"Throwing Money Out the Window...

brings money in the front door" according to Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel. What a statement--I hope Karl is right! When you have a little business like I do you question all of your expenses: are they worth it? will it come back? how long will it take to come back? The gallery show is a good example. Frequently I've had Roger print a canvas that just never sells. People may like it, even compliment it verbally but it stays put on the walls. I've gotten to the place where I'd rather just strip it and move on. That, my friends is because I've spent probably about $700 on stuff other than business; the bulk of that is for our night at the Ritz! Anyway the NYT article is about French luxury goods and how even their sales have suffered. They are adopting the attitude that things will improve over time but partly it is a good thing--the end of ostentatious living. In France it is better to have money but not show it which is my way of thinking as well. Live below your means, not above!

Which brings me to my excursion yesterday, to one of the least expensive Orlando attractions. I'd not visited Gatorland for more years than I can remember. In an effort to get more locals to come they are running a $9.99 Florida resident special. Seemed like just the right time to head out there. I paid my admission to the attendant who must have called me honey a dozen times during our interaction. I knew I was in Kissimmee.

It was my intention to link to the Gatorland article on Wikipedia for background but alas the entry is so paltry that I'll explain a bit myself. 1949 was the year it began when Florida's population was pretty measly. In the gift shop I saw an old advertisement from 1964 touting it as the only thing to see in the Orlando/Winter Park area. Hurricane Charley (I think) destroyed the famous entryway which has since been re-made; no photo album from Gatorland is complete without that!

I remember going when I was young and at some point we took our children but I can't for the life of me remember when that was. The one thing I do remember is the vast amount of gators that were lying around just as I'm showing you. Honestly, you would think they are fake. Not so. There are 2,100 gators and crocodiles at the park!!! Ugly, you bet. Mainly I wanted to see the flamingos which were very cool. Unfortunately I was there too late in the morning and the sun was rather harsh, but you get the picture...ha,ha.

So, there are birds and alligators, a few deer and goats, a white peacock and men who wrestle gators. I'm showing you one who is holding a five month old Nile crocodile. He asked if I wanted to pet it but I declined. No surprise there!

For my $10 I spent around two hours there and enjoyed it all. I took a nature walk into the swamp on a boardwalk and enjoyed the beautiful day. It's totally a bargain and I didn't even take advantage of all there was to do. I skipped out on the gator wrestling show and the gator "jumparoo" where they hold up whole chickens and actually get the gators to MOVE. Another day....

I'm heading out with Kristen to all the Third Thursday art happenings and glad I don't have anything to beg people to come to! Bruce gets home later, thank goodness. It's going to take some time to get used to his absence--he was home for so long.




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Listening to: The New Pornographers - Use It
via FoxyTunes