Gina's Jewels

We're just not news worthy.....

 It was a slow week, in that nothing EXCITING happened. We were all busy with school, chores, normal everyday family stuff. We spent an unusual amount of time indoors enjoying the air conditioning as the area endures a heat wave. In a way it has been good, as it has promoted spending time on our 6th grade lessons. Had the weather been “perfect”, we would have really struggled to focus!

On Friday, I got my hair cut and the guys hit Starbucks and a few shops at Pier Park. Later in the day, we walked around the docks at Capt. Andersons here in PCB. It was fun to see the sunburned fisherman coming in from the fishing trips, thrill seekers gathering their courage to board the Sea Screamer and families embarking the pirate ship.

 

On Saturday, we participated in the Panhandle Watermelon Festival in Chipley, FL. The celebration included a 5K run, a parade and then the festival and concerts. I was happy that my booth was set up in the agricultural center so I would be in the shade. However, rumor had it that the temperature combined with the humidity in the enclosure made it “feel like 106 degrees”. While there was only one time that I thought I’d faint from the heat, the animal smells emanating from the hot dirt floor were a consistent displeasure. During our sweltering time there, we managed to enjoy kabobs, grilled corn, hot dogs, sodas and yes, even watermelon. About 3,000 people attended the festival but it was just too hot for most to linger.

My jewelry website is down and will remain so for perhaps another month. Rather than get on my soapbox airing that nightmare, I’ll simply state that I am choosing joy. 

Michael Jackson AND Billy Mays were my age.   Kinda creepy....

Quartz, rubies and amethyst.....

On Saturday, we left the resort about 7:30 am and drove straight to Fort Walton Beach. After a major effort to find the correct address, the guys helped me unload the truck and set up my tables for a jewelry show. They continued on to Pensacola to spend the day at the National Naval Aviation Museum. (www.NavalAviationMuseum.org)

I was located in the courtyard of a little shopping center which includes “Fokkers Sports Pub”, a Thai restaurant, Pet Boutique, a Cigar shop, and Stella’s Boutique. It’s in a good location but hard to find as it’s located behind a nightclub and “Tattoo Zoo” which front the 98. Piper, the owner, has invited a group of “artists” to participate in an open market each Saturday. It’s a new event and I’m confident that as word gets around and her press release is out, the activity will pick up. As for this particular hot, humid but otherwise enjoyable day, participation and attendance were low.

 

An old (my age) biker named Bo, was set up next to me. He was offering kids the opportunity to search for either fossils or gemstones. For $5 per bag, I was impressed with how much treasure each child actually acquired. He has a very animated personality, a passion for vintage motorcycles, a big heart and I enjoyed working next to him.

There was a Jamaican family grilling jerked chicken and playing reggae music. Other vendors were selling tie-dyed clothes, homemade spaghetti sauce, etched wine glasses, and art prints.

Did I mention it was REALLY hot? I think that even my ankles were sweating. Piper offered margaritas to all the vendors but I thought it would be wise for me to stick with iced tea and water.

The smell of the grilled chicken was in the air, the music was playing and the fan (which Bo was kind enough to point in my direction) kept blowing his cigarette ashes in my eyes. You know I didn’t give up the fan but did give him hell all day about his chain smoking. He sincerely confessed that it had taken a lot for him to give up drinking, drugs, and EVEN smoking pot; he had to have his cigarettes. God love him and his “one little vice”.

The guys had a great time at the aviation museum and didn’t return until dinner time. They went in to Fokker’s and ordered a pizza while I started packing up my wares. After Stephan finished eating, he came back out to trade places so that I could enjoy my pizza in the air conditioning. When I entered the pub, I first noticed the musician on stage playing the harmonica and guitar. Then I noticed that Wagner was the only person in the Pub. There he sat with his pizza, sipping his drink, and enjoying the private performance. I laughed with him about it, then later introduced him to the concept of tipping the band as we made our way out.

