A visit with Kirk and Chris

Some impressions from our first few hours in Orlando:

- the little Asian guy that sat next to Ana on the plane that practically stole her magazine and was rude enough to tell her, 'I'm done,' and handed it back to her. What a tool.

- the humidity that hit us when walked out of the terminal - just like it's been described - like a hot towel slapped in your face.

- water, water everywhere...and not a drop to drink - unless you want a gator to snap your head off...or arm...true story...Kirk told us.

- Chris and Kirk's place is super cool, and surrounded by some of the hugest most unbelievable properties and houses I've ever seen.

We arrived and met Chris in the terminal and set out to for the car after collecting our luggage in the very crowded airport. We headed out to the house, as Chris took us the 'long way' so we could see more of Orlando and downtown. Since this was my first time to Orlando (Ana had traveled there with Guitar Center for work) I was eager to see all I could see. I was a bit bummed out I didn't see Epcot or Disney World from the plane and was dissappointed to hear it was about 30mins outside the city. So I saw more sites, asked more questions and low and behold - Harley-Davidson of Orlando was just off the expressway!!! "Can we pull off?" I asked, adding "I gotta get a shirt!" Which is a trade among HD riders to have a collection of places you've been. Really it's where you've ridden too, but, well, I'm a cheater...go figure. I got some goods, and we were off and to the house.

As we entered Chris and Kirks town of Winter Park and weaved through the brick layered streets, both Ana and I were taken back by the properties. Holy crap man! There's some old money combined with some new money, with some NBA money, and yea, probably some mafia money too! So let's just say...they show it off!

We pulled up to the house and Kirk met us outside, we headed in and dropped our gear, and Kirk showed us around their place. There place is total cool and like the perfect hideaway cottage type of place. Lots of windows and a really cool room for Chris and Kirk to do their writing and studying. They gave us the full tour and then headed out on the town.

First Kirk took us on the House Tour, and we saw more and more of these houses/mansions that surrounded the area. It was just unbelievable what we saw. Amongst these homes was that of the president of the school Full Sail (where Kirk worked and helped to start up/build in Florida). Kirk and Chris explained that he is a very modest and humble guy, but his house they were building was a huge-mansion with multiple garages and rooms, as well as dining and evening rooms for parties. Kirk said that the president has lived very, very modest for years prior, but the amount of entertaining that he and his wife do, they can and will use the property. I'm sure it's a HUGE tax write off, because as business savvy that this team of the head of FS is, I'm SURE that's what will happen. Gawd I love America - NICE!

We went out for food and stopped at a BBQ place that they, like us, never have been too. Not being big BBQ fans, Kirk and Chris humored me, since those that know me - I'm a HUGE fan. It was good, not great by my standards, but it satisfied. We finished up dinner, and to our surprise when we walked outside it was raining. Not too much compared to what was yet to come, but enough for Kirk to pull the car around so we could hop in the car quickly.

Kirk drove us around, even in the rain, to see Full Sail where Kirk had worked, and Chris and he both go to school. From what we did see it was quite impressive and they own a whole city block that used to be a shopping center but has been converted to class rooms and studios. But the rain just kept coming down, and the wipers were on full blast, and lightening strikes were, well, pretty dang close! So I think that was the signal to get back to the house.

Now, I've SEEN the rain come down and I've seen some down pours, but I've never, EVER been in buckets! You know those cartoons or drawings of the dark clouds with lines drawn to represent the rain falling in straight lines, like streams? THAT is what this was! It was like a constant pour - unbelievable. We pulled to the front of the house, and made the run for it! It was only a short distance, maybe 5-10 jogging steps - but it was enough exposure. We were all soaked.

We got in, changed up into our warm PJs, and put on the film Once. Highly recommend it. Definitely on my Top Ten. We were all a bit exhausted, and turned in for the night. The week would be a busy one, and Ana and I were excited about our first full day in Winter Park with Kirk and Chris.

From the Phoenix to the ATL...we go to the South!

Okay, I know it's been months - literally - since I last updated this bad boy, and I feel - as does Ana - that I have definitely done some injustice here.

Sooooo...let's just start from this weeks past happenings with our vacation:

Ana and I decided some months ago that we'd be taking this time off to do something, and that something would have been a trip to California for Ana's grandmother's birthday. It was announced that her g'ma was going to Mexico instead to visit family during this time, so this opened the possibility up to do whatever we wanted - with some restriction of course.

Immediately, Ana suggested a trip to see Kirk and Christi down in Orlando and I thought it would be a chance to drop in on our friend in the 'dirty south' Mike and his family in Atlanta. We talked it up with the parties involved and with no resistance at all - we were set for it!

Although the timing was a little bit off for us to see Mike DJ to hundreds of people at DragonCon in downtown ATL - which is just a mad gathering of sci-fi, comic, movie, and other freaks and geeks like me and the rest - for this weekend event at the first weekend of September of every year, we were able to spend the following weekend with Mike, Karen, and the boys, and then head on down to spend time with Chris and Kirk. Go to the link below to see what I'm talking about, and all the AWESOMENESS that is DragonCon, and the total SCENE that Mike's boys, Remy and Michael (aka P-Dubs), create at the convention - check out the Starbucks and the people snapping pictures!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKRJhNZsSy4

The time leading up to our trip just flew by and before we knew it we were packed up and ready to roll out! Our early morning flight from Phoenix landed us in Atlanta in the early afternoon. I had a splitting migraine from lack of caffeine and probably sleep, so it took a little while to recover, and we stopped at none other, but the famous diner/drive in, The Varsity. We walked in and the whiffs of fried...everything...hit us like a wave. The barrage of shouts from the workers of 'what'll ya have! What'll ya have!!!' is almost over-whelming. We stepped up ordered a chili cheese dog, an order of onion rings, a burger, a diet coke and the famous 'FO' - aka Frosted Orange. As you can see from the pic - the oil is oh so ever present in everything there...mmm mmm fried goodness...

