The Big 4-0 Weekend

July 21st As you have probably noticed, I haven't blogged in a bit. That's because I just turned 40, and frankly, I forgot I had one (it comes with age). Actually, my wife and I took a surprise trip to Disney World and had one heck of a time, so cooking was really one of the last things on my mind. I decided to turn my attention to eating, drinking, relaxing, and just soaking in the sites. So for this blog I wanted to recap the weekend and give my two cents on what it means to turn 40 . . . It means nothing. One of the best pieces of advice I got from my Aunt Sue and my father-in-law is that age is just a number and not to be dwelled on. I don't feel older, and I don't think I am over the hill (I'm definitely on it, however). I have not purchased a rocking chair and a cane to wave at kids who have hopelessly wandered onto my lawn, and I do not have a shiny new Camero with T-tops and a catchy license plate. Sure, I get sore just from sleeping and sometimes say things like "these kids these days," but overall I feel like the same Ferg I have always been, definitely lazy, but still looking for new experiences and adventures. Which brings me to the weekend . . . My wife is the best. She surprised me with a weekend in Orlando at the Grand Floridian Resort at Disney World, a posh place with turn down service and more amenities than you could shake a stick at (why you would shake a stick at random people is beyond me). Our room overlooked the Magic Kingdom, so from our balcony you could see Cinderella's Castle change colors, while listening to the random screams of children wanting something. . . anything. We started the weekend by going to my favorite place in Disney, Epcot, a giant adult theme park with each country offering its own culture and beer. We wandered around playing our favorite drinking game - first one to see a Disney character signing autographs must name them and the other person takes a sip. While the game was spirited, we were on a bit of a schedule - we needed to be at the Contemporary Resort at 8:30. Now my stomach sometimes takes over my thought processes and I automatically assumed we were eating. But instead, we became pirates for an evening and took a pirate cruise around the Magic Kingdom culminating in a fireworks display we were able to enjoy from a boat. Good times. When we got back to the hotel, I thought we walked into the wrong room. There were candles alight, rose petals on the floor and a Mickey Mouse statue made of white chocolate staring at me from the TV stand. Amidst all of this were monogrammed towels, a spa set, and an autographed picture of Mickey and Minnie, wishing me a Happy B-day. Did I mention my wife was the best? The next day we decided to shake off the haze of the character game and lounge by the pool for most of the day. We had some cocktails, dipped in the pool - rinse, repeat. Then it was off to Epcot again to redeem myself after getting pummeled in the first round of the character game, I lost again. Amidst all of this jocularity, we ate, and ate well. Crispy chicken over spinach noodles in China and Soft shelled crab over copia at the Boardwalk. The food at Disney is spectacular and is one of my favorite parts of each visit. It's not just burgers and dogs anymore, although those options are still there (and much better than they used to be). We ended the evening at the Magic Kingdom for some magic hours from 11pm-2am. During the summer this is the only time you can really enjoy this park when you turn 40, or 20 for that matter. It is hot and believe it or not, some years past, my wife and I actually witnessed two moms, baby carriages in tow, screaming the f-bomb at each other while a "magical" parade complete with Pixie music waltzed by. It was pretty surreal to say the least, since the music was pretty "happy" and the two moms were more than a little pissed. I'm not sure how it started, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ended with a mighty wand battle, complete with pixie missiles and sparkle grenades. We went on some rides we never get to go on, ending the evening with Splash Mountain. Within seconds we were soaked and smiling and headed back to the hotel to get some Zs. We had more fun than posted here, but you get the gist. It was the best way to spend a birthday, and I had more fun than you can imagine. It was great to feel youngish again. I would like to thank all of my friends for coming to my b-day dinner, and for those of you who don't realize the significance of a Ferg 40, you missed a great time - we will get together soon. Until another time . . .