S and I started off the day by driving to Gig Harbor to work out with TrainerGuy bright and early. Running off of very little sleep (and LOTS of excitement), we surprised TrainerGuy at the energy we brought! S needed more weights for his squats (the Y doesn't carry bar bells over 100lbs), and we really worked hard in our Metabolic Trainer for the day with a little friendly competition spurring us on.
This was the 2nd day of training back to back and we knew we were testing our metal by doing it on the way to the airport, but I was determined not to let a little thing like a cross-country vacation set us back!
S picked us up a protein shake to split since we were running a tad behind, and we headed off to find where we were supposed to park our car. Using a great deal we found on Groupon, we parked the car for less than shuttle fare for 2 people! It gave us much more flexibility and avoided the nightmare that was our last trip (where I had scheduled the shuttle for the wrong day... oops). We found it with very little difficulty and within an hour, we were checked in and through security. Taking turns sitting with the bags, we took turns getting hot drinks and breakfasty munchies before boarding the plane.
We boarded our US Airways flight and that is when the trip took a serious turn for the slow...
We were delayed at the gate and in our seats for nearly 2 hours.
If we hadn't opted to hit a hard core work out in the morning, this wouldn't have been too much of a problem, aside from making us overdue for our connecting flight.
But sitting still for an extra 2 hours isn't pleasant when you're muscles are trying to recover. It's a great recipe for tight muscles and pain. While the workout was worth it, this was not helpful...
Needless to say, we are not a fan of US Airways. Not because of the delay. Delays happen. But it's because the airline and their staff made no effort at all to make people more comfortable. Also, the airline was aware there would be a delay, but opted to board the plane anyway, instead of taking care of the problem before trapping people in their seats, in a hot, crowded plane that was going nowhere.
Lucky for us, about 10 other people on our plane were trying to make the same connection. Instead of an hour and 40 minutes of layover, they did end up holding the plane for 15 minutes so those of us with connections could make it. Thank God for small miracles!
After a very long day, we finally touched down in Orlando right about on time.
But the delays didn't end there. We had reserved a shuttle online through Mears... well, the ticket counter we were supposed to check in at was closed for the night (despite quite a few people with reservations for late night transport). After another 40 minutes of waiting around (and working with a very confused driver who was called in last minute), we ended up arriving to our hotel, Shades of Green, well after midnight.
The hotel staff couldn't have been more sweet and receptive. It was the best part of our evening in Orlando. Having skipped several meals, we dug into our park snack supply. Cliff bars and Star Wars fruit snacks saw us through as we boarded the shuttle. Since it was well into the wee hours of the morning, we ended up stopping for granola bars and cookies from a vending machine on the way to the room.
The rooms at Shades of Green are LARGE. We had a standard sized room, and it was larger than any of our rooms during our Disney World stay - even at the deluxe Animal Kingdom Lodge! While there was no real Disney theming to be found, it was a really nice hotel and we just couldn't beat the price. I would equate it to a really nice Sheraton.
It didn't take long for us to pass out. We had ambitiously planned our next day to be a day at Universal Studios, but S made a very good case for taking a down-day the next day. I gave in without much of a fight.
He's taught me to slow down a bit, which is probably healthy for me.
On to Day 2! Relaxing and exploring...
This was the 2nd day of training back to back and we knew we were testing our metal by doing it on the way to the airport, but I was determined not to let a little thing like a cross-country vacation set us back!
S picked us up a protein shake to split since we were running a tad behind, and we headed off to find where we were supposed to park our car. Using a great deal we found on Groupon, we parked the car for less than shuttle fare for 2 people! It gave us much more flexibility and avoided the nightmare that was our last trip (where I had scheduled the shuttle for the wrong day... oops). We found it with very little difficulty and within an hour, we were checked in and through security. Taking turns sitting with the bags, we took turns getting hot drinks and breakfasty munchies before boarding the plane.
We boarded our US Airways flight and that is when the trip took a serious turn for the slow...
We were delayed at the gate and in our seats for nearly 2 hours.
If we hadn't opted to hit a hard core work out in the morning, this wouldn't have been too much of a problem, aside from making us overdue for our connecting flight.
But sitting still for an extra 2 hours isn't pleasant when you're muscles are trying to recover. It's a great recipe for tight muscles and pain. While the workout was worth it, this was not helpful...
Needless to say, we are not a fan of US Airways. Not because of the delay. Delays happen. But it's because the airline and their staff made no effort at all to make people more comfortable. Also, the airline was aware there would be a delay, but opted to board the plane anyway, instead of taking care of the problem before trapping people in their seats, in a hot, crowded plane that was going nowhere.
Lucky for us, about 10 other people on our plane were trying to make the same connection. Instead of an hour and 40 minutes of layover, they did end up holding the plane for 15 minutes so those of us with connections could make it. Thank God for small miracles!
After a very long day, we finally touched down in Orlando right about on time.
But the delays didn't end there. We had reserved a shuttle online through Mears... well, the ticket counter we were supposed to check in at was closed for the night (despite quite a few people with reservations for late night transport). After another 40 minutes of waiting around (and working with a very confused driver who was called in last minute), we ended up arriving to our hotel, Shades of Green, well after midnight.
The hotel staff couldn't have been more sweet and receptive. It was the best part of our evening in Orlando. Having skipped several meals, we dug into our park snack supply. Cliff bars and Star Wars fruit snacks saw us through as we boarded the shuttle. Since it was well into the wee hours of the morning, we ended up stopping for granola bars and cookies from a vending machine on the way to the room.
The rooms at Shades of Green are LARGE. We had a standard sized room, and it was larger than any of our rooms during our Disney World stay - even at the deluxe Animal Kingdom Lodge! While there was no real Disney theming to be found, it was a really nice hotel and we just couldn't beat the price. I would equate it to a really nice Sheraton.
It didn't take long for us to pass out. We had ambitiously planned our next day to be a day at Universal Studios, but S made a very good case for taking a down-day the next day. I gave in without much of a fight.
He's taught me to slow down a bit, which is probably healthy for me.
On to Day 2! Relaxing and exploring...
