Boesch Great Adventure

Last Blog

2010-04-11T18:11:00.002-04:00

So Tom and I realized that it had once again been months since a blog has been posted and that it has been over 2 years on the island so things have settled down to a day to day life. After long consideration we have decided that this will be the last posting.

If you would like to keep up on KW our friend Key West Lou has a daily blog that he keeps and its very entertaining. He is a retired lawyer from NY and you can follow him at

http://www.keywestlou.com

We are both keeping Facebook pages so you can find either of us there or at our email addresses below to keep in touch.

drtnwtr@msn.com or aarrrghkw@hotmail.com

Thanks for following us for the past few years and we hope you have enjoyed the adventures!

October, November & December

2009-12-13T18:00:00.011-05:00

Oh how time has gone by since the last post. Let me bring you up to date......

The October brought many events that kept us busy!

I spent a week in NJ working. It was COLD and I have forgotten just how to handle that kind of weather.

Tom has been working for Mel Fisher taking investors diving as long as the weather is good. It keeps him busy and in the water!

Tom upgraded his scooter from the 50cc to a 150cc. I knew it would happen at some point and is he SO much happier with the new one. Check out the photo!

Then the end of Oct brought the party week of the year, Fantasy Fest!!! This years theme was Villains, Vixens and Vampires. Our group once again went with a theme for the peoples parade of the women being vampiress and the men were our victims. It was a blast! Of course that is just one of the events of the week. Its starts with Goombay on Fri and then goes through for 9 days. There were LOTS of people in attendance this year and I think Tom and I went out every night except 1. Check out the pics.....

Since this time also falls at Halloween we went to the Haunted Fort... Each year Fort Zach is turned into the haunted fort which we went to last year but this year was even better and we brought along our next door neighbors Bill and Carol. They have lived in KW for 15 years but has never been. It was a great night out.

The cutest thing was Ashlyn dressing up as a pink poodle for Halloween. She really is the cutest granddaughter ever!!!

November brought another set of changes to lives.

We had the Parrot Heads in town the first week in Nov. They are always a fun group!

Tropical storm Ida came by and gave us the only hurricane scare of the season. That is a good thing for an island that is dependent on tourism.

Then the power boat races were here for a week. Tom was gone last year then they were here so this was the first year he got to see them and really enjoyed it.

We found out that Dad had an aggressive form of blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma. We determined that he had it for a long time but was undiagnosed until we moved him to Albuquerque and had him under a doctor that specialized in geriatric care. On Nov 20 I got a call while in Washington DC working to fly to NM since Dad only had a few days to live. I was able to get there that day and Tom came in the next day. The family all gathered and Dad passed away peacefully in his sleep on Nov 22. As hard as it was to have him pass it was also a blessing. He was ready to be with Mom and the cancer was very painful so it was good to have him no longer suffer.

During the past 2 months of Dad's time in NM Taryn was his guardian angel. She got a job at the assisted living place where Dad was living since she was already there almost every day. The care that Dad received was amazing from the living facility to home health to hospice and was all over seen by Taryn. I have NO idea what I would have done without her.

We decided to put Dad's ashes on Four Peak mountains in AZ where we put Mom 10 years ago. Although it was not a trip we looked forward to it did allow us to be in Phoenix for Thanksgiving and spend it with Tom's family. That was the nice surprise of the trip.

We also managed to get in a happy hour with our GREAT old friends. It was so good to see everyone even if it wasn't under the best circumstances.

Finally after being gone for over 2 weeks Tom and I flew home to KW. It was a bitter sweet flight!

December has started with VERY warm weather. We have been having record highs and can't believe the highs are still getting up to 85 degrees during the day.

We signed a lease to stay in the house on White St another year. We really like it here and can't image moving again!!! It will be the first time in 4 years that we haven't moved.

This is also the start of 'season' and many event to attend for the holidays (more than usual if you can believe that).

We had the tree trimming at Schooner Wharf that included Swedish Gloog. It is a great drink made of wine and vodka! The owner of Schooner is from Sweden and makes her mothers recipe!

Then there was the Holiday Parade down Duval, the Lights Boat Parade, Mel Fisher xmas party, Cowboy Bills hayride, KW Burlesque Sing Long Show, friends xmas parties in their homes and that is just to name the ones that we are attending. It there was time we would add EVEN more events that are taking place.

Then on December 19 we fly to NM to spend Xmas with the kids and have Ashlyns's first xmas. Tom had to stop me from buying to many present since she is only 7 months old!

We will be coming back to KW 12/29 so that we can ring in New Years KW style and start out a new year of Adventures that we are planning (and a few I am sure will happen without any plans) for 2010!!!!

Diving the Vandenberg!

2009-10-11T18:56:00.003-04:00

Tom and I finally had a free weekend, the weather was right and everything worked out that we got to dive the Vandenberg. Of course Tom has dove it before since he worked on it and gets to take people out diving on it but it was my first time. On the way out to the dive site (about 20 minutes from the island) we saw a large turtle and dolphins so I knew it was going to be a good day to dive.

It was a GREAT dive!!! There wasn't much current, visibility was good and we went early afternoon after the dive charters had left. It was just the two of us and another boat that had tech divers on it. They were diving the interior of the ship so we could see their bubbles coming out of the various holes in the ship.

As we went down the down line we landed midship (depth was 60 feet) and started the tour moving toward the bow from the large satellite radar dish that was dislodged when the boat was sank. It was so cool to move across the deck, down the walk ways, and look through the doors and windows. There are a number of swim through which allow you to wander through the ship without being inside and having to know wreck penetration diving skills. Even me, who doesn't usually go into ANY wreck, did a few of them. The picture of me is on the weather deck in a doorway that is at a depth of 90 feet. Then we went by the wheel house, past a large access shaft that Tom has dove (but not me) and around the other side until we got back to the down line. The wreck has been down since the end of May and is starting to be covered with marine growth and fish have moved into a new home (barracuda, grouper, king angel and parrot fish to name a few).

It easy to see how this has been rated one of the top artificial reef dives in the world. There is so much to see that its not possible to do it in just a few dives. I didn't get to do the inside of the satellite dish, the kings post or the balloon hanger so we are planning another dive as soon as possible!

September Adventures

2009-10-04T14:02:00.011-04:00

So another month has come and gone with so much going on!

Lets start with Taryn, Brandon and Ashlyn visiting KW for 2 weeks.

The trip was our birthday gifts to Taryn and Brandon, Taryn's birthday being Sept 6 and Brandon's Oct 6th. Plus it was Ashlyn's first island visit and a great one at that since they were able to stay for so long.

Highlights were:

Brandon had his first taste of scuba diving! We didn't take the time to do a full certification course so Tom did a resort course which teaches the basics and allows Brandon to dive with Tom. They did a couple of tanks one of the days when we were out on the boat. It was a great time and Brandon now has the diving bug!!!

This was also Ashlyn's first time in the ocean. What a water baby she is! We got to take her out for a couple of trips and she LOVED it. The boat

the best to put her to sleep with the motors and the rocking of the waves. The picture of the right is of her when we were at 'The Resort' which is a friends house that is on the ocean. You have got to love the hat and the rash guard swim suit!!! She really is the cutest baby EVER!!!

After 2 fun weeks in KW it was time to move from Virginia to New Mexico. Brandon had to be in Albuquerque earlier than originally thought so he left for there directly from KW. That left Taryn to go back to Richmond and finish up the packing. Then we realized that a teething baby (or us!) would not make it for 4 days in the car driving across the country. On Monday, Sept 21 we arrived in Richmond, picked up a U-Haul, loaded it that night. Then VERY early Tuesday morning we put Taryn and Ashlyn on a plane. Tom took the U-Haul and I took the Murano with the dog and we headed out for NM. After 3 VERRRYYYY long days on the road, where we covered over 1800 miles, we arrived in Rio Rancho where the kids have their apartment. It was so good to finally be there and get things unloaded into their apartment! It's a great place and the area is amazing too. They really like it! We also got to go to Brandon's new church which we also really like. They have the main church that we attended service at on Sat night and then we to the satellite campus where Brandon works on Sunday morning. They are getting settled in and unpacked but our work was done with getting all the stuff there!

The trip to NM was dual purpose since we also needed to take care of my Dad. In August he had a series of small strokes that have left him with reduced mobility. He is no longer able to walk on his own or even with a walker. He can stand but is pretty much confined to a wheel chair. The strokes also had him in the hospital for 3 weeks with 2 of them in a rehab hospital. After all of that he wasn't able to return to his independent living apartment. He level of care has increased to fully assisted living support. To be able to support this it was decided that we would move him from Las Cruces where my brother Mike was supporting him to Albuquerque. That move came on Monday. Sept 29, after we had gotten the kids moved in. Taryn has also taken over his support and with her nursing training it has been a HUGH help. The new place we have moved him to is amazing and we all really like it. Even Dad is adjusting although the move was hard on him. So the last few days in NM was spent getting Taryn set up to take over Dad's support.

After 12 days of being gone we finally returned to KW on Thursday night, Oct 1. It was REALLY good to get home!!!!!

Now Oct is here which means Fantasy Fest!!!! We are gearing up and I will fill you in on all of the activities once it is over.

August Adventures

2009-08-22T09:56:00.009-04:00

So we are into the HOT days of summer. August seems to be the worse month in KW for us due to the temp being around 90 and the humidity being 75%. Just stepping outside makes you break out in a sweat. Even so it doesn't keep us at home and from spending time out on the town.

Latest info on looking for a new hangout......

The Iguana hasn't closed. They did cut back to only being open 3 days a week, Fri - Sun so we are spending at least 1 happy hour a week there trying to get our fill of hog wings and tater tots.

There have been a few of our favorites places closing. With the recession and the people not traveling the local places have been hit hard.

Our favorite delivery place - Damn Good Food To Go closed a month ago. It has been rumored that they may reopen in a different location. We can only hope!!! Their current location was next to the White Tarpon which has the BEST key lime martini on the island.

Meteor closed a couple of weeks ago. This was one of our favorite late night places since they are next to the Green Parrot and served food till 3am. Will miss the BBQ pork and fried pickles!

We are still on the hunt for the new hang out. Last night we were at the Chart Room (an old favorite we haven't been to in months) and the Hot Tin Roof for the first time. We really liked the Hot Tin Roof. It is above the Sunset Pier which is one of our favs. Jan and I have a list of more that we haven't been to so we continue the hunt!

We also just returned from the family invasion on Richmond. Patti, Shirley and Mike planned a trip to see Ashlyn so Tom and I crashed the party and went for the week too. We also turned it into birthday week since Patti had hers in July, Mike in Aug and Taryn's in Sept.

So the week was all about Ashlyn and touring the VA area.

Ashlyn is of course the CUTEST baby ever!!

Now at being over 3 months old she laughs and smiles and is such a good time!

We each got to spend time with her and I think her Grandpa Tom was the favorite. There was something about being up SO HIGH when he held her that she got a big kick out of!

There also is the 4 generation picture that we wanted to take which is below. The rest of the vaca pics are on my Face Book page if you want to see them.

The days were spent getting to see Richmond and VA. We rented a 12 seater van so that we could all ride together and carry all the baby stuff. It was a HOOT!

We did the wine tasting around Charlottesville which was a great time. I think between Tom, Patti and Mike we bought 16 bottles. We also found this wine chocolate sauce which was amazing.

We toured downtown Richmond and ate amazing pizza at Bottoms Up.

We got in touch with our southern side by touring the American Civil War museum and then headed out to the James River Plantations. There we found Shirley Plantation and toured a few others.

We drove to Virginia Beach and checked that out.

We had great BBQ at Q Barbecue and the amazing beer menu at Capital Ale House so we went back there 2 more times.

As you can tell the week was a blast and it was so much fun to have the family together.

We also found out that Brandon is taking a new position as a youth pastor at Sagebrush Community Church in Albuquerque NM. It's a great opportunity for him to work for a large church in a satellite location that they have started. He and Taryn are really looking forward to being back in the southwest again being the 'desert rats' that they are. We are really excited for them and it works out great for us too since my Dad is in Las Cruses NM and still close to Phx to see Tom's family.

In Sept they will be relocating. First they are coming to KW for a vacation and then Brandon flies from here to NM to start his job. Taryn will go back to Richmond to close up things there where we will meet her on Sept 21 to load up the Uhaul and once again drive across country. This will be our 3rd cross country trip and Taryn's 4th in 2 years!

As they say... On The Road Again!!!

100th Blog - July comes to an end.

2009-08-01T09:35:00.008-04:00

Welcome to the 100th posting to the Boesch's Great Adventure blog!!!! Hard to believe there has already been 100 stories to tell since this was started Jan 2008. We hope you have enjoyed them at least half as much as we have in sharing them. The move and life on the island has truly been an adventure and a dream come true! We are blessed to be able to have made it happen!!

July comes to an end.........

Hurricane season has started but with no named storms in the area yet it has the weather forecasters all worried. We are predicted to have 9 named storms this year and now it only leaves 3 months to get them all in. I checked the hurricane site this morning and they still don't see any new storms forming in the next 7 days. Late August, Sept & Oct may be an interesting time.

Tom has been busy with Mel Fisher Atocha Adventure. It is a new program they started to allow people who aren't investors come down for a week, stay in Old Town, tour the museum, and do a few dives out at the treasure site. He has done two weeks so far with one more group scheduled for next week. Here is the site if you want to check it out and come down to dive for treasure.

http://www.melfisher.com/myadventure/default.asp

There have also been a lot of investors in town since Mel Fisher Days so he has been taking them out to dive too.

Then when he isn't out at the treasure site he has also been working for one of the local dive shops, EcoScuba. He works for them as either a captain or a dive master depending on what they need to dive the reefs or the Vandenberg. His first priority is working for Chris or Mel Fisher so he works for Eco when he has an open day. Here is their site if you want to check it out. http://ecoscuba.com

All of the work has left him busy, out of the house and paying the bar tab, YEA!!!! He has actually had to turn down EcoScuba to get day off over the past month.

It's interesting since he went from not working much due to instructors classes in the first 4 months of this year to 26 days of work in the past 3 months. He is really enjoying it and getting great experience as both a boat captain and dive master.

Mini lobster season just ended. It cracks me up about what a big deal it is here. It gives people 2 days to dive for spiny lobsters before the commercial season opens. Now mind you there are 7 months that they can hunt for lobster but the 2 days when the season opens is a BIG deal. We have people from All Over come down. The marinas are full and there are boats and people EVERYWHERE in the water. Next weekend is the lobster festival on Duval and of course we will be there.

Our friends Louie and Maureen (their house is The Resort we love to go to) are also having a booth at the street festival for their sign shop, Montage. They lost their shop on Duval last March when it burned down. The art store next to them had an electrical short and burned which took Montage and the creperie place with it. They lost everything they had in the store (luckily their shop is on Stock Island so they didn't loose all of their inventory) and the building, with the 3 stores, had so much damage they leveled it. Now there is only an empty lot. So they have been waiting for the insurance to pay out, summer season to end (this is a slow time and not a good time to open a store), and are looking for a new store to rent on Duval in the fall so they can open for season. Check out their website. They have have great signs! I think we now have 3 and I have already decided on my 4th one. http://montagekeywest.com

So what will the 4th sign be you ask..... Iguana Cafe! Our favorite bar is closing next Friday. Our favorite bartender, Mike, already left a month ago. We will be there next Fri night for our final drink!! It will be a sad day for us indeed!!!!

Then of course that brings us to the hunt for a new 'favorite hangout'. We have been trying various places especially since it's been so hot we have been targeting the ones with AC that we can hang out in year round. A few of our current favorites are Rum Barrel, Sports Page and the BottleCap Lounge. Last night we were at the BottleCap and had a great time. They have also opened up a cafe next door which delivers food to the lounge. Definitely a keeper!!! There are still a few more on the list to visit. Some we have never been to (yes I know that is hard to believe) and others we are visiting more than once to be sure.

Now what is the criteria for our 'favorite hangout' you ask.....

Air conditioning - there are just some places we won't go in the summer since it is WAY to hot. We love Schooner Wharf but its not a summer time place
No smoking in the bar
Great happy hour prices - there are some great deals for happy hour and we are finding them all
Food - we don't require great food but at least good food that is not to expensive
Location - since we walk we are limited on some options. Don't get me wrong there are PLENTY of places in Old Town to visit. It just there are other bars, such as Hogfish, that we really like but won't drive to every Fri.
Great bartenders - ones that remember you after couple visits, remember what you are drinking, are nice and fun to talk to. Unfortunately this is not the case in all bars. Being a tourist place some of the bartenders have become jaded (lost their island spirit) in their work and are no longer a good time.

And so the search continues... I will be sure to updated you when the latest place is found. We don't mind the hunt since that is all part of the adventure!!

4th of July and Mel Fisher Days

2009-07-19T20:52:00.009-04:00

This is the 4th of July pic of the CUTEST BABY EVER!

It's been a busy first couple weeks of July. Summer is here and the heat and humidity has moved in. We have been having squalls move through about every day to dump rain and then blow out. It leaves the humidity high along with 90-95 degree temps. We stay in doors or in the water during the day and plan evening in places that have AC.

First was the 4th of July. We spent the day with friends out at their house on Mile Marker 15. That's 15 miles up from KW. We call their place "The Resort" since it sits on the ocean and faces the Atlantic. Its a beautiful place with water access from a beach they made, a bar that sits in the shade and view that is amazing. The day was spent floating in the water, cold drinks, great food and ended with a few fireworks. We even had our own sparklers that we set off. It was a GREAT day with GREAT friends!!!

Then we headed into Mel Fisher Days. This year it started early with Tom working with Chris and the MF team taking investors out to hunt emeralds and dive for treasure. It was a busy week before the parties started. Mel Fisher Days is one of our favorite times!

Last Thurs started with the Schooners Wharf party. It was a great time even

if we were all melting since Schooner's is a outdoor bar. You can see that in the picture to the right of Tom, Beau and Chris. The bikini contest was a hoot, we won one of the raffle items with tickets to the KW Aquarium.

Friday was the parade and pub crawl. The parade went from the MF museum, down Whitehead St, up Duval and then ending at Rick's. One of Mel's favorite bars. We started there with the group for a few hours before moving on to The Bull. Another one of Mel's favorites. Again a great time and by 10:30 we were starving since it had been a hot dog at Rick's, a piece of pizza at The Bull and a whole lot of drinks. Jan and I have a new drink, Carolina Sweet Tea Vodka and lemonade. It is amazing and goes down WAY to good when it is as hot as it is. The rest of the group headed over to the Chart Room to continue the Crawl while Tom, Ray, Jan, Beau and I headed to Jack Flats. We actually made it home about midnight!

Saturday was Ray's birthday and the Midnight Poker Tournament. A group of us went out for dinner to celebrate with Ray at Finnegan's Wake (our Irish pub). Then Tom had to head out for the poker tournament while the rest of us went on to a few of our favorite bars and continue the celebration.

So now we are recovering from the fast paced week, a little to much drink and a whole lot of heat. If you want to see more pictures from Thurs and Fri check out my FaceBook page.

June

2009-07-01T18:23:00.011-04:00

So where did June go??? It doesn't seem like over a month since the last blog but it is true! Here is the highlights of the month.

Tom worked many days the first few weeks of the month taking Mel Fisher investors out to dive and a few other dive charters. Since he has finished his scuba instructor class he has been busy and even earning a few bucks!

Hurricane season officially started June 1. The experts have estimated 9-14 named storms, 4-7 hurricanes and 1-3 major hurricanes. Nothing on the horizon yet but usually it is Aug and Sept that are the worst months.

Ashlyn (or Peanut as we call her) was a month old June 9th and celebrated her first Fathers Day with Brandon. Here is a picture of her Fathers Day outfit. I am sure you see Taryn's fashion statement in it. I am sure dance lessons are in her future. We are meeting Tom's mom, sister and nephew in Richmond in Aug so that will be a great visit. Plus with the web cam we get to see her anytime we want which is grand!

I was in New Jersey for work for a week, then home for a week and on June 20 we left our island to vacation on another island. Where else does someone who lives on an island go!

We got to spend a great week on St Croix in the USVI with Jan and Ray. They are going to start building a house on the beach front lot they bought we went to check it out and have a vacation at the same time.

We rented a house that overlooked the ocean. and spent the week hanging out on the beaches, diving and relaxing which was what I needed after the pace I have had at work lately. Slept in late the first 3 days! The picture to the right is Tom looking out to the ocean from the patio. We spent most of our time there when we were at the house.

The diving was amazing. It was what I remembered the USVI being since it has been a number of years since we have dove there. We only got a few dives in since relaxing was the goal but enough to give us the bug to go back and stay again when we can dive more. The best of the diving was that I got to see my first sea horses. They were so amazing and were hang out under the Fredricksted pier. We were able to see at least 8 of them in various colors, my favorite being the purple one. Such a treat!!

Then after a great week it was back to our island and back to work. Now we are getting ready for July which brings the holiday on the 4th and Mel Fisher Days. More good times to come!

If you want a day to day update on island life and to see pictures from the St Croix trip then check out my site on Facebook. I am regularly posting there.

Vandenberg, Vandenberg, Vandenberg

2009-05-30T10:20:00.004-04:00

As of Wed, May 27 at 10:21 am she found her way to her final resting place!

