Orlando 2017

26 March 2017 - Nick, Felix (7.5 yrs), Iris (4.5 yrs) and I drove through dreary, rainy, gray early spring weather from Rapids to Milwaukee for the first leg of our spring break trip. This adventure has been Mom's idea since last year, and they left last week to drive down and meet us in Orlando. We got to the Best Western by the Milwaukee airport a little after 3. After we checked in, we went down to the hotel pool and swam for about 45 minutes. The kids really had fun; especially Iris jumping in a lot. We got pizza from Domino's for dinner, all while listening to a smoke detector in the hall chirping until they finally fixed it. We all went to bed early.

27 March - We got up early and got breakfast. Managed to get a shuttle to the airport when they told us none were running. Got to the airport about 8:20 for our 10:35 flight. It didn't take long to check our bags and go through security. Killed time at the gate. {A friend of Iris's from the Y/preschool, Leigh, was also on the flight with her family, so that helped having them play together while we waited.} The kids did pretty well on the plane. {The Southwest attendants gave the kids First Flight certificates and plastic wings. :) } We got on our shuttle and to our hotel by ~3:30 local {kids did not like the long wait for the shuttle...}. We're in adjoining rooms with the folks at Disney Pop Century resort. The kids were anxious to go swimming, so we all went down to the pool It was low 80s and a bit windy. It was pretty fun to play together. After we swam for a bit, cleaned up at the room. Mom & Dad went out. We ran into some frustrations getting food at the hotel. The kids stopped listening, which got frustration also. We took a walk and saw an alligator. We got back to the room ~9 ET. Put the kids to bed, then went to M&D's room to talk and have some drinks.

Iris and Leigh

28 March - Between the late night, kids wiggling (each of us slept with a kid), and Nick snoring, 7 am came early. I got dressed, got some coffee and we had breakfast in the folk's room. We got ready, donned light clothes, put on sunscreen and got in line for the shuttle to the Magic Kingdom. Once on, the ride took about 20 minutes. It was packed. So many people! It took quite a while (~30 min) to actually get in the park. The kids were pretty amazed. Our first top was the Barnstormer ride. A nice, warm-up roller coaster. Iris loved it, Felix not so much. {Iris announced it made her "privates tickle".} We went on the Haunted Mansion next. Iris kept her face hidden most of the ride. We used a Fast Pass on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride (5 min > 74 min!). Felix loved that. I saw Iris and Grandma enjoying it, too. We went on the royal carousel (the kids took the biggest horses), then decided it was time for a break. {We went into the Castle Costuming shop, where Iris got "pixie dust" (glitter) sprinkled in her hair to bring her good luck for the day.} The six of us ate lunch at Columbia Harbour House. After that, the park was still so busy and the weather was sunny and high 80s. We took a cruise on the Liberty Square Riverboat. Felix and Iris were apprehensive about the loudness of the boat's horn, but it turned out to be not too bad. Iris decided she was too scared to go on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, so Grandma took her to the Tiki Room. (the wait for the Magic Carpet ride was too long). Nick, Felix, Dad & I went on the Fast Past line to BTMR. Felix & Nick rode in front of Dad & Me (like old times :) ) That's my favorite ride. we had to wait a while in the heat for Mom & Iris to join us and for our next Fast Pass time on Splash Mountain. We reached the line and Iris started freaking out that it was too scary for her, so Mom took her out of line, but suddenly Iris decided she was going to be brave after all. They got on a few logs back. We enjoyed it - nice, cool and damp after. Iris was smiles after, although it did "scare her privates." My brave girl. We got the kids their promised ice cream afterward. We were all hot and had sore feet, so we waited and got on the WDW Railroad back to Main Street. We were going to hit up the shops and go but we realized the parade was about to start, so we found a spot to sit. We waited and waited, and the kids got bored, so we headed to the Emporium to find the sword that Felix wanted for a souvenir. They didn't have it, and the parade was passing. Felix and I left the others and headed back to Fantasyland to go to the Castle Costuming and get his sword, fighting through the crowds. Headed back to meet the others and went back to the Emporium to buy Iris a Frozen light-up wand and a plastic bracelet. We left the park then and went to wait for a shuttle back to the resort. There was a bus there, but someone on the bus must have suffered a cut, so paramedics were there. That took a while then the ambulance and bus left. Then it took a long time for a new shuttle, then a long time to get back. ~1.5 hrs all told. :P  That really tried the kids' patience. Finally back, had a beer and snacks before all going to the pool So refreshing. Swam for ~30 min, then went back to the room and ordered room service pizza. Mom & Dad ran out for provisions, and I took the kids down to the playground for a bit to wait. Finally had dinner ~7:15. Talked about the day. Listened to some Moana. Watched some Chopped. Kids to be ~9. I took them out on the balcony to watch  the fireworks. More magic from Iris's pixie dust. :) Stayed up talking to the folks.