And thus, what Ana and I deemed as 'The Tour of Fat' had begun.

After The Varsity we headed on up to Mike and Karen's. They're about an hour and a half outside the city in a town called Gainesville. We were just taken back by the green...everywhere!!! Gone were the long views from horizon to horizon of hot dirt and rock, and now we were surrounded by rolling hills of green and trees so thick we couldn't see through them!

Mike and Karen's home is beautiful! The boys have their own playroom, which is same size as our living room back home! Mike has a whole loft to himself for his office and schtuff including his drum kit, and DJ equipment, and TONS of toys-ahem...COLLECTIBLES. We went to dinner that night at a buffet that I gorged myself - hey, what can I say, even Karen pointed out that they had extra plates for the continued pile-on! The next morning Karen cooked up a killer breakfast of sausage, eggs, biscuits, tots, french toast sticks, even apple-butter for the biscuits! Oh, man she tore it up!!! Then we were off to Helen...

We headed up to the German town of Helen where Oktoberfest had just kicked off, and the Tour of Fat continued with a visit to candy stores filled with fudge and chocolate covered - whatever - and then bratwurst sandwiches and beers with Mike...oh, yea, I was ready for a nap. We headed back home, but not before stopping to pick up boiled peanuts.

Yep, I've never had them, but Mike insisted that it just ain't Southern for me not to dig in on this cherished snack. We loaded up and headed to the house, set up the slip 'n' slide (for the boys, Mike insisted that we could not and should not participate - no matter how many beers we have), cracked the beers, turned on the football game, sat down in some lawn chairs, and dug into the peanuts.

Here's some video Ana took of the boys going to town!

To describe them to those of you that have never had them, I will start with the process: first, the shells are still hard enough to need to be cracked. Not with your fingers however, with your teeth - this gets the first 'pop' of goodness that you receive with the salty or spicy (depending on which flavor you eat) as it coats your fingers and mouth. Now that it's open, the nut will not just 'come out', like 'normal' peanuts, you have to suck 'em out! The consistency is not what I expected. It's not crunchy like a normal peanut, it's soft and smooshy - kind of like peanut butter in a shell. I was a little drawn back, but soon found my disposal bowl full of spent shells, as I became increasingly addicted to the Cajun style.

We watched and laughed as we watched Remy and P-Dubs continually hit the slide, bounce, scream, and splash. Mike and I retreated into the house to begin the preparations for the grilling that consisted of chicken breasts marinated in chipotle for the adults and the lemon and herb slices for the boys and whom chose not to get the spicy side. Mike threw together the marinate before we left to Helen, so them bad boys were r-e-a deeee! Also joining them on the grill were some foil wrapped potatoes Mike and I 'did up'. The grill was fired up, more beers were cracked, and then - we feasted.

More beers, laughs, fun and games, and soon I found myself hopelessly passed out on Mike and Karen's couch in the TV Room - yes! Homeboy even has a TV ROOM WITH SURROUND SOUND!!! (Gawd I love this guy!)

The next morning we'd wake - half with hang-overs - as the boys had to get up and get to school, and Mike ready them up. Karen left earlier that morning to her job, and Mike would see to taking the boys to school, and after some cereal, and Mike and I with our Homemade Starbucks Coffees - YES! He's got a Barista Machine Karen bought for him where he can make his own Carmel machiattos! It was now 'inspection time' as the boys mounted up and grabbed their back packs, but first...big Mike had to check what they had stuffed in them. This ritual appeared to be consistent every morning before leaving for school for...out came the action figures, 'no you're not taken this...Star Wars ain't gonna go...' the comic books next, along with '...Spidey ain't gonna fly this time...P-Dubs, you ain't taken the ball to school...' and what was left on the table, was an array of kiddy-armament of entertainment galore. It was like a drill Sergent pulling merit points for contraband. Ana and I got a kick out of it - we forgot to take a picture of the table of the stuff Mike had pulled from their bags - but I hope you get the idea.

Mike and Karen are awesome parents. I hope only one day that I will have the relationship that Mike has with his boys, that I will have with mine. Mike is a great dad, and I am so happy that Ana and I chose to visit he and his family and they welcomed us into their home and had us stay with them. Thanks Mike and Karen.

We said our good-byes to the boys with hugs, Mike took them to school, we loaded up, and when Mike returned, we said our farewells, and 'have to dos this agains' and we were off to the airport to head to Orlando...

See my sisters post and pictures as the Tour of Fat hit Disney World! Click on her link below - she's an awesome writer...I'm just funnier.

http://lilieshavedreams.blogspot.com/2008/09/photo-plunge.html

I will post more of our fun times to come..due to this getting a little long winded...