I am really bad at blogging...

Let me start off by posting this just to get it out of the way:
nameplates
Feel free to ignore that.

Instead of trying to make a coherent blog post, I will just update you on my social calendar for the coming weeks:

I am on the softball team. If Isaac holds off, we have a game tomorrow. Likely not going to happen.

For my friend Ashley's birthday we are going to Boma.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party on Sept. 11th, we are all going to be Haunted Mansion characters. I am working on my costume now. I'll be sure to post pics.

I start rehearsals soon for the candlelight processional WHOO! CANDLELIGHT PROCESSIONAL!

Oct. 1 is Epcot's 30th anniversary. My friends and I are going to Epcot dressed in 80s wear just like it's opening day. That should be a blast!

I don't know what we are doing for Stephanie's half birthday...

We booked Party for the Senses on November 3rd. So much food, so much wine, so much WIN!

For Leanna's birthday we are going to Biergarten.

We are planning on having family thanksgiving at my apartment. I have agreed to tackle the turkey, so that means we're having thanksgiving on MY DAY OFF.

My family is coming on Dec. 11th to see Candlelight. I got the day off, too!

For now, that's all I've got.

Car is packed (for now)!

Blogging at 1 AM? Sounds like a plan. I'm leaving in 4 hours for Disney and I can't sleep. This is for several reasons, the first being that I took too long of a nap -_-'. Never nap for longer than 15 minutes and expect your sleep schedule to be normal that night.

So I think I have everything I need from home with the exception of everything I left in Naples. Why move all of my stuff to Ohio then turn around to move it back? I still had the lease on my apartment and it just made sense to keep everything closer to Orlando. What is in my car now, you ask? EMPTY BOXES!! Aw yeah, moving like a pro. I also took extra clothes (I will be down in Florida longer) as well as a few key items I was missing from my apartment (notably a potato peeler).

My dad and I have a long drive tomorrow, and while we have the option to stop along the way, we probably won't. Just drive straight through and then get a nice long sleep knowing we're at our final destination. But here's the best news about that journey... I'M GOING TO COOK OUT! I love that restaurant. They are prevalent in the carolinas, but not north or south of there. Good thing we're eating there. I could certainly use a peanut butter banana milkshake...

Other than that, it's just packing up the apartment and driving to Orlando. We'll get in on Tuesday sometime and the only thing we have planned is meeting my roommates for dinner. Wednesday is check in for the college program, and then... who knows?

One thing is certain: When I get to my apartment, I am making a definitive list of the kitchen items included in a DCP apartment and posting them here. No such list exists that I have found and it is quite frustrating. After Wednesday I will also be adding a post (or more???) about my first few days of the program (quite exciting!).

Also, a nostalgic moment to share: my brother and I finished playing through Banjo-Tooie about an hour ago! It is an old N64 game that we never beat when we were younger. We picked it up last week and played through it before I left again. Fun times. Those are the things I'll miss while I'm away, but such is life. Growing up, people. It's serious stuff :)

DCP - Time flies!

I am quickly coming to the realization that the Disney College Program is just around the corner! I leave on Mother's Day with my dad to head back down to Naples, FL to get the stuff I left in my apartment. Some people may say that is mean, leaving my mom on Mother's Day, but that is actually my present for her :) She is a florist, so Mother's Day is not a holiday for her, it's one of the busiest work days of the year!!!

I have been trying to set aside things I am taking with me, but I just feel like it's too soon, even though it isn't! My time at home has been short, and my time away will be even longer this go around. 8 months! And if I get a job or choose to extend, it will be even longer! But it's fine, because my family just loves to visit Disney, and now they have a reason to come down more often.

I can't wait to meet my roommates in person, I can't wait to get my costume, go to traditions... it's going to be such a blast. I just know it. I am hoping to take advantage of all of the opportunities that Disney has to offer. PSYCHED!

Snorkeling in the Keys!

Whoo! More Spring Break action! I decided to take a day trip to Key Largo florida to snorkel at the famous John Pennekamp park. What a blast! The original plan was to go to Key West, but then I realized that the snorkeling place was in Key Largo. CHANGE OF PLANS!

