Honor Flight

Happy Memorial Day

  

A proper heroes return, Papa being interviewed for
the news,Highlights from a once in a lifetime party!

Jim Haley circa 1952, Japan

I can not think of a more appropriate way to celebrate Memorial Day, then with a return blog covering the Northwest Ohio Honor Flight on Wednesday May 21, 2014. Of course each and every trip that is made through this amazing organization is very special. However, this one was particularly significant. Why? Well, there happened to be an extra special passenger, Jim Haley aboard the 757 Boeing, that made the flight to Washington D.C that day! Mr. Haley, who I will affectionately refer to as Papa from here on out, had been on a waiting list and finally received clearance that he would be on one of the last 3 Honor Flights from Toledo, OH. Needless to say since Papa is bound to a wheelchair and lives at the Genoa Care Center, vacations are out of the question these days. This literally was the opportunity of a lifetime and not just for him but for our family too!

Selfie with Papa, Colton and Papa showing their
special badges and a Korean War uniform!

When I was 18, I worked in the Congress building alongside Marcy Kaptur, to complete my Senior project. You see, I had high hopes of going into politics. I wanted to make a difference, change the world, be the voice of the people, yadda, yadda, yadda! Although I changed my mind during that trip, regarding a career in politics, I learned something even more important during my time in D.C. What I learned was simple, you CAN NOT teach history in a classroom or a book as well as you can show it to a child. I had years of history classes throughout school and nothing really set in, until I walked the paths of Arlington Cemetery and browsed through the Library of Congress. I think before you turn 18 it should be mandatory to take a pilgrimage to our nations capitol. Not just to see the sights and experience the rich history of our country but to be reminded of why we are lucky to live in America and have the right to vote.



A very proud Papa with his family!
The Maria R. getting ready to fly to D.C

 

Last Wednesday, I again got to SEE history instead of just hearing about it or reading a book on the subject. I saw elderly men who once in their prime fought bravely on the battlefield during war. I witnessed the unconditional love they have for their country. There were no political sides being taken between men that day, just the side of the United States of America. Something long forgotten in today's day and age, that we are

still first and foremost UNITED. I saw hundreds of people show up to welcome those 72 men back from the days journey, an ode to welcoming them home long ago. I watched my own children wave their flags and clap their little hands to the beat of, "God Bless America". But most importantly I realized that the man who sat across from me at the breakfast table, who yelled at me to get off the phone during dinner and told me I couldn't go to the basketball game because it was, "Too damn cold out", was a HERO. So while you are enjoying your hot dogs and hamburgers today, playing corn hole and drinking a Bud Light on your patio, remember to take time and thank a soldier for allowing you to live freely in the USA!!!




For more pictures click here! Thank you to the Genoa Care Center especially to Candace Camp for orchestrating everything, Steve Goodhand for being an amazing, selfless care taker and a veteran as well, Mike and Diane Haley for living in DC and meeting up with Jim so he could have family alongside and to NWO Honor Flight for making this all possible!


Did you thank a soldier today?



A very special THANK YOU to
Steve Goodhand, who went along as a
very helpful guardian... without you, this
opportunity would have never been
possible and Thank you for your
service to our country as well!  

Wicked, Weird and Wonderful

 

"RUN DOROTHY RUN!"

When I watch The Wizard of Oz, still to this day, I get a little nauseous.  You see one of my earliest memories is hiding behind a chair at my babysitter’s house while the other kids watched the movie.  I could not close my eyes tight enough.  She was coming for me in all her green glory and I couldn’t get the image out of my head.  No matter how tightly I closed my eyes and even with covering my ears, so as not to hear her voice, I still would go home at night and have nightmares.  It’s silly really, all the other kids could sit and laugh at the flying monkeys and sing along with the munchkins, while little Lisa sat cowardly in the corner.  Then it happened, I would get a burst of braveness and squint open one eye, look at the screen and cry.  I would go home and continue on like nothing had happened.  Playing with my Barbies and going about my business.  My Mom would put me to bed, tuck me in tight and I would snuggle up with my stuffed friends, finally fall asleep, only to be awakened by her again.  The green, ohhhhhhh the green and her pointy nose and her jagged teeth and that ball of fire.  I hated her.  She was ruining my life.  As soon as I fell asleep and started to dream about playing outside, sleepovers with my friends or getting a new doll, she would creep into my mind and “Poof” ruin everything. 

