Orlando

From José

We finally arrived in the Orlando area. I lived in
Oviedo for about 20 years, and my brother Rick moved to Oviedo also, not far from my house. I parked the RV in Rick's driveway and was able to connect my extension cord to his electric outlet. While staying at Rick's I made some side trips to visit other friends. First side trip was to see Dianne. She was a nurse who helped me a lot during my parents' final years. I met her when she worked at a nursing home where my parents spent some time.  After my parents left her nursing home I often asked her about symptoms, medicines, etc.  Her advise helped me be a better caregiver for my parents.

I also made a short trip to meet Mary, a former running partner, at a nearby park. When I joined the Orlando Runners Club many years ago Mary took the time to show me the ropes and make me feel welcome. I always remember her kindness. Mary knows Rick, they met at Toastmasters, so she followed me to his house. We ordered pizza and stayed up "late" chatting.

After we left Rick's I drove by the house where I lived in Oviedo. It's still the same. The trees lining the street have grown bigger and meet with trees from the other side, making a tunnel.

I also visited my dad's niece, Dolly and her husband Felipe. I had not seen either for many years. Dolly is an excellent storyteller and has even written some historical articles. I could have listened to her stories for a long time. I also asked her some questions about my genealogy which she answered beautifully, in her unique storytelling style.

We then went to downtown Orlando and met Diane's niece Mitra. She lives right smack in downtown Orlando near Lake Eola, where many of the races I participated in as runner or photographer took place. Mitra works so it was a very short visit during lunch. But while Diane and Mitra chatted I took a quick walk around Lake Eola.

We also took a quick drive to Track Shack, the people that organized the races I participated in as runner or photographer. They not only remembered me but we're happy see me.  As a memento of the visit they gave me a long-sleeved T-shirt with their logo. I promised I will send them a picture of me wearing that shirt in some famous place .

From there we went to DeBary to visit Diane's other niece Mariah. DeBary is a cute town near Lake Monroe and the St Johns river. We stayed at Lake Monroe County Park, close to the water. Diane did a lot of catching up with Mariah and would have liked to stay longer.

Next we visited my cousin Juan and his wife Josselin, west of Orlando. They got their first grandson not long ago and are very proud grandparents. He and I went to school together, from first grade to graduating from college, both electrical engineers. Then he went in the Air Force and I went in the Army. They showed us some cool pictures of Air Force planes and of Puerto Rico.

Orlando now has overpasses in some of the most crowded and dangerous intersections, which has reduced traffic congestion considerably. I also noticed that growth has been managed carefully and the city remains clean and beautiful.

From there we left the Orlando area. On our next stop I got my picture taken with a very enchanting creature, but you'll have to wait for my next entry to find out what it is.

Stay tuned