kinda feels like an oofos commercial

look, i know i just posted an entry today, but i'm not sure if i'll get around to posting again before i visit the folks! so double session! it's kinda like a BOGO (buy one get one), only it doesn't cost you a thing! does it get any better than that? i submit: it does not!

i got home tuesday at a decent time, and then wed-fri were relatively slow. i was able to get in a little pd of my own, and get my expense report in...i held onto it for a minute, hoping for those last minute expenses from pasco to show up, but alas, it's only after you've submitted the expense and it's been approved that the others come through. not that anyone really cares or is following this line of thought, so moving on-

on wednesday evening, i took one of my friends to the airport for her family Christmas (i think she was focused on getting some good Christmas pics with her pup!) and she was supposed to return today, but atlanta went and had a power outage-the worst! fortunately she wasn't caught there (that would be a nightmare)! but i'm sure it's not much more fun in memphis, especially if you get the short straw and don't get the lucky hotel room (they are limited); still better than being stuck in atl! no good can come of that!

anyhoo, what the above paragraph means is that i was stuck adventuring by myself. so i did. i'd seen an event on bridge street-out on the island by bradenton beach. so i figured i'd go down and park at coquina beach, and walk to bridge street (about 1/2 mile) and see what i could see! it wasn't quite what i was expecting...there were a smattering of booths set up, and the music stage was getting ready-some of the senior crowd were sitting in the chairs under the awning. but the weather was amazing, so who cares! fortunately the post office was right across the road, so it wasn't a total loss-yes, i'd brought the last of the Christmas post cards to make a drop! i then wandered down to the pier to see if i'd missed anything. i had not. that was it. so i went into the souvenir shop to get a little something i'd been thinking about, and made it back to the beach.

there's a resort that is completely tarped and it looks like where's waldo, only without as much mystery...or it's going above and beyond to win the HOA award for most festive and dressing like a candycane..?

Christmas trees at the pier

my kind of december! this agrees with me!

they had a BOGO, so i couldn't pass it up, now i'm officially ready for visitors! 

it was a fairly slow day, which was surprising for a saturday in the mid-low 70s! i was able to set up my hammock in the perfect spot- near a lifeguard stand, near the bathrooms, near the concession stand, near the volleyball court, near the ocean! (come visit, i'll share the spot!) the trees were just a little too far apart, so fortunately i had extra straps in my trunk (as i have 4 hammocks back there...again, come visit, i have enough hammocks to share!)...anyhoo, i made it work, then i listened to a great podcast called: TRUE CRIME HISTORIAN; i heard about it while listening to BEST CASE/WORSE CASE...the guy reads old crimes from multiple sources and follows them through several clippings/articles...it's great because they are focused in the golden era of news-writing when they crafted stories, not just straight up facts...comical at points, although he's not a comedian.

anyhoo, it was warm enough that i did get a bit of a sunburn on my face. so i went back today-again great weather, upper 70s...and although it was a bit busier, i got my same spot! i really like this area, because it's the perfect spot for an all-day outing-i already mentioned the amenities, there is also a picnic table, several australian pines if you need to get out of the sun, and grills for lunch! (the only thing that could make it better would be if it were pet-friendly).  on sundays from november-july they have a market as well, so there is plenty to looky-loo through. i usually put on my sunglasses to not make eye-contact, that way i don't have to pretend i like something or am interested.

once i'd gotten enough sun, and enough ocean to last me through the Christmas vacation, i decided to check the wares. wouldn't ya' know it...there was an OOFOS tent! what?! i've seen their ads plenty on my facebook page, and i had JUST asked if any of my friends had a pair. now...i'm not a big shoe person. i don't own a closet-ful of dress shoes...my money is spent on chacos, tennis shoes and now oofos.

sharp looking...i could probably wear these to work...ok, only the work from home portion..

super thick soles

the design is so comfortable!

just look at the contour! it takes the pressure off the front of the foot

can you kinda see where that blister is forming?

