Disney and the Kraken

Today I flew to Orlando to attend a conference for work. The last time I was in Orlando, I was a sophomore in high school as part of band and drill team trip. I think we performed at Epcot Center. Or the Magic Kingdom. I remember I had a boyfriend at the time and we hung out with this hilarious guy Jay on the trip. He was a riot. Jay said I was "frumpy" and he meant it as a compliment. There was a time the bus stopped for breakfast at a diner. There were probably eighty kids on the trip, and we all had to use the bathroom to clean up. There was only one bathroom for each gender, and one girl locked herself in there for fifteen minutes applying her make-up while everyone else waited to brush their teeth. Everyone was pissed. I think what Jay meant to say was that I was low maintenance or not vain because I didn't hog that bathroom. I also I remember eating dinner at some fancy place at Epcot with hydroponically grown lettuce and bleu cheese salad dressing. That is about it.

On the plane today to Orlando, I was working on an embroidery project called "Release the Kraken." When I first saw this picture, I thought it was cool because most embroidery kits are about flowers or inspirational quotes. This one is full of drama and monsters. Gotta love that. It reminds me of something my friend Diane would have created.

As you can see, I'm not done yet. At first, I felt sorry for the ship being potentially assaulted by the Kraken. Then I realized, the Kraken was there first. Actually, the ocean was there first, then the Kraken, and then the ship. The Kraken has the right to chase the ship off its turf. Right?

Now I am at the Disney World Resort, which is the size of the City of St. Louis. I'm only kind of exaggerating. This place is massive. I am staying at a spot in the resort that has a lake in the middle. After dinner, I walked around the lake, which was peaceful. There is music piped in around the walk around the lake, which was nice. The moon was out and the hotel was beautifully lit up. I was thinking of how this would be a lovely place to paddle board, as the water was calm and probably warm. Flying in, I saw lots and lots of little lakes or ponds. Central Florida could be a paddle board paradise!

Then I saw the sign.

These signs were posted every fifty feet along the perimeter of the lake. I remember hearing a story years ago of a toddler that was eaten by an alligator at a Disney park. I don't know all of the details, but yikes! Now there are signs everywhere. Montana has bears. Florida has gators. Why do beautiful outdoor places also come with predators?

Which reminds me of the Kraken. What was here first? Probably the pond, then the alligators, and then the resort. The alligators are like the Kraken, and we are on their turf. Proceed with caution.