Tormenting a New Generation

Picture of the Day for 5/31/2014. Until now, I've primarily limited my "using my blog to torment friends and family" efforts to adults. I'm moving on to a new generation. Here goes:

Oh Hayley, look at these really cute new flip flops I recently purchased. I bet you're jealous, aren't you?

Hayley loooooooves flip flops and uses much of her disposable income to buy them. I probably should feel bad I'm tormenting my 14-year-old great-niece Hayley by trying to make her jealous, but I don't. That probably says something about my character (or lack thereof).

Sky Walking

Picture of the Day for 5/30/2014. I arrived home from my travels to find this book waiting for me. Tom Jones, the author, sent it to me as a thank you for being his helper at Spacefest 6. I was so delighted to receive this! I've always wanted to read the book since I've heard what a great memoir it is and it is even more meaningful that it has a personal inscription. I will always treasure this. Tom Jones has turned out to my favorite astronaut I've helped at one of these shows and that's saying a lot since I've helped many astronauts. And it's not because he sent me a book! 

Pork and Mayo

Picture of the Day for 5/29/2014. I could pretty much eat mayonnaise on anything so I thought nothing of adding mayo to my pulled pork sandwich today. The friend I was with was horrified I would violate good Southern BBQ in that way. Let's just call it fusion cuisine- a mix of Southern and Mormon.

Missing Out on The Holy Land Experience

Picture of the Day for 5/28/2014. This is an example of how I'm totally influenced by the power of suggestion. My niece Rachel wanted to visit The Holy Land Experience in Orlando as a lark. It wasn't even on my radar until she mentioned it last Saturday, but now I'm totally obsessed with going there. Unfortunately, it was closed the two remaining days I had in Orlando. Next trip I MUST visit the attraction. 

MacArthur Beach State Park

Picture of the Day for 5/27/2014. I'm always amazed at the endless number of state parks and natural areas in Florida. I haven't begun to see them all so I always like to see one or two new places whenever I visit the state. Today it was the MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach.

You have to traverse a loooooong boardwalk to get to the beach.
 

Once you finally get to the beach, the view is beautiful.

I'm fascinated by the native birds in Florida. Below are pictures of an ibis and a baby blue heron. 

Once it was time to walk back across the boardwalk, I wasn't sure I could do it since I was overheated and exhausted. Apparently, lots of people need rescuing since there's a little shuttle that takes weary visitors back to the parking lot. I could have kissed this park ranger when he stopped to let me board.

The World of Chocolate Museum

Picture of the Day for 5/26/2014. My sister Robynne and I visited The World of Chocolate Museum in Orlando today. This was a perfect place for me as chocolate is my main food group.

The tour started in the rain forests of South America (metaphorically- not literally) where the cacao bean was first discovered.


Once the beans were brought back to Europe, Spanish monks were the first to create hot chocolate. They kept this a secret for several years until their stash of cacao beans ran out. 


Once word got out about hot chocolate, the beverage became wildly popular. Pictured below are pitcher/cup sets used to serve hot chocolate.


The museum features chocolate sculptures of world-famous monuments and people.































My favorite sculpture combines my two loves- chocolate and space. This sculpture is of Neil Armstrong and the first moon landing. 




The museum displays chocolate-making equipment.


After a chocolate-tasting stop (yum), the tour ends with a display of molded chocolate and candy bar wrappers from around the world.

Uplifting Words from the Kennedy Space Center

Picture of the Day for 5/25/2014. I guess it never hurts to get encouraging feedback- regardless of the source. This message was written on a toilet paper dispenser in one of the public restrooms at the Kennedy Space Center. 

Tacky Gift Shop Trail

Picture of the Day for 5/24/2014. U.S. Highway 192 which runs east-west through the Disney World area could be renamed the Tacky Gift Shop Trail.

We've been following this trail for the past few nights. It started off with the world's largest orange.


Then we tried the mermaid shop. It doesn't claim to be the world's largest mermaid, but I suspect it is. If you have knowledge of a larger mermaid, please let me know.


Our tour of tacky gift shops culminated tonight at this uber patriotic place.


I wanted to visit the world's largest wizard gift shop, but my sister Robynne and niece Rachel gave out on me. I don't blame them. Despite all these various shops' attempts to lure you in with their wild exteriors, they all basically have the same Disney-themed and Florida-themed and alligator-themed merchandise. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that just one person owns all of the shops lining this route.

Tiara Day

Picture of the Day for 5/23/2014. I'm feeling a little out of it. Apparently today is "Wear a Tiara Day" and I did not receive the memo. 

Two women showed up at our booth wearing princess tiaras with pink boa trim.

At the Puerto Rican restaurant where Robynne and I ate lunch, the place was decorated like a small Puerto Rican village and the waitresses were wearing tiaras made out of hair rollers. The waitresses were nice enough to pose for this very cute picture.

Going on an Airboat Ride with Family

Picture of the Day for 5/22/2014. I'm here in Florida with my sister Robynne to exhibit at a speech therapy conference in Orlando, Florida. We weren't scheduled to be there until 3:30 this afternoon which left us with a few hours to kill this morning. I dragged Robynne and my niece Rachel to take an airboat ride on the St. Johns River.

The company providing the airboat rides is called Airboat Rides at Midway and their facility is almost as entertaining as the ride. There are birds, snakes, and a pot-bellied pig that reside in the gift shop.

The hour-long tour took us through very scenic areas along the river.

There are cows and horses that graze along the river.

The tour guide stopped at a wooded area so we could enjoy the peaceful stillness of the river and listen to the sounds of the birds.

There were a lot of birds on the water. I especially loved the blue herons.

We saw more alligators than I've ever seen in all the airboat rides I've taken. It was fun to see so many. Sadly, I never did get a good picture of an alligator in the water.

After we disembarked, the guide gave us an opportunity to hold a juvenile alligator named Hollywood. Good thing Hollywood's jaws were held shut by an elastic band since he was feeling a little snappish. I almost dropped him when he tried to snap at me. Rachel (pictured below) fared much better with the alligator. Robynne declined to get near the creature.