Even though the newest thrill ride at Sea World Orlando does not officially open to the public until May 22, I got to ride it today! Manta is on soft opening. That means they are up and running, but testing various aspects of the ride, like line timing and such.

I went to Sea World as a chaperone with some of the kids from my high school. It was mostly Biology and Marine Science students and this particular trip had an overload of people volunteer to chaperone initially. I’m not sure what happened, but about a week ago they ended up with too few chaperones. I was not even going to ask to go, but I’m thrilled it worked out. I’m not sure I will ever have another opportunity to go to Sea World for free. ?

Anyway, I’m sure you are much more interested to hear about Manta. It is amazing. I am a roller coaster fan and have never really played on anything quite like this. Besides that jolting second loop, the ride is smooth, freeing, and made me laugh with pure glee the entire time. I rode Manta with a couple of other teachers, one of which was dead set against going when we got to the park that morning. I think she just experienced so much enthusiasm throughout the course of the morning that she got all caught up and in the end she was the most excited person in our group.

I know Sea World is not known primarily for the thrill rides, but I think they made a brilliant move when they brought this one on board. It’s worth the entire price of admission. Well, that and those super cute puffins.

…does not make me believe the guy is actually not guilty.

So, Youssef Megahed was acquitted by a federal jury today. This, despite the other student he was riding in the car with when they were stopped and arrested on suspicion of illegally transporting explosives and possession of an explosives device in their car near a military base in South Carolina pleaded guilty earlier.

I ask you, if an American were to be thrown to the mercy of the courts in Megahed‘s home county of Egypt, would they EVER have been given a trial that would have resulted in being acquitted simply because in the end they could not prove he KNEW about the pipe bombs. You know, the pipe bombs that were found in the trunk of the car owned by his brother. And this, even though his “buddy” admitted he was guilty of aiding terrorists.

It is indeed difficult to prove what was or was not inside someone’s head. It’s just as easy to lie.

Now the guy wants to go back to USF and finish his degree. Let’s see how long it takes for him to get caught up in another shady situation.

Heading into March is such a conflicted time for me here in Florida. This is when our spring allergy season begins and I know that the next month or so is going to be rough on me, and my daughter. We both feel sick for weeks, though it’s not a contagious sort of sick. Sneezing, cough, wheezing, itching, red eyes, and pretty much every other typical seasonal allergy symptom – these are all my fulltime companions for at least the next month. Pretty soon I will need to stop wearing my contact lenses on a daily basis and resort to my glasses. And while my glasses are decidedly cute, I lose all depth perception while wearing them – and that alone is enough to make me ponder laser surgery year after year.

On the other hand, forever green and flowery Florida becomes even more green and flowery beginning in late February and early March. Trees all over the place have pink and blue and purple blossoms. The oak trees and the maples are putting out astounding amounts of pollen, and new baby leaves. It is, in a word, breath-taking. The overall beauty of Florida increases a hundred-fold in the spring.

As I said, I’m conflicted. I’m miserable, and in awe. I’m achy and tired and bleary-eyes, but my mood is elevated by all of the color and light and fresh outdoor smells. And, I keep reminding myself that before I moved to Florida I suffered through two allergy seasons a year – spring and fall. I was born and raised in the Washington, DC suburbs. Four seasons are nice, but with those additional seasons come additional allergy seasons. I miss autumn, but being able to breath effortlessly throughout the autumn is a more than fair tradeoff.

It seems cliché to write about the weather on a personal blog, but at the same time the weather feels very relevant to live in Florida right about now. I have lived in Florida for a little over ten years now. Most of that time has been in the Tampa Bay area, save for a tad over three years when I lived in Gainesville. For the most part, I seem to remember that most winters we get a cold snap or two and if you add all of the really cold days together, it totals about two weeks.

This year has been very different. We’ve had hard freeze warnings over and over. Most mornings in the past three weeks when I have left for work/school at about 6:30 a.m., it’s uncomfortably cold. I have had to chip ice off of my windshields all too often this year. And the truth is, we just don’t keep ice scrapers in our glove boxes down here! Along the same lines, I have a woefully inappropriate wardrobe for this long stretch of cold. Thank goodness I found a pair of Birkenstock clogs in my closet. My poor feet were getting quite fed up with my insistence on wearing sandals every day.

