Going to Florida!
Well, tomorrow I head off to Tampa for a week. I'm driving down with two kids and a cat in my car. Pity me. However, once I arrive, I will be planted firmly in the Land of Spoiled Rotten, so that will rock! My mom will end up making a lot of my childhood favorite foods (she's a fantastic cook), my dad will end up paying for stuff that I need, and the kids will get to do things like go to the beach while having a set of extra adults to entertain them so it actually feels like a pleasant trip for me too. Alex won't be coming along because he has to leave to go to France to get his visa restamped. We didn't want him to go to France right now due to the expense, but even though he has a student visa that is good until 2009, he has to LEAVE THE COUNTRY and then re-enter from France to get his old internship visa off and his student visa re-stamped. No, he can't simply go down to some gov't agency with all the right paperwork here and SAVE $1300 by not having to go to France! Oh no. No no no. THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE! He must fly out and fly back in. Well, since he has to go back anyway, he might as well stay a week and visit family and friends...get a few things straight with his school and with the wedding...and purchase wine and chocolates for me :P I wish we could all go with him, but that was not in the cards (the cards are actually my bank account, you see).
I was born and raised in Tampa. I spent the first 17 yrs of my life there before I headed off to NC to go to Duke. I used to live in a suburb that was very nice and on the outskirts of town; now it's part of town. Tampa is SO much bigger now than it was when I was a child. We used to live on Lake Carroll, and I was raised swimming, boating, and waterskiing my summers away. There was always something soothing about waking up and seeing the lake look like a smooth mirror, not a ripple anywhere as it was too early for anybody but maybe a fisherman out on a small boat somewhere on the lake. My brother Mark taught me how to fish, and I used to go fishing on that lake for largemouth bass all the time. He also taught me how to clean his fish, and I often got suckered into cleaning his catch. I have fond memories of my childhood house, too.
The house I was raised in was one of the most unique houses you will ever see, both inside and out. The architect who built our house was a new guy who impressed my dad. My dad, in a rare moment of creativity, told him, well, we have three kids...we're going to have one more...and I want a place to stick my office desk. Go for it. The fellow sure did go for it, and what he created was something very unique for the late 60's. In fact, the house ended up being photographed for a national magazine and the fellow ended up designing part of the Tampa Airport and the governor's house. He was so talented! He ended up living a couple of blocks away from our house, and I used to ride my bike past his house all the time. It was done in that same very unique, modern style that he did so well. I wish I had a scanner so I could put up a picture of my house so you could see what I meant! Anyway, I always tease my family that the reason why I'm so different from them is...THAT HOUSE! It corrupted my soul with its uniqueness :) I miss that old house. My parents sold it my freshman year. It was a big house meant to raise four children, and with me--the youngest--going off to college, they wanted to get a townhouse which would be so much easier to take care of and much smaller. They're still in that townhouse, and that's where we'll stay when we are down there.
Some of the things I remember about childhood have now come to South Carolina. For instance, Publix is a Florida based grocery store chain. When I first went to graduate school at USC in Columbia, there weren't any Publixes there. A year or two later, the first one appeared. When I moved to Greenville, the first Publix opened up there the month after I arrived. Now there are tons of Publixes around here, and I for one am glad because I love that place. Many items and stores I once could only find in Tampa are now available up here, much to my delight. However, there is one thing that Florida has that SC does not have right now:
A real Cuban sandwich.
A real Cuban sandwich has pulled pork on it...oh yummmmm. I'm going to gorge on good Cubano food while I'm there. I love fried plantains too. Well, ok, I haven't ever tried Cuban food I didn't like, so you can assume I'll keep eating until I am about to burst!
It'll be fun to see some of my friends again, too. Mom and dad have already invited Lee over to the house for dinner one night as they view her as another child in some ways. Lee and I used to hang out so much when I lived in Tampa that she might as well have been my sister. Hmmm. No wait. She treats me much better than my sister treats me. Ok, she's a sister PLUS. How's that? I had told Lee recently about how much I was enjoying reading up on wine, and that I was thinking if I kept reading and sharpened my palate, I could take the Certified Wine Educator test and maybe end up teaching folks about wine for a living one day. In typical Lee fashion, she responded:
You'd be awesome at that! You need to build up your tolerance for alcohol. What fun. I can be your drinking buddy!
