No Parks, All Recreation! Team Jamerica's 2016 Brexit - Day 7 - No Plans / Eating / Crazy Golf

[JoJo88]

No Parks, All Recreation!

Team Jamerica’s 2016 Brexit

INDEX

Tuesday 23rd August 2016

Day 7 – No Plans / Eating / Crazy Golf

I stirred very early but didn’t wake up properly until around 7.30. The bed is soooo bouncy, and Simon is apparently very fidgety during the night so I’m surprised I wasn’t waking up feeling sea sick. Our mattress at home is really hard, perhaps too hard, but I don’t even notice when Simon gets up in the morning!

We had nothing at all planned for the day. We’d checked off all the shopping trips, the water park visit, and apart from a few little things that were on our to do list (crazy golf, escape room), there really wasn’t much else we felt we wanted to do. So today was to be a rest day. Ha ha!

We’d left loose plans the night before to go to breakfast, at around 9am, so when we were all up and about I asked Adam to knock on Grandma & Grandad, which he did. Grandad appeared, and at about 8.55am Grandma emerged from the bedroom, not yet dressed, asking if we were still going out. Turns out that Adam had indeed knocked on them, said good morning, but hadn’t passed on the vital info!

In fairness to Grandma, it only took her around 5 minutes to get herself ready and just after 9 we left for Cracker Barrel, our usual ‘go to’ for breakfast.

We headed south down Hwy 27 and arrived at our destination less than 10 minutes later.

We were shown through to our table in a very quiet restaurant straight away, and began looking through the menu at our options. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not great with breakfast, which is why I loved the club room at RPR so much as I could just pick at little bits and pieces. Daniel is the same, whereas Simon & Adam usually wake up ravenous and treat breakfast as the proper meal it should be. It doesn’t help that I don’t eat pork either, so bacon & sausages are usually off the menu!

However, there’s always pancakes, and they’re usually a safe bet, especially at Cracker Barrel!

Judging by Adam’s expression, he was weighing up his options quite carefully, and Simon seemed very happy with what was on offer!

Our server took our order, which was probably more complicated than it needed to be, and was very efficient with the coffee top ups for Simon & Grandad.

Daniel entertained himself with the solitaire game until Adam asked for a go and he forgot all he had learnt about sharing, preferring to focus on the word ‘solitaire’.

It didn’t matter, we just grabbed another game of a nearby table. We have a couple of these at home, and aren’t very often successful in completing it. However, Daniel managed to do it on his second attempt, and then offered me a go (eventually remembering sharing!), and I managed to do it on my first go!

Eventually our food arrived, and we all tucked in.

Going by the receipt, Adam & Grandad both had scrambled eggs with bacon & sausage, Grandma had turkey bacon with one egg (over easy!), I had pancakes, which I shared with Daniel, who also ended up with sausage & bacon, and Simon had scrambled eggs on toast. With a rather suspect looking squirt of ketchup…..

We all enjoyed the food, although I was defeated by the pancakes, not entirely unexpectedly, despite sharing them with Daniel and Adam helping out too!

We left a tip on the table and settled the bill at the till in the store at the entrance to the restaurant.

The shop is like a little Aladdin’s Cave of all sorts of bits & bobs, and despite always having a good browse, we rarely buy anything worth mentioning.

Although I will mention that the boys bought a few mini sticks of rock in all different flavours to replace the ones that had sat in the cupboard at home for the last year and been chucked out just before we came away!

Before heading back to the villa, of course we had to stop off for a rest in the rocking chairs! Look at them, peas in a pod….

We called into Publix on our way home, picking up a few bits like bagels, fruit, more ping pong balls and a key lime pie for later.

Daniel did his gate code duties as always, and we were back at the villa just before 11.

For the rest of the afternoon we did very little. There was lots of pool action, I tried to read but kept nodding off and would then wake up burning hot and having to cool down in the pool!

We did find time for the pool volleyball tournament with team GB eventually claiming victory. (Team GB being me & Simon, the boys were USA and Grandma & Grandad were Russia, because they cheat )

On checking my emails, I was surprised to see a reply from American Airlines with regards to my checking in query from a few days before. Quite rightly, they assumed we were all sorted now but asked if there was anything else they could help with. I replied and let them know about the missing bag, and was very surprised to receive a further email offering a $50 credit off our next booking. The voucher was waiting for us when we got home! I doubt that we’ll use it, but it’s a nice gesture anyway….

Naturally we had found time during the afternoon to discuss where to eat that evening, and Grandma & Grandad were quite keen to get their seafood fix at Red Lobster. We knew there was one at Crossroads, and also that there are lots of other restaurants around there, so we chucked TGI Fridays in as a suggestion to the boys, although I also wanted to try Buffalo Wild Wings, which was on the same complex. The boys were keen on TGIs, and I was beginning to wish I hadn’t suggested it as I know they can be quite inflexible once they have an idea in their heads!

We left the villa at around 5pm, hearing thunder in the distance and the wind whipping up, but no rain. There was talk of bad weather looming, possibly a hurricane, but so far we had been very lucky.

Same as the morning, the boys were back sitting together in the middle seats of the car, assuring me that they would behave themselves, which, surprisingly they did…..

It took around 30 minutes to get to Crossroads, and after we dropped the Grandparents off we went to find BWW, just to see if the boys could be persuaded to try it, but they couldn’t. *cursing myself!

So, TGIs it was….

