Fair-weathered, Beautiful Ohio

We're in Cincinnati, Ohio with Sarah's family and it is breathtakingly beautiful here.

Actually we're in the Northern outskirts of the city - among rolling ridiculously green hills, green forests, an abundance of kritters to be seen everywhere and warm, sunny Northern Summer's weather. People here speak English (unlike Miami!), they're friendly, the lifestyle and the driving is not fast-paced and the sun only sets at 9.

Yesterday was Memorial Day and we took to a big forested park, took a hike through woods around a lake, saw families having picnic, guys playing ball - just like I always imagined America to be like (watching too many Hallmark Movies!). I love it!

Cincinnati Airport, where we landed, is actually accross the border in Kentucky. Where we are in Southern Ohio, we're 25 minutes drive from South-Eastern Indiana and also from Northern Kentucky, where Cincinnati is actually situated.
I jogged past a new lake-development this morning. Six-bedroom mansions build in the colonial style with the backdrop of a lake to make them more marketable. Starting in the 900's.
In Miami that's what you'll pay for a small 3-bedroom house in Coral Gables or Coconut Grove!

Off to spend some time with the fam.

Off to New York and Ohio

As I'm typing this, the midnight clock has tolled. In a few hours from now we'll be flying to Ohio for a mini-family reunion.
Then on Tuesday off to New York to play tourists in the city of cities.

We'll only be back on June 7th and BouwerBlog will thus be neglected until that date.

Seaworld, Orlando!

Sunday we spend in Seaworld with our friends, John and Jolanda, visiting from across the pond in the UK.
Certainly a more tranquil outing than yesterday's WetnWild, and I'm bringing my parents here for sure when they visit in December.

The shows we saw were all pretty entertaining and the animals are amazing. Got my biggest thrill feeding and patting a few dolphins. It's certainly something else.


Pictures are worth more than words so I included a few.




The Aquariums were awesome and we saw some weird fish and some spectacular species too.







This spectacular sea dragon wasn't sure if it wanted to be a sea horse or a piece of seaweed.


Sarah talked to just about any stranger she could find!

What!? It's My Birthday!

Today started off pretty eventful and it was mid-day before I realised it was my birthday - 21 May. A year since the previous one! Time is absolutely flying.

Our full, fun schedule in Waterworld kept us occupied. Birthday forgotten, but many totally enjoyable moments with great friends and a loving wife. I felt privileged to have had such a great start to my 32nd year.

Jerry Seinfeld had this humorous take on birthdays:
What's the big deal? How many times do we not celebrate that somebody was born? Every year, over and over again. All you did was not pass away for 12 months. As far as I can tell, that's all you've done!

Jokes aside - THANK YOU very much to those who send their congratulations. It's always a privilege to receive 'em.

Slip'slidin' at WetnWild, Orlando

WetnWild on Saturday was fantastic. Rides galore - all featuring water of course! - and we had a rave.
All four of us got badly burned, Sarah lost lots of skin trying out the art of knee boarding and I lost a leeetle pride and ego failing to go on some monstrous suicide slide.

We left only as the sun was fading in the distance.



Pic. 2 - Sarah and I at the start of Old's Town. It's a small cobble stone-street town with exact replicas of the old shops and pubs, selling old stuff and other tourist bait. It's beautiful and there's a Fair happening on the side.





Jolanda and I admiring a vintage car in Old's Town, Orlando.

Shark Vally in the 'Glades

I took John and Jolanda for a 15 mile bike ride through the Everglades to get the stiffness out of their legs after the long plane trip.

It's the dry season and not swampy as usual. Pretty hot, but the surroundings were beautiful. As was our mosquito bites afterwards!

Pic: Caught myself an aligator! He was too lazy to move under the hot sun and made easy camera fodder.




Pic 3: This dude is a softshell water turtle and he nearly bit me arm off!

Pic 4: Aligators like this big mommy can be seen lying all along our little bike path.

