Waking Up Is Hard To Do

They say that waking up is hard to do

Now I know, I know that it's true ...

Holy smoke, the past few days have been brutal. I am seriously thankful that I live in Florida rather than up north right now, as the blizzard would only make me feel a lot worse.  I've been waking up with really bad headaches and pain in my eyes, so I'm very glad Rob will be driving to tai chi class this morning. Tai chi is going to be a challenge nonetheless, as every muscle in my body aches.

I know my northern friends and relatives are going to scoff, but I am wearing a scarf and half-mitts. Just until our temperature rises a bit. My heart may be in New York, but the rest of me is in Central Florida and after almost a quarter of a century this old body is acclimated to heat, not cold.

BEST - TAI CHI - CLASS - EVER: I hurt this morning, as bad as bad could be; my arms, my back, and that weird pain that starts in the chest, slams into your back, and radiates up like enraged light sabers into the neck, jaw, and ear canals. Here's the beauty of tai chi: I was able to follow along through almost all of the 2 hour class. We covered a lot today - many current forms, and a bunch of new forms, all very engaging. There were a few times I had to stop, but only towards the end. And from the standpoint of several hours down the road, I can tell you that the tai chi helped me get past the pain without swallowing a handful of Advil.  I was able to go to Publix, and then make lunch for Rob and I. Sink and relax, yes I can. Thank you Sifu Tony.

With so much family and friends living up north, and with our roots in NYC and Long Island, we have been watching all the reports regarding the Blizzard of 2016. It's all bad and getting worse; Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie have shut down their respective states. Washington D.C has also been closed down, and as one of the Republican candidates quipped, "Barack Obama's executive action pen has frozen." And Bill DeBlassio, Mayor of NYC, is advising people not to order in anything that has to be delivered. So if you're jonesing for moo goo gai pan, tough noogies - either make your own or assuming your favorite Chinese place is close by, take a walk. Don't you dare expect some poor schmuck on a bicycle to deliver your dinner.

Speaking of dinner, we went with friends to a new (to us) restaurant in downtown Orlando, and it is worthy of praise. The name is Soco, at 629 E. Central Blvd. in the Thornton Park neighborhood, and it serves contemporary southern cuisine. All around very good experience. I had one of their small plates, fried oysters, and I saw a number of other dishes I definitely want to try. Any restaurant that serves chicken fried New York strip steak, lobster mashed potatoes, fried green tomatoes, and Korean fried chicken (without having to drive to Savannah) definitely rates a return visit. If you click on the link, you can view the rest of the menu, and some reviews.

Stay warm. Stay safe. Take a tai chi class.