Trip Notes

Today I have been spending lots of time catching up on all the diaries I’ve been neglecting while I’ve been wallowing. I’m still not caught up. The bigger this site grows, the more favorites I add and thus – the more time it takes to catch up when I slip into one of my little black holes. The up side is that the OD is working well today and I have been able to use it for the much needed breaks in my house cleaning. Of course, my sinuses began to drain and my throat is a bit scratchy-sore….The precursors to illness. You’d think I’d learn not to clean, wouldn’t you?

The drive down to Tampa was a pleasant one. The traffic was light and my daughter slept most of the way so I was able to listen to music I like rather than the music she likes. On the rare occasions when she awoke (most notably around mealtimes) we compromised with music that mutually tolerable. Poor Blossom pouted in doggie jail in the back seat. She hates her carrier…..but I hate leather seats ripped by doggie toe-nails worse.

Friday night was uneventful. About 10 minutes after we got there my daughter announced that she was hungry (big surprise, there) and we headed off for our family tradition – a meal at Steak and Shake. Spectacular? No. But its our tradition. What else can I say? After dinner we headed for the mall. We went in all the fun stores, like Natural Wonders and played with all the cool stuff. It was hard to tell who the biggest kid was….but my dad and I had the teeny-bopper beat hands down. Then I got to suffer through another family ritual – the reviewing of Daddy’s gun collection. Rough estimate – it’s somewhere around 200 guns….plus bayonets, ammunition, various slings, swords and such, all arranged in gun safes and various cabinets. I did my best to look interested and like I understood all the finer points of the various weapons and markings. I’m getting pretty good at feigning interest. It’s a little appreciated art form.

Saturday dawned dark and rainy. Hey! I thought Florida was suffering through a drought! Daughter and I head to the beach condo with our bathing suits, towels and a never-say-die attitude. It was still pouring when we got there and my daughter was – guess what – hungry! After a bit of debate, off we went in search of a lunch spot. We went to a cheesy beach dives – full of sand and beer and Jimmy Buffet music. They cook a pretty mean dog as well. As we were licking the last bit of mustard off our fingers, we noticed, although the sky was still pretty dark and cloudy, the rain had let up. Off we raced for bathing suits and beach towels. The water was uncharacteristically choppy for the Gulf, but we had a ball dodging the waves and swallowing seawater.

Back at Daddy’s house, it was time for the nightly old farts’ walk around the mall. Normally he & a neighbor perform this ritual, but the neighbor wasn’t feeling well so daughter & I went. I have a feeling that we didn’t do it quite the same way the old farts do. Our fun soon came to a halt when my daughter announced that she was (all together now) HUNGRY. Off to dinner. Then my sis picked up the amazing teenage girl with the bottomless stomach to spend the night at the beach while I set about preparing for a night on the town.

First my friend had to request permission from my dad to let me go out with her. Fortunately she’s known me since we were 9 so she knew just how to talk to Daddy. All I could think of was that it was easier when I was 16. Then I wished that I still looked like I did when I was 16. We went out, met up with some friends at the old hangout and my favorite bartender was there….and he’d missed me….and he made my drinks extra-special…and….enough said.

Back to the beach on Sunday. It was sunny and the water was calm. Seemed like a perfect opportunity to attempt to get my 6’4” brother-in-law down to the beach. He has very limited use of his legs. It was enough for him to get down the stairs from the deck onto the sand. Then the 3 of us pushed, pulled & shoved his “light” sportster wheelchair down to the water’s edge. Next step – BIL tried to use sis & I as 6’ tall crutches to get him into the water….but his foot got stuck….and we got to laughing….and he was slipping…..we must have looked pretty pathetic. A nice young man (with great abs & a nice smile) offered assistance. Somehow BIL got dragged into the water. I bet he’s still picking bits of shells out of his butt! A couple hours of relaxing in the warm calm water and then it was time to get out. Uh-oh. Now how are we gonna manage this? We floated him into the shallows – kind of like landing a really big fish. Then 2 more men came over & helped us haul BIL out of the water (the fish analogy still holds). More laughter and many sore muscles later…..dinner time!

Family dinner at Red Lobster where we had the MOST pathetic waiter I have ever seen. Poor baby – maybe 18, 2nd day on the job, no training, very confused…..and my dad threatening to die before the food got to the table. He was totally clueless…..but it wasn’t his fault…..besides that he had on some really ugly earrings. He got a decent tip – he tried really hard. It really wasn’t his fault. And he had a cute (if a little pathetic) smile.

Monday was visit with Daddy day. We ate out some more because, after all, my daughter was HUNGRY. Sunday we headed back to Atlanta. I wasn’t even too tired to unpack. My daughter slipped out of “agreeable” mode and back into teenage-princess-from-hell mode the minute we pulled in. Life is back to normal and I am praying for school to be back in session SOON!