Lazy Friday

Kendall and I are in Pensacola. An uneventful flight, arriving late last night. Today we got up late, ate at our Hampton Inn, and then swam for a bit. We were the only silly people at 10am in the pool with thunderclouds rolling through. Somehow Kendall convinced me, and we were two silly people in the semi-cloudy, and not warm morning.

After that we headed to Fun City, where it immediately started raining. It's the same cheesy mini-amusement park that is in many cities, though this one had a water park, medium sized, attached. We had bathing suits, but with the weather, we decided to get some tickets and ride a few rides. I drove her in the go-kart first, 5 or 6 laps at medium speed. I raced it around some corners at first, but she was scared, so we slowed down. We were the only ones on the track, so I think they gave us an extra lap or two. Next was mini-golf, and a nice spring shower falling on us, but it was fun. I had Piper, our new stuffed Boston Terrier helping me play. Not a great helper!

We did bumper boats, spraying each other with water, and riding around. I'm sure we got a break here, the two of us alone in the water, for a good 10 minutes. It started to get warm, but we were tired. Kendall wanted to just ride the carousel with me before we left, so we did that. Just the two of us, riding around in a bench. She didn't want to ride the horses that moved, so we sat there with Piper, going around and around.

She took a last ride on the trucks to use up our tickets and then we went to get lunch and shop. I think that's her favorite thing and since I had a few commitments this weekend, I thought I'd get her a few games to keep her occupied. After Red Robin, where she sat with headphones listening ot her iPod as we ate, it was Toys-R-Us for a movie and a couple games. I'm glad I did that because the night would prove to be long for her.

We came back to the hotel and swam a bit. I would have preferred to nap and read, but she insisted, bringing down a gaggle of characters. Piper, White Fang, and her new Sparkle, animals with us. There were a few other kids down there and I think she was embarrassed since she said he would leave two of the animals on the table and only bring one in the pool. So we goofed around, swam, and she taught her new dog to swim. When there was just one kid left in the pool, she abandoned me and swam over there. She made a friend and then came back to get the rest of the pack.

A nice afternoon, where I got to read a bit, finishing and then buying another book at the pool while Kendall played. They were finally done and we came to the room to kill a little time before my speaker's party. The party was a little chilly, outside at The Fish House in Pensacola, and I had to meet a bunch of people. Kendall was shy, but did well. My partner, Brian, gave her a game on his iPhone when she was embarassed to play her DS. She sat with me, ate dinner, and then we left, with a minimum of complaining. Overall it was a good time for me to see and meet people and she put up with it well.

A short drive home, and then it was time for bed. She's done well with the time change, but we've been staying up late for Denver time, and I know it will be a long week when we get home. Tomorrow I have to speak at lunch, and then our plan is to hit the beach for awhile and see what life is like on the Gulf Coast.