Monday, February 18, 2013

President's Day, February 18th

Lots has happened in a few weeks.  My son Nick and grandson Corey (11) flew in the same day that my daughter Kate and hubby Shawn and kids, Trinity (almost 9) and Jed (7) came in.  It was like a little mini-family reunion.  Homer and I slept in the camper just to give everyone more space, ourselves included.

The grandkids, as usual, had a great experience with Matt downstairs as he had Corey cracking a coconut and T.J. getting lessons on cutting up a pineapple, and always picking on Jed to straighten his collar.  Corey got stopped at security at the airport going home, as the liquid in the coconut could be suspicious, but they let him take it home.  His smile reminds me so much of my father--but then, Kate has a beautiful smile too!

 

 

Of course we did the Key West gig.  I've read that this is the most stolen sign in the U.S.  Unfortunately, the Toy Factory had just gone out of business the week previous and Fast Buck Freddie's (my favorite store) has also gone belly up.  So we walked blocks to do the Lighthouse Tour, and they had just changed their hours to close at 4:30.  We got there a few minutes before 5.  Oh well, good exercise.

 



Earlier that day we did the Martello Museum.  Very interesting building with some spooky history and Robert the Doll.  Check out:  www.Robertthedoll.org.  You won't be disappointed. 

Grandpa Homer took us all for a fishing trip and Jed got the biggest and the most fish, but he had the unfair advantage of having fishing lessons recently.  Jed takes after his grandma (me) and great-grandma (my mom)  with his fishing abilities, but also with the ability to have little processing or filtering of what comes from the brain to the mouth, as I find I'm becoming more like my mother (yikes!).  It's hilarious (sometimes).  I think of the old saying:  "You sweat less than any fat person I know."  It would be just like him to say something like that.  :-)  T.J. has inherited my mom's artistic ability.  I have zilch, and it's interesting to see that it skipped a couple of generations.  It amazes me what she can draw.


The kids love that grandpa will eat bugs, puts fish in his mouth, pick up snakes--anything for a scream or a laugh.  Now Jed will kiss fish!  They think Homer is the Bionic Grandpa with having no stomach, a pacemaker, and scar tissue like railroad tracks across his chest--and to think I still CAN'T keep up with him.

 

Ok, the above snake wasn't alive--but I got him to hold it. 

 

We visited the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon and the kids got to shake hands with a dolphin, something they'll remember forever.  I'd highly recommend it to anyone as the prices were quite reasonable and there's 3 levels of things to do with them and we did the least expensive.  I'd like to comment that these aren't the type of dolphins that you see on the menu at local restaurants.  One of dolphins is relation to the original Flipper, if you're old enough to remember that T.V. show.

 

You can cut and paste this clip if you care to see a dolphin clip:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z3my56gifi2fkbc/7SA7gJdacK?n=60672397

 

 

 

 

We gassed up the boat after the gang was gone and the clerk at the marina mentioned there was someone stranded with no gas by Monkey Island (aka Key Lois).  We borrowed a gas can with no cap and I believe we put about 4 gals in it.  We got his phone number and told him we were on our way.  The seas were rocking and this guy and his buddy said they were just outside the channel.  Ha, it took us a long time to find him and the phone barely had coverage, as he kept cutting out.  I had to talk with the wind and waves and wet, and relay it all to Homer.  They were actually way out at Hawk's Channel (not Kemp as we thought), out beyond Monkey Island at the end of the reef.  This guy kept saying things about good Karma, and how he'll make it up to us.  I had to get on the bow and try to hold the can so he could nab it without spilling it overboard.  My arms and shoulders aren't that strong and when we'd go up with a wave, they'd go down.  Eventually they grabbed it, gassed up and we met them back at the marina (Venture Out).   Phew, that was an adventure.  Even Homer told me I did good!  The boater told us he worked at a local restaurant and would make it up to us, but the phone call has yet to come.  At least they paid the gas from the can back to the marina, as the gal at the marina was waiting to close and go home.  Karma won't pay the gas we used in the rescue (Homer figured about $20-25) but it was good to help someone and have a laugh later.  The young man said other people stopped but didn't offer to help and a tow service would have cost them a fortune.

All the kids were gone by Feb. 8th and Tom Fox (a friend/like-son from where I retired at MDOT) was looking for a place to rent as he was going to do some ocean fishing with a Michigan friend.  We had a spare bed so I told him just to stay here.  He got to hang with us a few days and we got to show him that old people can still have fun.  I think we surprised him in many ways as several of our group are mid-70's to early 80's.  He's only half way there but has something to look forward to!

Tom caught some great fish that Boondock's (and most local restaurants) will cook for you.  Besides having the boiled shrimp special that night (69 cents each), they cooked his fish for $8.  Yum, was that good!


Then, while Tom was here--friends of Glenna and Dave Cook (Paul and Suzanne Gerhart) needed a spare bedroom and we were glad to help out.  What an opportunity as Glenna dusted (I hate dusting) and did laundry for me.  We bumped Tom to the Jimmy Buffet bed and we all came and went as we pleased.  Paul is an arbitrator/mediator and sure had some interesting experiences in his career.

So, today is the 18th and the house is empty.  I feel like I have empty nest syndrome.  Ha!  Now, no more excuses for not taking my bike rides and adhering to my diet, tho the weather has been very cool and windy with one full day of rain (a couple of days back) and we actually had the heat on last night!  I know, you don't feel sorry for us with the cool weather, as I hear most of you are swamped with snow.  See the cartoon my sister-in-law Deb sent.

And then..... Boondock's shrimp tomorrow and Wednesday is Spaghetti for $5 at the Moose Lodge (sounds like more excuses).  At least I don't have to do my monthly weigh in to Weight Watcher's until March.