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We are in Florida celebrating our friends’ (The Smiths) daughter (Kat) finishing her journey at Ringling College in Sarasota, Florida and starting her next adventure. We then traveled to Orlando to see The Mouse…

Note: Lost a version and got this one back

So I am about 30 mins from leaving the hotel: Wilderness Lodge. Off to the airport next as our trip ends.

We are just camping out at the Roaring Fork which is not that busy. We get to sit outside, but we are close enough to the doors that a fresh breeze of mountain-like air hits us as they double doors open. Earlier Susie’s breakfast was attacked by a raven-like bird. She had mostly finished, and the birds were attempting to steal her biscuit! It looked more like the bird version of touch-and-go practice landings.

We decided to skip the parks today. Susie had done a whole day and was a bit worn. I had new blisters and other opportunities for loss of comfort.  So we just were just hanging out.

Got the car just as the rain let-up. A big rainstorm hit, and we used Nav to find our way. It did at first have trouble with the roads in Disney. Some roads just did not exist. Odd.

Got to the airport and pulled into the wrong rental car place after having to just drive to the terminal until the last minute seeing the sign “Rental Car Return.” A bit nerve racking! Had to drive to another return. Finally, then the broken taillight. Off to talk to customer service who took information on the car accident. Having the Allstate claim number was like magic. Done. Bill will come later and then I have to submit that to other insurance. I will add Allstate rental insurance now. Too much of a bother while traveling to do it this way–Expedia coverage!

As before, we managed with the help of Jonathan, our wheel chairperson, we again managed to get through security without falls, exposures, or any lost items. We are safe and at the gate 45 minutes before boarding! I did get an extra and more complete pat-down from security–including my Mouse wristband, that I forgot to take off.

The rest of the travel will have to wait when I have access again…

Back to yesterday, we got to see Micky. Michelle Smith met us at breakfast, and we then headed to the Magic Kingdom. We exchanged Susie walker for a wheelchair and headed for the Haunted House. They have them in the park, and we can use the walker until we hit the park. Our FastPath’s were for harder to get rides, so we decided on the Haunted House. We started with a 15 min wait, but it grew to 45 minutes. We still did it, and it was as always. Well, I did spot a few digital items here and there that I remember from a long time ago with more mirror tricks.  Also during the wait, there are things to do including triggering a cat scream. So I liked it.

Next, we headed to another 45-minute wait, Pirates! It broke down. Then it was good. Then it broke, and they turned on the lights and asked everyone to leave. It was strange how hard it is for folks in this crowd to just turn around. The staff had to come out and direct people out of the emergency exits.

We switch parks by bus. You would think they would use something well more Mouse than walking forever to catch a bus. The Animal Kingdom is a really nice park. Recommended.

The Kali Expedition was next. A FastPath. We got special service as they pulled a raft out for us and we got Susie in. We could have gone twice, but Susie was wet enough! Because we were a special group, a cast member looked us over and said to the small girls that they were not “wet-enough.” They use a water cannon to push the raft back into the special dock. This changed the condition of the gals from miraculously dry to not.

Dinner was in Pandora.  The park, Animal Kingdom, seems to be huge spokes. The walk seems forever. Michelle took over pushing Susie’s wheelchair. I was getting back problems and feet issues. The food was great! I had the garlic shrimp over noodles (no rice for me, Diabetes!) with cream sauce. I even tried an adult beverage. Yes, there is beer in the Animal Kingdom. We saw them being carried into The Kali Expedition!

Even without the beer and being able to drink in the line waiting for the ride, this is an enjoyable and pleasant park. Michelle pointed out the flowers, orchids—my favorite, growing in the trees. At night, In the Pandora part of the park, the artificial flowers glow, and the pavements are painted with black-light glowing paint. Black lighting is hidden in with the dim regular light. It is a fantastic feature.

We had FastPath for a river cruise. David and Kat were back in Sarasota, and the project to load up the newly repaired MDX (new alternator, new battery, and cleaned-up battery cables) was working great. Kat’s stuff—all of it—fit in the MDX–Kat is a fan of Doctor Who and may have learned something there. There is even an extra room–Definitely, the MDX is now bigger on the inside.

The Smiths are keeping the spare car a few days, as David had to rent it for a week to get a larger car.  David and Kat were not back in time to make the next FastPath. The boat ride was a view of the new state of what Disney can do—I am afraid it is more of “It’s a Small World” but with better music and better effects. A few effects I did not know how it was done, so it is excellent work. I would not wait to see it, but it is Ok.

We went shopping, and Susie found a new hat. We shopped for quite some time. We found some ice cream with Susie and I cooling off with a frozen chocolate banana. No surprise that Michelle went for the Micky shaped ice cream. We felt much better after some cool stuff.

We connected with David and Kat finally at Starbucks and then headed to the last FastPath which we made just before the park closed, Everest with Yeti. At a point, there is a pause in the ride to see that a Yeti has broken the track. I was able to ask David to get out; he was behind Susie and me, to fix it.  This was our best ride and also the last. Susie got her coaster in. So we are delighted to make that one, a new fine one.

