Vacation Details
12/1998: Miami, FL
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All trip ratings are on a 1 - 10 scale: 1 the worst, 10 the best, 4 roughly equivalent to watching Jeopardy on t.v. with my mom. 

12/23/98
Getting on the plane for Florida and having it leave on time: 8
Sleeping pretty much the entire way to Miami: 9.5
Waking up in time to see awesome red-sky sunrise: 8

12/24/98
Arriving in Florida at 6:15 AM: 8
Getting luggage fairly quickly: 9
Walking out of airport into 85 muggy degree heat: 9.75
Getting rental car easily: 8
Kiling time near Publix since our condo offices only opened at 9AM: 8 -- It was REALLY hot outside and good to be in Florida!
Finally getting to Lincoln at Doral: 9
Having to wait 1.5 hours for Heather to help check me in since everyone else there was pretty much incompetent: 2
Being able to call Z at work and rub in that I was in Florida already and he wasn't, paying him back for doing the same thing to me when he was in Arizona last summer: 8
Finding yesterday's paper to get golf discount coupons: 9
Finally being able to sign in at 10:30AM: 8.5
STILL not being allowed to unload my baggage until noon: 3
Rushing to Winn-Dixie and Publix to find a grill before Hal arrived: 5
Hustling back to the airport to be on time for Hal: 4
Finding out (after I got there) that Hal was delayed from noon until 2:30: 2
Relaxing and finally unpacking in the room: 8
Our room actually having enough beds: 9
Answering machine actually working: 9.5
Us having no shower curtains: 2
Us having a phone that made a really loud noise, being virtually unusable: 1.2
Getting groceries and having to wait in a 1.5 hour line of XMas Eve shoppers: 1.5
Being 45 minutes late to get Hal (due to line): 3
Seeing Hal and getting excited about golf: 9
Finding out that Hal was sick and didn't feel like golfing: 1.5
Hal rallying for dinner: 7
Hal getting egg-drop soup, my most hated kind: 2
Hal saving left over egg-drop soup in the fridge: 1.1
Rest of now-traditional Christmas Eve barbecue on balcony: 9
Trying Lemon Vienna Fingers for the first time: 8.5
Flavor of Lemon Vienna Fingers: 5 -- Not as good as regular Reduced Fat kind

12/25/98
Waking up early to play golf after great sleep: 9
Hal feeling good enough to try to play: 9.2
Weather being REALLY warm: 9.5
18 holes at CC of Miami West course: 8
Conditions: 9
Course Layout: 7
Playing partners Hector and Sonja: 7.5
Seeing Hal's great new slow swing: 8
Listening to drunk guys while Hal ate lunch after round: 5
2nd 18 holes at CC of Miami East course: 8.5
Playing even better than in morning: 9
Conditions: 7
Course Layout: 9
Making three consecutive pars on 15-17 to have a shot to break 40 on the back 9: 9.8
Driving into unseen water on 18 to blow that chance: 2
Hal getting me excited, semi-joking, that there was still daylight and we should keep playing: 6
Me asking guy at shop if we can play a little more and him allowing it for free: 9.95
Final 9 holes on East course: 9.5
Pace of Play: 9
Us being asked to pick up pins as we finish each hole: 9
Finishing up the 9th hole before it got REALLY dark: 9.25
Picking up Z at the airport after golf: 7
Seeing Z: 9
Z actually being there on time: 9
Me be WAY hungry: 2
Having to switch cars when REALLY hungry: 4
Having to wait AN HOUR for Z in 7-11 when REALLY hungry: 1.5
FINALLY having another great barbecue on balcony: 9.5
Z forgetting Gameboy, meaning no Tetris competition: 2
Hal retaining Tetris championship from last year because of this: 1.2
Lincoln at Doral actually replacing our phone with a usable one: 8
Still having no shower curtains: 2

