My five-year-old granddaughter recently came for a visit, so I suggested we make a Halloween gingerbread house. Shhh…don’t tell, but I knew there was a kit available at the local craft store.
We bought one and I was impressed that the eight-dollar package included everything. Well, almost everything. The box contained the directions, a base, the house sections and two envelopes for making green and orange icing. The kit also included a small liquid packet of black coloring. I suppose I was to add this to either of the frostings, but I would have appreciated some guidance. Just what quantity of black icing did I need?
I wasn’t traveling the full 1.21 jigga-watt speed required to jettison me Back to the Future, but fast enough to lose a season.
Florida was warm and sunny, in full-foliage springtime bloom when I left. I landed in Boston ‘s cold, bleak and leafless-tree winter. However, I grasped the future in my arms, picking up my newborn grandson, his script yet to be written.
I focused on my grown daughter Abby, a new Mom, beaming with love at her first baby. Thirty years replayed in my mind; the entire generation gone at mach speed.
In the movie, Back to the Future,Michael J. Fox ‘s character arrives in the past, surrounded by people wearing vintage clothing; retro hair styles, eating 50’s food and speaking outdated slang.
Luckily, infants remain unchanged. They still need midnight and three A.M. feedings, stacks of diapers, doll-sized outfits and baby shampoo, the kind that smells powdery sweet. But, oh my, nothing beats the bliss of cuddling a new babe.
Forget sending me back to the future, blast me forward. I’d like to stick around (in good health) to see my grandchildren grow.
Little Jonah, welcome to your world. May you wander through life under sunny, non-turbulent skies, at whatever travel speed you desire.
Gazing into the Shark Tank at Sharks Underwater Grill
Over the years I’ve learned a day at a theme park is improved when my group takes time to sit down and eat in a restaurant versus snacking at fast food. So, when lunchtime rolled around on our first day at Sea World, we chose Voyagersclose tothe sea lion and otter stadium.
My grandchildren naturally wanted the kid’s meal; one chose chicken fingers which came with French fries; the other wanted macaroni and cheese with baby carrots. Both included a little box of raisins and a blue Shamu souvenir lunch box. Price $8.00 (I think?)
I ordered baked barbeque chicken, which was yummy.My son ate pizza and his wife had a wrap.All the plates were filled high and the food appeared fresh and healthier than expected.
Soon we were exploring the park again and ran into Shark Encounter- a 700,000 gallon aquarium containing a walk-through acrylic tunnel for viewing. Gulp.
One wall of the huge tank adjoins Sharks Underwater Grill, an upscale restaurant with a good bite. Dim lighting, coupled with illumination from the fish tank creates an eerie atmosphere, not to mention the flashing teeth on hundreds of sharks.
We stopped and made reservations, returning at 6:30 PM to dine eye-to eye with the scary demons of the deep.
Seems rather astonishing, but upon entering the room a quiet and unrushed feeling prevails; enough to make you forget the frenzied theme park outside the door.The swaying movement from the array of creatures is mesmerizing.Many of the predators swim rapidly back and forth while others, a saw tooth shark, for example, arose from the deep only occasionally. A mammoth grouper seemed to hover near our table.
If you arrive early, check out the sleek bar– another living seascape.The lobby contains a glowing glass cylinder filled with small neon fish that propel themselves forward or float backward.Do fish ever get dizzy?
The menu touts “Floribbean-style” food, a blend of fresh Florida and Caribbean fare.I ordered salmon filet and was extremely pleased with a tangy yet sweet sauce over the fleshy serving.A spicy side of peppery mashed potatoes and fresh vegetable medley completed my plate.
My husband enjoyed the Citrus Caesar salad, which surprised me, as he is finicky about his choice of dressing.He was disappointed, however, in the Steak en Croute, which he said lacked punch and tasted too much like hamburger.
A Gummy Shark
The grandkids, ages 4 and 6, ordered popcorn shrimp and fries from the children’s menu. A large gummy shark adorned their dinner plates, a cute touch.We paid $2 extra for a shark cozie to surround their juice glasses–a real hit.In fact, I almost purchased a few of these clever drink coolers for an at-home pool party!
I admit I wasn’t expecting gourmet food but our dinner turned out to be the catch of the day. The food was delightfully tasty and certainly the surroundings produced an unforgettable thrill. If you go to Sea World, you owe it to yourself to dine with sharks at, none other than Sharks Underwater Grill .
Day Two
We ate a hearty breakfast at our hotel before returning for day two at Sea World, hence were able to bypass the Cypress Bakery- which smelled divine. We didn’t even feel hungry at lunch time. Instead, the kids had an ice cream at the Polar Parlor — a dolphin- shaped treat.
Of course, a bit later my teenage daughter was “starving,” so I took her into the Seafire Inn for a Greek salad.It was big enough to share.
And that’s it for our dining! I’d like to commend the management for offering Mama’s Kitchen Healthy Alternatives – a cafe serving whole-wheat bagels, turkey chili and sweet potato chips.
