Lots of stuff happening now in the month of September! We had taken the cruise on the Celebrity Beyond (last post) in July/August, in hopes of having a bit of fun before my Cardiac Defibrillator Device being installed to regulate my heart rhythm, and (hopefully not, but if necessary) give me a shock to jolt my heart back if necessary. The procedure was scheduled for Friday at 5:30 PM at the start of Labor Day weekend, but I got a call the day prior that the surgeon had a family emergency and had to reschedule for September 30, this time at 5:30am for a 7:30am surgery time. I couldn’t really complain as I had to cancel the first time due to COVID, and in all honesty I didn’t want the procedure on Labor Day weekend when the hospital staffing would probably be lower. Now with an early Monday time, I shouldn’t have a delay like I might have had that late in the day.
Also, on the plus side, by coincidence a friend of ours emailed she was finishing up a cruise out of Port Canaveral the next day, and was staying the Grand Floridian for a couple days with her daughter and grandkids and wanted to know if we could meet down at Disney by chance. We said sure, and would meet her for lunch at the Grand Floridan Cafe on Saturday, which is a great place with classy ambiance, to talk and catch up.
By chance, coincidence, or divine intervention, we had met Jean and her husband on the Grand Princess Alaska cruise when we were in Alaska, and I had to be stretchered off the cruise, and later airlifted to Seattle for the two month heart-surgery, hospital, and recovery period in September 2022. It was nice to catch up with Jean over lunch, and it would not have been possible if I were having the ICD procedure done as scheduled.
Afterward lunch, DOS and I walked around the fancy Grand Floridan property for a bit. We had let our annual Disney passes expire quite a while ago (I think pre-COVID, or we might have gone to one of the parks.)
After our day trip meeting with Jean, Steve (DOS) planned a couple stay-cations for us, to help pass the time until my now late September ICD procedure. I was really anxious both times that the ICD had been scheduled, and this third delay did add a bit more stress for me (and DOS too, although he doesn’t show it like me!)😱 While I should only be in the hospital overnight, the recovery period is a few weeks with restrictions on showering, swimming, raising my left arm etc, so we thought we’d have some fun prior to the ICD procedure.
We went to Sarasota, FL for five days, which is a two and a half hour drive from our home near Orlando. We stayed once again at the Hyatt Regency Sarastoa Downtown, overlooking the marina.
This whole area is being transformed into what the locals name “Ritz Row” as we faced the Ritz Carlton Hotel across the marina, and a couple of their Ritz Residence condos, with another condo complex just being started next door to us.
The Hyatt Regency is some 40 years old now, and is expected to be demolished soon, and rumor has it it will be rebuilt as a Thomson Hotel (also by Hyatt) once it’s completed. The legal fight has been going on for years, and from what some of the seasoned workers have told us (i.e. people who have worked at the Hyatt over 30+ years), the hotel will be standing for at least another year, but after September 2025 who knows?
We had a nice executive suite again this visit, although our two rooms were at the other end of the 10th floor (top) with a better view of the marina, and slight view of the bay beyond the high-rise condos. We watched from our balcony as pleasure craft departed from the marina, including this “car boat” that was available for rent, which floated from the Hyatt Regency dock towards the Sarasota Bay, leaving a zig zag wake behind it.
We took a couple day trips via car around Sarasota, including one day over to Bird Key, Lido Key, St. Armand’s Circle, and Lido Beach.
In the evening we left our car parked at the mandatory valet parking area ($45) when we went out for dinner, and took Uber the short distance to some of the nice downtown restaurants.
On Monday, we once again toured the Ringling Brothers Art Museum and grounds which is complimentary this one day of the week, per Mr. Ringling’s will. It was still quite hot outside, so we only toured the massive grounds for an hour or so, but did enjoy the Art museum (and cool indoors!) for a while longer. We walked around (but didn’t go inside it this trip), the massive Ca’ d’Zan, the Sarasota Mansion for John and Mable Ringling, circa 1926. www.ringling.org/visit/venues/ca-dzan/
So after five wonderful days in Sarasota, we headed home back to Orlando. It will be a short stay at home however, as we will be heading down to the Disney area next week. Just trying to speed up the month the best we can until this ICD procedure in late September.!