let's back up just a second. yesterday i got to my last straw, where flip-flops are concerned. i am a flip flop girl now. i'd purchased a pair awhile back while visiting shea, and i'd gotten used to them (adidas, cushion-y, pillow-soft) and love them...then back in may, when i met julie k and pam in fort meyers for a training, i stopped at target to get a cheap pair. well. they last me until yesterday. that mile to and from bridge-street..murder she wrote...my feet were murdered; i got the worst blister on my pads...on the way TO the event, coming back was worse! them there flippers go out in the trash tomorrow. hence my need. so i spent more than i should, but when i got home and wore them for awhile, it felt like walking on clouds! LOVE! when i tried them on, they were a perfect fit on my feet! i can't even begin to express my happiness!! i may even try to wear them as long as possible up north because that's how much i like love them! (if i were in 4th grade, i'd have drawn hearts all around that)! 

anyhoo, that's what's up. if you want to make your feet happy: oofos!
julie

left some things in florida...like...my dreams! (take me back!)

the grind. it begins again.

for real though, all-day-training the.day.we.returned.from.spring.break. uf.

yesterday, i was able to clean up the apt. and get loads of laundry done! it had to be done! mom and dad are coming to visit this week-bringing back the boys and spending Easter in dfw. it has been so quiet around here without the boys around! they won't get in until late tomorrow night, because they have to finish some stuff in mo before they leave.

so...every time i go to florida (3rd time in a year-hopefully not the last), i am one step closer to living there. it feels like i already have one foot there. especially since i left my hammock there (along with a few other staples)... and i may have just purchased another hammock, so that when i do move there, there'll be an extra for visitors! thinking ahead. i may or may not be monitoring job postings, as i am not sure what next year will look like--considering all of the best options, can't leave this one out! ...and i have the additional pics that provide the logic behind my thinking:

even the fog is beautiful and relaxing!

more tooth searching-it's like a treasure hunt!

and that guy behind me? he was the one sporting the thong..eek.

not bad for a day's work!

thx go-pro!!

shea selfies with the bird! (bird, bird, bird..bird's the word...)

my 'frolic' is so frankenstein, i need more practice frolicking on the beach!

obviously i frolic better with friends...

can't get kilwins in dfw

"are you sisters?" just bc we both have blond hair, headbands, tanks, sunglasses...

...just sayin'.

after a full day of training, and not seeing anyone back at school, i was in a funk, so when i got home and opened my mail, i had a letter waiting for me, and it was just what i needed! crystal, a former teacher from cabell, who i've kept in touch with sent some written encouragement and it was so exactly what i needed! amazing how mail comes at just the right time!

brightened my week-

it's going to be a great week!
julie

spring break part 1: st armands, anna maria donuts and the tree graveyard

i'm sure you are all wondering: what in the world is julie doing now?! so, i'll tell you!

so...i was a little worried on friday night, when i hadn't heard from nicolette, because she had agreed to take me to the airport for my spring break trip, but i'd not been able to touch base with her, because i had to leave early to drop the boys off with mom and dad...and then when i did text her (around 7:30pm), i didn't hear back; i was worried about a delayed messaging, or that she might have had something come up last minute...but at the same time, i didn't want to keep texting and drive her nuts--#nottheannoyingperson so instead, i thought of a couple of different possible scenarios just in case. you can imagine my relief when i got her text the next morning around 4:30, asking what time she should come over.

and then on the way to the airport, i (always the one to be too literal and mess up directions by actually looking at the finer details of the signage-and analyze them) steered us wrong..fortunately the airport toll-area has a u-turn station, because we definitely passed up the first entrance to AA terminal C- #mybad. beyond grateful for the ride.

the flight itself was nothing out of the ordinary-got in a little coloring, and everyone around me pretty much zonked out-love the early morning flights! (i may have started with a little snooze as well). then i watched a little bit of the movie a guy sitting kitty-corner (nic, it really is a variant defined in the dictionary!) from me, because it had sub-titles, and seemed to be an oldie.

upon arrival, i was greeted by my personal greeter/driver, with a sign, no less!

i even moved closer to try to get a good angle on the sign- JROB! she did a great job pretending not to know me #jobopportunities

 my vote was to come straight back to the house and see the new place, and get started on unloading and sorting through her items that were in a storage pod. i love the new place! what a beautiful home! so we got the kitchen supplies out and sorted through them-washed a couple of loads and shea hand-washed several pieces, but now everything is in its place, and she can figure out what else she needs! the best thing we found: the QUESADILLA MAKER!!

and we opened the patio pieces! 3 pieces of choice furniture-the LEGIT OUTDOOR HAMMOCK, the bench (until the couch arrives), and the fire-pit...life is good and the place is coming together! this thing is going to be great for sleeping outdoors at night...just sayin'.

