 225 pounds, which is amazing. Jennifer won the at-home prize of $100K. One chick, Debbie, squandered her opportunity on BL and lost a measly 30 pounds. Granted, she was sent home I believe week one, but still a pitiful effort, knowing she had a chance at $100K and a chance at a slot in the finals by winning the marathon. Just shows that if you aren’t ready, it’s not going to happen. Been there many times myself. Oh, well, it was certainly another interesting season, and provided me much entertainment and some inspiration as well.

Expenses: food at the park, $9; clothes $50; cookies $4. Total: $63.

Bruce

I Adopt Out Six Kitties!

Monday Dec. 12

Today is a banner day at the Orange County Animal Shelter. I go there expecting it’s not going to be very busy day, and I end up adopting out six kitties … all of them kittens. So along with my usual duties of socializing the cats, cleaning cages, scooping poop, etc., it turns out to be a busy day. We also get in to the cat condo an adult female, medium hair, who is just the sweetest girl, but has the nastiest upper respiratory infection I have ever seen. She labors just to breathe, and she has a nasty cough. But she cuddles up to me and purrs (it sounds kind of like a gurgle), and I try to give her extra attention. I hope she is able to pull a miracle and get over this cold, but I don’t think chances are good. I also get my first nasty scratch of the season --- about a 2.5 incher on my left arm – from a six month old tabby. She didn’t mean to … she just flailed her front arms while I was trying to put her down, and she caught me with one of her claws.

Here is a picture of me with one of our adult cats from the condo, a grey and white medium hair. Her coat is so soft, and she is a lover:

After my shift, I head to the gym and do a workout and swim.  I’m hungry for pepper beef for some reason, so I stop at the Super Target next to the gym and buy rice, fresh pineapple, a whole green pepper, and some beef broth. I also buy some other needed grocery items and a pack of disposable razors.  I have the steak at home, which I cut into strips, fry, and add the pineapple and green pepper. To thicken, I use a little bit of pancake mix (which is mostly flour anyway) and it works just fine. I steam up a portion of rice, and put the beef mixture over the top. It is delicious.

I head to bed at 10 p.m. I am pretty tired after 5 hours at the shelter and my workout. Expenses today were $22 for groceries.

Bruce

Fallling Into a Routine

Saturday/Sunday Dec. 10 & 11

Things are somewhat falling into a routine here, so I’m going to combine blog entries like I did last winter.

Saturday is earmarked for some routine chores, so I changed out the kitties’ litter boxes, and put them in the dining room to get them out of the guest room in preparation for Dawn’s visit. There’s  no furniture in the dining room anyway, so this is a good place for them. I also went to Walgreens to get my prescriptions set up. There was only one pharmacist on duty, and he only wanted to set up the three Rx’s that I was out of, so it looks like I will have to make at least one more trip to get everything set up. Chalk up another example of how everything is harder than you think.

I got back to the condo and decided to go down for a nap this afternoon. Abby keeps me company and lies still next to me the whole time. Very sweet, and a rare occurrence from Abby who I swear suffers from kitty A.D.D. I get up around 4 p.m., pack the gym bag and head over to 24 Hour Fitness for my usual workout and swim. I hit the Target store afterward in search of a DVD and finally give up. Once again, the “format wars” (in this latest iteration between Blue Ray and standard DVD) are limiting the choices, and the manufacturers/marketers are pushing toward Blue Ray. The only thing I’m remotely interested in is “Adjustment Bureau,” and it’s is $14, and It’s not worth that much to me. I settle instead on a slice of red velvet cake from the bakery, and bring that back to the condo along with a needed 4-pack of T.P.

Back at the condo, I mix up a nice large margarita, and have that with chicken/sausage jambalaya, some fresh fruit, and half of my red velvet cake for dessert. TV, as predicted, is lousy tonight.