12/26/98
Waking up early to play golf: 8
Weather being VERY warm: 9.5
Finding out that I had screwed up date of basketball games: 4
Golf at University Country Club: 7
Conditions: 4
Course Layout: 5
Horrible Starter being rude to us: 3
Pace of Play: 3
My great play of front 9: 9
All 3 of us sticking iron shots on island green (#9) successfully: 9.75
My horrible play on back 9, allowing Hal to escape with win: 2
Post-golf anticipation for Substantial Subs: 9.5
Substantial Subs being closed for Christmas hours: 1.5
Baguette I got at health food store after long wait, that I had to throw away after 1 bite due to horrible flavor: 1.01
Z and Hal going to sleep after golf when I was ready for another 18 holes: 2
Me having to watch horrible TV while they slept: 1.5
Their completely untrue complaints that I kept waking them up: 1.25
Them FINALLY getting up after sleeping forever: 7
Me inadvertantly spilling Hal's coke that he left on a chair: 3
Z and Hal calling every spill for the rest of the trip a "Bod": 1.2
Us taking the first jacuzzi of the trip: 8
Hal starting to feel a little sick again before dinner: 3
Freezing beer and peanuts while waiting for a table at The Roadhouse: 8.5
Hot sweet rolls at the Roadhouse: 9.999995
Me actually remembering to let Z and Hal get one roll each this year: 9
Rest of food at the Roadhouse: 8
Still having no shower curtains: 2
Hal breaking his shower-head trying to keep his bathroom dry: 1.75

12/27/98
Waking up early to play golf: 8
Weather being really rainy: 4
Warmth at least making golf reasonable: 6
Golf at CC of Miami West Course: 7
Me playing absolutely horrible 
for first 5 holes: 3
Stunning the world with a great
5-wood dead at the stick on the 6th 
hole: 9.95
Having Z say he thought it 
went in: 9.975
Hal proving that it actually 
was in for an ace: 9.99975
Me not being able to 
concentrate for the rest of the round: 2
Everyone else not being able 
to concentrate for the rest of the round: 
1.5
Me not being able to hit any 
par 3 shots close to the green after the 
ace: 1.1
Me playing absolutely horribly 
the rest of the day: 3
Me cheaply winning the match 
thanks to the rule awarding 17 points for 
my shot: 9
Showering at the CC of Miami 
with no hot water: 2
Hustling to the NCR Center for basketball doubleheader: 7
Z making us pay $35 for club seats when $10 seats were available: 3
Quality of seats for that price: 2
Food qualityat NCR Center when starving: 5
Food quality given that we were at an arena: 8
Our interest in the frst game: 3
Michigan team interest in the first game: 2
Me doing a "Bod" by spilling a beer on Hal at the Budweiser Pavillion: 1.5
Second game featuring Miami vs. Ohio State: 8
Me not properly understanding map on post-game drive to Fort Lauderdale: 3
Z and Hal giving me WAY more trouble for it than I deserved: 1.5
Us finally finding Riverwalk: 7
Dinner and drinks at Dan Marino's: 8
Woman singing disco classics while we ate: 8.5
Z singing along: 8
Z refusing frozen custard before we left: 2
Z stopping at Dairy Queen for HUGE sundae before bed: 9
Us still not having shower curtains: 2
Finally getting to bed, exhausted: 8

12/28/98
Sleeping a little later: 7
Being second in line for Dolphins playoff tickets: 8
The top shelf of our fridge breaking, causing a beer to break and spill all over the kitchen: 2
Me being unfairly blamed for it, Hal and Z calling it a "Bod": 1.2
My first Substantial Sub chicken/pepper/onion sandwich: 9
Weather on the way to Heron Bay: 5 -- Warm, but VERY cloudy...
First 9 holes at TPC Heron-Bay: 9
Playing partner Steve: 5
Conditions: 9.75
Course Layout: 8
Me, Z, and Hal ALL playing very well: 9
Z making four consecutive pars (a lifetime first for him): 9
Z not outright winning any of these four holes as Hal or I either tied or bettered him each time: 9.5
Ominous black cloud forming in the distance: 2.5
Second 9 holes at TPC Heron-Bay: 5
Us all playing well still: 9
Black cloud moving closer and closer to us: 2
Lightning and thunder crashing down from black cloud in the distance: 1.5
Us being dry depite seeing lightning in distance: 5
Me not being able to concentrate/enjoy game due to weird weather: 2
Me being told by drink lady not to worry unless siren sounded: 9
Siren sounding 5 minutes later with us on 14th tee: 1.5
Me "flooring" the golf cart pedal on the way in: 9
Top speed of golf cart still being slow: 2
Rain subduing in 15 minutes: 8
Heron Bay staff sending us back onto course shortly after: 9
All of us playing very well: 9
Siren sounding again during 15th hole, ending round for good: 1.1
Hal barely winning match via last few holes being rained out: 1.05
Best shower of trip at Heron Bay after round: 9.75
Shower slippers and other amenities such as "TPC-Heron Bay Shampoo" and "TPC-Heron Bay Minty Fresh Breath Wash": 9.95
Hal and Z's 64 oz. pre-dinner margarita at La Cantina restaurant: 8
Them MAKING me drink one beer too many before dinner: 3
Dinner at La Cantina: 5.5
Going to Jai Alai after dinner: 8.5
Z not winning a million at Jai Alai: 3
Me, exhausted, falling asleep at Jai Alai and missing pretty much everything: 2

