We have been AWFUL about keeping up with the blog....

Here is a quick summary of the last month or so.

We have been spending a lot of time at Mary Alice's house in St. Pete. We had a LOVELY Thanksgiving with her good friends and neighbors Fred and Monika and their family. Of course we ate too much, but it was worth it. We have been busy Christmas shopping, semi-living out of the car (we have spring, summer, fall AND winter clothes and have somehow accumulated lots of "stuff" in the past few months), enjoying the cool weather in FL, and basically just hanging out. Bill has been working hard on filling out all of his paperwork and documentation in order to apply for his Captains License; passing the exams was just part one. We had a great Friday night with Mary Alice, Jennifer, and Emmanual at the Florida Orchestra and then had dinner and wine at Burns. The Redskins have continued to disappoint us. All in all, not a lot going on.

Except for last night....

So, Bill and I went to bed early. It was foggy and kind of cold on the boat. We had the heat on actually.

At about 2:45 AM we both woke up because we heard something topside. I was kind of foggy not 100% sure what woke me up. A few seconds later I was fully awake when I heard the companion way doors shutting. WHAT???? I yelled hello?? And someone responded. I jumped up and there was a 50 year old man standing in the salon. I was FREAKED out. Bill got up and the guy immediately started to leave saying he was on the wrong boat. He just got in on a flight from New Hampshire and was mistaken about which boat to get on. WHAT????? At nearly 3:00 am! No luggage, no bag, nothing. He got off the boat and started running before Bill and I even knew what to say or do. Yikes.

We have NEVER had that happen to us before....

We are off to Annapolis tomorrow in the trusty Ford. We are leaving ME in her slip in Sarasota until after the New Year.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season.

Back in Sarasota

Well, we are back in Sarasota on the boat. We left Annapolis on Tuesday morning and arrived in Sarasota Wednesday around 3:00 -- not bad at all. We stopped outside of Savannah to sleep. So Mary Elizabeth looks great. All was well; no issues when we turned everything back on, etc.

It is great to be back!

Trip from St. Pete to Sarasota

We had a nice time in St. Pete, but it was time to get back to Sarasota before leaving for Annapolis. Mary Alice came and saw us off (picture above) and Pamela watched from the balcony (picture below). We motored past the Pier and could see Tropicana field. We also went under the massive Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It was an uneventful 5 hour trip, except for the fact that we saw less than six feet in several places. I love the picture of the guy fishing *standing* in the water only a few feet from us.....

We are off to Annapolis today.

Sarasota Slam

This weekend there was a fishing tournament here at Marina Jacks called the Sarasota Slam. About thirty big fishing boats stayed on our otherwise very quiet dock. Saturday Bill and I watched the weigh ins. The biggest fish caught was a 172 pound swordfish (above). Other fish caught were tuna, trout, grouper, and dolphin. Many of the boats donated the fish to a charity (either to a soup kitchen or to restaurants that donated the money earned from selling the fish as part of their "specials" that night).

Random pictures of Sarasota

Bradenton Beach and Siesta Key

Here are some pictures of the beaches in Bradenton and Sarasota that we visited on Friday while we were driving around and exploring.

Sheikra (aka Shriek-ya!)

Wednesday morning I had a doctors appointment in St. Pete and was unable to volunteer at the library (instead I went on Thursday). After my appointment, Bill and I decided to head to Busch Gardens to ride the roller coasters. When we went to Busch Gardens in October, we rode all of the coasters except one -- Sheikra, which is supposed to be the best. Last time, just as we got to the entrance of the ride, it started raining and there was lightning in the area so they closed the coasters. This time we were determined to ride. Sheikra is by far the best coaster that either of us have ever been on. Your feet dangle, you go virtually straight up, then dangle before plunging 90 degrees straight down. It felt like we were parachuting. Awesome. We rode the other coasters too and saw a few of the animal exhibits before heading back to St. Pete. Unfortunately on one of the coasters Bill's sunglasses flew off. They are currently sitting somewhere at the bottom of the tracks, smashed into pieces I am sure.

