Life On The Road With Augustus: Florida....So Much More Than Oranges

So we're gonna cut right through all the jibber-jabber and get to what you all come for: THE WITTY DIALOGUE. Kidding. We're going to get right to the pictures. We have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to catch you up on...and they were big ones...shows, cheesecakes, a birthday, travel, old friends, alligators and some more POOL time. I just hope you're ready.

SARASOTA

Sarasota was a TREAT! We all wished that we had a little more time there.

Here was the view out mine and Andrew's hotel room window. (Never mind the bulldozer closest to us...look BEYOND that....)

We performed at the beautiful (and all puruple) Van Wezel Performing Arts Center in Sarasota. VERY nice facility and it sits right on the water. Well, right next to the water, if we're going to be specific.

And just so we pronounced it CORRECTLY, every dressing room had a sign like this! NO WEASELS!

Here is the inside of the Center. More purple.

I got to see my old boss, from when I worked on the administrative side of the Kennedy Center, while I was in Sarasota. Her name is Carol, and this is her husband, Les, and they now live north of Sarasota in Bradenton. It was SO great to get to see her and catch up with her! And I can say here, freely and openly, that Carol Mangano is the best boss that I have ever had. Hands down. She is the real-deal, people. Just thought you should know! Thanks for coming Carol and Les! It was great to see you!

We enjoyed some great POOL TIME in Sarasota in the nice little kidney-bean-shaped pool. I caught Chris, Travis and Elisa horsing around one afternoon...and snapped their pics.

We went out to the Lido Beach area one night, and after we parked and were walking along the water, we saw this dolphin playing around in the harbor. In the last picture, although you can't really see it, he is chasing a fish. And that fish was moving FAST! Hopping in and out of the water. It was QUITE the show.

Jackie forgot to mention that she had a clothing boutique named after her in the Sarasota area.

Jackie, Eric and I enjoyed an evening meal at Colubmia Cafe - a Spanish restaurant near Lido Beach. L: Jackie shows us her delicious mojito, which made her smile! R: A picture of Eric taking a picture of Jackie with his NEW Verizon phone!

So, in Sarasota, we got to try 2 NEW cheesecakes. Exciting, RIGHT? L: This is the Chocolate Fudge Sunday Cheesecake from Patricks in downtown Sarasota! Carol and I went to lunch there on Friday afternoon - and the food was good. This cheesecake was very good - but VERY rich. (Which I think you can easily see in the picture.) I would give this cheesecake a high 7 on the MASE. I wanted the cheesecake portion to be a bit more creamy. It was very...granular. R: This is the Guava Cheesecake from Columbia Cafe. Another 'Idea Gone Wrong'. I like the idea of fresh guava on the cake - but this was simply a frozen Sara-Lee-type cheesecake with a guava sauce over the top. Not good. I would give this cheesecake a 4. Just don't do it.

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BOCA RATON!

Saturday, after our Sarasota shows, we packed up and headed across Florida...across Alligator Alley...to the Mouth of the Rat! (For those non-Spanish speakers out there, like myself, that is what Boca Raton means in Spanish. Delightful, right?) Boca Raton was a very exciting destination for us because we are in this area for 10 days...and our first 2 days (Sunday and Monday) are DAYS OFF! And we are making the most of them!

Upon arrivial into Boca, LOOK who was our FIRST VISITOR! TORG! After leaving the tour in December, Torg came to Florida to work as a lighting designer here in the Boca area! So we get to see Torg for 10 days! Everyone was VERY happy to see him.

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ERIC'S BIRTHDAY

Saturday was ALSO Eric's birthday. And we celebrated in STYLE!

Remember Jill's Mermaid gift I gave her in Massachusetts? WELL! She got a FRIEND! Jen found one for Eric's birthday.

We all enjoyed a birthday dinner at Cheesecake Factory! I mean...you know how happy I was! And look how happy everyone ELSE looks, too!

Eric shows off part of his gift from Jackie...an autographed headshot.

L: The FAR end of the table gets their pictoral due. R: Jill...taking a picture of me...taking a picture of her...as Todd looks on.

My CHEESECAKE! The Vanilla Bean Cheesecake. A perfect 10. Every time. Light - bursting with flavor - PERFECT crust. It really is one of the few perfect pieces of cheesecake out there.

Emily and Chris TRY to tell me theirs compares...but I know the truth. For I know cheesecake.

The GRAND FINALE of Eric's birthday dinner.

The sun setting on Eric's birthday. I found it extremely beautiful this night...so I snapped some shots.

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THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES

Sunday afternoon, 9 of us loaded up in the van and headed 10 miles West of town to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Preserve. We got to take an airboat tour through part of the Everglades. What you are about to see will SHOCK YOU!

Here it is. LOOK at that. Some family is walking up towards the area with their little boy (YES. That is a little boy) who has NO PANTS ON! I could not believe my eyes! I have only ever seen that in China. And here these people are, parading him around a National Wildlife Preserve, pantless. I mean...where have we gone wrong as a nation when it comes to THIS?

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The REST of the trip was pretty amazing. We had an hour long tour and saw alligators, turtles, tons of birds and some BEAUTIFUL landscape. It was the perfect introduction to the Florida Everglades. And NO ONE got eaten. So that's good.

L: Part of the group shows off the Loxahatchee sign. R: All of us from Wonka who went, waiting for our boat. And this was actually an interesting picture to take - because I know for me, the whole time I was standing there thinking of those videos you see of alligators sneak-attacking people on the banks of the river. It could happen, is all I'm saying.

L: Jackie and Jill loaded and ready to go. Jackie was sad the boat wasn't moving faster - but I had to explain to her that we were still loading - the boat wasn't moving at all. R: Chris, Todd, Elisa and Chris get ready for the ride!

Now we're moving...and NOW she's happy.

A BEATIFUL bird (crane? stork? ostrich? who knows...) stands peacefully on a sand bar. UNTIL we airboat by, and she takes off! LOOK at that form!

Some of the views along the tour of the Everglades. Just some BEAUTIFUL country. Made me want to see more of the area!

Todd and Chris stretch during our Q&A session with our guide. Both of them are thinking "If I reach out and push him off, I wonder how fast a gator would get him? Hmmmmmmmm...."

Some of our various gator-sightings. Well saw all different sizes of the critters. I am FASCINATED by them...and I can't explain why. I also have a strange desire to ride one...which I KNOW would end bad, so I'm not ever going to try. But still...that desire is there...

Jackie gives the tour a big THUMBS UP as we head back in for the day.

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COMPLETE BOCA RANDOMNESS

Sunday night, Andrew, Jill, Elisa and I headed to PF Changs for dinner. We walked over, and on our way back, in the shopping center the restaurant was in, we had a quick photo shoot. Here is what came out of it.