We had the Superbowl here this past weekend and I felt a little bad for all of the people who made plans to be in town to see the game. I imagine many were expecting a little fun in the fun. Instead, it would have been quite acceptable if they had worn their northern coats and scarves. Don’t even think about the beaches, either. The air coming in from the water makes the temperature feel all the chillier.

And so yes, I am talking about the weather. And as mundane as that might seem to you, this extended period of very cold weather is big news here in Florida.

When the Superbowl comes to Tampa, there are always a ton of exciting events going on all around the Bay area. It’s festive, invigorating even. The last time we hosted the Superbowl, I regretted not spending more time down in Ybor City and in around the hot parties and all of the hot spots where celebrities were spotted night after night.

However, that was a few years back. I’m past my partying days and more concerned with finding fun family activities to do with my daughter this weekend. I have had it in my head all week to go over to Apollo Beach tomorrow. Another cold snap hit town and that means another good time to go over to the Manatee Viewing Center.

I mentioned my plan to one of my friends last night and she asked to come along. The more, the merrier. I mentioned the plans to another friend this afternoon and she reminded me that the traffic in Tampa is horrific right now. This weekend is just going to be insane with the additional people in town for the game and the parties. An awful lot of out-of-towers are clogging up the roads in rental cars. It’s not pretty.

Unfortunately, the quickest route to Apollo Beach is across the causeway and through Tampa. Apollo Beach is just a little south of Tampa. And while it is just across the Bay from me as the “crow flies”, I’m no bird and need to use a bridge. Someone suggested heading south, taking the Skyway and coming back up the other side of the Bay. Yikes, I hate taking the Skyway – it sways!

So, right now I am in flux. I need to call the friend going with us and see if she has any input. The thing is, she rarely does.

It pains me to think of missing this opportunity. The next time I have my daughter for a weekend is two weeks away and I cannot know now if it will be chilly enough to attract the manatees.

*sigh*

Florida is an absolute wealth of things to do. Of course, if you are vacationing there you are probably thinking more along the lines of week-long excursions and major attractions. Living here, though, is all about the amazing day-trips we have at our fingertips all year ‘round.

The new exhibit at the Orlando Science Center is Grossology. It premiers January 31, 2009

Grossology is actually a phenomenon that started with the book by Sylvia Branzei called Grossology: The Science of Really Gross Things! We use it in the school, because the kids absolutely love it. It’s engaging, interesting, hilarious, and genuinely informative. That book led to several others in the Grossology series.

Now, you can experience Grossology hands-on with Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body at the Orlando Science Center. This is actually the second Grossology exhibit at the Center. Adults and children alike were delighted with Animal Grossology in 2006.Other area attractions might have spinning teacups and pirate rides, but where else can you go down a 30-foot long slide that travels through a 3-D model of the digestive system? How cool is that?

Grossology Exhibit – Orlando Science Center
The Center is open Sunday – Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and
Thursday – Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. You can order your tickets online, or call 888.OSC.4FUN for more information.

The last time the Superbowl was in town one of our local “rag” papers devoted an entire issue to Tampa’s sex industry. They had articles on where to do to find a hooker, how to avoid getting arrested while doing so, lists of all the strip bars, lingerie modeling shops, sleazy massage parlors, and the like.

Unfortunately, Tampa Bay’s adult industry thrives during mass events like the Superbowl. I say unfortunately for a couple of reasons.

First, it sickens me to think of the type of person who leaves their family to attend the Superbowl and then also partakes of hookers and lap dancers. It’s bad enough that men cheat on their wives and girlfriends, but to take the kind of risks using a se worker offers and to spend money on sex in a time when so many families are feeling a financial squeeze is just pathetic.

Also, it is just flat out sad that of all the things Tampa is “famous” for, one of them happens to be our sex industry. The city of Tampa alone has 30 licensed adult dance clubs, adult theaters, live model studios and adult bookstores. It’s pretty much the highest rate per capita nationwide. And, that’s just the city of Tampa.

I suppose one clue to the leniency of our laws might be that no matter where you go in the Tampa Bay area, you can find bars with nude dancers in strip malls right next to family restaurants. There are adult bookstores on the main highways, sitting next to car dealers and office supply stores. There is an all-nude “gentlemen’s club” with a parking lot that bumps right up next to the grocery store around the corner. The zoning here is insane.