I just chuckled when I read that. See, Lee is NOT an optimist. She is NOT one of those feel-good happy people who looks for the best in every situation. That's MY role in our relationship...haha! But when it comes to me, she can be genuinely happy for me, encouraging, and enthusiastic. It's moments like that when I realize how much I miss her. I know my friends up here would like her too, so maybe I should just force her to move up here!
Anyway, the kids are looking forward to the trip and so am I. The drive up and down will suck save for one detour we'll get to make, but the trip itself should be wonderful. OH! And as further incentive for Thursday night arrival, dad says if I'm a good girl and arrive around 9 or so, he'll have SAVED ME the last glass of the bottle they are opening up Thursday for his birthday...a '95 St. Julien Bordeaux that is worth more than I am. OH MAN! I can't wait!
(I have no idea if I'll blog at all while I'm down there. Now that dad got DSL, I think I probably will be on the net here and there, but I can't predict!)
Seeya, guys!
EDIT: ok, I have to say that, once again, Alex proves why we're cloning him! Haha! I just received a dozen roses and a note. WHY did he send me roses today? Because on today, four years ago, he met me for the very first time, just as friends back then. Thanks, sweetheart. You really ARE perfect for me...and more patient than any person should be, too!
I was born and raised in Tampa. I spent the first 17 yrs of my life there before I headed off to NC to go to Duke. I used to live in a suburb that was very nice and on the outskirts of town; now it's part of town. Tampa is SO much bigger now than it was when I was a child. We used to live on Lake Carroll, and I was raised swimming, boating, and waterskiing my summers away. There was always something soothing about waking up and seeing the lake look like a smooth mirror, not a ripple anywhere as it was too early for anybody but maybe a fisherman out on a small boat somewhere on the lake. My brother Mark taught me how to fish, and I used to go fishing on that lake for largemouth bass all the time. He also taught me how to clean his fish, and I often got suckered into cleaning his catch. I have fond memories of my childhood house, too.
The house I was raised in was one of the most unique houses you will ever see, both inside and out. The architect who built our house was a new guy who impressed my dad. My dad, in a rare moment of creativity, told him, well, we have three kids...we're going to have one more...and I want a place to stick my office desk. Go for it. The fellow sure did go for it, and what he created was something very unique for the late 60's. In fact, the house ended up being photographed for a national magazine and the fellow ended up designing part of the Tampa Airport and the governor's house. He was so talented! He ended up living a couple of blocks away from our house, and I used to ride my bike past his house all the time. It was done in that same very unique, modern style that he did so well. I wish I had a scanner so I could put up a picture of my house so you could see what I meant! Anyway, I always tease my family that the reason why I'm so different from them is...THAT HOUSE! It corrupted my soul with its uniqueness :) I miss that old house. My parents sold it my freshman year. It was a big house meant to raise four children, and with me--the youngest--going off to college, they wanted to get a townhouse which would be so much easier to take care of and much smaller. They're still in that townhouse, and that's where we'll stay when we are down there.
Some of the things I remember about childhood have now come to South Carolina. For instance, Publix is a Florida based grocery store chain. When I first went to graduate school at USC in Columbia, there weren't any Publixes there. A year or two later, the first one appeared. When I moved to Greenville, the first Publix opened up there the month after I arrived. Now there are tons of Publixes around here, and I for one am glad because I love that place. Many items and stores I once could only find in Tampa are now available up here, much to my delight. However, there is one thing that Florida has that SC does not have right now:
A real Cuban sandwich.
A real Cuban sandwich has pulled pork on it...oh yummmmm. I'm going to gorge on good Cubano food while I'm there. I love fried plantains too. Well, ok, I haven't ever tried Cuban food I didn't like, so you can assume I'll keep eating until I am about to burst!