Sunday morning I peel and section a grapefruit, put it in a container, and head over to Starbucks for a New York Times, an Orlando Sentinel, and a tall Pike Place blend. In all, it runs me just shy of 10 bucks. I sit outside with my papers, my coffee, and my grapefruit, and read the book section and the arts/entertainment sections of the NYT. I find that Stephen King’s “11/22/63” has been voted one of the 10 best books of 2011,so I decide to download a sample chapter on my phone. Yes, my phone has a “books” app, and can download books. So I have a look. The screen holds about 3 paragraphs at a time, and you flip the pages by running your finger across the screen. Pretty cool  stuff. The book is good, but I’ll probably download it onto my Kindle, where it will be easier to read. I think that will make a good read for the cruise coming up Jan. 9. There’s also a good article in the AE section about Noomi Repace, the woman who played the computer geek (Elisabeth Salander) in the Swedish “Dragon Tattoo” movie. She has been busy since the movie came out, and has a role in the new upcoming Sherlock Holmes movie. The article also talks about the “new” Elisabeth, Rooney Mara. God, it’s good to read a paper written and edited well. I really want to see the Dragon movie. It opens next Friday, the 16^th.

There are absolutely NO usable “coopens” in this week’s Orlando Sentinel, so the $1.79 provides nothing more than a few diversionary stories.

I pack the gym bag and head over to 24 Hour Fitness. They have headphones for sale there, and I decide to pop $15 for a new set for the MP3 player. These have cushiony earbuds to block out the background noise, and there’s a TON of background noise at 24HF. The place is absolutely throbbing during the week when it’s busy and most of the cardio machines are going all at once. It makes a HUGE difference over the cheap set that came with the player. It’s like hearing the songs for the first time all over again. It starts to pour rain while I am working out … the rain that was called for in the weekend forecast. I finish up, then head over to Five Guys Burgers, which is just up the street from 24HF. The burger is delicious. Dawn, I’ll have to get you to one of these establishments while you are here. I recommend the double-patty “standard” burger at $4.99 with lettuce, tomato, pickle, grilled onion, and ketchup. They also have a single-patty “light” burger, but that is for wimps. If you’re gonna go, go big or stay home.

Back at the condo, I put the TV on mostly for background noise, but finish up the Orlando Sentinel and take a couple more chunks out of the NYT. I hit the sack around 10 p.m. Big day tomorrow, with a five hour shift at the animal shelter.

Expenses: groceries: $10, earbuds $15, papers and coffee $10; dinner at Five Guys $8. Total: $43.

Bruce

My First Visit to Epcot

Friday Dec. 9

A full day today.  I arrive at Epcot at about noon, park, ride the tram and get through the entrance. Looks like a medium-busy kind of day. It’s Friday, so I figure it will be busier than other weekdays. I ride the major Rides (Test Track, Soarin’, and Spaceship Earth) but mostly just laze in the World Showcase, wandering the 13 countries. I make dinner reservations for Dawn and I on the 23rd … lunch at the Rose & Crown Pub/Tavern, and dinner at the Nine Dragons. I get a coffee Americano at Italy and have it with an energy bar that I bring along for “lunch” to try and reign in expenses a little bit. I have a nice conversation with a couple from Fairbanks, Alaska, at the Rose and Crown terrace. They have traveled here in motor home. First flying from Fairbanks to Las Vegas, where they have their motorhome parked, and then motoring across to Florida. They are parked at the Wilderness Reort and Campground, and use Disney Transportation to get around. I tell them about my hope to visit Alaska one day, probably by cruise, and they suggest that at the very least I try to find a cruise package that allows “open time” at the stops to do as you wish for a longer period of time, rather than be rushed on a strict time schedule. Another nice option, they say, is to fly into Anchorage and rent a motorhome (there are all sorts of places to do this), and take my own “circle tour” of Alaska, and stay in motels when I can find them, and “camp” when I can’t. There are many places along the roads with gravel pullouts where camping is allowed, in addition to “organized” campgrounds with hookups, etc. The husband also makes an interesting observation about Epcot and the other Disney Parks: when you look at the ratio of rides and attractions to shopping and eating venues, it’s heavily weighted toward the latter. So Disney, he says, basically charges you $85 for the privilege of spending your money shopping and eating! Oh, yes, and if you’re willing to wait an hour, you can ride the occasional ride! I tell him that may be the case, but you don’t see too many people complaining. Disney knows how to give you just enough magic to keep you happy!

