Old Town - Kissimmee Style

“A nice place to go for Friday night” according to the taxi driver. The resort receptionist didn’t even know where it was but, as I’ve learned they don’t know much anyway.  We didn’t discover ‘til the second to last day a good shopping centre was only 20 minutes’ walk down the road. (It’s all a conspiracy) We did ask but the fact you might walk out the resort gates and along the road was incomprehensible. We did find the food places 10 minutes in the opposite direction quite early on.

Old Town – Kissimmee or Orlando – whatever, (do I have to know the correct name?) It was fun – all kinds of rides, some quite extreme, a few souvenir stores, graveyards with people oozing out of them, lots of ghouls and walking dead, scary looking undertakers and limbless bodies, a huge tarantula on stilts, some of the Adams family (I think) – to name but a few adding to the “atmosphere”. Not the place to take the kids but there they were, in strollers and prams. No wonder some are so mixed up. There was “mood” music thumping through boom boxes on every corner, a stage with live singing and a band, a bucking cow and announcements of the next event over a loud, loud speaker. On the hour “thriller” was performed on one of the intersections and there was a children’s and an adults dress-up competitions. It was all go.

Friday night is muscle car night so while we ate dinner at a surprisingly ok restaurant we watched the passing parade. The taxi driver that dropped us off – in an illegal spot I suspect – gave us his card and we called him when we couldn’t stand and wander any more, and he took us back to Silver lake.

Goodbye San Diego....Hello Orlando

We had a good time there. Got our bearings a couple of days before we left. It seem US cities are totally aimed at cars to get around.
The airports are amazing and as we flew via Houston to Orlando they became more and more phenomenal. Our just under 6 hours flying time extended to 8 hours with our break at Houston, then we lost 3 hours getting us to our resort after 10pm. We were ready for sleep however and slept soundly in our lovely apartment 'til well into the next morning. Once again it is hard to get a handle on where exactly, or even vaguely, we are. The taxi trip from the airport took 40 minutes and when we turned off the highway we went down a totally dark road called Black Lake Road. No street lights and black on both sides of the road had me wondering what the ......once again!! Spooky. But here we are TG.
The resort is very nice but totally inward looking and it was hard to get directions to the nearest food places, but we managed and have had a couple of walks to the local food outlets. We discovered the "Cracker Barrel" - nice daily cooked real food and veg. Also had a fabulous dinner at the "Bone Fish Grill" I had Fontina Pork Chops - yummy once I took the cheese off - too rich for me with it. We had a scallop entrée with the scallops wrapped in crispy bacon some how. The scallops were about 1 inch high and so juicy. I don't know how they cooked the bacon without overcooking the scallops.
The resort "Silver Lakes", is actually surrounded on 3 sides by Disney and includes 200 acres of swamp. The hope is Disney will buy them out before too long. The sales spiel was very convincing with taking up the amount owing on a defaulted sale giving us title to a beautiful unit for only US$18000!!!and that with 89000 holiday credits. You can rent the unit to pay the $1000 annual fees - seemed really good BUT don't panic Lynda we didn't succumb. It seems it is RCI and we are already members through Wyndham. I was surprised the sales pressure wasn't nearly as full on as the Ozzie lot. Off that hook!!
Hoppy didn't take any photos for two days - never has that happened before!!!!!! However we spent yesterday at Disney Animal Kingdom so that was the end of that. It was actually very good - we even saw some birds and animals we hadn't seen before. The safari ride we went on was fabulous and as we left the area saw what was for me the sight of the decade - a silver backed gorilla. What a magnificent animal. Hoppy has been on safari in Africa, stayed in a lodge in the animal park, and didn't see as mush as we did on this little train ride. We saw a great parade with Mickey and Donald and lots of dancers - may have some photos!!!!
Then Hop discovered another ride - Everest. It was actually a roller coaster going in and around the mountain. I opted out - why increase the heart any more than necessary. I wasn't feeling too active this day to be honest. As I waited - Hoppy getting back at me for all the people watching he had to do at shopping centre in SD - it is quite fun - all I heard was "Can I do it again?"  Same for Hoppy - and around he went again - big kid.
So here we are - just woken up again at 10 am. Yesterday was a big day leaving here at 10 am and getting back 'round 9 pm - tired kids!!! What to do today - that is the question. The pools are nice and warm, the temp around 90F hmmmm.              Love to yo'all.

