Florida Vacation... all alone!

We had decided to take a winter vacation to Florida and booked everything in April 2006. During the summer, several projects we did on our home took a lot of cash to do. So, we decided not to take the trip. Later we decided to change the tickets to a September visit to Wisconsin to visit our good friend Jay. We were told the tickets had to be used by April 2007. So, Jay is coming to visit us and he and Jason are going to Newfoundland. Jay's goal is to visit every Canadian province so he will be able to scratch one more off his list. My ticket to Florida was all paid for and just sitting there, so Jason suggested that, rather than throw it all away, I should go. Alone!

I decided to make the journey. I arrived, picked up the rental and felt like a lost sheep. Trying to figure out the maze of roads and exits alone without a navigator was hell, but I somehow managed to get to my cousin's place. Oh yes, she lives here too and wanted me to go buy her a new computer. Hers had many viruses and was a windoze 98 OS. We got the computer, set it up, and waited for the cable company to come and connect the high speed a couple of days later. I left and want to our friends home.

It was great to get away from the very cold Canadian winter, the coldest February I can remember. Florida felt warm and our friends David and Eric always are wonderful hosts and make their home available to us when we're down. But, they work, as do most people I know here, leaving me all by myself all day. I'm terrified of the traffic and going to the theme parks alone is no fun. God I missed having Jason with me.

I did have a couple of very nice bears I had met through the internet many years ago, take the day off work to spend the day with me at Universal. They even went out of their way to come and pick me up and take me to the park. We had a wonderful day together. Bob is like a little kid and loves to ride the coasters. We're much alike. Mike doesn't like coasters but did go on several rides with us. He would it on the bench and wait for us. I thought how nice it would have been if Jason had been there with him since he doesn't like coasters either. We rode the Hulk 3 times and the Duelling Dragons once. We walked all the way through BOTH parks. It was in the 80's without a could in the sky. It turned out to be the BEST day of my whole vacation.

Almost every night, I call Jason to hear his voice and tell him how much I love and miss him. I didn't realize how lonely I'd feel without him. Even though I had a great day at the park and David and Eric are super hosts, it hasn't been much fun this week here alone. I have felt so empty this week it hurts. I've decided I'm never going to take a solo vacation again, ever.

On another point... We've decided this year will be the last FurFest ( http://www.furfest.ca ) we're going to do. It will be #12 and that's enough. We're tired and burned out with all the work that's involved in organizing a party for well over 100 bears each summer. Not to mention it takes a week of our holidays. Next year, we can have that time to travel and enjoy OUR summer. I feel I've accomplished what I set out to do. We started with 30 bears in my back yard when FurFest began and have now become Canada's Biggest Bear Party! Not just that, we went from a very private function to a point where the City of Fredericton is involved as a sponsor or our event. We were courted for three years by the Crowne Plaza to move our event there and finally did last year. We have made many great friends who have returned year after year to support the event. We hate to let it go, but it's time to move on. I hope to see many of you return this year for the last bash. Let's go out with a bang.

Larry