    

She's one bad a#$ witch!

It started the same way each night.  I was sitting in the living room of my Grandpa and Grandma  Someone would call me so I would run up those iconic 1960’s stairs, only to find myself inside a small restaurant with a few cozy, red leather booths.  There’s a bar but it’s unattended so I sit down in the booth. I can hear my family’s laughter and see rays of light streaming in from the living room below.  Suddenly that familiar puff of smoke and crimson flame appears in front of the bar and she would be peering her beady eyes out at me.  Her broom reaches out like it’s going to touch me and I scream!  My stomach starts churning, even in the dream, my legs cannot carry me back down those stairs fast enough.  When I would finally wake up out of the nightmare, I would be at the side of my Mother’s bed, sobbing. 
Lento’s house, only it wasn’t their house, it was The Brady Bunch House.

Just a dream... perhaps?  But then why did I continue to have that dream till I was a senior in high school? Not only would I have the exact same dream, over and over and over and over again for years, but I could almost feel her breathing on the back of my neck. For some kids it’s the boogie man or the monsters under the bed, but for me it was the fear of the Wicked Witch of the West, grabbing my arm and whisking me up into the sky by broom. 

 

Best musical EVER!!!

As I matured into adulthood, the nightmare faded away.  Even so, I had a hard time watching the movie. Even when the previews flashed across the screen showing that it would be played on a cable channel around Thanksgiving, I felt a little sick.  Knowing that I had this phobia, a friend told me to read the book “Wicked”, the evil witch’s version of what happened in Oz.  So I borrowed the book and quickly became obsessed.  Such a classic story told from the villains viewpoint was absolutely enchanting to me.  This modern day version was darker and much more poignant.  As I would flip through the pages and read about how the Wicked Witch had been born with emerald hued skin, razor sharp nails and jagged teeth, which led to her ostracism from birth, I began to feel less afraid of the character and instead felt for her.  I grew sympathetic to her cause as a misfit while I continued to read.

She's really not so scary!

     Yes, I know that the Wicked Witch or Elphaba, is a fictional character. I know she isn’t real and I  Margaret Hamilton, in the 1939 original. Margaret Hamilton who was actually a young Kindergarten teacher before portraying this role. In fact she later stated that she regretted taking the part because of how badly children were scared of her. How do I know all this? Well let's just say I have spent many nights researching The Wizard of Oz and specifically the actress herself.
know that she was portrayed by a regular woman,
 
It's beyond strange to be so affected by a movie for such a large portion of my life, or to be so scared of a woman who taught 5 year old children how to read and was a Mother herself. But hey I'm weird! Maybe somewhere in my nightmare there was a hidden meaning or some subconscious thought trying to get to the forefront of my mind. I guess I will never know. But here is what I do know, my kids love The Wizard Of Oz and all the spin offs and we even just bought the first five books in The Wizard Of Oz series written by L. Frank Baum. Despite my fears I do find the world of Oz wonderful and can't wait to read the books to Gabby and Colton. So I guess I have no choice but to get over my issues with the Queen of Green and soldier on. 

 A little light reading for the summer!

Buttcracks Are Awkward

Dude, no one wants to see this!

Today I ventured out with three children to pick a few thing up at Wal-Mart. It was extremely pleasant shopping on a Tuesday morning. No crowds, no lines, just me, the kids and a few elderly people in awe of my happy baby! We were in, we were out, groceries and subway in hand all ready to eat lunch. Then it happened. I walked out the big double doors at the front of the store, the sun streaming down on my face, a beautiful day ruined by the sight of a woman bent over with her entire crack exposed. It was like a train wreck. I didn't want to stare but I couldn't take my eyes off of it. As this incident was unfolding through my head ran the same thought over and over, "why can't people wear pants that cover their butts?" My appetite vanished quickly and as I loaded up the groceries hoping to avoid anymore rear

Even If You Are Blond
& Skinny, It's Still Gross!

end exposure, I pondered this awkward occurrence.




The "Mom" Crack...
Bending down to help
Your child is no excuse!

