ASTRONAUT IN TRAINING

Kristen and I just returned from a week long trip to Orlando. I actually had an annual work-related conference to attend, so we decided to extend the trip a few days and make a little vacation out of it. No, we did not take the kids. Yes, we do feel a little guilty about it. I mean, of all places to go where you would want to take your kids, it would be Orlando. But this time it was just us! (Along with my partner and his wife--Steve and Alison Weaver). Apart from the conference I was there to attend, we also went to the Epcot Center, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, and Universal Studios. I think I got just a little "parked out"!

Let me tell you about a little experience I had at the Epcot Center. Those of you who know me know that I tend to get a little "motion sick" at amusement parks. Honestly, just watching the carrousel makes me need to sit down for a minute. OK, I'm not that bad, but pretty close. Anyway, there is a fairly new ride at Epcot called "Mission Space", which they say takes you on a journey to Mars. We had fast passes, so we were able to jump right up to the front of the line. Before going inside the building, a worker stopped us and asked if we wanted "spinning or non-spinning"? Well I couldn't look like a wuss in front of my wife and friends, so I said "spinning, of course". After everyone else walked through I stopped and quietly asked, "What's the difference?" To which a young, 18 year old girl gives me this "duh" look and says, "One spins, and the other doesn't!" OK, so I'm not that stupid--I figured that much. I just hoped for a more detailed description between the two--which I obviously wasn't going to get.

So on we went toward the ride, when I hear a voice announcement saying, "If you are prone to motion sickness, pregnant, have high blood pressure, or any medical condition, you should not ride this ride." I thought to myself, "That's interesting--most rides that have any sort of movement have signs that say a similar thing, but I've never heard an announcement before." That was my first clue that I probably should have left the line! Two more times, in the next 2 minutes, I would hear the same announcement. "How bad could it be?" I thought to myself, "It's not like a huge roller coaster that spins all around. It's just one of those virtual reality type rides. If I start to feel sick I'll just close my eyes." The next announcement said, "If you start to feel sick do not close your eyes, or you may become disoriented." Great! So, like any intelligent person, I did NOT give heed to the warnings and I decided to go on ahead with the ride.

Finally, it was our turn. We climbed into the contraption, and the door closed behind us. After putting on my seat belt I looked up, and right there in front of me, next to the bar that I would soon be holding onto for dear life, was a box full of throw-up bags! Now I know I have never been on a ride that offers throw-up bags. All I could think about was the scripture that says something to the affect of being "everlastingly too late". There was no turning back now. Well, you know those old videos you've seen on t.v of astronauts in training, where they are in a machine spinning about a million miles a second? Well this was worse! I think so far in my life it is the closest thing to a "near death experience" that I have had. And just so you know, I did NOT throw up. I thought I was going to die, and I couldn't walk straight for a while, but I never threw up. And so you don't think any less of me, even Kristen got a little "queezy." I guess I'll never be an astronaut!

It snowed the morning we dropped the kids off at Grandma's

Epcot Center (no snow here!)

Playing with trolls

Wizards and Fairies

The convertible we rented to go to the beach