It'll be fun to see some of my friends again, too. Mom and dad have already invited Lee over to the house for dinner one night as they view her as another child in some ways. Lee and I used to hang out so much when I lived in Tampa that she might as well have been my sister. Hmmm. No wait. She treats me much better than my sister treats me. Ok, she's a sister PLUS. How's that? I had told Lee recently about how much I was enjoying reading up on wine, and that I was thinking if I kept reading and sharpened my palate, I could take the Certified Wine Educator test and maybe end up teaching folks about wine for a living one day. In typical Lee fashion, she responded:
You'd be awesome at that! You need to build up your tolerance for alcohol. What fun. I can be your drinking buddy!
I just chuckled when I read that. See, Lee is NOT an optimist. She is NOT one of those feel-good happy people who looks for the best in every situation. That's MY role in our relationship...haha! But when it comes to me, she can be genuinely happy for me, encouraging, and enthusiastic. It's moments like that when I realize how much I miss her. I know my friends up here would like her too, so maybe I should just force her to move up here!
Anyway, the kids are looking forward to the trip and so am I. The drive up and down will suck save for one detour we'll get to make, but the trip itself should be wonderful. OH! And as further incentive for Thursday night arrival, dad says if I'm a good girl and arrive around 9 or so, he'll have SAVED ME the last glass of the bottle they are opening up Thursday for his birthday...a '95 St. Julien Bordeaux that is worth more than I am. OH MAN! I can't wait!
(I have no idea if I'll blog at all while I'm down there. Now that dad got DSL, I think I probably will be on the net here and there, but I can't predict!)
Seeya, guys!
EDIT: ok, I have to say that, once again, Alex proves why we're cloning him! Haha! I just received a dozen roses and a note. WHY did he send me roses today? Because on today, four years ago, he met me for the very first time, just as friends back then. Thanks, sweetheart. You really ARE perfect for me...and more patient than any person should be, too!
posted by Kira | 7:37 AM
10 Comments:
anyone would think you and alex were an item the way you talk about him.....
have a good time in florida, and watch out for 'gators! apart from them and disney theres naff all else i know about the place, so i wanna see lotsa pics and posts when you get back! send us a postcard!
Enjoy your trip. =)
And to everybody: if Kira suddenly stops blogging, it's because she hates you all, not because she's passing through Atlanta, home of the ultimate evil (me). Those mounds of earth in my cellar will be, um, my new garden, and not shallow graves at all. I know nothing. In fact, I don't even speak English. わたしは にごんじん です。
All your tips last year in December about what to eat in Florida were right on. I would LOVE it if I heard there were another conference in Miami this year because I straight up loved Florida. The weather was perfect, the food was great, and the mojitos were heaven. I never got a pulled pork sandwich, but I did get fried plantains... mmmmmm. I believe I liked Miami better than San Francisco.
At any rate, have a wonderful time and enjoy the family! =o)
Here in Cincy, we just have lethal chili. Nothing remotely as appetizing as a Cuban sandwich (on genuine cuban lard bread).
Have fun waddling back to SC.
Hmm. Those Floridians must think that you've defected to the north, moving to SC and all.
Don't leave -- I just got back! :) I guess you don't want to hear about Harold's Chicken Shack, Le Colonial, or TT's. Oh well. ;)
95 St. Julien Bordeaux!!!!!
Damn it! How about you go to France by plane and I go to Florida with the kids?
Say hi to all of your friends my love *kiss*
And here is to another 4 years together. And then another. And another until you wear me out through sex and I die a withered corpse...Hmm that may only take a week actualy.
You two cheer my heart, thank you.
Have a wonderful time. I bet your dad saves that wine for you even if you do arrive a teensy weensy tiny bit late.
I remember having to do that visa BS...whatever. Soon it'll be nothing more than a slightly unpleasant memory.
(Grant scares me)
You are so lucky: Great parents, great kids, Alex, taste for wine...
My cup of jealousy runneth over! I hope you have an excellent time relaxing down there!
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