Florida Factoid Friday - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

25 December 1539* - The first Christmas service in the present-day United States is believed to be a Catholic Mass offered by priests of Hernando de Soto's expedition exploring in the vicinity of Tallahassee.

'Discovery of 16th century Spanish artifacts solved the hotly debated historical issue of where our first Christmas was celebrated,' said Dr. Jerald T. Milanich, curator in archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. 'Florida's capital city -- Tallahassee -- is without a doubt the place of humble prestige.'

Tangible evidence recently unearthed -- the oldest copper coins in the United States, remnants of Spanish armor and a crossbow tip -- has led to the official identification of an area less than a mile from Florida's Capitol complex as site of the first Christmas.

*Some think it was more likely 4 January.

Florida Factoid Friday

The world's largest bowling pin, 30 feet high, stands in front of Splitsville, an upscale bowling alley/restaurant in Tampa.

Gainesville Groupon - $5 gets you $10

I promise this blog is not turning into a deals promo! But after several days of not-for-me offers, today's deal is right up my alley. Next time I'm in Gator territory, this'll be a nice change from drive-thru burgers! That's another thing I love about Groupon. The deals don't expire quickly. This one is good till 15 June 2011! Some are good for a year!

The link should take you to a drop-down menu where you can choose your city. You have until midnight tonight to snag this deal.

OH, and if you happen to be closer to the Tampa Bay Area, you can get $20 Worth of Barbecue Fare and Drinks at Luckie B's Bar-B-Que for $10! Naples neighbours get 30 days at Fat2Fit Boot camp, a $287 value, for $40! Jacksonville... $9 for a 90-minute Okefenokee Swamp tour! In Fort Lauderdale, you can pig out at Skyline Chili for 1/2 price! Not in Flarda? Look for your city in the drop-down menu.

Disclaimer: Yes, I get a little bonus for each person who uses my link to sign up. 8-}

Get the real deal! (shameless plug) 8-}

Have y'all checked out Groupon yet? It's my favourite 'deal' site ever! All the others I've seen offer discounts on ski jackets or designer bags or spa days... I reckon those are nice enough for people who will actually use them. But I just can't see forking over what would buy a month's groceries for a purse with somebody else's name on it.

Groupon, on the other hand, comes up with what I consider relevant offers. So far, I've treated Duller to a couple of really nice lunches within reasonable distance from his office. We even got a half-price deal for our favourite local healthy-eats coop! Boy, did I ever get excited over that one! AND we have tickets to the museum. Not your ordinary be-quiet-walk-through-look-at-the-walls kinda museum. This one is all outdoorsy, with a natural habitat zoo and historical buildings. I've always loved this place, but hardly ever get to visit. Now we're all going for half price!

I'll never forget our first visit. There were chickens and such wandering around and we happened upon two roosters in the midst of a little spat. A guinea hen was running around them, trying her best to get them to talk it out like reasonable adults. Finally, she just jumped in between them and broke it up. That was over 20 years ago and we still laugh about it. And I still lament my lack of a video camera! 8-}

Anyhow, why not see what they have in your area? Haven't you always wanted to jump out of a plane? How about for less than half price? Yes, Groupon has a few of those not-for-everybody deals, as well. But check back tomorrow and they're likely to have just what you've been looking for.