Layoff Doings - Epcot, Pool Party
Jul. 22nd, 2025 10:08 pmThis post covers Monday and Tuesday.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
MONDAY
I woke to find my Aunt outside on the pool deck, enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning.
I'm glad that someone appreciates it; at this time of year I spend every possible moment indoors no matter how pretty things seem out there!
I joined her and we chatted for a while until Jameson was up. Breakfast, then we got ready and headed over to Epcot! Attendance is a bit low there right now because of the heat, because it's between festivals (Food & Wine, and Garden), and also the Magic Kingdom has just premiered their new light parade so everyone is over there. We had easy parking and rode the tram to the front of the park.
We had a bit of trouble getting the whole of Spaceship Earth in frame!


We enlisted some help from bystanders. There's the whole thing but now we are tiny, heehee.

Once in the park, my Aunt had mentioned an interest in French cuisine so I surprised her with lunch at Chefs de France. One neat thing about Epcot is their Cultural Representative Program, which gives international professionals and students a chance to live and work in the US while representing their country and culture. This means that if you go to China in Epcot, or Norway in Epcot, France, etc, there are real citizens of those countries working there and interacting with you.
I'm noting this because in Chefs de France, the waiters primarily speak in French and only a little English. Which wasn't a problem..I've had a bit of French, and it's a Latin-based language anyway, so we didn't have any issue. But it sure made it a more authentic (and a bit intimidating) experience :)
Since it was so hot out we wanted to eat light. We got a 9oz carafe of wine to share, a lovely small salad, and a charcuterie.

Everything was wonderful, we really enjoyed all the different flavors we could create with combinations of bread and cheese, fruits and pickled veg. My favorite was the goat cheese with the walnut bread and a grape. We didn't even manage to finish it, and I wished Jameson had been there because he'd have polished it off!
Next we walked through misc countries like Morocco where we explored beautiful tiled back alleys, and Japan, where we caught the drummers performing and looked at the kawaii merch in the store.
From there I started to take us all the way around the lake, but it was so damn hot that I decided to backtrack us to America to hear Voices of Liberty in the rotunda. It was the first time I've heard them without a massive crowd and being pressed against the back wall. We got to sit on low stools close to the center, and they sounded so amazing.
Rather than walk back to Spaceship Earth, we rode the ancient ferry across the water. It was a nice ride but those boats are from at least the 70s and imo they badly need refurbishment or replacement. Now that Epic Universe is open, as much as I love Disney, Epic makes a lot of things there look VERY dated. I'm sure that Disney will step up at some point but....yeah. I just, ya know, noticed.
We rode Spaceship Earth and that was nice, then Living With the Land because it's just so chill. Partway through that ride Jameson texted to say he was here. He met us at the entrance and we rode The Seas with Nemo & Friends, did a quick walkthrough of the aquarium, then hoofed it to Mexico for dinner!
It was rather busy inside the pyramid, but still such a cool ambiance. We each ordered a cocktail and an entree featuring mole negro. I love their mole chicken, but they've changed it to a pork shank and while that was also delicious I do prefer the chicken (it came with veggies and the pork shank only came with rice and plantains.) Still, I could drink Disney's mole sauce! So good!

Having walked 5 miles today in heat indexes of 112°F (44°C) we were way too tired to stay for fireworks, and headed back home.
It was so nice to share today with my Aunt and Jameson. I'm tired from the heat and the overstimulation that is Disney, but glad and grateful that we got to enjoy this today.
Back home we watched LEGO Masters followed by Below Deck (my Aunt's preferred show) before hitting the hay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
TUESDAY
A slow morning as we recovered from a hot day at Epcot.
Jameson left for work early, and my Aunt and I talked as we drank coffee and ate breakfast.
There's always so much family stuff to talk about, and reminisce about.
We took an afternoon dip in the pool and each had a nice drink. I meant to take a pic but the sky darkened and we had to scurry inside for a typical Florida thunderstorm. It rained for about two hours while we made ourselves BLTs and cut veggies for snacks and talked some more. After lunch we went to a nearby shopping plaza to look for outfits for my Aunt, who is trying to discover her style! She's recently retired and working on living for HER, and less for others. We didn't find anything worth buying today, but she thinks she prefers a more "tailored" fit for clothing, so that's a start.
For dinner we met Jameson at Lazy Dog (a chain but it's not where my Aunt lives to my knowledge.) They were unfortunately pretty slammed with several 10+ tops and one massive table hosting an entire girls soccer team! So it was noisier, busier...and slower service than usual. But we did get our drinks and food eventually, so it was nice. I just...I should have cooked, but cooking is still a point of anxiety for me and I wasn't in a frame of mind to cook more this week I guess.
They had chicken lettuce wraps, like those at P.F. Chang's (P.F. Chang's are better, sorry Lazy Dog!)

