Florida Recap

Like I said in the last post, I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things. The trip was wonderful. So great to see family and just chill. It was a great getaway. Chill, eat, swim, sleep, repeat. And boy did I do a lot of it all. I even ran. And not only did I run, I ran everyday while we were there, which was unexpected. But since I was eating so much I thought it was the least I could do. The runs went fine, just VERY humid, as expected.

When we arrived Aunt Diana picked us up and we headed over to Uncle Jerry's store. After that we stopped by Sports Authority to check a few things out, then headed to their place. We had lunchmeat for lunch and hung out by their pool. Tired from waking at 2:45am mom and I took a nap. When we woke Chris, Sam, and Ben had arrived....time for a swim! After Jerry and Courtney arrived we had Iguana Mia...one of my favs. Yum Yum! We hung out for the rest of the night, watching tv, and chilling by the pool.

The next day I got up and ran then mom and I headed to Dunkin' Donuts and right on up to Grandma and Grandpa's. After Jerry and Diana arrived after us, we had lunch and then went to their huge, awesome, pool area. It was a gorgeous day and the temperature of the pool was perfect. Not only was I able to get some sun but they have a resistance pool so I got to get some exercise too. After swimming it was time for a snack at Sonic. Yes! I LOVE Sonic and I miss it oh so much. They have commercials here but the closest one is over 4 hours away. What's up with that? We basically killed our appetites for dinner but there's always room for a little of Grandma's Fluff (Fruit Salad). We spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa then headed back to Cape Coral. I finally got to ride in Jerry's Corvette...nice...that thing can go pretty fast. The rest of the night consisted of sitting around the pool relaxing.

Our plan the next day was about the same. Get up, run, take a short swim, Dunkin' Donuts, then Grandma and Grandpa's. We stopped up at Grandma and Grandpa's old place to get a few things done and after working so hard Grandma decided to treat us to another Sonic treat. 2 Sonic treats in one visit? What do I owe this pleasure? Very very good. We then went to the mall and got some good deals. 2 swimsuits for about $10 a piece...that's a steal! I got some new crocs too. Dark, shiny, purple. Beautiful. Must be a new color. I think David's a little jealous. Go Vikings! At that point it was time to go back to Grandma and Grandpa's and have some dinner....liver and potatoes for mom and grandpa....BLT's for me and grandma. And some Fluff....just a little fluff =) It was time to head back to Cape Coral again. We said our goodbyes and said, "we'll see you soon!" then back on the road. After arriving in Cape Coral we stopped by Chris and Courtney's to see everyone including Camie and her family that had arrived earlier. It was getting late so it was time to head back to Jerry and Diana's. I didn't stay up too much later, while they stayed up to watch some Big Brother on Showtime.

Morning came, I ran, then mom joined me for a walk, then we ran into Camie who was walking her dogs, then the next time around the block Jerry joined us. So it was a nice morning walk with everyone. Once again, just chilling and having a mellow moment. It was our last day so we packed up all our goods and loaded them in the car. The good thing was we had almost an entire day to do stuff, so we once again stopped at Dunkin' Donuts (see, I told you I needed to run...if you haven't been counting that's 3 visits to Dunkin' Donuts) then to Chris and Courtney's, then to Mike Greenwells, which is a fun park....putt putt, go karts, arcade...you get the idea. It was a HOT day in the sun, so I enjoyed mellowing in the shade, just trying to enjoy the last few moments of my mini vacation. For lunch we all ate at Rib City which was very good. By that point it was time to say our goodbyes and for Diana to take us to the airport. Our flight went great with no problems and we even left 20 minutes early. Even better, because at that point all you want to do is just get home.

It was a wonderful, well-needed, mini vacation. It was great to spend some one on one time with mom, and be able to catch up with everyone. Thank you to Jerry, Diana, Chris, Courtney, and Grandma and Grandpa for your hospitality. Thank you to Camie and her family for coming down to join in the festivities. It's great to be able to spend time with our family. It's one of those things that as I get older I appreciate the time and our relationships more and try not to take those moments for granted. As the song goes, "Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young." (Baz Luhrman-Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen) And once again this little trip reminds me that yes, I can get away for a few days every so often and that I should take advantage of being able to do so. It's one of those things that can do you a world of good.

Now, if I could just back into work-mode.....