Discovery Cove is an unbelievable experience you can have in Orlando. It is a small inclusive theme park which has a limited entrance each day. You get to spend your day swimming in the coral reef, lying by the wave pool, traveling down the lazy river or even playing with a variety of exotic birds in the aviary. The best part is your one on one interaction time with a dolphin.

I love dolphins and I was so excited to be able to swim, touch and interact with one so close. I was at the park with my friend who was more concerned with looking good in the pictures than interacting with the animals. He spent 5 minutes in the coral reef until he was so freaked out with the sting rays and getting his hair wet, he left to sit by the pool. I spent most of my day in the coral reef like the Little Mermaid enjoying the tons of fish that would swim right by you.

As we approached the water to begin our dolphin interaction, my friend reminded me that I was not to get his hair wet at all. I was also told not to act silly or too excited because it could ruin any of the pictures they take of us together. I received my clear instructions and jumped into the water.

We spent a lot of time touching and learning about the dolphin. We then each got a solo shot where I was able to get a kiss from the dolphin. When it was my friend’s turn, he was told to splash the dolphin. By the look on his face I knew he was not happy and when he did, the dolphin splashed back and barely wet his hair. I got a look as if it was my fault.

We then got the opportunity to have the dolphin swim us back to the shore. First you have to walk across all these jagged rocks as the water gets deeper. I slipped at one point and accidently bumped into my friend. He quickly shoved me which caused me to fall and hit my knee on a rock. He screamed, “I TOLD YOU! Don’t get my hair wet!” I said I was sorry and continued to the deeper water.

We had to tread water until it was our turns with the dolphin. I looked over to see my friend struggling to keep his hair from getting wet so he would have the perfect picture. When the trainer asked which one of us would go first, I quickly yelled, “ME!” and grabbed onto the dolphin. I got another look but I didn’t care, this was my time with the dolphin. It was a great experience that I will never forget.

After we finished the whole day, we went to get the pictures. In all the pictures, I was smiling, having fun and being me. My friend, on the other hand, looked mean and stern in most of them or they were just bad photos. This is when I learned that the camera doesn’t lie. It doesn’t matter how great your hair is, or how much you pretend to be happy the camera sees deep. It sees who you really are.

I hope you enjoyed the photo week and I would love to hear which ones you loved the most. I hope these pictures show you a little more about me and let you see another side of the real Michael.

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Yes I will do anything for a laugh.

I was working in administration at a massage and skin care school when I was 22. During the winter and summer the students would have a break. The school would sponsor a student appreciation event on the last day before the break. We always had a student talent contest where the students would perform and then by a vote, one student would win an American Express gift card.

I loved Moulin Rouge and loved the song Lady Marmalade even more. I had the idea that members of the administration should dress up and perform during the talent show to make the students laugh.

It took some convincing but I was able to get them to agree in the end. We rehearsed in secret and it was going to be a huge surprise. I am not shy as you can tell and I was excited about the idea. It wasn’t until minutes before we started that self doubt crept in and made me wonder were we doing the right thing. Was I going to make a fool out of myself?

The music started and there was no turning back. Of course, I was Pink (you can tell by the hair) so I had to wait until second to go out there which allowed my nerves to flutter in my stomach just a little more.

When my part started, I busted out of my booth and the students screamed! It was all I need to continue with the performance. I knew that acting like a fool was not something to be afraid of because that was what everyone loved. They loved that I wasn’t afraid to be silly and do crazy things like dance in front to of 425 students (twice because we had 250 in morning class and 175 in the evening class), spray my hair pink, wear a tight rock star t shirt and shake my ass.

I happen to have the whole thing on video so I can always remember that moment in time. It is funny because I will run into past students out and about in Orlando and they still remember when we did this performance. I will also remember how much fun this was and how great I felt about making all the students laugh.

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I happened to watch a special on E! Entertainment where they showed a Foam party. I couldn’t believe it! It looked so much fun and I knew I had to go to one. They were mostly held in South Beach at the time so I knew I would have to plan a trip there to attend one.

When I arrived at work, I talked with my friends and most of them had seen the special as well and thought it would be a great idea. I did a quick search on the web and it happened that on Wednesday, the Club at Firestone, in Orlando, was having a foam party! That Wednesday I would experience my first foam party and I had a great time.

Now the real story begins after the party when I sent the pictures out from the night. Here I am 22 and wanted to share with my friends who could not come and my friends from out of town, what a great time I had. I developed the pictures, scanned them, and emailed them out through my AOL account at the time.

