Wanted Poster

This picture of my nephew (taken by his VBS teacher) made my morning, thought I'd share it with ye socks!

12 Hours at EPCOT

This is what one's niece looks like after a VERY full day playing tourist.

And, yes, those are my socks. They are covering up a pair of feet that are almost as worn out as she is.

We did a LOT of walking today. (In case you didn't know it, EPCOT is an acronym for Everybody Comes Out Tired.)

Had to battle with the elements, too. It was rainy and blustery when we first got to the park this morning. Then, as the cold front finally pushed thru this little corner of heaven, we were forced to break out the sweaters and gloves. Ah, Florida winter weather . . . gotta love it!

Anyway, Miss Morgan provided us with endless entertainment today, the highlight being at the Moroccan restaurant where she boldly left our midday meal to school the natives in the fine art of bellydancinig.

No wonder she is so tired, huh?!

Maybe, this means she (and her brother) will sleep all the way back home tomorrow?

I doubt it.

A Day at Universal

Many thanks go out to Valda of Jenks Manor this evening for graciously hosting my posse at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure today.

Without her authoritative presence as our escort, I don't think we would have survived the throngs of other tourists in the parks this eve of new year's eve.

The niblings particularly enjoyed meeting her better-known co-workers, like Spiderman and The Grinch.

But, I think the highlight was probably the primo spot we staked-out for the Macy's parade. (It's the same one New Yorkers have to brave nasty, wintery weather to see on Thanksgiving.)

Thanks again, Valda!

Four years already?!

Birthday greetings go out to my favorite nephew this fine day.

I'm really looking forward to seeing him (along with his sister and mine) later this month!

No football today?!?

I think this is the closest that yours truly has ever been to PTSD.

With the recent losses of both my beloved Gators and the Apopka Blue Darters, and given the pathetic nature of the Bucs this season, I just didn't know what I would do with all my spare time this weekend.

Forutnately, my little sister came to the rescue with this snapshot of her son's flag football game up in South Carolina.

Not quite the same as watching an SEC gridiron battle on cable TV, but I'll settle for anything at this point.

And, given the scouting reports of Junior Simmons' fierce running game, methinks Tebow's records may fall in about 15 years. Ye Noles fans should also be quaking in your collective boots!

Happy Trails!

It's been so nice having my sister and her family come home to Orlando, even if only for one week.

Today, though, they hit the road on their way back up to South Carolina.

Safe journey, Simmons clan!

Come back soon and often, and try to avoid all the crazy holiday travelers on the interstate!

Spring has sprung!

I thought ye socks might get a kick out of this picture of my nephew, taken while walking around my neighborhood yesterday.

These lillies are sprouting up all over the place.

I think they're a sign that winter is finally drawing to a close, and that Easter is right around the corner.

Pretty soon, the little guy should be able to ditch the hoodie, no?!

The Magic Kingdom will never be the same

Not after these two mousketeers get a hold of it!

According to my spies, their parents are having a pretty good time, too.

Mom has ridden Space Mountain 7 times since the gates opened, and is back in line for another go-round.

And, Dad is riding the bumper cars at Test Track to hone his driving skills for the trip back up I-4.

Fun times in this little corner of heaven today . . .

A day at the Disney Studios

I thought ye socks might get a kick out of this picture my brother-in-law took of the niblings today, using his handy-dandy new Blackberry.

They were visiting the Disney Studios, in case the background befuddled you and the title of this post escaped your attention.

I believe that's the fountain in that mock-up version of New York City they have on property.

A pretty photogenic pair, no?

Vroom! Vroom!

Just thought I'd share this photo my brother-in-law emailed me from his fancy new Blackberry yesterday afternoon.

That's my nephew atop all that horsepower.

I'm wondering if this is the vehicle he's planning on using to come visit his favorite uncle next weekend . . .