I took the day off (or course Tom already had the day off) and we went out with Jan, Ray and Louie on Jan & Ray's boat to watch the sinking. As we pulled out Key West we could already see Vandy in the distance waiting for her final hour. The site is about 7 miles offshore, outside the reef, so we made our way along with LOTS of other boats. It was estimated that over 200 boats came out to watch the historic event. We found our spot anchored in and waited. Usually things here do not happen on time but this was a special event and it actually did take place between 10 & 11 am as scheduled. There was a slight delay due to a turtle in the area that had to be moved. Seemed the creature was already looking for a place to live! We had the radio on and listened to the count down, then we heard the big boom of the charges going off, watched the smoke come up, then watched her sink down to just bubbles as The Vandenberg Song played, people cheered and boats honked their horns. I had goosebumps & tears!!! It all happened in 1 minute & 44 seconds which was faster than expected to witness history!

Here is the site that has a number of great video's on it. It will give you the feel of being there.

http://www.sinkthevandenberg.com/ondemand.html

So far there are 4 of them posted and new ones seem to be added each day.

The last one in the list (scroll down to see it) is the view from the chopper and is excellent. It gives the full view.

The second one in the list is the on-board cameras which shows what it looked like going down from different areas.

The third one is from the boat that the Joe Weatherby was on and you can hear his reaction. Joe is the brain child of the project. He had this idea 13 years ago and never gave up hope it would happen.

Of course the Mel Fisher group had a hand in this. They donated the salvage boats to come out and be used for the tech divers after the ship went down. Since they were on sight they were able to dive just hours after she had reached the ocean floor and before she was opened to the public to dive. Below is the video that they took of what she will be like when we get a chance to dive her. It is really cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPzju0TqHL0

Then of course in KW style the parties began.... we took our boat over to a sandy reef closer to shore, popped the cork on the champagne to celebrate, had lunch, swam and had a beautiful day.

That was just the beginning since that evening started with the Save the Vandenberg, Sink Joe Weatherby party at Half Shell. It was a tribute and honoring of Joe for all that he did. Then the party moved to the Rumbarrel where Howard Livingston and Mile Marker 24 band was playing (check them out in iTunes if you like Jimmy Buffett music). They are a favorite local band and wrote The Vandenberg Song. We finished out the night there with friends and toasts and to much RUM!

After she went down it as taken a couple of days to get her ready and open for public use. The 2 satellites that were on the top were dislodged during the sinking and had to be secured along with the other items that had to be finished. As of this morning.... the POOL IS OPEN!

Tom is working today (taking MF investors to dive) so we haven't decided when we will have a chance to get down and see her but it will be SOOONNN!!!

It seems that all we have talked about for I don't know how many weeks is Vandy. I am sure you are also wondering about it since there have been so many blogs about it. With having a the worlds second largest man-made reef it brings a world class dive site in our own backyard and so much more to KW. Here is the a list of the things that an artificial reef bring:

boost the local economy, encouraging tourism and creating jobs
create marine habitat and increase marine life population,
relieve pressure from the surrounding natural reef,
provide an opportunity to scientifically document the effects of artificial reefs with an ongoing monitoring program,
provide a platform for education and research,
preserve the history and honor the memory of those who served and traveled on the ship

Sinking the Vandenberg

2009-05-23T19:29:00.006-04:00

For the past month or so it has been Vandenberg, Vandenberg, Vandenberg (or Vandy as she is locally called).... the talk of the town. After over 10 years of ARK (Artificial Reefs for the Keys) working to get the Vandenberg to be an artificial reef it is FINALLY going to happen on Wed, May 27!!!!! To say that Key West is excited and ramping up for a MAJOR party is to say the least. When the Vandy is finally on the ocean floor 6 miles south of Key West it will be the 2nd largest man-made reef in the WORLD!!! a major dive site for KW and will bring divers from all over the world here. With the Spiegel Grove (another man=made reef) being in Key Largo it will be great for the Keys.

In all of this Tom has been able to work on Vandy and be part of history in the making. Our friend Chris is president of ARK and of course is involved in all of it. Tom has been helping out from the first time the ship was brought in to KW thanks to Chris and has been helping out when he could (except for the Mel Fisher diving and Ashlyn's birth) in finishing the clean up of the boat. Now the historical date of May 27 has been set for the sinking. The ship is being towed out to the site on Tues and then between 10 - 11 am (EDT) the ship will be sunk (weather permitting and everything is on schedule since we are on island time). Tom will hopefully be helping out with the sinking and I am taking the day off to be out with Jan & Ray, on their boat, watching it sink. Then of course there will be MUCH celebration. Not sure when we will have a chance to get out to dive it. Once the ship is on the bottom

Here is the site that ARK has which has a lot of info on the ship, the events and everything else.

http://www.bigshipwrecks.com

There is also a video company that is going to be showing the sinking of the ship LIVE! So you can log on Wed morning and see the ship go down just like you were here.

http://www.sinkthevandenberg.com

So log on and join us in the adventure.

Welcome Ashlyn Emma!

2009-05-15T20:10:00.010-04:00

Since the 5 of us have spent the last 7 days with Ashlyn I thought we would share our insight with you about the newest addition to the family.

Patti -

From the second I saw her, she had my heart. She makes the cutest squeaky noises and adorable faces. She is an angel baby and I'm so glad she has joined our family. Oh, and I can't wait to buy you more shoes!

Tom -

On my drive to Richmond the closer I got the more excited I was getting to see them. When I got to the hospital and saw Taryn (my little girl) with Ashlyn (her little girl) and it was hard to comprehend but it did not take long for the proud grandparent feelings to take over. I can not believe how beautiful she is and she already has me wrapped around her little finger. I was not to sure about being called a grandpa but she makes it all worth it. I am looking forward to being a part of her life.

Myrla -

Our friends (who already have grand kids) told us how much we would enjoy our own and how RIGHT they were!

She is the most beautiful and amazing grand daughter ever (of course you knew I would say that)!

When I got to VA Taryn was so ready to deliver and we spent the better part of 2 days walking and walking (as you know from the previous blog), then when she went into labor I was more than beside myself. Here was my baby girl having her own baby girl!

Then when Ashlyn arrived the feelings are more than I can describe. The past 7 days with her have been all that I could have ever hoped for and more. She has brought a delight and love into our life as only a grandchild can. We cannot wait to share with her all of the experiences that grandparents get to share with their grand kids, especially island life!!

Taryn -

How can I put into words how I feel about my baby girl? She is truly an amazing blessing. From the moment she arrived, she has stolen my heart and I suddenly have a whole new meaning to my life. Not only is she the cutest baby in the world (of course! she is my daughter!), but she is also a ton of fun to be with. She makes little squeaky noises that just make you smile. When she wraps her entire hand around your finger, she instantly has you hooked. I love being a mommy to her and I know her and I will always have a special relationship. I truly enjoy the small, precious moments with her.....feeding time, napping together in the rocking chair, and watching Brandon gaze down at his baby girl. I can't wait to watch her grow into a beautiful girl. I love my baby Ashlyn!

Brandon -

Everything has been so surreal. I still find it hard to believe that when I am holding her, she is not just another baby but MY BABY! I am loving every second of it. The first time I had the chance to be completely alone with her I laid on the couch with her resting on my chest. It was one of the greatest moments of my life. And to top it all off, I finally realize what my parents went through.

There was one moment when we first got home where Taryn was laid up on the couch and couldn't move because of her C-Section and I was changing Ashlyn's diaper. I look up and see Tayler (our dog) puking on the rug, and while I am distracted Ashlyn manages to pee all over herself (and a little on me). So I am running around trying to take clean up everything while Ashlyn is crying, the dog is tracking her own vomit through the house, and Taryn is completely helpless. Oh the joys of parenthood! I wouldn't change it for the world.

Welcome Ashlyn Emma!

Ashlyn Emma Arrives!!!!!

2009-05-10T09:37:00.013-04:00

Yes we are the VERY proud grandparents of a 7 lb 3 oz baby girl who is beautiful and healthy! The picture above is the her first one with Mom & Dad on her birthday May 9th.

Now for the story of her arrival!

Taryn's due date was May 17 so I had made flight arrangements to come up to Virginia on May 10. After Taryn's doc visit on April 27 she called and told me that the doc says Ashlyn will never wait till then so I should come early. So I changed my flight reservation to Wed, May 6 since that was the earliest I could get my flight changed and it was investor week for Mel Fisher. I wanted to stay and attend at least a few of the get togethers to see our friends.

I flew out on Wed night with no issues, flights were on time and it was good to see the kids. Taryn still didn't look like she was due any day.

Thursday morning I get up and I have messed up my back. Not sure if it was the heavy backpack i was carrying, the airplane seats or the airbed that the kids have but by noon I had muscle spams that were horrible! Here I was in VA to take care of my daughter and now Brandon had 2 of us to take care of.

Thursday afternoon Taryn and I head off to the Urgent Care. When we arrived they were unsure about who was there to be treated, it was a bit of a hoot. The doc fixed me up with some muscle relaxers and i knew after a night of those I would be good as new (this isn't the first time this has happened to me). So I got the drugs, we headed home, I took the first pill then both Taryn and I were out for a nap.

It takes an over night drug induced sleep for the muscle to relax so when I got up from the nap the pain is still there. The only way it is bearable is to lay flat on the floor. It is now Thurs night, Brandon is at the church, Taryn is in early labor pacing around the house to keep it going and I am laying on my back in the middle of the living room timing the contractions. What a pair we were!!! I had to write them down since the drugs had made me silly and I couldn't remember from one contraction to another when they had taken place. They were between 3-10 minutes apart but never consistent. This went on for about 4 hours. Brandon had come home, Taryn was exhausted, I was loopy and when she sat down to rest the contractions stopped. So we decided bedtime was best, I took another dose and off to drug induced sleep.

Come Friday morning the spasm is gone and just a sore back. I was getting back to where I needed to be. Taryn was really uncomfortable but no contractions. So the day was spent with me working, Brandon mowing the lawn and Taryn trying her best not to be miserable.

Friday night Brandon had a softball game so we went to dinner (Chipotle, YUM since I am getting all of the food I can't get on the island) and then to the softball park. Taryn and I figured it was a great place for her to walk and see what happens. For 3 hours we walked! As soon as we started walking the contractions started up (during this time Brandon hit 2 home runs). It wasn't till the last hour that they really kicked in and were consistently 2-3 minutes apart. We decided that they needed to go to the hospital after we stopped off at the house for Brandon to shower, pick up the hospital bag, and leave me to babysit Tayler (my grand dog).

Not only was I there to help with Taryn but stay with Tayler while Taryn and Brandon were at the hospital. VA requires a 2-3 day stay depending on the type of delivery so I was also needed to babysit the dog.

So off to the hospital Taryn and Brandon went. They admitted her, broke her water and waiting for Ashlyn to arrive.

When I got up Sat morning Ashlyn had not yet made her appearance. Since Taryn had arrived at the hospital she had made very little progress. She had only dilated to 3 cm and the baby wasn't completely down in the birth canal. They had her on full pitocin and an epidural.

When I arrived at the hospital she still had no progress and the doc had just shown up to check her again. They found that Ashlyn's head was too large to enter the birth canal and Taryn was still only 3 cm after 12 hours of labor so a c-section would be necessary. At 12:15 pm they took Taryn to the O.R. and at 1 pm she came back with a 7 lbs 3 oz, 19 1/2 inches long, blonde hair, blue eyed baby girl. Ashlyn was wide awake and beautiful!

What a day May 9th was!

Now that Ashlyn is here Tom will be driving out from Key West to VA on Monday (it is a 2 day drive). We are exchanging cars with the kids. They are getting the Murano since they need a bigger car and we are getting the Echo since we need a smaller car. He will be here on Tues and CANNOT wait to see his granddaughter. His arrival is great timing since that is the day Taryn and Ashlyn will be coming home from the hospital.

Patti has also made arrangements to fly out and see her great niece! She will arrive on Wednesday and stay till Saturday. It will be great to have us all together.

Although our move to Key West was a great adventure I think being a grandparent will be the BEST one yet!!!

Vandenberg, Car Wreck, Neighbors, Investor Week & VA Trip

2009-05-03T12:41:00.009-04:00

So many things happening.... as usual!

After Tom was involved in bringing in the Vandenberg he was also asked to help out with the salvage clean up of the boat so he has been out working on it almost everyday. Its a dusty, DIRTY job but he has been accepted as part of the salvage crew, is getting great experience on what it takes to clean a ship and is getting to know the layout of the ship inside and out. That will be great info when he starts taking people out to dive the ship once it has been sunk. He is one of the few drivers that gets to do this. Yes a blessing and a curse, hard work to get knowledge. The picture is him getting on the ship for the first time when it was still out at sea and they were bringing it into the harbor.

Then on Thursday morning I had a bit of excitement! It's 11 am and I am on a conference call for work when I hear this horrible crashing. When I ran outside I found my neighbors Mercedes up against our front fence. A drunk guy (yes it was 11 am) has turned the corner to fast a half a block up, swerved into the oncoming lane and side swiped a car going the other way, fishtailed (he was in the white truck) and hit the Mercedes which was parked in front of their house (which is beside us) and he kept going so the Mercedes went into

the silver truck that was parked in front of our house (counting our blessing for now having off street parking) and the truck ran over the scooter parked in front of it. The truck belongs to another neighbor that lives in one of the apartments on the other side of us and the scooter belongs to the apartment manager! Tom was at the Vandenberg otherwise it would have been his scooter since that is usually where he parks. Yes the drunk managed to wreck 5 vehicles including his own. The best part was No One was hurt! The picture tells the story!

Out of this we got the chance to meet more of our neighbors since we hadn't had a chance to meet many with only moving in a couple of months ago. The Mercedes belongs to Bill and Carol who live next door. We had met them but not really talked yet. I had taken pics of the wreck and Bill wanted them for insurance so we had the pleasure of having happy hour at their house Saturday night. A very enjoyable 3 hours and we found out all of the friends we have in common. They are seasonal and will be leaving in the next couple of weeks to their summer house in North Carolina. In fact we found out that a number of people that live by us are seasonal and will be leaving soon. That will make for a quite hurricane season!

This Saturday also started the annual Mel Fisher Investor Division week. Tom was supposed to take investors out diving the last 2 days but the winds have been to high to get the boats out so nothing has taken place yet. Looks like Tues would be the earliest to get out. This also means a week of parties and get togethers. We started with Fri nights happy hour since there were a few investors in early and it will continue all week. We have another one Mon, Wed, Thurs and the big one on Saturday night.

Now Tom will be attending all of the celebrations from Wed night on by himself. I will be off to Virginia to wait for baby Ashlyn to arrive. Taryn's doc says she should deliver any day so I didn't want to wait to long to be there. Tom will then follow after she is born.

That is it from the island!

Tom's Latest Adventures

2009-04-26T20:48:00.008-04:00

I have been quite busy lately with actually working (one day), finishing school and helping with the Vandenberg.

Working, well let me explain..........

My friend Chris works for Tow Boat U.S., a water towing company that (you guessed it) tows broken down boats back to KW to be fixed. So Chris called me one morning around 8 o'clock to see if I could help a captain with a tow. I said I would so he told me where and when to meet Capt Glen at the tow boat. I should have been suspicious when he told me I needed to bring a book, change of clothes and food. Capt Glen and I met up and finally left KW around 10:00 am. We made it to the broken down boat at about 2:00 pm (the broken boat had hit a reef and broke it's rudder the day before out at Dry Tortuga which is 60 miles out). We were able to stabilize the rudder and get it hooked up to tow by 3:00 pm to start the tow back to KW. Well for the next 13 hours we towed the behemoth boat back to KW and got it secured to the dock about 3:30 am. The people were very thankful for our help and I made it home by about 4:00. Most of the tows are not that long but of course my first trip was a long one.

Next on to the Vandenberg..............

For those of you that do not know what that is, it is a 520' ship they are going to sink 6 miles south of KW as an artificial reef. This project has been in the works for almost 11 years and has had many ups and downs but the ship finally made it to KW. They towed it from Virginia and it made it here last Wednesday. I was one of 8 people to get on the ship about 3 miles out of KW as a line handler to help dock the ship from the deck. It was pretty cool with all the attention it was getting from boats following it and the helicopters flying around filming it coming into KW. The ship made it in and now they are doing the final prep work to sink it around May 20th. The workers are working 12 hours a day and I am helping out with that work doing what ever is needed. Its great to get to know the ship before it is sunk so I will know the areas to dive. When the crew is not working there has to be a safety fire watch on duty the other 12 hours. There is a company employee on this shift but he needs a safety buddy with him at all times so one of the college dive instructors got students to volunteer for 6 hour shifts from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am and 1:00 am to 7:00 am. My first shift was from 1 to 7 and it was cool being able to walk around the whole ship at night and check it out but it was kind of creepy at times. I do it again in a week but I am doing the 7 to 1 shift. The good thing is that I don't have to work on the days I have the night shift watch, that the nice part of volunteering... working when you want to.

School, I AM FINISHED!!!!!

Yes I am now a certified NAUI scuba instructor so those of you that want to learn how to scuba dive can come down here and I can teach you, or we can just go to Duval and get loaded, your choice. School was fun but intense and I am glad it is over because things are going to get busy with Taryn having Ashlyn any day, the Vandenberg arriving and Mel Fisher division week coming with all that brings (including taking divers out to the site to look for treasure). When that is all over I plan on getting a job at a dive shop as a captain, dive master or an instructor, all three if possible.

So that is the latest on what has been going on and will update you when there is more to add to the Adventure.

Events and More Stuff To Do

2009-04-18T08:04:00.003-04:00

And so begins a week of events and much to do. It has been pretty quiet the past few weeks and now it all seems to be happening in the same week!

It starts with Conch Republic Independence Celebration. 10 days of events that celebrated when we seceded. It has always been one of our favorite weeks and really a local event. The tourists will be confused as to why drag queens are running down Duval today (and yes we will be there for it)! Check out the site if you want to see all the events. http://www.conchrepublic.com/schedule.htm

Tom has his last set of scuba instructor classes this week end. YEA!!!! Then next Fri is the official sign off and end of class party so he will be an official NAUI instructor. That dive certification will be added to the ones he already has as a dive master for PADI and SSI. Sometime this summer he is also going to take the cross over test to be a PADA instructor. I think he is collecting agency certifications!!!

Monday night is the Taste of Key West. An AIDS fundraiser where 50 local restaurants get together and you can buy 'tastes' of the various food being offered. Of course there is beer and wine (this is Key West!) We went last year and had a blast so back for more this year.

Then last but not at ALL least is the arrival of the Vandenberg!!! That is to take place on Tues (hopefully if the weather holds out). All of us dive crazies can hardly wait!!!!!

The Vandenberg is an old Navy ship that will be sunk off of the coast of Key West to create an artificial reef, the worlds 2nd largest. A groups of locals have been working years to make this happen and there have been LOTS of issues but it seems it will finally take place. The ship has been cleaned and will be in KW for the final prep before it is sunk. That is to take place between May 20 & June 1 since it has to be done before the start of hurricane season. Tom and I both plan on being there when the ship comes in on Tues.

Check out the sites if you want to know more and I will keep you up to date on the status.

http://www.bigshipwrecks.com/index.html

http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7395

Taryn Update

2009-04-08T19:08:00.007-04:00

So we thought it would be good to send the latest on Taryn and the grandbaby.

First our grand daughter has been 'officially' named.

Ashlyn Emma

Now there are a few of us who still think that she should be named Emma Ashlyn or Crazy Ray Ann (that is from our friend Ray) but we have been told (many times by Tom & friends) that it is up to her parents and not us to name her.

Here are a couple of the latest pictures. The first one is her at Virginia Beach last weekend.

Taryn was getting a little 'stir crazy' and Brandon took her out to the beach for a little sun and sand that was needed. The water was cold but the day outing did her good. Virginia Beach is only about 1 and a half hours from them. (I think she looks like Patti in this picture).

The next picture is off of their back porch. I thought the one of the two of them was very sweet! Someday the rain will stop and the summer will finally be here for them.

Taryn has been doing well. She is due May 17 so is in her 35th week and just waiting for the day to deliver. She still has the sickness so there are good and bad days. There are mostly good days now which is great after the long days of being sick. She has even started to gain weight which the doctor is happy about.

I will be heading to Virginia on May 9th or so depending on what her doctor says after her visit next week. I want to be there when she delivers (NOT in the delivery room since that is Brandon's job!) and then help her out for a few weeks after she gets home. Luckily my work lets me work from anywhere so have PC will travel. Then Tom will come out after Ashlyn is born.

So I will keep you posted on the progress and when Ashlyn makes her arrival.

Wasted away again in "Scooterville" (the Crotts do KW)

2009-03-29T18:16:00.003-04:00

Below is Mark's version of he and Dona's visit to KW. Enjoy!

We landed in Ft. Lauderdale on a Wed afternoon and spent the night there. I'm sure we ate something but I was too tired to remember. We woke up on Thursday morning and ate breakfast at Burger King. "Yummy". We then proceeded down highway 1 to Scooterville.

Highway 1 is quite a road and at times we were able to achieve 45mph on the 140 mile trip. There was at least one Po Po for every three cars on the road but Dona left all her hooch back in AZ so we were worry free. Plus we knew Tom and Myrla would have plenty at their place.

We arrived in Scooterville at lunch time and had seafood at a local place Tom picked out. Hooter's I think it was. Dona didn't care for it but Tom and I enjoyed ourselves. Myrla pretended she had to work. After lunch we walked around every square inch of Scooterville looking at all the bars and hooters, I mean scooters. Tom told me everyone had a scooter in Key West. What he really meant was "EVERYONE" had a scooter in Key West and they "ALL" ride them until 4:30 am at which point the tiny island is quiet., until 7:00 am and they start all over. The first morning I thought a bunch of Mexicans were running around the house with weed eaters. Luckily, I love the smell of pre-mix in the morning. Myrla was proud to inform me that she had purchased a new bed and that it was a "virgin". Took care of that.