I hoped to go on the Noon snorkeling trip (with an almost 3 hour drive to make before the swim) but they had no availability. With the options of 9 AM, 3 PM, and 5:30 PM, I of course made the logical choice; 9 AM. -_-' That meant leaving my apartment at 5:00 AM because you have to be at the park by 8 AM for the 9 AM snorkel. AHHHH! I dragged my butt out of bed and drove the 2 hours and 45 minutes to the park. It was cool to drive as the sun was coming up, and there wasn't really traffic until 6:30 AM. Also, there was a coupon for the 9 AM snorkel...

So I got to the park and was surprised to see that it was in the most tourist trap-y area EVER! Tons of discount Keys merchandise locations, etc., etc. The park itself was quite nice, though. It is mostly a water park, so while there are lots of places to swim, canoe, kayak, snorkel, etc. there aren't really places to just walk around (Like there were at the Slough and Big Cypress). I got to the shop where you paid for the snorkel boat and rented your equipment and I was 5th in line. Within 5 minutes the line was out the door of the building! Good thing I got there when I did.

I met some nice people in line and asked if they had used the coupon. They all said no. Not a problem! The one couple just pulled the coupon up on their smart phone and the other family said they couldn't print the coupon because their printer wasn't working. No one who worked there cared. The coupon is from their website, so they might as well just offer the morning tour for a discount instead of having a coupon.

So I got a rental slip for my mask and fins, bought my snorkel (That says John Pennekamp on it, fancy!), and went back to my car to put on sunscreen and pack away my stuff for the few hours I would be gone. I brought a ziploc bag for my car keys and took nothing else on the boat. I figured there would be a place on the boat to put things and quickly realized that the place was the floor. With many openings along the side of the boat, I was worried about the keys flying away, and there was no way I was putting the keys in my swimsuit pocket for an hour and a half of swim time. Turns out I was sitting by the couple whom I told about they coupon and they gladly let me store my keys in one of the pockets on their beach bag. Thanks, guys!

We got some safety instructions, boarded the boat, and set off on our 30 minute trip across the ocean to our snorkeling destination. I am not someone who gets sick on boats, except when they are speedboats going into rough ocean waters. Ugh! I did not actually get sick, which was good. I did not want to be that person.

Other than rough waters, the boat ride was neat. It helped me to decide that airboat tours of the Everglades are NOT for me! I did a swamp walk and got plenty of boat action in that half hour out and half hour back at John Pennekamp. Thanks but no thanks.

We stopped at the Grecian Rocks and I opted to take the quick snorkeling lesson at the front of the boat. Just an overview of how to kick with fins, where to place the mask, etc. I found out that it is illegal to stand up at the coral reef! If you stand up, you can kill a lot of living things. So you were either swimming or you were on the boat. One lady got in the water and was having a hard time of it so she went back to the boat right away. Everyone else stayed out at least for a little while. I stayed out as long as I could! When I first got in the water, I was hyperventilating (I noticed that I did that at Typhoon Lagoon the last time I "Snorkeled"). I just took a moment to remind my brain that I wasn't actually drowning and then went on my way. It was so cool! Lots of coral, some lobsters, barracuda, conch, and I even swam with a school of fish for awhile, just because I could.

Got back to the park, rinsed off, changed into dry clothes, and took a look around the store. I also ate some of the nilla wafers I had brought for the car to settle my stomach. In addition to the sea sickness I managed to swallow a mouthful of saltwater right before we got back on the boat! There was a small building ("aquarium") that I looked in briefly, but after swimming right alongside the fish and the coral, and aquarium just doesn't do it.