I mean lets face it, this isn't the first time I have been subjected to some random stranger's booty. You will never find me mooning the public. Dewey always makes fun of me for wearing my pants too high, although, I say... its at my natural waistline.!But I will take high waisted, grandma pants over low rise, crack showers any day. Maybe more people should take my pant wearing strategy and put it into practice because it is reallyyyyyyyyyyyy awkward when you are an adult and that much skin is showing on your tushy. It makes people uncomfortable. Seriously. So the next time you are getting dressed, pull up your pants, secure them with a belt, zip them tight, just do whatever you have to do to keep them up! Most importantly remember the age old saying from what I'm sure was a very wise man... "Crack Kills"! 

Now This Crack Is OK :)

You Can't Pick Your Family But You Can Pick Your Friends!!!

 

VACATION FUN!

So we have been in a slump at the Dunn house this week, lots and lots of vomiting. Nothing makes you feel less like blogging then being stuck in the house for a week with sick kids! I just have not had any motivation for a new story... then I looked out into the driveway and saw a little white Ford Ranger. That Ford Ranger does not belong to us, it belongs to the Reetz family. Being reminded of the fact that they always lend us their spare truck (with no questions asked) made me think that its about time for a blog about true friends.


One night after Dewey and I had first started dating, he took me to

Yes... we did this!

meet his best friend, Angie (Reetz) Baltzell. He had already told me the back story, they grew up as neighbors, went to school together, partied together, watch Saved By The Bell after school and ate pizza rolls side by side. He practically lived at her house. Not only was Dewey close with her and her brother Joe, throughout childhood, but as they got older he became friends with Angie's husband, Josh, as well. In fact he did actually live with Josh and Joe for a time and I believe was their built in dishwasher, something along the lines of "will wash dishes for cigarettes or pizza". Of course that was a long time ago, when everyone was young and single! Not to get off track though, I will go back to the first night I was introduced to them. I'm not exactly sure what we did that night or what was said but I remember leaving the house thinking that they were really nice and hoping they liked me. I don't know if they did at the time, or what they thought, I'm not sure I want to know. What I do know is that they were destined to be in my life.

BFF's

I'm a big believer in the saying "blood is thicker then water", mostly because its true. Family is family and there is a bond that is stronger then even the best friendship. However, your family doesn't always share your blood. Sometimes you're not born into a family, the family just finds you. This is what happened in this case. People who always loved my husband like family, welcomed me into their lives and became so much more then just my friends. They have always been there to support and love us through all of our struggles, joys, hard times and triumphs. They have let both Dewey and I crash on their couch, stood by us at our wedding, fed us more times then I can count (although that's usually Joe's forte), helped us clean our house for parties and never missed a chance to support us! There are few people in my life who I am OK with seeing my house in chaos or who I feel except me in my sweats or in my dress clothes just the same. There are even fewer that I could call to say, "I'm never going to be ready for this party, pleaseeeeeeeee come help!" they are among the elite! I'm pretty sure they are the only people to know that I have hidden a bin full of dirty dishes under the sink five minutes before 50 people showed up for a party and yes that was an all time low point in my life.


Me and Ang

When Gabby was born, I think they were just as excited as we were. Of course we made Josh and Angie her Godparents and could not have chosen wiser. Anytime Gabby has had an important moment in her life they have been there to support her. I know that as she grows older she will always have an extra set of "parents" in her corner. Our boys are best friends and Colton idolizes their son! There is hardly a day that goes by where he doesn't ask when he can play hockey with Jackson next. Then there is the fact that they bestowed the huge honor of making us Godparents for the first time. I could not have been more thrilled since he is my only Godchild and the most hilarious kid I know, we love you Grayson!

Mostly I love them because they have always loved my husband through the good and the bad. Believe it or not Dewey wasn't always a saint (wink, wink)!!! I know friends come and go but your family is with you through it all and they have proven that time and time again. My wish is that our families grow old together, we sit through our kids birthdays, graduations, weddings and more by each others sides and that everyone can be as lucky as we are to find forever friends who become your family!


The second generation of BFF's



Our Kids

Spring Break Survival Guide and Wrap Up (Part 3)

I will say this... what a beautiful view!

Since we returned from Florida, I haven't had the energy to sit down and write a vacation wrap up. Although I have run into many people or gotten texts asking what happened next. Apparently my last blog was a little bit of cliff hanger! How do I even follow that up though??? Literally it was like I was in the movie National Lampoon's Vacation, you know, the one where when they finally get to Wally World, Clark punches the moose in face and takes the security officer hostage. That was what our vacation felt like, it was one thing after another and I really just wanted to punch something or someone HARD! There is nothing worse then spending a lot of time and money to drive half way across the country and be miserable! Although, I will say things got better, our vacation motto was, "It is what it is, so let's make the best of it"! So if you are headed to the beach anytime soon or just find yourself taking a vacation from Hell, here are some tips to help you through it!

