BUSY, BUSY

Yesterday was packed with the car repair (spark plugs!), the Apple store, apartment viewing, a big IKEA trip, jet lag, and lots of driving around the greater Orlando area. About half the time we were co-ordinating thee vehicles between 4 adults with 2 cellphones and an iPad. God bless the iPad. It isn't an extravagance! We'd never have done all we needed today without Google and the mapping app. Really. None of us know anything about Orlando and the day's journeys took us on two toll roads, an expressway or two, and quite a few secondary roads.

The kids apartment is about as conveniently located as you could dream--restaurants, shops, movie theater, and services like the DMV and post office are right here, too. Their apt. is a nice-sized three bedroom/two bath with STORAGE. After moving their 9 suitcases in and unpacking all CA and I hauled from Chicago we all enjoyed a California Pizza Kitchen lunch before decamping to the resort for naps, which turned into a 4:00pm bedtime for our international travelers. CA and I subsist on peanut butter sandwiches since no one shows up for dinner. We actually hit the sheets about 9:00pm, exhausted.

Thank you, God, for the help with the car worries. We drove the Subaru 1400 miles, thinking it was in good shape and then it started hiccuping and generally paralyzingly us with fear. We worried that the kids would have to buy a different car along with all the magnitude of resettling tasks and decisions. For now, it looks like the 2003 Forester will continue to ride the range.

Today we decide to stay put. We're all exhausted. The girls are up at 3:00am, but happy with American cartoons and kids programming. We enjoy a fun-filled time at the pool with swim rings and lots of attentive adult supervision. The resort has a great pool (one of three) just next to our building, and the little girls are thrilled.

This resort is basically a place to stay with almost no amenities, other than the pools. People come to Orlando (Kissimmee) for Disney, other theme parks and attractions so, I guess the resort doesn't feel the need to dazzle. I'm guessing this was quite the destination for families willing to stay off-property (Disney) in the early 1990s, but no updating since then so while everything is meticulously maintained, the decor is off-putting.

Wouldn't buy here or anywhere around here. The masses! 9:00pm Friday night at the local McDonald's was an eye opener. People just out of the parks flooding the restaurant. I bet it's like that every night. We stopped only because the international travelers were just off the 12 hours of flight time from Vienna via Frankfurt, and CA and I'd had little to eat all day. McD's was the closest-quickest option. But, it turned out to be slow and discouraging. So many fat families. For us, itvwas fuel because we were on empty.

LG and KF laze about with CA and I, when DM, MK, and NJ snuggle down for naps. We're definitely having dinner tonight, so later we venture out to Super Target for more supplies. Our gourmet choice for dinner pleases all--Kraft Mac and cheese with a big hearty home-prepared garden salad.

So, so happy for a day to rest, recuperate, and enjoy each other.