Gimme A Spring Break - Days 3 & 4

The kids often pull you in opposite directions, especially when there's only one adult capable of keeping up with them. But there is a healthy way to settle sibling disputes: bumper cars. That's a situation where kids are allowed to hit each other, repeatedly. Bumper boats also work.

The Magical Midway was a refreshing change from the Mickey Mouse pop culture of Orlando. It was more reminiscent of an Atlantic City Boardwalk type of amusement park. There are two outstanding wooden, multi-level Go-Kart tracks - the best I've ever ridden on.

In addition there were the bumper cars and boats, the StarFlyer, trampolines, plenty of video games, and what they tout as the world's largest Sling Shot. I don't know who the governing body is that verifies that, but I'll take their word for it. It was an extra $50 so neither the kids or I took the flier.

There was an unrelated family trip to the ER, but that's a story for another post. But it involved us getting a late start for Busch Gardens in Tampa on Day 4. There were some rides there that made the Sling Shot look fairly tame by comparison. Fortunately, despite the kids' enthusiasm, they weren't tall enough to ride them.

So we opted to get soaked instead on the Stanley Falls Flume and the Big Congo Rapids rides. The weather cooperated. It wasn't too hot to enjoy the day and it was overcast enough to scare off the huge droves of Springbreakers.

The kids have gone to sleep way too late every night, but also woke up late every day. The days have been long and exhausting, but sleep deprivation hasn't been a problem. Bathroom breaks on the other hand...

Gimme a Spring Break - Days 1 & 2

Spring Break with the kids isn't really a vacation. In fact at the end, I will most likely need a vacation from the vacation. We did Disney last year, and this year we returned to Orlando (off-campus) to see what other sadistic and expensive adventures the Tragic Kingdom has to offer.

The new Honda Pilot was called on for its first road trip, and the drive down from Savannah was low maintenance as the kids watched DVDs with their wireless headsets, while Dad listened to Michigan whack Florida in the Regional Final on XM.

So three generations of the Backtime Editorial Department found a very nice and reasonably priced 3-bedroom villa in Kissimmee as home base. After unloading all the toys, board games, clothes, and food, we headed out to Dave & Busters for a decent dinner and some video gaming.

It's like Las Vegas, only with kids from all over the world. The staff was very accommodating and the dinner booth was huge. We easily could have fit a party of 8.

Then today was the all-day Sea World trip. I was told this was a "can't miss" stop in Orlando, which is a little bit of a stretch. The kids liked Hershey Park much better because they qualified hight-wise for so many more rides. Though the Sea Lion/Pirate show, and the Whale show were both fun and amazingly choreographed.

The show at Shamu Stadium was almost as well orchestrated as this trip, which still has three full days left. And as any good producer will tell you, it almost always looks better on paper.

Backtime Memo-Random: Orlando

I haven't done a game at the Citrus Bowl since New Year's Day, 2002. For the record, Tennessee routed Michigan 45-17. Casey Claussen threw for 393 yards, hitting Kelley Washington, Donte Stallworth, and Jason Witten all over the field.

Now the Citrus Bowl is a relic, kind of a cross between the old Orange Bowl and Legion Field, in the part of town the Magic Kingdom forgot.

But that bowl game isn't what stands out in my memories of Orlando. Neither is my son's Disney World Spring Break meltdown (now why'd you have to go and bring that up?). It's the 1996 NBA Playoffs.

I did five playoff games that spring at The O-Rena, and the games weren't anything really special. The Magic basically had their way with the Pistons (Grant Hill & Allan Houston) and the Hawks (Mookie & Smitty) in the early rounds.

Quick, name Orlando's starting five: There was Shaq and Penny, Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott, but who was the fifth?

Horace Grant was my favorite in a lineup of standouts. He was the relentless heartbeat of a team that was often questioned for its toughness, back when we wondered if Shaq would ever win a championship.

But before he was with the Magic, he won 3 titles with the Bulls. And when he would throw down an offensive rebound, you'd hear Bulls play-by-play man Jim Durham uncork HOAR-ess GRRANT!

I worked NBA and NCAA games with Jim Durham many years ago. It's a cliche, but he was a great broadcaster and a better guy. He did a lot of radio in recent years, and I had occasion to run into him when I was on the TV side of something. 

I would shake his hand and ask him, one time, to give me a full-throated HOAR-ess GRRANT! He would laugh and give me a half of one. You couldn't blame him for his lack of adrenaline without a live event going on, or an open mic in sight. He was a professional.

Jim Durham died last week at age 65. He was a power forward of broadcasting. RIP JD.