Land Ho....

For the past couple weeks we have been getting land acclimated again - even though we are still living on the boat, we're tied up to a dock and not moving from port to port, one particular harbor after another, one quaint little beach town after another...you get the idea. Yup - our boat lines are firmly tied off to the cleats at our marina in Aventura, FL other than our brief "adventure" over to A dock to pump out. There's no in-slip pump-out here so our big boat trip the other day was to go around the corner to the face dock at the marina - now with all modesty I must say I handled it like a champ (not just leaving the slip, but docking at the pump-out station (no I didn't take it out causing a royal stink as per Eileen Quinn's song) and then backing Gypsies once again into our designated slip!!!) Pretty pathetic that was our grand boating adventure in the past couple weeks, huh?? Soon....

Fourth of July down here was not the best of weather so our three day boat trip down to Biscayne Bay was put on temporary hold but we spent lots of quality time with the Bootser watching movies, making homemade pizza and lots of popcorn and watching a great firework display from the back of our boat. Can't really complain about the couple days of rain - it's the only bad weather we've really had down here since arriving (if you don't count the 100+ degree, 150% humidity days which are most of them and the daily afternoon thunderstorms that occur pretty regularly between 4-6 pm!!) We actually don't mind the heat and humidity when we can be in shorts and flip-flops or bathing suits, but when you have to dress up in a suit for a networking lunch or a meeting, can I tell you how much it stinks!!

Speaking of which Doug and I are in the fun position of building up our professional networks down here, me in search of the "perfect job" - is there such thing?? - and Doug in his role as a consultant with Tatum. Because we were starting to have meetings and lunches on the same days in different cities, it was starting to be hard to carpool with our one car - unlike in Key West, the scooters really don't work too well at 70 mph on the highways between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm, especially when in a business suit (although they are awesome to get back and forth to the beach club which we do whenever we have a little free time!!!) So....we are now a two car family again - UGH!! Yup - we went out a couple weekends ago and bought me a car - basically a twin of Doug's only white (down here you really want a light colored car and even then getting into it after its been sitting in the sun all day is worse than sliding into a sauna after throwing a gallon of water on the rocks!)

Not to fear - we are not turning into really boring "grounded" people - we've been having fun getting familiar with our new hood which is a pretty cool place. We've even ventured into the Aventura Mall which I have to admit is unbelievable - since when were malls the size of small villages complete with 15 screen movie theaters, more restaurants than most small towns and where it's easier to get lost than it would be in the Everglades. And the mall wildlife is equally as shocking - lesson number one, never go to the mall on a Saturday when all the teenagers in Miami-Dade County are on the prowl with pockets full of cash and bodies full of attitude!! HELP!

Another sign that we are becoming land dwellers again - today I got a library card!! I don't think I've had one of those since I was about 12 but since we're not traveling from port to port anymore (at least for awhile), then I don't have access to those wonderful book exchanges that were so plentiful and which kept me in new books while we were cruising. Not that I've even begun to tap into those two huge crates of books I brought with us when we left Maine and which Doug continually swears over as he has to move around in the lazarette (who knew marinas would have book exchanges??) But I figured, since we plan on being here for awhile, why not take advantage of the library to keep me in new books - Doug's pretty happy too because they also lend movies!!! Besides it makes us feel almost civic.....

So for now, we are enjoying the beach, the pool and all our marina and the beautiful coastline of Florida has to offer - have I mentioned that the ocean here is the absolute perfect temperature? refreshing yet warm enough to lounge around in for hours!!! I think back with much fondness to the frigid waters of Maine where the numbness set in 10 seconds after sticking your big toe in other than those several days in August when the Gulf Stream swung up the eastern seaboard and made the water reach about 62 degrees!! Although we love Maine, think I'll take the water down here!!! This weekend the weather looks good so we plan on casting off Gypsies' lines and heading down to Biscayne Bay for an overnight - we're going to pretend just for the weekend that we are cruising again!!! YIPPEEEEEE!!!!

ps - I'll make sure we have some pictures for the next blog!