New York Granny X2

The gossips of the village, our dear new friends seem to have taken us in as their adopted English grandchildren.... 

As we walk into the pool today we hear 'pip pip, how ya doin?' This is going to be a funny day. Andy and Michelle, our grannys from New york, were telling us all about their kids

Michelle "well my boys are gorgeous and my eldest just had his first"

Me "Aw Michelle that's lovely congrats! What's your boys names?" 

Michelle "haemma and roid"

Andy "yer and mine are called pain and ass" 

We quickly learnt they like to be brilliantly rude as Michelle looks over and sees me reading 'fifty shades of grey' and remarks "ooh pip, you're getting lucky tonight" having blinked a few times and sat with my mouth open in shock I crack up, not quite believing I heard that!! The poem about the old lady in purple spitting and running her stick along the rails comes to mind.... They have a right to say and do as they please, good for them and funny for us!

Andy then went on to tell us that in New York, hardware stores were selling twice as much rope after the book came out, herself included in the buying of it. Oh. Dear. Lord. I cannot bring myself to think about this lovely New Yorker tying up her poor husband.... I'm surprised he didn't have a heart attack!! I pray she was pulling my leg..... 

Moving on from these , umm, how to put it, interesting images, they asked if we knew the queen and if we rode tandem bikes around westminter Abbey eating scones and jam and drinking tea out of China cups... How disgustingly British and all said in an attempted English accent. Palm to face moment. 

As we leave the pool that day we get a wave from them as they say "bye cutie and cuter, pip and longstockings! Oh ain't they adorable" watch out Michelle and Andy, you will see us again!!

Where The Sun Always Shines

"We are going to the place that never rains" he said, "the place that is always hot" he said. 

18inches of rain 6 hours later. Sunny my arse!! 

Let me take you back a few days where rain clouds covered the sky so Neil says to me "let's go to Wakadahatchee" "wakadahooha what?" we went to a swamp. How romantic. Upon arrival we see the sign "beware the alligators" and walk up a wooden slope over swamp land and low and behold, first thing we see? A log. Or what I thought was a log, it was in fact a swimming log! Bingo! Hello Mrs alligator, please don't eat me...

We walk around the corner and see a spectacular sight. Mummy gator I. The water right next to the path and 15 or so babies making their way into the water, it was amazing, no more than 10 ft away. A sight I certainly won't forget. 

That night we are sat around the kitchen table at grandma Lee's, when the power completely cut out half way through a game of rummykub. We didn't really think anything of it until we woke up the next morning to see, not a car park but a river running just outside the front of the building.... "Florida is so dry" he said....

However, we took this as a little adventure and decided to go for a walk. Turns out it became more like a swim. We walked around the corner to find the entrance to the community flooded and cars abandoned. "It will be fun to wade through" he said and my gosh he was right!! As Neil and I hoiked our shorts up higher , the water lapping at our knees "beware the alligators". Oh cripes, here we go. Our slow pace turns into high knee kicks through the water to the path on the other side. What should have taken 10 mind took us an hour. But heck, it was most certainly a good giggle!!

Beauty of a storm is the sun that follows and my goodness what a sun!! 28 degrees Celsius and yes, we are by the pool lapping up the rays in true British fashion and our day has certainly been one of hilarity. 

Any Brit who has been to the states will know that the phrase "oh my god I love your accent" will be heard daily and today has been no different. We have been befriended by the local gossip clan of ladies who love a good chinwag and find it hilarious to say goodbye saying "pip pip cheerio" because of course we are all Dick van dyke in 19th century Britain!! So as they were leaving today they gave us both a Nick name. Pip ans Ronny. Oh my..... 

Pip pip cheerio for now

Boozing In The Air

Free champagne, free movies, free food, what better way to spend 9 hours. Not really free though is it? But for 500 pounds I can't really complain

I remember the days where flying made me want to claw my face off and hide in a pillow lying on the tray in front of me for hours on end just to get it over and done with. The days where I ripped the skin off the person's hand next to me during take off and trying not to cry during landing. Thinking back to those times its strange because I'm not really afraid of flying....as a certain comedian Al Lubel says 'you aren't afraid of flying, that's not what you need to worry about, it's the NOT flying that gets you'. And thinking about the logistics of flying I am more safe up here than I am in London waiting for a banana spider to attack me.

And then i think of all of those films that made me wet myself like bridesmaids.... and i kinda feel like right now that is me. Slightly tipsy trying not to walk into business class saying "help me I'm poor"! Heck, free booze, so sue me if I make a fool of myself.

However i am refraining from doing just that and instead am currently listening to Muse on demand waiting for my ears to pop and I have realised (thanks mainly to the most optimistic man in the world, my lovely fella, sat next to me watching Gary Oldman and having a damn good time) that flying is fun, what isn't to love? We are on our way to an amazing place for 10 days of sun and fun. See you on the flip side rain!!