If you are reading this you most likely know that Memorial Day Weekend a wedding happened in florida. Yes I know, lots of weddings probably took place under those circumstances, but just one in particular is of any import to me. Because I was invited to attend this wedding I ended up spending a week down in sunny Tampa Florida. Now I could just give you all a boring report of what activity happened on what day, but instead I thought that I would tell bits and pieces of interesting happenings.
For example, Wednesday morning when I was standing in line waiting to check my bags at the airport an older gentleman looked over at me and said, "I like your shirt, I have six or seven of the same one at home." At the time I was wearing my 'Be a hero Give Blood' t'shirt. We started talking and come to find out he started giving blood in the 1950's and has been doing it regularly ever since. He told me that he had been honored recently as the largest donor in New England; I believe he said twenty eight gallons! He encouraged me to keep at it and we went on our different ways. A week later at the Tampa airport I saw another man wearing the exact same shirt. He had several small children with him so I didn't talk with him, but it was interesting non the less.
Saturday (the day of the wedding) a rather unusual thing happened. I was threatened with something akin to bodily harm. What made it unusual was that it was the bride who was doing the threatening! I was wearing a pair of pajama pants underneath my khakis and she wanted the khakis off and the pj's completely exposed. If I didn't, well what she was threatening to do was to awful to describe here. Unfortunately I wasn't man enough to stand up to her and make her go through with her threat. I guess I'll never know now if she was woman enough to do what she said she would.
Monday I went on a kayaking trip down the Hillsborough river that runs through Tampa. I saw a couple of alligators, lots of birds, and even a wildcat. The most interesting part however was when I thought that I was about to get stuck in quicksand like mud and not make it out alive. As I was paddling down the river I began to quickly run out of water to stay afloat in, so naturally I got out and started to pull the boat behind me through the shallows. Unnaturally after two steps I started to sink in the mud and muck up to my knees, and the more effort I put into getting out of that step would only propel my next step deeper. I hate to admit it, but I came as close to panicing as I've been in a very long time. I only made it out by wrapping my upper body around the kayak while scooching along on my shins. (More surface area so less sinking action). It didn't help that I had just passed a flock of about eighty buzzards or saw a dead fish floating along either. Neither of those things tend to lend themselves to a stable frame of mind. The rest of the trip was incredible though.
The next day I went to Busch Gardens and totally scrambled my mind riding roller coasters. It was probably a good thing I was alone because then nobody I knew could hear me scream :) And scream I did! I haven't been on a roller coaster in at least six years and I did my best to make up for lost time. I didn't take very good care of myself though, and got dehydrated part way through the day, leading to an empty stomach and nasty headache. However I persevered, went on, and overcame, going on another two rides before I left.
The last day I was there I went to the beach and tried to relax. That was harder than I could have imagined though. Between friends texting me, telling me that they were bored at work, and a older woman telling me to make sure I put on enough sunscreen. She was worried because she had seen people just like me have to be
Carried off the beach looking just like lobsters!
Hopefully the next post will have a few pictures of these different things, but until then let me just say that it was wonderful seeing you all again, hanging out with you and just basking in the warm southern sun.
*EDIT*
I almost forgot one of the coolest bits. Right after landing in Tampa on the way down as I was walking towards the baggage claim who should I run into but my cousins the Knowles family! Their flight had just happened to arrive at the same time with neither of us having any idea that the other was there. We exchanged hugs and hellos and then talked while waiting to pick up our luggage. Coincidence or Providence? You be the judge of that.