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The Miracles of Peppermint

I find myself in a battle with my own sinuses this weekend. Must be the approaching cold front, lowering the barometric pressure, etc.

Anyway, I had a piercing headache last night. Then everything slithered down my throat while I was sleeping. And, today I woke up with a nasty, persistent cough.

I had a few cough drops on hand, but they didn't last very long.

Then, almost like an early Christmas gift, I noticed the vast quantity of candy canes adorning my tree in the corner of the living room. I remembered I had about a dozen left over, and decided to try one of them before schlepping up to the Walgreens for more traditional over-the-counter remedies.

Lo and behold, it worked!

I can get about an hour and a half of cough-free time out of each candy cane!!

There must be some medicinal properties to peppermint. It's been my pre-Christmas miracle today, that's for sure!

Oh, and happy birthday wishes go out today to Tater, Thad, and Mason. I'd call you, but don't know how long the voice would last . . .

Pass the candy canes!!

Road trippin'

Wow, I can't believe it's already been a week since I was getting ready to go on the big Labor Day road trip up to South Carolina.

I also can't believe it's taken me this long to post one of the pictures we took while we were there.

That's my mom, sister, nephew, and niece, in case you were wondering.

Nothing quite so exciting planned for this weekend. The road trip just leads HOME this afternoon. And, that's a good feeling, too!

Hope all you socks out there have a good weekend yourselves.

Cheers!

Thanks, Cousin Patricia!

Happy Labor Day to all the socks out there.

I'm still up here in South Carolina visiting my sister and her kids, but will be back in the fun and sun that is Central Florida later today.

In the mean time, my cousin Patricia Rivero sent me this really cool family photo she scanned over the holiday weekend.

That's my great-great grandmother Lola Blakesley Morgan (1872-1954), otherwise known as "Mammy," wife of the ORIGINAL William Swinney Morgan. The four girls are their daughters Agnes, Laura, Lola, and Isabel.

Turning a negative into a positive

So, I'm up in Charleston visiting my sister and the niblings, and our big "adventure" for the day was SUPPOSED to be a trip up to the neighborhood Publix.

I know, I know, how DO we pack so much excitement into a single day?!

Anyway, after all the shopping was done (and, you socks who know me well, know how much I like shopping) we got out to the car to discover my sister had lost her keys!

That was the bad news.

The good news was her friend Eric also happened to be shopping at the same store at the same time.

So, he was able to run my sister back to her house to get another set of keys. And, in the mean time, I got to take the niblings to a kid-friendly restaurant in the shopping center.

We had a blast!

So much so, we almost forgot about the lost key situation until my sister returned.

Then, to top it all off, we decided to check with the grocery store "lost and found" one more time before we headed back home. And, lo and behold! Someone had returned the keys!

Anyway, what could have been a frustrating situation actually turned out to be a lot of fun.

I love it when that happens!

Latest photos of the niblings

That's my nephew Tater hanging out at the bottom of a slide, and my niece Morgan apparently playing hop-scotch on a shuffleboard deck.

Tater loves Gators!

My sister snapped this (only slightly doctored) picture of my nephew Tater at "Game Day Central."

Makes an uncle proud!

Happy Monday to you!

How cute is this picture?!

In case you don't recognize him, that's my favorite nephew Tater.

All that stuff smeered on his face is what was left of an ice cream dessert he shared with his mom this weekend.

Anyway, stuff like this helps make Mondays bearable.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Even if you can't make it up to Virginia to commemorate the big 400th anniversary this year, you can still play a role in both marking the occasion and preserving our colonial heritage for future generations by contributing to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

I did. And, they sent me a cool plush animal from their historic breeds collection as a "thank you." Last year, they sent me a sheep, which I promptly gave to my niece. And, this year, they've sent me a cow of some sort. Hope my nephew enjoys this one.

But, even if you're not the donating kind, I would encourage you to visit their web site. It's full of really neat information/activities for "kids" of all ages:

http://www.history.org