NYC to Memphis to Clermont to Miami to Clermont and back to NYC !!

NYC to...

Memphis to ....

Clermont to...

Miami ...

back to Clermont...

and back to NYC!!!!!

Keep those frequent flier miles coming! It's hard to believe what all took place in the span of 3 weeks but it is back to NYC and normal day to day life. As normal as you can get in NYC! Clermont may be where our new house is but my boys were back in NYC so that is where home is for now. I enjoyed the conveniences of suburban life while I had them but it is back to hand washing dishes and Wrigley trying to eat rats and roaches. Again, it has been so long since I last posted I don't know where I left off. I intended to keep the blog up to date but I underestimated how much work had to be done. Blake, Mom, and I spent the week cleaning, unboxing, and setting up what we had in the house in addition to going out and buying things we needed. We did manage to stop and have dinner out every night. We tried some new places in Clermont as well as some old favorites in Orlando. Blake was delighted to see they had a Buffalo's (those of you from Memphis may remember the place) and I was happy we found our new El Po (again, if you have been in Memphis you will know our fave Mexican restaurant). At the end of the week Mom flew home and we drove to Miami. We thought it was pretty cool that we were just a quick drive away from Miami. The drive was longer than we expected and not as exciting as one would think. Miami was cool but the whole time we couldn't wait to get back to the new house. Poor Blake only had a couple hours there before he had to get on a plane to go back to New York (much to the happiness of the dogs). I had a few days to continue setting up the house before my family came. In my head, the house was going to be all set up with all the decor and furniture out. I wanted it to be all put together for my first visitors. In reality, there were still boxes everywhere, half the furniture wasn't there, mattresses were on the floor because the frames are in Memphis, and none of the bedrooms had light fixtures (previous owners took everything that wasn't bolted down and most everything that was). Their stay was way too short but we got a lot done and still got to go to Disney! As many times as we have been to Disney we have never done it in August, it was hot! Luckily since we have been there so much we didn't feel the need to stay all day and do everything. Every day when we would decide what to do, I would contribute with "Whatever you guys want to do. I live just down the street now". Not that I was rubbing it in ;)! We hit the big stuff, had a great time, and then headed back home. Elizabeth got a bunch of great pictures; it runs in the family :) Dad was a huge help getting things done around the house and there are now light fixtures in almost every room! I was sad to see them go and leave the house but was excited to see my boys again and finish my sightseeing tour in NYC! Big city life may have a bunch of inconveniences but getting to the airport isn't one of them. I have now flown in or out of all 3 major airports around New York without my own personal vehicle but getting to MCO without a car is costly! We were all flying out at the same time, me to NYC and the fam to Memphis. The taxi cost almost as much as my plane ticket! Even without flying through Atlanta, their plane had a 2 hour delay :(. I was a little luckier; I sat behind Vincent D'Onofrio and his family on my plane. It was pretty cool seeing him and watching him play with his kids. I was impressed with how much he played with them and not just let his nanny do it all. Naturally, the one thing I didn't get a picture of! I didn't want to be disrespectful since he was with his family and on a plane. My flight was actually early, which you think would be a good thing, but because we were so early we had to wait for a gate to open. An hour later I was meeting Blake in baggage claim! We took the subway back to the apartment and just as we got off a massive storm hit. We tried to wait it out in the subway because it was really bad but decided to make a mad dash for it and ran 1/2 a block in a deluge with lightning all around us. It was crazy and fun. The next morning trees all around where we were running had broken limbs from the lightning and winds. It apparently was a microburst. So, maybe not so smart. Oh well, we are back and ready to sightsee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!