12/29/98
Weather: 8 -- Much better than previous day
Golf at Colony West: 8.5
Me spilling Hal's coffee on my shirt for a "Bod": 1.5
Sign before 1st hole saying how course is toughest public course in Florida (to me): 3
Same sign (to Z): 9.95
Me getting "into jail" on like 5 different holes: 2 -- this is one tough course...
Me going from trap to trap to trap: 3
Everyone calling THAT a "Bod" as well: 1.5
Z "finding" (stealing?) a mini-football on the course: 1.25
FINALLY getting shower curtains: 7
Tailgate before Micron PC Bowl: 8
Having rice at the tailgate: 9
Eating two chicken sandwiches, then having Z give me little pieces of the third piece of chicken after I was already stuffed: 8.5 -- It tasted awesome...
Somehow not getting sick from it: 9.95
Z going to look for cheap tickets without taking me: 9.999995
Z coming back with two tickets in a reasonable amount of time: 9.9999999999995
Me and Hal getting a third ticket for free: 9
Us gtting into the game early enough to see the frisbee dogs warm up: 9.5
The game itself: 7 -- Solid for a second-tier bowl
Halftime featuring the frisbee dogs: 6 -- Better than expected
Having it be warm enough for shorts (as opposed to last year): 9.5

12/30/98
Waking up and feeling huge winds: 4
Golf at Doral Park: 7.5
Conditions: 9
Layout: 9
Course improvement from last year: 8.5
Weather: 5
My personal play, and specifically lack of concentration: 3
All three of us missing the island green: 1.1
Me not even having good concentration at that time: 1
Hal winning to take control of Cup standings: 2
My second Substantial Sub chicken/pepper/onion sandwich: 9
Us not playing more golf in the afternoon: 1
Watching Z and Hal sleep: 3
Great jacuzzi while Hal and Z drank beer: 8
Shorty's: 9.75
Me remembering to order 2 dinners to get a piece of boneless chicken: 9
Mixed bbq sauces (on Z's suggestion): 8 -- I never liked it before!
Watching Z literally "two-fist" Hal's extra ribs: 9.975
Z not realizing he was doing it: 9.975
Coconut Grove after diner: 8.5
All-Star Sports Cafe (formerly Marino's) being closed: 2
Fat Tuesday's: 9
Me having to fill the meter during drinks: 3

12/31/98
Weather finally being really nice again: 9
Golf at Crandon Park at Key Biscayne: 9
Conditions: 9
Layout: 9.75
All of us hitting great shots on #7 (our former bane): 9.75
Z otherwise having a very poor day and resigning himself to poor performance: 2
Hal winning and clinching the Cup: 3 -- I have to at least respect it
Post-Golf jacuzzi in ULTRA-HOT "green" water: 9.5
Us not getting sick from said water: 9.75
Finally meeting Z's friend Christie: 7
Drinks at The Clevelander on South Beach: 8
Walking FOREVER looking for a place for dinner: 1.25
Finally getting to the Thai restaurant: 6
The waiter spilling a tray of waters all over Z: 3
Everyone calling it a "Bod": 1.25
Food at the restaurant: 7.5
Rice: 8
Waiter not leaving rice on the table: 2.5
Christie making a New Year's Resolution for Z: 8
Somehow getting a table at Fat Tuesday's on the beach: 9
Music at Fat Tuesday's: 9
New Year's at Fat Tuesday's: 8
Walking down the beach through a mob of people: 8

