I'll procrastinate later, thank you very much

So I've finally started trying to work out the details of our upcoming trip to NJ. And it's a good thing I didn't wait any longer, as I realized that I had the dates wrong. I thought we were leaving Friday night, but we're actually leaving Thursday night. Makes a bit of a difference, particularly given that we have "zoo school" in Tampa (2 hours away) on Thursday morning and I'll be staying there overnight on Wednesday to deliver our rodent (dog) to my dad's for his keeping. This leaves Monday - Wed to get everything planned, packed and ready to roll. Let the prayers begin.

I'm really excited about this trip and only wish we had more $ set aside for a bit more freedom of choice while we're there, but such is life. We'll have to get by on a shoestring budget. If FL public schools can do it, so can we. *eyeroll*

We'll get to see family and friends, which is what it's really all about of course. But we'll also get to see Lady Liberty as a special treat for the little man (let's go ahead and add this to the list of reasons my life is fuller because of my son, as it might not be a priority otherwise) and are now planning to meet up with some friends and their children in Central Park. Can I get a "WHOOOT!!" please? Yeah, nice, that's it. :)

Neither of us has really spent any time in NYC before, so we're pumped. And of course there is SO much to see and do that we won't be able to squeeze in (or afford) on our first-ever day trip, but Central Park is actually at the top of my list of places I'd want to visit anyway, so I'm a happy camper.

We'll also get to spend some time with my girlfriend Steph, her sweet husband and her two great kiddos - one boy, one girl. Her son also has autism and we met on an online forum early on and used to get together at least once a month with our boys when we still lived up in NJ. They're good, fun, genuine folks and I'm looking forward to hanging out in their back yard and letting the boys do whatever it is they please (within reason). Their yard is awesome. :)

Oh, and we want to take JC (the little man) to the boardwalk in Ocean City. He's sure to be overwhelmed with excitement about the business of it all. We have nice beaches in FL, but we don't have boardwalks like they do in NJ. It's a totally different beach experience down here.

Otherwise, we had a nice day today. Dh had to work most of the day, but my daughter was in town for a Best Buddies conference so I was blessed with her presence for several hours today. We drove to downtown and walked around Lake Eola and the farmer's market. We stopped a bit so that JC could enjoy the live music (man singing and playing acoustic guitar) with some other children, then we grabbed a hot dog lunch and had a picnic in the shade. Afterward we walked around the lake, people and bird watching. We saw a snake-bird eating a fish, a wounded swan (and many that weren't wounded, of course), and at least 5 large turtles . . . and ducks and pigeons (which little man remembered as "Bert's favorite kind!!") . . . and lots of dogs, which my daughter enjoyed. It was a really pleasant afternoon outdoors with the two folks I love the most in the world. I love outdoor markets and concerts. Love, love, love 'em.