The first month...

My first month spent here in Orlando, Florida has been hard, a learning experience to say the least, a major adjustment, and of course: A LOT OF FUN!

 

My new friends ;-) 

I've had many moments this month where I think, "I'm in Orlando?!?" Yep. It's a city full of many cars, strip malls, vultures lunching armadillos, crystal blue pools, palm trees, lakes, wonderful puffy cloud filled skies, and me!

It mystifies people that a Canadian is HERE and she plays the ACCORDION. Can you handle it Orlando? EHHH!? Check me OOT?!

I have been car-less so I've been dependent on the kindness of my new friends with whom I work and perform with. Found an apartment to rent, looking for furniture to fill it up, and awaiting the arrival of my boyfriend this weekend.

As I adjust to my new home, I find I'm missing places like Caffe Fantastic, Habit, Ferris's Oyster Bar, and The Geisha. Hoping my boyfriend brings me Rainforest crackers, I am happy to watch plenty of "Housewives of _____" on Bravo, but I miss Canadian television. The Canadian cooking shows, and news. These are all searchable of course.

Who knew I found comfort in Rick Mercer? Who wouldn't!? http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/video.html

There are parts of Epcot that remind me of Victoria as a whole. Both have a big mix of international residents and visitors. I have departed from one tourist location, and landed in an even bigger one, but everyone on site is either from Germany, Morocco, France, Italy, Mexico, Japan, England, let's not forget Canada! I haven't met many Canadians yet, but there is a miniature Butchart Gardens here:

I'm looking forward to having my own car here, being able to explore on my own, find my own little hang outs. I'm also looking forward to settling in, meeting more musicians, and stirring things up with them. There is a lot to be done here with my accordion, and saving the world with it!

PS: I fixed my second (light weight Hohner). It was an easy fix of the refastening the reed blocks that were knocked loose. Fantastico!

Planet Florida

Accordion Girl is an alien. She has landed on a planet, completely new to her, and nothing like what she has seen before. This planet is Florida, Orlando to be precise.

It's a new experience every day that I am here, and 'adjusting' is the word I use the most.

I love my Guerrini "Camillo", but I asked my lovely boyfriend to ship my lighter weight Hohner over to me, only to find something has become loose within it and half the keys on the keyboard are not producing sound anymore, and only releasing air when played. SACRE BLEU!

What is Accordion Girl to do!!? Well, I have called upon my trusted accordion friends from around the globe, and asked them what their advice is on this problem!

 It looks like I'll need to find some pliers, a tiny screwdriver, and a hammer... Some exciting surgery will take place soon enough to repair whatever has come loose. I believe it is the reed boxes that have come loose from being in transit, and as securely packaged as it was... 'Panada Cost' probably threw it around the trucks during it's shipment.

Ah well, I needed something new to stress out about, right?

Meanwhile, I'm surrounded by new bugs, plants, geckos, armadillos, bobcats, vultures, and have yet to meet an alligator. Who doesn't want to meet an alligator? The heat is bearable, I love it actually, but I haven't experienced the summers here yet. I have been warned about them by the locals. Otherwise, hanging out by the pool, basking in the sunshine, and BBQing in October is sublime.