Big apologies!!!

Okay, okay, okay! I'm really sorry I haven't written my blog recently. Things here have been really busy and to be honest, I didn't think anyone was bothering to read it. However, that myth has been laid to rest. I've had lots of e-mails along the lines of "what's happened to the blog?" so I guess I'll carry on with it.

Okay so the last entry was over a month ago on the 21st October. Luckily I keep a diary so I should be able to do an update quite easily. Back then I was still really new to service and finding my feet. Over the following weeks most of my arrival group also entered into service. I helped to coach Lauren P on her menu learning and now all of us minus Lauren N (Newt) are servers. Newt decided she doesn't want to do service and sometimes I think she was the wisest one of us all! Service can be really stressful.

HSM3 came out at the end of October and I went along with a huge group of people to see it at one minute after midnight. Yep, I'm that sad. Sadder yet was the fact that the cinema was packed with adults desperate to see the film. It was crazy. The film itself was actually pretty good. Better than the second, anyway!

Towards the end of October the servers working the PM shift were rather amazed to spot our first celebrity diner! Noel Edmonds dined at The Rose and Crown. For people who don't know (ie. Americans), Noel Edmonds is the presenter of "Are you Smarter Than a 10 year old" and "Deal Or No Deal". He's not a major celebrity but we were all quite excited. When celebrities come to the restaurant, we're not allowed to behave any differently towards them than anyone else. I think we did a fairly good job, no one bothered him but I noticed an increase in the amount of servers that just had to use the till nearest his table or take plates to the kitchen the long way round so they passed his table. He seemed a nice enough bloke though personally I think he wanted to be recognised. If he didn't, he wouldn't have eaten at the UK pavillion. Any other pavillion wouldn't have had a clue who he was!

Halloween ended really suddenly. One night it was all orange and black everywhere and the following day it had vanished! Instead we started to prepare for Thanksgiving. For people who don't know (ie. British), Thanksgiving is an American holiday that celebrates the pilgrams sitting down with the Indians and getting through their first winter with thier help. Of course, the pilgrams then turned round and said "by the way, we're taking ALL the land" but that tends to be glossed over during the celebrations. Park attendance began to pick up in the run up to the holiday.

On November 4th, history was made here in the US when Barack Obama became the first black president. I have no idea what he's doing now or what plans he's putting forth as I've been too busy to catch the news but it's still quite cool to be here for an historic occasion.

On November 5th, it was Bonfire Night. Once again, let me explain for the Americans. Guy Fawkes was a man who entered parliament a long time ago in order to blow it up. The only man ever to enter our government with honest intentions! He didn't succeed and every year we celebrate that fact by burning a "guy" on the bonfire and setting off fireworks in the evening. To my surprise, Disney did a "Bonfire Day" celebration for the UK pavillion. We had hotdogs and burgers and alot of people wishing us "Happy Guy Fawkes Day" which felt weird as it's not that sort of holiday. Still, it was really nice that they tried.

November brought about the birth of our group. It consists of Kevin, Rene, David, Sam, Vikki and myself. Once a week we all get together and go for a meal at a different resort. At first it was just a coincidence but now we do it once a week without fail. We hang out at different times as well. I've never been a part of such a close group of friends before, it's really good. It's like being in a Friends episode. Practically every evening for the last week you could find us all hanging out playing board games or Kevin's Nintendo wii or watching a movie or something.

In the middle of November, Kevin, Rene and I drove down to Key West for the weekend. It was a seven hour drive but so worth it. Key West is really scenic. The water is an indescribable blue and they have a bridge called the Seven Mile Bridge. You drive across it and there's water both sides. It was brilliant. We had a meal on the marina and looked round Mallory Square. We stayed overnight and headed back the following day so we really didn't get to do that much. Next time we'll plan to stay longer. On the way home, we stopped at Miami and played around on the beach. The sea was warm, like bath water which was strange.

At the end of November, "our group" went to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. It was a really cold night but they give you free hot chocolate and cookies. The parade was amazing but the best part was the castle. It's all lit up like it's made of glass and it's really incredible. The old castle will look really dull when the lights come off. We're hoping to go to the party again before it finishes.

Thanksgiving came and went. I was a bit crazy, wishing everyone a "Happy Thanksgiving" just because I've never been able to before. We had a special turkey dinner in the restaurant and it was really busy. In the evening, our group went out for Thanksgiving dinner. I had turkey and it was a fun night.

