Beach 'n' Back ~

The clock has just struck Saturday and we've been back home for about an hour after a 90-minute nonstop home from Orlando this evening. Severe clear all the way and nary a ripple, quite unlike the one-stop thru ATL on the way down where we had to punch thru a front and got jostled a bit as we did so.

Our week in Orlando and environs was lovely. Upon arrival at the Payless car rental emporium, they didn't have to twist my arm too hard to get me out of a Corolla and into a nice fresh slate-grey '09 Mustang convertible. I dropped the top and cranked up Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" as we blew outta the parking lot. That's how WE roll.

We got checked in at the Villas at Grand Cypress Resort, where the environs are gorgeous and you at least get excellent service for your $18/day "resort fee." For example, we had a bottle of wine that we wanted to chill but the little under-counter fridge, though empty, was locked. As a guy delivered a complimentary gourmet chocolate sampler M asked if he could unlock it for us so we could put the bottle in there. No, he said, but he'd bring us a refridgerator. And ten minutes later, they wheeled in a free-standing dorm-size unit for our use.

We set out to roam around in our ride after a quick nap and it felt great, smelling the green grass and enjoying the breezy 80F temps. We decided to drive an hour over to Cocoa Beach, where we went out on the pier to watch the fisherpersons and pelicans and enjoy a margarita overlooking the surf. Then we sought out a Mexican restaurant I'd spied on the way in that advertized a mariachi band starting at 5pm. The food was excellent and so was the band; as usual in such circumstances, I impressed them with my Spanish savoir-faire by requesting the lovely but somewhat obscure love song, "Los Dos" ("The Two"). They sang it to M and earned a $10 tip.

Wednesday morn I went for a lovely jog along the extensive golf courses and then enjoyed lolling around in the whirlpool and waterfall pools in the pool complex next to our building. Shortly thereafter the threatened cold front blew thru with a vigorous but short-lived burst of rain, following which we napped briefly and then headed out for M's hair appointment and my continuing quest for shirt collar stays, which thus far had produced blank stares. I might as well have been asking for buggy whips. On a whim I plugged the nearest Brooks Bros into the GPS, which proved to be in an absolutely humungous discount shopping mall, and there the guy responded to my question with, "You want plastic or metal?"

The conference went well and attendance was surprisingly strong, down only about five percent from last year. My speech went well and I also wound up with the honour of giving an extemporized after-dinner tribute to Cecile Hatfield, head of our Program Committee and a DoJ attorney in the early '80s, as part of the surprise inauguration of a Lifetime Achievement Award named for her. I thought (and perhaps they did too) that I'd be one of several speakers, but my remarks came out well and they decided to immediately go to the "this is your life" video they'd prepared, which was excellent. Cecile, a sweetheart who's also been a Moxneii contributor for many years, was surprised (to put it mildly) and delighted.

When the conference ended today M&I did some convertiblized noodling around Orlando again, touring some stately lakeside developments right near downtown and of course paying a (second) visit to the local Costco.

We had a nice chat with The RewCor last eve; Rew is thrilled to have his new Apple safely arrived from Back East and he's pumped about finally starting classes next week. The new Spielberg building is open and he says it's a jaw-dropper. Caroline, meanwhile, is in DC for a long weekend, catching up with old peeps.

Saturday eve we have the wine-tasting so I'd better get some sleep. Happy weekend to all ~