• Good news

    There is little I find relaxing about a summer vacation in Florida. What about Central Florida theme parks? Here’s a theme for you: dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sun stroke.

    So here are my first three responses to the proposed weekend trip to Orlando that just passed:
    1. “No.”
    2. “Please don’t make me go.”
    3. “Ah… um… (Sigh)… fine.”

    Now here’s where the whole thing gets a little weird. Despite years of experience suggesting the contrary, I had a decent time. This was due largely to much of the Kennedy Space Center being enclosed and air conditioned. Although we spent A LOT more money than we anticipated, I felt good knowing that the folks at NASA seem to be putting that money to use keeping up and expanding the visitor facilities. Perhaps the biggest surprise was finding the old Saturn V rocket still on display… but indoors… in a newly built facility showcasing the Apollo missions. Where else can a space buff eat pizza underneath the third stage of a moon rocket? I’m telling you right now, that all by itself was worth it. Everything else: the walk-thru of the International Space Station assembly building (seeing the next pieces to go up being worked on), the tour of the launch facilities, touching a moon rock, seeing the newly recovered Liberty Bell 7, watching an AWESOME 3-D IMAX movie about the Apollo missions – that was gravy. I’ve been to Kennedy several times, and before this weekend I never would have said there was too much to see in one day. No more. We barely had enough time to go on one tour, eat lunch and see one of the IMAX movies. Left unseen was three quarters of the original visitor’s center and all of the Astronaut Hall of Fame (which was included in our admission fee).

    It was one of the few times as an adult that I left a Central Florida attraction not feeling satiated. You don’t catch me being overly enthusiastic very often, so when I say: “I was blown away,” you know it must have been good.

  • PDA with a rep

    I called a meeting today and whipped out my trusty Palm OS device. In response someone said, “uh oh, this must be serious, John’s got his PDA out.”

    I had no idea my PDA inspired so much fear.

  • Follow that?

    After yesterday afternoon’s pilot episode of “Beth gets shot” I was expecting to have an epic tale of medical adventure to tell. Alas dear reader, all went well. On the ride over I broke the news… she was starting allergy shots. As expected, it went over like a helium filled cement truck (it might be a little lighter on its feet but it still don’t fly). I nipped the near hysteria in the bud with a barrage of facts, logic and anecdotes.

    “It’s the smallest needle I’ve ever seen.”

    “They don’t have to find a vein or anything.”

    “The back of your arm isn’t really sensitive, is it?”

    “Smaller needle + shallow entry + relatively low sensitivity = less pain.”

    “Far and away the best shot I’ve ever had.”

    Beth didn’t ask any questions. We walked in, signed in, and waited. We were called back for our shots, Beth whimpered a little, and they stuck her. There was no hysterics. There were no restraints involved. We didn’t have to chase her down in the parking lot.

    Piece of cake.