Category: Uncategorized

Taking a two week trip out to sunny Florida really feels like we hit the “skip the dreary month” button on life. I just paid all these Bill’s like a few days ago! It feels like. But that was actually a whole month ago. Time distortion from breaking routines, and traveling and upending our regular schedules is incredible. We quantum leaped over the entirety of the month of November it seems like. Weird. We will be into December by late next week.

I think we are planning to put up the tree on Sunday. I was lucky enough to get all three massive piles of brush removed from the property yesterday. I might tackle the last of the leaves today. And then add in our finishing touches on the exterior lighting for Christmas too. Possibly. I have this lazy feeling about me today. We will have to see if I can muster the enthusiasm to get outdoors to do more manual labour. I did my inlaws leaves yesterday, and have lost interest in it. This is the fourth time doing our own. I just knew the last 1.5 trees would shed their bulk while I was away. If the sun is out, or if it didn’t rain, I guess I can do some of it. Blargh. Sick of leaves.

Most likely to be sick of snow soon too! Do I invest in a snowblower this year? Hard to say. If we get 6 inches of snow or less per snowfall – no need for one. Have another 16 inch or more plus snow drifts and I’ll have to get one or risk heart failure in the strain of all that lifting & exertion.

Makes adjusting to the new cold temperatures more difficult when I was just revisiting my bodies methods of dealing with high heat, sweating profusely, and staying hydrated. Now I have to dress mich warmer, drink less, and think warm thoughts. It was trying to snow (however lightly) when I was doing leaves and brush yesterday afternoon. I understand snowbirds so much more now. I get it. Avoid the cold if you are wealthy enough to do so. Brrr.

I will say this for the boosters, they don’t make me feel anywhere as bad as the first shot of Astra Zeneca or Moderna, woah baby, those two jabs made me feel absolutely awful. Now all I have is a sore left upper arm/shoulder. Do I expect this to help me out all that much? No… not really. Better to have it than not, but I’m still masking indoors, and we upgraded the hepa filters at home, and still don’t party or hang out with other people much, if at all. So, same as we’ve been for the last nearly four years. I did let up and travel for the first time since 2017/2018, so that indicates a slight change in attitude. I can still do just about everything I want, with a mask on, so no harm no foul. It’s all good. Seems us being gone has let us miss some of the “flu/bug” going through the kids school right now. That’s an upside!

It is Friday, and I have a few items on the books, and a school drop of drawing close. Best be about my business. Ciao Bella!

Didn’t take long to adjust to being home. Nothing a trip to school drop off, the bank, and grocery shopping couldn’t fix to make me feel at home, right back into the thick of it all. Food is expensive as shit here, compared to what I was paying in Tampa/Orlando/Kissimmee. Gas is nearly double the price per liter. Yuck!

The rainy, dreary grey opened its arms lovingly to embrace us upon our late night return. To think a mere 48 hours ago I was in board shorts sweating in the near ninety degree heat. And today I’m in full length pants, sweater, jacket and toque. I’m sporting the weakest of tans too. A brief reminder of being so, so hot in Busch Gardens for days on end. Waiting in 80 plus minute long lines for both of my kids favourite rides. Sweat just dribbling down the small of my back, pooling in my shoes. Stinging my eyes and matting our hair from the moment we stepped out of the AC, until we returned to it, or flopped into one of various available pools. We mostly avoided burning by using an SPF 50 very liberally. I, whom rarely bother as I don’t go shirtless or sans hat – ever, still slathered it on my face and ear tips & nose because those UV rays were feeling a bit EXTRA, as far as I was concerned. The two days we went to the only open waterpark from our package it was rainy, and cloud covered. I also wore a SPF 50 rash guard long sleeved aquatic shirt, so I avoided the worst of all that exposure.

But we are home, nose diving rather fast into December, and the Holiday break. It’ll be 2024 before you even know it.

