Day 353: Monday, March 1
Ah, back to March. As I flipped the calendar, I just thought "what a year March has been." It's like March 2020 was simultaneously just yesterday, and yet also, 18 years ago.
Because, as Hayden says (stolen from SNL Tom Hanks) "Everyday is just Today"
I'm trying to gain back some of that gung-ho-ness from last March though, you know, do some fun things again. So Hayden and I are working on an cool art project a year in the making. Not sure we will have enough lids for it, but we did pull out what we had collected so far and color code them.
It is hard though, to think about what has been lost in the last year. We're lucky it was just milestones, and events, and not close family members. So many others can't say the same.
March 1 also marked one year since the first confirmed cases were found in Florida.
You know who doesn't mind all this at home time, though? Pets!
Grandma, of course, had gotten both her doses of vaccine, and was just waiting till she had herself enough antibodies before heading north. We were in our last few days with her, and she treated us quite well. Of course, she offered the boys one last Taco Bell trip.
And we took a few last walks, and even went off the beaten path. Now, when my mom first got here, she would cross to the other side of the sidewalk if a gator was 10 feet away. By the time she left we were having to tell her to get away from the ponds!
Day 354: Tuesday, March 2
TWO gator sightings on my morning walk with Ellie.
It's getting warm, so we have been a little panty/sweaty when we get back. But, on the upside by 10 AM we have 4,000 steps.
It might be spring, but that's when a lot of our trees start shedding their old leaves for new ones, so a nice rake job was in order (and I was so proud of myself, I didn't even get a letter about it yet!
Grandma also made us lasagna for dinner. One with onions, and one without. The boys won't be so spoiled when she's gone.
Hayden did help with the salads, though.
Dipper has also taken to cozying up with me.
Day 355, Wednesday March 3
It was grandma's last day here, so we made the most of it. However, for whatever reason the pictures from this day are all backwards, and I don't want to fix it.
So, we finished the night with the best games with more people.
We had seafood take out for dinner!
Delivered of course by Uber Eats. One thing we've seen a lot of this year: tracking our Uber Eats driver on the TV.
Porkchop was cozy.
We've got tons of baby limes coming, which I'm excited about.
We took one last after lunch walk.
And we had donuts for breakfast to celebrate.
So, after 110 days grandma was heading back to Ohio.
Day 356: Thursday, March 4
Grandma left early in the morning.
And then Asa and I headed out to the Animal Kingdom. We decided to give it a try without having a higher risk person living with us. Plus, we had to renew those passes.
I sure did miss me some Animal Kingdom.
It had been 1 year, 1 month, 1 week and five days since I last laid eyes on the Tree of Life. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little teary eyed.
We didn't do any rides or anything. We were there for some food, some animals, and a good daily step count. But we also got a few bonuses: like the sand sculpture for the new Raya and the Last Dragon.
We haven't seen it yet (we're saving it for Asa's birthday weekend), but I do know that's Tuktuk.
We mobile ordered from Flame Tree BBQ for lunch and then found ourselves a nice quiet spot completely away from any other people. It was just as good as I remembered.
We were able to catch some of the entertainment and some characters (they float by on boats to stay socially distanced).
Another bonus: we were able to get a new passholder magnet!
And then we headed off on the trails to see some animals.
In some areas they are super strict about you keeping masks on for the safety of the animals.
I'm not going to lie, going to Disney now is not quite the same. You are on high alert. And it is an ordeal everytime you sit down to eat. Masks in the FL heat are rough. It's not too bad yet, but it's going to be a thing this summer too, and I was hoping last summer was the only time we'd have to deal with that.
But, after you hand santize and take off your mask (and we use face wipes and chapstick then too- because man), and wipe down your area, THEN you can eat.
We got some yak and yeti fried rice, and a mini mango pie to bring home. I used to take Disney for granted- I never brought little pieces of it home with me- but now, I like live for it. Mini mango pies even come in a sealed package, so they are super easy to throw in your backpack and bring back to your room, or home.
Pandora was probably the most crowded area in the park (though I will say, mask compliance was pretty great, I barely saw any noses!), but still it was in an out for us.
I was just there for a Pongu Lumpia. They are one of my favorite Disney snacks, and I hadn't had them in forever.
All in all, a great trip to a park I missed more than I thought (I still don't miss any as much as the Magic Kingdom, but I don't think I'm willing to brave the crowds there until I'm vaccinated- even with the masks).
Day 357: Friday, March 5
Friday, Asa and I went out to pick up Hayden's library book box, and swung by Wawa for some lunch.
There was nobody else eating outside, so we figured it would be ok to sit out and have our lunch.
And we had collected Hayden's Book Box that was so big, it was a bag this month instead of a box.
Then later that evening we discovered Aldi's had Gino's East pizzas back in stock, so we played an asap curbside pickup for them. We love Gino's East, and order them about once a year from Chicago. But, man, shipping is expensive. We discovered last year Aldi's carries them VERY rarely (so rarely, in fact, we missed out on them last time). And instead of paying $70 for three pizzas, they're just $6 a piece!
Anyway, we decided since we were just doing a quick curbside Ellie could come along for a ride. She hasn't gotten too many car trips in the last year.
And she might not look like it, but she did love it!