Back home we just sort of decompressed with tea. Jameson watched the Cubs game while my Aunt and I looked through her photos of her childhood from the 70s. It was amazing to see both her and my mom as small children, and my grandma as a young mother. Not to mention the cool 70s cars and tech and OUTFITS!! I'd totally wear most of their clothes!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday: A little more time with my Aunt, then she'll have to fly back home. Jameson will be working from home.
Thursday: General cleaning and laundry, practicing trombone, and perhaps I really should cook something for Pete's sake.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
MONDAY
I woke to find my Aunt outside on the pool deck, enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning.
I'm glad that someone appreciates it; at this time of year I spend every possible moment indoors no matter how pretty things seem out there!
I joined her and we chatted for a while until Jameson was up. Breakfast, then we got ready and headed over to Epcot! Attendance is a bit low there right now because of the heat, because it's between festivals (Food & Wine, and Garden), and also the Magic Kingdom has just premiered their new light parade so everyone is over there. We had easy parking and rode the tram to the front of the park.
We had a bit of trouble getting the whole of Spaceship Earth in frame!


We enlisted some help from bystanders. There's the whole thing but now we are tiny, heehee.

Once in the park, my Aunt had mentioned an interest in French cuisine so I surprised her with lunch at Chefs de France. One neat thing about Epcot is their Cultural Representative Program, which gives international professionals and students a chance to live and work in the US while representing their country and culture. This means that if you go to China in Epcot, or Norway in Epcot, France, etc, there are real citizens of those countries working there and interacting with you.
I'm noting this because in Chefs de France, the waiters primarily speak in French and only a little English. Which wasn't a problem..I've had a bit of French, and it's a Latin-based language anyway, so we didn't have any issue. But it sure made it a more authentic (and a bit intimidating) experience :)
Since it was so hot out we wanted to eat light. We got a 9oz carafe of wine to share, a lovely small salad, and a charcuterie.

Everything was wonderful, we really enjoyed all the different flavors we could create with combinations of bread and cheese, fruits and pickled veg. My favorite was the goat cheese with the walnut bread and a grape. We didn't even manage to finish it, and I wished Jameson had been there because he'd have polished it off!
Next we walked through misc countries like Morocco where we explored beautiful tiled back alleys, and Japan, where we caught the drummers performing and looked at the kawaii merch in the store.
From there I started to take us all the way around the lake, but it was so damn hot that I decided to backtrack us to America to hear Voices of Liberty in the rotunda. It was the first time I've heard them without a massive crowd and being pressed against the back wall. We got to sit on low stools close to the center, and they sounded so amazing.
Rather than walk back to Spaceship Earth, we rode the ancient ferry across the water. It was a nice ride but those boats are from at least the 70s and imo they badly need refurbishment or replacement. Now that Epic Universe is open, as much as I love Disney, Epic makes a lot of things there look VERY dated. I'm sure that Disney will step up at some point but....yeah. I just, ya know, noticed.
We rode Spaceship Earth and that was nice, then Living With the Land because it's just so chill. Partway through that ride Jameson texted to say he was here. He met us at the entrance and we rode The Seas with Nemo & Friends, did a quick walkthrough of the aquarium, then hoofed it to Mexico for dinner!
It was rather busy inside the pyramid, but still such a cool ambiance. We each ordered a cocktail and an entree featuring mole negro. I love their mole chicken, but they've changed it to a pork shank and while that was also delicious I do prefer the chicken (it came with veggies and the pork shank only came with rice and plantains.) Still, I could drink Disney's mole sauce! So good!

Having walked 5 miles today in heat indexes of 112°F (44°C) we were way too tired to stay for fireworks, and headed back home.
It was so nice to share today with my Aunt and Jameson. I'm tired from the heat and the overstimulation that is Disney, but glad and grateful that we got to enjoy this today.
Back home we watched LEGO Masters followed by Below Deck (my Aunt's preferred show) before hitting the hay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
TUESDAY
A slow morning as we recovered from a hot day at Epcot.
Jameson left for work early, and my Aunt and I talked as we drank coffee and ate breakfast.
There's always so much family stuff to talk about, and reminisce about.
We took an afternoon dip in the pool and each had a nice drink. I meant to take a pic but the sky darkened and we had to scurry inside for a typical Florida thunderstorm. It rained for about two hours while we made ourselves BLTs and cut veggies for snacks and talked some more. After lunch we went to a nearby shopping plaza to look for outfits for my Aunt, who is trying to discover her style! She's recently retired and working on living for HER, and less for others. We didn't find anything worth buying today, but she thinks she prefers a more "tailored" fit for clothing, so that's a start.
For dinner we met Jameson at Lazy Dog (a chain but it's not where my Aunt lives to my knowledge.) They were unfortunately pretty slammed with several 10+ tops and one massive table hosting an entire girls soccer team! So it was noisier, busier...and slower service than usual. But we did get our drinks and food eventually, so it was nice. I just...I should have cooked, but cooking is still a point of anxiety for me and I wasn't in a frame of mind to cook more this week I guess.
They had chicken lettuce wraps, like those at P.F. Chang's (P.F. Chang's are better, sorry Lazy Dog!)

Back home we just sort of decompressed with tea. Jameson watched the Cubs game while my Aunt and I looked through her photos of her childhood from the 70s. It was amazing to see both her and my mom as small children, and my grandma as a young mother. Not to mention the cool 70s cars and tech and OUTFITS!! I'd totally wear most of their clothes!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday: A little more time with my Aunt, then she'll have to fly back home. Jameson will be working from home.
Thursday: General cleaning and laundry, practicing trombone, and perhaps I really should cook something for Pete's sake.