Iris's first roller coaster: The Barnstormer

Getting sprayed in the back at the Haunted Mansion

Small kids, big animals

Getting pixie dusted

Iris hiding in Mom's lap (back right)

Parade float

What could possibly go wrong?

29 March - We took it a little easier this morning. All got ready and got in line for the shuttle to Animal Kingdom around 8:40. It was much less chaotic getting into the park. Another hot, sunny day. Once we got in, we got the kids set up to start collecting Wilderness Explorer badges. We walked int Africa and killed a little time before it was time for our safari. I'm not sure how much Iris saw or liked it {she was sitting with Mom}, but we saw lots of animals, including 3 baby giraffes, a baby elephant, some white rhinos, and ostrich eggs. The kids learned how to play drums when we got off. Next we took the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch. The kids were a bit (well, a lot) more whiny today than yesterday, but that improved. Felix got into the spirit of collecting badges. After that, we took the train back into Africa and found it much more crowded than before. We walked over to Asia and stopped for lunch. Nick and I got falafel and samosas. The kids and folks got regular burgers, nuggets, etc. It was hot & sunny as we ate. Good thing our next Fast Pass was for the river rapids ride. Iris loved that, and I got refreshingly soaked. The kids were antsy to do the Boneyard playground, so we headed there next. I think all the grown-ups were feeling the effects of so many steps. Nick and I left them playing to ride on Expedition Everest. That was a fun coaster. We returned to find the kids still running around in the playground. We got them moving by offering to pick up souvenirs before we left. Felix got a large leopard (which he calls a cheetah), Iris got a smaller baby cheetah. Felix also got a crystal. We headed out of the park, caught the shuttle back right away and were back in the room by 4 pm. I have major pinky toe blisters, alas. Had a beer and some snacks in the room. We all went down to the pool for another family swim. If felt good, but it was clear we grown-ups were getting tired. Left after ~45 min. Went back up to the room to get cleaned up. We left the kids with the folks around 6 and went over to Disney Springs. We got to Morimoto Asia a bit before our reservation time, so we got drinks at the bar (I had a delicious coconut aloe mojito). Once we were seated, we waited ~50 min in anticipation for the sushi and sashimi pagoda we ordered. Finally, it arrived - two levels of ocean delight. :) Spicy yellow tuna roll; tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, sockeye salmon and some kind of snapper sashimi; a rose made from tuna "petals"; strips of snapper, yellowtail and lionfish; scallops in limes; oysters in 2 varieties each; a whole chilled lobster. Nick went so far as to rip the head apart so we could try the green brains. Um, muddy-tasting. After that feast, we walked next door to an Iris pub, Raglan Road. It was packed and there was band playing, but we managed to find two seats at the bar by the stage. A miracle! I had some Bushmills on ice and Nick had a coffee porter. We watched the band and the Iris dancers through the end of the show. We were about to leave when we discovered we could get a drink to go. We took one and walked around the complex. We got an English toffee bar at a candy shop. Saw as much as we needed to, then headed back to the hotel to talk with the folks a bit. The kids, apparently, were good. Went to bed ~11.

On the safari

At Animal Kingdom

Enjoying the water rides

SO MUCH SEAFOOD!