1/1/99
Sleeping really late: 8
Walking for two hours to shake off a headache: 7
Hal and Z going to Denny's without me: 9 -- I hate Denny's
Watching football with them after the walk/breakfast: 5
Picking up Su at the airport: 8
Having my first small tummy-ache of the trip: 2 -- At least it took a while to happen...
Actually seeing Su: 9.5
Not being there the instant Su got there: 2
Having Su wait less time than last year: 9
Presenting the Championship Cup to Hal: 2
Seeing Hal's happiness in holding it up proudly: 7 -- At least I have to respect it
Driving around trying to figure out what we would do for dinner: 3
Actually getting to, and staying at, a restaurant, any restaurant: 9
Actually going to The Roadhouse again: 8
Having The Roadhose be even better than it was the first time: 9.975
The rolls: 9.99975
The peanuts: 8.5
The steak/chicken combo: 9
Zin's great sundae with the fudge on the outside of the glass: 9.25
Going to the dog track after dinner: 7
It being warm enough to hang outside at the track: 8
Su winning her second-ever bet for $5: 9
Su winning her third-ever-bet for $742: 9.9999975
Su winning her fourth-ever-bet for $42 while waiting in line to cash her third bet: 9.5
Z using Su's numbers to win over $100 on the same bet: 9.75
The guy finally giving Su her IRS form and money: 9.5

1/2/99
Hearing Z say "It's a great day for a football game!": 9
Z saying "And there it is!!!" for the stadium WAY before we actually saw stadium: 1.5
Su and I walking through some of the greatest-ever tailgates by the stadium: 9
Not getting a football from the cheerleaders who were throwing them out: 2
Z's effort for the early tailgate: 9
Hal and Z getting the fire started despite the wind: 9.5
The rain pouring down for 15 minutes, ending the tailgate: 9
The rain quickly stopping and the weather being really warm and dry for the rest of the day: 9.5
The pre-game for the Miami playoff game, including fireworks and fly-by: 8
The first play of the game -- bomb for apparent TD, then fumble: 9.975
The rest of the first half: 8
Halftime featuring the University of Florida band: 9
The second half until the final three minutes: 8.5
The last three minutes of the game, culminating in Dolphins win: 9.75
Getting out of Pro Player Stadium realy quickly: 8.5
Z again saying "And there it is!!!" for the stadium WAY before we actually saw it: 1.25
Getting a parking spot in a "legit" lot near Orange Bowl: 8
Having to watch annoying guy nearby try to sell parking in his yard: 1.5
Z's effort for the second tailgate: 9.9975
Z's effort on the bbq chicken and the marinated steak tips: 9.9
Hal's effort on lighting the candles for Su's birthday cake: 9.75
Nearby tailgaters all singing "Happy Birthday" to Su with us: 8
Antenna on car having been stolen: 2
Orange Bowl pregame with SU and UF bands: 8
Game itself: 5
Game compared to hopes and expectations based on past Orange Bowls: 2
Florida fans doing "Go Gators" and "Two Bits" cheers: 7
Halftime show "Swing": 5
Halftime compared to hopes and expectations based on past Orange Bowls: 2
Sitting in Orange Bowl compared to Pro Player Stadium: 3
Grill having been stolen after game: 8 -- Since we no longer needed or wanted it...

1/3/99
Sleeping a little later: 7
Going to Eden Roc: 8
Sitting in Jimmy Johnson's Bar in warm weather: 8
Breakfast buffet eaten by all other than me: 9 -- It looked AWEsome...
My chicken sandwich: 5 -- Somewhat disappointing compared to buffet
Watching Patriots game while drinking beer: 5
Everyone else drinking free (with buffet) Mimosas: 8
Lying on beach after game: 7
Catch on the beach with mini football: 6
Not being able to rent a jet ski: 1.5
Z spectacularly getting us a jet ski for half an hour: 9.5
Su and Z jetskiing on the ocean: 9
Me jetskiing with Su for one run: 5 -- 9.5 for happiness, 1.5 for fear of life
Su being nice to me and going slow: 9.999995
Wait for dinner at Joe's Stone Crab: 1.75
Wait compared to expectation of wait: 5
End of great 49ers game while waiting: 8.5
Finally hearing our name called after almost two hours: 9
Having tro wait in ANOTHER line for 25 minutes after that: 1.12
Dinner itself: 8.5 -- Highlight for me was the awesome shoestrings
Dinner price: 3
Dinner value figuring in just food quality and price: 6
Dinner value figuring in food quality, price, and wait: 4
Women at other table: 6
Christy commentating repeatedly on women at other table: 9.5