Wednesday night we were very graciously invited to Jennifer and Emmanuel's house for dinner with Mary Alice. We had a great evening. First we had a walking tour of their amazing neighborhood (the historic Driftwood neighborhood in St. Pete) and waterfront. Jennifer and Emmanuel have a chocolate lab named Max who is basically the perfect dog. He is so well trained and can do the most amazing tricks. Of course we were in heaven.... And dinner was amazingly delicious (Emmanuel is a chef and owner of the Garden Bistro restaurant in St. Pete). Wow.

Thursday I volunteered at the library while Bill played golf. We had dinner (and Skip-bo) with Mary Alice Thursday night and came back to Sarasota Friday afternoon. Instead of driving back on the highway though, we took the long way through Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, and Lido Key. We also took a ride over to Siesta Key and visited the beaches. Beautiful.

and the thunder rolls

Here are some pictures of the thunderstorm that rolled in late Saturday afternoon. Beautiful, isn't it?

Selby Gardens

On Tuesday I went to visit the Selby Botanical Gardens here in Sarasota. Despite it's hefty entrance price ($17) I really, really enjoyed myself. It is 9+ acres of stunning plants, flowers, and trees -- all of which are immaculately cared for by 900+ volunteers. The Gardens are separated into different areas; there is a greenhouse, which houses orchids, etc. (and was even hotter inside than the 90+ degrees outside!), a bamboo section, a cactus section, a bonsi section, butterfly and wildflower gardens, banyan trees etc. And part of the Gardens is right on the water. There are benches in the shade throughout to sit and enjoy. The slideshow below is of some of the stranger and / or beautiful plants and flowers that I saw.

Fireworks!

What a great firework show here in Sarasota! We were so close that it took Bill over an hour to clean up the debris that fell on sv Mary Elizabeth. It was a great night.

Happy Fourth of July!

Hope everyone is having a happy 4th.

It is a beautiful day here in Sarasota. Mary Alice came down yesterday. She and I did a few errands and went food shopping while Bill dressed the boat in honor of the holiday. Doesn't Mary Elizabeth look so beautiful?!? Later the three of us tried a new restaurant on Main Street called Mosaic, which was delicious.

The marina is bus, and since we are on the (otherwise empty and quiet) transient dock, we have enjoyed watching the docking follies, etc. Everyone has decorated their boat with flags, etc. which is festive and nice.

We have had a lazy day of reading, watching golf, tennis, and the Red Sox, brunch, and laundry. Mary Alice and I walked up to Starbucks and got back a few minutes ago. We are looking forward to grilling out on the boat and watching the fireworks here in Sarasota tonight. They will be shot off from the park directly across from us. You can see from the picture below how close they will be! We plan on having a hose ready in case there are any stray embers....

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day to everyone. Hope you have a great day. 

It is another sunny H-O-T day here in Sarasota. There is actually a heat warning. The heat index is at 100+ degrees. Needless to say, we are looking forward to a day spent on the boat down below watching the Red Sox and the Masters and enjoying a home cooked Sunday meal. 

Enjoy the day. 

 

Well the boat repairs continue. They have fixed the generator, replaced a few batteries, fixed the stereo and DVD player, and have ordered lots of parts that they are waiting on before they can proceed with more repairs. We are happy and thankful for the progress.  I have included a few pictures of some of the things that were fried when we were stuck. Amazing that nothing caught on fire. 

Bill and I had a great week. Saturday night we went to a magic show here in Sarasota and Bill was picked to go on stage and participate. It was actually a really good show and we would go back. Sunday I went to a craft / jewelry / sidewalk sale at St. Armand's circle, which is a beautiful place. Wednesday we went to St. Petersburg and I went to the library while Bill golfed. We had a nice dinner with Mary Alice, Fred, and Monika Wednesday night. We have seen a few movies (there is a movie theater right here in downtown Sarasota) and have tried a few more new restaurants.  Other than that, not a whole lot is going on. We leave Tuesday for Washington, DC and will go to St. Pete on Monday night to see Mary Alice and since we are flying out of Tampa.