As Stephan and I loaded everything into the truck, Wagner sat on the bench outside “Tattoo Zoo” and chatted with his buddy, Mitch. We were all tired and ready for bed by the time we arrived home.

Catching up......

This week has absolutely blown by. I finally sat down to update the blog and realized that I hadn’t written in over a week. On Thursday, my dental work was complete and tested on hot, cold, spicy, chewy and crunchy foods so I returned to San Antonio to spend some time with Dorrie and Perry.

On Friday, while Perry mowed the lawn for his mother and sister, Dorrie drove me around town to do some shopping. Afterwards, we went to visit with Noel and Emma at their home. At 4 pm, the four of us met Van and Missy for happy hour at Wildfish Seafood Grille (http://www.wildfishseafoodgrille.com). It has been a long time since happy hours were a part of my life and this was a real treat. Our party ordered the Oysters, Gulf Shrimp Cocktail (served on ice with spicy mustard and Atomic Horseradish), a wedge of warm, melting, Saint Andre cheese (served with toasted baguette slices and Vierge sauce), the Wildfish All Lump Crab Cake (sautéed with Chive Remoulade Sauce), Salt & Pepper Gulf Shrimp (from the Wok, with Ginger, Sugar Snaps and Red Chile), sliced Filet Mignon “Hot Rock” Ishiyaki with Togorashi Spice and Soy Broth, AND the Maine Lobster Bisque. The food was every bit as impressive as it sounds as was the chic, contemporary atmosphere. If you’re in San Antonio and want to take advantage of the ½ price Happy Hour specials, make sure to arrive at 4 pm; any later and you’ll be in line waiting to get in.

Don't feel sorry for the guys.   While I was at Happy Hour, they were enjoying a BBQ social here at the resort.

On Saturday morning, Perry dropped me off at the airport for my 11ish flight to Dallas. After our late arrival, I was informed that my connecting flight was and would have a 3 hour delay until the next available flight. It wasn’t a big deal, I made myself comfortable and enjoyed my MP3 player (after collecting the $238 check from American Airlines for my inconvenience).

Stephan and Wagner spent the day touring a large marina in Destin and the Air Force Armament Museum (http://www.afarmamentmuseum.com/) before coming to the airport. It has been a busy week, catching up on missed family time.

Acuna

Dorrie loaned me her car for my trip to Mexico.   I drove down mid-morning and made a detour for lunch (a brisket sandwich at Rudy’s BBQ) before crossing the border, then checked into the Villa Real (http://hvillareal.com/homeeng.html).   I didn’t have much time but thought it would be nice to brush my teeth before my dental appointment. 

 

 

You know my dentist is GOOD if I’ll travel from Florida to Mexico to see her!   I’ll go ahead and just add her website for those of you that missed it earlier:  http://mydentistinacuna.com/.    I have only 2 warnings:  (1) you’ll save a ton of money, and (2) the food here is DELICIOUS and you WILL gain a few pounds.    I don’t know if it’s part of growing up (notice I didn’t say “getting old”) but I’ve had some dental issues this year.   I wish they had been as simple as fillings.   My current issue is another root canal plus an onlay for that tooth. 

 

After spending the afternoon getting the root canal and having a temporary onlay fitted, I returned to my hotel room, waited for the numbness to fade and then treated myself to a plate of nachos, side order of guacamole and an ice cold Tecate. 

Back in Florida, Wagner spent the day at Zoo Camp while Stephan worked and in the evening, they grilled up some Red Snapper for dinner.   In my absence, they harvested the first ripe tomato from my “garden” to enjoy on a salad.  It’s enlightening to know how self-sufficient they can be.

 

 

Driving and fishing......

Stephan and Wagner had a fishing date with Phillip and Suzette on Saturday.  Dorrie, Perry and I had a long drive to Texas on our agenda.   We left the resort about the same time, some more thrilled than others.