The only photo I take today is of a squirrel nibbling on a treat along on the barricades. I thought it was cute, so here it is:

I have a fantastic dinner at the China pavillion, consisting of eggrolls, and sweet/sour pork served over green noodles. That is my big expense for theday and runs me $33 with tip. Dawn and I will be able to split that same order when she visits. It was a pig-out for me, but will be a “normal” meal for the two of us.

I of course see Illuminations, which is Epcot's nightly fireworks show. They add a little presentation onto the end for the holiday season … about an extra 10 minutes of fireworks and music.

Epcot is also doing something extra for the holidays called a Candlelight Processional, which consists of a mass choir, joined by a 50-piece live orchestra and a celebrity narrator, telling the story of Christmas in words and music. The narrator tonight is Isabella Rossalini. It's an outdoor performance, done at the amphitheater at the USA Pavilion. I did not buy a ticket, but was able to stand close enough to see and hear. The combination of 100 voices and the orchestra was awesome. The finale was the Hallelujah Chorus, which brings the crowd to its feet. The celebrity narrator during Dawn's visit will be Susan Lucci, which I'm not terribly thrilled about. So I don't think I will buy tickets (they're probably sold out anyway!), but we will stop by the amphitheater and give a listen.

The Candlelight Processional delays Illuminations until 9:30, so I do not get back to the condo until about 10:30. I give Phoebe her nightly treat of a little wet food and head off to bed.

Expenses: $3 coffee, $3 caramel, $33 dinner, $3 chocolates for dessert. Total $42.

Bruce

Never Stick Your Head in a Feral Kitty’s Cage

Thursday Dec. 8

The inside of the condo is cold enough this morning (66 degrees on the thermostat) that I have to turn on the heat! It got into the 40s last night, and today’s high is only supposed to be 61. I start out with a Florida Navel orange and coffee, and a little later have oatmeal and a piece of peanut butter toast. My second shift of the week at the Animal Shelter starts at noon, so I spend the morning doing blog and internet.

I pack a sandwich and my gym bag and head over the shelter and sign in. I help adopt out two kitties, one goes to an androgynous couple in their 20s where I can’t really tell if they’re both girls or boys or one of each, or whatever, so I just refer to them in the generic “you guys.” But at least they have their own cat carrier to take the kitty home, so it looks like they have a clue. The other adopter is well-dressed 40s something cougar with a boob job who’s dressed in form-fitting designer clothes and wants me to know she lives in “Doctor Phillips” which is a tony suburb of Orlando (that is really the name of the city; I’m not making it up). She also announces she just finished shopping at the Millenia Mall and decided on her way home that wanted a kitten because she thought it would be “fun for the holidays.” She does mention that she has a 17-year old cat at the house, so I have to assume she knows what she’s getting into, i.e., long-term commitment. So we fix her up with a cardboard kitty carrier, a “goodie bag” and send her on her way with a kitten.