30 March - We slept in a bit, then got ready and packed everything up. The kids were brimming with energy in our snug little room. They played together with their new jungle stuffed animals. Mom & Dad went go to pick up a rental car so we could all travel. The kids got antsy. Eventually, we all left and headed to Disney Springs. We went to the Disney Store (lots of stuff, but very little Moana stuff), and the Lego Store (managed to walk out empty-handed). We ate lunch at Raglan Road. Iris threw a major tantrum on our way out of Disney Springs, because she didn't want to try using the bathroom. mom & Dad took the kids and we went separately up to Grandma Maxine's and Dennis's house in Weirsdale. This is really non-touristy Florida here. We got the grand tour and relaxed. The kids immediately went swimming while the adults chatted. {Iris got out of the pool for a break, took off her floaties, then jumped in. Dad caught her flailing and pulled her out. She remembers it vividly 3 years later, making a brief report on it this year in 2nd grade.} We visited the horses, I took a rest. We also could see a SpaceX launch from the backyard - caught a glimpse of the rocket as it rose and its vapor trail. The kids really liked that. We all went swimming together in the late afternoon. Had burgers and fries for dinner. Got the kids to bed ~8:30. We stayed up until 10:30.

Lunch at Raglan Road

At Grandma's & Dennis's

Visiting the horses

Enjoying the lanai

Watching the SpaceX launch

31 March - We slept in a bit, had a lazy morning. The kids swam before breakfast. After that, they were anxious to go visit the three horses here. They couldn't wait to go riding. Iris, Felix and I took turns riding around the yard. No one else wanted to get on the horse. The kids went swimming once more before lunch. By 1 pm we were packed up and on our way back to Orlando. The folks took the kids again, so it was a quiet ride for us. We got to our rather run-down hotel for the night around 2:50. We relaxed for a bit, then the kids when swimming in the small hotel pool. Iris got a rather big owie on her leg jumping in too close to the edge, but she shook it off. They swam until 4, then we got them cleaned up. Iris was very much in a hurry to go to dinner, but we had to settle her down because the restaurant didn't open until 5. We went to the Bauern-Stube, a German restaurant ~5 min away. That was definitely an unusual experience - we were the only people there until after 6. It was good in that we didn't have to wait too long for the food, and the kids weren't bothering others, but it was still strange. In any case, it was quite a change of pace. I got the Holstein Cutlet with spatzle and red cabbage. Iris got a brat, Felix got chicken cutlets, and Nick got rouladen. Mom got a cut of pork and Dad got a sausage sampler. Good beer with the heavy meal. We returned to the hotel and relaxed in the room while the folks attempted to return the rental car. After Iris's tantrum (she wanted to sleep on the tiny pull-out sofa, but we didn't want her falling off and hitting the coffee table), we put the kids to bed and stayed up late talking (and in Nick's case, drinking) in the folk's room. We didn't get to bed until after midnight and all of Iris's wiggling kept me from sleeping well...

A different kind of ride

Little dudes

Prosit!

1 April - ...making me a very crabby, on-edge Mama. I snapped at everyone as we were getting ready, eating the crappy hotel breakfast and having our shuttle to the airport delayed. I calmed down waiting with the folks for the shuttle to return and take us at 9:30. Still plenty of time. Got to the airport ~ 9:50, then stood in the long line to check our bags. The kids were difficult then, but improved going through security much quicker than anticipated. Nick took the kids to the gate while I got an iced coffee at Starbucks. We quickly learned our flight was delayed an hour because of a nor'easter in New Hampshire. More sitting, more waiting. We ate lunch at the gate (Chipotle for me, McD's for the rest), which helped kill time. They started boarding pretty quickly - too quickly for me, since I realized right after we found seats that I left my pone at the charging station. I might have freaked out a wee bit, but I got an attendant's attention and they got it to me right before the door closed. Whew! I sat with Iris who was excited to have a window seat again. She watched Moana on her tablet and I read and caught up in this journal. We landed around 2:30, deplaned, caught our bags, and waited about 15 min for a shuttle. Once we got back to our car, we took the kids to a Culver's because they had handled all the traveling fairly well. The ride home was long. We took 41 to 10, not our usual route. I ordered pizzas on the way, which were delivered about 10 minutes after we got home at 6:30. We had a "cat pizza party picnic" in the basement. The kids went to bed well. Nick and I were falling asleep by 9:30. Nice, long memory-filled trip.

Waiting to go home

Favorite Memories & other observations:
* Iris getting pixie dust in her hair - which made everything from seeing bonus fireworks to the sparkles on Lake Michigan "more magical".
* Felix's face after the thrill rides. He developed a quick appreciation.
* Iris saying those same rides "scared her private parts," but she decided to go on Splash Mountain after her initial cold feet.
* As much walking as I do, it wasn't nearly enough to prepare for our park days.
* But I will never go to a park in a Rascal, because WHY?! Those people were in the way everywhere! Same with strollers.
* High 80s and partly cloudy felt pretty great.
* It's worth paying a little extra to avoid staying at a place like that Quality Inn on McCoy.
* Our Disney Springs night. So much good stuff!
* We have lots still to do the next time we go back. :)

5 months after the trip...

