So we’re here in Orlando, staying with Beth’s mother and stepfather. It’s about what you’d expect when staying with in-laws you prefer to keep on the opposite side of the country: polite but strained, with an undercurrent of clockwatching as you mark the hours ’til your departure. (Beth’s take on it is here. She’s having even more fun than I am!)

On the plus side, I had an actual, honest-to-goodness conversation with Beth’s stepfather last night that was surprisingly enjoyable. He’s a pretty good guy. Who knew? And also on the plus side, Beth is spending time with her formerly estranged mother, and Zoe is spending time with both of them, and, perhaps most importantly, Zoe is squeezing and petting the stuffings out of their five cats. So it’s not all bad.

The high point so far, though, was last night’s entertainment, courtesy of Zoe. It was Shadow Puppet Theater on the wall and ceiling of our bedroom until something like 1:30 a.m., using a flashlight/pen her Bubbe gave her. Zoe really only knows one shadow creature — she calls it a rabbit, but it look suspiciously like a dog — but she works the hell out of it, having the shadows eat each other and us and the cats and everything she can think of. She also improvised a little, adding “the Rock family” (her fists) and “the Foot family” (her feet). And there was a soundtrack, sung a capella: “Super rap, it’s cool! Da-da-da-da-da-da! Super rap, it’s real! Da-da-da-da-da-da!” Repeat over and over and over. And over. It was pretty fucking hilarious, actually. At least at 1:30 a.m. After a day spent with the in-laws. In Orlando.

Oh, I nearly forgot to mention the sleeping arrangements. We’re all in the guest room, so that’s nice, but the beds leave a bit to be desired. Zoe is on a loveseat kind of contraption, while Beth and I are sleeping on a daybed. Beth has the bed section, I have the not-a-bed section: a single mattress on a scissor-lift contraption that folds away under the bed when not in use. The in-use aspect of it is slightly terrifying.

There’s a lever you pull or push or kick or something to get the stupid thing to pop up to bed height, and then it locks into position. Sort of. Zoe has one of these at home that’s notorious for unlocking out of position in mid-use, and I’ve pretty much spent all night the last two nights in mid-pucker just waiting for my bed to collapse under me. It’s nice, really, because it adds that adrenaline rush that sleep has always been missing.

Tomorrow, we’re off to Fort Lauderdale, where we’ll be on the ship for the rest of our trip. We’re going for a Love Boat wedding (Captain Stubing’s daughter’s, in fact — read Beth’s entry for details), and while the cruise doesn’t start until Saturday morning, we’ll be on the ship from Thursday on — wedding rehearsal dinner on Thursday, wedding onboard on Friday, then cruising from Saturday to Saturday.

Snorkel Boy is ready.