1. ALWAYS KEEP WINDEX OR VINEGAR (OR A FULL BLADDER) ON HAND AT THE 

"Mom... I can't feel my arms!"

BEACH - Trust me when your five year old gets stung by a jelly fish and you have to drag him through the sand while he is crying that his entire body hurts and he can't move. All while parting the red sea of drunken teenagers just to get back to the hotel, then have to wait while a rescue call is placed to the life guard station, you will have wished that you had a bottle of vinegar on hand from the get go because a drop of that and a push pop was the remedy of choice. Of course a full bladder works too when in a pinch. Maybe I should have just dropped my pants and peed on him, honestly I don't think anyone was sober enough to have noticed.

Alligator hunting at St. Andrews State Park

2. WHEN THINGS GET TOO ROWDY, FIND A STATE PARK - Amen for Panama City having an amazing state park, St. Andrews because for $8.00 we were able to take our whole family for the day to enjoy peace and quiet!!! No spring breakers there, just a private beach, lots of sea shells and an amazing escape from the crazy tourists.

3. EMBRACE THE SMELL OF CHLORINE - When the pool has chlorine so strong that it burns your eyes and your hair turns a little green by the end of the week, be thankful. Usually my fears of public pools are limited to finding a "Baby Ruth" floating to the surface or wading through a warm spot. After this vacation, I am now worried about other bodily fluids from the non diapered swimmers. After chatting with a security guard and hearing how he had to break up two college kids in the deep end getting their groove on, the week before, I thank the pool God's for an ample amount of chemicals.

4. DON'T BE AFRAID TO SPEAK YOUR MIND - God knows I do not suffer from this problem but many people would have just let their vacation be ruined and not say anything. Not this Mama... I made sure to let the management know, in a polite way, that they need to WARN families about the chaos going on in their establishment. Plus the warning needs to be made well in advance, not as you check in via a waiver form, stating that you know its spring break! Once you are there its too late!!! The hotel graciously comped us free brunch and drinks daily and did the best they could make us feel comfortable. Everytime I picked up the phone to call the front desk, Dewey would cringe a little, but I felt obligated to make sure that 1. we were getting the best vacation possible in the situation and 2. that this would not happen to families in the future!

These are two little beach bums that will NOT
be going on spring break until they are 21!

5. DO NOT LET YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GO ON SPRING BREAK ALONE AND DO NOT BE THE FOOLISH PARENTS THAT TAKE THEM AND PARTY WITH THEM - I do not give two hoots or a rats fat rump if they are 18 years old. No one who is in high school still should be allowed to;
A) Drive to Florida without a parent/guardian... especially with spring break traffic and other teens in the car. DANGEROUS!!!
B) Rent a hotel room in their own name.
C) Drink underage on the beach to the point where they just pass out and random guys drag them back to the hotel (yes, the security guards say that this happens often)... I am sorry and this may not be a popular post with some people but what we witnessed was disgusting. Keep Spring Break for the college kids and if your children are Seniors in HS then take them with you and enjoy one last family vacation before they are out of the house!



Luckily, Dewey treated me to a
lovely stay at the Crowne Plaza
in Atlanta on our way home..
complete with room service!

6. STAY AWAY FROM PANAMA CITY FROM MARCH 1st TO AT LEAST APRIL 15th - If you are looking for tranquility, peace, family time, enjoyment, relaxation, etc. but if you want to party like a rock star and are 21 or over, try it out... I will pray for you!

Vacation Part 2

Captains Log Day 2, March 29, 2014

Honestly, these kids would be happy with a hose in the
backyard... they just love life!

We should have went to Disney, I repeat we should have went to Disney! Normally at Spring Break, we would have taken the kids to Orlando. In fact we originally planned on going to Walt Disney World, but there is no beach! Gabby and Colton always complain that they want to go to the beach and play in the sand. So in prepping for our vacation, I logged on to Dewey's reward points account, to book a fabulous beach trip in Panama! Since he stays roughly 200 nights per year in a hotel, we had enough built up to stay in a beautiful Holiday Inn, beachfront! I didn't even have to tap into our timeshare, which was awesome, because after this trip we are going to need ANOTHER vacation!

