Key West and the 4th

Key West was just lovely! I'm thrilled I went down there and met up with people. We stayed in this very cute little cottage, walking distance from everywhere (that was awesome). The drive in from Miami was not bad at all, and along the way we stopped at this beautiful sandbar and had a nice beach visit, lots of pics. Once we had settled in the cottage at Key West we went out shopping and sightseeing in the town. At the end of the day we stopped at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville bar (where I was served quite possibly the world's worst margarita) and caught up on tons of gossip. Suz gave me the British news and I filled her in on the American stuff, then we got down to the dirty details of relationships. :) Fun times. After that we wandered down to Sunset Pier and had conch fritters and a few (well made) cocktails, and Andy joined us there after a long nap. We chatted there on the pier, watching catamarans and sailboats go by, watching the sun go down, and listened to some live music. At first we though the singer was being artsy and creative with the music but after about half an hour we came to realize that he can't carry a melody so he jazzes it up to mask that fact. Still fun times. Oh this was weird: there was a lady in a very revealing (and ugly mustard yellow) strapless beach dress who looked to be about 50, who was in the company of a MUCH younger man, maybe 19 or 20. She looked as though she was flirting and he was having none of it. She had a few margaritas, he had water only. After a bit, the now drunk woman staggers over to a single patron and asks to borrow his sunglasses. He asks why and she says she wants to put them on her son and take a picture because she "thinks he'll look so hot in those". He agrees, and the mom crams the borrowed sunglasses on her son's face, takes like 20 pictures. So far this was just weird, not it's a little appaling because she gives back the glasses and asks the random man, "Don't you think he looked hot in those?" (She repeated herself a few times too, much to the kid's dismay.) Then a song starts that she must really like, so the mom bumbles her way through the chairs and tables, and starts dancing about a foot in front of the stage. The son turns and is watching. The mom starts dancing a little more suggestively and gets closer. Now she's about an inch from climbing on the stage, dancing and shaking her jubblies, when the kid pulls out his phone and starts videoing it. I'm wondering if it's because there's something hinky going on between them or if he's just smart and using it for blackmail later when he wants something (or as evidence in a child abuse suit). The woman now has her mouth open and is all but having sex with herself on the corner of the stage. Other people have noticed her and the dance floor is entirely empty save for drunk woman, a clearly uncomfortable singer, and I think a pidgeon. We left about then, thankfully. It was just too weird.

The next day Suz and I rented bikes and took a 4 hour tour of the island, interrupted by a couple of swims at some beaches. I got tons of great pics, and we had just the best time! We stopped in this little cove where the water was just stunning, decided to have a swim there and cool off (as it was 100 degrees plus humidity). We undressed, scrambled over the rocks and avoided the crabs pinching our toes, then finally got into neck high water. It was heavenly! As we were floating there we saw a bright yellow and black striped fish flash by us, and a few jack fish, and a pointy nosed fish. THat was so cool! It was like being in an aquarium. We swam a tad further out but hit a REALLY strong current, and had to fight to get ourselves back onto the beach. We decided swimming there was too dangerous so we dried off, packed up and biked down to another beach and had a proper swim. One ice cream bar and two bottles of water later we headed out again and went to the Southernmost Point in the continental US. It's 90m to Cuba from there, closer than mainland USA. :) Suz, being British, has been to Cuba and says it's such a lovely place. Once they reopen tourism there from thr US she says I should make plans to go because it's just too gorgeous to miss, and has much more fresh water than the keys. (Not sure what she meant by that exactly.) We rode by Ernest Hemingway's house, through Mallory Square, and circled round the perimeter of the island before heading back. It was a nice ride! I got loads of exercize. I loved that I got to swim in the Gulf and the Atlantic on the same day. When we got back to the cottage we decided to take a dip in the hottub. It was saltwater! I'd never been in a saltwater pool before! Very easy to float. So after that we showered and then got ready for shopping then dinner. I decided I wanted to see the museums while she shopped, so I headed over to the Shipwreck Museum- it was about salvaging shipwrecks, and had lots of artifacts and displays that described certain events, showed what was lost and what was found, etc. Very interesting! I wanted to see the aquarium but decided against it. I met up with Suz and shopped with her at a Coach store--- the BEST sales I have seen in my life! We called Andy and he met us down there, wanting to buy something nice for his wife and his sister (who were not on this trip due to work). The three of us managed to bring home over $2000 worth of Coach merchandise and paid just under $700 for it!! I am thrilled. I have a new large wallet for me, and a new men's wallet for Matt for his birthday (just a few weeks), Suzanne bought 2 purses and a clutch, and Andy bouth 3 purses, a clutch, a key fob, and two wallets. (He was such a girl about it, it was so funny.) We had dinner at a very pricey but totally worth it restuarant. LOVED the food there. The next day we shopped again, wandered about the town and finally got on the road back to Miami.

