MOSI in Tampa FL

Although this was a familiar museum when we lived in Florida, we couldn't pass up visiting again. This museum is in Tampa and is one of our favorites. You know a place is going to be cool when you walk in and see this:

Yes folks, that is a bike on a high wire. And it is very cool!

Austin rode the flight simulator:

There are tons of things here so I'll just show a few of our favorites. One of the displays demonstrates what it is like to be intoxicated. Here is my cutie pie wearing the Beer Goggles:
And here is Austin practicing walking a straight line. The last time we visited, we were with Diana, Lauren and Josh and he couldn't find the line if his life depended on it. We laughed so hard I had tears running down my face. He truly thought he was on the line and kept saying, "What are you laughing at??? I'm on it. Oh, wait....(stumble, stumble, stumble) I'm on it!" Which just made us laugh harder. So this time he grabbed the hand rails.
He was quite proud of himself and told Nathan that he did much better with the beer goggles this time. To which Nathan said, "So you did better as a drunk this time?" We were so proud. ;-> I'm JOKING of course. Really, it is a great tool to demonstrate how impaired one is when drunk.

Our other favorite thing is a display that is named Disasterville. It has different buildings where you can spend time in a room that shows you what it's like to experience a natural disaster. One room is a tornado, one is a hurricane, one a fire and so on.
Anyone who has been through a hurricane will appreciate the humor in this plywood covering.




Oh, you want to know about that high wire bike? Well, Austin has ridden it every single time we've been here. Aubi rode on it too. Nathan tried to ride on it and chickened out right away. And I have been the biggest wimp of all. Didn't even try to ride it. But it does look like fun, right? Austin is such a pro that he bikes out, goes back and forth as if he's dancing and putting on a show and never wants to get off the bike. I'm always impressed.
Today Austin decides to taunt me mercilessly. Well, he always taunts me that way, but today he called me lame. I hate being called lame so I told him I'd ride the stupid, I mean really cool, bike. After all, it was a quiet day because it was the middle of the day and we were the only ones there. As I get strapped in, a group of kids that must have been on a field trip and hidden until that moment walk up. I say to the lady, "Oh great...an audience". She says, "Oh, that's so wonderful. You can be a role model for them." Yeah, that's what I wanted. As if being a role model for my own isn't enough pressure. Sheesh. Now I have to do it, or they'll all think I'm lame too. So I bike out and once I'm past the initial OMG...it is actually really cool. I am having a blast. I did it!!!!!!!!I am out there thinking I'm really something. Then I hear the lady shout out to me, "You can relax your shoulders". I about fell off the bike from laughing. Uh yeah, because I thought tense shoulders were necessary to balance the bike properly. Thanks! Good to know!

To humor her I try to relax my shoulders and shout back, "Thanks...that makes all the difference". LOL

Silly woman, relaxed shoulders are for kids. Not middle aged moms who are feeling the pressure of role modeling to a hundred teens that aren't even related to her.

Ah, well...it was still fun. And now I know that I'm not lame. Tense, but not lame.