The highlight of my day is dealing with a despondent woman who was just released from the hospital, and is obviously on pain medication (and appears that she drove herself here) and she’s all broken up because her black cat ran away. Yes, it’s an outdoor cat, and the poor critter probably ran away while the gal was in the hospital because it wasn’t getting any food and just decided to fuck it and fend for itself out in the wild. (It always amazes me that people are surprised when an outdoor cat – or an outdoor-indoor cat -- goes missing. I mean, if you’re going to allow a cat to go outdoors, you’re basically flipping the middle finger to the gods of fate, are you not?) I take her back to the “restricted area” where the shelter keeps its feral cats, and the sick and injured, and the anti-social cats (some of whom have bitten shelter staff or guests). This is the area where most of the "runaways" end up. Basically, these are the hardest of the hard-luck cases, and there are extremely few happy endings here. Most of these kitties end up being euthanized. There is a black shorthair in residence here who looks like a nice kitty, but she is totally blind, and it just breaks my heart. But who among us reading this blog would have the time and patience to give this kitty a home?

So anyway, despondent lady finds a black cat in the population that she thinks may be hers. The cat is in the “inside box” (each cat cage has a “cage within in a cage” where the cat can be confined when the cage has to be cleaned, or whatever).  The inner box has a closeable side flap, a carrying handle on the top, and a plexiglass front that can be raised, but stays in the closed position when not lifted by hand. So I unlock the cage, and we each take turns sticking our heads into the cage so we can see if the kitty has a clipped ear, which the lady says would help her positively ID the cat. We are getting nowhere, because the inside of the cage is too dark, and the kitty is crouched down in the box. So I close the door on the “main cage” and chase down an animal control officer to take this kitty out of the cage so she can get a better look. She proceeds to tell her story again to the animal control officer while I unlock the cage and I and the lady take turns looking inside the cage again.

The officer tells both of us to back away from the cage because these problem kitties can go ballistic at any moment and attack. He removes the inner cage, closing the flap of course, and gets a flashlight, raises the plexiglass front, and shines the light on the kitty. No clipped ear. Lady proceeds to look at other kitties, and the officer motions for me to accompany him down a hallway. I have little doubt as to what’s coming.

The guy is very nice about it, but in so many words tells me not to mess with these cats. That if someone really wants to see one of these animals, the one and only correct response is to summon an animal control officer. I apologize profusely and tell him I got caught up in the woman’s emotion, and the cat didn’t seem to be agitated, so I decided to look at the kitty, but that was a bad call on my part, and it won’t happen again. He tells me there have been those before me who thought they were the “kitty whisperer” and opened a cage on a seemingly calm cat, only to have their face and hands/arms severely scratched, not to mention the extreme pain in the ass of recapturing the animal if it bolts from the cage, which is usually does. So here endeth the lesson, hence the title of today’s blog entry.

Despondent lady leaves the shelter to points unknown. The rest of the day passes quickly and without further incident. I am falling in love with a couple of cats here: one is a grey/white tabby with six toes on each of her front paws. She is a lover. The other is a sweet calico girl who is frightened, and she howls when I take her out of the cage, but settles down when I hold her and sit with her awhile. I think she would make a good kitty for someone; she is just frightened out of her mind.

I leave the shelter at 4 p.m. and head over to the gym where I have a nice workout and swim. Tonight is comedy night on NBC, so I want to get home in time to watch. I hit a McDonald’s next to the fitness center for a side salad to go with what I am preparing at the condo tonight. I more or less vowed to stay away from McD’s while here, but I figure I can make an exception for a side salad, plus they are only a dollar.

Back at the condo, I prepare a sirloin steak (pan seared), baked potato (cooked  the microwave and finished in the regular oven at 350 degrees  for 10 minutes) and the salad. Miraculously, I get it all done in time for “Parks and Recreation” so sit at the coffee table in front of the TV and watch while eating my steak dinner. It’s not bad, but damn there is just no substitute for a grilled steak.  This is followed by “The Office,” which is also very funny. I particularly enjoyed the gag with Kevin and the oatmeal, if anyone else was watching. I skip “Whitney” this evening. I started watching this show this season, but am losing interest. The show has basically one funny gag, and they just keep playing it over and over -- minor variations on a theme. There are better things to do, which this evening consists of calling (sister) Dawn and catching up with her on the news back home.