A few snaps from San Diego

Last Days at San Diego

I thought I better let you know we’re still ok. Hoppy is forcing a second gin on me so the lucid window is rapidly closing. The free day at San Diego was well planned and anticipated a month before we got there. We were going to Salton Sea. Google it and you will see it’s a bit spooky and totally out of the norm verging on the super norm. We had a card confirming a car would be delivered at 8am on Thursday morning so we were all waiting in anxious anticipation at 7.45 that day, BUT no car turned up. We rang the office which didn’t open til 9 am so we canned the trip. It would take a good 8 or 9 hours so time would be against us. GRUMP GRUMP GRUMP. I’m not good at a change of arrangements. We did manage an enjoyable alternative on the “hop on- hop off” bus. The drivers/actors/DJs were excellent.  We  had a nice breakfast at Seaport on the water front and then visited Little Italy where we found a cute little restaurant and the most beautiful bread on earth. That took up the rest of the day.

The last playing day dawned,  cool to warming. It turned out pretty good. We won all but one of our games I reckon and I don’t think I embarrassed myself too much. I was nearly knocked out by one of our own players and my jaw is still a bit dubious. I avoided that end of the court from then on but unfortunately did OK down the goal end so suspect I will again be feeding the goal. Lunchtime brought the traditional “strutting your stuff” which is an informal talent show we haven’t taken part in of late. Lunch was supplied by two food trucks - not bad - not too costly.

Saturday ended in the Grand Banquet so that day was disposed of with last minute shopping which included the purchase of an extra bag so I could give Lynda an extra bag – she was delighted to have won an auction which gave her an upgrade for the trip home as she would be going home alone.

The Grande Banquet was at the Miramar Marine Base in a hanger. We entered through an array of war planes and helicopters which were available to sit in or “display” on. The band was very loud, the food about the best of the tournament (at least it was familiar) and the night 6/10. We got presented with the prize for the friendliest team so that was very satisfying especially for Jenis and Valerie who work so hard with our uniforms and attend all the management meetings on our behalf. It’s thanks to Jenis that we just have to turn up and everything is organised for us.

Sunday was a trip to the Midway – an aircraft carrier retired in 1992 and now a museum. Very interesting the way 4800 troops live on a ship. Finally got to Macey's to shop but it was too overwhelming - we were "out of there" .

The team was shrinking as various members took off for Hawai’i, San Diego, home and us for various destinations around Florida, from Saturday night to Monday morning.

San Diego has a population of 1.3.mil. and it took a while to get the lie of the land but we had it sussed by the time we left and realised nothing was as far away as we thought. The temps were variable, cool at night and quite warm (25C) if the sun made it through the clouds and you were out of the wind. Would have liked to go to Mexico - only a few miles away. Not to worry - another time. Not on the recommended list with the number of guns around !!!!

More Craziness.............

Perhaps I didn’t explain the nuns in the penguin parade. So glad Lynda is with us to put some photos on. Spectacular aren’t they! The team originated in 1984 when Golden Oldies Netball was initiated. The mother of one of my school mates coached the Saint Dominic’s Old Girls Netball team in Auckland being a total netball nut and decided they should be represented at Golden Oldies. Mrs. Rountree attended all the festivals and was even on the court (on a chair) putting up the odd shot ) when she was 84 years old. Her daughter Jenis Baldock is our manager still. The nuns at our school were of the Dominican Order and in their black and white habits were irreverently called “penguins” is seemed appropriate to Have a couple in our parade - and great “nuns they made too – Sister Good Time and Mother Inferior. Sister Alvarez would turn in her grave!!!!!!

Picnic Day –

Was held at Water World at Mission Bay, San Diego. We had a lunch and bar provided and spent the day in revelry, lazing around the decks, wandering the streets, and some intrepid members  even tried the wave pool. Hoppy was keen but I suggested it wasn’t wise.(Sorry Hop). Every ride finished in a rather violent washing machine of a wave before being shot out onto the end of the pool. The day was warm but the surf was rather cool. Lynda bravely had a swim but me??? I don’t hink s; nor my friend Jenis as you can see in the photos.

Second Play Day –

Yes. We actually try and play for three days. We’re not here for fun you know. Oh that’s right. The Golden Oldies motto is fun, friendship and fraternity (much to my annoyance – I think it should be sorority but what do I know?) So fun we shall have. The games were relatively successful. You can see below, I shot and got a few goals. Also our esteemed GK tried to break my jaw and my new four crowns, but due to their superior strength and my brick build, she only managed to side-line me for a few minutes while my brain returned to its original position in my skull!! I think without my new teeth I may have been spitting the old ones out anyway!

We had been told how perfect the weather was 365 days a year in San Diego. Stupidly we believed it. What happened the 2^nd day of play? It rained, blew, and froze us. We were totally unprepared. Even our penguin hats would have been welcomed to cover our chilly ears. Our third game was cancelled and we trudged off to the buses through a quagmire of mud and horse straw which stuck in layers to our shoes making even walking fairly risky but hey……………We had taken shelter in the only big tent but we had to move out as one of our team has a six year old with them and liquor was available so he couldn’t shelter in there!! As Jan said, in a country where you can buy guns in a supermarket and go on a shooting spree we need ID to get into the shelter tent and children are not allowed. Crazy. Their reasoning – someone might dress up and try and get into the tent. We are situated in the wops on a horse polo field, surrounded by steep hills and wetlands!!! Wow the spa pool was fabulous when we got back to the Scant Comfort Inn despite the deluge and my shoes acting as rainfall gauges.