Dinner, if you notice, is not mentioned yet. The park closed so we took the bus back to the Magic Kingdom. It took two hours to return to the Magic Kingdom. I sent a tweet complaining, I did get an apology. So we got to the Magic Kingdom as it closed. We picked up the walker and David, and I managed to have to pass through security twice!

We ended up with just over-priced appetizers, while good, for dinner. Disney Wilderness Lodge has no late food for hungry late park goers. I see a letter in my future for Disney about buses and food.

It was still a good day and that last ride—Everest with Yeti, the only one for David and Kat for that day, was good. Especially were the extra fireworks. As we reach the summit, the clouds flashed lightning for us. Susie battered a bit from the ride, was still happy to get one special ride in.

A shorter message today as I am tired from driving. We are here in Flordia to see one of the Smith Girls, Kat, graduate and then spend a few days at Disney with them.

Yesterday we had rain on the way back from Kat’s graduation. This was not just any rain. I was calling for Michelle, who traveled back with us as Navigator–the person not driving with the iPhone giving directions, “to deploy the floats!” The rain filled the streets and cars were moving through inches of rain on the main roads!

Rain is serious business here in Florida!

Today was packing-day for Kat and then headed to Orlando to catch some Micky, if we have enough time. All her stuff needs to go into the old 2001 MDX that she and David drove here four years ago. The MDX was just repaired: valve job. Michelle and David and Kat and all of Kat’s stuff will not fit. So Michelle planned to go with us to Orlando.

We started with meeting The Smiths at Shelf Indulgence, a book store and coffee and sandwich shop across from Ringling College. Tash was back in New York; she had enjoyed missing her plane and running across an airport to try to make connections. She finally made it and got back to tests and work in medical school.

David was taking photos of Kat and a friend with all the graduation paraphilia, this morning. My help was photobombing with Susie sitting on a walker and playing Pomp and Circumstance from my phone.

After photos, packing finally got going with us at Kat’s nice dorm. We cleaned and organized and washed and did that again. David and I took various items to Goodwill. And then the lights lighted on the dashboard of the old MDX. Brakes and Battery (why ‘B’ things?) faulted. Calls went out to the dealership and then to local repair folks. New alternator, replace the battery and also replace battery cables. But it cannot be done today.

Off to get a rental for David. There are none! All of Sarasota is rented. We suspect it was the length of lease that was the issue. There are no one or two day rentals for larger vehicles.

Then another massive storm hits. David and I watch it as we head back in my rented van–weeks rental I reserved a month ago. The rain starts in just as we get back to Kat’s dorm building. I am soaked, and David is damp too. I calmly walk in the rain and Michelle records it. I guess it was quite funny.

There is another day to pack-up Kat. So we all get into my rented van, and I drive us two and a bit hours to Orlando. We check in to the Magic Kingdom, and I am relaxing in my room. David is getting a car here in Orlando, and he and Kat will return to Ringling to finish-up and get the once again repaired MDX.

Kat finds a perfect place for dinner on the way: Ciccio Cali. This is a local chain, and the food is a bit odd, like a chicken bowl–but so much more. Might have been the best food I have had in a long time. I risked the rice, and I did OK. The whole time the sky flashed while we ate.

The rain chased us, sometimes heavy, all the way to Orlando. Traffic was heavy and crazy–it is Florida.

Once we reached Disney the stars came out as did the moon. So magical!

Staying at the Wilderness Lodge–How could I resist the name?!

 

 

I set the alarm on the phone last night, “Siri, set alarm to 6 AM,” and my wife said, “What?” The morning is too dark. I know it is the time-shift and that there is nothing wrong with morning here or is there? We reside at the end of the time-zone in the West Coast, and this is the other side of Eastern Timezone Time. Mornings are darker. I remember living in Michigan, the edge of Eastern, and finding when I moved to Maryland, still Eastern time, that summer sunrise was sooooo different. Sunrise here at about 6:45 and in Beaverton, it is about 5:45. So even with the jetlag, it is just different here. I reset the alarm to 6:45 after it went off and I saw how dark and comfy it was still. It was hard to get going, but we managed it.

Today at 9AM was the Senior Films for Ringling College. We got to enjoy hours of fantastic short films including one by Kat and her partner Regina Cicone. Kat’s animation featured a singing and dancing suitcase that wanted to see the world and Paris in particular. The owner of the suitcase, working hard and alone in his hotel room, is convinced to sing and dance with the suitcase and see Paris together. It was a very beautiful film.

Kat is running the show this morning.

Susie and I then had lunch at Burger King, Susie’s request. She wanted a Whopper, JR.

Then I am sorry to say we got ready to attend graduation and then I backed the rental car into a very kind man’s truck. Called police. No cops for private property. So we took pictures–I am missing the cover on the brake light and have a scratched bumper. He has a panel smashed in, cracked brake light, and crushed bumper. Ugh!

I have supplied my driver license, insurance card, renters agreement, and accident picture and summary of the accident to the poor man who has a new problem. I have put in a claim for the man to file against. I feel terrible about this.

