Post #12

To answer Steph's question - yes, we are in Celebration. Though not in the cute little town. We just drove through there and it was so bizarre - clean, orderly, art-deco architecture mixed with PLantaion homes. My co-worker Judy keeps calling it the Truman Show. And would you believe I saw billboards advertising condos starting in the $100's?! I mean, can you really buy a place to live down here for that little? It is very tempting.

And to answer Steph's other question - the cab driver said he hated Haititans because he is an American who has been driving a cab since April 1980 and in the past 5 or 6 years he has seen the Hatians take over the taxi cab business in central Florida. He said they are terrible partners and he has to share a cab with one because there are no other Americans to choose from. He said they all lie and cheat and can't speak the American language (please believe that I am not making any of this up). He asked me if all of the taxi drivers in the Northeast were foreigners too. I was like "um...yes?"

Then the guy told me about his father who was in "that generation that Tom Brokaw wrote about". He fought in WWII and lost a lot of good men. He was a "seer" or a "psychic" and my cabbie felt that he had inherited some of his father's gift of sight. He also told me that when he was 18 he was a hippy-wannabe and that he used to use the Lord's name in vain and say GD all the time. And now he wishes he could take all of those bad words back (the guy was like 60). He also told me that he began reading scripture when he was 18. And it dawned on him then, and it becomes clearer to him each year, that in America people are too self-centered and materialistic. And what did I think about that? He also told me that he forgets stuff and thinks it might be early onset Alzheimers. And by the way, he hates computers and doesn't own one and doesn't believe in them and Bill Gates is a theif and a liar and so are all of those other people who made computers and "that internet" - HELLO! I am here to attend a conference about INTERNET MARKETING!!! I was so glad that we got to my hotel before he asked me what sort of business I was travelling on.

I was just happy to make it out of the car in one piece. Maybe this isn't the scary part of Florida, but that guy was one character that will go down in the books.

Today we went to the hotel where the conference was. We were unable to get a room there when we booked ourselves for the conference because it was sold out. Well my lordy. It is soooooo beautiful! The Omni Champions Gate (or something like that). There is no comparison between the two hotels. I don't know why the conference organizers chose this dump as second to the conference venue.....

But all else is good. The weather is nice. We had breakfast with the client at Shoney's - which was delicous in a gross way. Biscuits and gravy. Yummmmm. And we had an excellent lunch at the conference hotel. And in about an hour I will be off to dinner with Yahoo and the client at Charley's Steakhouse, so I am sure it won't be a low-cal dinner. Though the sinus infection and antibiotics will keep the alcohol at bay, I am sure I can find other empty calories to take it's place - like maybe Dessert!