JOURNAL: Herb Garden (Jul 11, 2009)

Here are a few photos of my friend Herb's Garden from earlier last month.

Enjoy.

[more photos after the jump]...

JOURNAL: Viera Chick-fil-a Grand-O Visit

Today was a fine day. I was a bit tired from having exercised so late last night, but I managed.

After work, I stopped again at McDonald's... well, two of them. I've started to become a bit obsessive with the whole Teenie Beanie Babies promotion again. And even though I'm not trying to collect all 30, there are a few that I'm really hoping to score.
...
Yesterday, I already got the Koala that I wanted for me, and today I picked up the Chihuahua for Jim&Dan and the Guinea Pig for Kathleen at the office who is super-excited about G-Force opening tomorrow ("Poop in his hand!"):

Left to get are the Panda and/or Tiger for Camille and perhaps the Flamingo for JJ ("Get off your ass" [from Wonderfalls]); also, the Unicorn and Sheep are cute... but I have prepared myself for the case in which I'm don't accomplish this quest. I'm okay with that because I'm actually charged up from the search for something to get excited about.

Yeah, one of the McD's I visited was the one right beside the new Viera Chick-fil-a. There were a few employees directing traffic in the parking lot, and against reason, I drove into there instead of the more-available, less-busy McD -- I guess that I was ready to be immersed.

So I went into Chick-fil-a -- packed as expected on their Grand Opening Day. There were balloons everywhere, and they had their cow mascot mingling with the crowd dining in. I wasn't really hungry but wanted to purchase something; I ended up just getting a small plush cow ($3):

and a couple quick pictures of the inside:

The dining area was what you'd expect: clean, but not particularly exciting (once the balloons come down).

As for the McDonald's across the street that I went to next... their clean, dark earthy-toned interior was impressive with its stone facades, wooden railings, and fireplace! They had a great selection and variety of seating, used their space well, and did provide a transportative environment -- it had a lodge-ish feel. I have to say that I'm again very impressed by many of the renovations McDonald's have implemented to stay competitive in the fast-food market (LINK: my DAK McD article). It's just been pleasant visits and my current place-to-go-to.

[I didn't take pictures of the new interior of this McD's, but it's not far from my house.]

It felt a little funny to be walking Happy-Meal-in-hand to my car at Chick-fil-a parking lot, especially when there was such a contrast in business. And on my way out, the cow mascot had escaped the building and was mingling with the cars lined-up for the drive-thru.

So, I made it home having adopted three new plushes and having ingested two hamburgers and two child-sized drinks -- and I got apple slices instead of french fries (to be healthy).

I suspect that I'll be back to there at least once sometime this weekend, which I haven't defined yet -- am I staying the night at Pom's?, am I coming home after TM officer training? -- I'm needing a Melbourne weekend to catch up and also prepare -- I signed up for a prepared speaker role for next Wednesday's meeting (a "canned" speech about "Going Beyond Our Club"). I suspect that I'm heading back to Melbourne right afterwards.

Anyways, it's past time for bed. G'night :)

JOURNAL: Three? + RUN: RZ Fun Run

Today, I knew the secret: Progress and People. Work was good; I narrowed down the problem and a case order was opened with Sun (basically, Solaris 10's handling of system logs appears to have removed the ability to specify message filters). There are other issues to sort out -- connections between parts of our system -- but I'm choosing my battles.

Speaking of which, I've been dealing with a loss of a friend due to irreconcilable differences of sorts (the details unclear-to-unknown to me). Left in a puzzling void, I've wanted just to get past it and move back into a more positive mentality/environment.

Anyways, I've found that being around others has helped immensely -- getting feedback from both strangers and acquaintances alike. I know myself as a person -- I like to help others and I don't like confrontations. I'm generally very positive around other people and more reflective when I'm alone. And I just had to get back to it.

Two nights ago, I went out to dinner with some friends and met some more cool people. Last night I went to the gym and met some more cool people when I tried out volleyball. And tonight, I went to Running Zone's Fun Run and hung out with cool people that I know.

I had to make a stop by the house before to get changed, and I got to the store about 10 minutes after everyone left, so I started off by myself. I was just tried to run comfortably. I felt that I was out of shape, but I didn't give myself a hard time about it. Even though I'm not as fast as before, I'm possibly enjoying it more. I did end up catching up with some people, but it wasn't so much of a group run for me. Still, it did feel like a community of runners, and it's one of the reasons I love this town.

Anyways, being the last Thursday of the month, waiting for us were some beer and pizza; I had a Mich Ultra and a couple slices. Instead of mingling around, I hung out mostly with Dave & Robin, Jonathan, Tracy, Doug, and Jim -- I did have my camera and didn't want to intimidate anyone. I also kept pretty conservative with my it, though I took a lot of pictures of Don & Denise's dog.

