liralen | Getting to Miami (Reply)

We're not in Colorado anymore. On the way back to our hotel tonight, a gecko stopped to look at us on the sidewalk. We looked back. Jet approached the slender lizard, and it darted under a Coke machine that was half filled with Fanta. And on the way to the outdoor pool they came across an enormous gold and red 'grasshopper' that was a good four inches long.

This warm humidity, this was what the word "sultry" was made to describe.

This started as John's desire to visit the Keys of Florida, now it's become Jet's personal quest to visit the last of the four corner states of the continental US. With one set of grandparents in Seattle, another in San Diego, it was easy to do the first two. Several summers ago we drove all the way out to Vermont, and since we were there, by

archangelbeth, we went up to Maine and waded about in the surf on a not quite so sunny day. So Jet wanted to finish his set of each of the four states on the corners of the continental US. Then we'll probably go visit Alaska and Hawaii just to get Jet complete. I miss Hawaii.

Getting here I probably made it so that we cut nearly everything a bit closer than we usually like. I stayed up a little too late last night, so I was up a little late this morning, and took a little more time at breakfast than I liked. And we were out the door and I forgot I hadn't taken my meds, so I was back in and taking the ones I'd actually left out for myself on the table. So we were out of the driveway later than we really wanted.

When we got to the long-term parking lot the shuttles were running a little later than usual, so by the time we got to the airport we were already half an hour behind our usual 2 hour margin before the flight. The lines for check-in were longer. And then the security lines ran through all the cow chutes and out into the baggage claim areas, but it was moving fast. But by the time we got through that and through the crowded trains, there was only forty minutes until the time the flight was to take off. John realized we hadn't been assigned seats, yet, so he ran off to the gate while Jet and I got sandwich, bagel, chips, and some drinks at a kiosk. We got through that pretty quickly, and got to the gate just as they were calling our seating order. Since we were so late, they'd actually assigned Jet and I the exit row seats! Woohoo! But Jet, obviously, couldn't sit there, and the guy who did the assigning had the best plan, as he'd put both Jet and I in the exit row, and John in the row in front. And it turned out that the two ladies who were in the row with John were delighted to trade with Jet and I!

It was great, and the three of us ended up sitting together in the premier seating with more leg room and stuff. I think it's the first time in a long time that I've actually sat in front of the wings instead of in back of them. *laughter* Oh for the good old days of business class everywhere.

The flight was good. The movie was the Spiderwick Chronicles. Jet still has questions about it.

Thrifty rental car gave us a little PT Cruiser. John needed me to sign the contract as well since I was driving as well. I went up and, as is my habit, I looked over the details of the contract before signing it. The woman behind the counter got really impatient with me, tapped the paper at the big X, and said, "Just sign it there." It was obvious she thought I was confused about what I was supposed to do. All I said was, "I understand perfectly. Thank you." She shut up very abruptly and looked mildly embarrassed. I looked over the details for the daily rate, as I just wanted to know how much it was costing and what the rates were for other things on the car. I can't sign something I haven't seen. I don't have to be aggressive about it, either, not anymore.

Then we got in and drove south to Florida City, the "gateway to the Keys".

John set up a hotel there for us, and we have one for the first two nights in Key West. Jet was a little antsy getting down here, but he ended up very happy as there's a pool. We looked over the restaurants, and talked with the guy at the front desk about recommendations and were very glad we did. The Captain's Restaurant, right across the street from the hotel, was absolutely excellent, a six page seafood menu and grilled cheese for Jet. John got the Cajun blackened scallops and I got the butter rum and bananas scallops. *laughter* Most of the other dishes I'd had before elsewhere, though I should probably have asked more closely about stone crabs and the soft-shelled crab sandwiches looked really good, too.

The butter rum sauces was so-so, but the scallops were perfectly tender and buttery and cooked just enough. The bananas added a rich, creamy sweetness that I really enjoyed. I asked for a "yellow rice" that turned out to be tomato based, and bright orange, with some parsley and butter as well. John's garlic mashed were good and chunky and garlicy. Jet's sandwich was big and fluffy and crunchy on the outside. They did it all quite well; but they really surpassed themselves on the homemade desserts. One was a very good, creamy and tangy key lime pie. I think we're going to have to have one every day. It was solid, sturdy, not that tangy, but tasty anyway. I'm thinking it's a good baseline to judge off of for the rest.

The beauty was a white chocolate brownie that they warmed until the white and dark chocolate chips in the brownie itself did the melty chocolate thing, and they topped it with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. Jet ate half the ice cream, but didn't like the brownie that much. He happily ate all but the last bite of his third of the Key Lime Pie, though, so he didn't upset all convention. It was good that we walked to and from dinner, and the boys are now in the pool, working some of that dessert off. I'm just brain dumping so that I don't forget.