To bed around 10:30. Today was a cheap day, consisting of 65 cents for a diet Coke from the employee vending machine at the shelter, and a dollar for a drive-thru salad at McD’s.

Bruce

Taking it Easy

Wed. Dec. 7 Taking it easy

Up at 8 a.m. and start with coffee and grapefruit.  I am contemplating another Disney park today, but decide against it and just take things easy in the morning, catch up on the blog and internet surfing, play with Phoebe and Abby, and cook part 2 of my breakfast, consisting of two over easy eggs, sausage, and one piece of toast. I do list one watch on eBay from the “stash” of watches I have brought with me. I decided that four months would be too long a time without producing at least a little income, so I brought some inventory with me, and of course have my digital camera to take pictures to upload with the listings.

At around 1:30, I finally get dressed and head out. First stop is a dollar store for a couple of batteries for my bedside clock. I score a pack of 2 Panasonic AAA’s for a dollar. Is it just me, or have the “big name” battery makers like Duracell and Energizer gone apeshit with the packing and “bundling” to the point where you can’t get away without spending eight bucks or more? It’s ridiculous. I only paid $5 for the alarm clock, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend more than that for the batteries.

My next stop is Firehouse Subs, where I have a turkey bacon cheddar sub with ranch dressing, and a diet Barq’s rootbeer out of the restaurant’s new “Coke Fantasy Machine” where you get up to 121 varieties of Coke products. The sandwich is served warm, and is very yummy. But at eight bucks for a sandwich and beverage, I do think this is a little high, so obviously I’m not going to do this every day! I place a callback to Union Bank in Evansville because I’m totally locked out of my checking account because I have forgotten my login AND my password, so I’m pretty much screwed. I’ve been working on this since Monday, and a gal named “Crystal” at the bank has finally got it worked out for me, and she phoned to tell me and got my voicemail, so I called her back. This is just one of several websites that I have limited access to, because all my security stuff is stored on the “main” computer back at home, and I’m here with my laptop. So note to self and to others who are thinking of any long-term travel: before you go, write down all your logins and passwords, and keep it someplace safe.

Next, I head over to “24 Hour Fitness” and do my usual workout and swim. I also inquire at the front desk about some classes. I think I would like to try one or more of these classes in an effort to “mix it up” a bit with the exercise. I might try a strength training class, and/or another one called “Cardio Mix” which looks like a good old-fashioned “aerobics class” like I remember from the ‘80s back at “Market Square Fitness Center” (anyone remember that?) which I believe was eventually taken over by the Princeton Club. So I’m wondering how idiotic I’m going to look trying to “shake my groove thing” with kids that are 20-30 years younger than me? Maybe I should try the “Silver Sneakers” class first!! Anyway, I have a good workout and swim, and leave the club around 5:30. It’s dark and the clouds/rain are moving in for Orlando’s “cold snap” tomorrow, where the high will only reach 61 degrees.

Next, I head over to the Target Super Store and drop $56 for groceries, including a top sirloin steak and some jumbo shrimp from the meat department. I also buy some ham and Havarti cheese at the deli. By the time I get back to the condo, it’s about 7:30, and I prepare some additional chicken/sausage jambalaya, but also have a few shrimp with cocktail sauce. All washed down with a cold bottle of Red Hook pilsner. I get the alarm clock working with the new batteries, and everything works fine with that. I set it for 7:30 a.m. the next morning to test it out. I go online to check the Union checking account, and all is fine there; I have money!

TV is absolutely lousy tonight. My landlord has the absolute minimum cable package from the local supplier (Bright House Network, which I have renamed “Dim House Network”) so I don’t have many channels from which to choose, and course no History channel or any of those “nice” ones like that that actually inform you. So I play with the kitties and surf the ‘net, and do catch an episode of “Family Guy” at 10 p.m., but then head to bed after that.

Expenses: $1 batteries; $8 lunch; $56 groceries. Total: $65

Bruce