Our Florida Weekend

Laurie and I flew to Claremont FL Thursday and spent the weekend with my cousin Diane and her husband Fred. We flew home Monday afternoon. It was such a great weekend with them. If laughter is the best medicine, I could get rid of all of my pills. I don’t know if I’ve ever laughed for four complete days!
The first night that we were there, Diane and Fred took LB and me to a restaurant called Al Capone’s. They had a great buffet and they had a musical on stage. We had a table right in front of the stage. It was a good show, very entertaining. The three of us girls had our picture taken together. It was like we were in a lineup. We each got a keychain with the picture in it.
Sherry, Diane’s daughter was at their house for much of the time because her husband had friends from MI there for the week too.
Fred and Sherry told us some of the funny things that Diane has done. Diane is really something. The first morning we were there, she put the oven on so she could make a quiche. Well, she put the microwave on for 20 minutes without putting anything in it. I was going to put my water for tea in it but couldn’t open the door. We got the door open and it was sooooo hot in the microwave, we had to leave the door open and put the fan on.
Friday LB, Diane and I went to the Boardwalk. Diane was sure that there was a pool that the bottom was all sand but we didn’t find it. One pool had a sandbar in the middle of the pool but nothing on the bottom of the pool. When we were in the restroom, LB seemed to take a little longer than Diane or I did. Diane said that LB was probably taking a dump. LB came out just in time to hear her and she explained that she doesn’t do that in public. Diane just happened to have taken a drink of water and when LB said it, she burst out laughing and spit all of the water ‘right in my face’! I saw it coming! It was in slow motion! We were all laughing so hard. Diane was trying to apologize and kept saying “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry” all the while laughing so hard she couldn’t say it. We also went to Disney Downtown. I got a pillow for Dallas with the princess’ on it. We walked around town and had an ice cream cone. At night we watched a dvd that Sherry brought over. We had to try keep Diane awake.
Saturday morning we went to a museum of presidents and the White House. It was really interesting. There were wax figures of the presidents. I never realized that the presidents were so small. I guess people were smaller in those days. We went to Friendly’s restaurant and each had a nice big sundae. Sherry joined us but she had a salad. Hey, someone has to be good. Since LB and I were on vacation, we didn’t care.
Fred, Diane, LB, Sherry and I went to an Italian restaurant that evening. Fred and Sherry met us there because the three of us girls were going to Old Town which was like a carnival. They had a parade of cars that we went to see. Nice old cars but way too many Mini’s. We enjoyed watching the people watching the parade. Saturday night we watched another dvd and afterwards, LB, Diane and I got in the pool. Pretty neat pool and all of the pools there had screened coverings over them. (See the picture). The temperature of the water was in the 80s but Diane said it wasn’t warm enough. I had to agree. She said that it would be warmer the next day. The next night after we watched another dvd, we got in the pool and it was perfect. It was in the 90s!! Steam was coming off the water. While we were in the pool each night, we could see the fireworks from Disney World.
Diane and Fred have the cutest little dog. Her name is Nikki. She doesn’t bark or jump on you. Just darling.
Sunday we went to Celebration. We went there after eating at a buffet. Celebration is a little town by Disney World. There was a craft show going on so we walked around it. There was a wo/man there that I just couldn’t get over watching. S(he) had a man’s face with makeup on. S(he) wore a tank top and had huge boobs, no hips at all under her tight pants. But his arms were so muscular, like a body builder with very large veins running down his arms. Really freaky looking. Not pretty, not handsome.
We rode around looking at the houses there and found some Open Houses. We looked at one for $400,000. Then a beautiful house for $800,000. It was absolutely beautiful. It was on the corner and had a woods behind it, flowers and fruit trees all over the lot and a pond with a walking sidewalk around the pond across the street. There was an alligator in the pond so I took pictures of it. The lady in the house said that the alligators get in the pond sometimes and someone will come and take him out. Anyway, we went to a house that was $2,300,000. Six bathrooms.
So we had a good time that day too.
I forgot to tell you about the car! Fred and Sherry were telling us at breakfast about Diane’s driving. Fred told us that Diane ran into a gas pump one time and she backed up. When she backed up the whole pump fell on her car. They had to close down the pumps for the day. Well, we were laughing about it when we left. Diane backed out of the driveway and we heard the car start beeping and we heard an awful noise. I looked out of the window and saw that she was right next to Sherry’s rented car! Ouch! LB told Diane that she hit the mirror. Sherry’s car was fine. When we got to the restaurant and got out...oh my gosh! There was a huge black streak along the doors of the car! So we got wet paper towels, dry paper towels and a lot of elbow grease but we got it all off from the car. Of course, we didn’t tell Fred!
Sunday night we watched the Academy Awards. We were so disappointed. Nothing great happened, no excitement at all. And we weren’t happy with most of the winners. We ate popcorn and fudge which turned out to be the highlight of the show! Sherry joined us to watch it.
Monday morning we were fed by the great pancake maker, Fred the chef! The pancakes had strawberries and, I think, blueberries in them. Mmmmmm, they were good. We talked about our families and our childhoods. Diane is 5 years older than I am. I forgot to mention that I picked oranges off from the trees in the orchard behind their house.
We left Monday afternoon. It was such a great weekend and I thank Diane and Fred so much for inviting us and having us there. So that was our trp to Florida.