Dancin' Machine

Drive-by photo.       huh?

Only in the Keys!

Beautiful blondes

My BFF and I can't get enough of this guy!Dinner at the fishing club was fun, the hogfish, divine!

Happy Hour at Snooks

I have the best friends in the whole world.  No, seriously. This is an entirely objective statement. It is true. All of you WISH you could have friends like these. My LAS Sarah said, let your friends love on you and that is just what they did.

I was sooooooo happy to see all of these wonderful people. (Can you believe how we're dressed? Hello? we're in the Keys! brrrrrrrr) After Happy Hour, we retired inside to the warmth for dinner.  It was so great. I LOVE you guys!


A few more:

Check out Miss Eva holding forth. In vino veritas, don'tcha know! You go girl!

Up early and there was actual frost on the windshield - OMG! The GPS took me on a wild goose chase to the airport but I made it in time, hopped on a commuter to Ft. Lauderdale, rented a Camry (the gas pedal seemed a little sticky, is that normal? haha) and made the ride to Key Largo. Oh, I love the Keys. I love the icky smell, the tacky signs, all of it. I met my BFF Leslie for lunch at The Big Chill and she arrived carrying a little care package in a gift bag for me with everything I would need for my first night in a motel (including little paper cocktail umbrellas - does this girl know me or what?)  

I then stopped and saw the gloriousness that is Gloria. How do I love thee? We had a quick catch-up, she just back from California and off for coffee, and I on my way to the Holiday Inn...Well, it's central.  Um, it's um, oh! my window looks out at boats! There, so pretty good, right? Here's the view:

Next stop: Shear Paradise. And it is. Here is hairdresser extraordinaire, Buff on the right and that is her partner in crime, Lisa on the left. Above everything else, they are good and kind and generous women. 

The woman in the cape trying to stay out of the picture shall remain nameless.

I also saw my friend, Debbie having her toes done so it was a truly happy afternoon, catching up and feeling the love! Sweeeeeet!

If you're in Key Largo and need hair or nails done, Shear Paradise is the place, girls! They are fabulous!

I also have to say that when I entered my room, the first thing I saw were pretty gift bags and a card from my friend, Sue! With all the stuff going on with her right now, she found the time for this. I am speechless and so grateful. 

Oh! So, I was walking through the parking lot of the old Shopper on my way back from the drug store and sure enough the old Cuban guy with his fruit truck with all the stuff hanging off the sides was there. So I asked: Hay tamales? Si! I bought two for my dinner and they were awesome. I am home. These are my people. (Leslie, the foresight to put plastic cutlery in my care package? priceless!)

I am staying at the coolest hotel right in downtown Tallahassee. it has a big flat screen computer called "ice" on the desk with a touch screen. You can order a wake-up call, send a message to valet parking to have your car ready and order room service (all of which I have done) with a touch on the screen. It also has email, maps and directions, sightseeing, dining options, etc. Amazing. And it's not expensive - yay!

So, on the road I checked my cell phone and YES! I have service for the first time since mid-Decmeber. I had 25 messages and if anybody who left me a message is reading this, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you but I will start now as I'll be traveling for a few days and will have cell coverage - YES!  

So, back to the hotel. There is one HUGE drawback. They are having a meeting of republicans. So, lots of old white men in suits and women with too much make-up and product in their hair. Yuck! I went to the restaurant and was so turned off by the clientele, I came back to my room to have dinner with somebody intelligent - me!

What a treat! My Dad said heck yeah to oysters and he and I split a dozen and then we had the seared tuna and it was awesome!

(King Eider, I have to say, if any oysters rival Damariscotta oysters, they are Apalachicola oysters!)

Mom had the chowdah.

Here they are. Are they not the absolute cutest Mother and Daddy in the entire universe? I ask you!

And don't you love this sign? (The world is your oyster? Get it? Huh? Do ya?)

Welcome Izzy!

Have I told you about my niece, Anna? Here she is with my sweet nephew, Will. Anna is such a fabulous girl. She is lovely and smart and funny and the kind of person who makes you want to be a better person.

She worked so hard all year to earn the right to have her very own puppy and on Saturday, she went and picked up Izzy.






Is this the sweetest little face ever?

So, please join me in welcoming Anna's new puppy, Izzy.  

Here is Izzy with my sister, Leslie, at the skating rink.

Welcome to the family, Izzy!