A sandy Valentine

We made a quick trip to Orlando to cash in a Christmas gift. Ali had made reservations for us for our wedding anniversary. For three, of course.

So, sure, she had a vested interest in us coming down. But when your 22-year-old wants to hang out with you, you pretty much go. And unlike our other visits, we weren't searching for a place for her to live or outfitting it, so we had time to see the area. We'd been to the parks, so we explored Winter Park and found a great antique store where we scored some Fiesta ware in hard-to-find colors; Ali and I had fun drinks in the outdoor seating area while the Captain searched for beer at a brewery; we went to the beach; we shopped; and we had great food and fun drinks all over the place.

We visited the Orlando Museum of Art, which was really interesting and had a wide array of exhibits. One was a long table of items - A pelican, beach animals, a cat, boxes, bananas, etc... - crowded together and doused with a thick layer of magenta paint, dripping in places and pooling in others. I like art, but museums often leave me thinking I’m not very cultured. 

I love the simplicity of this tower of folded sheets – they made me think of Niki and her collection – but does that mean my linen closet or Jeff's tie collection is a work of art? 

And the pinkish painting to the left had slight markings on its edges, and a pattern kind of like dripped candle wax. I went up close, and I pondered from afar. What it means? I cannot fathom. But I have some artwork from Alison, circa her 2^nd and 4^th years that could give this thing a run for its money.

We took note of more anime that had made its way to her walls, some of which she purchased and some of which she painted. She's really settling in to the place and making it her own. Jeff helped her hang an overhead lamp near her desk and we did a little shopping. She had class and I had a bit of work, so Jeff ferried her to and fro so we could drive around. She'd spent a good amount of time cleaning, remembering some remarks from her father about the state of a few things. 

At one point, he pulled out a 48-ounce container of minced garlic. "Dude, do you think you will possibly use this before the end of the year," he asked. 

"Dad," she said. "That's my second jar."

While she is a good cook, we mostly ate out.

The Floridians were all snuggled up in hoodies and long sleeves and complaining about the weather. It was cool for them - 75 degrees at the height - but we were loving it, especially considering that Indy got a bunch of snow. I came home with a bunch of sand in my shoes and suitcase, but I'm not complaining.

It was a great trip. I told Ali to feel free to make our wedding anniversary plans again next year.