We did a lot of walking the next few days. I'd say 45 miles would be a good guess. We hit the docks and saw a lot of great looking yachts and sailing vessels. We walked to the sunset pier and saw a beautiful sunset and a huge man with a "WAY" too small swimsuit on. At least we knew where he kept the bananas. We climbed the lighthouse and had a great view of the entire island. Myrla had to make a spectacle of herself at the light house and slide all the way down the banister, but we all had sunglasses on and no one recognized us so we didn't care. We then went to the MF museum and were given the VIP tour. I've never seen as much gold in my life, truly beautiful treasures. We then took the train ride (TOUR) around town which Tom and Myrla had never done. I'd never seen Tom this happy to be on a train, and if you go down to see Tom and Myrla I highly recommend the train tour. I'm sure they will both JUMP at the chance to take you. We then took the tour of the house where Ernest Hemingway took a dump, it was quite impressive with beautiful grounds and pool. The spiders were very nice also.

We did a lot over the 3 days we were there. We ate a lot of great food except for the one deep fried booger I had. Myrla knocked herself out in the kitchen as usual. We made her lay on the couch with a ice bag on her head and all was well. We all laughed a lot and told the same old stories we've always told. It was great to see our friends again and as usual, hard to leave.

Visitors, St Pat's, treasure and Atocha Adventure

2009-03-21T17:02:00.005-04:00

The past couple of weeks have brought the 'usual' adventures to us.

First was the visit from Dona & Mark, friends of ours from AZ. It was really great to see them and have them spend a few days with us. We had a chance to do some of the tourist things here that we hasn't done before and really enjoyed them. They are putting together their own guest blog so as soon as that is available I will post it.

Then St Patrick's Day was upon us. Of course a big party day in KW, yes I know that any reason in KW is a reason for a party, anyway I took the afternoon off and we met up with friends to do the St Pat pub crawl! Of course we started out at Finnigan's Wake. A great Irish bar and the only one in town to have a band that did Irish music. So we used that as our home base and would wander from bar to bar, back to Finnigans then out again. A great day!

Also during this week Tom was out treasure hunting at the Atocha site on the dare. Chris was taking out investors and had an open spot so Tom was able to get out 3 days. On the first dive Dave found a silver plate. It was a great find so I included a picture of it that Tom had taken for his instructor class.

Then of course it was the showing of the Atocha Adventure. Tom didn't get his face on camera but we enjoyed the show anyway. If you got a chance to see it you will have a good idea on what takes please during treasure hunting. No word yet on whether the show will be picked up for a series... we shall see.

Next week we are hoping for a quieter week with time to finish getting the house set up and Tom still has school work to do. He is hoping to have his instructor class done by April 17!

TRU TV - The Atocha Adventure

2009-03-11T11:49:00.003-04:00

Mark your calendars, set the alarm on your phone, program the DVR for WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 10PM EDT ...... WATCH THE ATOCHA ADVENTURE.... you never know who you may see!

The TRU TV group was here for a couple of months doing a reality show on the Mel Fisher treasure divers. They spent days on the boats and a few in town, filming their latest idea for a show. This is the pilot and based on the response they will decide if it will be come a regular series.

The exciting news is that your very own Diver Tom may be included in the show. Tom was out with investors diving a number of days when they were filming. He knows he was caught on tape (hopefully behaving) but they will not tell us what made it into the show and what ended up on the cutting room floor. Hopefully he will at least have a small appearance! You know we are already planning a party to watch it with the MF group!!!

Here is the site in case you don't usually watch TRU TV and want more info.

http://www.trutv.com/shows/upcoming_specials/

1 year Anniversary in KW

2009-03-08T19:28:00.003-04:00

It was 1 year ago on March 7, 2008 that we pulled into KW in the U-haul with the kids and Dyna following along in the Murano. Hard to believe the year has gone by so fast!

We celebrated with a group of friends over to the new house for a theme potluck night. The theme was Spam dishes from our childhood. What a HOOT!!! We had baked beans & spam, scalloped potatoes & spam, spam cornbread, spam meatballs, spam dip, spam mixed with Velvetta & onion on hamburger buns, and then a few other non-Spam items that those who did not have Spam as a child brought. It was a great way to celebrate.

We also look back on the last year. What a year of changes it has been!!! As we sit here and watch the sun set off our porch we think about what the past year has brought us. Here are a few of them:

Tolerance of people who are different. This has to be one of the most diverse places we have been between the Caribbean, Cuban, Eastern Europe and others that have settled here. We cannot tell you how many different languages we hear on a daily basis. It has been very interesting to live in such a diverse community.
Love of the ocean. We have been ocean people for a long time but with being so close to it allows us a new respect for her. It is truly what the island evolves around, from the weather to the commerce.
Friendship. Friendships here are easily made based on a common desire to live in a place that is out of the norm. An amazing sense of community and support. These are some of the most helpful and friendly people we have ever met. So many of them have become cherished friends.
Excess in Moderation! This happens to be a sign in a local bar but is a lesson learned here. It's a different lifestyle and its easy to get caught up in the 'vacation frame of mind'.
Priorities. What was once a priority about 'things' is no longer. We have sold most of what we had and do not miss it. Its no longer about the new toys or the better house, or the new car or ANY of that. It's now about a great sunset, walking the dog and a cold beer on a hot day.
Limited finances. We came from 2 incomes in a place that had reasonable living expenses to a single income in a place that DOESN'T have reasonable living expenses. It is where we all share what we have so that we can get to the next paycheck, we know where the best happy hour deals are, potlucks, horseshoes and cheap poker games make for a great Saturday night, and a scooter makes the cheapest way to get around (other than our feet).
New carrier path. Finding that you can leave the same job after MANY, MANY years and pursue your passion. Taking a leap of faith in trying new things.

This probably doesn't cover it all but it gives you an idea as to all this Adventure has brought us. What we can say is that it was the BEST decision we could have ever made! It has been all that we had hoped for and more!

White St

2009-02-26T20:04:00.006-05:00

We have MOVED! The new address is 704 White St!!!!

We were notified by the owner of the house on Elizabeth, in early Jan, that he wanted to put it up for sale. At first we were going to stay until the place sold since house sales here are so slow (average of a year to sell a house in the Keys) and this time of year there is usually not a lot of places open to rent. Starting at Christmas through end of April is 'season' when things are busy here. We have snow birds, just like AZ, and then people who come down to work just while it was busy. Shirley and I met a guy that works the pedi-cab who comes from Brazil to work Jan - April. This usually results in very little options to rent. We found that out last year and were lucky to find what we did. So when the house went on the market and we had a steady stream of people in to look at the house we decided to start looking around. The search went on for a few weeks. Having lived here for almost a year now we had our criteria for where and what we wanted.

First the Where - we wanted to stay in Old Town. Key West is broken into 3 parts, Old Town, Mid Town and New Town. Here is a link to a map if you want to check it out. http://www.keywest.com/map1.html

Old Town is where we live now. We love this area and wanted to stay. There is where we can walk every where and most of our friends are. This is the original part of KW with great old houses and lots of charm. It runs from Truman ave. to the Mallory Square and White St to Fort Zac. This is the original part of the island. None if man-made.

Mid Town is the area just beyond Old Town. This was just a little farther out then we wanted to be. It runs from Truman to White St Pier and Fort St to 1st St.

New Town is the rest of the island that was added to expand KW when the Army Corp of Engineers came in and dredged out the ship channels for the Navy base. The dredging waste was used to expand out. New Town looks like suburbia Florida with newer houses, lawns and boat parking on the channels.

Then the What - we needed a yard for Dyna, space for Misa (the stray cat from Elizabeth that has become part of the family) since we brought her with us, a porch, at least 2 bedrooms (you know who you are that need to visit) and 2 bathrooms. The one thing we have learned is that with both of us home full time we NEED 2 bathrooms! Since many of the places in Old Town are small it is very common to have 1 bathroom. In the older houses they didn't even originally have bathrooms and were remodeled to include just one. Tom also wanted some semblance of a kitchen that allowed more than one of us in it at a time, had cabinet doors that would close and where you didn't have to open the refrigerator door to open the oven door.

In early Feb we were lucky to find this place...... White St. Now this was the farther part of Old Town and we joke that if it had been on the other side of the street we wouldn't of even rented it. The house has the same square footage as Elizabeth, 1000 sq ft, but has a different layout with 2 bedroom/ 2 bath. It is also a newer house that has hurricane windows, a kitchen that is large enough for 2 people, a dishwasher, vaulted ceilings and a great layout. Below is the picture of Tom and Dyna on the porch. That is a great part too. The porch is larger and so is the yard so Dyna has more room to roam. We are going to cut down the BIG bushes! We like to be able to see from the porch. Guest room will be ready soon so come on down and join us!

Key West with Mom (Shirley)

2009-02-16T20:22:00.005-05:00

Well, Mom (Shirley) finally made it to Key West and we had a great time with her here. We had a chance to show her that we really do not live in grass huts and she was able to see the places and meet the people we always talk about.

The day she arrived (Wednesday) the last leg of her flight was delayed about an hour and a half but she still made it here before dark so we took her to dinner at the Half Shell Raw bar on the water at the Key West marina. It was beautiful with the sun setting and all of the boats in the marina and she had some fresh KW lobster for dinner.

Thursday morning we walked to a local bakery and picked up some goodies for breakfast including coconut cream cheese croissants, yum!!!! After enjoying breakfast Mom and I took a drive up the Keys so she could get a lay of the land and sea so to speak. On the way back we stopped at the Hogfish restaurant for lunch and she could see were the Mel Fisher salvage boats are docked. When we got back to KW we went to the Hemmingway House to see the six toed cats. After a afternoon nap we finished the day with watching the sunset at Mallory Square and dinner at El Pepe De Mason for some good cuban food and a Mojito.

Friday started out with a trip to the Butterfly conservatory, a tour of the Mel Fisher museum and lunch at Schooner Wharf bar to listen to Michael McCloud and watch tourists. I have school on Friday night so we had an early dinner at the Meteor Smoke House and then to the Green Parrot bar to watch a local band play. It was a fairly early night but we did get Mom some key lime pie on a stick for a late evening snack.

Saturday started with breakfast at the Flamingo Cafe followed by shopping on Duval St. After a cocktail at the Flying Monkey we took a pedi cab to Nancy's Secret Garden for a self tour of this beautiful property filled with amazing plants and a lot of colorful parrots in cages. After another afternoon nap we were off to Alonzo's for happy hour with drinks and appetizers. With high spirits and full stomachs we were off to the Iguana Cafe for drinks with our favorite bartender Mike who always treats us right. We did a couple of dial-a-shots calling Patti and Jan and Ray's daughter Tracy. Mom spent the evening talking to our friends and having a good time but she had been going all day so it was time to go home because she had to leave the next morning.

Mom did great getting around town and she wanted to do as much as she could while she was here. It was fun having her here and we are already figuring out what to do when she comes back so she can continue to be part of the adventure

Night out on Duval

2009-02-09T20:09:00.010-05:00

This last week was the continuation of Al's 70th birthday week. The second part of his birthday surprise was all 3 of his kids and their spouses showing up at Schooners Thursday night. Of course we were in on the set up (the local group of us) and then spent the evening with all them going from Schooners to Turtle Krawls to Sloppy Joe's. It was a great time. His sons (and spouses) came from VA and the funniest thing was that his daughter (and spouse) live in Fountain Hills! Over in Crystal Ridge for those of you who know the area and live across from the Vaughts. They have been there a few years and were there when we left! What a HOOT!

Now Thursday was also the coldest day we have had in KW since we got here. It was almost a record! The record low was 41 degrees and we got down to 45 degrees with

only a high of 54 degrees. Here we all were at Schooners with 2 shirts and a jacket plus pants, shoes & socks!

Tom finally had to give in. He has been holding out to not allow a jacket, shoes (with socks) and pants to all come together on his body at the same time. He has had various versions of jacket with shorts & flip flops, pants with t-shirt & flip flops, shoes with pants and a t-shirt but this was a FIRST for all 3!! It was noted as a major milestone.

Also on Thursday Jan & Ray had old friends from PA come down for to stay till Mon. John & Jen come to visit them every year so it was great to get to know them too. Now of course when they have friends visiting that always results in an evening on Duval. We had all recovered from Thursday night so Saturday night was the next night out (remember Tom has class on Friday night). Now we had a bit of a set back since Iguana was closed. They had closed for cleaning and a few repairs for a few days so one of our usual haunts was not accessible. Fear not that did not detour us! We started at our house, then off to Rum Barrel for dinner, stopped at Tw

o Friends for karaoke, John is the only one of us who sings (of course after more than a few drinks Ray and I have been known to be back up singers). Things didn't work out there since it was packed so we ventured down Duval an eventually ended up at Cowboy Bills. I have talked about Cowboy Bills before since that was where we started the hay ride from and is a usual hangout for a number of our friends so it is not unusual for us to end up there.

The other reason we ended up at Cowboy Bills is that Jan has wanted to ride the mechanical bull that they have. Tom has ridden it a few times and she has always wanted to so we talked her into it and got her set up. She did great. She is now hooked and road it twice that night! can see picture of Tom on bull below (sorry but the back shot was the best there was since the bull was moving).

Below is the link to the web cam that they have... check it out on Saturday night and you never know if you will see Tom. www.cowboybillskw.com/bullcam.htm

So the night ended with snacks and drinks at Meteor and then the walk home. What a great night out with great friends!

Jimmy, Al and Super Bowl

2009-02-04T20:53:00.003-05:00

Last week was a mix of Jimmy, Al and Super Bowl.

First there was Jimmy. Jimmy Buffett that is.

Early last week we walked by Jimmy's house (the one we suspect is his) and it looked as though someone was living there. Tom and I commented on how it would be great to run into Jimmy and see him play. We didn't get that chance but we did find out the Jimmy was in town and did play at Margaritaville. A friend of ours has a shop next to Margaritaville and actually ran into Jimmy when he came into the shop before he went into his place. So we are still on the hunt to see Jimmy.

Then there is Al. Our friend Al.

Saturday night we celebrated Al's 70th birthday with a surprise party at a great restaurant. Al is an amazing guy who lives on a boat with his wife Jan. They retired 10 years ago and have been living on the boat ever since. They split their time between Key West, St Augustine FL and Virginia. Now don't think that Al's age of 70 makes him an 'old guy' or slows him down at all. He is on the go and can drink most of us under the table.

And on Sunday was the big game... the Super Bowl.

We had a Super Bowl party at the house with our PA friends. We made it a complete AZ party with mexican food and margarita's. Of course we had to make all of it since we can't find any place that has good food and our friends hadn't had green chili beef so it was a treat for all. Unfortunately the Cardinals did win but it was a great game and we had a great time.

So ended our week of Jimmy, Al & Super Bowl.

Sailing Week

2009-01-27T21:47:00.004-05:00

Last week brought another event to KW. This one was the Acura Sailing Race. A week where we are invaded by sailing teams from all over the world. Below is the site for the details on the race week.

www.premiere-racing.com/keywest09/pages/KW09_entry_information.htm

Now this event was different from the others.

First there was no parade down Duval. No showing of the sailing boats or any pomp and circumstances of the event coming to town. The sailing takes place outside the reef so there is little that can be seen from town. You have to have a boat or take out a charter to see any of the racing.

Then there was the sailing teams, over half were from other countries which makes for an interesting crowd when out on the town. This also made for interesting people watching since many of the other countries do not tip their wait staff or tip very little. We watched more than one bartender serve up round after round of many drinks and get left maybe a $2 tip.

There is also a special tent set up where 'only' the sailing teams are allowed into for free drinks, food and various booths are set up. Special access only is strictly enforced.

So it seems all of the comments we had heard from the other locals about sailing race week and all that it brings seems to be true.

This is the first event that is one adventure we will not want to be around next year.

West Coast Fans in the East

2009-01-22T19:57:00.003-05:00

Go Cardinals!!!!!

I am sure you know about the Cardinals going to the Super Bowl. We are very excited about it and that is what has inspired this blog.

Since moving East we have found it VERY, VERY hard to see any of our 'hometown' favorite teams. Unless the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Suns or Coyotes are playing a team that is East of the Mississippi river we don't get to see ANY games.

So when we are flipping through the channel guide we check all of the listing just in case we can catch a game. If we are lucky enough to find one then we are camped out for the duration.

Of course there is one exception to that rule... the time change. This time of year it isn't to bad since there is only a 2 hour difference but when daylight savings comes and it goes back to 3 hours then I can't always stay awake for the late games that are from Phoenix. Much better for us when the team is on the road in the East.

We have also found that we are one of the few Phoenix fans in KW. We have found one other guy that graduated from ASU and THAT IS IT! When the Suns were in the playoffs last year we went to a local bar to watch and there were only a couple of other ladies and us watching the game. Even they were from Phoenix and in town for just a couple of days.

There is also a lot of fans from all of the states north of here. NC, VA, PA, NJ & NY are the most common with PA taking the lead. So when one of those 'hometown' teams are playing the bars are packed.

So on Sunday when the Cardinals played we decided to set up our own home party... just Tom and I with margaritas, chips and salsa and we left all our 'northern' friends to watch at the bar. Then once we had WON it was off to the Iguana to celebrate. Of course we got to taunt every person who came in wearing an Eagles jersey. With the number of PA people there was no lack of whooping and hollering on our part.

Now this brings us to Super Bowl Sunday! The game party will be at our house with all of our PA friends. Yes once again we will be out numbered but I am betting we will the loudest!!!!

GO CARDINALS!!!!

In Remembrance of Deo Fisher

2009-01-15T05:59:00.015-05:00

This week was a sad week for all of us that are involved with the Mel Fisher family. Deo Fisher passed away on Tuesday. She was the widow of Mel Fisher. Tom and I had a honor of meeting her a few years ago before she went to live in Montana on a full time basis. Her life was an amazing one so I took the story from the local news paper that was written by Mandy Bolen. She is a friend of ours who also writes a great article each week called Tan Lines that I love so and provided a great story of Deo so it is included below....

Delores Fisher

Mother. Diver. Seeker. Stoic.

All have been used to describe Dolores “Deo” Fisher, widow of the late treasure hunter Mel Fisher, who lost her own battle with cancer Tuesday afternoon — 10 years and one month after her legendary husband succumbed to the same.

Although she was born, and died, in Montana, Deo Fisher lived a waterlogged life on both coasts.

Born Dolores Horton, she married the charismatic Mel Fisher in 1953 in California when she was 17. The young married couple embarked on Mel’s dream of opening a shop that catered exclusively to the burgeoning population of recreational scuba divers, and Deo did her part to entice more female participants to the sport. Together, she and Mel taught an estimated 65,000 people how to dive.

In August 1959, she broke the world’s underwater endurance record by remaining submerged in a 10-foot-deep porpoise tank for more than 55 hours and 37 minutes using scuba equipment.

The Key West community met Deo Fisher when she arrived in the early 1970s with her young family to begin Mel’s search for the treasure of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha.

The family’s struggle, determination and perseverance in the wake of the tragedy that killed Deo’s eldest son, Dirk, and his wife, are the stuff of local legend. But Deo was not Mel, and she was a mother above all else.

“Deo was as tough and resolute as Mel, but her gentle demeanor and outright beauty often made you forget that,” said Corey Malcom, director of archaeology at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.

Malcom arrived in Key West immediately after the 1985 discovery of the mother lode of the Atocha. He worked for an archaeological company hired by Mel to oversee the excavation of the historic shipwreck.

“For many years, she served as a de facto mother for a very large crew of divers,” Malcom recalled Tuesday. “If someone had a personal problem, she was the one to go to.”

Personal problems were plentiful in the slim days leading up to July 1985 and the discovery of the sunken treasure.

“Her love for the ocean and all it contained was only surpassed by the love for her family,” said Melissa Kendrick, executive director of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, which Deo helped found in 1982. “She had those really basic attributes of a solid American Midwesterner,” said Don Kincaid, who worked for the Fisher family for several years and documented the Atocha search and recovery for “National Geographic.” He survived the night the salvage ship sank, taking Dirk’s life. “Many of the divers had come from broken families, and Deo was very much the mother of all of us, and we all thought of her that way.”

No details about funeral arrangements were available Tuesday, but will be forthcoming.

Scuba Tom

2009-01-11T14:28:00.010-05:00

The holidays have ended and we have finally settled down into new routine that includes Tom attending college. He has wanted to get his scuba instructor certification and is able to do so at the Florida Keys Community College. In fact the college has a Diving Business and Technology degree (not a big surprise I suppose since we are in the islands) that is geared towards training professionals to work underwater. This is for anyone interested in working as a Scuba Instructor, a dive boat captain, a commercial diver, a police diver, a scientific research diver or working in dive medicine.

He will be attended in class on Friday nights (7-9:30 pm) where they do the book work and tests that are needed to complete the course. This will last from now till the beginning of May at the latest. As soon as the instructor thinks the class is ready to take the finals skills that can take place and they can finish early but it is unknown as to when that will be. At least he will be done by the time the grand baby will make her arrival!

There are a total of 5 in his class and on the first night was a 100 question test to see what they all remembered from their Dive Master course. Of course Tom took his 2 years ago so I am not sure he remember all of it well enough to pass but he has a chance to take it again if he didn't. The other skills he has to master is the swims. There are 4 that he has to do. First is the 450 yard freestyle in under 10 minutes, second is the 900 yard with mask, fins and snorkel in under 15 minutes, third is to tread water for 15 minutes with hands out of the water for the last 2 minutes, and fourth is the 25 yard breath hold under water. He mastered these for Dive Master so I am sure he will for the Instructor!

Yes this does impact our Friday happy hour schedule. In fact the group that we hang out with on Fridays actually changed the meeting to Jan & Ray's house to give him a 'send off' on his first day. Jan put together drinks and appetizers so that Tom would be fed and sent off in style. What a group they are!

