Week in Kissimmee 2/7/14 - 2/14/14

Decided to go spend a week in Kissimmee at our favorite resort because Candians we met last year would be down.  Lammy and Walt are just great people and we wanted to see them again.

Left on Friday and stopped in to Clermont to visit our friend Tom.  We said we'd take him to lunch but he graciously prepared lunch for us.  He also invited his friend Nancy, so we all had a good time eating and visiting.  Lucky to have local fresh strawberries prepared as shortcake.  Left Tom's around 3:00 and checked in to Vacation Village at Parkway.  Went out to Bob Evans for dinner (had a buy one, get one free coupon). Had a new waitress who messed up every conceivable part of our order, but we just chuckled to ourselves and tried to help her get our food to us.

Saturday, up late and went to an indoor flea market.  I needed to buy a huge suitcase for my trip to Alaska.  We usually travel with small ones, but I've got to put in 3 sets of long johns, snow boots, etc., etc. and that stuff was not going to fit in my suitcase.  Got a great pretty blue suitcase that has 4 wheels.  It was $65.00, a good deal, but I'm hoping it doesn't fall apart.  It does look OK, we'll see.  I can imagine getting to Fairbanks and all my clothes are loose and strewn on the belt with a shredded case.  I hope not.  John bought me my Valentine's Day present.  It is a hand carved trivet that has a handle and you pull it up and it turns into a heart basket.  Made of rosewood and it is a real treasure.  So funny because first time I'd seen anything like this was on Super Bowl Sunday at my neighbor's party, she had a bigger one that I had admired.

Closed - see heart

Opened - what a beautiful heart candy dish

Met friends Barbara and Josh at Old Town.  Glad the rainy weather that day was finally gone. Looked around some shops and I bought John his Valentine's Day present, a great shirt that has parrots on it holding beer bottles, some are wearing sombreros and there are little signs on the shirt that say "It is 5:00 o'clock Somewhere." Had a good dinner and enjoyed talking and catching up. Watched the cruise that had about 50 cars.  Said good night to friends, stopped by store for some food.  Back home and watched a little of the Olympics.

Saturday Night Cruise

at Old Town, Kissimmee, FL

Up late again, went to the pool, read.  Around 4:00 p.m. we headed to Subway to get sandwiches for a Couch Surfer picnic.  We drove out to Bok Tower Garden, a wonderful National Historic Site where we met up with a couch surfer I'd met last year, Cynthia, and a few others.  I had invited my friend Teresa to come and she finally decided to come and brought her friend Josh. We enjoyed the gardens by moonlight, pathways lit by torches, and with the carillon music it was magical.  Left around 8:30 p.m. and Teresa, Josh and John and me went to Chili's and had some appetizers and drinks and visited.  It was a very fun evening.  Got home past midnight and had to park in the boondocks, far from our room.

Bok Tower Gardens

Sunset at Bok Tower

Phones out with Droid Sky View App.

Lots of fun finding stars, planets, etc.

Up late, went to the pool/hot tub, read.  Came back to the room and got ready for Lammy and Walt to come over for dinner.  I made meatball sandwiches, fresh zucchini sauteed in butter/garlic and for dessert we had freshly picked, Plant City, strawberry shortcake.  So tasty.  We sat around and talked for several hours and had a good time.

Up late, to the pool around 11:30 a.m..  Visited with Lammy and Walt and lots of people.  Clouds came over a few times and it was cold when they did.  Up to room for tacos at 2:00 p.m.  Felt so pooped out needed a nap and took a major one.  Some mojo chicken, veggies in the room, Olympics and that is the day.

John peeking around the water fountain

Up early (darn) to drive to Oviedo, FL, about an hour away, to go see Teresa's parents,  Hwong and Roger.  They had asked Robert and I stay with them several days while John was in the hospital in Orlando last year.  Wanted to say hi and take them out to lunch.  Very special people.

Back after lunch headed out for a lobster dinner in Winter Haven, FL, about an hour away. Another Couch Surfing get together.  Drove in a pretty strong rain, lightening storm.  Had lobster, two little ones, but they were good.  Rained continued and glad to be back to our room.  Olympics and bed.

Up at 8:00 a.m. because we were going out to breakfast buffet with our friends, Lammy and Walt. We had quite a feast and it was the first time I've had breakfast with dessert.  Everyone had all the normal stuff, then ice cream.  Me, I had cotton candy, two of them, yes two.  I love that stuff.  We sat and visited for a long time and had a good time.

Lammy, Walt, John and my cotton candy

Such super fun Canadians

It was blue sky, but cool and quite windy.  We came back to the room and I took a nap (had to get up early, right).  Around 3:45 p.m. went out to soak in the hot tub for awhile.  We were going to go to do several things today, but it just felt better to take it easy.

Week went so fast.  Checked out and went to pool for a few hours to soak in a little more fun.  Walt and Lammy were down there so we had our last visit.  It is Valentine's Day and John had a special message written in the sky (I'm sure all men told their wives the same thing).

It did end up saying 

LOVE YOU JESUS

We've invited them over to Clearwater so we hope they can make it for a visit with us.  Went out to Mexican (of course) lunch and then made our trip home.  At the restaurant I was so surprised to see my old boyfriend, the Most Interesting Man in the World.  Well, he insisted we get our picture taken together.

 Stopped at the grocery store and John bought me a beautiful orchid for Valentines Day.  That is a bonus to living in Florida -- the plants we can have all year long.  So I guess it is back to the grindstone or as we say, "another ho hum day in paradise."