Remind me to never, ever, EVER get this behind in the blog again. I don't know if there is enough Gingko Biloba in the world to help me remember all the details from late February to the present day.
But, hey, I'll give it a go.
Ah, yes, I remember. I ran for beer (this could be part of my memory problem) in Hampton at the half-marathon put on by LOCO Running. We headed homeward to pack and get ready for some fun in the sun. Our plane was leaving Logan at 6:05 a.m. the following day, so we should be getting to bed...soon...like by 7:30 p.m. soon.
This is where I'll indulge in part one of the blog and ramble about our trip to Florida. But, I'll keep it short.
We got to the airport and on the plane without incident, which is always the best way to kick off vacation. Our plane landed in Ft. Lauderdale around 9:30 a.m. We were staying at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Resort in Hollywood, FL. This place had a casino, restaurants, bars and shops galore, not to mention a really cool outdoor pool and bar. We figured we wouldn't need a rental car since everything we could possibly need or want would be right there. So, we took a cab ride from the airport to what would be our home for the next five days.
The weather was a little sketchy on Monday when we arrived, kind of cloudy, kind of humid, kind of rainy. But, we were on vacation. Who cares what it's doing out there? We had slot machines. We had plush Hard Rock bathrobes. We had ROOM SERVICE. You make do.
When the sun did come out the next day, we headed to the outdoor pool to catch some rays, have a frozen cocktail and do some people watching. It was unseasonably cool by Florida standards, but to us, it was like a heatwave. My husband even took one for the team and accompanied me to the fitness center on Tuesday and Wednesday (he knows I gravitate towards the cranky if I don't get my run on). On Thursday, my cousin, Suzanne, her husband, Mike, and their two kids, Halie and Samantha, drove up for Lake Worth, FL to stay overnight and spend some time with us. Suzanne got a babysitter to come to the hotel room so the four adults could go do adult things (no, there weren't any strippers). We went to a great Asian Restaurant, a comedy show and the Improv and donated some of our slush fund to the slot machines. All in all, we had a lot of fun.
The next day, we were scheduled to fly back home. Apparently, they were cancelling flights up and down the east coast due to weather concerns. We had no idea if we were even going to be able to get home. Thankfully, our flight was still scheduled for an on time departure back to Boston. I called my neighbor across the street to find out what the story was. She explained about the hurricane-like wind gusts and torrential rain. There was a power outage, but they were only without electricity for a few hours. Everything was restored.
So, my cousin and her husband offered to drop us off at the airport, saving us the cab fare from the hotel (thanks, cuz). We said our goodbyes and headed in to check our bag and get our boarding pass. Our travel agent totally rocks because she got us a direct flight to and from Florida. No stopovers, baby...going straight home. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.
The flight was pretty uneventful (also a very good thing) and we landed in Boston. We found our way to Baggage Claim and waited for our luggage. While we stood there, we witnessed a very unhappy gentleman stomping out of an office swearing very loudly. One could only surmise that he and his suitcase must have broken up. At first, we thought the same thing may have happened to us, but my husband's spidey sense kicked in and he sprinted across to another baggage carousel. Voila! There was our bag. Phew.
We took a shuttle bus from the airport back to the Newburyport terminal, where we had parked our car (free parking and the round trip bus ticket is pretty cheap). My husband and I couldn't find 2 seats together, so we sat across the aisle from each other. I think he has an invisible sign on his forehead that says "please talk to me". The gentleman next to him proceeded to chat him up from the time the bus closed it's doors to the time we got to Newburyport. This isn't the first time something like this has happened to him either. I almost feel a little bad for him. But, then I get over it. And I giggle. I just make sure he can't see me. :-)
Finally, we get off the bus, we get to our car and we drive home.
Home Sweet Home.
It's always nice to go away, but it's even nicer to come back. I used to think vacation was used to unwind from the stresses of everyday life and to get away from it all. But, really, for me anyway, it just reminds me how good my life REALLY is and how much I love living it.
Ramble On.
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