On Saturdays is the pool work for 3 hours. This is where they learn and practice all of the skills that have to be taught so that he can teach others.

He will also have to attend some of the other classes to observe and help out with instructing as recommended by the instructor. Today he was helping out with the underwater archeology class. The college not only has a pool that they do the labs in but also a lagoon that come off of the ocean. This is where they have places timbers (actual ones from the wreck) and items from the Atocha (replicas for course) that are used in the class. Of course Tom has dove the real thing but it is still a pretty cool set up!

So just as Taryn has graduated from college Tom is now attending so there continues to be a student in the family!

New Years Eve in Key West

2009-01-04T17:05:00.006-05:00

As you have probably realized KW doesn't need much of a reason for a party so of course when there is one it is a good one. New Years Eve is no exception!

It was a tough decision for us as to what to do or where to go since there were so many options. KW does its own version of the 'ball drop' that is done in Time Square but in KW style and not just 1 but 3 different ones to choose from.

1) There is the conch shell drop from the top of Sloppy Joe's.

2) Then there is Sushi that drops from the Bourbon St Pub in a giant red shoe. I found a view of it on YouTube that I thought you would find interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXQA82LDGpM

3) And then there is Evelina (owner of Schooner Wharf) that is a pirate wench who drops from the top of a the mast of the KW Schooner.

We had friends that were going to be at Schooners for the evening so we used them as a base and spent the evening walking to check out all of the options.

We started with dinner at Turtle Krawls since they now have grilled oysters which are my latest favorite. We didn't want to get started to early so it was 8pm when we got started (otherwise we would never make it to midnight).

Then off to Schooners for a drink with Cliff, Susan, Ellie & Randy. Ellie & Randy spend the winters in KW and the summers on an island in the San Juan Islands (off of Seattle). The island was Randy's family home. What a life for them. Randy took early retirement from UPS last year so they are now 'officially' retired. They were our base for the evening so we left them and headed out to see Mike at Iguana's. Since Iguana's is so close to Sloppy Joe's it was PACKED! I got a Happy New Year's kiss and a drink to go from Mike and we were on our way.

Duval was already closed to cars so there was plenty of walking traffic but we could make our way. We went passed Sloppy's to see the conch shell, then down to Bourbon St to see the red shoe. It was to early for Sushi to be out but we new we wouldn't be back to see it so we at least wanted to see the set up for each. It was crazy and fun to be out with all of the people. Then we headed to Sunset Pier to see Al (another favorite bartender who is the brother of our friend Michelle) and get a New Years kiss and drink from him. The Sunset Pier has a GREAT view since it sets on the water (of course it was dark but still a nice ocean breeze made it a beautiful night. Finally we made our way back to Schooners in time for the wench to drop. Of course that wasn't the end of the evening since it seems that each time we are out late the night ends up with a cheese steak from Mr Z's and it just so happens Mr Z's is on the way home so it was a late night snack and off to bed. I think we made it home by 1:30 am and so ended our first New Years Eve adventure in KW!!!

AZ, Road Trip, Taryn & Brandon Update

2008-12-30T10:17:00.009-05:00

So this is my fourth try at writing this blog about our AZ, Road Trip and the latest update on the kids. I tried to write this as we traveled and never was able to complete it so finally today I have it done!
Tom and I have been reviewing all that has happened during our trip so let me bring you up to date on all of it.

On Dec 12 Tom & I left KW for Fort Lauderdale for Phoenix. This was to be a multifunctional trip to attend Taryn's college graduation, do an early family Christmas, see friends, relocate Tarn to VA and have Christmas in VA.

Our flight went out of Ft Lauderdale on Saturday Dec 13 but with it being a 7 AM flight and a 4 hour drive from KW we drove up Friday night and stayed in a hotel by the airport.
The early flight allowed us to get into Phoenix and start attending the all of the get together's we had planned with friends through out the week. With so many people to see we had time planned dinner each day for visits and mexican food. The mexican food was so we could get our fill. We haven't found good mexican food in KW and wanted to eat as much as we could. I think we managed to have it 5 nights out of 8! It was also really great to see everyone!!! Tom was even able to get to HACI one afternoon to catch up with his old work buddies.

The main reason for the trip to attend Taryn's college graduation. She has completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University. We are very pleased and proud of her since nursing school is a long hard road but she made it! Next is to pass the nursing boards and get a job where she would like to work in an ER or Labor/Delivery at a hospital.
So let me bring you to up to date on Taryn's pregnancy and the baby. Taryn has had a rough time since be coming pregnant due to extreme sickness. More than just the usual morning sickness and in fact as been hospitalized twice due to dehydration. Instead of gaining weight as most pregnant woman do she was losing weight. The baby was taking all of whatever she was ever able to keep down so the baby was doing great and Taryn was not. This condition has been diagnosed as hyperemesis gravidarum and will be with her for her entire pregnancy. She has a couple of anti-nauseous medication to take all day, has to eat small meals every few hours and try and keep her stress level down. Of course during the last semester of nursing school that wasn't possible so the first 4 months were VERY tough for her.
When we arrived in Phoenix she didn't even look pregnant yet. She was just beginning to gain back a little weight and during the 2 weeks we were with her she finally got her 'bump' and we can tell she is pregnant.
She also had her last OB appointment in Phoenix and since she was 20 weeks they were able to tell what sex the baby is... she is having a GIRL!!!! Yes we VERY excited about that too!!!! Names are still in the works and I am lobbying for her to be called Emma (of course) but nothing has been decided. This is a picture of our 'bump' of a baby girl.

Then on early Sunday morning, Dec 21, we left Phoenix with the 3 of us in Taryn's Toyota Echo. She was relocating from Phoenix to join Brandon in Midlothian VA (a suburb of Richmond). He has been there since Sept when he took a job as the youth pastor for Journey Christian Church. Our goal was to travel between the winter storms and drive straight through if possible so that we would be there for Christmas. It was possible with 3 drivers so it was the goal!
When we left on Sunday we first stopped in Tucson AZ for breakfast with my aunt, Myrtie Jo, and then to Las Cruses NM for an early dinner with my Dad. It was really good to see both of them.

At 4:30 PM Sunday we headed out across TX..... yes and it took us 15 hours to go from the southern/west corner to the eastern/ north corner. I swear it was the widest part we could have crossed and in the middle of the night no less. It also became colder as we headed north. It was a long night where we discovered 2 things....
1) Taryn has her worse sickness at night.
2) Taryn can't stay awake to help drive once the sun goes down. Tom and I ended up doing all of the night driving!
By the time we reached Bristol TN it was 10 PM Monday night and we realized we could not make the last 6 hours to reach Brandon. We found a hotel with soft beds and a hot shower!
Then Tuesday morning we left early to get into Midlothian to join Brandon for a late lunch, see the house they had rented and meet our granddog, Tayler. She is a sweet lab mute that we fell in love with. This picture is the 3 of them in front of the house Christmas day.
We had a great 3 days in VA, had a wonderful Christmas and attended Brandon's church for Christmas Eve service.

Next trip back will be for Brandon's pastor ordination and then in May for when the baby comes. In the mean time Taryn is getting the house set up since Brandon has the 'bachelor minimum' set up, getting some much needed rest and will be job hunting after Jan 1. There are a lot of opportunities in the Richmond area so she won't have a problem finding a place she wants to work.
If there are any changes on them or the baby between now and May I will keep you posted.

Christmas Time in Key West

2008-12-14T09:36:00.007-05:00

It is Christmas time in KW and things are a buzzing. With the economic issues it is quieter than usual since tourism is down but the locals are doing their part to get in the holiday spirit.

Ours started with the Mel Fisher holiday party on Saturday Dec 6. It was the employee get together and even though we are not 'official employees' we were given invitations as VIPS. There were a few of the local investors that they invite and we were lucky to be included. It was a great evening of dinner and drinks at Mangos.

That evening there was also the KW Holiday Parade. It is a family parade with kids groups, churches, music, floats and more parade down Duval and instead of throwing beads (as usual in KW) they throw candy. We were able to watch it from the balcony at Mangos which was a great view.

Then Thursday night was the hay ride/ tour xmas lights/ pub crawl that was put on by Cowboy Bill, the local cowboy bar. Jan, Ray, Tom and I decide to go along since we heard that it was a lot of fun last year. There is a fee of $25 and an unwrapped toy to ride in the hay which of course all goes to one of the kids charities.

So we had dinner at the Iguana since Mike (favorite bartender) was working and it was across the street from Cowboy Bills where we were to pick up the hay ride. In the KW spirit things got started 30 minutes late which was 2 hot buttered rum drink later we boarded a large flat bed trailer that was filled with hay bales and ice chests of beer we were greeted by one of Santa's KW elves shown below.

So it was an evening of looking at xmas lights, singing xmas carols REALLY off key, stopping at local bars, and having a great time!

The rest of the xmas events are taking place after we leave for Phoenix. The one we are sorry we won't be able to see is the lighted boat parade. The local boats get decorated & lit up then parade through the harbor. We have heard it is amazing so we will be there for it next year.

So now we are in Phoenix for Taryn's graduation from college with her degree in nursing along with visiting friends, an early xmas with the family and then to relocate Taryn to Richmond VA now that school will be done. More blogs will follow with all that is going on here.

A Friend In Need

2008-12-10T17:17:00.006-05:00

I wanted to pass on to you something that is near and dear to our hearts and with Christmas spirit in the air you may want to help out. Here is the story:

She is one of Mel Fisher’s “Golden Girls” who needs a little help. Some of you may have heard of Jean Thornton, the school teacher from Alabama, turned treasure hunter! She is featured on many of the Mel Fisher documentaries on the Travel Channel so you may have seem her (she is the red head) handling the gold chains and bar.

Jean is now retired and spends 50% of her time here in KW and we who know her have experienced her compassion and love when we have needed a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on or simply someone to listen. Jean is now the one who needs our compassion, prayers and generosity.

Jean’s son Andy has been going through some very difficult back and spine problems over the last year and has just recently been involved in a serious car accident and is facing several costly surgeries and a very long recovery period. In an effort to help Jean’s son Andy, a trust fund has been created and an on-line auction is being put together in an effort to raise funds to off-set the costs of Andy’s care. You can read much more about the Andy Thornton Trust Fund and Andy’s personal story by visiting the site below. It has the story from Jean and will touch your heart even if you don't know her. You know that it had me in tears!

www.FriendsOfMelFisher.com

An on-line auction will be held the week of Dec 15-19, 2008 to raise funds for Andy’s care. The group at Mel Fisher have donated some pretty exciting items that are going on the auction block; several Atocha silver coins, Margarita Pearls, Atocha Emeralds and various other items. This a great chance to own a piece of history and help out a great cause at the same time!
If you would rather just send a cash donation, or both, you can make your cash donation by clicking the “Donate” button on the 'How to Help' on the web site.

So if you have ever wanted to have a piece of history that is also treasure then this would be the chance to do that and help out.

Pirates In Paradise

2008-12-07T17:20:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday afternoon Tom and I were sitting at Schooners having a beer after walking Dyna. It had been a long walk and all 3 of us were thirsty. Schooners is a outside dog friendly bar so it is easy to stop by, have a beer, Dyna gets water and we get to see friends.

As we sat there the place became full of Pirates and Conch Republic Navy. Our friend Capt. Frank showed up and informed us that the week of Pirates was beginning. This get together at Schooners was the official turnover of Key West to the Pirates for the annual week of events. Here is the web if you would like to check it out. http://www.piratesinparadise.com. It has been entertaining to see Pirates around town all week and walking by the house. We had planned to attending the Sat & Sun events but weren't able to due to the weather. It has been rainy both days with the highs only getting to 70. There have been only a few events we have missed so this one will be added to the list for next year.

Yes we are cold! Tom sits here as I type all wrapped up in a blanket. We haven't turned the heat on yet but are learning to adapt to the weather when the temperature drops and and it's damp. As old desert dwellers it is a different kind of cold.

The rest of the week brings Xmas events that I will bring you up to speed on at the end of the week.

Nutcracker Key West

2008-12-04T19:42:00.007-05:00

Tom and I decided we would take in a little culture 'Key West' style. There is a lot of options here to attend here for concerts, local theater and art events even though this is an island. Actually it is very amazing at all that is available now that we are into 'season'. The community college has a large very nice auditorium and 2 other local play house all showing various productions.

There is a local production of the Nutcracker that has been revamped to the local flavor of Key West. It was a delightful production that I wish I could really explain but is hard to put into words. The best I can do is try and explain the differences:

Nutcracker has _____ and Key West Nutcracker has______(insert words below).

- nutcracker to conch shell nutcracker (a nutcracker with a conch shell head)

- mice and the Mouse King to chickens and the Rooster King

- Land of the Sugar Plum Faeries to the Salt Ponds

- Spanish, Chinese, Arabian and Russian dances to Court of the Coral Reef, Reef Fish, Neptune & the Shrimps and Jewels of the Atocha.

The songs and dances were the same but the characters, costumes and stage were all done to KW style. Here is the website if you want to know more or see pictures. nutcrackerkeywest.org

It was an entertaining 2 hours and our favorite part was the kids who played the chickens, reef fish and shrimps. It is amazing what these little ones can do.

So now that we know what is available we plan on attending more!

Thanksgiving in Key West

2008-11-30T09:31:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving weekend is coming to an end and the holidays begin....

We had our first Thanksgiving in Key West which we shared with friends at Jan & Ray's. They had their daughter and son-in-law down from Orlando and then invited a few of us 'without family' to their dinner.

It was an interesting experience for Tom and I since we have been holding dinner at our house since Mom passed away 9 years ago. No turkey to clean the night before and then get up early to cook. No trying to figure out where to seat everyone in the small dining room, find all of the warming trays & serving dishes (used only twice a year), and get the food timed right to try and be done close together. It was Wed night when we had little to do to prep for the dinner when we looked at each other with quivering lower lips and teary eyes..... we would be without our family and friends for our first island Thanksgiving. So we walked down to the Iguana, had a hot buttered rum (my new favorite that bartender Mike makes) and toasted island life with all it has brought us.

Then Thurs brought dinner at Jan & Rays which for them is an all day affair. Appetizers, drinks and games starting at 2 pm with dinner around 6:30 pm. Tom was the bartender for the day since he has perfected the key lime pie martinis and we have introduced them to Apples to Apples which has become Ray's favorite game.
Everyone that was coming to the dinner brought a family favorite and of course we brought Mom's homemade rolls. We have had to adjust the recipe since things cook differently at sea level and with more humidity. We had a couple of 'test' runs over the last couple of weeks to get the dough just right. It was a great dinner with every ones family foods to share, great friends and key lime pie martinis!

This also means the start of season which brings 2 things.
The first is the seasonal residents have started to arrive. Down here they start returning in Oct and stay till April. Traffic has picked up, less places to park and it's getting harder to get our favorite bar stools.
The second being an event every weekend. Our schedule is starting to fill up again with things to attend which means more topics for blogging..... stay tuned!

Our Cat Misa

2008-11-24T20:42:00.005-05:00

Yes I did say our cat Misa .... now what are we doing with a cat you say..... well here is the story.

When we moved into the house we found a bag of cat food and a dish on the front porch. Of course we had no plans for a cat so we got rid of the items.

Then after talking with the neighbors we learned that there was a cat that came with the house. She is a grey cat named Misa. They aren't sure how old she is but we are the 4th family to live here since she arrived. Of course we still weren't adopting the cat since Dyna wasn't ready to share her new yard with anyone, including a cat or a chicken.

So the months went on and we would see Misa in the yard or up on the porch. The minute Dyna would see Misa she would chase her out of the yard so Misa never stayed long. Then came Hurricane Ike and things began to change. Ike visited us in Sept and when the storm was passing by the Keys. We found Misa on our porch in the middle of the storm refusing to leave. Of course we felt bad about leaving her out in the rain and wind but didn't want to bring her in since we weren't sure if she was clean, had fleas or anything else. The trade off was to come up with a shelter on the porch we set up a place where she could get out of the storm and a towel to lay on. Then of course we didn't have any food. Usually she would be fed by the neighborhood lady, Linda, who put food out for all the of the stray cats at the house next to ours since it is empty. During the storm Linda would not be out to do the usual feeding. Not wanting Misa to go hungry I went to our neighbors who have a cat of their own. I knew they would have food. So out I go in in the wind and rain (OK it is only 20 feet from our front door to theirs) to borrow some food. The cat was fed and that was the beginning Our Cat Misa.

From then on Misa decided it was OK to hang out on the porch. Over the past 2 months Misa and Dyna have gotten to be friends. Then Linda decided to move across town and there wasn't anyone to feed Misa. So we bought a dish and some food and moved on to the next stage of ownership. Once that started Misa moved permanently into the yard. She could be found at anytime of day laying in the yard or on the porch in front of the door. It was quite a hoot when she would lay in front of the door since we have a screen door with a doggy door in it so Dyna can come and go when the weather is nice. Misa ruled the doorway since Dyna didn't have the guts to go over her to get in the door. Dyna would sit on the porch and whine until one of us would open the door, which would move the cat and let her in.

Then we started to joke about Misa being smart enough to get through the doggie door..... of course that is just what happened. Over the past few weeks Misa started with poking her head in the doggie door which we knew would lead to just one thing.... sooner or later Misa would be in the house. After a week of that Misa got the guts to come through the door one evening about a week ago. We were watching TV and here comes Misa wandering around the living room. She was pretty skittish and didn't stay long even though she did the same thing a few more nights.

On Saturday morning we were up having coffee when Misa waltzed in, got up on the dining room chair and napped. That is the picture above. She slept so hard we could hear her snore!!!!

So now anytime we leave the door open Misa will come on in, find a cozy place and nap away. She even had the guts to nap on Dyna's dog bed today. Dyna just laid there and looked at her, not sure what to do!

Of course we are still concerned about fleas and stuff so Tom put a flea treatment on her today and it looks like Our Cat Misa is here to stay!

St Croix from Tom

2008-11-17T21:33:00.013-05:00

Last Saturday I returned from 10 days in St Croix USVI. I went there to help Ray (the husband of Jan who are friends of ours) clear a piece of beach front property. There are preparing the land to be able to build a house. I have never been to St Croix so it was a chance for me to check out the island as well as help Ray with the work he wanted to get done while we were there.

The day we left was a typical travel day getting to the airport at 5:00 am and getting to St Croix at 5:30 pm. It took three flights to get there (you would think being this close would make it easier... NOT). Of course one of them was delayed due to mechanical problems after we had boarded the plane and had to get off while they repaired it. We think it was just a low tire, safety first! We got the rental car and found our hotel with out any problems, after all the island is only 14 miles by 5 miles and Ray is quite familiar with it. The first cold beer at the bar after we checked in tasted pretty damn good and so did the fifth and sixth, after that it was the traditional island drink, Pain Killer, which I was feeling none of by then.

Thursday our first full day where we spent driving around getting the demolition permit, verifying the delivery of rental equipment and buying some tools we needed to start cleaning up the lot, like shovels, rakes and a chainsaw. The next two days me and the chainsaw became one while we cut down several Seagrape trees and a few palm trees which then had to be cut up intp pieces. Needless to say I was pretty sore on Sunday. We had rented a bobcat to load the dumpster and use it to remove some of the smaller bushes and trees. Ray did most of the bobcat work and at one point all you could see was the tops of the trees and bushes moving and hear branches snapping so it looked like Jurassic Park when the T-Rex was crashing through the trees, pretty cool! See the picture to the right for what it looked liked when we started.

Monday the demolition contractor showed up and started tearing down the shed and the house. They had the shed down by the time we got there Monday morning but it took until Friday for the house because it was built all out of concrete and they used a lot of re-bar, it must have been cheap back then. See the picture to the left of the end result.

We did get a day off on Tuesday because the crew was off for Veterans Day which did not make Ray very happy because he was worried about them finishing by Friday. So we took the day to drive around the island and hit quite a few bar/restaurants including drinking with the pigs in the rain forest, yes you give the pigs a whole can of beer (near beer since the SPCA found out they were giving them real beer and it is bad for the pigs). They just chew it up, drink the beer and then spit out the crumpled can.

Each evening we would go to a different place for drinks/dinner to explore both the local and tourst places. My favorites (besides the pigs) was Parrott Cove which is a local hang out with great music and the Island Brewing Co which makes Black Beard Ale. It was interesting to see the different places since the island goes from the beach to the rain forest.

I did manage to get in some scuba diving on Sunday and Thursday.
Sunday was pretty cool because we dove the new cruise ship dock which was very different swimming around all the huge concrete columns that hold up the dock. It is a great place for sea life like all the different colored Sea Horses and some Frog fish that I have never seen before. Thursday I went to Cane Bay where you just walk from the dive shop to the beach and swim out and dive a wall that drops off to about 3000 feet deep. You could see some reef damage from the recent hurricane but there was still some more Sea Horses and some Reef Sharks.

I also got a tank and tried to dive off of the beach at Ray's property but the water never get deep enough for me to actually dive. There is a reef about 200 yards off of the beach and Ray wanted me to see if there was any place he could get a boat through but not that I found.

The Island is beautiful and the people were very friendly and laid back. Nothing happens to fast there so Jan & Ray will have to be patient when they build there house. We will be going back next year maybe in February or March so Myrla can check out the island and we can do some more diving.
You never know with Jan & Ray moving there it could be the next stop on our adventure.

Bachelorette and Boats

2008-11-08T11:47:00.013-05:00

So what does this all mean......
Let's start with the bachelorette. That would be ME! Tom left for St Croix on Wed so for 10 days I will be the bachelorette. He will be back next Saturday so I still have one full week on being on my own in KW.

