I'm pretty sure I hate Florida.

Last week, due to a series of circumstances that were unfortunate at best, my whole family went to Florida.  We made the trip so we could all attend my uncle's wake.  

It was a strange six days.  

The wake was the worst thing ever, but my uncle's ghost did manage to make me laugh by rigging the water fountain to squirt Joe in the face.  Anyway, we spent the week in my sort-of-cousin's wife's house which was really nice.  The house was nice.  Not the fact that we ALL spent the week there TOGETHER.  Trapped.  My grandmother, my mother, my father, my sister, my husband, and me.  It made me remember all of the reasons I moved out of my parent's house, and helped me realize a few new ones.  But that's a different story, and one I'd prefer to just leave behind me.  

The one great day of the trip was Thursday.  My mom thought it would be a good idea to go to Epcot to give my grandmother a distraction.  And since my uncle was all about going places and doing things, it's something he would have encouraged.  My grandmother was convinced that she would be a burden, and that since she had already been there, we should go without her.  This was not an option, so I suggested we go to the Kennedy Space Center, since none of us had ever been there before and we could all make the trip for the first time together.  Success!  The plan was a go, so we all hopped in the rented minivan (yes, minivan....don't you hate minivans, Al?  Why yes, yes I do.) and headed out for our adventure.

And a grand adventure we had, one that I will tell you all about in another post...with lots of shiny pictures, I promise.

Friday or Saturday we were supposed to go out on my sort-of-cousin's boat to spread part of my uncle's ashes at sea.  It was something I really would have liked to be a part of but, alas, the weather was not fair and prevented us from doing so.

During the trip, I met many people who I am sort of but not really related to.  I met friends and coworkers of my uncle.  I met a macaw named Iko.  I ate many chain restaurant lunches.  I saw much Spanish moss.  I spent more time in a minivan than I ever want to again.

And now I am back home.  And everything is back to relative normalcy. And I have a new appreciation for peace and quiet in my own house, and a better understanding of what is important to me.

It wasn't the trip to Florida to which I had looked forward since last Thanksgiving, but I guess that wasn't the trip that I was supposed to take.