JOURNAL: Weekend Report

I just got back from an overnight in Orlando and some run-around-errand-doing, and I just feel like I lay down a mind spill about it.

As mentioned in the last post, I was heading to Orlando for some dim sum. I met up with Pom and her friend Jephanie, also a local restaurateur, at the busy Ming's Bistro off of Mills Ave. There wasn't so much the fancy Asian ambiance, but the food was delicious. The breakthroughs for me were their chive cake dumplings, shrimp-stuffed eggplant, and lotus-paste sesame balls; they were phenomenal. I'll definitely be bringing my family over there the next time they visit (in addition to Pom Pom's and Boma).

Food Pic and OW Review
From there, Pom and I did some grocery shopping and headed back to her apartment to relax and to start prepping dinner (we invited Jephanie and Lindsey over). Pom prepared a Hungarian meat sauce for pasta, and put together some sangria (ala blush wine, sprite, orange juice, and fresh pineapple, mango, and apples). I was the official escort for the night. The food was very nice -- clean flavors and hearty, healthy. I admire Pom's talent in the kitchen and what a good person she is. I had downed a glass-and-a-half of the sangria, so my head was reeling some from the quick sugar-and-alcohol intake (it's been a while), so I called it a night "early" and slept deep.

Drink Pic
In the morning, Pom and I lazed in the living room watching E! news then decided to head out for breakfast. I first suggested Panera's but decided to take Pom over the the P-House instead (on a whim). I felt a need for something calm and gay. I've eaten at the Rainbow Cafe for breakfast before, and it was good. This morning, I had the french toast, home fries, and grits; it was simple and exactly what I needed. I cleaned my plate, just like at all the other meals I've had this weekend.

After dropping Pom off at her apartment, I still had a craving for bagels from Panera's (not so much to eat right then, but to have... my precious), so I drove over to the one by Lake Eola and picked up a baker's dozen (mixed). I've had the craving for a couple weeks now. Spurned on by hearing of one of my friend's near-daily ritual, it also reminds me of visiting my sister -- she'd pick me up from the airport then drop me off at the house to play with the doggies while she goes back to work; she'd tell me that there are some bagels from Panera's in the freezer if I'm hungry. And that's a really good memory.

Anyways, after dropping the bagels off in the car, I decided to take the camera out and walk around the lake to check out the "newly" repainted amphitheater -- this was done by the Disney Company, so this walk would serve both as my Disney fix and my exercise for the day [read: week]. Also happening was the Lake Eola Sunday Market. I didn't buy anything, but it was nice to walk around and see people outside enjoying the day for the day. It was a nice send off back to Melbourne.

I miss Orlando already.
Eola Pics