Our first stop was in Destin to check out the beach and get another cup of coffee.   The sand and water were just beautiful.  We noticed a sign for “5 cent Beer Night” and gathered that perhaps; just perhaps; these individuals were left over from bargain night.

 

We stopped in LA at “The Boudin Shop” – it was the “fresh pralines” sign that lured us in.   They didn’t have any pralines but they had a good selection of alligator meat (jerky, sausage, etc.).   I’m sure it’s just me but LA seems more foreign to me than Mexico.  The music makes me anxious and the food isn’t appealing.    To each his own.

 

 

We made good time (14 hours) from door-to-door including our stops.  It was a long drive but it was nice to have it out of the way rather than committing 2 days to it.

The décor in Dorrie & Perry’s apartment makes you feel like you’re walking into a magazine (and I’m not talking about Farm & Home).   They are creative decorators and their home looks fabulous.   Although as simple as I am, I’m never sure if I’m allowed to use certain towels, etc.   ;0}

Sleep came quickly after our arrival though I’m not sure why I was so tired.   I didn’t drive; I just sat there and nodded off every now and then.   Go figure.

 

 

Meanwhile, back in FL, the fishing crew limited out on Snapper and pulled in a nice grouper too.  Stephan’s fish were over 15 lbs.! 

Sister in common....

Phillip and Suzette arrived on Thursday for the weekend with some of their friends from Tallahassee. We went over and spent a few hours visiting in the evening and discussed some options for Friday. Dorrie and Philip had never met.   Dorrie and I have the same mother, different fathers.   Philip and I have the same father, different mothers.  Sounds worse than it really is.   They aren't related but have a sister in common.  Got it?

 

As we were driving to St. Andrews State Park on Friday morning, Philip called and offered to take us to Shell Island on his boat. The water was just a bit rougher than my stomach prefers, but I made it there without any problems. There were seashells everywhere, mostly broken, but there were plenty to sort through, which is one of my favorite things to do. After Stephan and I found a modest offering to give Dorrie, we rejoined the group on the bay side of the island.

 

 

We visited, snacked and just enjoyed the beach during which time, the water grew rougher. Perry and I were thrilled to be back on land and grateful to not be seasick.

Philip and Suzette returned to their campground to spend time with their friends and we opted to sit in the park’s gazebo overlooking the beach. We grilled hamburgers and spent some time preparing for our departure on Saturday morning.

But their food is good.....

The combination of the probability of rain, rough beach conditions and Dorrie’s leg feeling better, led us to Pier Park for some shopping. We roamed the promenade with all the other tourists until our lunch time hunger pangs led us to Hunt’s Oyster Bar for a seafood lunch.

 

 

We had the absolute worst service ever. It began with the hostess forgetting that we were standing on the patio waiting to be seated. After I grew tired of hearing my stomach growl, I peeked in to check our status only to see a few empty tables and the hostess seated at the bar flirting. O.K. she was sorry and quickly seated us in a corner table. There we sat for quite a while before our waitress acknowledged us because she was dealing with a customer who couldn’t seem to communicate how he wanted his 4 items split onto different receipts. She apologized for the delay and took our order but only remembered to bring 2/3 of the appetizers. We waited patiently for our meals as we watched the table next to us receive prompt service. The food finally came. Well actually, someone delivered two meals and stated that our waitress was bringing the others. Again we waited and watched our waitress serve the table next to ours. When she finally glanced our way and we explained the situation, she quickly returned with another meal, at which time, she realized that we were waiting for TWO meals. When the last meal was finally delivered, we had shared our unhappiness with the manager, received a discount for our inconvenience, and knew we would not return to this restaurant.

We did a little sight seeing on the drive home. Later, the guys decided to do some more fishing. Unfortunately, they were rained out before landing any keepers.

Made in the shade....

 

 

Tuesday was a perfect day to spend the morning at the beach. We loaded up and drove back to Beach Access 16 to claim our space. Stephan put up one of our new free umbrellas which allowed us to spend several hours there.