San Diego Snaps

Dede and Jenis testing the water at Mission Beach - yes, it's cold!

Picnic Day - Lynda, Delyse and Jenis

After another intense match.

The penguins have escaped!

The penguins are returned to Seaworld in San Diego - Opening Parade

Let the Games Begin!!

I forgot to say...................
On Saturday night we went up to "The Old Town" It was a great atmosphere and all go - unlike our last visit a few years ago during the day when it seemed lifeless and dusty. There was a live band playing at a restaurant with heaps of people all dressed up BUT it was booked out and unless you could hang around for two hours dining was not happening there - shame. We wandered up the street. It was a real carnival feeling with lots of families and young people, along with the old - like most of us, apologies to team 2. The shops were full of souvenir type things - woven garments and sun dresses, skulls and derived art, halloween type scary stuff, all quite alternative with a Mexican flavour.All the other restaurants were booked out and we went on a waiting list for 1 hr 30 and the plan was to wait at a bar. Disatrous for me at least. We were hungry and tired so left the others in search of food.We found a quiet little Creole Cafe in a darkish area out of the main throng - so quiant with lace curtains and old furniture. Most people seemed to want to eat al fresco so the tiny dining room was ours. I had a chicken dish with rice and the most delicious tomato sauce I have ever tasted. Gorgeous. I'm now ruined for any other tomato sauce. Hoppy had a platter of shrimps (what we call prawns). Lynda had beans and andouille sausage going for the most authentic of the choices. We were all fed and watered and back home at Scant Comfort Inn before the others would have even started their meal.

Oh yes, we have played a day of netball. That was yesterday. We won 2 out of our three games. Our number two team had the same result. We inspired them, us oldies, at our age still raging around the grass (yes we are playing on a polo field!!) and doing a fair old job to boot. I am the third oldest in the group now Nana has stopped playing. No that's not my nana but Pat Danilo who was the previous ancient one. The weather was mostly quite warm with some cloud clover tempering things around mid day. There was still a few red bodies about. I must have some tan (!) left from our earlier holiday so was not as red as my daughter. Now that's something to note. She always growls if I get burned and she has a more olive complexion than her pale faced Mum. I am still able to move today

San Diego USA

We’re off again –

Golden Oldies strike again.

The trip was long – twenty four hours from home to our hotel – the Scant Comfort Inn Zoo, San Diego. Yes it’s pretty basic. It looked a bit better after a sleep.

We had our grandson, Ben, staying with us the week before we left and he was very excited to be going home to Auckland on the plane with us and Aunty Lynda as we set out on the first leg of our trip. He had been a really good boy. He even came to bowls with us which has to be “boring” for any six year old boy, not that he said that once in the entire week! Leo, our dog, also had one of his mysterious downer days. The vet couldn’t find anything wrong so we’re hoping he’ll come right.

Yes the trip was a bit of a challenge. I was sure I’d sleep, but no. I saw a couple of reasonable movies though. The food wasn’t bad either.

So the reason for the trip is the Golden Oldies International Netball Festival. It is held every two years since 1984 and until recently was sponsored by Air New Zealand but has been taken over by another crowd who’s name escapes me right now, and most of the time to be honest. My daughter  Lynda and I make it a holiday together with some extreme (especially for me) exercise. Because it’s such a long way to come Hoppy decided to tag along too, so the three of us have the “Kiddies Suite” at this particular Comfort (?) Inn, ComfortinnzooNorth – how appropriate, and we are continuing on to Florida. Lynda is heading back home to relieve her busy husband and catch up on her seemingly endlessly busy work. Retirement has some benefits!!

The first official happening was the Parade of Nations. This was held at Seaworld. We all assembled in our countries in the carpark before parading through the park in our “dress-ups”. Countries represented are – New Zealand 26 teams; Australia 13; Canada 1; USA 2; St. Vincent Grenadine 2; South Africa 1; Vanuatu 1; Fiji 1; Cook Islands 6; Barbados 1;  over 500 players in all. We are Dom’s Devils (to my consternation) and number 23 – some Aussies have been allowed to join us.Our fancy dress was as penguins being Seaworld and us from the South. We looked great but the waddle we had to do played merry… with some of my muscles! After the parade we had an exclusive performance by Orcas – so beautiful. No so beautiful was the sickly sweet accompanying video screening however…………. After the show we dinner,  drinks and dancing before off to the motel to rest-up for tomorrows hard out netball games.