Ron Jeremy would
feel right at home!

The first hint that I had towards something being fishy (pun intended), as Dewey was checking in, was the endless train of teenagers parading through the parking lot half naked. Though, I wasn't going to let that dampen my laissez fair attitude, I mean come on, I'm a liberal, free spirited, just on the forefront of my thirties kind of girl! Plus we aren't naïve, Dewey and I both realized it was Spring Break and have been to Florida during this time before. But college Spring Break is over and this was what appeared to be a very family friendly hotel. Yet as we approached the front desk to have wrist bands snapped on us and the girl working had to question if the nine month old needed one... they haven't had any babies? I admit, I started to get nervous! Yet up to our room we headed. As we filed onto the elevator with about 10 other people, I had to clench my kid's hands tightly and say a quick Hail Mary, I was questioning if we were going to go down. I wanted to scream, please don't jump in the elevator, pleaseeeeeee quit touching buttons and it didn't help that we were way up on the 15th floor. Let's just say it was the longest, alcohol drenched, chaotic elevator ride of my life. Ahhhhhhhh! Finally we entered our room, sanctuary, peace, our own private retreat in paradise or so the website said. What I walked into was what Ron Jeremy would have thought was paradise, not me.
A lovely suite decorated in cheetah print carpeting, gold accents and floor to ceiling mirrors around the bed. Ok, I know what you are thinking, YES, Dewey was excited! As a mother there with her three children, one of whom was asking why there was a mirror above the bed, I cringed.

Maybe something to eat and a good night's sleep would make everything better! Off to the Pita Pit for dinner, which was fantastic, they need to put one in Toledo ASAP. Then a quick stop at Target to replenish our pool gear and a lengthy, entertaining drive back to the hotel. I swear to you at every corner we turned there was a Panama City Police Officer arresting someone (with a silent cheer from me). Again, we expected it, we did not however, expect there to be a swat team in the lobby when we returned. "That's it, we are going home", my eyes were literally swelling with tears. So as I frantically tried calling to find another place to go in the area, I was sorely disappointed, everything was booked. Thirty-nine minutes later, I was on the phone trying to get some help from the IHG Priority Club while the kids cried in the backseat that they wanted to swim. Then just at the perfect time, sarcasm alert, Colton's nose started gushing blood. With the phone to my ear I ran him past the security to the bathroom in the lobby for some paper towels. Mind you I was still on hold, with an extremely helpful manager who was looking at every hotel within a two hour drive for us. Back to the van, bloody nose in check, when Dewey looks at me and asks, "Where is your wallet?" OMG, I left it in the cart at Target! So back to Target we flew to luckily find it at the front desk. I just looked at the girl working and sighed, "You will never believe our day"!

With no other hotels available in the area, we cranked up the fan for noise blockage and hunkered down for the night. Although, with every toss and turn all I could see was my reflection staring back at me and saying, "Never again Lisa, never again!"

Captains Log Day 3 March 30, 2014

The amazing view from our balcony!

As the sun began to rise over the beautiful ocean view from our balcony, I almost forgot where I was. Dewey and I had decided that we were here and going to make the most of it, so I showered off the negative feelings of yesterday and got dressed. With our little bathing suit cladded brood, we hit the hotel restaurant for a delicious buffet. Hey things were looking up. There were a few other families in the restaurant and the food was amazing! The view from our breakfast table revealed a white sandy beach that was empty and calling our names. The kids couldn't get their flip flops off and wiggle their bare feet into the sand quick enough. Shell after shell fell into their buckets as they were completely oblivious to what was unfolding on the hotel balconies. As a mother it was hard to ignore the young men screaming "flash your boobies" from their balconies at 10:00 am.


Nothing bothers this baby... so happy!