Clubs like the Mons Venus are planning on getting as much out of the Superbowl as possible. The cover charge will possible go up to $60, from the typical $20. One dancer there said she made $6,000 in four days during Tampa’s 2001 Superbowl game.

In reality, lap dancing is now illegal in Tampa. This was a huge headline story a few years back. Nude dancers are supposed to remain at least 6 feet away from customers at all times. However, most dancers and most club owners laugh in the face of that law.

Escort services are gearing up for the Superbowl as well. One service is even offering a 10% discount to Super Bowl customers. At $250 an hour or $1,800 for an overnight – I suppose 10% helps. Of course, it could also save someone a lot of money if they would just learn some social skills and find a real girlfriend. You cave to really wonder about the mentality of the customer one escort service owner referenced who is coming into town and hiring an escort for a 7-day stint. Lonely much?

One shining light in the midst of all this filth? Undercover operations have been in full swing for a while now in preparation for the Superbowl. Informants are allegedly in place at pretty much every adult entertainment establishment in the area. So a note of caution to all of you people of questionable morality coming into town, leave enough cash for your bail.

This is the time of year for manatee viewing in Florida. Of course, you can always go to places like Homosassa Spring Park to see manatees that have been injured in the wild and live there all year long, but for the most part the best time to see manatees is when the waters get cold and the gentle mammals move to find warmer water.

I was just talking the other day with one of the biology teachers about a fieldtrip she wants to take to Apollo Beach and today I saw an article in the paper about the same spot. With all of the cold weather we have been getting in Florida, the manatees are gathering more than ever in places like Tampa Electric Co.’s Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach.

There are reports of as many as 50 manatees gathering in the warmer waters of the Big Bend Power Station this week. The viewing center is located at the west end of Big Bend Road in Apollo Beach, which is on the east side of the Tampa Bay, south of Tampa and pretty much parallel with St. Petersburg.

We also generally have a family of manatees that come to the lagoon in Tarpon Springs each winter. I have not been up there yet this year to see if they have come to visit again. I’ve also spotted them while standing on the pier of the Safety Harbor Spa in Safety Harbor, FL. Those would be easier drives for me, but the situation in Apollo Breach has the benefit of pretty much ensuring that you will see of the many manatees that are there to enjoy the warm waters generated by the power plant.

So, we never did see snow in Florida the other night, but it was sure cold enough. Those of you up north probably think I’m grousing for nothing. I know you’ve seen colder weather by far, but when you get used to the weather in Florida, a morning when its 35 degrees will really throw you for a loop.

For one, most people in Florida don’t really own clothing appropriate for very cold weather. I saw kids at school yesterday who showed up in t-shirts and shorts, because they assumed the day would warm up into the 70, like it generally does this time of year. Those poor kids were miserable when we ended up sitting outside on the bleachers for over an hour while the police swept the school after the bomb threat that was made over the weekend. I think I felt the worst for the girl I saw who was wearing a skirt and sandals.

My wardrobe isn’t much better. I realized this morning I only have three pairs of long pants to wear to work. The rest of my pants are Capri length.

We’ve got a hard freeze warning over a good portion of the state for tonight. I live along the west coast, so my immediate area is a small region that will probably only see frost. Our strawberry farmers over near Dover are on full alert, though. A hard freeze is never good for our berry crop.

The tourists I saw over at the beach on Sunday were shocked at the weather. People come to Florida all year for vacations, but in the winter they are especially looking forward to a warm paradise that will allow them to escape the cold at home. We surely aren’t enjoying beach weather right now! If you’re going to enjoy water sports here this week, bring a wetsuit.

Could be.

Tomorrow we actually have a snow advisory or something along those lines. It could come as far south in Florida as Pinellas County. I know I have seen snow in Gainesville before, but never here near Tampa. I am a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico and if I see this happen I will have seen it all.

Of course, there is the little matter of a bomb threat for tomorrow at the high school, too. Yikes, huh?

I was just talking to one of the other teachers at my school Friday about the odds of Tim Tebow staying for one more year to play football at the University of Florida. We were speculating about whether or not he would accept his placement in the draft this season or wait it out another year. We were also excitedly wondering what the Gators might look like next year if decided to stay.

Today Tebow announced he will indeed stay at UF for his senior season! UF is already a force to be reckoned with when it comes to so many of their sprits teams and now this just about seals in the reality that next year’s Gators football will be astounding.

All of Florida rejoices!

