Author: yvettefrancino

Every May, my daughter and son-in-law take a getaway trip to celebrate their wedding Anniversary and I get some quality time with my two grandkids, Diego (almost 13) and Reneya (almost 11).

When I saw that an immersive “Dr. Seuss Experience” was open in Centennial, I thought that might be a fun microadventure for us to do together. I was a little concerned that they may feel like they had outgrown Dr. Seuss (they’re much more interested in Harry Potter and Star Wars these days).

The description said it was fun for all ages, so I took a chance. Reneya, who’s going to be in the musical, Seussical, this summer was on board, but Diego was not exactly jumping up and down with excitement about the suggestion. I was probably the most excited and happy to have a chance to wear Seuss-like attire.

It turns out, we all agreed, the experience surpassed all of our expectations.

The experience was creative and colorful and… just magical! It was whimsy at its best!

There were several different rooms representing different Dr. Seuss books. Each of them created this surreal feeling of stepping into an imaginary world filled with the curious characters and scenes created by Dr. Seuss.

There were lights and illusions throughout the whole experience. I especially liked this artistic display full of black cut-outs of Seuss characters and objects.

However when you stand in the designated “Stand Here” spot and look at the display, THIS is what you see!

Here’s what really generated the “That is SO COOL!” comments from the kids:

We were all surprised when this Cat in the Hat had an actual conversation with us! He clearly was not a live person and so at first we thought whatever he was saying was a recording. When it became clear that he could see and hear us (somehow!) we were amazed!

If you love creativity, color, and the magic of Dr. Seuss, you’ll love this at any age!

Will you like it, young or old?
Yes you'll like it, shy or bold.
You will like it, you will see!
You will like it, just trust me!

The first few days I was back in Colorado, the weather was very cold and gloomy. I was colder in the first week of May in Colorado than I’d been all winter in Florida. It was downright depressing! In fact, I’ve seriously been thinking about selling my Colorado house. But I digress.

I know that when I start feeling depressed one of the best remedies for me is to get outside and walk. I checked Meetup and saw that Glenn Pinkerton, one of my favorite Walk/Hike Buddies, had scheduled a walk in a place I’d never been: Pella Crossing Near Hygiene.

Glenn is the primary leader of the Grey Wolves Meetup Group – a group that I’ve been a member of for at least 15 years. Only one other person, a nice guy named Lance, showed up for this walk. That ended up being great because Glenn and Lance were both excellent conversationalists so I was entertained and interested the whole time we walked.

The walk itself was much like a Florida walk, flat with ponds and water-birds. In fact, I would have thought I still was in Florida except the weather was cold!

Despite the cloudy, cool weather, by the end of the hike, I was no longer depressed at all. Walking, nature, and good conversation are the perfect recipe for improving one’s mood!

I’m back in Colorado, thanks to my friend, JJ. I actually call him “Jim” but since everyone else calls him JJ, I’m trying to get used to it. I actually called him “James” during this trip since that’s such a “chauffeur” name.

I met him first over 20 years ago because he worked for me at Sun Microsystems. We have a long history and I count on him as one of my best friends. How many other people would agree to make the long road trip back to Colorado with me?

JJ got into Tampa on Tuesday and the first thing we did was check the Flamingo Art that’s in the works. I’d been hoping to see this before heading back to Colorado and knew it was scheduled to be finished in the Spring. Not quite complete, but it’s getting there!

JJ grew up in the Ft. Lauderdale area and loves the beach. Even though he had to work (via computer) during the days, we got out in the evenings to the nearby beaches to eat, drink margaritas, and see the magnificent sunsets.

While we were picnicking on the beach Tuesday evening, JJ was admiring the 6-pack abs of a couple of guys playing frisbee. (I once read in “Men’s Health” that the first thing women notice about men are their abs. I totally disagree with that, but I guess men notice each others’ abs.. or at least JJ does, probably because he’s always working on his own.) Anyway, it turns out one of those guys with the good abs was Bill Brodie, son of former 49’er quarterback, John Brodie.

Bill chatted with us a bit and then went back to his frisbee playing. I don’t follow sports, but even I was excited to meet the son of a football star.

On Friday, JJ wrapped up work early and we hit the road. Google Maps estimates the route as 28 hours, going through Atlanta and Kansas City into Colorado.

JJ drove the whole way. (That tends to happen when I go on road trips with people who have experienced my driving.) Admittedly, I’m a nervous driver, especially with a passenger, so I don’t argue with people who want to drive.

It only would have been a couple of hour detour to stop by Quincy, Illinois to visit Aunt Nancy, and if I ever drive this route myself (or with someone who can afford to take it slowly) I’d love to stop for a visit. As it was, though, JJ wanted to get back home. In fact, if it was up to him, we would have driven straight through, but, wimp that I am about getting sleep, I took advantage of my Marriott points and reserved hotels in Atlanta and Topeka.

We made it home by about noon on Sunday, May 1, with absolutely no problems with the car or weather. There were a few slowdowns when going through Atlanta and Kansas City, but overall, it was incredibly smooth and absolutely the fastest of the 4 times I’ve made the journey by car.