That brings us up to date. The Candlelight Processional has begun at EPCOT now. Guests pay for a meal and ticket to see the show which is the nativity read by a "celebrity". I use the term lightly as I've never even heard of the celebrities they have. It means the restaurant is REALLY busy. It's almost crazy! I'm finding it difficult but the thing that's keeping me going is knowing that after the end of this month, things will calm down. We're already on the 8th and Candlelight ends on the 6th of January so I only have a month to get through. Service will be a doddle after this next month though.

Okay, I'm due at work so I'd better go. I'll try to update a little more often. Bye for now!

Possibly the best day off ever?!?!

Wow! I have so much to tell you about swimming with the manatees. It was amazing! Still, let me do this in order.

I was up early (5.00am!) and I had to meet the bus at the crossroads which is about a ten minute walk away. I paced it out the day before but I was horrified to learn that while I could get most of the way there, there's a huge massive interstate (the I4) in the way and there is no way to cross it without risking becoming road kill. America really doesn't cater well to pedestrians. I had to get a taxi instead and all because of that road I couldn't cross! Bizarre!

I met up with the coach and my driver, Graci (pronounced Grassy, he was great!) and he took us out to Crystal River. It's quite a distance from Orlando but they had provided a "breakfast bag" to keep us going and Graci had decent music taste so I was listening to The Eagles and Abba on the way up. We were taken to a PADI shop where we were given our fins and masks. We also hired wetsuits which was an extra $10 but apparantly it was recommended. We carried on down to the river and boarded the boat which took us out into the canals. All around were houses and they were incredible but apparantly cost over a million each! Not surprising. Our boat captain kept an eye out and looked for the manatees. We found one and the guide got in to see if she wanted attention. However, the manatee wasn't interested in playing so we let her go off and carried on. We found another a little later and she wanted a tummy rub so everyone got in and swam out.

Manatees are huge! I had no idea they could grow to 12 feet in length. They are also really difficult to describe. They're kind of like fat hippos crossed with walruses without teeth. They eat sea grass that grows on the bottom of the canal and they are extremely gentle.

We all swam over and straight away I saw the manatee underneath me. She was just stationary munching on sea grass. I swam over the top of her as she swam along and then jumped out of my skin when it felt like the canal floor rose up to get me. What happened was she surfaced to breathe and she did it right in front of me. Both my hands ran along her back as she surfaced in front of me and then she kicked me in the face with her tail when she went back down. It didn't hurt, I found it amusing more than anything. Besides, it was her revenge because I hit her in the face earlier with my fins. Accidentally and I think I missed but obviously, she didn't forget! Swimming alongside the manatee was amazing. She ignored us most of the time but at one point she came up to us and let us touch her. Manatees feel....I want to say beautiful or amazing but in truth, manatees feel absolutely disgusting! They are slimy! Moss grows on thier backs and it's like stroking a rock that is covered in seaweed. Still, I touched a manatee!!!

After half an hour or so, the first manatee was joined by another one. This one was a male but our girl wasn't interested and chased him off. After that our guide said, "okay guys, let's leave her to it" and we all climbed out. I loved the fact that the guide was so respectful of the manatees. He made sure she wanted us there and we never chased after her if she swam away. There's also a region of the river that people aren't allowd just so the manatees have freedom from us if they want it. That's how it should be.

We went to lunch next at a restaurant. This was included in the price of the tour and I had chicken burger and chips. Then we continued to the Homosassa Springs State Park where they had resident animals from Florida. We saw alligators, crocodiles, bobcats, cougars, black bears, various birds, deer, manatees and foxes. I loved seeing all the native wildlife and their enclosures are huge which made me happy. Alot of these animals are rescued from various situations and are being rehabilitated.

Once we were done at Homosassa, we boarded the bus back to Orlando. When we got back, I went to the Magic Kingdom. It's already decorated for Halloween which I find strange as that's still nearly two months away! The park was practically empty for some reason and the longest I had to wait to ride anything was five minutes! I walked straight onto the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, It's a Small World... I've never seen the park so quiet! Still, it was great for me!

When I got home around 9.30pm, I was exhausted and I fell asleep on the sofa. I eventually woke up and went to bed around midnight. Still, it was a fantastic day and I think I deserved the huge lie in I had this morning.