Don & Denise's dog
(not to scale)
Dave & Robin, me, Jonathan
Dave & Jonathan
Doug
Robin & Bob

And asides from food, there's a raffle at this last fun run of the month, and tonight, I finally won something -- a small gecko! (it's already on my refrigerator) In addition, both Robin and Bob each gave me the race shirt they won to give to my sisters. (Thank you!)

me, my pizza, & my gecko

Overall, today was another good day, and I do appreciate them. I really am living the dream.

he found the pizza!

JOURNAL: Good Day + FOOD: Middle East Aromas

Today was good day -- good was good because it started off a little serendipitously, then became steady and productive, then ended with a new experience and meeting some cool people.

This morning before I even made it in the gates, I helped a co-worker drop off his car to be repaired. On the out, we saw another co-worker arrive to work on her bike (I got a picture... stalker-ish, I know), and on the way back, I got a picture of four squirrel chillin' at a street corner -- a couple quirky moments.

Kendal!Squirrels (you may have to look hard)
Next, work was quite fine. It was steady with many progressive trips down to the lab for testing and troubleshooting. I resolved an issue I've been looking at on-and-off for the past week, plus I was able to tinker with cabling and got some other testing accomplished. Woo, progress!

After work, I headed south to meet some people for dinner. On the way, I stopped by the post office in Downtown to pick up the running club's mail. In the stack of letters was a note for me from a race director thanking me for taking pictures at their race; that was totally unexpected and really thoughtful. And that was the moral boost I needed. I really does feel good to know explicitly that you're appreciated.

I had dinner with a friend from work, her husband, and some of his friends from work. We tried out Middle Eastern Aromas, near the Florida Tech Campus in Palm Bay. Half the shop was the restaurant and the other half was a specialty grocery store. It had a cozy feel, and it was very clean.

It was a really nice evening to meet new people. Adam's co-workers were really cool. They had out-going personalities and were also quirky-twisted, so we got along grand. We hit it off. It was an encouraging social experience when I really needed it.

The Lebanese food was really good -- I had the Houmos Delight as an appetizer, ordered the Garlic Chicken Pita as my meal (so nice and warm and crispy), and for dessert, had a couple Baklava Fingers. The food was amazing more than enough for me. And I was more than satisfied by this flavorful unique-in-Brevard food.

Houmus DelightGarlic Chicken PitaBaklava Fingers
Anyways, the moments, the progress, the food, the new cool people -- it was a good day.

DISNEY: Resorts and MiniGolf

Today, I went resort hopping and mini-golfing with my friends Christopher and Sherri. We had originally planned the trip to visit the Muppet Exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Museum and to play miniature golf at Winter Summerland, but the two were on complete opposite sides of Orlando, so we decided on the miniature golf and also decided to do some MK resort hopping in order to soak up more of the Disney spirit.

We started the day with some extra sleep. I managed to get a few things done at the house before Christopher and Sherri came and picked me up at 10:00am. We weren't going into any of the parks, so there was no need to rush, and that was nice. However, we faced the matter of deciding whether to do mini-golf first or resorts first. We flipped a coin then decided on resorts first.

We free-parked at the Ticket and Transportation Center (*yay annual pass!*). We didn't even need the parking lot tram. We first took the ferry boat over to the front gates of Magic Kingdom on our way to the Contemporary. And since it was an absolutely beautiful day, we took the walkway to the resort. I got some nice ground shots of the Bay Lake Towers en route, though the best photos came from when we went around to the back of the resort -- the BLT looks cut off (cool!).

From there, we rode the resort monorail to the Polynesian -- Stitch's home -- where we took some pictures with the O'hana signage and took a short break in the lobby. Then we headed out to the volcano pool and then down the walkway towards the Grand Floridian.

We walked by the Wedding Pavilion where Christopher and Sherri shared a nice moment -- their anniversary is coming up -- and I took some photos of them -- my first stint as a Disney PhotoPass wedding photographer. Again, it was a lovely, sunny day with a light breeze. And the walk was quite serene.

We arrived at the Grand Floridian and walked upstairs for a rest in front of the Citrico's entrance. We noshed on some packed snacks, and I admired how this resort had really good lighting. It really is a classy place.

We took the resort monorail back to the Magic Kingdom then got in queue for a small boat to the Wilderness Lodge Resort. We ended up on a good-sized "small" boat. We rode up front (I'm the king of the world!) and there was a CD there with us who was play-throwing his little boy off the boat (awww...).

At the Wilderness Lodge, we walked by the geyser (not active while we were there) and watched some of the pool lifeguards play a wilderness version of musical chairs with the little kids -- it was quite cool because ties were broken using the back-together rock-paper-scissors method -- organized and effective (well done).

By this time, we were all hungry and went over to the Roaring Fork and picked up some more substantial food -- Christopher and Sherri got sandwiches (Ham and Tillamook Cheddar, Smoked Turkey and Brie) while I went for the pepperoni flatbread pizza and chocolate silk soymilk.

