Oddball Update

Here we are in Orlando, and it’s beautiful — sunny and warm, with a brisk breeze blowing to keep the temperatures mild. The drive here was uneventful, except to say that it was like driving through bug soup. The Florida “love bugs” are in season this week, and it was a veritable hailstorm of them on the interstate. By the time we got to Orlando, the entire front of Apple’s Mazda was a bugbath. I could barely see out the windshield anymore, either, so I stopped at a gas station to clean the glass before we checked in at the hotel.

The gas station was easily the most nerve-wracking event of the entire day — the only one, really. Gas prices here in Orlando seem to be around $2.99 a gallon for 87 octane, but this Hess station I stopped at was stickered at $2.95. As you might expect, the place was packed. There were lines four or five cars deep behind every pump. Fortunately, I didn’t need gas — I just needed a damn squeegee.

That was easier said than done. In the end, I had to park along the outer edge of the gas station lot, run over to a pump, grab a squeegee and hoof it back to the car to clean it up. The first squeegee I picked, unfortunately, was falling apart, so I had to go back and get another one. Finally I had the windshield and headlights cleaned off — the rest of the fascia and hood was a disaster, but I didn’t exactly want to hand-wash the car in the middle of a mega-crowded gas station parking lot — so I left it at that.

We were just about to take off, when I looked up and saw a HUGE bus driving through the gas station, trying to circle around and go out the rear exit. I seriously thought the thing was gonna hit my car and scrape all down the side of it, but it didn’t. But, the bus couldn’t get out the rear driveway, because there was a sedan waiting in line at a gas pump, blocking it. The bus was blocking us in, so we had to sit there and wait until somebody deigned to move.

What followed was a total deadlock. The car at the offending gas pump was empty, as the driver had wandered off somewhere — maybe into the shop to pay for the tank of gas, or buy snacks. Like idiots, the family in the sedan behind it refused to move so the bus could get through, even though the next pump was vacant! Everything sat at a standstill like this for about five minutes, and then the missing driver finally returned and things got moving. Sheesh!

Our day got back on track after that. We checked in at the hotel, got a nice room way off in a quiet corner at the back of the complex, then headed into town for dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant. Every time we go there, I’m always afraid that the place won’t be there anymore. But it was still in business — and better yet, a brand new Japanese restaurant called Oishi had just opened at the opposite end of the plaza. We’re planning to try that place later in the week.

Returning to the hotel, I got the car wash bucket, and we spent about half an hour scrubbing the love bugs off the front of the car. After all, I have first-hand knowledge of what happens if you don’t clean these things off pronto, and I didn’t exactly want another car ruined by ‘em. The car was a horrible mess, but Apple and I got it cleaned up like new. After that, we went for a little walk — the evening air was nice and cool, and the breeze was still blowing. Right next to our building is a small pool that’s open ’till midnight; sounds like a great place to go for a swim before bedtime.

So far, our vacation is great — and with no email-checking or work-doing, it’s just the kind of break that I needed. More fun coming up tomorrow!

Categorized as Randomness