Sometimes you just need to recharge the batteries in your karaoke mic. Took a mid-winter sabbatical to Florida and it was delightful. I got to swim with manatees in Crystal River on the west coast. Hundreds of them snuggle together in the hot spring during the winter, and I was able to snuggle in between them! They’re so giant (1-2 tons) that it was like swimming with dinosaurs. But they’re friendly like dogs! Still haven’t decided if they are ugly or cute. I guess they are more jolie laid.

Also experienced the one of the most beautiful things — the last evening space shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral. Thanks to my friend’s brother who works at Boeing, we were able to get access to the bleachers reserved for NASA VIP. We waited from 2-4am in the cold, watching the countdown clock, hoping that the clouds would clear since they had scrapped the launch the previous night due to weather. But it was worth it. A sonic boom across the sky, a blinding rocket of light, and lift-off.

We also went to Disney World Magic Kingdom, the inferior Disneyland and did some globetrotting at Epcot. The Magic Kingdom is a dry land but we were glad that Epcot with it’s global influence had a variety of booze from all around the world. There’s oddly no karaoke in Japan, so Epcot still has some homework to do.

My most fave Epcot land was Morocco, with it’s mosaic tiles and quiet courtyards. But I had a special place in my heart for Italy, just because it had the fourth Venice I’ve been to this year— including the real one, the Venetian Vegas, and the Venetian canals at the Villagio mall in Qatar. It’s a sign that I need to make a Venice pilgrimage every year.