We were seated straight away, by a server who appeared to want to be anywhere but at TGIs that night. (I felt her pain!) She was quite abrupt and matter of fact, which is fine, we’re not there to make friends either, but even the boys commented on her demeanour.

However, she did bring drinks, including a slushies for the boys, so she wasn’t all bad

I wasn’t too bothered about missing out on BWW as I knew there would be other opportunities, and I know we have TGIs at home but I do quite like the American version.

We had a voucher for a free appetizer so we ordered mozzarella sticks as they are one of Adam’s favourites.

A different server brought them out, and as he did so he announced ‘here we have the second best thing to happen to cheese’. Simon broke, and asked the obvious question, to which Adam replied, at the same time as the server ‘Pizza! ’.

Eventually our food was brought out and is was all really good.

It was all very reasonable too, with the bill coming to just $47.

Funnily enough, on presenting us with the bill, our server suddenly became quite friendly and chatty, again, something the boys picked up on. They then suggested that we leave her a 20% tip because even though she was quite grumpy, she brought all the food out quickly and didn’t make any mistakes! So we left $10…..

We popped round the corner to pick up Grandma & Grandad, who were waiting outside for us.

They’d both really enjoyed their colour coordinated meal

And despite being a lot more expensive than most meals, it was worth every penny…..

Despite the earlier rumblings of thunder, and threat of bad weather, it had turned out to be a warm, dry evening, so we headed towards the nearby Pirate Cove Golf to partake in the next Olympic event.

It cost $66 for the 6 of us, but I’m not sure of the breakdown of prices, and I had a voucher but apparently it wasn’t valid at this course so they gave us some kind of miniscule discount instead.

Now, mini golf can go one of two ways for our lot. Who am I trying to kid. It always goes the same way, with me basically wishing we hadn’t bothered. However, tonight was different. Or at least it started off different…..

Perhaps the key was to have the boys playing for the same team, Team GB, and therefore if one makes a good shot it benefits both of them. Right?

A hole in one

Right! Everything was hunky dory as Adam shot a couple of holes in one (or is it hole in ones?!) and by hole 9 Daniel was in the lead. However, after a few disastrous holes for Daniel things took a turn for the worst. He then had a mini meltdown when he realised Simon wasn’t being truthful when he said he was still winning. He became quite upset when he realised Simon’s motive (which was basically to prevent a meltdown!), and got the right hump that his Dad has that opinion of him.

Sulking….

I won’t give a blow by blow account of the game, I’ll just let you enjoy some photos instead

Rebel without a clue!

This hole was affectionately christened ‘Lady Lumps’

Eventually harmony was restored, with Simon realising he’d made a gross error of judgment, and subsequently apologising to Daniel. I think he was trying to do something similar to what Grandad had done the night before with the Blob victory, but obviously the consequences are very different when you pretend someone is winning and they’re not rather than the other way round!

The game eventually ended with a Grandad victory, and a first gold medal for Russia. Simon won silver and Adam ended up with Bronze. Me & Daniel tied and poor Grandma finished last…..

On the way back to the villa we tried to find Coldstone Creamery on the 192 but to no avail, which pretty much topped off the evening!

So instead we had some Key Lime Pie back at the villa. Daniel tucked into some Milk Duds (chocolate covered chewy toffees), with one of them pulling out a wobbly tooth. That’s the second time that has happened, and since being home he’s lost a third tooth to a Milk Dud!

No cards tonight, instead we put Angry Birds on. Adam bailed at around 9.30 as he was really tired. Grandad followed at around 10, with Simon shortly after, leaving me, Daniel & Grandma watching the movie until we all retired at around 10.30.

And there we have it, the end of our first week. And despite us initially wondering how we were going to fill our days, worried that we might get a little bored (pffft) we were all beginning to realise what a ridiculous worry that was!

Today's spends:

Meals: $97
Food: $18
Misc: $9
Food: $18

[slow.jo]

Grandma and Grandad were Russia because they cheat hahaha! I hope you had grandad drug tested after the mini golf

Good value food today! It’s very nice not being ripped off! I think I would have preferred Red Lobster to TGIs though

TFS and all that

Jo xx

#penisketchup

#pleasedontremovemyhashtagstu

[sheluk]

It's amazing how leisurely this sounds for a Florida trippie but so lovely and with plenty of fun too. Red lobster is going on the list for sure next time! X

[2littleboys]

Another lovely relaxing day Jo, that tomato ketchup does indeed look very suspect

[Lisa_Lollipop]

What a fab day, so relaxing yet st the same time filled with fun!

I have to admit I am with the boys and absolutely love TGIs (despite hating it here in the UK!)... the food looked delicious! You have got me craving some Jack Daniels chicken now

[flo-tinka]

Ha to the bouncy mattress ! I sympathise

[Lisa29]

What a lovely laid back day.

Your breakfast and dinner both look good, I know what you mean about TGI's we do have it here but I find it better over there.x

[mick]

A nice relaxing day we are looking forward to trying breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we enjoy dinner there but not tried breakfast 🍳

I am glad your Mum and Dad enjoyed the meal at Red Lobster, looked a bit pricey compared to yours at TGI 😳 But it is somewhere we always go a couple of times each holiday

Joan

[Loopylooloo]

I just love your report, all the photos of your lovely breakfast and the boys sitting on the chairs! Brilliant. Cracker Barrel shop looks so quaint..

[disneylover]

It could only happen to you that you have the suspicious ketchup!