We made it to Kat Smith’s graduation just as it started (see Ringling Education).

We had to wait to be seated until after the procession. The Smiths had handicap seats ready for us. We saw Kat marching in–she is the blur looking back at us–I called to her and waved (thus the poor picture).

The president of Ringling College described many reasons why the investment in Ringling was worthy. In particular, he pointed out that Artifical Intelligence will replace many analytical processes and employment used for left-brain work, but not creative work. He claims that Ringling graduates have been taught how to be creative and will have a great future as AI removes many purely analytical tasks from our work. The future will be creative and full of design and beauty according to him. The text is not online yet, I will update this with a link if they release it.

The graduation went on from there with the standard speakers. And then to finally to the moment of walking. I managed to get the video this time and put it on unlisted in YouTube: Kat Walks.

Then off to dinner in Sarasota and back here at Hotel Indigo and paperwork for the accident. And then writing this up.

The YouTube upload is taking forever–Suspect Kat had a similar experience with her movie. “Why is it taking so long,” I say with some directness at the screen with the clock already past midnight. “Just a little more work,” I say to myself. “Sleep later,” I think. Just one more re-read and a few updates.

 

 

We are here to see one of The Smith’s daughters graduate…they are close friends and Susie, my wife, needs a bit of practice traveling–so we decided to travel to Florida for the graduation and then see Micky… 

Here in Sarasota, “Ringling” is not a circus, but a college, an art museum and former mansion of the Ringlings, many sandwichs in Sarasota include the name (Ringling Rueben, for example), and even–in all capitals–the Wifi password here in Hotel Indigo.

We got here by renting a large Dodge mini-van at the helpful and friendly airport and driving to orders of Navigation after an all-night flight. Our wheelchair person, for Susie, at the tiny but very lovely SRQ Airport, who never told us her name, had moved to Sarasota from Seattle, “Husband could not handle the rain” in Seattle. She was surprised to hear how hot Portland has been, warmer than Sarasota for part of last week–at least as measured in my backyard. She likes it here but misses the Pacific Northwest Summers.

As I said, I used Nav to find the hotel in a few minutes with only a few mistakes by me. The side streets are not in the Nav! We had to wait for our room. So off to The Breakfast House, recommended by The Smiths. It was great. There were grits! We are back to the East Coast and the South. I have missed the good food and the rush of this coast. They packed people in and got their orders in. The food is all cooked fresh–you wait for the food. The hash I had was ground and freshly made then fried on a grill or pan. Old school! The grits were in a small bowl with some, a modern touch, green onions sprinkled on top. Pancakes, thick and hot and fluffy not all brown. Eggs poached but runny–perfect. All a bit rushed with tabled cleared, cleaned, and ready again within minutes.

We then headed to the campus where Kat will graduate on Thursday, Ringling College of Art and Design. We found the store where they sell art from the students and got Susie a t-shirt. After a few missteps, I found the bookstore and got a t-shirt for myself, coffee cup, and a lanyard (for Corwin who lives with us).

 

Off then to see the ocean. We found a small park looking into the water and Susie took a nap while I watch the small fry and crabs for a bit. The hotel called. Room is ready (see Hotel Indigo Sarasota).

Susie took some time off after we checked in–sleep time. I headed back as The Smiths were back from picking up daughter number 1 and then to late breakfast–at the same place we went to The Breakfast House. I would meet them at Ringling. I headed to campus and found a nice display of works by students in graphics arts and painting. Some amazing stuff and some stuff that well was a good start. The tarot deck, Japanese influenced style, was mounted in a frame and fantastic (I have Portland Tarot from a campaign of some year ago, see Portland Tarot). With all the different cards, it makes a complex art project as Tarot has a framework, but you can be quite free with it.

They are not here. The Smiths are at The Ringling. I head to the other Ringling. We pass on the circus museum and just walk the grounds. This is the ground and mansion of The Ringling family–yes the one with the Barnum. The properties are full of art and trees and exotica that is Florida of the past. Banyan trees. Rose Gardens. Mansion on the water.

The grounds are dotted with strange classical Victorian copies (Even a massive bronze version of Michelangelo’s David), Art Deco garden statues (for example, sphinx–male and female), Yesteryear Florida colors and buildings, and faded Roaring Twenties wealth. All in a garden that shows its age but is well groomed and full of colors. A good place for a walk. To do the ground and the museum would be a couple of days. We have hours and walk the grounds.

 

In the water off the Ringling mansion was a pod of porpoises or dolphin (I don’t know the difference). They were chasing the small fry into the jetty walls and well eating them. We watched them and got out all of the cameras and made movies for sharing. I did not get any usable shots–but I will see if anyone else did and add it. We left them to their meal after filming them for twenty minutes or more.

We returned from there to the Hotel where The Smith had a Ringling College function to attend. I joined Susie for a nap. Later, we joined The Smiths again for dinner, late, at the City Grill in Sarasota downtown. The night air was warm but not uncomfortable. We all ate light and had an excellent time. I had to turn on to Ringling Street to get there…

Picture by me