Guilty Pleasures
Chicago was not nicknamed the Windy City because of a weather pattern, but because Charles Dana, editor of the New York Sun grew tired of hearing Chicagoans boast about the Columbian Exposition- the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. Just one of the many facts from an amazing book that our friend Ann Brinkley gave us, called Our Fifty States.
Anyway, I have a few guilty pleasures on this trip. One is MUNCH bars. OMG, they are these peanuty goodness candy bars. I only let myself have one every week or so, but when I do, WOOHOO!!! Another is my Kindle. I’m a big, big reader. I’ve always loved to read, whether it’s a magazine or a newspaper or a book, and I want to hold the thing. I want to feel the paper, whether glossy or matte. I want to smell the ink, fold the corner of the page (I know, I know, bad…) The thought of using a handheld device for reading always felt like betrayal. However, when Cork told me I could only bring a few books on the trip because of the storage problem, I caved and bought a Kindle. Actually, I bought a Nook that some whizkid took and turned it into something like a Droid Tablet. I can get email or Google things, but most importantly I can read outside or inside or at night… I can download the most recent best sellers or the .99 buys. It’s GREAT!! (Unfortunately, my Nook/Kindle has died. We’re thinking it’s only a power cord, but making a detour to find a Barnes and Noble is not high on the priority list. I miss it!!!) Anyway, one of the interesting things about this trip is it really has pared down what things truly bring me pleasure and what things I could live without. I could live without coffee, but a Coffee Nips (those coffee flavored hard candies) once in a while really rock my world. There are a few things, though, that I continue to hang on to this picture of, forcing my family to try time and time again in the hopes that the picture will be realized. One is roadside diners.
I have this great American Dream picture, probably from reading, that every roadside diner is a 4 star restaurant in disguise. The reality is that on 99% of this trip that has been just that, a picture. We have had countless fried wonders and barely identifiable meals. What makes me think that if someone was truly a wonderful cook they’d be out in the middle of nowhere serving people without teeth? Perhaps the one thing I keep trying for (hopefully I’m done!) in hopes of perfection is hollandaise. My mom used to make the best hollandaise on the planet, so I know what it should taste like. Light, lemony, creamy. It’s totally bad for you, which is why I only have it maybe twice a year. Anyway, my thought process goes something like this: Why would someone have hollandaise on the menu if it isn’t homemade? I mean, why serve it? It’s not that hard to make.” So every time we’re at one of these diners and they have hollandaise on the menu, I fall for it. And every single time, without fail, the hollandaise is this disgusting Knorr’s stuff that looks and feels like snot and is devoid of flavor. And guess what? I’ve now ordered a meal with hollandaise at least 6 times! I think I’m finally through…
We left Orlando yesterday on our way to New Orleans. In Orlando I was mother, wife, sister. In Orlando Lily was daughter, half-sister, aunt, niece. In Orlando Cork was father, husband, grandfather, brother-in-law. It was crazy! Part of this trip was planned because my sister, Frances, turns 50 on the 26th of October and my older sister, Alison, was taking her to Disney World and then on a cruise to the Grand Bahamas. Cork’s son, Marcel, and his grandsons, Max (20) and Montana (14) live in Orlando and Marcel and his wife Amy (hi Marcel and Amy!!!) work for Disney. Lily had never met Montana, and none of us had met Amy, so it made sense to make Orlando a destination. Orlando isn’t really my style. I’m just not a crowd/traffic/chain restaurant person. That being said, thanks to my mom (thanks mom!!!) we landed in a spacious two-bedroom resort about a mile from Animal Kingdom, the place Fran really, really wanted to go, and thanks to Amy and Marcel, we were treated to passes to Disney World, including fast passes (which allow you to skip to the front of the line for the rides.)
On Saturday Alison, Frances, Lily, Montana and I went to Animal Kingdom. Montana was the ultimate guide. He knew all the shortcuts and how to get around and the best places to eat etc… We had a blast and I think Frances really felt special. Lily and Montana got to take off on their own every so often, which for Lily was GREAT!
Orlando didn’t come without its stress, though. Before Lily was born my older sister and Cork had a falling out which has never been completely resolved. I won’t go into what it was about, but there’s definitely stuff there which makes it uncomfortable if not impossible for them to be in the same room together. That makes it really hard on me. I spend a lot of energy figuring out ways to keep everyone happy and separate, and I always feel like I’m letting someone down. I think I managed it fairly well on this trip, but it makes me sad. The real tragedy is I think Alison and Cork would actually enjoy each other… The three sisters had a really nice time though. I’m not sure I would have wanted to go on the cruise, but I would have LOVED to have spent a few days on an island reading… (now that my Kindle died I’m not reading as much ‘cuz the light will keep Lily and Cork awake at night… boo hoo) I love my sisters!!!
Anyway, we had 2+ days of totally spacious living and hospitality and since there were no convenient RV parks, we’re now in a Hampton Inn on our way east. Cork and I were both sad when we realized that this turn to the east marked the beginning of our return home. Our reluctance to begin the end is only balanced by Lily’s total excitement. Her excitement is actually pretty irritating since I feel as if she’s spent a good portion of the trip bitching about going home and has missed much of the wonder that the trip has held, but that’s for another writing (one that’s been festering for a while) so beware!
(So Lily is my daughter, Marcel’s half-sister, Alison and Fran’s niece and Max and Montana’s aunt… I know there’s a riddle in there somewhere…)
(More pictures later...)
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| Aunt Lily and Montana |
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| Montana, Lily, Alison, Frances |