So why is Tom in St Croix.... Our friends, Jan & Ray, bought beach front property there. It is a beautiful place (so I hear since I don't have pictures yet) with lots of sand, palm trees & a great ocean view. The house that that is on the property is in bad shape and isn't something that J&R want to keep so this is when the house is coming down and the property is being cleaned/ leveled for the building to begin. They aren't sure when the building will begin since it takes along time to get the permits and get the house built. They are estimating a couple of more years till it is ready to move into. Yes things move slowly with island time. It has taken them months just to get the permits to clear the land. They have already started the request for the permits to build but there have been many obstacles that they are having to overcome, some due to the beach front restrictions, some due to difficult govt regulations and the interpretation of what they mean and they are trying to do it all long distance. Ray is a contractor and had done many houses so the process is not new to him and since he knows how it all works so that is very much in their favor.

Anyway Tom went with Ray to help clear the property. Things have been slow here in KW due to weather so the he has only been out once in 3 weeks with an investor dive trip. With so much time on his hands I booked him a flight and room and sent him with Ray. You already know that 1000 spare feet is just not enough room for both of us 24/7. So far Tom has spent the last couple of days swinging a chain saw to down trees that are where the house will go and to clean up the trees lost from the last hurricane. St Croix took a direct hit from Hurricane Omar a few weeks ago so there was clean up to do from that. So for 10 days I am just a KW bacholette doing the usual stuff with friends!

Note on Tom's captain status. He has received all of his official paperwork and license to be a Certified Charter Captain! The last time he was out he took the Lucky Dog as both boat captain and dive mater. Happy to say that captain and investor divers all made it out, dove and made it back safely. As Chris (owner of the Lucky Dog) would say "Cheated death one more day".

Now the Boats. This week has brought the 28th Annual World Championship Super Boat races to KW. Last weekend the big boats started rolling in so it has been a week filled with the sound of boats racing on the water. There are 23 boats that have already had races on Wed and Fri. I didn't get a chance to see any of them since I was working but the finals are tomorrow and I am going to watch. The race course is set up along the island so there is a number of places that you can watch from. Last Sun they had a boat parade down Duval. The Iguana is just off of Duval and one of our favorite places to what Duval so we were there and had a great view of the boats. Some of the are amazing! Then Wed night Mel Fisher hosted a party for the racers so I went along to help out. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet some of the race teams. Then last night part of Duval was closed for a street party and once again they had many of the boats parked along the street so you could see them. I ant wait to see them in the water tomorrow. Here is the web site if you want to check out more about it. http://www.superboat.com/

So that is the story of the bachlorette & boats. When Tom gets back next Sat I will have him post about this St Croix adventure.

The Phlock & Capt Tony

2008-11-02T11:39:00.003-05:00

Yes the Phlock ascended on KW and is flying out today. This weekend was the gathering of the 17th Annual Parrot Heads in Paradise Meeting of the Minds. So a Phlock of them, over 3,000, started arriving on Thurs and have spent the weekend. Appeared to be a mild bunch after the crowds that we experienced with Bike Weekend and Fantasy Fest. The good part was the music that they brought with them. Jimmy Buffett wasn't here but many of his band members were with their own bands to good music was in the air.
By the way.... we think we have found Jimmy's KW house. Officially he doesn't live in KW anymore and the local 'coconut telegraph' says he bought a house recently so we went on a hunt to find out. When Jimmy was staying in KW (many years ago when he was starting out) he lived in a place not far from where we live and it was said that when he bought his latest place it was in our neighborhood. Just a little place to hang out in that no one would know about...... Another friend told us that its not a rumor and that their friends were the ones who took care of Jimmy's house since he isn't here most of the time. She told us where to find it since the house is only a few blocks from our house by the little park. It is overgrown with plants and trees so it is very hard to see. We have been walking past it for months with no activity or lights. Then low and behold last Thurs we went by and the place was all lit up with cars outside so it appeared that someone was finally home...... interesting that it is the same weekend as the Phlock. We figured it was some of the band members staying there but nothing has been confirmed yet. Of course we are still on the watch!!!!

On another note this weekend we also lost Capt Tony. He passed away on Sat at the age of 92. He was a KW icon and more than a legend here. Below is the link to the local paper where his death made the front page. It is a sad day for of the locals. We had heard about his passing last night when we were at a friends house. As soon as he was gone the text messages/ phone calls were flying on the 'coconut telegraph'. We all knew he was ill and had been in the hospital for the last week. A book about his life was just released so if you would like to read about a colorful man then I would suggest it. Its called Life Lessons of a Legend.
He is also famous for the quote "All you need in this life is a tremendous sex drive and a great ego - Brains don't mean shit". Of course he did have 13 kids with 8 women so the quote is not a surprise.
The other note to the story is that Capt Tony owned Capt Tony Saloon and was one of the first people to give Jimmy Buffett a job. Guess it is fitting that he would pass when the Phlock was in town.
http://www2.keysnews.com/citizen/KWC_TFP.pdf
He will be greatly missed and as our friend Jean text us last last night "Godspeed Capt Tony"

Haunted Fort Taylor

2008-10-30T20:49:00.002-04:00

Blog posting by Tom

With Fantasy Fest over and the wind keeping the boats in port I found myself with even more time on my hands and looking for something to do. With Halloween coming we figured something must be going on (as it always seems to be). Myrla was reading the paper when she saw an article about a group setting up a haunted house at an old military fort so she did some research (as only she can do) and found out they were looking for volunteers to help with construction and actors. After a few emails and phone calls I was at the fort helping with construction, mostly painting and organizing. It was interesting as to how the haunting scenes were put together since we were unable to attach anything directly to the fort due to it being historic.

As with most things here in Key West things don't happen as we expect due to 'island time'. A lot of people here work late into the night and even into the next morning so they are not in any hurry to get moving in the morning or even by noon. The first day I went to help I was told to be there about 11:30 am, I finally met someone there around 3:30 to find out what they needed done. Our schedules are very different because I am ready to work early and be finished by the time they just want to get started so I would find out what they wanted done the next day then I would not have to wait until 4:00 to get started. Even with all the volunteers and different schedules the work all got done in time for the first show on Sunday night.

On Monday night we went through the fort with a group of friends. It was fun and scary. All of the scenes that are portrayed are from actual fort history of how people died since there was a total of over 400 people who died there.

We all know that once you volunteer for one thing they get you into everything and this was no different. They talked me into working inside the fort as one of the actors after the construction tasks were finished. This is not something I am comfortable with doing but I did it for one night and it was fun scaring people but have 'retired' from the night time scary stuff.

At the fort they also show old horror movies on a large screen out in the courtyard area where people can watch before and after the haunted fort. As usual this whole thing is to raise money for the restoration of the fort.

In case you are interested in the fort here are a couple of sites with the history.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lotAZTC-Nts
http://www.forttaylor.org/

Fantasy Fest Survived!

2008-10-26T19:56:00.034-04:00

We have survived! Though I have to tell you that by Thursday night I wasn't sure I was going to make it. Working and staying out each night is for the YOUNG!!! None the less we did make it, had an excellent time and am really glad we didn't miss all the things we were able to get to. So let me recap the week......

Friday and Saturday night were Goombay which I have already shared with you.

Then came Sunday and we went to the Hot Wench & Wicked Pirate Tea Dance at the Mel Fisher Museum. Yes I know that the tea dance part sounds a little strange but that seems to be what an afternoon of drinking and dancing is called here. It was our first introduction to the costumes that we would see worn through out the week. There are many people who come down for the entire week and bring a different costume for each day. The theme for this years Fantasy Fest was Pirates, Pundants and Political Party Animals. To say the least there was a lot of pirates, Obama's, McCain's and Palin's running around. We then met friends are Schooners and ending the night early (actually home by 8 pm) after being out late Fri & Sat.

Monday we decided we needed a night off after being out the previous 3 night and had 6 more nights to go.

Tues it began!!!
We started with dinner at Finnegan's Wake which had a Green Party. Everyone was to dress in green which many did (Tom included). We stayed there for a few hours, eating, drinking and making friends. A couple sitting next to us were down for a few days and didn't even know it was FF. What a surprise for them!
Then we headed down to Capt Tony's Saloon for the Plaid Party. There is where everyone is to wear plaid and we had heard it has become 'the place' to start the party week. Boy was that true! I don't think we even made it all the way to Capt Tony's since when we got to the street where the saloon is and it was already closed to traffic and the street was packed. It just so happens that our Iguana Cafe is across from Tony's so we found a place to adjust to all that we were witnessing. Now people had tried to explain to us what the week was all about but until you see it I am not sure you can believe it. It is a week where people leave their everyday lives to live a fantasy. That fantasy has many themes through the week that includes wearing little if no clothes at all. Yup you hear me right.... LOTS of naked & half naked people, all shapes, sizes, ages and everything you probably cannot imagine (but trust me I say 'ALL' and yes I mean 'ALL'). I probably spent the first 30 minutes out in the middle of the street just staring with my mouth open before Tom made me move and to get a grip. He seemed to take in all in stride and adopted the Ron White saying of ' If you see 1 naked boobie you want to see them all'. We were just amazed at the amount of people who wanted to walk around in various stages of nakedness. After a bit of this we headed down Duval (the main party street) while the people were still coming into the street to party and parade around in their costumes. We ran into Josh and Danielle who were having dinner and wanted to check out Capt Tony's so we once again headed down into the craziness but this time there were so many more people that they had closed off sections of Duval. Any this was only Tuesday night. We spent a number of hours people watching and manage to get home around midnight which we had chosen as the cut off time to be able to make it out so many night this week. I have to say that by the end of the evening had had grown accustom to the costumes and was developing a new appreciation for body painting. I have included a couple pic of lady who were painted and were my favorites of Tues night. Yes the pink top is all paint!

Then Wednesday was to be another night out to the parties... but Mother Nature had a different idea! We are still technically in the rainy, hurricane season but usually by FF things are pretty quiet. Not so for this week! It was the rainiest week on record and Wednesday was a record breaking day. The last time I checked out weather gauge (a thank you to the HACI group for the great gift) and it was over 5 inches that one day. We had been having rain everyday the past couple of weeks but it came in squalls and moved on (as we are used to) so it wasn't stopping us until Wed. It rained ALL DAY!!! When we started out to meet Jan, Ray and the gang it was still raining. There was the Walk the Plank Party at Schooners that we wanted to get to along with a couple of other parties down on Duval. Even though we had a umbrella we were soaked by the time we made it to Jan & Ray's house and it didn't appear to be letting up anytime soon. Since we weren't going to let the rain get in the way of a good time we all stayed there, drank, ordered dinner to be delivered and practiced our Zombie Pirate dance for Friday. Now you would think that we would cut it off early but once again it was midnight before we made our way home.

Thursday the rain had let up and there were more parties to get to and to participate in the Guinness Book of World Record for the tattoo. So once again we met up with friends and headed down to Key West Ink to check in for our tattoos. Now that turned into being a Cluster! We didn't get the tattoos. We had a 7 pm appointment and they were so far behind to tattooing that it was going to be HOURS before they would get to us. The worst part was that they wanted us to stand in line and wait. The appointment meant nothing. As of 8 pm there had been only 70 people tattooed (since 2 pm) with 80 more staged to go. We figured they would never get to us and decided a Duval Crawl was more fun so off we went.
The party of the night was the Toga Party at Sloppy Joe's which brought out some of the most amazing togas I have seen. Of course there was the crazy pirate costumes and the body painting everywhere. We had a great time just walking, drinking and people watching. The picture to the right is the group of us out Thurs night.

Friday was the highlight of the week with the peoples parade which is officially called the Masquerade March. It is the where anyone can can join in the parade (it's all just people dressed up in their own costumes) that starts at the cemetery and moves 2 two different directions until it meets on Duval. It starts at 5 pm and was one of the craziest, fun things we have done. We were the Zombie Pirates, Ray had built a coffin that was a ice chest to carry the rum & beer, and had even come up with a short dance to do on the parade route to Micheal Jackson's' Thriller. So 30 of us gathered (once again at Jan & Ray's so it a good thing they only live 2 blocks from us) early to dress, do the 'dead' makeup thing and get ready to march. The picture at the top of the blog is the group photo taken before we hit the parade trail and th picture to the left is Tom and I before the parade. It is amazing what white makeup and baby powder (in large quantities) can do.
Then as things go.... we had a major mishap. The cart carrying the coffin and the music set up went through a puddle that was deeper than it appeared. The music set up burned up! We had no music to do our dance but continued on the route anyway. We did get lucky that on a potty stop at a friends house they had speakers that went out to the street. We put in the music and got to do the dance a couple of times out in front of their house. We heard that someone had videotaped it so if I get that I will let you know. It was a blast to do! The parade took us 3 hours and we never made it to Duval. We dropped off the coffin and headed out to party... in costume and all late into the night. There are many more pictures that were taken but I haven't had a chance to gather them all. Here is a link to a local photographer that took pictures of us during the parade. this link starts on photo 132 and ends on 141 for us. There are many pictures of the others in the parade so check those out too. They are quite a hoot. I take no responsibility for what you may see.

http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=bigdfatboy33&gallery_id=1324113&image_id=132

Then Saturday brought us to the final day of the Fest. There was a street fair and local music stages set up on Duval for the afternoon and then the grand parade was to start at 7 pm with over 60 floats entered. We slept late then started out for the street fair at 2 pm. Of course met up with friends, had a few drinks and found the first decent Mexican food we have found here and it happened to be at a street vendor upstate Florida. The burritos made me homesick so through out the day we had 2!
To watch the parade we headed to Josh and Danielle's. They are the young kids in the picture from Thursday night. They have an apartment that overlooks Duval with a balcony so it was the perfect place to watch the parade. Josh is the grandson of Mel Fisher and also a treasure diver on the Dare so we a bunch of the divers with us on the balcony. The picture to the left is of diver Bill who was dressed in costume the last 3 nights that he was out with us. For Saturday he got body painted.
It was an amazing parade with float after float and most of them with live bands. The picture to the right is one that I took of the Junkanoos (yes I have a thing for them) and the great thing is the beads that are flying mid air. There was A LOT of beads being thrown from the floats to the crowd. At one point we had to so many beads we were throwing them back to the floats.
After the parade ..... well you already know the drill.... it was out to the street to check out the crowd. Now you would have thought that we would have been done after a week of this but ohhhh noooo! The streets were crazy and by midnight things were getting weirder than they had all week. A bunch of us decided it would be better to finish the night somewhere else so we headed to our house for some Wii bowling, cheese steaks (a local place, Mr Z's has the best ones ever) and the last drink of the night. Well those of you who have done late night Wii know that it is never just one game... Finally at 3 am we were done and our friends headed home!!!

Now it is Sunday and we have done NOTHING!!!! It has really taken us a whole day to recover and I am not so sure it won't take a couple more!
So ends another week of Adventures.... many that I can't believe I saw but an adventure none the less. There were many events we didn't get to and are already planning those for next year. The theme is Villains, Vixens and Vampires so the planning for the peoples parade will also begin at the next Schooners happy hour on Friday.

Goombay, Fantasy Fest and Tattoos

2008-10-18T14:32:00.007-04:00

I know you won't be shocked to hear that it is party time again on the island. Yes I do believe that drinking is the national past time here! So this week or shall I say the next 10 days brings an estimated 50,000 people to Key West for Fantasy Fest, the BIGGEST party of the year!

It started last night with Goombay. Now I am figuring you haven't heard about Goombay and we certainly hadn't but it is a KW African-American Heritage Festival that originated from the Bahamians who came and settled here many, many, many years ago. It is a 2 day street fair that takes place in Bahama Village, a local area in KW, and is set up to have food, drink, music and shopping. We were there last night eating and drinking our way from the beginning to the end where the stage was with a band playing great music. I have to say I had a bit to much of the Goombay Smash (some kind of rum punch) but we are going back again tonight since the Junkanoos will be there. I hate to miss that! Here is the website in case you want to know more.
http://www.goombay-keywest.org/

Also starting last night is Fantasy Fest. This is KW version of Mardi Gras with a pirate theme twist. This is THE festival of the year or so we have heard. In the previous years of coming to KW we never came in Oct so this is our first FF (yes there are still a few things in which we are virgins).
The events started on Fri night with the crowning of the FF king and queen and ramp up with more events each day till it is done on Sun Oct 26. There are SO MANY events each night that we can't even decide on which ones to attend when it gets to Tues - Sat. Here is the web site with the list of events for you to check out if you would like.
http://www.fantasyfest.net/schedule.cfm
If you want to check out the happenings live you can use the KW web cams.
http://webcam.keywest.com

There is ONE thing we have decided to attend or in this case participate in and that is the FAIRVILLA MEGASTORE MASQUERADE MARCH that takes place Fri night. Locally it is called the peoples parade since it is for anyone who wants to dress up and be in the parade. It is a HUGH deal for the locals and with our Mel Fisher group. There about 25 of us who will all be in the parade together and our theme is Zombie Pirates! So we are dressing up as dead pirates, are creating a coffin to carry the beer & rum drinks, will have a boom box with music and have created a dance to do in the parade that is to the music of Micheal Jackson's Thriller. WHAT A HOOT!!!!

The other event that is happening, not a usual FF event, but something that is taking place during this time. A local tattoo shop, Key West Ink, has decided to take on the Guinness Book of World Records for the most tattoos done in 24 hours record. The event starts at noon on Thurs and goes till noon on Fri. Now you know that Tom and I can't resist getting involved in this one. We both have wanted to get a second tattoo (yes it's true that once you get one you want another) and this will be a great way to be involved in setting the record. We have an appointment at 7 pm Thurs night to have ours done. We have a choice of a couple of designs that include a conchshell, dive flag or KW. These will all be small ones since it has to be done in a few minutes so that makes it a great one to have done. We haven't decide on which ones to do or where to put them. That will be left for Thurs night. Here is the website if you want to check it out. http://www.keywestink.com

So once the week is done and we have finally recovered ( yes it takes longer than it used to as we get older) I will report back on what all went on and will include pictures.
What an adventure this week will be!!!

Curb Shopping

2008-10-09T22:32:00.002-04:00

Yes curb shopping... a form of dumpster diving KW style. Another new phenomenon that we have discovered in this life on the island.

Due to the small space, people living close together and limited land there aren't any alleys here. The trash is all put out on the streets just as we did in AZ. The difference here is people also put anything they no longer want out on the curb too. It is a way of sharing with others things you no longer want. This is what is done rather than donating to Salvation Army or Goodwill.

When we first got here and had brought things we found we didn't need we gathered them together and held on to them till we had enough to donate. In a few months we were ready and started to look for a place to take them. Much to our surprise we could only find 1 place in the lower Keys and that was a Salvation Army location. They even had a policy that you couldn't drop things off after hours. Donations could only be during store hours. So off we went to drop off the items.

Later that week we were telling friends about this when we were told about 'curb shopping'. The locals take whatever they no longer want and place it out on the curb. Usually within a few hours or at the most overnight it will disappear. It is a common 'exchange' process where when you no longer want anything you place it outside and then those that need it will take it home. Then when you get home with the items you are replacing (it is something you got that is better than what you had) you place that item out on the curb and the cycle begins again. This is common with EVERYTHING!

So a few weeks later we had cleaned out shoes and a few others things. To see if it really works we placed the items out on the curb in front of the house about 9 pm. Then just before we went to bed at 11 pm we checked on the items and they were GONE!!!! This was within 2 hours and we didn't hear a thing! What a hoot that someone who wears a size 6 1/2 women's and 12 men's would happen by our house that night and need shoes.

As time has gone by we have seen an amazing amount of items set out for curb shopping. This covers large things such as furniture down to books, clothing, once there was a cat stroller, computer parts, an old scooter that didn't run and so on. I will say it did take 3 days for someone to take the scooter that didn't run.

Now I am sure you are wondering if we have done any curb shopping. No not yet. Yes we do look since we take Dyna for a walk most nights and are always out for the next great deal but have yet to come across something that we want. But believe me we are shopping just like a local!

26th Wedding Anniversary

2008-10-04T18:02:00.005-04:00

This past week Tom and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary on Thursday, Oct 2. As with most celebrations food is part of it. We decided to have dinner at one of favorite places, Cafe Marquesa. Not one of our usual places since it is expensive to eat there but reserved for special occasions.
http://www.marquesa.com/cafe-marquesa.htm

As we as we were getting ready we lost electrical power. Now this is not an unusual occurrence. It happens quite frequently with living on a island and had already occurred earlier in the day so we didn't think anything about it. We got dressed up island style, our 'dress' shorts, a shirt that is not a t-shirt, and sandals that are not flip flops (the Cafe is a little more upscale than our usual haunts) and headed out.

The Cafe is only a few blocks from us and a nice evening was taking place, the sun was just setting and there was a breeze as we walked for the few minutes it takes to get there, thinking that the power would come on any minute. Usually the power is not out more than an hour so we figured we could arrive and while having a drink then the power would return.

We arrive at the Cafe where there is still no power but a few people setting at the bar waiting for it to return. We sat at the bar (this is a small place with only 8 seats) and talked with Maggie, she is a great bartender that we have had before. She makes an interesting margarita martini that Tom loves and I just couldn't decide. She recommended a new one she had just created, pear and pineapple martini. It was AMAZING! I fell in love with it!!!!

We order the martinis, had some bread with hummus and wait for the power to return. Since it is never out for long we were all sure it would come on at any moment. Now the time passed, the sun set and started to get dark. The Cafe is all windows on 2 sides so we sat, drank and watched the world go by with the employees and 4 others who were hanging out just like us, all of the tourists that were staying at the hotel. Minutes turned into hours and it became dark. The candles came out and the Cafe offered us salads & desserts for dinner since it was the only thing that could be made without power. We had a salad, bread and more martinis with good conversation with those around us. The couple sitting next to me was from England who were at the end of their holiday and returning the next day. What a way to spend their last night in KW.

