The Idylls of March

I’ve been back about 24 hours and am none too happy about it, except for the feline reunion, and now am freshly pissed that there will be no new Battlestar Galactica till two thousand freaking 8. I was supposed to have today off, but I learned Monday of a department retreat today that was going to leave me with a free afternoon, all at no charge to me, so I went and am taking Wednesday off instead.

So my trip was great but too busy. I’ll start at the beginning.

The lovely and talented Susan picked me up from the airport, and on the way home William and TR proceeded to assault me with dueling stories about, respectively, airplanes and Titanic-like ships. It was hilarious. William also quickly told me that they had a carrot cake for me and it was a surprise. (To the uninitiated, Susan always makes me a carrot cake for my birthday, even the two since I left Orlando.) (AND she makes the most amazing, wonderful carrot cake ever.) Hee. The rest of the day he kept dropping that into conversation: AND we have carrot cake. Apparently there was some agreement that no one would have any till we all had some together — which ended up not being till the next day.

Anyhoo, William and I both went to take naps (separately). Later I had dinner at the best Indian restaurant there must be on the planet, Memories of India, with Ealish, Megan and Leigh. I surprised them all by having a beer. They don’t know me at ALL anymore. After dinner we went to the Mall at Millenia [sic] to hit some Anthro and Ann Taylor Loft. The latter is a necessity after the exercise in self-loathing that is trying on clothes at the former. I spent $148 at ATL. I was also looking for a Verizon store/kiosk for to replace the phone I got in 2001. Fortunately for later in the story, there wasn’t one. Ea drove me back to C&S’s, and the lovely couple and I stayed up chatting for a while. I did not get to see anywhere near enough of them, despite sleeping three nights in their house. TR did see me without pants, though.

Saturday was Miss Presley’s Happy Super Fun Day of Birthdaytime Monkey Fun. There was much bouncing and giggling and many inflatable things. There were people I wanted to see. There was fruit in a bowl on the table. There was Matt and Katrina and Phoebe taking me to the airport after a trip to Cracker Barrel we had to abandon due to crappy service. There was the rental car that smelled of cologne. There was me not really caring, knowing it would be such a small part of my time there. I got to C&S’s as round 1 of Russian poker was ending, and Ed got up to give me a hug. I was too tired to even follow the game (really, I can not-follow it wide awake too; I’m that good) and went to bed even before TR did. (Oh, we did have the cake early in the day, before leaving for P’s party.)

*INTERMISSION*
rdddddf — some cat

Sunday Ea took me to the lighthouse she’d been trying to for at least 2 years. First we had a yummy lunch at a place whose name I can’t remember — Woodbury's? Eh, check the comments, she’ll likely remind me before you read this. The lighthouse was cool and left its mark on my quadriceps for 3+ days (I hobbled!). The beach was wonderful, because it is (a) the beach and (2) the beach. Sand + ocean = … I don’t think the right word exists. At least not in English. Went to dinner with C&S&W&TR and learned that William has no shame about nipples, and Houlihans servers can’t remember to bring spoons to save their lives.

Stayed up late with C&S. Got pictures with both of them. Maybe one day C will even look like he likes me in a photo.

Monday was Meet the Bee day! Went to Hawkman’s to meet his baby baby girl, who is all kinds of beautiful and awestriking from here till next Tuesday. Then I went to buy sneakers. Then to the airport for Mom. Then to Florida Mall to see if a different size ATL shorts would fit me better than the ones I got.

That’s where we stumbled across Verizon. Between the two guys there, I picked Keith, because I was afraid the other one would try to finesse me, and I hate that. It was not a good reason. But it’s OK in the end, because I picked Keith. Keith was kinda like a slimmer-faced, milder, calmer Craig-of-Amy, and he had the best Southern-accented voice and just took care of things right away, no fuss, no complaints, no telling you what you did wrong or No-you-should-get-the-new-$300-phone. But it wasn’t that. It was just … something. And when the transaction was done and thank you and bye bye … there had been some kind of kismet.

And fancy that, I didn’t need a different size of shorts after all.

Off we went to check into our Disney hotel. We tried to shop some that night but were too tired.

Tuesday, Magic Kingdom with Mom. Saw the inside of Space Mountain WITH THE LIGHTS ALL ON AND ABLAZE and not a soul in sight (besides us)(though I didn't actually see our souls, that I know of). Like seeing your grandpa in his underpants or something. But with more roller coaster tracks.