I GOT THE JOB!

Today I was officially informed that my application for the position of Development Officer for Alumni Affairs and Communication has been successful.
I start next week.

The Week Ahead...

Today I'll receive feedback from two PR positions I've interviewed for. Sarah should also hear this week regarding the position she applied for at the school in Pinecrest.

Our friends John and Jolanda arrives from Londen on Thursday and we look forward to playing tourguides in Miami. We're planning on heading to Orlando the weekend with them, and visiting some of the theme parks. Wet'n'Wild and the Kennedy Space Centre is on the agenda.

Sarah finishes her school year on Friday and we both know that it is absolutely Grace alone that sustained her through a very difficult year. After Friday a long, well-deserved Summer break lies in wait, during which time she'll be going to the Ukraine, and propably a quick stop in Londen.

The Road Less Travelled

Two roads converged in a forest and I, I took the road less traveled. And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost

Lazy Sunday's

Sarah at our communal pool. Sunday's are fun with all the kids playing in the pool and people havin' their barby's. Familiar family noise.

FUNtastic Busch Gardens!

Sunday, 2 May 2006 - Tampa.
Wildlife, wild rides, wondrous live shows and too much to do and see in the space of the Sunday that we had.
Busch Gardens Africa is a marvelous park - two days is not enough time. Ek het oopbek rondgeloop en staar na die konstante beweging om ons.

The Serengeti Plain's recreated plains, 65 acres large was quite impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed all the animals that was on display. This included a gorilla breeding pair with a week-old baby.

Thousands of birds, reptiles and some funny-looking mammals. Then there was the animals in the cages too!
Then, my personal favorite was the Brewmasters Clubhouse, where you can sample all the best from the Annheuser-Busch portfolio. I did some sampling. James and I even found a tree with beer bottles growing on it (see picture).

The Sheikra is the only dive-coaster in the US, it plummet's 90 degrees straigt down, from 200 feet high - sheer stark raving madness! No, I did NOT ride it. My certifiable friends and wife however, did.

However, I did do the Kumba - a 60-mph, 100-foot plummeting, 360 degree spiralling rollercoaster ride. It is ludicrous.
Ek het dit gedoen om Sarah se gespot te stop, om my manlikheid aan die ander vrinne te bewys, die Republiek se naam hoog te hou tussen die Yanks, my eie duiwels te besweer. En helaas, om weer te gaan brekfis geniet op 'n tweede leë maag...

O moer, dit was verskriklik! Tollend, draaiend, drukkend, vry. Knikkerende, gillende, kwylend, half-bewustelose Afrikaner kotsend hoog tollend in die humiede Florida-lug.
NOOIT weer nie!
En Sarah wat laggend uitklim en skril gil sy wil dit WEER doen!!?!!

The Great White Tampa Dragon Boat Race

Residents of the Tampa Bay area are propably used to seeing motorboats, yachts and yetskies cruise about, but Saturday dragonboats ruled the waters in the Garrison Channel.

The Great White South Dragonboat Race is the largest dragonboat event in South-Eastern USA, besides the nationals, that'll be held in August. 55 Teams participated in this well organized event, held in near-perfect conditions. Some of the teams came from as far as Canada and accross the US, and there was a fantastic buzzing atmosphere throughout.

Our Miami Puff team could only manage a dissapointing 8th spot, after winning the Miami Hong Hong season event. Three teams - one from Canda and two from New York totally outclassed the rest, but there were not much to choose from the next best 7 teams and no more than 2 seconds separated any of us during the heats.

There were even two teams compiled of breast-cancer survivors, which was awesome in itself. They received a standing ovation from the crowd upon finishing the race.

Friday night's drive to Tampa, Tampa itself, the awesome nightlife and the time spend with out teammates were well worth the sore limbs and tired eyes Monday at work.
Sunday we met up with friends and DID Busch Gardens, the famous Busch-Annheuser adventure park.