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Ok so last week I didn't do a blog and thought no one would notice. But someone said "hey you didn't do a blog this week"!!! I was worried people might have been getting bored with them and no one would notice if I missed one! Sorry to my avid reader lol. Last week was my halfway point in this clinical trial. I did loads of tests, the same as I did when I arrived. Pulmonary function, quantitative muscle testing, 6 minute walk test, chest x-ray, ECG, MRI. We don't get to know what the results are. So, neither do you lol. Ok if you really are wondering what "quantitative muscle testing" is... http://www.qmasystem.com/testing_photographs.htm  On Thursday I celebrated my first ever Thanksgiving. I was fortunate to be invited to Katie and Dean's home to share Thanksgiving with their wonderful family and friends. We had turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce, broccoli, beans, mashed potato, sweet potato (or kumara as we know it) which was mashed and had a yummy topping on it of pecan nuts and something sweet. I will have to find out what that was! I also need Dean's recipe for stuffing! For dessert there was apple pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate puddings...I had pumpkin pie for the very first time! It was yummy! There were about 20 people there from all over the world. America, Canada, Alaska, New Zealand, Germany...it was fabulous! Lovely memories to take home to New Zealand. Thank you Bedford family, you guys rock!! :) Gobble Gobble!  Yesterday marked the last tailgate of the season. I was going to go but then I had a phonecall saying that a special guest was coming to stay with me. "Blossom" is my new foster cat from the rescue centre. I wish I had thought of doing this when I got here! I have missed my cats at home, so I have foster cats now. Yaaaay! As you can see, Blossom has made herself quite at home :)  If you're thinking of something nice to get yourself for Christmas, how about a rescue cat? They come in all shapes and sizes, colours and fluff length. There is a purrrrrsonality to suit everyone. They're all "fixed" up so no problem with any unexpected population explosions, and they have a lot of love to share :) On a recent trip around the East coast of Florida there were many places of interest...  Coral Castle Now this is a very cool place! On a trip to Miami and the Florida Keys a visit to the Coral Castle is a must! "Built by one man, Edward Leedskalnin. From 1923 to 1951, Ed single-handedly and secretly carved over 1,100 tons of coral rock, and his unknown process has created one of the world's most mysterious accomplishments. Open every day, the Coral Castle Museum welcomes visitors from around the world to explore this enchanting South Florida destination". 
Ed built his creations for his lost love who left him the night before their wedding. She was 16, he was 26. Interestingly, and probably not coincidentally, there are 16 steps leading up to his bedroom atop his castle. Rock star Billy Idol wrote his hit song, “Sweet Sixteen” about Ed’s lost love. There are photos of Billy Idol taken right here sitting on the various coral "chairs" and "beds". It was a real pleasure to visit such a place which was obviously built with so much passion. I would have loved to have met Ed.  Daytona Actually Daytona was a dive. The large sign says it is the "World's Most Famous Beach". One really has to ask the question "WHY"??? One of the biggest things that spoil it is that all of the hotels are on the beach side of the road. So as you drive along you only get a glimpse of the sea every now and again. You are able to drive ONTO the beach, but not on this particular day because there was a very high tide. The upside to Daytona was seeing the racecar track. E-NOR-MOUS!  Kennedy Space Centre GO THERE! Spent a whole day there. Plenty to see, all of the history of the space flights. Very very interesting! They provide tour buses from the main tourist part of the complex out to where all of the launch pads and buildings are. The picture above is where the shuttles launch from. There is a building there which is so huge that it takes 45 minutes for the door to open! Seeing Saturn V there in all its glory was magnificent! I remember when my brother and I were very small, Dad took us to see one of the modules that the astronauts landed back to earth in. Well they used to land in the sea and then get picked up. I just wish I could remember which one it was. It was probably one of the ones I was looking at the other day!  South Beach, Miami GORGEOUS! Didn't see Horatio, but I had the feeling he was going to pop out from behind a palm tree at any moment. And there are a LOT of palm trees!! I've never been a fan of art deco, which I will be lambasted for since I come from a city called "Napier" which is known as the "art deco capital of the world". I have to say though that the art deco in Miami is so much nicer! The city is very clean, the people polite, shopping is as cheap or as expensive as you like and there is something there for everybody. The mannequins have "fake boob" sized chests and extremely skinny waists lol. Which is kind of indicative of a lot of the ladies you see around there. Just not me! There were suprisingly cheap hotels there too. My room was in a very old hotel but it was cutely quaint, cheap, clean and the service was excellent. I think it was around $60 for the night and included breakfast. It was central to everything and in walking/scootering distance to the nightlife, shopping, beach, bars and eateries. I had my first ever Cuban meal. Did you know you can eat those yucca plants that are growing your yard?! I didn't! I think it was boiled, and then sliced and coated in lemon butter with parsely. It looked a little like sliced up apple and tasted a little like boiled potato.  Thinking about cheap hotels...This is my new friend from Titusville. He was there to greet me when I woke up after my first and LAST night at that hotel. When I say "cheap", I mean CHEAP and NASTY! "Days Inn" Titusville, give it a MISS! Florida Keys I'm not sure I got the best out of this place. I think I need to go back, but do research on it beforehand so I know what is there.  Sunset over the Florida Keys. Just gorgeous :)
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AuthorAllyson Lock. Archives
February 2012
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