I went to a place called Hobo's for lunch (It came highly rated on tripadvisor.com). It was okay at best. I enjoyed the seat and the AC and the key lime pie was great, but my food was really mediocre, verging on bad. I got an appetizer instead of an entree. It was coconut lobster and shrimp. Sounded great, and they use actual fresh caught shimp and lobster, but my big problem was the breading. They didn't season the meat before the breaded it and the breading was literally just coconut shavings. No other seasonings, no flour or breadcrumbs or anything to break up the coconut. I felt like I was just eating a big bag of semi-burnt coconut shavings. I ended up scraping a lot of the coconut off, and much to my dismay the shrimp was not entirely cleaned out in addition to its lack of flavor. Eeegh. I also got a side of creamed spinach, but it wasn't great either. It was very acidic (like someone dumped some extra lemon juice in the batch) and way too liquid-y. It was more of a spinach dip than creamed spinach. I ate it with the coconut shrimp/lobster to make both more palatable. And I'm being totally honest, here. Was it a terrible restaurant? I don't know because I only really ate one dish, one side, and one dessert. Just don't order coconut anything when you go there. (On a side note, the dish was served with a side of coconut sauce. Really? Like I didn't get enough coconut, I need a glaze to enhance the coconut flavor???)

And that was it! I went home after nearly 5 hours on Key Largo. Some notable places I passed on my drive:

Jewfish Creek (home to, I'm sure, a great number of Jewfish. Reference photo below.)

Surprise lake (probably named when someone was walking around at night and fell into the water. SURPRISE! It's a lake!)

Mutineers (A restaurant I probably would have liked better than Hobo's because they had karaoke)

I'm going to a yoga class tonight that the apartment yoga instructor teaches off site. It is free, so I can't say no! I LOVE YOGA!

DCP - Classes!

If you are arriving early enough for Fall Advantage 2012, you can officially sign up for your classes! I had already picked my Summer and Fall class (I think one a term is plenty) and just had to click on the right buttons to get myself registered for Summer II term. I am taking Experiential Learning. It isn't the most popular course (One of the classes I know of you spend half of your class sessions in the parks and at resorts, that fills up quickly) but it is the most relevant to me! Experiential Learning talks about educational theorists like Piaget, Kolb, and Dewey. Those names might not sound familiar to you, but to an education student, they are common knowledge. I think it will be nice to see education from the Disney perspective. There is even one class meeting titled "Education through Entertainment." My kind of class!

For the Fall term I am planning on taking a seminar class called "Entertainment Show Production" which sounds right up my alley, wouldn't you agree?

So this Experiential Learning course meets on  Mondays from 9AM-12PM, which isn't bad. 3 hours is a typical seminar course length and I know I can sit through a class for that amount of time. It meets at Vista Way, and since I plan on living at Patterson, I have a feeling I will drive to class as a treat to myself on Monday mornings :) We have to wear business casual clothing to class or we are allowed to wear our costume if we have to go into work after class. I have plenty of business casual clothing, so that shouldn't be a problem.

PS: Some of the classes have fees associated with them. I managed to pick one of the most expensive classes at $23 -_-' but like I said, it is a way to keep my education current while I work at Walt Disney World. Also, $23 for a college credit course is a great deal! AP exams are more expensive and there is no guarantee you'll even get credit for those.

Nature!

I have experienced the Florida Wilderness (AKA the swamp)! After two days of serious outdoorsy activity, let's just say I was ready for some AC and a nice long nap :)

It started on Friday, my first day of Spring Break! I got a call from some ladies from my church (who were visiting a friend in Florida) and they wanted to get together for the day. Done! We decided to meet at Sun Harvest Citrus to start our fun-filled day.

Can I say enough times how much I LOVE Florida citrus??? They were bottling fresh squeezed juice in house and you could watch the process through big picture windows. In addition to that, they had free samples of fruit and juices! The juice was all orange based (except the lemonade) and I wasn't too thrilled with any of it. I dislike oranges... But they had a free sample of tangelos and that I did enjoy. So much so that I bought a little souvenir with a brilliant plan in mind...

Ever heard of a Citra-Sipper? Me either, but it is so cool! It's basically a little straw with a screw end that you put into a fruit and drink straight from the fruit! Who bought that and some tangelos? THIS KID! I love tangelo juice :)

So as a final treat, I bought a soft serve cone of Key Lime/Chocolate swirl. Sounds weird, tastes amazing. The key lime was subtle and the chocolate reminded me of an oreo crust, yum!

