Wow. I didn’t realize that I hadn’t posted anything since I returned from my awesome week off. I have to think for a bit about what happened!
So, Friday. The track. AWESOME! I got to meet some of the drivers in the 500 and got my picture taken with the fabulous Dan Wheldon (aka my new boyfriend, even though he’s married). Plus, free food. Doesn’t get much better than that! I love me some free stuff. Then after that it was off to get my hair cut. Which it needed. Badly. Then I rushed downtown from the north side to make it to the Indians game on time. It turned out that my friend J that was at the track with me was bringing her friend D to the Indians game, so we all managed to sit together and watch the Indians win. Fun times. It got a tad chilly so I had to buy a new Indians jacket that was tres adorable (I don’t speak French, but that’s how that word looks in my head, so that’s how its going on the page).
On Saturday I bought a new bike! Yes, since gas prices are getting out of hand, I decided it was time for me to be more environmentally responsible and purchase my very own Giant Boulder. I like it lots. I only wish the bike store had had the purple and silver one in stock, but they didn’t so I ended up with the white and silver. A very good alternative. I got the purple helmet to make up for it. Although I’m not sure how it’s going to help me with the gas price situation since I work evenings and don’t feel comfortable riding that far of a distance at night, but dammit, that’s how that purchase was justified!
After the bike store it was off to Covington, KY for Maifest. We had a great time eating the good foods and drinking good beer. There was a rumor that Hilary Clinton was going to show up, but I didn’t see her and never heard whether or not she was there. I’m guessing not, since if she had been it would have been everywhere. I really enjoyed looking at all the booths that were set up. I even purchased some yummy Pearberry scented lotion from one stand.
Sunday it was off to the Reds game. They played the Cleveland Indians and won. The best (worst?) part was, there was a home run hit into the section in which we were sitting. The bad part? We were getting hot dogs and missed it! We would have even been on TV! That sucked. But at least the Reds swept the series with the Indians.
I thought Monday would never arrive. Monday was the official start of my vacation. Mostly because it was the part I was looking forward to the most! It was finally time to go to Florida! My friends J, C and I left Monday and flew to Fort Lauderdale. We rented a car to drive from Fort Lauderdale to Key West. But not just any car. We had a Mustang Convertible! It was awesome. So much fun to drive around Florida in a Mustang Convertible. I highly recommend it.
Our reservations for our Key West hotel weren’t until Tuesday since we originally weren’t going to be getting into Fort Lauderdale until very late Monday night, so we spent Monday evening at a very cool, very large outlet type mall in Fort Lauderdale. I spent too much money at the Banana Republic Factory Store and got my very first Coach purse at the Coach Factory Store. I love my new purse unreasonably. I think I should name it.
Tuesday we woke bright and early to begin our 6 hour drive to Key West. It was a fun drive, complete with drinking spiked Icees in Key Largo. Another thing I highly recommend. We stopped at a few roadside places to do our touristy shopping and ate lunch at the 7 Mile Grill just before we got on the 7 Mile Bridge. By the time we got to Key West my forehead, shoulders and ears were slightly burned from driving the entire way with the top down, but it was so worth it. I now have a very nice tan to make up for it.
The rest of Tuesday and most of Wednesday were spent doing the usual tourist stuff in Key West. Visiting the Southernmost Point in the continental US, the Hemingway Home, Duval Street, riding the Trolley all over Key West. Fun stuff. Tuesday night was fun, though. We went to a drag show and laughed our asses off! I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard in my life. If there hadn’t been a really wasted chick there that all the drag queens were making fun of, I don’t think it would have been nearly as funny. But because of that, it so was.
Wednesday we caught the sunset at Mallory Pier and then I went and got my new tattoo at Key West Ink. I got a treble clef on the top of my left foot. It hurt. A lot. But I love it and am thinking about getting a bass clef on the right foot eventually. After the tattoo parlor, the three of us headed over to Cowboy Bill’s for a few drinks. Somehow my friend J decided to enroll in the sexy bull riding contest. This is where the evening got a little out of hand. To gain the nerves she needed to do the contest, she consumed massive amounts of alcohol. And, being the good friend that I am, I consumed them with her. She didn’t place in the top three, but she had fun and that’s all that matters. She also ‘hung out’ with the bartender from another bar for the rest of the night. I made it back to the hotel on my own and passed out. All I know is that I was the only one of the three of us who didn’t get sick that night. Or the next day. Go me.
Somehow we managed to wake up at a decent hour so we could check out of the hotel and begin our long drive from Key West to Miami to make the trip home. We barely made it in time to return the rental car without getting charged. It was good to be headed home, but I could have used at least another day (or two) in that warm Key West sun. I’m definitely going to have to figure out a way to live there some day. Or at least have a vacation home. I love it there. It is beautiful and not that much hotter (or more humid) than Indiana in the summer, so I think I’d get used to it.
This has got to be the longest blog ever. But, I had fun blowing off steam from my entire year of working full-time and going to school full-time. Now I have to try and figure out how I’m going to get to go to Vienna to visit J in July.
I love to travel. Can you tell?
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