While on vacation in Tampa & Orlando Florida for the last two weeks, I am almost Christmas’ed out. All day long the theme parks blared holiday jingles, and the decorations were up everywhere. Christmas town was unavoidable. I’m kinda done with it already. I am having flash backs of working retail and hearing the same playlists over and over again on constant repeat. Really takes me out of the moment. SeaWorld- Christmas!, Busch Gardens – Christmas!, Aquatica – Christmas! The only park that didn’t give us the holiday vibe was the one park that unexpectedly shut down on November 1st, not to reopen until March of 2024. That was a real bummer. The park being closed that is, not the loss of additional holiday cheer! We were very pumped about the holidays before we left. Sick of it right about now. Being from Canada for the last 37 years or so I need cool temperatures, rain or possibly snow on the ground to feel any kind of Christmas spirit, not feel like I’m melting in shorts when the mercury hits 93°F in the full sun, and only slightly less in the full shade. Where I’m from Santa doesn’t wear surf shorts.

It’s been a tumultuous fourteen days of traveling with both of my kids and my spouse, and I am less rested than I would have been just staying home. Delayed flights, extreme heat, long travel days, closed parks, rain, rain, and another week of rain, more travel, and then another heat wave in Tampa. Three different hotels, four (supposed to be anyway) theme parks or water parks, and a single beach day in Clearwater, and a very rainy day spent at Disney Springs shopping centre. I am exhausted. Sleeping all four of us to a room over multiple days means too much heat production, snoring, arguments about room temperature, bed sharing with cover snatchers, and dealing with bed hogs.

But today is our last day, so we’ll pack up the hotel room, and then spend one last day at Busch Gardens in this punishing mid eighties heat, and high UV rays. Slathered in SPF 50 sun screen, all oily and glistening in the partially cloudy sunlight. We will ride Iron Gwazi once more, wait in line for Cobra’s Curse yet again, and then see what else the day brings.

Then it’s off to get gas and drive to the airport to have dinner and then enjoy our flight back to cooler climes. Twas fun (mostly) while it lasted. Very strange to be inundated with Christmas music and messaging while the temperatures fluctuate between 93°F and 70°F. Usually we have had snow and lost all the leaves, and have to wear coats, hats, and gloves to take in the holiday spirit. Very odd sensation.

What a lovely show. Far superior to Paw Patrol or Peppa Pig, and any others of that ilk. Bluey is funny, charming and insightful where the others are loud, brash, and geared to selling toys. Feels as though Bluey was written to be bright and colourful for children, but a host to subtext and deeper conversations for parents that are watching too. It really is a joy to watch.

So here we are, back to Monday. Pretty soon we will return to our regular schedule, and be diving straight into birthday parties, and the holiday season. Madness. Going to need a vacation from our family trip. Truth be told traveling with small kids isn’t exactly restful or invigorating. But I digress. Happy Monday to all, and to all a good night.

Has become a trend in our house with both of my kids looking at all of the rides around the world. We started doing it in preparation for going to Canada’s Wonderland this year and it has just kind of stuck around. The best part is the videos themselves rarely extend beyond four to five minutes, and if you watch the versions put out by the parks themselves then they are shot in 4K or better, and are done on bright days, at the very front of the coaster. I got my oldest prepared for Yukon Striker by using the pov from YouTube. Still, we ended up riding it for the first time in mid October, at 11:15pm at night during a Halloween Haunt in the dark, so the pov was not really all that helpful. The three second dangle over the 90° drop is just as terrifying in the light as it is in the dark! It was just about our last time going for the season when I got her to try Leviathan. Then we rode that four more times that day. It’s a very fast gigacoaster. Funny how we were both nervous because of how tall the ride is, and how big all of the drops are, but it quickly became one of our favourites. Helps to go when the lines are under ten minutes a ride. Now I fear all other coasters will feel like less of a thrill because we became so accustomed to three very large, very fast, and very thrilling rides from our home park.

Happy Lazy Sunday to all whom celebrate.

Cleaning up the place before we head out for the day. Lots of driving to do today. Even more stairs to do after that. My hips ache, and my feet are sore. Feels as though we got a bit of a UV burn yesterday without the presence of sunshine, while out and about in all that rain yesterday. Had a tough time sleeping I felt so hot.

Not much going on today, so far atleast. Have a great Saturday!