I’m super grateful to JJ for his friendship and for getting us home safely!

Poetry! I love it. It’s like a puzzle that gives you that extra sense of satisfaction when completed. More than a puzzle – it’s wordplay. Wordplay combines two of my favorite things: Words and Play! Though poetry might not always be considered “playful,” I find it intriguing in its nuanced subtlety.

So, of course, when Becky asked if I wanted to join her for a Poetry Reading at a Bookstore1Sarasota earlier this month, I said, “Of course!” Even better, was that Becky personally knew one of the authors, Pat Williams Owen, who would be reading from her latest book of poetry, Bardo of Becoming, at the PoetryMic event.

Though I have a lot to learn about poetry, Pat’s poems certainly resonated with me, in that they were relatable and remind me of my own similar experiences.

This morning, when I was on the phone with my sister, who was telling me how frustrated she was that she couldn’t find her passport, I said: “Oh! Let me read you a poem by Pat Owen! It’s titled “When I Think I Have a Problem, I Generally Don’t.” (I love that title!)

The poem is about a lost earring, and the obsessive search that follows, ending with the earring being found “over layers of lint, there it was, glowing like a treasure.”

Michele noted that Pat’s earring was found the next day and that she’d been looking for her passport for more than 24 hours and would not be able to go on her planned trip without it, so… she still has a problem. (She wasn’t really in the mood for poetry. If she were, she’d undoubtedly write a poem titled, “Why Don’t You Believe Me? When I Think I Have a Problem, I Do!”)

But enough about Michele. Back to Pat.

Pat often introduced her poems with a question like, “How many of you have parents?” or some similar question that made us all chuckle. She’d go on to read a poem about her father with many of the mixed emotions so many of us have about our own parents. Feelings that our children may have about us.

The adventure continued yesterday with a privately hosted event where I was able to not only hear more of Pat’s poetry, but personally chat with her and others about her poems.

Becky did a wonderful job of playing emcee of this event at a beautiful home of Helen and Beatty, neighbors and friends of Pat’s. (I really think Becky should consider talk-show host as her next career.)

What a treat to actually be able to talk to Pat! She answered questions about the creative process and explained her thoughts when writing some of the poems. As I said, I think poetry can often seem like a mysterious puzzle with double meanings. How fun to be able to ask the author what she was thinking as she created her pieces.

Since April is National Poetry Month, I’d been meaning to learn more about poetry. Listening to these poems and buying Pat’s book has inspired me!

I was inspired not just by Pat’s book and poetry, but by the post-discussion by all those who attended. This picture doesn’t show everyone in attendance (and excuse the poor photo where I cut off the head of the one male, one of our hosts!)

Each person has a story worthy of a book! What varied experiences from this learned group! I was so impressed with their accomplishments, wisdom, and creative endeavors!

They also had the humility to downplay their stories to which I’m afraid I may have been a little too harsh in my response, reminding them not to sell themselves short.

I know how much the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves matter. These people are incredible role models to everyone and I felt so lucky to have been able to share the afternoon with them all.

I’ve done a lot of volunteering over the years. It’s always been one of those “extra-curricular” activities I’ve enjoyed.

For the past few years, however, my volunteer efforts have been a little hit-and-miss. Sometimes, I’ll sign up for something and there are so many volunteers that it ends up I’m really not needed. My last volunteer work before Covid was at an event where my “job” was to show people where the elevator was! And then my Red Cross deployment was much more work than I’d expected.

I finally found a volunteer opportunity at the Manatee Literacy Center that was Goldilocks perfect. Not too easy, not too demanding.. just right!

I’m just about through with the training required to be a tutor and help adults with their English conversation skills. I’ve already met with my “learner,” a delightful young woman from Colombia, as well as my mentor, who has been super-friendly and helpful.

There were quite a few steps in the training process including reading materials, videos, participation in weekly Zoom conversations with students, and a 4-hour in-person training on April 5th.

Over the summer, since I’m heading back to Colorado, I’ll be meeting with my learner and attending other events remotely — it’s nice that that’s now an option, thanks to Covid. And also, by the way, it looks like Zoom has added a bunch of cool new Marketplace apps for virtual teaming! Can’t wait to experiment with those.

I especially like working with someone who has Spanish as their first language. I now realize how difficult it is to become fluent in a second language! As I said in yesterday’s blog post, it takes a lot of practice, especially with speaking and listening! And even though we’re supposed to stick to English during our tutoring sessions, I can’t help but hope I’ll have an opportunity to speak a little Spanish with my learner, too, once we get to know each other better.

After all my work at learning Spanish, it’s interesting to look at it from the other perspective — through the eyes of someone who doesn’t have English as their native language. I see just how difficult English can be, full of irregularities in pronunciation and spelling anomalies.

Even though I’ve only just begun the actual “work” of tutoring, I can see that this opportunity is right up my alley! I love communication, learning about languages, and getting to know the learners, other volunteers, and everyone involved! I’m really excited!

Oh! And I’m just in time to participate in their annual “Be the One” fundraising event on April 26-27.

I’m on Day 1137 of my Duolingo Spanish Streak. Yes, that’s over 3 years, and no, I’m still not fluent. However, I am improving.

