Going Where the Wind Blows

Thought for the day: I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails and always reach my destination.  [Jimmy Dean]

If you don't have a specific destination in mind, I don't reckon you're ever lost. I had a destination in mind, but I'm gonna have to adjust my sails a bit to get there a little more quickly than I'd planned. Smarticus and I have been out and about a good part of the day, so not much time left to get this post ready to publish at its usual 12:34 AM time slot. No problem. Remember Colonel Flagg from the oldie but goodie TV show M*A*S*H? One line he said quite frequently is, "I am the wind." Well, that's me this evening. Gonna blow through this post and be outta here before ya know it.

At least, that's the plan. No telling which way the wind's gonna blow for sure...

Smarticus took this shot at Lake Louisa Park.

You've probably heard of a Mexican Stand-Off before... well this picture is what I'd call a Floridian Stand-Off. Pretty cool to see a grasshopper and lizard sitting so close together, isn't it?

.

Smarticus and our son took these three to Lake Louisa Park on Saturday, and let them lead the way for a hike. In plus ninety degree temperatures, and high humidity. Let's just say, they all got plenty of exercise. (Did I happen to mention it was over ninety degrees?)

Our daughter-in-law, granddaughters Jordan and Ella, and I, on the other hand, opted to get our exercise at an air-conditioned mall. Shopping isn't my thing, but we were on a special mission: finding Jordan a dress for her homecoming dance. That made it fun, even if Ella got a little wore out, and Atlas got a little fussy. (Grandma got a little wore out and fussy, too, but no one offered to carry me.)

Smarticus and I spent one day doing the TT thing. (Typical Tourist) Yep, we went to Universal. The price of admission is ridiculous. Heck, it cost sixteen bucks just to park... and then we had to walk more than a mile just to get from our car to the park itself. (Yeah, I heard there were shuttles available, but we didn't see any, so we hoofed it.)

This picture doesn't really do the huge Transformer justice. If I remember right, it's in the area of the park that looks like the streets of New York. Another area looks like the San Francisco pier. Illusion is the name of the game. The movie sets feel... real.

Attractions are based on various movies and TV shows. Some of the rides within those attractions are something else. Nothing like zooming downhill backwards on a roller coaster... in pitch darkness.

I think our favorite attraction was based on "Despicable Me 2." That roller coaster ride puts you right into the scene with the characters, thanks to 3-D glasses, which are provided for a lot of the rides. My favorite part of the day was hearing Smarticus laugh like a little kid on this ride. (We reeeeeally like the Minions.)

It was a grand day. One thing I'd recommend if you ever visit Universal, though. Spring for the express passes. After waiting in line for about an hour to get into Shrek, we bit the bullet and treated ourselves to them. Life's too darned short to spend all day waiting in line.

One thing we usually see in Florida that we don't see anywhere else... skywriting. The most frequent thing is "God loves you" and a smiley face. That's probably what this one was gonna be, too, but all it shows so far is... GO.

Which is what I've gotta do.

Yep, I've gotta hop right outta here. 'Cause that's just the way the wind is blowing...









Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.