So this went on for a couple of hours... still no power! Hmmmmm interesting........
After 3 martinis on a salad/bread dinner we decided it was time to make our way home. What a HOOT!!! Not only had we had the martinis but there were no street lights so it was a dark and slow walk home. Most of the sidewalks in towns are not in great shape due to wear and tear so the walk was an adventure in itself.

We arrive home and of course all of our neighbors are out on their porch's discussing the lack of power. We found out the power lines had gone down into the water and the power company had to get a barge out to carry the crane to fix the lines which would result in the power being out for an hour to 3 hours more. So we grabbed a couple of beers, settled in on our porch chairs and waited as we watched and listened to the neighborhood. Eventually the power did come on, it was out 3 1/2 hours, and we were off to bed with the A/C cooling down the house.
The never ending adventure on an island!!

6 Months and Counting

2008-09-28T16:25:00.007-04:00

Tom and I went diving this morning, a couple of wreck dives with a local dive shop, afterwards was having lunch at Schooner's and enjoying the amazing weather that we have had since a storm moved out yesterday afternoon, when we looked at each other and said 'We don't have to leave tomorrow' with a clinking of beer bottles to celebrate the moment!
This moment describes the last 6 months..... yes it has been 6 months... almost 7 since we landed in KW.

When we look back over these past months so much has happened we are still in amazement that we took the leap and did the move. It wasn't and still isn't always easy and we have learned a lot but definitely one of the best decisions of our life!

So here are a few observations about following our dream........

Stuff is just STUFF! Boy was this a large lesson for me to learn as you know from the blog when we were packing and moving. It is really amazing what little you need to live to be happy and that Internet shopping doesn't have to be a way of life (as many of you know it was for me). With only having 1000 square feet and too much stuff in it already (yes we are still getting rid of clothes and shoes) there is no need to shop. As part of the general population down here we too have little space and limited money to spend so we all do with what we have and share what we can.

Living on ONE income..... Yes this has been a transition! We knew that when we left we would be living on my income and that Tom would make some money but we referred to that as 'beer' money. Of course things don't play out as we plan and after the initial 2 months of Tom working on the Dare in dry dock he has spent most of his time logging sea days (non-paid of course) for his captains license and diving as an investor. So this has severely limited out disposable income and we are learning to budget. Now this is not an unusual position to be in here. It is expense to live here and we are lucky that we are not dependent on tourism for our income, as many are. It is not uncommon for a friend to say 'low on funds so we need to find the best happy hour for the money'. We all know we all live on tight budgets and are in it together.

Thank heavens for friends! We didn't realize how much our Mel Fisher friends would come into play with us getting settled in and calling KW home. It is interesting on how you get plugged into life in a new place when you don't work in a job where you make friendships through work since my job works out of the house and Tom doesn't have a full time one. We have had to meet and create friendships in a different way. Jan, Ray, Cliff and Susan have been there for us more than they will ever know in getting us connected and providing us support.

Island lifestyle. Such a difference!!!

First of all I haven't driven on the island since we have arrived. No need to! We walk to almost everywhere and I can tell you it must have been a hoot today when Tom and I were both on the scooter along with 2 large dive bags. A tourist photo op if there ever was one.
There is a market, drug store, hardware store, dive shop, liquor store, restaurants and of course bars all within walking distance. We do drive about 1 a month to the Publix grocery store to stock up on the large, heavy items that are to much to carry home and usually hit any other stores that the car is needed for at that time.
The weather is amazing. It is a nice change to have weather and wake up each morning to something different. We will admit that August was hot and muggy but lately the ocean breeze has been coming through so even if it is hot and humid the breeze makes it very livable.
Events are never ending.... this is a busy place! It seems that almost any day of the week you can find something to go to. Everything from gay bingo on Sunday afternoon to poker on Tuesdays to coconut races on Friday and so on. Sometimes we aren't sure what to go to next.
Music! Due to the amount of bars here there is also an endless variety of live music all the time. We have already found a favorite local band, Caffeine Carl. So no matter what you want to listen to you can usually find it. There is a local paper, Paradise, that comes out each Thurs filled with the events and music played around town.
KW people. Of course everyone we have met is from somewhere else. We are refereed to as 'fresh water conchs' since we were not born on the island and can never be a 'true conch'. We have met a few true conchs but not very many so we know they exist. Our friends are from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia and the list goes on. Once in awhile we meet someone from California but usually it is an east coast state. Jan and Ray have been on the inland the longest with 10 years (from Penn) and of course we have been here the shortest time. With so many people from so many places it makes for a lot of fun with sports and everyone cheering for there own teams.
Sports.... usually water based with fishing in the lead. Lots of fishing here and lots of fishing tournaments. Then it would be softball then bocce ball. We are joining a team for the winter league of bocce ball. People love to be outside here and anything you can do when you are outside, even if it is having a game of horseshoes in a friends back yard (Saturday night at Chris's house).

So we have settled into island life easily and really love it. It was easier than we thought possible since it seems it is where we were meant to be. Yes we miss our family and friends, not enough of you visit by the way, but this is the place for us. At least for now..... Jan and Ray are moving to St Croix in a couple of years and we are thinking about going with them. So if you want to experience KW from the local side then make your travel arrangements soon!

Boobs & Bikes

2008-09-21T15:28:00.006-04:00

Yes in deed... I think I have now seen more silicone and chrome in one place than ever before!
It was the 36th Annual Key West Poker run and it was the most bikes (and boobs) that I have seen in one place. Here is the website in case you are not familiar with what a poker run is - http://www.petersonskeywestpokerrun.com/custompage.asp?pg=history

They started rolling in on Thurs and then rolling out today. It was estimated the 10,000 came down for the event and based on last nights crowds that seemed about right. Duval (the main party street) was closed for at least 5 blocks and Greene (which crosses Duval by Sloppy Joe's) was closed for 2 blocks. This is where bikes lined both sides of the street. It was amazing all that we saw. There were some amazing bikes!

Then of course there were the much endowed woman who also had a lot to show so at times it was hard to determine what to look at next. In Key West it is legal for women to be completely topless as long as they are painted so it is a tradition during events here that painting booths are set up and many women get painted. So to say the least there were more than a few of those around. I was amazed at the number of older woman (over 50) who get painted or have amazingly small tops on. Who would have thought!

Tom and I spent a few hours just watching the crowd and wandering through the bikes. Luckily we live a few blocks off of Duval so when we were done it was a 10 minute walk home to where it is much more peaceful with only the occasional bike coming down the street. Ours is also a one way street which cuts down on traffic.

Then in contrast to Sat night I attended the CMA Bike Blessing this morning. Tom was off playing dive master for Mel Fisher investors (which he is doing all week) so I decided to attend. It's the closest thing to church service that I have attended since we moved. We haven't found a new church here since the first run of looking for one led us to the usual standard religion, conservative churches which is not the non-denomination/ bible based church we have previously attended and loved. You would have thought that in a place that is so unconventional that there would be more of a choice. OK there is 1 non-denominational church but it is for the gay community so I didn't think that was a good choice. In fact there are a lot of churches but at first glance we haven't found one we want to attend, have to dress for (yes they dress up for church here) and sing hymns!
OK so back to the CMA Bike Blessing..... CMA is the Christian Motorcyclists Association and they held a nice service at Mallory Square which included a blessing of the bikes and those who ride. There was about 100 or so people who attended, some of them who are CMA members and other, like me, that just wanted to attend the service. The majority of the attendees also brought there bike to be blessed for the ride so they were all lined up in Mallory Square facing the ocean. It was a beautiful picture of all of the bikes and ocean in the morning sun along and a great group of people to spend some time with. Here is their website in case you are interested in their work - http://www.cmausa.org/

So ends another weekend in KW. It was good to have the city filled with tourists again. With the last 3 storms coming through and 2 of them having mandatory evacuations it causes people to change their vacation plans and head elsewhere. This town is very much dependent on tourism so it was good to have the noise & money return (even if I wasn't able to get my favorite seat at the Iguana) and hopefully to stay since there isn't any storms headed our way in the near future. At least we hope not but the storm season doesn't officially end till Nov so continue to keep us in your prayers.

Taryn & Brandon's Adventure

2008-09-18T19:47:00.005-04:00

There has been a lot going on in Taryn & Brandon's life so we wanted to share it with you.

Lets start with May of this year when Brandon graduated from GCU with his degree in Christian Studies. This will allow him to pursue his passion of being a youth minister. While going to school this year he had already started his pastor adventure by working with a start up church in Scottsdale and creating thier youth program.

Then this summer he and Taryn moved to Scottsdale to be near the church and her work. She also had a job in Scottsdale working as a nursing extern for Mayo Clinic for the summer. Taryn still had 1 more semister to complete her degree in nursing from GCU so this was a great opportunity for her.

They also decided to become dog parents once they had there own apartment which wasn't on campus. They went to the pound and are now the proud parents of Tayler. She was 6 months old when they got her and is a lab mutt. The cutest thing you have ever seen!

During the summer they also found out that the start up church wasn't going to be able to move Brandon to a full time job so they decided it was time to look for a job that was something more stable. This led them to a country wide search of churchs who had an opening for a youth pastor. Brandon ended up with a number of interested churchs from CA to IL to MO to VA. In the end it was the Journey Christian Church in Midlothian VA (a suburb of Richmond) that won! If you would like to check it out here is the web site
http://journeychristian.us/index.php?nid=37507&s=hm
The postion they offered was for Brandon to start Sept 21. This meant that they will live apart for 3 months with him in VA and her in AZ. Then when she graduates in Dec she will join him. They have given up thier Scottsdale place, rented a VERY cute house in Midlothian and she is going to live with Catheryn (her old college roommate) until she leaves for VA.
As I write this she, Brandon and Tayler are in Brandon's car crossing the country to move him to VA. Then we will be back in AZ in Dec and get to drive her to VA after graduation. Can't you just picture Tom, Taryn and I in the Echo for this road trip. What a hoot that will be!
Also remember that Taryn & Brandon helped us drive to FL so this makes MULTIPLE trips for all of us across many states with Taryn winning the prize for the most since she gets to do it 3 times in 1 year.

The latest (and best) part in all of this is Taryn found out a few days ago that she is pregnant!!!!!!!
Yes Brandon will be a Dad, Tayler will have a sibling and we will be grandparents. All of us are VERY EXCITED!!!!! She is only 6 weeks along and due May 17 so things will stay as planned with us scheduling a trip to VA in May! Of course there will be blog updates as things progress.

If you would like to send them a Congrats she can be reached at volybal2@msn.com

Capt'n Tom

2008-09-13T13:06:00.017-04:00

Tom's New Office!

Yes he is Capt'n Tom!
As of yesterday at 6 pm Tom passed the test to acquire his OUPV Captain's USCG license.
What the means in KW terms.... he will have his 6 pack license or be a charter boat captain.
What that means to me is that he can take people out in a boat AND GET PAID FOR IT!!!! With an added bonus of being out from under my feet everyday (although I will miss my man-slave and all the work he does).
What it means to the Coast Guard is that he will be an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel of no more than 6 paying passenger for Inland or Near Coastal waters (up to a 100 miles off shore) on a boat up to 100 gross tons.

So what is this all about you ask..... no, not just something I had him do to get him out of the house for 6 days..... but something that he was asked to do to help out with a friend's business.
Chris (who owns the Lucky Dog and I have blogged about before) has taken an Investor Relations position with Mel Fisher so Tom has been helping out as a dive master as you know. Now Chris has asked Tom to captain his boat. This means that Tom will be taking over some of the Lucky Dog charters that Chris books. Chris will remain the owner and Tom will work for him. Most of the work for the Lucky Dog is taking MF investors out to dive the treasure site (yes Tom still gets to treasure dive) but when it isn't booked for that then there are charters out for dive trips (independent of the treasure work), fishing trips (Tom will take a fishing guide with him), dolphin watching, back country travels or custom charters. Tom will now have the pleasure of spending many of his days out on the water.

There are still a few items he has to complete and send in for his license which he will be working on this week (official logging of previous boat hours, drug test, physical and so on that the Coast Guard requires). He and Chris continue to work together to teach Tom how to run the business and the boat. Tom is learning the water routes out to the treasure site (30 miles off shore), dive and snorkel spots out on the reef, routes to take in the back country and so on.

So when Chris called a few weeks ago and asked Tom if he would get his 6 pack and captain the Lucky Dog boat we were both shocked. Now Chris has known us ever since we have been involved with MF but with all of the other people in KW (and Chris knows a lot of them since he has been here 10 years) that already have their 6 pack it is an honor to be asked to help out with someone else's boat/business.

So this is part of the amazing Adventure that we weren't expecting. Tom is getting to do something he hadn't ever thought of or planned on. Being here has opened up a lot of opportunities that you just never know you can do until you follow your dream!

Ike Dodges KW

2008-09-08T21:38:00.003-04:00

So the winds are blowing and the rain is on it's way!. Ike has moved off to the south of Cuba and will miss us as a direct hit, YEA!
We are still under a tropical storm warning with rain and wind which should last through Wed. So I just wanted to give an update that all is well and another one has missed us.
Cuba is our lucky charm since it either deflects or weakens a storm before it can hit us. That cannot be said for them, Turks and Caicos or especially Haiti. Haiti has been hit the hardest with the last 4 hurricanes this year being a direct hit. Last count 630 have died so we count our blessings for Cuba and the protection it gives our island.

Here We Go Again With Ike

2008-09-06T11:12:00.004-04:00

WE ARE NOT EVACUATING......

That being said we wanted to let you know we have decided to stay and are not leaving even though you have heard from the news and the Weather Channel that there is an evacuation. It is true that one has been issued. The tourists are leaving and many have left based on our walk around town this morning. Tomorrow the residents are supposed to leave. No one that we know is leaving. All of our friends and and neighbors are staying so we have decided to continue the adventure and stay too. At this time the only residents that seem to be leaving are those that live in mobile homes or have medical issues. The designated hurricane shelters are only rated to withstand a category 2 and it is estimated that Ike will be a 3 by the time it gets close to us. That is why these people have to leave since they have no where to ride out the storm. We don't have that concern with our house since it is protected, on the highest point of the island, and has withstood many previous storms.

Now Ike is not scheduled to be in our area till Tues. That is along time away and a lot can happen during that time. Based on the latest set of hurricane tracking models (11am today) there are 4 that show Ike heading south of us and 2 that have him coming close to us. Still to early to tell.

So I just wanted give the latest..... don't believe everything the media tells you ........ and I will give an update on Monday as to what the scoop is. If you want to know before that or want to check in just give us a call..... we will be at the bar with the rest of the locals!

Crusing Complete

2008-09-01T09:18:00.003-04:00

We have returned from the cruise with Taryn and Brandon and had a GREAT time. Hurricane Gustav was behind us the whole way but never caught up so it was a great week of sun and water. It was also the first time Tom had left KW since we have arrived. Of course it wasn't to traumatic since he went from being on an island to cruising around islands!

The above picture was taken in Jamaica where we spent the day hiking up a water fall, yes we hiked UP a series of waterfalls called Mayfield Falls. It was a great time. And yes you will notice both Tom and I had a tan. Not a big surprise with Tom since he is out on a boat so much but I to have one. In fact it is probably the tannest I have ever been. It's not that I am trying but we spend a lot more time out in the sun here so it just seems to happen.

Back to the cruise..... the islands were great. The cruise was great. The biggest ship we have ever cruised on and Brandon's first cruise. There were 4200 passengers on the boat but they did an amazing job of handling the people and getting things done. It was rare to stand in line for anything. The cruise activity staff was the best we have seen. They were a lot of fun and had so much for us to do that we didn't get to do all that we wanted to. And of course the never ending amount of incredible food!!!! Believe it or not Brandon got FULL about day 6. I wasn't sure that would ever be possible!

So we are back home to unpack and get ready to go back to work (for at least one of us), from vacation to island living, it is tough ;)

Taryn & Brandon in KW

2008-08-22T14:51:00.003-04:00

Taryn and Brandon have arrived in KW. I have asked Taryn to blog for you the trip down, life here in KW and the cruise.

From the moment Brandon and I stepped foot in Florida it has been a whirlwind. As many of you know Tropical Storm Fay hit Florida right in the middle of our travel plans. It all started with a flight into Fort Myers....we arrived to an airport full of paniced people stated "the hurricane is coming!". Brandon and I weren't too concerned since I had spoken to my parents several times since the storm hit and both of them agreed it wasn't anything to get upset about. We found out our flight into Key West was cancelled, so we booked a hotel room next to the airport until we could get another flight out. It had started to rain that afternoon, but Brandon and I didn't think anything of it. When we arrived at the hotel, a truck stocked full of bottled water and packaged food arrived and the hotel managed explained to us that the hotel was ready for the storm to hit and that "in case we are all stuck here for a few days, we have plenty of supplies!". Again Brandon and I just rolled our eyes since I had just hung up the phone with my mom who just said it was now clear and sunny in Key West. I called that night to re-schedule our flight for the next morning, the airport was still open.

It rain continuously through the night, and then the heart of the storm hit Tues morning. Our flight was cancelled again, and when I called to re-schedule the only flight available was for Thursday morning. Well that didn't sit well with Brandon and I since we were ready to sit on the beach and start relaxing. So we decided to check out of the hotel in the early afternoon and rent a car to drive to Key West since all other means of transportation were cancelled. The hotel refused to drive us to the airport to pick up our car due to "safety reasons", so I asked them to call us a taxi. They looked at me as if I was crazy, but I told them we were going to be in Key West by nightfall no matter what! The taxi arrived, and on the way to the airport we had to listen to the driver explain to us how the entire island of Key West was underwater and that we were crazy for going down there. During this lecture, I was on the phone with my dad who just got back from taking Dyna for a walk in the DRY, WARM streets of Key West. We picked up our car and drove to Key West in record time, only 5 hours (the tolls were suspended and no one was on the road)!

We finally arrived and to our not-much-surprise, Key West was not underwater! It was great to see my parents and my dog again. Of course it is hot and muggy, but totally worth "battling the storm" to get here. The town is completely dead from the people leaving due to the storm, which is great for us! We are now enjoying shopping on duval st, eating EVERYTHING, and soaking up way too much sun (I am already completely sunburnt). I feel bad for all those people who decided to let a "little" rain keep them from enjoying the Keys.

Tomorrow we leave for the cruise! 7 full days of excursions, eating, and having a great time! All four of us are going! We depart from Miami Saturday afternoon, with our first day on the cruise being a full day at sea. We plan to use all the luxury emenities the cruise offers. My mom and I are hitting the spa, the boys will enjoy the all-you-can eat buffets, and of course the many shows and activities that will accompany everyday life on the boat.
Our first stop on the cruise is private island the cruise ship has where we will be zip lining down a 2,600 foot line that starts on top of a mountain and ends on the white sand beach. We will also enjoy having our own private beach for the afternoon.
On Tuesday we land in Jamaica. There we will be hiking to waterfalls and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Wednesday it's off to Grand Cayman where we will be boarding a private boat for a trip around the island.
Thursday we head to Cozumel. There we are renting a car and heading to the far side of the island to hang out and do our own thing.
Friday is the last day at sea and Saturday the 30th, we dock again. It is going to be a whirlwind of fun and adventure. Brandon and I will be home soon with a nice dark tan!

So the Adventure continues with anyone who dares to venture to the island!
Will be back blogging when we return.

Surviving Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-18T21:20:00.002-04:00

So another chapter in the Great Adventure.... our first tropical storm!
As reported before we didn't board up any windows, just took the items off of the porch that could blow away in the wind. As we walked around town it was the same with the other locals. There were a few businesses that did close up their large store front windows on Duval. That would be the pictures that the news people show.

It wasn't all it was supposed to be. We didn't find the rain and wind anymore than any of the AZ monsoon storms we have been in. The only difference was the length of time that it lasted. Instead of blowing in and then out as a monsoon does this tropical storm lasted longer with rain continuing for hours today. Sometime very hard with lots of wind and at other times just a steady rain with no wind. It is still lightly raining tonight. Our weather machine has recorded 4 inches today.
What was really interesting was the news media and all the prep that goes into it. Since there is no way to really know how strong the storm will be or if it will turn into a hurricane there is a lot of prep that was not needed for this storm.
The most interesting was the evacuation of the tourists. We have NEVER seen the streets so empty. Some friends went out with us last night and it was only the locals hanging out at the bars and having dinner. It was an amazing time. Kinda of like having Disneyland to your self and a great group of friends. We came across a few media crews but they were very picky on who they were talking to and I think the amount of rum we had scared them off!

The bad thing is Taryn and Brandon trying to get down here. They made it to Ft Myers this afternoon but that was when the storm was passing over KW so they couldn't go any further. Now that it has passed us it is on to that part of FL. We have tried to get them flights out Tues but there are none until Thurs and same with the ferry that comes across to KW from there. So based on that they have rented a car and will leave tomorrow morning to drive down. It's only about 6 hours so they will finally make it!

One down and who knows how many more to go..... Invest 94 is the latest storm to roll off the coast of Africa that we are watching......... always watching till Nov!

Watching Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-16T09:27:00.004-04:00

Hurricane season begins June 1 each year and this year was no different. The local paper sent out their hurricane preparedness paper and we read it cover to cover. We want to be ready. We have also talked with all of our friends about previous hurricanes and what they have done or not done. Very interesting conversations about the island and past impacts from the storm. The one that did the most damage was Wilma and that was not a direct hit but the island took a high storm surge hit.