After that, the ladies had planned to visit the Six Mile Cypress Slough (Pronounced "Slew"). They have a raised boardwalk so that you can walk over the swamp, pretty cool. The walk was only 1.2 miles (not six, thank goodness!) and it was pretty cool. We got to see a bunch of turtles, baby gators, birds, and even a very large wild pig! All in their natural habitat (and not in a zoo kind of way).

We left the Slough at around 4PM at which point I was SERIOUSLY ready for lunch! They picked a restaurant called Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes. Oh, so good. It's a giant salad bar with so many toppings! They also have soup and some bakery items. All very fresh, all very tasty. I think Jessica would like it, but I also don't think they have any up north... oh well. The other cool thing about the restaurant is that you can eat it as a buffet OR you can just get one plate. I got water because I was feeling a little dehydrated, but they had some super awesome looking teas!

On to the next day! I had signed up for a free swamp walk in the Everglades National Park. I went to Goodwill the night before and picked up a $2 pair of shoes and a $5 pair of jeans. I also bought a $2 tshirt, but it turns out I didn't really need that.

So I went to the welcome center at 10 AM (I had to leave my apartment at 8:45, ugh!) and I was a little early. I was also the first person there of five who were on the schedule. They gave me a walking stick and I got to chat with some of the park staff about visiting the Slough the day before. Once everyone else arrived, our guide took us out for our walk. It was supposed to last up to 2 hours, but we got back within 1 and a half. I have a feeling it was because our group was small.

We walked across the street and out into the "plains" area. There were some animal tracks, we talked about some cool plants, and then we went into the heart of the swamp! Fun fact: In the dry season, the mosquitoes are practically non-existent because there is a little fish in the swamp that eats mosquito larvae. Thanks little fish!

For a dry season, the swamp was still pretty damp. Let's just say I'm glad I bought gross shoes. I spent the first 15 minutes of the tour laughing uncontrollably because every time I took a step my feet would sink into the mud and make a farting sound. Everyone else's feet did this too, but apparently they didn't find it as funny. I got myself under control eventually.

We did find a gator hole (Which is just a lower part of the swamp that has been dug out by gators) and the water there was ankle deep and quite cold. Other than that, just mud.

All in all quite a fun few days in the great outdoors!

DCP - 50 Days

I thought no one was reading this so I stopped posting, but my dad told me that Debbie reads this, so Debbie, this post is for you :)

I was worried I wouldn't make it until the DCP because I just wanted to leave right away, but now that my teaching has really picked up (I am now also working with some of the elementary school teachers) time is flying by! I have something like 6 days left of teaching when you figure in Spring Break. Speaking of which, one of the days of break, I am definitely visiting the Florida Keys! I feel like I'm so close that a trip would be worth it. I'll see how similar the Keys are to OKW!!

So a quick catch up on the Disney Challenge (photos only, unless I really feel the need to explain, lol)

Post a picture or video to your profile for each day! Don't forget to tag @30 Day Disney Challenge when you post!!

Day #10: Your favorite original character (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, etc.)
Donald, but only this Donald.

Day #11: Your favorite song
Zero to Hero. Sing it all the time.

Day #12: Your favorite love song
A Whole New World... which I also sing a lot... both parts... lol

Day #13: Your favorite villain song
So many... Gaston, Hellfire (Frollo), Be Prepared, Prince Ali... I sing them all. It's too hard to pick. NEXT QUESTION!

Day #14: Your least favorite song
Any song sung by Snow White. It grates my eardrums.

Day #15: Your favorite kiss
I must say, I never really paid attention... Something to watch for next time, I guess.

Day #16: The first movie you saw
The first one I remember is...

Sing Along Songs!!!

Day #17: Your favorite classic
Aren't they all classic? I guess if we're talking older films I would say Pinocchio.

Day #18: Your least favorite classic
I guess Bambi.

Day #19: Your favorite Pixar film
Up! or Monster's Inc.
 

Day #20: Your least favorite Pixar film
Bolt. It was weird.

Day #21: Favorite sequel
Toy Story II

Day #22: An overrated movie
High School Musical -gag-

Day #23: An underrated movie
Hunchback of Notre Dame

Day #24: A movie that makes you laugh
Rocket Man!

