Spitting Prohibited

Moving right along

So then, if you aren't caught up with our journey to Savannah and our arrival at my sister's go here.  If you are all up to speed, well then, virtual brownies for you...mmm brownies...  And you get the treat of just jumping into this post.  See isn't it better if you just schedule your life around checking my blog, just in case I might post?

"I do not accept excuses, I'm just going to have to find myself a new giant."

Well, that was fun, wasn't it? (note: anytime you get to quote Princess Bride qualifies as fun.) But as this post is titled "Moving Right Along" I suppose we'd well, better get to it.

So we arrive at Rich & Lynzie's a day early according to them, right on schedule according to me. Regardless we are all soon resting blissfully on our pillows and awake ready in the morning for some beach fun.  Yay Beach!

As Lynzie is working, Rich is going with us up to New Smyrna (which my sister and brother-in-law pronounce "noo-sah-mer-nah", with the emphasis on "sah" so I was very confused about where we were going).  We got just about to that fateful Walmart down the road and Harry Potter (which we were listening to on the drive down) said something like..."Harry, Ron and Hermione merphshplitergumgerbah..." as we came up to a stop light.  Thinking that Harry Ron or Hermione would never say such a thing, I took the tape out immediately being afraid it was being eaten alive.  It looked normal.  I put it back in.  Nothing happened.  I thought, 'Maybe if I restart my car...' I turned the car off.  And Nothing but me getting really frustrated happened.

The light turned Green.

Rich and Tom (who was riding up with him) drove off.  I stayed where I was.  And stayed and stayed. Until finally they called me -- an interminable 2 minutes later.  They came back and got us.  Pushed the car over into that lovely Walmart parking lot and looked to see what the heck was going on.  First we think the battery.  Then we look at the alternator.  "Oh look, part of it is melted!"

Now if you've been reading this blog for more than 3 months and let's face it there has not been that much to read in those 3 months around here, so you should all be caught up.  You'll be thinking about now "Didn't your husband replace the alternator in your van a little while ago?"  And the answer is: yes, yes he did.  (I am just all about the web links this time aren't I?)

Apparently the automotive shop we bought the alternator from, let's call them "Hep Toys" sold us the wrong alternator.  There is apparently more that one version of alternators for 2000 Ford Winstars -- yeah, thanks for that Ford!  But we knew this when we bought it.  We to the old alternator in to Hep Toys so they could make sure we got the right model.  "Yeah, that'll work for you." I think was their exact response.

"That'll work" apparently means in this instance: well your car will go for a few months, but sooner or later it will start arcing and could potential start a fire, but at least you'll get those couple of months out of it.

Which you know, had I known I think I would have insisted on a different model of alternator.  I'm picky like that.

However, we apparently owe a huge debt of gratitude to whichever angel was watching over us because not only did it not start a fire (although there are a few scorch marks on the underside of the hood of our car from the arcing), it didn't even die somewhere in the hills of West Virginia somewhere.  We got all the way to Florida where we had a kind brother-in-law and sister to help us out.  Which is the way to go if you ever have to go through something like this I must say.

So.  No beach that day.

But the kids were OK with that, as much as I would have liked to be doing something else.  Mainly because Uncle Rich and Aunt Lynzie have a Wii.  Yes, they probably could have spent the entire vacation in Uncle Rich and Aunt Lynzie's living room.

Second try for the beach.  Now Rich has to work and Lynzie has a morning class, but the afternoon free.  So I decide to hit Walmart (again) for a couple of things I needed...and didn't get either of the 2 previous stops.  All goes well, except for when I get back in the car to leave.  It won't start.

I call Lynzie.  She comes to rescue me this time.  Jumps the car and we head back to her house.

Thinking that perhaps the battery did not get sufficiently recharged the previous day.  We charge it up for a good 2 hours this time.

It won't start.

Thinking at this point the batterery is just dead and we need a new one.  I hop in Lynzie's car this time, head back to Walmart and buy a new battery.  Get back.  Tom and Rich (who's returned by now) install the new battery.  And the kids play on the Wii.  Yay, all is well.

At this point Rich tells me that he thinks it was just the cables weren't tightly connected.  But I don't care.  The van runs and also fairly importantly, it will also start.  Sure we could have saved that $75.  And yes there are probably funner ways we could have found to spend it in Florida.  But the van will start.

So.  No Beach that day either.

