Florida sucked. So vacation elsewhere.

No more obligatory trips to see in laws in Florida for me. I would rather have "vacationed" in the volcano. I'm CONVINCED my husband was adopted. No way did my sweet man come from those people. After 7 years of pleasant relations with my mother-in-law, I've now been relegated to the Hated Wives/ExWives Club. I always new it was just a matter of time until mom-in-law perceived some sort of "power" shift within the relationship-and then it was all over.
I returned to Alaska shaken, stirred and really disturbed. I've been decompressing ever since.

We spent a day in Vero Beach visiting my dad. It was horrible. Horrible because the man I knew is just about gone. He's riding the cusp of the inability to take care of himself. He's not quite there yet and there is not much I can do. Where did Raphael Raymondo go? I've gone on a maddening wild goose chase making phone calls to see what kind of aid is available to him. Thanks SO MUCH Veteran's Association-thanks for cutting loose our elders who served. Meals on Wheels. One meal a day. That's it. Anything else comes out of pocket ...and the pocket is EMPTY.

My dad was so happy to see us and finally meet his youngest grandchild. He was sweeter than he's ever been but so loopy due to bi-polar meds. It was a rough visit for all of us but I can't thank Huz enough for making it happen and my whole family for enduring through it. Lo was a little clueless but Dea was a patient trooper. The icing on the cake was when we went for a swim in my dad's community's pool. Of COURSE, the heater was broken that day. We stubbornly bit the bullet and got in. Thank GOD for the hot tub next to it. I think I shivered more on this trip than I ever have in Alaska.

The trip afforded some lovely moments, mainly having the 4 of us together for 10 days. No long work days for Huz-no school for the kids. The 2nd half of our trip brought us out of very chilly temps and into, finally, our tank tops and shorts. It sucked living in the same outfits for 4 days since we didn't bring additional cold weather clothes. We were able to do a bit of beach combing, a walk in Mayaka Park, mini golf with a dear friend, a couple runs in the AM with Huz, and ,finally, on the last day, an afternoon at the beach and a trip to the aquarium with my girls. These little tastes of outside and light and freedom only made me crave more. A sweet relative (Kory O'Carroll, you're AWESOME) came to the rescue and let us borrow her car that day, otherwise this suffocating caged wild animal would have found herself in the nearest padded room.

...The smell of the fecund ocean, the sound of her waves, her cold water engulfing my body...soothing me with her rhythms. She gave us gifts that day. 5 perfect sand dollars when I had hoped to maybe luck out and find ONE, a visit from some dolphins, and bunches of holystones! ...The blast of hot sun and light recharging me....

I had needed this SO MUCH. More than I thought until I was actually out in it with time to relax and enjoy it. I LOVE Alaska, but after an unusually cold dark summer and schizo winter, I craved warmth, sunshine and exertion. If only for a few days. Once rejuvenated, I could endure whatever else the weather gods had to offer. I was so thankful for this one day at the beach. But I'm so sad we didn't have more...


Florida sucks ass, by the way. It's a swampy, rednecky, racist, miserable state that makes me sneeze the second I touch down. Sure, there are a few beautiful beach areas to visit-IF you don't venture anywhere beyond), and if you're richer than Croesus and have a house right on the beach, things could be dandy for you in FLA. IF you just stay in your house. Otherwise it's strip malls, cement walls or Podunkville. And water that tastes like ass. I HATE Florida. Oh, and teeny tiny red ants that bite and leave you itching 2 weeks later.

Give me Mexico any day.

I'm coming back to reality now, safe in my own home. Head clearing, heart lifting.

Some of those GOOD moments:

Sunset walk with wonderful relatives on Siesta Key Beach(What FANTASTIC LIGHTING!!!)

Road trip to dad's. The beautiful but freezing pool.

Family/friends reunion on Siesta Key

The cuzs

Mini Golf

Beachcombing and wind on Lido Beach

Mayaka State Park

More windy beachcombing on Siesta Key. Lo is NEVER cold. She dunked in the water. EVERYONE knew we were from out of town.

Petting Mantas! at the Mote Marine Aquarium

Our wonderful day at Lido Beach. Post seagull attack. They didn't just beg, they effing landed on and snatched my girls's sandwiches!!! So Hitchcockian!

OOOOO. See those sunburned strips of tush along the edge of Lo's swimsuit? oooooooooooo.

Ahhhhhhh. Blessed be.......