{transcribed 1/30/2020}

2007 Capital One Bowl

31 Dec 2006 - This year, our Badgers wen 11-1 and ended up with a Capital One bowl berth. This year, Nick and I made plans to fly down with Cassie and Braden and stay with Mom & Dad at a hotel. we (Nick & I) drove from Madison to Milwaukee at 9 am, driving through rain the entire way. We met Cass & Braden in the parking lot, then spent the next few hours waiting for our direct flight to Orlando. Nothing special about the flight - just your typical annoyances and attempts to sleep through them. We flew in at 5 local time, and got our rental car. We finally made it to the 3-bdrm villa the folks rented around 6:30 pm. we relaxed for a while here before all heading out for dinner. Mom & Dad found an English Pub earlier in the week, so we went there for dinner. I got a yummy chicken curry, a Strongbow, and several coasters to add to my new-found collection. It was a very English pub - cricket, football and rugby on the telly, lots of British accents. Overal, pretty small and nice. From there, we drove to the Orlando Ale House to watch some football (American, this time). The last Packer game of the season (and perhaps Brett Favre's last game) was on, and the Pack defeated the Bears. we had a few beers and nachos. I was the DD for the kids, so I didn't drink too much. We headed back to the villa to count down to the new year. Had a little wine, played some Catchphrase, pretty nice way to quietly ring in the new year.

1 Jan 2007 - We got up around 8, and we were on the road to the stadium around 9. It was nice having done this last year, because we knew our way around this year. We parked pretty close to the stadium and set to work making a poster for nick. We wanted to wear his cow costume and hold up a sign reading "EAT MOR BAKIN", parodying Chick-fil-A ads, since we were playing the Arkansas Razorbacks. It was overcast and cool in the morning, but gradually warmed. Game time was 1 pm, so we had plenty of time to chill prior to it. People started coming over to get their pictures taken with Nick. We found out seats eventually and the game began. In between some minor sprinkles, we played a pretty good first half, leading 17-7 at halftime. The Hogs shut us down in the second half, but at least our defense held them to one touchdown. It was a nerve-wracking final six minutes, but we hung on for the win. We stuck around for 5th Quarter, and then many people in our section stopped by for a photo-op with Nick. Tailgated a bit afterward to let traffic clear, then promptly ran into a lot of it on I-4 as we made our way to the Ale House for dinner and to watch the second half of the Rose Bowl. We finally got there and ordered dinner (delicious blackened mahi-mahi over pasta for me). Michigan blew the game big time, and USC won. After dinner, we all headed back to the villa to chill. Watched more football, drank more beer.

Me, Nick, Braden, Cassie, Mom, Dad

2 Jan - We slept in a bit this morning, then decided what we were going to do for the day. We decided on Disney's Magic Kingdom. We got there around 10:30, paid $71 each to get in, and promptly began our hatred of strollers and inconsiderate people. We pretty much spent the day getting rained on (without ponchos, mind), standing in line for a ride and drying off, and then starting the process over again. We rode (in order) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean (now with Capt Jack Sparrow, Capt Barbossa and Davy Jones' characters), Space Mountain, Stitch's Great Escape, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad one last time before we went back to the villa. For most of the rides, we waited over a half hour, so that took up a big portion of the day. It was nice to get a pair of dry pants and socks on after that. A quick stop at Wal-Mart to pick up some frozen pizza and wine {and a copy of the Daily Mail, apparently}, and then it was back for a nice, relaxing evening.