Wednesday, lunch with the old gang. William apparently took his pants off while the rest of us were posing for a photo at Olive Garden, but we all missed it. Then hanging around the office somewhat. Back at the hotel, Ea arrived to stay for a few days, and she and my Mom and I all had a yummy dinner at Artist Point.

Thursday, I went to Disney-MGM Studios to ride Tower of Terror while my Mom and Ea didn’t. We met at Epcot later and headed off to eat and shop. Had some disappointing sushi but bought good stuff in Japan, as always.

(WHY are my cats not even a little bit lap cats?)

Friday was Animal Kingdom with Ea—peeing tigers! BABY MONKEY!!!!! Then tea at the Grand Floridian. Normally that would take about two hours, but this woman serving us whizzed through everything, and we were done in 45 minutes, which was kinda disappointing in a way but allowed time for other stuff. My Mom and I wandered some hotels while Ea went back to the room to recharge. Dinner with Leigh at the Crystal Palace while the 8 p.m. parade went by outside. L&E&I hurried off then to ride as much as we could in the 40 minutes remaining in park hours. We hit the renewed, beJacked Pirates, which was OK, but not earthshaking. Then it was off to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. As our runaway mine train returned conveniently to the station, we heard the words “go again,” and off the train went for the very last run of the night. As we were making our way back toward Main Street again, we found out there’s a secret Goodbye parade at 10. That was cool. Peeing tigers, baby monkey, extra surprise ride, secret parade!

Saturday T-bone came down for brunch at Boma, which was very yummy and way cheaper than dinner at Boma. We all spent the afternoon together FINALLY RELAXING by the pool. It was all nonstop till that afternoon. E&T left in the late afternoon, which parting was such sweet sorrow. Chris came over with William and TR that evening (leaving Susan time to take an exam online at home). We went to Downtown Disney and hit the carousel, the toy-store bonanza that is Once Upon a Toy (TR helped me pick out presents for P&P even), the train, and the Lego store. AND we took the boat there and back, which the boys loved. William and I had a long talk about the orange shark following us that ate watermelon. Then they left me too and I was sad.

Sunday I got to see old friends Scott and Delma and Lenore for brunch for the first time in too many years. Then Amy brought Pickle and Matt & Katrina brought Phoebes and we went off for pony rides and cowboy dinner and swimming in the pool. Then they left me too and I was sad. But also so happy.

[My poor Mom probably never understood what she was in for when she agreed to also come for a week. I warned her … and Rogue is watching the screen as I type right now. Coolest cat EVER.]

If I began with the airport, I should conclude with it, or at least with the ride there. We took Disney's Magical Express, yes that's right I did just say that, and the driver was hilarious. His name was Bill. He made me laugh out loud. That's right, L-O-L. Salud, Bill!

Good gods, this sounds like nothing here, at least compared with what it really was. And I certainly didn’t do it its emotional or humorical justice. But it was 10 packed days. 11, if you count the Monday we left (yesterday). I can’t believe how busy it was. It was just wonderful seeing everyone and knowing how much they care about me. I just can’t believe that I was there a good 4+ days longer than last year and still had no regular vacation downtime. AND I didn’t see Erica at all! She got stuck in Greece for 4 extra days, on her belated honeymoon. The next time I see you, Erica, you’ll have a new BABY!!

The cats are all sitting around right now waiting for me to do something. Now I get to really find out how Otter is doing off Prozac. I thought having my birthday Thursday (my birthday’s Thursday, did you know?) would keep me chipper upon my return, but it hasn’t. It just hasn’t. Well, no, maybe it will. Probably. Anyway, time to decompress. And sleep. I think I’ll just sleep all day Wednesday.

I also read this romantic fantasy book that has some ideas in it similar to my Loki ones, but the writing is just despicable. Things like “she literally melted” (TWICE) and “the pain … was … painful” and dialogue that reminds me of what I wrote when I was 15 and had no idea how people really talk to each other. HOW does this crap get by editors? WHY ARE SUCH BAD EDITORS EDITING THINGS THAT GET PUBLISHED? But actually the characters were pretty good, and I miss something about it, so the writer is doing SOMETHING right. Blake and Ea might both enjoy it, so Blake gets it next.