Last day at Lynzie and Rich's.  We pack up for the beach and Yay!  We get to go!  Lynzie decides she wants to head to New Port Richey which she'd heard was "cute".  So we go.  And we cannot find a beach!  Thinking pretty much we should just have to head west and we would run into the ocean, was apparently not the best plan.  Finally, we find a private beach who gives us some directions.  And we see a tiny little sign that directs us to Clearwater Beach (or I think it does my memory is a little sketchy on this point) and we get to enjoy some white sand, finally!

Now this will sound odd, but it was as un-ocean-like and ocean I have ever seen.  See to me going to the ocean means cold water, and waves, and water you don't have to sit down in to get your ankles wet.  Somehow this just didn't fulfill my expectations.  But it was gorgeous.  And we had a lot of fun.  Even if it wasn't a "real" ocean.

Next stop...Epcot!

Your patience has been appreciated.

Good heavens, it appears that we have been back from our trip for almost a month!  I am willing to go almost a month apparently, but a whole month is just too long.  Really, it's like not sending your wedding thank you-cards out for over a year, not that I would know anyone like that...(excuse me a moment while I hang my head in shame).

So without further ado, I present to you The Great Disney Adventure, 2008:

Thursday, March 27.  "What do you mean you have to work tomorrow?????"

Friday, March 28.  packing...cleaning...packing...cleaning...pick up kids from school early...pick up husband from work (grrrrr)...driving...driving...driving...driving...driving...and so on.  Arrive in Savannah, GA approximately 1:00 am.  Tom at this point I should mention has been up for nearly 22 hours as he got up really early to go into work.  (Please forgive my griping.)

Saturday, March 28.  Drive down to the heart of Historic Savannah.  GORGEOUS!  We explored Forsyth Park, snapped pictures, paid too much money to a man from Trinidad who made me a Colonial Rose from some pine he had cut somewhere.  Probably out of the many trees in the park or near it. Snapped pictures.  Found a playground (for which the children remarkably revived, during the walk they were so exhausted they could hardly stand up, and when I say "children" I really mean Alex).  Snapped pictures.  Snapped pictures.  Snapped pictures.  Snapped pictures...  Get it?

And still there is more...

After walking and snapping we grabbed the cooler out of the car and made lunch. Although let me give you one tip if you ever stop to picnic in Beautiful Historic Savannah.  Savannah-itonians love their dogs.  Really love their dogs.  And most of them carry those little dog poop baggies when they take them for a walk, but not all.  Be warned.

Later that day, when we hit somewhere near Jacksonville, we thought we should call the fam. (PS: thanks Rich and Lynzie)  Just to let them know we were a little a head of schedule.  And instead of arriving somewhere late that night it would be closer to dinner time.  No answer, leave message...finally get a hold of Rich.  He explains they have some church commitments that will keep them away from the house until 9pm.  So we determine we will find something interesting to do and meet them around then.  We pass lots of interesting things.  We don't stop.  We pass more interesting things.  We don't stop.  Tom wants to find their house, and then find something to do near them.  Not a bad theory.  At least until you get to my sister's house.  Really there is not much to do around them.  How odd.  We end up at a Mexican Restaurant (a little more Cuban influenced than we're used to, but still yummy) and then, wait for it...Walmart.  Wooooot.  On the plus side, we found the kids cute little plastic canteens they can take around the parks.  On the negative side, Walmart.

And then we go see the fam!  Hugs all around.  We get the kids sleeping arrangements set up, and then as we are talking find out they weren't expecting us until Sunday.  Wha?  You mean I didn't communicate very well?  Yeah, sorry about that guys.  I think the problem was we kept talking about what we could do Sunday.  Me thinking, "that will be our first full day to do anything."  Her thinking, "they're not showing up until sometime Sunday."  But I must admit they were entirely gracious about our early arrival.  It's good to have sisters by the way.  I was told however, that if we'd arrived when they were planning on us we would have been treated to a view of my sister's dresser cleared off and the cat box having been cleaned.  All in all, I think we would still take the free beds as opposed to another hotel stay.

Well, it's getting late and I'm anxious to post.  (Yah, I know, *almost* a month keeping you waiting and now I'm anxious to post.  But get over it.  You all should know me well enough by now to know you can't really count on when the blogging muses will inspire me.)  (that almost read, "...when the blogging bugs will bite me." but I didn't want to give you any additional reasons to make clever comments at my expense.)  So more to come!