Found in my travel journal

{transcribed 1/27/2020}

2006 Capital One Bowl

31 Dec 2005 - The Badgers were invited to play in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Florida (Barry Alvarez's last game as head coach). A group of us (my boyfriend Nick, Cassie, her boyfriend Braden, his roommate James and his girlfriend Lori) decided to get out of the cold and make the trip down to Florida. I have to ask - why do all these bowl games we go to have to start so inauspiciously for me? Nick and I got up at 4, me the others at Memorial Union to take the Van Galder bus to O'Hare at 5 am. We got down there about 3 hours before our flight left, but as I was attempting to check in automatically, I realized my walled (with the credit card I charged the entire trip on) was missing. After a few panicked phone calls to the cab and bus companies, my wallet was found on the bus. {which was then returned to me when the bus returned.} We were able to check-in and then setting in for a wait at the airport. We flew United ("Ted") direct to Orlando (uneventful flight) and stepped into the Floridian warmth (mid-70s). After an unexpected experience at the car rental place (we reserved two small cars, but somehow managed to get a Taurus and a mini-van, and then the ordeal of dropping the Taurus because everyone fit in the van - Argh!), we found our hotel and settled in. Everybody threw on their suits and headed to the pool. Almost like bathwater. Because it was New Year's Eve, the place was a bit more crowded than usual. Cassie and I took a drive to find a place to buy some beer. First we stopped at one of the scariest super Wal-Marts on the planet (everyone there had carts full of absolutely random stuff), before finding a grocery store. We ordered pizza for dinner, and hung out until a bit after midnight, when the number of hours we'd been up started to catch up with us.

James, Lori, Cassie, Braden, Nick, me

1 Jan 2006 - Got ready and got some breakfast before heading back down to the pool in the morning. After swimming, we went to International Blvd to find lunch and something to do. We found a place called Bahama Breeze that was pretty good. I got a chicken quesadilla, salad and a mojito. After lunch, we walked to a nearby adventure golf place. We had a coupon for half off, so we mini-golfed 36 holes for $8/person. That took a good 3 hours. I got a hole-in-one once. :) After all the mini-golfing, we decided to meet up with Mom and Dad who also came down for the game. We got our suits and headed to their hotel. There were (it felt like) a million preteen cheerleaders staying there, and all of them were in the swimming pool. We carved out a little niche for ourselves and swam a bit. We relaxed a bit after that, then headed out for some dinner. We stumbled upon an authentic English Pub (the Cricketers Arms in the Mercado), judging by the waitstaff and clientele. I had fish and chips, complemented nicely by a pint of Strongbow. We stayed for a while playing darts and talking to other Badger and Auburn Tigers fans. Mom & Dad left to go back to their hotel, and we went to Howl and the Moon, a dueling piano bar. It was a bit less exciting for me as the designated driver, while everyone else got louder and drunker. I had a headache, caffeine tummy ache and a short temper by the time we finally came back and turned off the lights.

{At the pub, we talked to a guy and his wife at the bar. He owned car dealerships in Miami and she had an enormous ring (causing us to recount this part of the tale by not being able to lift our hand from the table). They had Rapids connections. It was on this trip that it started to sink in that Rapids is the Center of the Universe...}

Mini-golfing

Cassie's drink

2 Jan - Owing to the previous night's experiences and the roughly five hours of sleep I got the night before, I wasn't the happiest camper when I woke up this morning. Because the 1st fell on a Sunday (NFL day), all traditionally New Year's Day bowl games were to be played on the 2nd.  As game time approached, my mood improved dramatically. We met up with Mom & Dada at a grocery store, then caravaned up to our parking lot. We got there about 3 1/2 hours before the game. Everyone else was pretty occupied trying to overcome their hangovers. I tried to get a bit of sleep. We met Jerry Fluno (as in the Fluno Center in Madison) and his son Brian. Jerry was originally from Rapids and knew the Dalys. {He invited to pay for us to go to the Alumni tailgate, but my hungover group couldn't be bothered. Still irked about that...} Just another one of those small-world coincidences. We ate some lunch, played Uno, then made our way in to the stadium. We (the 6 of us) were seated in the "student section" and mom & Dad were two sections over. Considering Auburn was ranked in the Top 10 and we have had no luck against SEC teams, I though this game would be a loss. Most of the sportswriters seemed to think likewise. What an extremely pleasant surprise it was when we caused two turnovers and scored 17 points to Auburn's 0 in the first half. {Big Bad Voodoo Daddy played the halftime show, along with way too many cheerleaders.} We had pretty good seats - I'd say they were equivalent to section P row 40 at Camp Randall. We students were loud and obnoxious as usual. I still couldn't believe it when the final score came down to Wisconsin 24, Auburn 10. I'm pretty sure all of us were pretty hoarse. Great 5th Quarter. We tailgated a bit afterward, then bid Mom & Dad adieu as we headed back to our hotel. We tried to find a place to watch the other bowl games, but it was too crowded. Ended up getting subs and heading back to the hotel. A little R&R in the hot tub and having a quiet rest of the evening.