Day #25: A movie that makes you cry
Fox and the Hound :(

Day #26: Your favorite scene from your favorite movie
Too many to choose. I abstain!

Day #27: Saddest death
Ellie

Day #28: Your favorite quote

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” - Winnie the Pooh

Day #29: Your favorite theme park
Epcot :)

Day #30: Your favorite theme park attraction/ride
The Tomorrowland Transit Authority :)

DCP - 72 Days

-sigh- I emailed DCP today because I still haven't gotten my Onboarding Email. I got my purple postcard, but I'm concerned because I know the email has information I'll need before I check in. Hopefully I'll get a response sooner than later :)

Today's Disney Challenge? Favorite couple!

Are these folks considered a couple???

I don't know either, guys, but I'll allow it! Statler and Waldorf. I love their back and forth! I have not seen the new Muppets movie, so I can't comment on that, but every other Muppet thing I've seen with these guys I have thoroughly enjoyed :)

DCP - 73 Days

I cannot WAIT to get to Disney! Blogging is not helping.

I have some distraction, though, because I am officially in charge of my classroom starting tomorrow AHHH! We're doing stage makeup bruises and scars. That should be fun. The kids all seem excited. From there, it becomes a bit more "academic" and I hope they respond as favorably...

So, Day 8 of this Disney Challenge thing: Your Favorite Villain (MUA HA Ha ha ha...)

I like LOTS of Disney villains, so this was a tough choice, but I went with...

The Wicked Queen! Classic. I just find her so very nefarious :) 

DCP - 74 Days (Missed one!)

I went to a local Strawberry festival yesterday and ended up forgetting to post on my blog... not because the festival was exciting or anything, because it really wasn't. Very small, literally nothing to do, but they had AMAZING strawberry shortcake. Om nom nom.

I also went to World Market to get some Lemon soda and Bueno bars (YES!) and I stopped at Target and Kohls as well.

Now back to the challenge. You get 2 today because I missed one.

Day 6: Your Favorite Animal

I guess they mean Disney animal :) Because if not, I do love a giraffe...

Again, this one is a bit of a no brainer when you read through previous posts.

Rajah, bam.

Day 7: Your Favorite Sidekick

Clopin! He's a sidekick, right? I love his wit. Hunchback is another of my favorite Disney movies. And again, singing. I mean, very few Disney characters don't sing, but still.

DCP - 76 Days

Just typing out the title makes me feel better :)

A note about my personal life: I got tons of sewing done yesterday. I feel very accomplished.

A note about chicken in the trash: Don't put it there... or make sure your trash is outside... I woke up at 3 AM to chicken smell all over my apartment :( I set the trash by the door to take out in the morning, but I was thinking 9 AM, not 3 AM!!! I attacked the trash with bathroom spray and took it out when I woke up. Then I opened a window. Gross.

So I jumped the gun yesterday because today's Disney Challenge is...

Your Favorite Hero:

If you follow my blog, you already know the answer.

HERC-U-LES, HERC-U-LES, HERC-U-LES, HERC-U-leeeEEEESSS...

That sounded better in my head. Seriously though, this is one of my favorite Disney movies. Love the music, love the animation, love, love love. We had a "Star Party" at the summer camp where I worked and we all had to paint t-shirts that would glow in the dark. I painted Herc on mine and wrote "a STAR is born!" Best t-shirt ever.

DCP - 77 Days

I almost forgot to post today... I have been cooking White Chicken Chili since yesterday. Finally got it finished and put in the fridge. Good chili needs to cook a long while :)

And, on an especially positive note, I cut fresh jalapenos and DIDN'T GET CAPSAICIN IN MY EYES!!! That is officially a first!

So here's day 4 of the challenge: Your Favorite Prince

Hercules???

Nope. Not a prince :(

So we'll go with Aladdin!

(Tee hee) If it can't be Herc, Aladdin is a pretty cool guy. I like his songs!

And since this post is so long already, let me tell you my LEAST favorite Disney "Prince"

Why? Because of THIS GUY

Donny Osmond. Now, did I love Donny in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! Why don't I like him as General Shang...? I don't know, it just creeps me out.