Anyway the beginning of the season has been quiet for our island as it usually is until Aug & Sept. We are also learning a lot about the weather and why it is hard to predict where the storm will hit.
As of Fri afternoon we have TS Fay headed our way. We have been watching and checking the hurricane status a couple of times a day to see what may happen. Right now Fay is only predicted to be a Category 1 and looks like the eye of the storm will go west of us sometime Mon night/Tues morning. We will get rain and wind for sure. Here is the site I use if you want to follow along on where the storm is.
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/

So Fri night for happy hour we started at Schooners, as we usually do, and of course the discussion went to the TS Fay and what may happen. No we are not boarding up the windows or planning to leave or anything unusual right now. Life on the island is pretty much as it always is on a Sat morning. We do have our hurricane kit ready with food, water, cash, batteries, candles and a hand cranked radio. We have enough supplies to last at least 3 days so at this point we are planning on staying along with everyone else we know. None of our friends have left the island for any of the previous storms (longest here is 10 years) since none of them have been a direct hit or larger than Category 1 when it got to us.

And to add to the story Taryn and Brandon are flying in for a vacation with us on Monday. Right now there plan is scheduled to land in KW at 4 pm. Depending on the storm that may be delayed. They have to change planes in Ft Myers so I am reserving them a hotel there for Mon night just in case.

So tonight we are going to play horse shoes, drink rum & cokes, hang out with friends and continue on as we usually do since it is to early to tell where Fay may go or what may happen....... just waiting and watching as this amazing Adventure continues.

Dive Master Tom

2008-08-11T21:39:00.008-04:00

Tom's work Adventure continues..........

As you know Tom has been hanging out, diving as an investor and underfoot most of the time. The past week brought a new chapter in this saga.
A friend of ours, Chris, is an independent boat captain for the Lucky Dog. I have talked about him in previous blogs. Anyway Tom has been diving with Chris for years and a lot since we have relocated. We have also become friends with him and his wife, Michelle with Saturday BBQ's at their house with a group of others to play horseshoes. Yes life on the island includes horseshoes!

Anyway Chris has decided to leave the boat life and take a great job opportunity with Mel Fisher as a investor relations guy. He still wants to keep his boat business going so he has asked Tom to help out.
Tom is a WORKING Dive Master on the Lucky Dog!!!!!!

What does that mean you ask.......
Chris has a number of boat tours he offers which include taking MF investors out to dive off of the treasure salvage boats and out scuba diving out along the KW reef.
When the Lucky Dog takes investors out a dive master has to go along to guide the investors that are diving since the boat divers don't have the time. They are there to do the salvage work. Tom is now the dive master guiding these dives. YEA! (Chris is also hiring a captain to drive the boat since Tom isn't able to).
Right now that means he is out anywhere from 2 to 6 days a week (depending on weather and investors scheduled to dive) diving 4 -6 treasure dives a day. It's not a full time treasure salvage diver but it is as close as he can come at this time. He is very excited to have this opportunity.
As mentioned above there are other tours that Chris offers which include scuba diving. Tom will also be the dive master on those trips. This means he will be learning the KW waters and reef. I may even get to go along and dive.

By the way the picture at the top of the blog is one that I took of Tom when we were diving off of the Dare during one of our KW trips. It's the best treasure dive picture I have of Tom until I get a chance to get back out on one of the treasure boats and get a new one.

We are forever grateful to Chris for the opportunity in this amazing Adventure.

Battle of the Bars

2008-08-05T17:51:00.008-04:00

Another Adventure first this last Sunday - Battle of the Bars - a battle of the local bars in a competition that has a team of 7 running through an obstacle course while doing bar stuff. It is 2 teams competing against each other until only 1 team remains. It is an ALL day event that is all about the locals coming together for a great time!

What is the bar obstacle course you ask....

First one of the team members makes margaritas, walk through cones and serve them to the team to drink them.
Then another team member gathers up the trash in the bar and runs down to the other end of the bar area to sort out the trash, recycle and regular trash (all in the interest of being green).
Once the trash is sorted that team member rolls a beer keg to the middle of the area.
A different team member then taps the keg.
Once the keg is tapped a different team member fills 7 glasses of beer with no more than a 1 inch head of beer foam.
Then a different team member takes the filled glasses, walks a balance beam and serves to the team.
Once all of the teams have drank the beer they are done.

The above picture shows the list of teams from the back of the t-shirt I bought. It lists 36 of the 40 bars that were involved. Tom has the chance to compete on The Bottle Cappers team but declined. The Bottle Cap Lounge is our latest 'find' of a great bar to hang out in.

As with most of the events in KW all of the proceeds go to charity. It seems that there is not a weekend that goes by where we are not at some fund raising event. I think it must be do to no state taxes in FL. The non-profit here have a hard time getting funds and need public donations. For this event the promotions went to Boys & Girls club of KW and the Literacy Foundation.

A bar can win in more than one way.

The bar that wins the obstacle course - won by the Eaw ar Rowdies I think
The bar that wins the most money
The bar that has the best costume.

I wish I could tell you who won each of these areas but I can't. We didn't make it to the end. After 6 hours (got there at noon & left at 6pm) only Round 3 had finished with 2 more to go and we had more than our share of beer and sun. Time is not an issue here so the event started an hour late and not only the teams but the referees kept taking breaks to have a cocktail so it takes longer than you would expect, Welcome to the KW time.
The results should be out in Thurs local paper.

If you would like to share in the fun I have included a link to a YouTube show of pictures. There are also a number of other videos out on YouTube of the various teams competing. Just do a search of 2008 Key West Bar Wars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8gXXJsg7IY&feature=related
I do have to warn you that the pictures and videos are not edited so it may not be for anyone who is easily offended. Remember that they don't call this place Key Weird for nothing, just another day in paradise with the locals!

It was a great day of sun, fun, food and beer as we sat at the top bar of Schooners and watched it all go on.

Florida Lobster Mini-Season

2008-07-26T17:09:00.006-04:00

So next week brings another 'first' for us in this never ending adventure. Florida's lobster mini-season. This is an event where Florida spiny lobsters are the center of attention.

The spiny lobsters are actually very large crawfish and are locally known as 'bugs'. So when we were asked last week if we were ready to 'hunt bugs' we had NO IDEA what this was all about.
The commercial lobster season starts August 1 but before that takes place the public is allowed to get in on the action (the public can also hunt the entire season through March 31). So 2 days prior, July 30& 31, an estimated 32, 000 people descend upon the Keys (Key Largo to Key West) to 'hunt bugs'. The Keys are located in Monroe County and is one of the few counties that allows the 'hunting of bugs' before the commercial season begins.

The Rules:

Only 6 lobsters per day per person.
Only equipment allowed is a net, tickle stick, gauge and heavy gloves. What is a tickle stick you ask, it is the stick you use to 'tickle' the lobster to swim backwards into your net.Then the gloves come in to be able to grab on to the lobster to measure it. They don't have claws like Maine lobsters but the edges of their shell is very sharp.
Only lobsters with a body larger than 3 inches and a tail larger than 5 1/2 inches thus the need for the gauge. The measuring must be done while in the water so that if the 'bug' isn't the correct size then it is released. No taking the 'bug' up on the boat or shore and then measuring to throw back if it isn't large enough. This is also why you must be in the water, scuba diving or snorkeling to hunt.
Must have a fishing license with a crawfish endorsement.
There are also limitation on where you can hunt since you can't hunt in the marinas, boat canals, national parks and sanctuaries.

So on Wednesday and Thursday the scuba divers and snorkelers will get in their boats and take to the water to find the lobster. Then a lobster is found the fun begins.
The lobster has to be 'motivated' to leave the crevice or hole it is found in. That is where the tickle stick comes in. It is used to tap the lobster to crawl out of the hole (they swim backwards) so they can be trapped in the net. Then measured for the correct size. If it is border line in size then it is better to let the lobster go since the rules are strictly enforced by Fish and Game who will be out in Full Force checking all of the boats.

This is also when Tom will be out with our friend Chris, captain of the Lucky Dog, as first mate to go 'bug hunting'. Chris has his own charter boat business for diving, fishing or whatever (www.floridastraitsdiving.com) and we have gotten to know him through Mel Fisher since he takes investors out to dive off the treasure salvage boats. Tom has been working with him as his first mate on and off when Chris needs help. He and his boat has been chartered for the 2 days to take people out to 'bug hunt'. So this week Tom's help is not only needed (playing first mate/ dive master) but also his 6 bugs a day which will go to the annual Mel Fisher lobster cook out. The cook out is next week end after the lobsters are all in from the 2 days.

Then the following weekend is the Key West Lobster festival. The commercial fisherman put their traps out on Friday, August 1 and the first time they can pull them is Wednesday August 6. The Festival begins on the following Friday and last through the weekend so there are parties, cookout and activities to attend.

So on to Tom's first 'bug hunt' adventure..........

Tom and the Restoration Lab

2008-07-21T22:45:00.005-04:00

Since Tom is still waiting for a dive position to open up (we like all of the divers to much to take any of them out) Mel Fisher offered him work in the Restoration Lab. This was a relief to me since I had him underfoot for way to many days! Our 1000 sq ft is just to small for both of us when its 24/7!

Anyway he finally went into the Restoration Lab to work a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't full time, just a few days a week to get him out of the house and have something to do.
The Restoration Lab is where the artifacts are taken once they have come off of the salvage boats. Everything that is found, no matter how big or small is taken in, tagged with a unique ID and photographed. Many of the objects are encrusted with sea 'stuff' since it has been on the bottom of the ocean for over 400 years. There is also processes to remove the 'ocean stuff' and reduce the salt water content.

So Tom spent a number of days, tagging, photographing and checking in objects. As the days went along he found that he liked it less and less. After spending so much time out on the boats and not in an office the transition was harder than expected. He also was learning that he wasn't crazy about the computer work or the closed in space.

Today he went into the office and 2 hours later he was back home. He had quit! It wasn't what he wanted to do and he didn't come down here to spend it in a lab staring at a computer.
He talked to the guy who runs the lab and explained the situation. He COMPLETELY understood and was cool about it.
He then talked to the guy who is his boss until he can get on a boat. He also COMPLETELY understood.
It is not the job for everyone.
So he is back to being at home everyday and waiting for a spot on one of the boats to open up. We still have hope that the one diver will leave at the end of summer but as we have learned in this Adventure ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN......

Mel Fisher Days

2008-07-20T21:57:00.005-04:00

23 years ago today, July 20, 1985, the Mel Fisher crew found the Atocha Motherlode. This was 400 million dollars in treasure. Each year this is celebrated with Mel Fisher Days as it was during the last 5 days.

It started last Wed night with a group of the investors and employees getting together to kick off the week with a cocktail hour.

Thursday night was held at Schooners Wharf with the Annual Miss Atocha Bikini Contest where the contestants created a treasure themed bikini or wear one of their own. Our favorite Schooners Wharf bartender had entered (who had also won last year) and the winner is based on how much money they raise for the charity. In KW is it legal to be topless as long as you are painted so we had a couple of girls, including our gal who had amazing body paint and looked great. Based on all of the support she got she won again this year and was given a grade 2 Atocha coin. It was A LOT of fun and a great start to the evening.
There was also the customary cup cakes for sale, as Mel used to do, as a fun game of chance. The person who picks the winning cupcake won an Atocha Coin! There was only 100 that would be sold. We bought 2 but didn't win!
We also had a 50/50 raffle with the proceeds going again to the Have a Heart Foundation. We didn't win that either but give to this charity since it is very close to the Fisher Family’s heart. The foundation was created in the name of Taffi Fisher-Abt and Michael Abt Sr.’s son, Michael, who passed away just two years ago when his heart suddenly stopped in gym class. The money raised is used to purchase Automatic External Defibrillators and training in their use for Florida schools to help ensure no other families have to suffer the pain of losing a child.
Once the festivities completed at Schooners we were off to Finnigan's, an Irish pub, for a late dinner with a group from the party.

Then Friday afternoon brought the Annual Mel Fisher Days’ Parade with all of us from the Mel Fisher group gathering with kazoos, candy and beads in hand then got into decorated floats, fire truck, trolley, cars and trucks to head through town to make sure everyone is a part of this Mel Fisher Days’ Celebration. It was a HOOT to be included in the parade!
After the parade concluded we started the Pub Crawl to celebrate at Mel's favorite bars. We started at Rick’s in remembrance of the Hard Times before the Motherlode was found!
During the Pub Crawl there was raffle prizes being given out, partying and having a great time with friends and family in honor of Mel. After Rick’s we headed over to The Bull, another of Mel’s favorite hang outs to dance and hang out. The next stop was Two Friends where they used to always take care of the divers and crew during those Hard Times before the discovery of the Motherlode. There we sang karaoke and had a great time.
It was also there that we actually won one of the raffle items, a gift certificate to the Westin for brunch which is a great place to eat.
We also won the 50/50 raffle. It was $250 but I split it with our friend Ray since we had mixed up all of our raffle tickets together as a joke and I ended up with a couple of his tickets. Of course that happened to be the one that WON!
From there we went to the Chart Room. This is an incredible little bar that actually has a small amount of Mel's ashes sealed in the bar. It is a place we like to hang out usually on Sat since Greg is the bartender and does amazing bar magic with cards.
Then we ended the night at Cowboys Bill's!

Saturday brought a quiet day (after 2 nights of drinking) and then the Midnight Gambler Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament aboard the Sunset Water Sports Party Cat. We took to the water from 9 pm to 3 am for a night of gambling and fun. Once again the money paid to play went to the Have a Heart Foundation. The top 4 players won an Atocha coin. Tom played but didn't win and I hung out with friends. It was a full moon and a beautiful night to be out on the water.

Then Sunday was the Diver Reunion Party at Dante’s Poolside Bar and Grill but we didn't make it. We had already spent a lot of time with some of the old divers at the Pub Crawl and spent everynight with the current divers so we decided to not attend. Hard to believe I know but after 3 late nights and all that goes with it we were WORN OUT! We can still hold our own with going out but have found that with age comes a LONGER time to recover. With having to work Monday we needed the day to lay low and get back on our feet!

I do think that at times the Adventure is bigger than both of us but we wouldn't change a minute of any of it !!!

Perfect KW Weekend

2008-07-14T22:12:00.006-04:00

So I wanted to share with you the most perfect weekend we have had in KW. It was one of the best so far.

It started Fri night with the happy hour at Schooners Wharf. Our usual hang out to start our Fri night. A lot of our friends were there so much to catch up on from the week and then 7 of us had dinner together. It was a great evening!

Saturday we were invited out on the water by some friends that have a boat. Actually most of our friends have boats. We are one of the few who doesn't. Here in KW it is really all about the ocean! So we spent a glorious day out in the backcountry. The back country is the area between the main islands and the reef. It is a beautiful ocean area full of shallow waters with ocean creatures, mangrove islands and incredable views! Once we left the island we traveled through the Mud Keys, and past Snipes Key to the area known as the Narrows. This area is where there are channels though a set of mangroves that vary in size to boat through, kayak or float through. We spent the hours floating in the ocean in one of the channels and since the tide was going out there was a great current to float along in. Of course there was lunch on the boat and ice cold beer! And wouldn't you know that I forgot to take my camera with us so I don't have any pictures to share but I promise I will next time since I cannot find the words to truely describe the day.

Sunday was emerald hunting day with Mel Fisher investors on the JB Magruder. The Magruder is one of the treasure salvage boats. Tom and I have been on it many times as divers and Tom has been emerald hunting on it but this was my first time. This is the first time we would be hunting them together.
The emeralds are in the sand from when the Atocha went down in the hurricane. Sine they are hard to find when diving there is an airlift that sucks up the sand into a set to trays on the boat that we then sift the sand through and hope to find emeralds. When Tom did this a couple of years ago he found 4 and this trip we found 4, Tom found 3 and I found one. The picture below is of the 4 of them. You will notice that mine is the smallest and it is a mircle that I even saw it. To see it you will need to look REALLY REALLY close! It is the small green speck next to the M. What a day it was! The sifting is hard work and we do it for hours. In total for the day there were 6 found. The day before a friends of ours found a great one and that one is estimated at $10,000. Of course none of ours are anywhere near worth that. But they are ours and we found them so it was a great treasure hunting day!

So the weekend ending up being a perfect one. Two days spent on the ocean, one relaxing and the other treasure hunting. A perfect KW adventure weekend!!!

The Events Begin Again

2008-07-10T22:05:00.003-04:00

So it has been quiet the past month or so with no special events happening around town. The last one was Memorial Day but the time has come to get things started again. Next week brings 2 Events happening.

The first is Mel Fisher Days that begins with investors going out emerald hunting on Sat and then continues on through the week. We are scheduled to go out to emerald hunt on Sunday. If we find any I will be sure to let you know. MF Days commemorates the 23rd anniversary of finding the Atocha mother lode. There are many investor friends coming in for it so the week will be filled with much to do and many to see. The official events start on Thurs with a kick off party, Fri with a parade and pub crawl, Sat with an all night poker party and then of course a final party on Sun.

The other event that will be happening in town the same week is Hemingway Days. In case you don't know Hemmingway spent alot of time here. His house is still here and is a museum that you can tour. This is the place that has the 6 toed cats.
So this week long event is when the town fills with Hemmingway look alikes. There is a look alike contest at Sloppy Joe's that draws people from all over the world. It is amazing how many old guys there with white hair and white beards that look like him.

So I will let you know if we find any emerald in this never ending adventure

KW Libations

2008-07-08T21:06:00.006-04:00

While Patti was here we took her around KW experiencing all of the eating and drinking establishments. It is estimated that there are over 350 different places to eat on the island at any one time (and almost all of them serve libations) but that is a blog for another day. For this blog we are going to take a tour of the various bars and our favorite drinks that go along with them.

My #1 favorite is THE Key Lime Martini. Now this is not just any key lime pie martini since you can get them almost everywhere here, this one is different in many ways. The OTHER ones are more like the pie color and like having dessert. This one is served at the White Tarpon, which is a very small bar that we love, and it is a 'true' martini. I have even included the recipe and a picture of one that we made here at home. Patti had the bartender give us the recipe and we spent the evening trying it out until we got the perfect mix.

You will need:
Pint glass (need this so proportions of liquids turns out correctly) - Makes 1 drink at a time
Finely crushed Graham crackers (food processor works great here)
Lime
Vanilla vodka (spigot in bottle)
Liquor 43 (spigot in bottle)

Line rim of martini glass with lime and dip rim into graham crackers
Fill Pint glass almost to top with ice
Pour vanilla vodka into glass for a count of three
Pour Liquor 43 into glass for a count of 2
Add a splash of Rose's lime juice
Fill rest of the glass with sweet & sour mix
Shake WELL and pour

My next favorite is a TIE! It is either a Mojito at the Iguana Cafe or a Dark and Stormy at Schooners Wharf.
Now I will only get the Mojito at Iguana if Mike is the bartender. He makes the BEST in town. Once again (just like the martini) I have tried them many places and come back to Mike for more. The Iguana also has 20 different beers on tap so it's a great place to hang out.
Then at Schooners there is the Dark and Stormy, what is this you ask..... it is dark rum (preferably Goslings Black Seal) mixed with ginger beer and a splash of ginger ale. Ginger beer is non-alcoholic like root beer. I will tell you that this seems to be an acquired taste. I loved it the first time I had it but it took a few for Tom to decide he liked it.

Then next it would be the Hogs Breath for the Key Lime Pie Shooter. It DOES taste exactly like a key lime pie.
And yes there is a theme going on here with key lime things. I am also addicted to key lime pie on a stick dipped in chocolate that has to come from the Blond Giraffe.

After that is The Flying Monkey. Here they have frozen drinks like Fat Tuesday. We even have our own Monkey coolers that can be refilled. These are awesome on a hot day and last for hours!

After that it is pretty much open. There are many, many places that are open to the outside with seats to hang out in and watch the crowds go by. It seems that each time we head out we find another amazing place so we will keep you posted when the favorites change.

Patti Does KW

2008-07-04T17:50:00.003-04:00

I’m writing this blog entry on my last afternoon in Key West. I thought I’d share some of my thoughts while here on this beautiful and laid-back island paradise.

I came to Key West via Ft. Lauderdale. The plane they use to fly here is a twin prop. There is a single of row of seats on each side of the plane. Yes, they still fly those types of planes. Who knew?

First things, first. Key West in July is hot and humid. Unless you are on the water, plan to be back in an air conditioned room by noon and don’t leave again until 6 pm or so. The good part about coming to Key West in July is you pretty much have the town to yourself. Just you and the locals.

Plan on two outfits a day as you’ll sweat. A lot. Even if you are not a person that typically sweats, you will here. Oh and make those outfits 100% cotton. Polyester and rayon were not made for Key West. The good news is the dress code is very casual here. Even calling it a dress code makes me chuckle. Dressing up here means you are wearing flip flops that match your outfit.

If you have long hair, bring hair clips and pony tail ties. Keeping your hair off you neck is a good thing. I also learned that visors are best since they let your head breathe. If you wear a hat, you will sweat even more.

Girls, do not plan on wearing any makeup. You look ridiculous here wearing it and it only melts off your face anyway.

I’ve read that baby powder helps as well, but all I can picture is the powder mixing with the sweat and turning into a type of Paper Mache. Ick.

Being in old town Key West means you will do lots of walking. Be sure you have comfortable sandals and if wearing flip flops, make sure the piece between the toes is fabric as the plastic ones give you blisters on your first day here. They do have lots of bicycles you can rent as well as scooters and electric cars. But parking them can be tricky. Also remember, you will be drinking alcohol. I saw more than one person wearing neck braces. I can’t be sure this is why, but …

The Royal Poincienna trees are stunningly lovely; bursting with bright orange flowers. They were the first thing I noticed as we came in for the landing. Yes, they are messy but who cares? They are just beautiful.