So with the pool being empty (because they were all too busy sleeping off the night or yelling random things off of the balconies) we pulled up some lawn chairs and enjoyed the sun. Then the DJ opened up his booth and as he played The Lion King's "Circle of Life", which apparently is the Spring Breaker's anthem because it drew them out of their rooms faster then a race car in the Indy 500. One of the hotel managers came over and was kind enough to offer us complimentary drinks. Probably because he figured if we had a few in us, it wouldn't be so bad (LOL)! The drinks were great and we did enjoy hearing lots of hilarious stories from a few of the security guards. The best story of all though was the legend of Spring Break Jared. The man who booked a room for a week by himself just to dance pool side all day long in his Crocs. Lucky for us, Jared was about to make his Sunday morning appearance. I don't know if Jared was on an acid trip or just socially awkward? Maybe he just really, really, really likes to dance... but Jared deserves his own reality show. Seriously, if he is not a YouTube sensation already then someone needs to post quick because it was unreal. Shirtless, lobster red from too much dancing in the sun and croc adorned Jared, broke it down all day long with his sweet moves. He may be the first person to use a towel as a stripper pole and if he wasn't the teenage girl with "Lick Me" across her stomach probably was the first.



Shrimp Boat Restaurant

We made it through though and cultured our children as well. Ending the day with a fabulous dinner at The Shrimp Boat located on the bay in St. Andrew's. It was quiet, had a breathtaking view of the sunset and most of all FAR AWAY FROM SPRING BREAK CENTRAL! With a good nights sleep and a ton of checkouts today I am hoping for a much better Tuesday!!!
To Be Continued...

Are We At The Beach Yet? Vacation Part 1

Captains Log Friday March 28, 2014

Day 1:

All packed!

Vacation, vacation, vacation! Yeah the beach, the sand, the sun on my face. One week of pure relaxation, right? I would say that “relaxation” is a questionable term when you are talking to a mother preparing to take a family of five out of town for a week. Though, I am a seasoned pro at traveling with kids, I still struggle to get out the door and I don’t think we have ever left the house on schedule. Take this morning for example, our time of departure was set loosely between 6-8:00 am. What time did we actually leave the Toledo area you ask? Well at exactly 1:19 pm we pulled out of the Perrysburg, OH, Panera Bread and onto the highway. Ultimate FAIL... six hours behind schedule and the start to a veryyyyyyy interesting vacation.

It might seem strange to some that we set a time to leave and COULD NOT stick to it. But here’s the thing… I did not want to leave the house a mess, because who wants to come home to a messy house after a nice getaway? So I ended up running around like a crazy person trying to finish packing, cleaning, running that homework assignment that Gabby should have taken in on Thursday out to the school and did I mention that I had to squeeze an appointment in at the vet for our cat, Sophie, to get her nails trimmed? Then as we were loading the car, I caught my breath, hooray we were ready to go!  I walked back in to grab one last bag and by God there was a tube of toothpaste in the middle of the floor with no lid, ooooozing out blue paste onto my dark hard wood floors. Are you freaking kidding me? So as I'm on my hands and knees scrubbing it off, Gabby walks in and says, "Are you ready to go yet?" What went through my head at that moment was a slur of bad words that I will not repeat. Bottom line, maybe if I had tidy children and eight arms, I would have gotten out the door on schedule, realistically those things are figments of my imagination.

Finally, we hit I-75 full force because we were long overdue for some fun in the sun. If you live anywhere in the Midwest, you feel me on this, LONGEST WINTER EVER! My children who are naturally olive skinned and maintain a tan all year long, looked sickly this winter. It's like the Polar Vortex took every single bit of color from our bodies along with all the color from every plant, tree, flower and lawn. Everything has just been WHITE, people included!!! Maybe the cold, snowy winter also froze my children's common sense, because I have never heard them ask the same questions so many times. What questions you may ask? "Are we there yet?" or "How much longer?" Usually these questions start midway through the trip, this time they started in the driveway. "We are just as eager as you guys, we will get there as soon as we can!" So with the peddle to the medal and a great song on the radio, we tuned out the kids and set our sights on a halfway point, Nashville, TN.

Did I have a little motivation for getting there? Definitely because it is home to one of my favorite people in the whole world, my bestie Jen! Trust me when I say that this stop was a impromptu (we decided that morning) and that she could not have been more surprised when I snuck up behind her in her living room... creeper alert! Although, I will say that I know she loved every moment of my sneak attack and the look on her face was priceless.

Our first day, although starting out a bit crazy, being filled with endless repetitive questions and leaving me exhausted from the start, ended out on a high note! A great visit and a huge start on our drive to the sunshine state. It's a good thing too because Day 2 was a N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E!

TO BE CONTINUED...