The Land Adventure Continues...

Most of you know how much I really hate doctors....even when I was working and could afford them, I had to be on my last breath before I'd even think of going to see one - besides it was always a virus which they couldn't do anything about so explain to me why I wasted 4 hours in waiting rooms when their only advice was to get some rest - duh!!! I used to spend weeks thinking up excuses of how to postpone even my appointments with my regular physician when there was nothing wrong and she really wasn't all that bad I guess - although I did once tell her that it was nothing personal, I hated all doctors - her included - made for a great relationship! Anyways, long winded way of saying I guess that I've put off for about a year seeing a doctor about my toe that somehow got split open (gremlins on the boat I think because for the life of me I don't remember doing anything to it...) and which has yet to heal. I know, I know....Doug (and Stephanie) has been on my case about it for oh I don't know... a year!

Due to the fact that we're now trying to re-enter what "they" call the real world (although I have my serious doubts) which means squishing my feet that have only seen flip-flops the past two years into witch of the west pointy high heeled shoes (what sadist invented them and then decreed they were high fashion???) to go on interviews, I realized the time had finally come to do the dreaded deed - see a doctor. So I wander into the local urgent care facility surrounded by people hacking up a lung, with gaping head wounds, and puss tubes hanging out of their innards (OK maybe it wasn't that bad...) and after about an hour, I get to see a nurse who after I tell her the issue, just looks at me and says..."you've had this for a YEAR????" OK I get it - maybe I should have come in a little sooner - so sue me. Next I get a very perky doctor maybe a year or two out of med school who again asks incredulously how it is that I haven't dealt with my toe before this...not wanting to be rude and tell her I hate her, I make up some good sounding excuse and ask if she can't just give me some antibiotic to make it go away. BUT NO...she thinks x-rays are needed immediately if not sooner since the infection is likely deep in my bone which may require amputation of the toe....HUH???? Not wanting to tell her she is a quack to her face, I ask for a second opinion and she sends me to a podiatrist.

I finally find one who can see me the same day - I'm thinking right about now that maybe I shouldn't have postponed this visit for a year....Finally, finally I find a halfway sane doctor who has the bedside manner of Shrek but knows what she's doing and doesn't want to be my friend - thank goodness, I don't have to explain to her that I hate her. Half an hour later after a little minor surgery but no x-rays and no amputation (thank you very much), I walk out of the office with a relatively clean bill of health and a prescription for some antibiotics. I should be good as new in a week or so and capable of wearing real shoes - although my desire to do so has not increased at all (I've really come to love flip-flops!) So what's the lesson?? I guess it's that not all doctors are Satan or unqualified quacks (although some definitely are!!!) - anyone reading this in the medical profession should know that they are excluded from this rant and I apologize in advance for offending you if I in fact do. I'm not sure I'll be any quicker to drive on in to a doctor's office in the future but at least I'll be able to strut around the boat in my Jimmy Choos now.........

So what else is new??? Doug finally got our air conditioning working on the boat again after two visits from the "experts" (not so much), two new A/C pumps which he had to take out and put in again, a new part for the strainer which took days to arrive, and a desperation portable A/C unit that has to have the air hose snaked out the back door or all the hot air it puts out overcomes the cool air (huh??? found that out the hard way...)!! We got the portable unit as a stop gap since it's been really, really hot down here in FL (102 degrees? 102 DEGREES?) and Bootsie at almost 24 years old doesn't deserve to swelter in the heat!! But we're good to go now and we can actually get dressed downstairs instead of having to only put our clothes on the second before leaving the boat for our meetings - luckily it's not exactly a full marina at the moment or I think we would have been asked to leave!!!

Since we no longer need to have the door open to run the A/C, we are back to being able to do stuff - yippeee!!! In our attempt to take in what Florida has to offer and get more familiar with our new "home", we drove up to Delray Beach this past weekend for a little exploring. We had passed through the town on Gypsies on our trips up and down the ICW so it was fun to walk over the bridge we had passed under - looked familiar!!!

The ICW from a Different View

What a cute little town - in many ways it reminded us of our former home in Kennebunkport - quaint little shops, restaurants, antique stores (which had a very wide array of eclectic goods ranging from estate sale items to signature Ed Hardy colored bongs...??)

Ed Hardy Signature Bongs

and art galleries all around a main drag!! We walked around Pineapple Grove which is the artist community

The Entrance to Pineapple Grove

and saw fountains and sculptures everywhere.

Like K'port there are some funky old hotels right in town too

The Colony Hotel, Even Named After a Hotel in K'port

and some of the shops even looked familiar (for good reason since three of the stores we passed have locations by the same name in Dock Square in Kennebunkport!!)
The town even has a connection to former President "W" - but I'll let their sign say it all!!
Finally there's a place called Linda Bean's which is owned by a relative of the founders of LL Bean and which serves authentic Maine lobster rolls!!! Who knew we would find K'ports sister southern town??!

But most importantly there are some funky, beachy local joints where you can partake of a cool adult beverage along the way!! Due to the heat, we made several stops in such establishments to replenish our electrolytes - you wouldn't want us to suffer heat stroke would you??

Joe Brown's, Our First Stop

Our final stop turned out to be my favorite place since it was right across from the beach so had a nice breeze, served killer mahi sandwiches and it was happy hour all day long!!! Cold Landsharks anyone??

Now That's a Welcome Sign!

Awwwwww, a Landshark!

Instead of taking the highway back to the boat, we drove along the famous A1A - which runs all the way to Key West although we had to stop ourselves from continuing on down there.... we do miss Key Weird!!! Back on the boat we found Bootser waiting for us, in need of treats and love, but otherwise snoozing and keeping cool in the recently fixed A/C.

"Thanks for Fixing the A/C, Dad!"

We may have some interesting news later on this week so check back to the blog then....we'll keep you all posted!