Doug is having his permanent crowns put on this week and I have an abcessed tooth that needs to be taken care of (failed root canal)(oooowwww, my face hurts) and some old fillings replaced.
We're flying out of Orlando this time. JetBlue has direct service from ORL to SJO, which means no stop at the dreaded Miami International Airport. We leave Sunday morning at a civilized 10:25 AM (no 4AM wakeup call).
Phoebe the Bouv is going to shack up with her boyfriend for the week. Ah, Bouv love -- mention the name Lucky and Phoebe is galloping her old self down the street.
We took Phoebe for her morning stroll where she delighted in the first real cool snap we've had in Florida and she "read all the pee mail" and stopped for pets from the neighbors. We packed up her kibble and bowls, treats and snacks while she looked on with doggy trepidation -- then we said -- "wanna go see Lucky". I tell you, that great hairy beast is smitten - she began wagging and barking so off we went. Here is a picture of the "happy couple"...
Phoebe is the huge, rug looking beast in the background -- that adorable little fluffball in front is Lucky.
We went back to the house, turned everything off, set the alarm system, packed the car and then............... nothing, Doug turned the key and all we heard was that annoying clickety click sound that signals a dead battery. O Happy Day. Doug went into that man-cave of a shed and came out with the battery charger - 10 minutes later we're off to Batteries Plus and a new car battery.
The ride to Orlando was uneventful and we found our hotel (La Quinta - the older one) and decided to go to dinner. Have you ever been to one of those dinner show things? No, we hadn't either. We explored the options and chose the Pirate Dinner Theatre. They advertised three levels - the first being in the "common room" for cocktail hour, the second in the "Governor's Suite with a visit from the Royal Princess" and then you could upgrade your meal further. We shot for the whole-kit-n-kaboodle.
6:00 PM and we're escorted down the red carpet (seriously, they had one) into the Governor's Suite -- I pulled out my trusty camera to share photos with you and wham -- my blasted batteries are about dead. I went to the gift shop and the nice kid said he'd look for some when we were taken into the dinner theatre itself and he would bring them to me. Nice kid. The appetizers were little chicken cordon bleu's, mini quiche, shrimp cocktail, cheese and crackers, crudite and ham slices. Nice fare -- for my foodie friends, let me just say that dinner theatre is more about the theatre and less about the dinner - so crank down your palette and just have fun. The princess came in and introduced herself, welcoming us to her father's palace (they really did a nice job -- crystal chandeliers, red and gold flocked wallpaper, huge chairs, etc.) She assured us that the "rumors of pirates in the area were overblown and all was well. As she turned to leave the little ones clamored around her and she was gracious enough to chat and pose with each and every little girl that clung to her skirts. I have to say, she was lovely too -- in that way only 20-somethings can be, just beautiful - she actually looks quite a bit like Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Out in the "common area" (set up as a waterfront) there was plenty of action between the guests and the actors then the commotion was set off -- Pirates invaded and we were all "captured" and brought into the Theatre proper. I wish I had batteries for the camera and I wish that the batteries that young man gave me weren't dead too, because the room was impressive -- a 300,000 gallon 'lagoon' with a pirate ship whose masts were 40' tall was the center -- sails and rigging, crows nest -- the whole thing just amazing. The room was sectioned into 6 separate "ships" for we prisoners, all color coded and managed by a pirate in corresponding colors.
They involved the patrons, they had singing and dancing, acrobats and gymnastics, cannon fire and pistols flaring, sword play and pirates swinging from the rigging all over the place. Nicely done, very nicely done. The food was less than stellar but I'll tell you what - we were determined to just have fun and we did. So what -- the food was just "eh", the focus was on the entertainment and staging and that was ALL wonderful. The children were excited and entranced, the people who were picked to help the pirates were all great sports (Doug was on stage! Stupid camera) and the players were great fun. 3 1/2 hours from start to finish. Would I do it again? Absolutely. It's goofy and can be a bit cheesy but fun. Do it once -- you KNOW you want to.
Back to the hotel and we're sacking out to get up at a civilized 7AM.
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