it's big-which means it's just right!

 and of course, the first things that she ordered had already arrived-and some of her friends who live in the same neighborhood had come by to help get the pool floats ready and mount the t.v. before i got here-

are these two great, or what?! they still need names, but it's like a stinkin' amusement park! 

 when we finished doing most of this, we took the short trip to st. armands and walked the loop, grabbed a little dinner and mojitos at the columbia- beyond filling and delicious! we tried a new salad with artichoke hearts and avocado-yummers! i will need to be stocking up on some of those for my own salads! we found the spice store (not that it was ever lost, or we didn't plan on going there anyway, because we did!) and of course, we had to hit up the samples at the nut shop-i love all of the samples! shea may or may not have eaten 4 malt balls...but that's nothing, because she saw an old lady grab a handful; proud of that old lady, LIVIN' the LIFE!! and while we were there, we saw that crazy lady with too many dogs!

there were about 7 or 8 of them, and she drew a crowd. they were so well trained

DAY 2
we decided to go hammocking-to find the perfect hammock-set-up! but first, of course, we had to stop at the donut experiment on anna maria island! always a must. so we got our amazing donuts-fresh and light--again, the donut machine and process reminded me of the homer price story we read in elementary school-a classic!  omg, the raspberry, though... and just walking down to the pier was the most relaxing thing; i could do that often. bad day? walk the beach/pier, it changes everything! it changes the mindset, and without exception, soothes the soul.

i haven't craved donuts in awhile, but there they were-we will go again!

not an easy feat in flip flops-

shea, the animal whisperer-this pelican was a star

then we took a short drive to longboat key, a turn-off into a neighborhood where there was a beach access that led to a trail where, as shea said, the perfect setting for a movie! we made our way through the trail to the "tree graveyard" as shea dubbed it so perfectly. there are so many trees downed on their sides with the roots sticking up. we found one spot to set up, but it only fit one hammock.

excellent place to set up 

and then we found a place to hook up both hammocks! the second spot was a little more difficult, but we did it (and by we, mostly shea-she's become a hammocking expert) some tall boys came by to offer help-but by then, it was almost all done, so we used them to take pics the next time they swung by!

while the place was perfectly ideal, we really needed to get the hammocks up a little higher, as about every 7th or 8th wave was big enough to break against the bottom of the hammocks-they're nylon, no big deal, but the water is still a little cool! so after being beaten by the water for awhile, we pulled it in and went for a walk around the point to where the boaters were partying by the bridge/near the sandbar, until we stepped in some prickly spurs, and had to pull spikes out of our feet-not the most pleasant part of the walk! then we got back to our stuff and laid out to get some sun (as if we had not already gotten some).

we'll have to keep working to get the perfect beach pic, bummer.

traffic was backed up-good thing there wasn't an emergency evacuation! when we got back, we ran some errands and grabbed some grocery necessities. salmon and veggies for dinner! delish! and a movie!

yum! hard to find the veggies you like in the quantity you desire at a restaurant-sometimes it's just better to make them yourself!

 let's see what today will hold!

 julie

they don't wear blazers in miami anymore-at least not that i saw!

when monday came, i borrowed shea's hammock and made plans as i went. first stop: (where else?) the donut experiment on anna maria island! i just wanted to make certain that they still tasted as good the 2nd time around! thank heavens, it did! i went in search of parking to go down to the beach, but parking on a.m.island is scarce! so i just kept going because i knew there would be a place at coquina beach! i found a spot near a restroom, shower area and set the hammock up in the perfect area behind the lifeguard station.

not a bad spot!

it should go without saying that i was in paradise! i fell asleep for a bit and then a little later, i saw a man walk up to the lifeguard and tell him something (hard to read lips from that distance); he then got into his little sand-rover-thing and drove off. some little girls came running up to their dad from behind the dune. they were so excited when they told him there were sea turtles! so i grabbed my camera and made my way around the dune to see them! it was especially exciting, as shea and i had observed the turtle rescues earlier...they were cuties!

cowabunga dude!

wonder how many were under there waiting for nighttime to get out!