DCP - 78 Days (And free pancakes!)

That's right, free pancakes at Ihop until 10 PM. Guess where I'm going for dinner? lol. Will I spend extra money there despite my promises to myself not to? More than likely. At least a glass of milk, right?

And now for the Disney Challenge, day 3

Your Favorite Heroine: Belle

She's a heroine, right? And I can't resist a heroine who SINGS! I love singing.

And may I just say that when I saw Beauty and the Beast 3d I was the ONLY person in the theatre and I definitely sang every song... and a manager came in twice... I think she was afraid I was upsetting the other patrons... but there weren't any :)

DCP - 79 Days

Day two of the Disney Challenge, it isn't really making the time go by any faster...

Your favorite Disney Princess: Jasmine!

Now let me be clear about this, Jasmine being my favorite princess has very little to do with her Jasmine-ness. In fact, the reason I like Jasmine is due to another character entirely...

Rajah! I had a stuffed rajah (so did my cousin) and we used to dress them up, etc. In the spirit of being an OCD child, I of course always wanted to dress up like Jasmine because then I would match my lovely tiger. So there you have it.

DCP - 80 days and the start of the 30 day Disney challenge

To my fellow May 16th CPers, CAN YOU STAND IT!?!?!? I just got back from a trip to Disney and I'm still jazzed about going back! There are a lot of things I need to do between now and when I check in at Vista Way, but I decided to start the 30 day Disney photo challenge to help pass the time.

So, here it goes: Day 1 - Your Favorite Disney Character

WINNIE THE POOH!

I thought long and hard about this, and when I really got down to it, Winnie the Pooh is clearly my favorite. I have no idea why he is, I just know that he is. So cute, so cuddly, and I love it! I don't care if everyone in my family says I have pooh on my shirt -_-'

ON ANOTHER NOTE: I have my roommates for DCP! We met on the May 16th facebook page and I have a feeling we're going to be great friends :) I can't wait to meet the girls in person!

State Fair part 2

After Cracker Country, it was going on 3 PM and I was SUPER hungry. My new mission was to find lunch/dinner ASAP!

I found something that I had never seen before and it sounded super yummy, so I gave it a shot:

Cavatapi pasta with a meatball served in a GARLIC BREAD BOWL! Just as tasty as it sounds, people. I was afraid the garlic bread taste would only be on the outside, but it turns out that they brushed the inside of the bowl with garlic spread and quickly toasted it to order. I was very confused by the guy selling the pasta because A) There was a midway guy shouting behind me and I couldn't hear him very well and B) He was trying to be funny and told me that you could only buy the pasta in a bread bowl if you ordered 2 of them. I was like "I don't want two of them" and I was really sad because I thought I would have to find something else to eat, lol.

I sat down to eat my pasta and watched part of the Lumberjack Show. It was like a competition between lumberjacks with lots of corny jokes, lol. I finished my pasta and I was STUFFED so I decided more walking was in order. I wandered around the "mall" area for awhile where there was more food along with booths selling airbrushed tees, old time photos, etc. Lots of cheap junk... and a cooking demonstration, lol. There were three different cooking demonstrations that I saw at the fair. Apparently one of the sponsors is a cookware company.

As I was wandering, I found the ultimate state fair entertainment... HOLLYWOOD PIG RACERS!!!! Their last show was in 10 minutes and I knew I had to take a seat. I found a spot up front where I could get some photos of the pigs in action. According to a newspaper article I read about the fair, pig races were often standing room only. Good thing I got a spot to sit down, lol. It was a fun time. The show was only 15 minutes long and, again, was very corny. The crowd was cheering for the pigs while they ran around the ring, super cute. Here is a picture. There is a video on my facebook page.

Tee hee! At the end of the show, the host told everyone about the free petting zoo next door. I went there next. Inside, you could pay $1 for some animal food. I didn't feed any animals, but I enjoyed watching the giraffe taking carrots from peoples' hands.

It was near 5 PM and I had about an hour left at the fair. There was a circus show at 5:30, but I wasn't interested. Instead, I went to the livestock barns. On the way, I spotted some... interesting food options.


