A Very Angelic Christmas

[ANGEL]

Day 14

29th December 2001

Sunbathing in December

Well, its that awful day when you suddenly realise that it’s the very last full day of your holiday.  That horrible sinking feeling that no matter how much you cram into the day it won’t be long enough, do you know what I mean?

Of course it doesn’t help when your snail-like daughter takes an eon to prepare herself for the outside world (not very nice I know, this, but how can it take 90 minutes to get ready then emerge looking like you’d thrown on last nights clothes? Sorry! I can talk, I know!!)  Anyway, before you know it (yeah right) we are parking at USF once more (see, when you have the Aps you just HAVE to keep using them)  Everything we do today is going to be “this is our last ride on……”….BOO HISS!!!!  Its 10.15 and we head fort he nice little bakery near the US entrance, and spend precious moments sitting outside with our coffees soaking up some sun…Boy is it hot today!! It’s a really beautiful day, perfect blue skies and glorious sunshine, they’re going to send us home wanting more, you know!

Off to our favourite ride and collect passes for MiB, for 2 hours later, then ride BTTF once more as the queue is very short.  We ride in the back this time and its really jolty there, I do prefer sitting in the front of these cars.  You get a much better sense of the thing too in the front, although I still always shut my eyes as the TRex opens his jaws!!  Walk back to MiB and the Q is only 15 minutes so we hop in and blast some more aliens (can they be any left by now?) before sitting and slurping a snow cone in the sunshine for a while before we get to use our passes.  I manage a very creditable score, for me, of over 200,000, but still the other car wins, oh well, I’ll just have to have more practice next time!

Off to do terminator a last time, and to marvel at the technology behind it, then we decide its just so beautiful we want to spend some time by the pool and relax.  After all, tomorrow we’ll be flying back to grey old England, and the chill winter, there’ll be no sunbathing then!

Back to our hotel and fetch my book and bikini (don’t try & picture this please, its not a pretty sight, but I’m on holiday and I hope never to see these people again!)  The pool is quite busy but there are plenty of beds and seats, some in the shade, some in the full sun which is nice.  That’s it, I’m in heaven! Stretched out on a bed, with a drink at my side and a book in my hand.  The sun is shining and the sky is very very blue……..what more could I want?  

“Mum, I’m bored now, can we go shopping?…..”      GRRRRRRRR! NO!  Well, she got the hint, as she only asked once!  Fetched her CD player, drawing things and sat in the shade, almost happy for a while.  Vince had a swim, but I just felt too lazy, and I must admit I actually fell asleep for a while.  I know I did, because I drooled all over the towel I was lying on!  (sorry, must have been dreaming…Spiderman, maybe?;))  Used plenty of sunscreen as usual but with the curse of fair skin still managed to suffer later thru too much heat.  Should know better, but I get very greedy for the sun sometimes!

Spent the rest of the afternoon lazing by the pool.  It was very surreal, listening to those Xmas songs while watching a blue sky and feeling that sun I can tell you!

Went to shower & change as we had decided that our last meal would be at the Red Lobster across the road from us on I Drive.  We’d not tried this branch, although the one at the Crossroads is one of our favourites.  

Waited 10 minutes or so for a table, while we had a drink.  Does anybody else not like the taste of the ice cubes/water in the US?  I always have to remember to ask for my drinks without ice as it tastes so foul to me.  Nice drinks though!  Started with the usual Cesar salad and those lovely cheddar bay biscuits, as hot and fresh as usual.  Then I had the ‘fresh today’ swordfish, which I always love.  It was delicious!  Thoroughly enjoyed our meals as usual and can recommend this branch of the Red Lobster too.  Although for atmosphere I think the other just wins.

After dinner Vince really wanted to go back to IoA to ride the Hulk ‘one last time’ but as we hadn’t even started packing I decided someone (ie me!) had better get a move on with it!  So Becky & Dad dropped me at the hotel while off they went to have a last play.

This worked really well.  I had 2 hours to myself and managed to complete most of the packing while watching some rubbish on TV and drinking the last of the Ice (well I had to have some fortification;))  How on earth did we end up with so much luggage to take back? ….oh yes, all that shopping probably did it!  Managed to amass several thousand plastic carriers too, which I sorted into nice ones to keep and horrid ones to throw away.  (I have this weird collecting instinct for carrier bags!!)  Of course we have too much to fit in our cases so I quickly realise it means yet another trip to buy yet another bag/case tomorrow morning.  Doesn’t matter how many we bring with us it’s never enough!

Depression is starting to set in now as I keep thinking, “this time tomorrow…” etc.  We’ve really had a wonderful time, especially with it being Christmas and all.

When the others get back the packing is virtually complete, apart those bits I can’t fit in to any of the bags.  Vince says its “awesome” riding The Hulk and Duelling Dragons at night time, everything feels that much more intense, although it was apparently very busy still.  We’ve noticed it getting busier and busier as New Year looms.  I can only imagine how busy the parks will be on New Year’s Eve!  Still a shame we won’t be here to experience that too!

Oh well, early to bed (well, 11pm anyway) & early to rise, and all that….must make the most of our last morning tomorrow before we board the 6pm flight home.  We’ve been so lucky with the weather over all, especially today, and I’ve even got a bit of a tan (well, burn anyway;)) to go home with.

I’m trying to make this day last as long as I can, but I can’t stay awake any longer…..snore….G’night everyone, sleep tight...