When we returned home, Dorrie made some Spanish rice to go with our grilled chicken fajita lunch. Afterward, we enjoyed sitting in the shade outside while the guys disappeared into their “x-box” world.

Later, the guys decided to go fishing which resulted in one good keeper. While they were gone, Dorrie napped and rested her leg as I shopped online.

Touristas....

Did I mention that last week I woke up with my right cheek swollen and pain in my gum? Will my dental issues ever end? The swelling went down, but I visited a local dentist on Monday morning to get things checked out. It worked out that Stephan could drop me off and then pick me up after taking care of some business at the local Ford dealership. The good news is that I’m not dying of some horrible gum disease; the bad news is that I need another root canal. Of course, this dentist can’t do the work himself; he would “refer me to a specialist”.

I love my Mexican dentist but she is VERY far away. While I was waiting for Stephan to pick me up, I played out the many ways to handle this. Of course, I didn’t pick the easiest route but I did choose the solution that I’d be happiest with. After some discussion, we agreed that I would return to TX with my sister and then drive down to have my MX dentist do my work. I would then use airline miles for a “free” flight to return home.

Dorrie’s leg was stiff and bruised from her fall last night but she wanted to visit some souvenir shops. At the first shop, the store clerk overheard me telling Dorrie about the antibiotics the dentist prescribed for me. She mentioned that she was on antibiotics (I don’t know for what) but that they made her very sensitive to the sun. Anyway, a few minutes later, as we are browsing around the store, I hear her tell the cashier that she needs to leave for about 10 minutes as she was heading out the door. Then to my complete surprise, Stephan turns to me as he is following her out the door and quickly states “I’ll be right back”. Strange….my husband is leaving a souvenir shop with a female clerk (who is on antibiotics). It just looked wrong. As it turned out, she saw him looking at beach umbrellas and had offered him some for free that she had retrieved from the beach. In his excitement, he jumped in the truck and drove her home to pick them up. It wasn’t till he returned to my lovely scowl that he considered my perspective.

With his two free beach umbrellas and chairs in the back of the truck, we continued on to enjoy lunch at a Chinese buffet. After lunch, we stopped at Walmart and Stephan purchased an MP3 player for himself, since I’m not willing to share mine.

I spent a few hours in the evening working on my Mexican dental trip arrangements while everyone else went to Pier Park and watched the new Star Trek movie. Apparently it is a great movie even if you are not a Star Trek fan.

No sunburns (or broken bones) please....

The guys all enjoyed the Sunday morning breakfast buffet while Dorrie and I enjoyed a bit of quiet time at the RV.

When they returned, we were all ready for some beach time. Sunscreens, towels, chairs, drinks, snacks, and more snacks were loaded and then we made our way to Beach Access 16. The sand is like baby powder, the water smooth and clear and we also had a nice breeze. We weren't there too long as we didn’t want them to get sunburned. So after a wonderful beach visit, we returned to the resort and enjoyed the swimming pool and its shaded areas.

  

Dorrie and I returned to the RV and she cooked some pasta to toss with the left over grilled veggies (which I combined with garlic and fresh tomatoes).  After lunch, we spent several hours lounging around visiting.

Later, Dorrie, Perry and I did a bit of shopping at Sam’s Club and Publix before returning home to nibble our way into the evening.

The evening was spent visiting, watching TV and also setting up my new Zen MP3 player. I am so excited about downloading audio books from the library so that I don’t have to squint in the sunshine OR sacrifice any precious reading time.  Everyone was occupied and then....

Dorrie fell when she was coming down the stairs from our bedroom.   She twisted her knee, pulled some muscles and bruised her toes all in a few seconds.  The fall was scary and did some damage but fortunately she didn’t break any bones.   She was holding her Chihuahua when she fell (we’re not sure how it all happened as it was all so fast) and he didn’t get hurt at all.  She took some Tylenol and iced down her knee to keep the swelling down.   Hopefully it will all be better tomorrow....