Our view

Badger Fans!

 3 Jan - We slept in a bit more than we intended, but we were all ready in time to catch the early shuttle to  Universal Studios, if we had caught the shuttle, which we didn't. We ended up driving instead. It rained as we got to the park, but soon stopped. We went to Islands of Adventure. It was really nice - the weather ended up being sunny and about 80, and the park wasn't crowded at all. We went on the main roller coaster first (the Hulk) which had a really short line. Over the course of the day, we went on the Spiderman ride, Dueling Dragons twice, the Cat in the Hat ride, and saw the 8th Voyage of Sinbad stunt show. We also went on a Popeye-themed ride, which got us soaking wet. We spent the next few hours drying off. Nick and I bought Thing 1 and Thing 2 (me and him, respectively) t-shirts as souvenirs. We ate dinner at Margartiaville, just outside the park. I had yummy blackened tilapia. We had a little difficulty finding our way back home, but we eventually made it. I opted not to go down to take one last hot tub dip. I got enough water on me today. Nick & I talked a bit, then everyone else came up to watch part of the Penn State-FSU game and pack, because w were leaving the next day.

All wet after a water ride

Cassie and me doing our best Blue Steel.

Having some fun at Universal Studios

4 Jan - We woke up at 4 am, took the rental car back and just caught the airport shuttle that was about to leave. There were Penn State fans (victorious and exhausted) and Ohio State fans on the shuttle as well. We were delayed by ticket lines and baggage problems, but we eventually made it to O'Hare, where we had to wait for the next bus to Madison. I tried to sleep as much as I could on the bus. Finally pulled in around 2, and my roommate Kyle was nice enough to pick us up.

{transcribed 1/27/2020}

Orlando 1999

11 February 1999 - I woke up at 4:10 to get my cab to take me to the airport in Madison. My flights were pretty good (I went from Madison to Detroit to Orlando). I met Mom and Cassie at the airport. It was in the 80s and felt great! Heck of a lot better than down in Madison. We drove from the airport to Orlando. We went to this place called WonderWorks. It had a bunch of really cool interactive things, like simulated earthquakes, hurricanes; they had bubbles and games and rock climbing and rollercoaster ride. It was cool. Then we picked up Dad at the convention center. We went to the hotel. We went out to dinner at Bennigan's and it was really quiet. We took a nice long swim in the pool (all of us!). Oh, and we ate lunch at Race Rock and I got a new key chain.

12 Feb - We went to EPCOT today. {I remember getting honked at as I rode in the backseat of the car by a semi driver that looked like Jerry Garcia...} We wandered around, and I bought some trinkets for friends. We didn't go on a lot of the rides, because we had been on them before. We headed over to the Magic Kingdom to go on Splash Mountain. but we got caught by the parade. We went on the ride, then rose the monorail back, because I had an awards ceremony to go to at the Peabody. I got to dress up and get a plaque for winning a scholarship from the GCSAA. After that, we went to another reception. Cassie and I wandered around. It was stormy in the evening, but it didn't rain.

Cara & Cass at Epcot

In "Norway" at Epcot

Mom in "Italy"

13 Feb - It was only in the 60s today. Grrr! It's supposed to be warm in Florida! We went to Animal Kingdom, and saw everything there was to see because we had never been there before. Then we went to MGM Studios and took a few rides and went to the parade. We met Dad at the hotel. We were going to go back to Magic Kingdom, but the traffic was too heavy. We ordered out for pizza and Cassie and I took a swim.

14 Feb - Mom, Dad, Cassie and I went to this outdoor mall to watch the start of the Daytona 500 at the Dan Marino Tavern. I bought a nice Fossil watch. Then they took me to the airport. I didn't want to go back. I wasn't ready! The flight back was pretty good. When I got to Detroit, I had to run to catch my flight to Madison. The UW wrestling team was on it, as well as this professor guy that Dad introduced me to at the Wis. golf course reception. He offered me a ride back to Liz so I wouldn't have to take a cab. I got back to Liz, put away my stuff, and crashed big time. It wasn't a long trip, but it sure felt good!!! I could have used a few more months of it, that's for sure!

{transcribed 2/6/2020}