there was a small crowd gathered, and the lifeguard had put the little dudes into a 5-gallon bucket, and said he was waiting for some rescue people to come and take them away. one of the older ladies in the crowd (if you can call 7 a crowd), was explaining that she felt something crawl over her foot and thought it was 'one of those little crabs' (i hadn't seen any crabs on the beach since i'd arrived). she proceeded to brush it away, then looked down and realized it was a baby sea turtle-imagine her surprise!!

after a couple of pics, i went back to the comfort of the shade and continued to be lazy and relaxed.

while i was laying there, i saw some beautiful sails up over the beach-parasailing!  that looked like a bit of fun! so i texted shea to see if she'd ever been, and decided to try to book tickets for that evening. the lady was super friendly, and she said she had me down, and if anything came up, she'd call to let me know! then i decided to go down to the little snack shack down the way. i'm still working on trust issues of leaving things on the beach unguarded.

when i arrived, i was looking for something light, just to tie me over until dinner. so i went up onto the deck and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and a diet coke, and the lady at the register-area was having a discussion with the park maintenance guy. for as much as i hate small talk, i must have inherited some gene from my dad or something, because i often either say one thing that leads to a full-blown conversation, or people strike up conversation with me out of the blue. sometimes, i'll just say one silly little thing, and it completely draws me into a conversation--must stop letting those thoughts exit through my mouth!

anyhoo, i learned all about the ridiculous protocols for state park employees-good times. but hey! i got a delicious grilled cheese! so simple, yet so comforting! when i got back to my little area, almost no sooner did i get back into the hammock before i felt a huge raindrop-so i immediately unstrapped and got everything to the car before i was completely drenched. i decided to stay and just watch for a bit and see if it passed over. it did, and then i got a call from the para-sail company and they apologized, but they were going to have to cancel because they were having to move all of their appointments back due to the rain, and at the moment there was lightning. boo.

it may have been a good thing though, because when i met shea back at the house, she wasn't feeling great, which means that a ride like that might not have gone so well. she self-diagnosed: sugar overload and dehydration from soccer camp. so i insisted that a nap would do the trick...only...for me a nap is 20 minutes and BOOM! let's go! shea's body doesn't know how to nap apparently, and i didn't want to wake her up, so i just did some work; i worked on this awesome postcard! a postcard that i had to put in an envelope in order to send it off to trish; hopefully she appreciates that!

when shea finally exited her state of hibernation, we went for poppos tacos-not bad! in fact, an excellent dinner to end out the 1st weekend! (regardless that it was monday, shut up).

 tuesday morning, i wanted to get the earliest start possible so that i could get to hellen's before she had to leave for an appointment with her mom.  the drive down to miami was really uneventful. what would miami adventures hold? would it be more like csi miami, or more like miami vice with crocket and tubbs? i am happy to report that it was really like neither! although, i have determined that it could probably never be home for me. big city...dressing up and putting on make-up are not among my favorite things. there is a time and a place, but in my ideal world, every-day-life is not the time, nor the place! (thankfully hellen was still willing to be seen in public with me!)

when i arrived, i heard the voice of an old friend on the other side of the door as it opened, and it was so good to see hellen again! we had just enough time to catch up a little, before she had to take her mom in. i settled in a bit, had some time to do some work. her husband came home with sofi from the daycare, and i got to meet this little firecracker of girl, with the most amazing head of curls! i think part of her personality is wrapped up in those curls!

i was thrilled that jacira and karla were able to carve out some time for dinner-i know there is always so much going on in the summertime, especially with families in town and places to go, etc. so it was great when jacy arrived and we were able to catch up- she has not changed! kind, fun and so caring. nor has karla-funny as ever-she was sharing some great 'mom' stories! we were laughing just envisioning everything!! especially the holes in the yard-omg! we had some tasty mango with salt and pepper-delicious! i have decided that i really need to eat more mango (which is why i purchased and ate some today!). we went to dinner at a great little central american restaurant and a huge appetizer plate with pupusas-ah! yum, i was impressed! but more than anything, it was the company that did my soul good. the funny thing is that saying goodbye is kinda' like see ya later, and it feels like we'll see each other again, sooner than later (i mean, why wait 24 years to reconnect?! ridiculous, i tell ya!).

it had been an especially long time since i'd seen this one-karla had left eis after our 10th grade year-such a joy to see her again!

jacira and i-my spanish-class friend..and just all around friend; i'm betting that part of what makes her a successful teacher is her caring spirit!

