A Successful Launch

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As Atlantis was heading off into space for the very last time a few miles to the east of us, these three were preparing to launch into a new chapter of their lives together a few miles north of us.

Our Friday began by watching the last ever Space Shuttle launch during a traditional Scottish wedding - not the one above - and listening to a guy who lives nearby us back in Scotland tell us how we should really go to such-and-such a beach whilst completely ignoring the fact that history was heading spaceward behind him and that he was disrupting the wedding ceremony going on yards from us with his enthusiastic tourist information presentation).

An awesome event to witness even though it was pretty brief.

We then headed off for this, our second wedding in a week, driving around a very busy Orlando for an hour before giving in and asking a local (releasing a turtle she'd found in her yard into Lake Underhill) how to get to the venue for the ceremony but not really taking in any information in because she had so much hair growing out her nostrils (thanks Hez for picking up on what she'd said; but honestly, there were spiders up there, I'm sure of it). We did find the place with minutes to spare, sweating buckets in a our full wedding togs during the service and then diving for cover when the predicted cloudburst came.

Another Wacky Races drive back to book into a hotel that looks like a wedding cake then jumping in a cab for the wedding rehearsal meal (rehearsal?) to a restaurant the cab driver hasn't a clue exists and none of us have a note of either. Found it though and had a very nice Italian meal (no need for a rehearsal, I plunged straight in without any prompting required).

Finally, back to the hotel to sneak drink and four guests up to the ninth floor because there's no hotel bar staying open after 9:30pm then being overcome by a bad case of the munchies and raiding the vending machine for some 'chips' and Hersheys as two chaps discuss the merits of tumble dryers nearby.

Bed and some more giggling over American TV adverts (honestly, they're better entertainment than some of the programmes that interrupt them). Tonight's favourite being the cheerily delivered 'stool softener' that doesn't make you go, but makes it easier to go. Just lovely.

All in all, a packed Friday.

Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs, thank you so much for allowing us to share in your big day, we felt very privileged indeed. And after the meal we felt very full indeed. Cheers folks!