I am one of those people who is not afraid of spiders. In fact, I like them a lot. Therefore, I feel like I need to be educated about the ones that would pose a danger to me if I were to pick them up and be bitten. I was looking at an article by G. B. Edwards of the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and he says that only two main types of venomous spiders are in the state: widow spiders and recluse spiders.

Widows can be native to Florida. Of the four species of this type of spider, three are native. The fourth species has been introduced. It turns out that widow spiders are not native to Florida at all, but there are three species that are occasionally found here.

Since both of these kinds of spiders generally stay where they are no easily seen, the article recommends that you wear gloves when doing things like lifting firewood or reaching into a storage box or your BBQ grill.

A widow’s bite releases venom that acts systemically and moves through your lymphatic system. You might notice “intense pain, rigid abdominal muscles, muscle cramping, malaise, local sweating, nausea, vomiting, and hypertension.” The symptoms can last three to five days if not treated, but treatment is easier than you might think. Not only will an anti-venom work, but so will calcium gluconate – with can be obtained at the drug store inexpensively.

Recluse spiders are hunters and more aggressive than widows, but still only usually bite humans when trapped against the skin, like when you roll over onto one in bed or put on clothing where one is hiding. Their bites cause symptoms within two to four hours, generally making a swollen, painful blister at the bite site that is reddish in color and surrounded by blue. This is called a ‘bull’s-eye’ pattern. If it turns purple, the skin around the bite is becoming necrotic, which means it will eventually turn black and the cells will die, leaving a pitted, scarred area.

When I lived in Gainesville, we had a lot of brown recluse spiders in our wooded yard. We often found them on our screened porch. Alachua County is one of the places the brown recluse is often found. We resorted to putting out a trap, because my daughter was a toddler at the time and liked to run about touching things and exploring the environment. Of course, I still felt safer being right with her so I could monitor her actions.

Let’s just move right past the fact that smokers are a group of people who KNOWINGLY ingest chemicals that have been proven to lead to cancer, emphysema, and a host of other illnesses. We all know that alone is enough to deem most smokers are clinically nuts.

Let’s look now at the ridiculous case of Rick Ming and Billy Locke of Tampa, Florida. The two roommates entered into a petty argument over CIGARETTES and by the time it was over, one of them was dead by the other’s hand. So yes, not only does smoking kill, but apparently so do smokers.

Tampa, Florida – Tampa police say a fight between roommates over cigarettes turned deadly Tuesday morning.

Officers were originally called to the Eden Apartments at 3712 W Cass Street shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday. Both roommates in unit 25 wanted the other roommate to move out. Officers told them they were both on the lease and there was nothing the officers could do.

Officers say there was no evidence of any physical injuries and both parties denied any physical fighting, so officers left.

Then at 8:00 Tuesday morning officers, were called back to the apartment and found 43-year-old Rick Ming dead. His roommate, 30 year-old Billy Locke has been charged with second degree murder.

Officers say Locke told them he put Ming in a choke hold and accidentally killed him.

Ridiculous, huh?

…but they last longer now, too.

Did you know that you can already get a 2009 Fun Card for Busch Gardens in Tampa? My daughter and I used to get our sometime at the beginning of any given year and then we would be able to get in to the park for the rest of the year on the same full-priced, one-day admission ticket.

The price for an adult Fun Card is going up 8 percent, to $69.95. The price for children ages 3 to 9 is going up 9 percent, to $59.95. However, you can start using these cards now and keep using them through the last day of 2009.

In January, Busch Gardens will replace the Fun Card with a “Pay for a Day” deal where you can get unlimited park visits without blackout dates for the price of a 2009 single-day admission. No news yet on those prices.

Despite what sounds like it might be a money losing venture for the park, their revenue is actually still very strong. They make their money off of parking, food, and other concessions from your repeat visits.

Florida – land of temperate weather and a never-ending growing season. And yes, lots of bugs that thrive in our moist, warm state.

And now, University of Florida researchers say we should be on guard for several new species of cockroaches that have entered the state via lizard owners who buy them to feed their pets.

When those cockroaches escape, they breed happily and quickly in our warm environment. The breeds experts say Floridians need to be on the lookout for are: the Madagascar hissing cockroach, the Turkestan cockroach, lobster roach, and the orange spotted roach. Although Florida has banned the sale of new roach varieties for 20 years now, but the internet has made them easy for pet owners to obtain.