riquisimo!

these gals are pretty stinkin' amazing! so glad i got to spend time with them!

i loved being able to stay with hellen, because it gave me a glimpse into normal life-and one doesn't come by these glimpses every day. running errands with people is such a great opportunity to chat and laugh and just share thoughts about what's going on, so i do consider this time precious!

on wednesday, hellen kept sofi home, okay, not really home, because we weren't home most of the day! after the first stop, we decided to go down to miami, lincoln road to walk around for a bit. we took the stroller for sofi and made our way down the road to an area with several restaurants. we opted for rustic pizza, which was delicious! great salads, and even greater pizza! i'm just a sucker for margherita pizza! yum! the only drawback of eating outside is pigeons. pigeons wouldn't be so bad if they didn't strut around pretending that they owned the entire walk! and if they didn't scare sofi so much..not sure if she was scared by them, or merely annoyed.

i had so much fun sharing the back seat with this one for a few days!

you can't really see it, but there is a great little mist sprayer there!

and we got to pose together in front of the coolest wall full of singer sewing machines! 

we left as the sky was beginning to gray-up and there was lightning in the distance. so we began our little trek back to the car, and were trying to remember which parking lot we had left the car in. we located it without too much of a hassle and made our way to the pharmacy to pick something up-sofi's movies were entertaining, and it was hard to believe that by the time we got back to the house, it was so late! we had a little coffee with some sweet bread and just talked-i couldn't even begin to retell what all we chatted about, because i'm sure we were all over the place!

thursday we took sofi to her school and i got to meet her teacher and see her classroom-this was particularly fun because it connects some dots-karla's kiddos had also gone here, and i remembered on fb, hellen had asked for some recommendations about where to take her, and this was one of them. so seeing it made it more real-she's a lucky little girl! she is going to be so prepared for school both academically and socially!

after we dropped her off, we went down to wynwood walls in miami, in search of the actual little park. it was an impressive area! it was fun looking at all of the artwork. we decided that truly, some of the most creative artwork was on the walls of the buildings surrounding the attraction. i love it when townships recognize the importance of revitalization!

check out that wall! i love this girl! 

for lunch, we went to a wonderful little hole-in-the-wall bar and grille that had one of the most amazing hamburgers i have ever tasted! i think part of the secret was the pencil fries and the guava paste, not to mention the sweet potato fries-in love!

best burger ever!! i would certainly go back for another!

we made it back in time to pick sofi up from school and once again, coffee in the afternoon (it's how we do). later that evening, i got to meet hellen's brother and sister-in-law. we went to their home for dinner, although we weren't too hungry due to the amazing burger at lunch. BUT when someone offers you HONDURAN tamales, you don't say no! these are usually a Christmas delicacy, but for whatever reason, they had some and they were willing to share! that was amazing. loved meeting the fam-they are so fun and easy-going!

unfortunately i had to leave on friday--time is always much too short when you're with old friends!
i was in far too much of a hurry to get this posted, and i failed to include one of the most important parts about miami. hellen was a most gracious friend! she wouldn't allow me to pay for any of my meals when we were out-which i was totally not expecting! and she had a gift that she'd meant to send earlier-it was a gift for the boys! including some sweet artwork from sofi! touching! so thoughtful! thank you, hellen for being you! what a treat it was for me!

the drive is short enough to not be long, but long enough to enjoy and unwind. while i was driving through the everglades, i was certainly thankful for the fences around the glades, as the stop and go for wildlife on the road would not be very entertaining. i did look over to one of the ponds and saw an alligator peeking his head out. not nearly as exciting as mayakka state park! ;) i was very impressed by the rest areas, though. almost confused by the roads that wound around and under bridges to get me to it, but impressed none-the-less.

i did appreciate the WAZE app! it took care of things and even re-routed me around a slow traffic area..or so it said. for all i know, it may have just been taking me on the scenic route because it knew i was a tourist. (?) anyhoo, i got to see an area that i was unfamiliar with and then got me into bradenton a little after noon. it was pouring down rain, so i couldn't go to the beach, and shea would be at work until later in the afternoon, so i went to starbucks. while i was there, i worked on my first post about vacation.

and now you are probably wondering, well... how did the last weekend end? and trust me, i will cetainly let you know!

julie