Florida: shopping, eating, drinking
Let me tell you it is a BLOODY LONG FLIGHT! Not like I haven’t done it before, I have: four times before in fact. I just never get used to the whole travelling vast distances thing. In our case it was three flights. I can assure you if I had to take the laptop out of the pack ONE MORE TIME for security screening, I was likely to throw it in the nearest river. My colleague escaped full body scanning in the USA, but no, not I: I had to stand figuratively naked in the damn cubicle.
However, all in all, we survived the journey and I caught up with old friends today and spent money. It was great to catch up with G & T (and no, that does not stand for gin and tonic), I am not so sure it was “great” to spend money.
Florida flowers
I think we started drinking about 11am. All up I believe I have had a Long Island Tea, a Margarita, several Bacardi & cokes, several red wines, a couple of ports after dinner and….. hmmmm now the memory is a little cloudy.
Along the way I have bought a Guess handbag, New Balance shoes and a Calphalon Mandoline. You don’t know what a Mandoline is? Neither did I, but it is EXACTLY what I wanted, even though I didn’t know it. I will reveal all another time, although you are welcome to guess! 
I resisted the temptation to buy the $370 handbag that was reduced from….. gasp-I-should-be-so-grateful-for-the-opportunity…. $1,300. I don’t care what it is reduced from, I care what you want me to pay NOW! 
Kennedy Space Center is on the agenda for tomorrow, so I can imagine I am in space!!!
I think my colleagues are wary – after all, the old Aussie (and elsewhere, I am sure) rule of “what happens on tour, stays on tour” is a little threatened by one of the members writing articles on the web. I promise, guys, your secrets are safe with me! Not that you have any secrets yet. 
Hotel reception registered my colleague and I into the same room. Now, we like each other well enough, but not in “that” way. I asked about my room keys, and we quickly sorted out the issue! We now have rooms on different floors!
As to the hotel room, I am not overly impressed. The wi-fi signal is weak, the internet comes and goes, there is NO cutlery in the room and no mini-bar at all. No wine glasses even! Shocking! However, the bed is king-sized (aren’t they all in the USA) and comfortable, the shower is spacious and I am 22 floors up so the traffic noise is minimal!
WoW! A lot has happened since I last checked in. You were in the US for business? Sorry I missed you, it would have been great to even chat by phone.
Hope you enjoyed your visit.
We can catch up by phone any time, Elizabeth! It is cheap for us to call the USA!
We ended up with very little free time. I am sorry, I thought you knew I was making a flying visit.
I had no idea but anyway, I hope you have recovered because I noticed this was posted in October!
Love to the family…
You and I have both been SO busy lately I am not at all surprised we missed connecting on that one! I am sorry, Elizabeth, I did think of you but I didn’t want to intrude given I knew how busy you were.
I hope you survived Sandy! I did read your article saying you were OK and was very relieved, but also saw you were huddling in Starbucks for power.
We’re fine. 5 days without power was perspective enough. My heart still goes out to all the others who lost so much and manywho are still without power.
enjoy your stay in FL…I haven’t been to the Kennedy Space Center since the ’70s.
It is really great. Such a momentous achievement in human history!
So is it better to travel in hope than to arrive?
I think so sometimes!
I am home, finally, but need a day or two to recover I think.
I had to google mandoline, since I thought of mandolin.
It’s nice to learn something new.
You are not alone, Angel!
I had NO idea what my friend was taking about.
Still want the saucepans!!!!!
Glad you’re hear and having FUN! Looking forward to our meet up tomorrow . . . from the sounds of it you will be able to drink me under the table.
With all my recent typos . . . you’re going to be wondering what I’ve been drinking!
Check my reply on your page FULL of typos!!!
The spending spree ahs got to be worth standing almost naked in a cubicle. why are the Americans so paranoid. When we went to the USA Anchorage, we were treated like pigging criminals. Have not desire to return to the USA. Enjoy though
The jet lag is horrendous though, Pip. I think we got through the first day on the basis we were SO exhausted from the trip we actually did sleep the first night. Today has been shocking jet lag though. Hardly slept all night. Trying to stay awake so will sleep tonight.
There is NO way one could arrive the day before a conference and dive straight in. Even a ky bed doesn’t solve the time zone shift!
Enjoy Florida. I have visited the Kennedy space centre, many, many years ago. I know what a mandoline is, I actually bought one recently at Big W, some special promotion, and I know it´s something Jamie Oliver uses regularly too. I haven´t used mine that much though…
I’m a bit worried about the space it is going to take p in my suitcase, but oh, well. Loved some saucepans, too. They, however, we way too big for the luggage!
Jet lag is bothersome – I was awake every hour on the half-hour last night.
Hopefully tonight will be a bettter sleep!