I was reminded of how far I had to go when I was in Mexico last November with my friend, Nancie (who is fluent) and she remarked, “I would have thought you’d be a lot better by now.” Gee, thanks, Nancie.

Though, I was a little put off by her bluntness, it did remind me that I needed to do more than the minimum of a quick Duolingo lesson every day. I really needed to practice my conversation skills!

Microadventure #27: Spanish Conversation Class

As it turned out, Carlos, the man I was sitting next to at the TEDx event I went to in early March, teaches Spanish Conversation classes at the local library!

I’ve been attending Carlos’s class for the past 3 weeks and I really like that it’s for all levels! It’s a very informal class and fun that I’m not only getting more exposure to Spanish, but getting to meet others who are interested in learning Spanish!

Carlos talks a lot about culture, particularly of Latin American countries and one of the things I really appreciated is that he handed out a document with local-area restaurants and markets where we could practice our Spanish with native speakers!

Microadventure #28: Colombian Point Restaurant with Carlos

As soon as I got the list of markets and restaurants, I was on a mission to go to as many as possible! I told Carlos that I was a blogger and asked if I could share his list and he gave me the thumbs up!

He also asked if I’d want to go to Colombian Point Restaurant in Sarasota that weekend. Heck, yeah! It was so nice that Carlos asked ME to do this excursion instead of the other way around. Even though I’m proud that I’ve kept up with my microadventure resolution all winter, it’s still out of my comfort zone to ask someone new to do something.

As it turns out, Carlos and I chatted for over 2 hours! It was all in English, I’m afraid, but he has some very interesting stories and skills, including public speaking (something I always want to try and improve in.) He was interested in my skills with blogging and social media, so maybe we can help each other. And I did get some Spanish practice in with the waiters and felt very good about it!

Microadventure 29: Palmetto Flea Market with Coach Bill

Though it wasn’t on his spreadsheet, one of the places Carlos mentioned that I might want to practice my Spanish was at Mr. G Flea Market in Palmetto, about 30 minutes from my new condo in Bradenton.

So, when “Coach Bill” texted and asked if we could do a microadventure before we both went back to our respective summer places, I suggested the flea market!

I met Coach Bill way back on my very first Microadventure, a hike for Positive Thinkers in North Port. He introduced himself as “Coach Bill” and I’ve called him that ever since to distinguish him from another Bill I met around the same timeframe.

Coach Bill happily accepted my suggestion (he is, after all, a Positive Thinker) and we had a great time checking out all the wares at Mr. G’s.

Of course, one of the objectives was to practice a little Spanish, and I had that opportunity with the lunch place that was on site, Taquería Lolita.

We both ordered “Sincronizadas” which I’d never even heard of! It turned out to be a much richer dish than I’d bargained for. (And, by the way, if you ever order a drink here, be aware that they are supersized! I never order sweet drinks, but I wanted to see what the “limon” drink was… uh… it was a big, big, way too big, cup of lemonade.

So, yeah, I didn’t learn a lot of Spanish, but I got a little lesson: Figure out what something is before you order it. And actually, I really liked the Sincronizada, but it was probably demaciadas calorías.

Bill was busy coaching girl’s volleyball all winter and North Port (where he was living and working) is a good hour from Bradenton, but he made the trek up again to Bradenton on Easter Sunday to hang out with me and some other friends.

I feel so lucky for the people I’ve met during this wonderful Snowbird adventure! I already can’t wait to come back next winter!

Some of the things I like best about Microadventure #26 is that it was completely different, unexpected, unplanned by me, spontaneous and suggested by a new Bumble date, Mike. (Maybe that makes it a “Mike”roadventure!)

I’d been casually chatting with Mike and asked if he’d be willing to join me for a Microadventure, sending him a link to this site so he could see what I was talking about. I was very impressed that he read enough to pick out the perfect, quirky excursion to Sarasota’s Classic Car Museum!

The first “classic car” we saw was straight from the “Flintstones” before we even entered the museum! I’ve been channeling my inner-Wilma since last year (was part of a Flintstones foursome) so had to get a pic with me in the Cavemobile!

Though classic cars were the main event, the museum was filled with a variety of antiques. In fact, I’m just realizing that the museum housed antiques of items that reminded me of everyone from my family of origin: An old sewing machine (for Mom), cameras (Michele) a piano (for me), pinball machines (Chris), Porsches (Dad), and, well, all the other cars (Neal!)

I asked Mike to pose by his favorites. The first he picked is one that was very much like a model he’d made when he was 12 and laid up in the hospital for three months with two broken legs:

I couldn’t really pick out a favorite myself, but I did like this recreation of Lincoln’s Hearse:

And this car, though more Bohemian than my own Carpe Diem Car, gets points for its purple color:

After the classic car tour, we headed to the Honey Tree Cafe for a delicious breakfast for lunch! The wait staff were all super-friendly and the atmosphere was very homey and comfortable.

Overall this was the quintessential microadventure! Interesting, unique, and fun to share it with a new friend. I really appreciate how Mike, not only was super-easy to talk to and get to know, but how he tapped right into my personality and created such a memorable experience!