After that, we headed to the lobby, which was grand but, as I really noticed this time, dark... so dark... and noisy -- and a contrast to the Grand Floridian. Anyways, we checked out the shop, where I searched for the resort's bear mascot, which was cute and surprisingly soft. I will probably get one if/when they go on sale.

Anyways, we went to the bus stop and took the one to Blizzard Beach, which is adjacent to Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course, our next stop. I was particularly excited about this since it'd be my first time there. On the way there, a red car coming off an exit ramp nearly ran into the bus. I watched the whole thing but didn't really make any noise to alert the driver, who quickly saw the point of my interest and laid on the horn, averting a possible car-wreck pic... (this is probably a morbid sign of my personality... *shrug*).

Anywho, we got to Blizzard Beach/Winter Summerland alright and it seemed to be a quaint operation -- tucked under a small collection of trees -- an intimate shade. Anyways, Winter Summerland offered two 18-hole courses -- one was the Snow (Winter) Course and the other was the Sand (Summer) Course. We did both.

Neither course was all too challenging. Winter Summerland is geared towards little kids and families, and we had a lot of fun. The theming was fantastic, and I liked how both courses kinda mirrored each other. There were some unique holes, like the spitting fish on the sand side. My favorite hole, in name and accompanying poem, was "Squirty the Snowman" (seriously, Snow Course hole 13):

"Squirty the Snowman
Is a Jolly Happy Soul
He loves to cool off golfers
Who putt into this hole"

Anyways, It was 5:55pm when we finished up with the mini golf and headed towards the buses. We noticed that the Blizzard Beach parking lot was quite empty, and so we checked the signs, which made note that the last buses leave an hour after the water park closes, which happened to be 5pm... we are getting on the next bus to anywhere! And surely and thankfully, one final fleet of buses did come to pick up all remaining guests.

Now seasoned veterans of the Disney transportation system, Christopher, Sherri, and I got on the bus to the Grand Floridian, where we were going to transfer to the resort monorail, which was going to take us to the TTC parking lot. As we made our way through the lobby of the Grand Floridian, there was a man in a concert suit playing on the grand piano, and it was really cute when a little girl dressed up as Belle walked up to the side of the piano for a closer look.

Christopher, Sherri, and I took the birdcage elevator up to the second floor and listened to the pianist. The music was relaxing, and I was being taken in. I enjoyed watching the pianist play, and a couple times, he looked up directly at me and clearly smiled. My heart skipped a few beats. The music finished, and we continued on our way, happy with that magical feeling.

We were able to ride in the nose of the monorail for nearly all the resort circuit. I'm glad that things worked out and that they were able to have that experience. Sherri really enjoyed it, and the joy in her face was fantastic.

After we got back to Melbourne, I played host for dinner -- frozen dinner kit (yeah, Sherri and I made Christopher do the cooking). I wanted to introduce them to Wonderfalls, one of my all-time favorite tv shows. We watched the first two episodes (Wax Lion and Pink Flamingos), and they loved it *yay!*. Then we called it a night. I can't believe that we have to go back to work tomorrow, and it's a long week. I'm hoping to get a lot accomplished (God knows I'll needs it).

Anyways, it was a fantastic day. I really like Christopher and Sherri because they're people I feel comfortable with. They're nice and encouraging in the positive way. And I enjoy their company.

Pictures from our resort hopping can be found after the itinerary. The Winter Summerland pictures will be found in upcoming posts.
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Here's what we did this visit:

TICKET & TRANSPORTATION CENTER (MINNIE 41)

FERRY BOAT (Richard F. Irvine) to MAGIC KINGDOM

Walked to CONTEMPORARY RESORT

Resort MONORAIL to POLYNESIAN RESORT

Walked to GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

Resort MONORAIL to MAGIC KINGDOM

BOAT (Mermaid 1) to WILDERNESS LODGE

BUS to BLIZZARD BEACH

Walked to WINTER SUMMERLAND MINIATURE GOLF
- Snow Course
- Sand Course

BUS to GRAND FLORIDIAN

Resort MONORAIL (Nose!) to TTC

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Kermit & Stitch w/apple sauce & a rice crispy treat, respectivelyPolynesian pic from the Ferry boatSpace Mountain with its top cut open?On the walkway to the ContemporaryLooks cut off (cool!)Kermit & Stitch w/Uncle Christopher & Auntie SherriRiding the monorailO'hana means FamilyWe couldn't resistHappy AnniversaryAt the Grand FloridianOn the Mermaid I to the lodgeSandwiches and Pizza with a Wilderness flairLodge Sheriff I <3 the resort bearWelcome to Winter SummerlandSanta!I want to go there.One last restWe chose the nose! :)Sherri's holding onto Christopher's head-----(Special Bonus pic)