Florida Keys

It's been a while since I last "blogged"...this is primarily due to the recovery of the master cleanse(and for the record, I have recovered and plan on trying again in the immediate future!) For the past four years, right after tax season ends, I usually take a trip to get away from the office. This year, due to an excess of work and the fact that Amanda was in a play at the Natchez Little Theatre, we did not go anywhere right away. However, right now, I'm sipping on a Bud-Light Lime, listening to R.E.M. poolside, and in total relax-mode. I've been on a road trip the past week, traveling all over the state of Florida. I've been in plenty of bars, eaten tons of seafood, played with alligators, swam in the ocean, spoken with drag queens, and watched lots of baseball(Go Eagles! S-M-T-T-T!), but most importantly, I have relaxed. I've let all of life's worries slip away for a while. It should be a necessity for people to step out of their lives at least once a year. I'm not a doctor, but I would prescribe this as medicine for the soul. That doesn't necessarily mean a vacation every time, but one should take time out of their busy lives to just relax and reflect on that point in their lives. Time flies by...I remember my parents telling me this when I was in high school. I thought that they were crazy. Now, I just wish I would have listened more.

Anyway, I've driven down to Key West, the southern most tip of the United States. Florida is a beautiful state...hot, but beautiful. Amanda and I have laid out on beaches all along the way(I laid under an umbrella :0 ), and the best beaches I have seen are in Pensecola. Large, white beaches. Key West, however, has the clearest water I've seen in the state. Key West also has other things that are unique to other places. First, wild chickens. Yep, chickens and roosters that wander the streets and attack the people(almost like the gangs in big cities!) Second, six toed cats. Supposedly, they are descendants from Ernest Hemingway's cats, who once resided here. There are also lots of rainbow flags. That goes back to the statement I made earlier about the drag queens. Key West has a New Orleans style feel with the party atmosphere. Duval street looks and feels almost like Bourbon street, minus the stench and threat for your life and valuables from the locals. I am usually very paranoid, but I haven't felt threatened the entire stay here. All in all, I would recommend this place for anyone who wants to get away and relax, AND have some fun. Hopefully, I'll get the opportunity to get back here one day.

Tomorrow, I pack my car back up and start driving North again. We're going to stop in St. Petersburg(near Tampa) to watch a Rays baseball game tomorrow night. I love baseball! Afterwards, we'll continue driving north hopefully to be home Wednesday. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, but as Dorothy once told me, "There's no place like home!"