It was minutes later a friend called me and said, “Michael, that one picture is not safe for work!” I was confused. The pictures were all very simple; they were only friends having fun in the foam. My friend replied, “No the one picture of you is SMOKING hot! It is like internet PORN!” I realized he was being silly but why would he say that about this one picture of me?

Later I received quite a few emails from friends telling me how HOT this one picture was and how they were sending it to their other friends. I couldn’t believe it. Why was this one picture getting so much attention?

You see, there were a lot of people drunk and passed out at the foam party. I thought it would be funny, because I do not drink, to take a picture of me passed out in the foam. I said take it quick because I did not want to lie in the bottom with all the dirt for too long. I quickly laid down in the corner of the room, stuck my tongue out and they snapped the picture. It was only about 3 seconds to take this picture.

It was one of the first times in my life where people were calling me sexy. I was use to being called cute, funny, sweet, and even silly but NEVER sexy. I did not ever consider that to be an adjective to describe me. It was something new and it felt good for that day.

This picture still makes me smile remembering how much fun it was to just take a risk and go to the foam party that week. I also think about how a 3 second photo which just happened to catch me in the right angle, with the right look on my face, made me receive so much attention and helped me to be a little more secure with who I was.

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My friend Natalia and I met at Red Lobster. We were both hosts and eventually both became servers. We knew each other through our early college years. We have had many hilarious moments together.

We both flirted with Aleks, a fellow server and did our best to push his buttons. He was much older than us (He was 25 at the time). I remember getting the call one day that she was going to cut all her long hair off into a short pixie. She asked me if she should do it, and I screamed, “YES!” Moments later, I would meet her at Little Saigon to celebrate her new hair cut.

This picture was taken months later to celebrate her graduation from UCF. Being friends with Natalia was always a good time but there is one important detail that we share that REALLY bonds us together…

She is the only girl I have ever kissed! I KNOW! Shocking, huh? How did it happen? Well let me tell you…

A group of us had rented a hotel suite to throw a friend a bachelorette party. The party was fun and we did the normal games of “I Never” and “Truth or Dare”. During the games, it was revealed that I had never kissed or made out with a girl. Later that night, when everyone had gone to bed and Natalia and I were sharing the pull out sofa bed she said, “You have never kissed a girl?” I said, “No”. She said, “Well let me be the one and only!” and with that statement, she closed her eyes and leaned in. Next thing I knew I was kissing a girl.

Unfortunately, Natalia and I have lost touch with each other. Moving, grad school, career changes, relationships, etc moved us apart. I know one day I will be in contact with her again. And when we get together again, her first question will be, “Am I still the only girl you have kissed?” and I will answer, “Yes”.

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I have mentioned before how I love Café Tu Tu Tangos. I eat there quite often and it is a great place to take your friends. On this occasion I went with Becky and her friend Allison and Olivia.

I know it was in October, around my birthday. We told the server it was my birthday and he got very excited. I knew something fun was coming and I was just hoping it came with free dessert.

As we wrapped up the meal, we noticed a large group of servers gathering together and then they headed over to our table yelling and screaming. Our server said, “Attention everyone! It is Michael’s 21^st birthday today!” In reality, it had to be my 23^rd or 24^th. He asked me to stand up on a chair, which I jumped up quickly to take center stage during my birthday song.

As they sang, I danced on the chair. When they got to the end, they yelled HEY! And of course, with that, I threw my arms up into the air like I just didn’t care! What I forgot about is the restaurant is covered in pieces of art which happen to all be for sale.

Right above our table was tons of painted birdhouses which sold from 30 to 75 dollars each. My hands in the air knocked with great force a birdhouse, covered in cherries, tumbling into the face of my friend Becky! I was lucky enough that she dodged it and it didn’t cause damage to her or to the birdhouse.

I am grateful that Becky is still my friend for all these years later when I am almost killed her with a cherry covered birdhouse. Can imagine trying to have fun with friends, and your life is almost ended by a birdhouse?

Maybe I am being dramatic but as you see in the picture, I made sure to give the birdhouse a kiss to say I was sorry. Becky didn’t get anything. I mean, she lived didn’t she? If maybe she had lost an eye I would have sent her an E-Card. (I AM SO JOKING!) J

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I am about to send off all my albums of pictures to be scanned so I will have an electronic copy saved forever. As I was looking through a few of my albums, the memories and stories started spilling back to me.

I realized how pictures really do catch a moment and trigger the experience back in your mind. I thought it would be fun to do a whole week themed on pictures! So for the rest of the week (5 days) I am going to post a random photo and share with you the story behind the picture.

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