As Jess told all of you, last weekend I had my 2nd annual trip to Florida for a Gator game and a weekend with my long time best friend Mike. I arrived in Jacksonville on Friday and had the chance to drive around my old neighborhood. My oh my, how things have changed. At the entrance to my neighborhood there is now an establishment called "Bottoms Up". I am sure you can tell by its name what kind of people it attracts. Also, the old McDonald's is now a XXX video and book store. Much different from the good ol' days.
Friday night I had the opportunity to meet my birthmother, Gayle, and her two sons, Matthew and Joshua. We met at my favorite restaurant, Woody's, and had a great time getting to know each other, sharing pictures, and telling stories. I am grateful I searched for and was able to find and meet Gayle. Her choice to put me up for adoption has blessed me in so many ways and I am very grateful to her.
Then, on Saturday it was all about the Gators. I started the day by eating at Waffle House-another favorite-and then we went down to Waldo. Where's Waldo you ask? It is about 20 miles outside of Gainesville and it is where Mike's dad lives. We stopped by there for a BBQ and football before we headed on to the Swamp. The Swamp was awesome at night. It was a record crowd with well over 90,000 fans and about all but one of them (me) liquored up from a day of tailgating.
After the game, while we were waiting for the stadium to clear out, I decided to head on down to the field and see if I could get pictures of any important people. I happened to find one that would only be important to all die hard male college football fans. I met Erin Andrews-former Gator and current ESPN sideline reporter-and had my picture taken with her.
On Sunday, I attended my old ward and had a good time catching up with some old friends. It was a great trip and I really look forward to next year. I hope to be able to take the whole family with me next year.
