Day 23 – Florida 2016
Happy birthday to me. Forty bloody nine, on holiday and unemployed. Retired if you will. How the hell did that happen? I’m still only 15 in my head, playing football in the street and listening to Abba, buying loud shirts and making egg on toast late at night. Being childish and getting into trouble, getting told off by my Wife, and sulking. Maybe I’m prematurely reverting….
Back to the blog…how is everyone? I’ve not written for a couple of days now, not since the kids left for home. Part of me is a bit sad that they left, as it was all a bit quiet and subdued for a while. I had to seek comfort in Busch and Bud, with a Bloody Mary chaser…seemed to sort things out. It’s been quite busy…it rained biblically on Tuesday, which was our last day in the villa. In fact Sharon took on Nikki at her own game…”it’s raining” she announced, “where is that coming from?”. Jason replied, “from the sky”. Sharon looked up and asked “which one?”. She said that she knew what she meant, which we’ve all heard before, and is not a statutory defence, as defined in Strasbourg.
We had to pack and be on our way, not before a swift trip to the local steak house, where, after informing the waitress that my chop was a little overdone, resulted in a cheeky discount. It seems to be my new hobby, and I really should keep a diary of the money I’ve been saving since actually speaking my mind rather than letting things be. I think we English are far too accepting of things without a challenge. On the subject of that, I did get a call from Universal, who agreed with me that the prices are unjustifiably horrendous, and offered me free tickets for my next visit….
We set out early yesterday for a trip to Kennedy Space Centre. Now, for those of you who don’t know, it’s not a place where there’s just loads of space, and it’s not affiliated with Staffordshire Police’s successful scheme of the 80’s to keep kids entertained in the summer holidays, but it’s a museum and interactive place dedicated to the American Dream of Space travel. I looked online, and saw that it was only $50 to get in, so I’m already up before I get there, with it being less than half the price of Disney. For those who haven’t been though, it’s on an island, in the middle of nowhere, with nowhere else to go other than the space centre, but they still have managed to jump on the car park charging bandwagon. It’s a bit like they’re embarrassed though, only charging the minor sum of $10 to park. I asked the attendant when he prized the cash from my hand what that entitled me to, and he simply said it allowed me to park. The nearest free car park is only a short 10 mile walk away, but Nikki said no as she was wearing flip flops.
It’s a great place to visit, and I would recommend this place to all. 3D IMAX cinemas, interactive exhibits, lectures, and a new building that celebrates the era of the Space Shuttle (which isn’t a 1980’s bus that took you to Bathpool Park). Nikki had a blart moment. There’s a cinema presentation about the development of the shuttle, which results in the screen rising to reveal the actual Atlantis Shuttle. You then walk around it. She cried. “What’s the matter?” I asked. “She’s actually been into space”. FFS….33 times actually, and the outer skin is pretty much made up of heat absorbing cloth….very impressive, but I’ll let you discover it yourself. She had a cry at a few other exhibits too, such as the tribute to lost astronauts on the shuttle disasters. Very moving…
On then to part five of the holiday. Terry and Viv’s. Or Viv and Terry’s…I’m not sure which way is politically correct. I’ve just woken up to seaside sunshine, and I’m off to spend my birthday by the coast, with friends, and hopefully have a burger. I’m not drunk yet, but don’t expect an early blog in the morning…..