1/4/99
Having to take Z to the airport at 5:30AM: 1.25
Having to see Z leave: 1.1
Knowing that Z leaving meant I would be leaving soon: 1.0001
Going back to bed: 9.5
Waking up to see VERY cold, rainy day: 1.5
Going to Monkey Jungle despite weather conditions: 8
Quality of Monkey Jungle compared to expectation: 9.5
Quality of Monkey Jungle compared to Gator Park last year: 9.999999999999999
Monkeys picking up food by pulling chains u hand-over-hand: 9
Gorilla "King" peeling, then eating banana: 9.5
Hal's comparison of King to Z when eating: 9.975
Cold rain starting as we were leaving: 2
Rain getting ultra-heavy, putting golf out of the question: 1.175
Final Substantial Sub on the trip: 8.5
Having one punch left 'til a free sub: 9 -- It will get me excited about Miami all year this year!
Sleeping in the room during afternoon: 8
Sleeping instead of golfing: 1
Post-sleep round of indoor mini-golf: 7 -- As good as could possibly be expected
Jacuzzi with Su despite freezing, windy, rain: 9 -- It felt SO good!
Su losing her earring in the dark, in the rain: 1.5
Cold beer pre-diner at Shorty's: 8.5
Having to wait for Elise to meet us when we were already seated at Shorty's: 3
Elise finally getting there: 9
Dinner: 9.75
Having to go to indoor bar after dinner due to rain: 2
Hooligan's, featuring DJ playing FSU band music after almost every play: 8
Fans doing chip and singing with band: 9.5
Game itself on TV: 4
Having to stand the whole time in smoky room: 3
Hooligan's overall: 5
Knowing that the next day was going to be the last day of the trip, and be cold: 1.01

1/5/99
Getting up at 6:30AM to check if we're golfing: 2
Weather at 6:30 AM by Florida standards: 1
Golf being cancelled: 3 -- We had no choice, it was FREEZING!
Sleeping 'til 10AM: 8 -- I was exhausted...
Me and pool guy looking unsuccessfully for Su's earring for 15 minutes: 1.5
Su coming down and finding it almost immediately: 8
Deciding to golf despite the freezing cold: 9.5
Checking out of Lincoln at Doral: 1.2
Having Heather say she'll always find a room for us: 8.5
Golf at CC of Miami East: 8
Weather on the course: 2
Su stunning the world with a near hole-in-one first-ever birdie: 9.5
Hal's wrist hurting enough that he had to pick up during #15: 2
Walking off the course on #15 in principal: 1
Walking off the course on #15 in reality: 7.5 -- It was FREEZING!!
Getting to Wolfie's for late lunch: 8
Pickles and saurkraut on table: 8.5
Lunch itself: 6.5
Huge chocolate chip cookie for dessert: 8.75
Dropping Hal off at the airport: 1.01
Knowing that meant we'd have to actually leave soon 1.01
Returning car: 1.01
Having our plane be delayed: 1.01
Leaving Florida ourselves: 1
Getting excited about making next year's reservations and me recapturing Cup: 9

Final Ratings:

Hal: 9.995 -- Great effort, but lost .005 for saving Egg Drop Soup

Z: 9.995 -- Strong effort, but lost .005 for walking us for over an hour before dinner on New Year's Eve

Christie: 9.6 -- Very solid for a trip newcomer with  lot of hype.  Gained .1 of a point for making Z's New Year's Resolution for him

Linda: 9.5 -- Also strong for a newcomer

Su: 10+ -- same as always

All three players hit good shots on the extremely difficult #7 at Key Biscayne...for once!!
Hal was extremely proud that he captured Championship Cup!
One of the least-expected golf moments of any Championship Cup match -- an ace!
A great 45-hole day of golf culminated with us picking up the flags as we played the last few holes!!
Zin and Bod stayed awake throughout the basketball games, unlike Hal
The players had no concentration at Doral Park, even for this beautiful hole with the Island Green.
Z made friends with a turtle at University Country Club!
Tailgating in an empty Pro-Player Stadium lot was a great Micron PC Bowl tradition 
The Orange Bowl game didn't live up to expectations -- particularly following the great Dolphins/Bills playoff game
Su fed a new friend at Monkey Jungle
Su, Hal, Z, Linda, and Christie sipped Mimosas at the Eden Roc
I was scared for my life on the jet ski, despite Su going (what she called) slow!
Hal dominated indoor mini-golf during the rain!
Z put on a typical eating show at Joe's Stone Crab!