Thanksgiving in Florida Part 2

We knew our time with Alison's full-time attention was going to end on Thanksgiving Day when we were to meet her boyfriend, Beau, and his family. It's one of those things that you look forward to and dread at the same time. 

What if we didn't gel? What if they hate us? What if they serve alligator instead of turkey? What if we say something that sends the whole thing off-kilter?

I shouldn't have fretted. Beau and his family were terrific. The meal was great, and the only gator we saw was in a ditch along the way. (I've been very disappointed in my trips to Florida, which have been markedly un-gator infested.) We liked them so much we decided to spend the next day with them, too.

Jeff had offhandedly mentioned that he'd like to go to the Kennedy Space Center one day, and Ali and Beau quickly secured tickets for all of us, including his parents, Deb and Tim, and brother, Gavin. We set out in time to get gas and coffee, planning to meet them there.

What we didn't plan on was a super long line to get into the place. Both Alison and I were in desperate need of a bathroom well before we got into the lot. I won't go into deep detail as to how we handled the situation, but suffice to say I was glad to have ordered that coffee and happier still that the Captain agreed to park in a remote part of the lot well away from other cars. 

I offered Alison my option but she demurred.

"I'm not a black belt in the urinary arts like you are," she said. "I'm just a white belt. You're more of a yellow."

"I think we're both past yellow," I said, trying to keep up with her as she hurried through the parking lot to the restrooms. 

That was the low point of the day. If you haven't gone to the Kennedy Space Center and you have even a tiny bit of interest in that topic, it's well worth your time. Just pee well ahead of time.

Fun fact: The KSC is housed within the 140,00-acre Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and is also home to more than 1,000 plant species, 117 fish species, 68 amphibians and reptile species, 330 bird species and 31 mammal species. 

After nearly closing down the place, we walked out to the parking lot together. Team Tryzbiak, who'd arrived after we did, was mystified as to how they'd gotten such better parking than we did. We ended the visit with a stop at a seafood place where Alison could get her crab on.

Jeff had begun the day with a bit of a sore throat, which he generously shared with Ali and me. They're both well on the mend. I have spent the day on the couch, full of mucus but also grateful for a great week. The best vacations are those where you have a lot of fun, eat great food, learn something new and make new friends. We scored on all of those marks.

My neighbor, Lois, texted me on Saturday not long after we had landed back in Indy to see if I'd be home soon. My poor dahlias had finally me the hard frost and needed rescuing. So, instead of unpacking and getting back to real life, I grabbed the shovel and clippers and dug up the bulbs that had given us such delight. I'm now in search of good homes for bulbs, which multiplied like rabbits over the blooming season. I'm not sure I have enough room in the basement for them all! 

Hope your Thanksgiving was just as fun and filling, and less virus-y.