The burger booth had lots of other, equally appalling options. I also saw deep fried bubblegum, deep fried kool-aid, and lots of other foods you would only find at a fair.


I'll save my deep fried treat for later...







The livestock barns had some cool exhibits. They were hatching chickens in one and there were some newborn chicks trying to waddle around -precious-. The best exhibit was the FFA all the way at the back of the fair. They had an "orchard" where you could pick an orange and squeeze it yourself for some fresh orange juice. I also tried a kumquat (delicious) and played Cattle Trivia (I lost, but the girl running it said I could try again if I wanted to win a hamburger shaped yoyo. (Thanks, but no thanks). You could also "milk a cow" (a statuette that squirted water when you touched the udder, tee hee) and make your own butter. Apparently it just takes heavy whipping cream and a lot of shaking. I opted to not deal with the butter because I wanted to take pictures and needed my hands free.

Then it was time for my ultimate fair food experience. I had read about this treat online and knew I wanted one for dessert. My pasta had settled and I was ready to conquer...

THE CANDY COMBOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

1 deep fried Milky Way bar, 2 deep fried oreos, and 1 deep fried reese's peanut butter cup. So many calories, but it was a one time thing and I couldn't resist.

Top left: Milky Way, Top right: Oreo, Bottom center: Reeses

It was DELICIOUS! And also made me feel like I was going to be sick... BUT DELICIOUS! I sat to eat my dessert and the lumberjack show was on again. Still funny the second time, lol.

That was it! One quick stop at the tea co. for my take home refill and I was off towards home. I got back at 10 til 9. Pretty good timing if I do say so myself.

SURPRISE! Day off and the STATE FAIR!

Happy Valentines day :)

I found out that I got the day off, so I decided to go to the state fair! Were there other, more productive things I could have done? Absolutely. Still, I have never been to a state fair and I really wanted to go!

The fair was in Tampa, so about 2:30 hours from my apartment. I equated it to driving to Columbus from my house. No big deal! I decided to leave around 10 AM and knew I wanted to be home by 9 PM. That meant that by the time I ran some errands on my way to the fair, I had a total of 5 hours to poke around.

Let me start by saying WOW! I was not anticipating the size of the fair! There were tons of expo halls, an entire turn of the century village, and two midways! Not to mention the barns for all of the fair animals. I have some photos to chronicle my journey:

I entered through Gate 1, how exciting, lol. My first stop was the main Expo hall where they basically had a business expo running. Samples of lotions, video demonstrations, etc. It was nice to wander around here for a bit, but I wanted to get outside to the real "fair" stuff so I didn't spend too long inside.

Because I got to the fair at 1PM, I was pretty hungry, but I wanted to make sure I picked the right food, so I wandered a lot before eventually buying something to eat. I started on the main midway. It was crazy! Lots of rides (I didn't feel the need to ride anything) and even more people yelling from their game booths. Some guy was yelling about my "Cheer" shirt (it was a choir shirt, lol) and wanted me to come win a prize. I just pulled out my map and kept walking. I didn't find anything I wanted to eat on the midway, so I moved on.

I ended up in the craft hall next. There were lots of different vendors, many of them selling things I've seen at Yankee Peddler, Shaker Woods, etc. Then I found my favorite booth ever... LOG CABIN TEA CO.!!!!! They were at Shaker Woods and I bought some really yummy tea from them. Turns out they were selling cups of iced tea that you could get refills on ALL DAY! I bought a 16oz. cup for $2 and for the rest of the day I could refill it for $1 each time. I ended up refilling it twice. One of the refills is in my fridge waiting for lunch tomorrow -yum-.

Then I wandered through the hall where they had the ribbon winners for different arts, crafts, plants, fish, wine, etc. There was a sand sculpture at the entrance.

Here are some of my favorite exhibits from inside:

Cool, huh?




Then I went to Cracker Country, the living history museum of Florida in the 1900s. It was similar to Hale Farm/Yankee Peddler. There were hands on exhibits, walk through areas, and some items for sale. I got to make a postcard on a printing press FOR FREE!!!

This post is getting long, so I will continue in a second post in a moment...