We went through a thunderstorm on the way back, which I actually thought was fairly mild, being from Texas. The Brits in the car however thought The End of Days had come. THey were about pissing themselves and finally Andy pulled over and said his nerves can't take it anymore and there we sat til the storm lessened. I was laughing, they were shaking. Oh well. Long drive later, we were in Key Largo where I pulled out my iPhone and we blasted the Beach Boys' "Kokomo" on the radio. :) After some time we reached Miami and decided to go to Miami Beach. We wnded up at the Palms hotel, where they had stayed a few days before my arrival. It was so swank!  (Clearly they make loads more money than I do.) We had some FABULOUS cocktails and a really nice burger on the verandah, and then watched the sea for a bit. After chatting a bit it was time to head for the airport- them for London, me for Texas. It was so wonderful to see her again, and get all caught up in person. Skype is nice, but that was better. And it was so charming to be in the company of English people, remebering old phrases I'd forgotten, the clever use of words I'd not heard or ones I hadn't heard in that format, and just the general humor. It was so much fun!! New favorite phrase: "Oh cock off!" (to be used when angry at someone). I miss being in England. I miss when I was in school there, surrounded by it all and immersed in the culture. Maybe I'll do a teacher exchange some year.

Last night I had a gig at a local country club- my symphony was hired to play a patriotic event, and this time I'm on oboe rather than violin! It was nice to play it again (not the pink oboe, for you foul minded people out there). I hate to say it but the patrons there were some of the most conceited, rude people I've encountered. Example: after the performance we are walking back with our arms laden with instruments, music, stands, and whatever else we brought out there- we come to a door leading into a dining area, which we had to cut through to get to the green room. I'm at the front of about 5 people, none of us have free hands to open the door. Through the glass I see a table of 5 people sitting not 6 feet away from the door. One man was standing, just watching us walk up, and the others were sitting, engaged in conversation it seemed. As I approached the door, I smiled at the standing man, hopig he'd open the door. Nope, he sat down and pulled out his phone, looking very busy and important. My mouth fell open I think. Anyway, I set down half my stuff, yanked the door open, held it for the others behind me and let it lots of hot air to warm up this man's cold heart. Heh. There were a couple other instances too, of people looking at us and acting as if we're "the help", just being uncaring about where they stop and have a conversation (middle of the hallway blocking the top of the stairs, with a harp player and bassist waiting on a staircase, trying to get into the flat surfaced hallway), women who push through us on their way out of the bathroom, etc. Oh well. I got home and enjoyed some stunning fireworks from my apartment. My complex abuts a golf course and that country club sets them off each year. Good show! I also saw the neighboring town's fireworks show, reputed to be one of the best in the state. Matt and I were rather untraditional yesterday- instead of hotdogs and hamburgers we had a cheese plate (featuring mostly French cheeses and one American one for good measure) with wasabi tobiko Russian caviar, goose liver pate (brought home from France from a friend), mushroom and truffle pesto (direct from Hungary) and wine from Italy. It was a very international meal for us and we loved it. Then a scorching game of darts (I lost all three rounds), some Kung Fu panda on xbox, and a movie, all before my gig. What a great 4th of July weekend!

Today I'm hosting my colleagues for a summer planning session at my house. Spaghetti is on the menu today, and my bar is fully stocked with the BEST beer ever- the unfiltered Apricot wheat ale. OMG I LOVE it!!

Now I'm off to the pool and then gotta tidy up before colleagues arrive. Gee, I hope none of them are allergic to cats. Hm. Too late.