You would be hard pressed to visit every bar here in a single week. If you plan to try, bring a large bottle of Advil with ya, because you’ll need it. My favorite bars so far have been Schooner Wharf where the old timers and locals go and bring their dogs. Amazing bands perform here as well. The Chart Room is a teeny tiny bar tucked into a hotel that has the ashes of several legendary locals imbedded into the bar itself. They serve hot dogs and popcorn and the bartender does amazing card tricks. Even if I had not been drunk, I would have been very impressed. I also had Key Lime Martinis for the first time and am hooked.

They have a thing for web cams here. A lot of the bars have several web cams set up so you can drunk-dial your friends and show them how drunk you really are! The Hemingway House actually has a web cam set up so you can watch the cats on the property. Cracked me up!

The food here is really great; lots of fresh seafood and food with a Cuban influence. They even sell a Reuben sandwich made with fish instead of corned beef. Almost every single restaurant offered smoked fish dip and it is much yummier than it sounds. They also serve COLD pie on a stick. A piece of key lime pie dipped in chocolate and frozen. Yum yum. I was shocked to learn they don’t grow Key Limes here!

The Mel Fisher museum is simply amazing. The pieces the divers have found … I got to hold a 5 lb solid gold disc, an 8 ft. gold chain, a gold bar and hold a captivating emerald. It’s hard not to get the treasure hunter fever! I even read an entire book on it while was here.

Tom and Myrla’s new friends are wonderful and welcomed me with open arms. A few of them are a bit quirky, but I mean this in the nicest way. As you can probably tell on your own, the people who live here come here to live an unconventional life. As Myrla says, when I get off work each day, I’m on vacation. I could not say it better.

Today is July 4th and its almost 6 pm. We are off to Schooner’s to see the gang and watch fireworks. There may be rum involved.

Did I mention I’m really sad to be leaving? I will be coming back.

Golden Chalice

2008-06-27T06:28:00.004-04:00

There was a great treasure find on Tuesday that I wanted to share with you. No Tom didn't find it but it is still really cool! It is a gold chalice that is in amazing shape. Tom was there when they brought it on shore and said it is an amazing site to see. I wanted to include a picture but couldn't get one to load so here is the link to the MF site with more story and pictures.
http://www.melfisher.com/SalvageOperations/RecentFinds/GoldChalice_0608.asp

Here is also an update on Tom's work status.
The diver who was going to be leaving has decided to stay through the summer. So Tom has moved from the Stand By status to the Stand Down status. For now that is OK since Patti is arriving today for a 10 day visit (we are so excited) and he is glad to be around when she is. Then after she leaves he has been in discussion with MF as to what he can do next and he will continue to dive when there is room. He is now on Captn Chris's (the guy who takes the investors out to dive)standby call list so Chris lets Tom know where there is a opening. This has allowed Tom to dive 4 times in the last 2 weeks which is pretty good since we never know what the weather will bring.
When there is an update in the status I will let you know.

Caribbean Queen Junkanoos

2008-06-26T06:50:00.005-04:00

So it is Wed afternoon and we were getting ready for our bi-weekly neighbor potluck and I hear the sounds of drums. I love this sound! It usually happens on the same Wed as our potlucks and many times we follow the sounds to a little park just a block from our house. There we will find a group of guys making the sounds. Not only is there a drum but all sorts of unusual instruments that create a very unique sound. Most of the instruments are home made and its fun to guess what they are made out of. It is the Junkanoos jamming! It is where a few of the band (old and current band members) that get together in the park to practice and jam. It is great to listen to!

Above is a picture of the band (this is not how they look on Wed) when they are practicing. The group is officially called the Caribbean Queen Junkanoos is an Afro-Caribbean processional band. They are a totally acoustical and portable and go anywhere! They have two Moko Jumbies (stilt walkers), and will stop and perform African dance wherever appropriate. When they perform (we have seen them a couple of times) it is like a conga line and you can join in. One of the things they are hired to play at is the funeral march to the cemetery. The Conchs (KW locals who can be buried there) hire them to celebrate the persons life. We have yet to see one of these but the locals say they are really cool.

Here is the history of the Junkanoo in case you are interested.......
Junkanoo is a celebratory parade with African roots which started in the Bahamas in the 17th century to preserve the African cultural traditions which were in danger of being lost in the displacement process of the slave trade. Spreading throughout the islands, Junkanoo is celebrated still, particularly in the Bahamas and Key West. Using traditional drums, cowbell, conch horn, and whistles, marchers attract a joyous crowd wherever they parade. In the 1600's, when Africans were being abducted and sold into slavery, a great number were brought into the Bahamas by ship. A Tribal Chieftain, who was given the English name of John Canoe, was instrumental in preserving the African culture. He was well thought of, and managed to persuade the owners to allow their slaves two days off a year to practice their traditions; Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) and New Year's Day. On these two days, celebratory processions were held, with brightly colored costumes and the African instruments of drums, horns, bells, and whistles. The Parades became associated with John Canoe, and the name changed to "Junkanoo" over the centuries. These traditions spread to the other island groups, each of which has its own special costume style. Junkanoo is still practiced today in many places, and Caribbean Queen Junkanoos is a composite of the best of the traditions.

Chickens

2008-06-22T17:10:00.003-04:00

So had to share with you a picture of my chicken (actually it is a rooster). We picked it up when we were out walking and went browsing in one of the local shops. The greatest thing about it is that it crows!!!! It crows all by its self when you clap close to it or you move it.
Dyna is not sure about it. Everytime it crows she comes running to figure out 'What is this Thing?'
We are sure we will come home someday and find feathers all over the house.
It also crows on its own. If the bass is to loud on the TV it will set it off as it did when we were watching a movie or this afternoon when I sneezed and it started crowing.
So now I have my OWN chicken!

Pirate On Standby!

2008-06-16T21:34:00.005-04:00

Tom got the 'call' today. There may be a diver position opening up!!!!

On the JB Magruder boat (there are 2 dive boats and this is the other one, not the one that Tom worked on it dry dock, that is the Dare) there are currently 5 divers and Captain Andy. One of the divers just got custody of his 16 year old daughter and may not be able to continue to work on the boat. Tom got a call today to see if he was still interested (of course he is!) and if he would be ready to join the crew if Bill won't be able to continue. Captain Andy is out of town till Thurs and Bill is working out his personal issues so it could be as soon as this Fri! So right now he is on standby and getting things together so he can be ready to go when he gets the 'call'.

Also an update on treasure diving. The weather has settled down and the boats have been out most of the time the last couple of weeks. Tom has been able to dive last Thursday, Saturday and will be out tomorrow (Tuesday).
Last Thursday it was him and a first time investor, Art, out for the day. On the second hole of the day Art found a coin. Yes, Art was out for his first dive and found a coin..... an 8 reale (an 8 reale is the largest of the silver Spanish coins). Boy was Tom mad! Not with Art since he is happy when treasure is found but mad that he wasn't the one to find it. Just not lucky enough on that side of the hole. I know that it won't be long till Tom finds his own coin.
When we were out of Sunday (I went along to spend the day on the boat) Art was diving again along with another investor and no one found anything. Hopefully tomorrow Tom will find something. If he does I will let you know.

I will let you know when Tom gets the 'call' and becomes a full time pirate..... what an Adventure!

Blog Ideas Wanted!

2008-06-13T16:24:00.002-04:00

So when I started this months ago a had a list of topics that I wanted to write about or thought you would be interested in. That list has been completed so I am looking to all of you for input as to what you would like to hear about next. Please email me and let me know any ideas you may have on what hasn't been posted or updates that are needed or whatever.
Thanks!

drtnwtr@msn.com

KW Critters

2008-06-08T20:45:00.004-04:00

So we thought we would share with you the wildlife of KW!

First we have never been anywhere that people love animals more than KW!!! As mentioned before there are a number of them just in our neighborhood and they are found EVERYWHERE!

Dogs - Lots and lots of dogs as you can imagine since there is a dog beach. We have seen all kinds. The other day a guy came by the house on a skate board and his dog was sitting on the front of the skate board just riding along. What a hoot! I wish had my camera for that one.

There are also a number of bars and restaurants that dogs are allowed at. Usually where there is an outdoor area you can bring your dog along. One of our favorite bars, Schooners Wharf usually has at least a few when we are there. We have even taken Dyna there and she loves it. Even our local fish market lets us bring Dyna in when we go to buy fresh fish. It is a great place since they get the fish from the local fisherman each day.

You can aways tell the locals from the tourists. The tourist will see Dyna sitting in the yard and move out of the way since they are afraid and think she is mean. The locals see her and come over to talk to her and pet her. She is convinced that everyone who comes down the street is there to talk with her.

Cats - There are probably more of them than any other animal. Of course there are the famous Hemingway cats that you can see at the Hemingway house that have 6 toes. The rest are here as pets and many are wild. We even had one that came with our house. Of course she can't come around since Dyna is here (and chases her every time she shows up). She has been with the house through 4 renters. There is also Linda a cat lady who lives a few houses down and puts food out all up an down the street to feed all of them. The Daily Neighbors even have a hurricane plan on who take which cats during a storm so none are left out.

Chickens and Roosters - They are the city bird and run wild. They are also everywhere! Of course this I love since now I have a real excuse to 'chase chickens'! We were at KMART in the garden center and found eggs that had been laid in a few of the plants. That was another big HOOT! Wasn't really expecting that one! The roosters are also confused on when to crow. It happens at all hours of the day and night. Lucky for us there aren't a lot of the roosters in our area. We do hear them at 3:00 am but since they aren't close they don't bother us. We have a friend that has them very close and he tells a story of chasing them down the street in his boxers due to crowing in the middle of the night.

I also have to share our own chicken story with you.....
Tom and I were walking Dyna the other day and approached a momma chicken who had chicks. Usually they squawk and move out of the way. For some reason the momma and the chicks felt trapped and rather then leave the momma decided to attack Dyna. Now Dyna usually ignores the chickens but since this one decided to attack she was NOT going to back down. She decided to attack back. So we started with Dyna on the left, Tom in the middle holding Dyna's leash and I was on the right. The momma went right so Dyna went right which was around both Tom and I. We didn't have enough time to react so the leash went around both of us. The momma continued around the back of us and so did Dyna. By this time we are all tangled up in the leash and doing everything we can to not fall over since we can't move our legs. It must have been a sight to see since I looked across the street and there was a group of tourists watching is all go on since it was quite noisy between the squawk of the chicken and Dyna's barking. We were finally able to get Dyna under control and momma allowed us to pass but continued to chase Dyna down the street trying to peck at her butt. We just couldn't stop laughing.

Birds - many people on the island have various exotic birds. They take them out in public all of the time and usually have them riding around on their shoulder. One local rides a Harley and has a large white Cockatoo that rides on his head. One of our neighbors has a love bird that makes all sorts of cooing each morning. Another one of our neighbors has a green parrot, Ricky, that we all refer to as 'the EVIL bird'. It likes NO ONE and attacks anyone who comes near it. The only person Ricky won't bite is his owner. More than one person has lost skin to the Evil bird.

Scorpions - VERY different than what we have in AZ. Here they are large, 2 -3 inches and are black in color. I saw one the other night walking down the sidewalk and COULDN'T BELIEVE the size of it. They are not very poisonous due to their size just scary since they are so big. Our bug man said that if we had any we would know it since you can hear them walk on the tile. YUK!!! Luckily with having Dyna we shouldn't have any in the house.

Ticks - we have also had our issues with ticks since the first week we arrived. Dyna dug a small hole in the yard and laid in it. Of course it was March and that is the height of tick season. From that experience we have been battling ticks but at least we are WINNING! We had to take the bark out of the back yard and have it replaced with rocks since that is here the ticks hang out. We also have had the yard and house sprayed to get rid of them.

Spiders - lucky for Tom there hasn't been a lot of them around the house. There is a very unusual one that we have a few of outside. It is something that we haven't seen before and resembles a crab. Of course they give Tom the creeps!

Termites - they are everywhere!!! We have them in the house and all of the locals just accept them as part of life. It freaked us out at first but now we just clean up wood droppings where ever we find them. We never use a dish out of the kitchen cupboards without checking it and cleaning it out. They are the worse in that room. They are so bad that a selling point for a house is to post when it was last tented and sprayed to get rid of them. It is not unusual for a house to be tented every 5 to 7 years to try and keep the little critters under control.

So hopefully this will give you an idea of the KW critters that we live with each day of the Adventure.

3 months of Adventure

2008-06-01T17:36:00.007-04:00

So it has been 3 months since we left Arizona and started the Adventure..... yes, 3 months! Sometimes it feels like we left yesterday and other days it feels like we have been here forever. Tom and I have been talking about the last 3 months and we wanted to share with you a few thoughts about it all.

In thinking about our Adventure we realized we could just talk about it and never do it or finally just do it. We didn't want to be one of those people who just talked about it then cling to the usual: our jobs, daily life, and usual way of doing things. It would be easy to resist change and not step out of our comfort zone even though we had talked about it for years.
So as you know we finally decide to do it, ready for a new adventure, a new challenge. This has pushed us beyond what we knew, allowed us to make mistakes and learn from this life changing experience.

Tom and I decided we wanted to step out of our comfort zone many years ago when we visited the island of St John in the US Virgin Islands. The year was 1999. Since that time we have made many plans that would take us on the Adventure we dreamed of. Then we always let our lives drive the plan and continued to talk about it. There were so many things we needed to get done, Taryn through high school, then college, change in jobs for Myrla, wanting to have the 'right amount of money saved' and so on.

On my 46th birthday (Dec 2006) I told Tom that I would not be spending my 50th birthday in AZ. We weren't sure where we would go, when it would happen or how it would all come together but that we were ready to finally get things moving.

In May 2007 we put the house in FH up for sale. We wanted to downsize and simplify life. As we talked about what we wanted to do next it became clear we needed to stop talking about an Adventure and just so it. Then we talked about what we would do if we could live anywhere. Of course our first option was St John but that is out of the question due to the cost of living. Then we moved on to the other options in the places we had visited. Tom admitted that he would love to dive full time which led us to Mel Fisher, treasure salvage diving and Key West. Of course it would never be the right time or have the right amount of money or whatever had held us back in the past. We had to step out of our comfort zone and Just Do It!

Now we are here and loving it! We continue to step out of our comfort zone and make a new way of life. The lifestyle here is much different than we have known after 30 years in the desert. Different people, different weather, different landscape, different everything. We miss our family and friends VERY MUCH but have found the place where the different lifestyle is what we were looking for and where we feel we belong.

Finally Unpacked!

2008-05-26T19:56:00.013-04:00

So as we approach the end of our 3rd month we finally found time to finish unpacking. It hasn't been a priority since there has been so much socializing to do since arriving. I thought I would share a couple of pictures.

The picture above is of the living room (with Dyna included). I am standing in the front door looking inside.

The picture on the right is of the dining room, kitchen and office. This is to the left when you walk in the front door. There are 2 windows left of the dining room table that look out to the front porch and the far left corner is where I spend my days working.

There are also 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
One of the bathrooms has the washer and dryer in it along with storage and is where we dry the dive gear. One of the bedrooms has been turned into storage since there is limited space to put things, no walk in closets, pantry or linen closets so we have set up 4 sets of storage shelves in there.
The other bedroom and bathroom are being set up for guests and then the 3rd one is our bedroom and bathroom.

All cozy in 1,000 square feet. We really like it since it's easy to take care of and keep clean.
Our little piece of paradise!

Tom's Slavery Adventure

2008-05-22T21:27:00.006-04:00

So I figure I needed to give the latest status on Tom's slavery adventure.

The last update was Tom being the KW version of Gilligan in helping take investors out to hunt emeralds during division week. This kept him busy after he was done working on the Dare in the boat yard.

Then after division Mel Fisher notified him that he hadn't completed all of the requirements for employment (they put him to work quickly to get the boat work done) and needed to finish the paperwork and take a drug test to continue. They did agree to keep him on until a diving position opens up.

They want to have him work on the Huntress which is the research boat. It goes out to the site and uses magnetometers to mark places in the sand where metal is detected. That is mapped and then the dive boats are sent out to those mapped sites to treasure hunt. One of the cool things about working the Huntress is that if there is a large hit found then they can dive right then and check it out to see if there is anything to find. Tom can't wait to get out and see how this all works since it's one of things he hasn't done before.

When the Huntress is not out mapping then they are going to have him work in the Restoration Area which is also another cool area at the Mel Fisher office. He will get to help move artifacts that are found from being 'unknown' to 'something'. It is a fascinating process that we have seen before and it is amazing since it can take from weeks, to months, to even a year to have artifacts restored.

All that being said there was the employment items to take care of so Tom had over a week off. Yes I said a over a WEEK OFF! It actually went into the next week before he was able to get back to work. Things take time here since no one is in a hurry and since he had worked over 50 days without a day off up until this time they thought he could use the time off.

The time he has had off has been both a blessing and curse!
He was around the house 24/7 and with me working from home it was a little to much 'togetherness'! At least he was able to get a lot of things done that we haven't had time to finish. We still aren't unpacked yet. There are 5 boxes left and many items to put away. Having fun and hanging out take precedence so eventually they will get emptied and things put away.

So Tues I sent him out of the house where he went off to the boat yard since we heard they had pulled the Dare back out of the water to finish work that didn't get done before investor week. That was all it took to put him back as manual labor! They needed help to get the boat finished and back in the water so he has been grinding, patching and painting. At least it has kept him busy for the week and maybe into next week. We never know.......

At this point Tom has learned a lot about boats and treasure hunting while enjoying it all even though it has been hard work. Summer has settled in here with 85 degree days with 75% humidity. The manual labor in the boat yard continues to be an experience.

So the Slavery Adventure continues and updates to follow!

Our Booty from 2007 Division!

2008-05-19T19:24:00.024-04:00

The first item is a tool that Tom found when he was treasure diving down here last July. It is an Adze and is a tool that they used on the ship to shape lumber. In the picture it doesn't show it but the large end is still sharp and you can see where they forge 2 different pieces of metal together to create the sharp end for carving. The items you find when diving you get to keep for your booty. When the tool was found it didn't look anything like it looks now. It was encrusted and Tom wasn't even able to tell what it was (as you can tell in the picture on the right). It had to go through the restoration process where the item is moved through a series of tanks to move it from full salt water to fresh water so that it doesn't rust and deteriorate. Below is the picture of Tom when he found it and then how it looks today.
Very Cool!

The next picture is our pearl! It is one of the better ones found. It is graded as 1AA and there were only 250 out of 16,000 of them found at this rating (there was a lead box recovered last year that was full of black and white pearls). It is gorgeous! We haven't decided what we want to do with it yet. We still have an emerald from last years booty that it may be partnered with....... so many options!

So now we are into 2008 and Tom hasn't found anything yet but the dive boats have so who knows what next year's division will bring.
Right now we are very happy with our booty!

Division Week

2008-05-11T21:43:00.005-04:00

So here we are closing out Division Week and what a week it was (as you can tell from the lack of postings)!

We spent the week socializing with many Mel Fisher investor friends that we only get to see once a year. There was a get together every night at a different bar with friends arriving each day so it was like a continuous reunion. We also made friends with some new investors that have joined the treasure adventure. There was never a dull moment! This was the first division week where we weren't on vacation so we worked during the day and went drinking at night so it was a lot of fun and exhausting (yes I worked more than one morning hung over due to many mojitos the night before).

We haven't gotten our division yet since Tom was taking investors out to hunt emeralds each day. Based on what the other investors got we know there will be some pearls and the tool that Tom found diving last year but that is all we know so far. We still have to set up the time to get ours and I will be sure to let you know what that is.

Tom didn't get a chance to emerald hunt since he was busy helping others but had a great week on the water. We aren't sure what his next job will be so as soon as we know I will pass that along. At the Saturday night party the diving crew is always honored for their work. Tom was included in the honors as one of the crew due to the work he has done on the boat so it was great ending to the week (we were very excited to have him included)!

So now we are looking forward to a quiet, DRY week and will keep you posted on what the Adventure brings next.

Emerald hunting

2008-05-04T15:32:00.007-04:00

This Saturday was supposed to be the day we went emerald hunting. Unfortunately the winds did not support that. We have had winds 15 - 20 knots a number of days last week and the boats can't work when it is 15 knots or greater. So to say the least I am disappointed. I do have a link to story about hunting Atocha emeralds that I thought you would enjoy.

http://www.madmariner.com/voyages/story/
DIVING_FOR_ATOCHA_EMERALDS_MEL_FISHER_041608_YX

So the Dare is back in the water and for the first time in months both boats are out. The winds finally died down this morning (of course after my scheduled day to hunt!). This is also Tom's latest work Adventure since the boat yard work is done..... Division Week (yes he is employed for another week)! The week when the Mel Fisher investors come to town to collect their booty and party every night. Another week of drinking!!!! Also during Division Week the investors come to hunt emeralds and dive the site. Tom will be helping to take them out to hunt emeralds. MF has a boat which they are using to shuttle them out each morning, then he gets to hang around and help hunt or he can dive (at least he gets to spend everyday this week on the water), and then bring them back to KW. He is the First Mate so I have nick named him Gilligan. Now all I have to do is find the right hat!

So we have another week of fun, friends and LOTS of drink as the Adventure continues!

Key West Web Cams

2008-04-26T08:56:00.003-04:00

So I thought I would share the link to the Key West web cams so that you can share in the Adventure and the Conch Republic Celebration. Last night was crazy and there lots of people everywhere we went.

http://webcam.keywest.com/

Today at noon starts the Conch Republic Pub Crawl down Duval St which we will be participating in. It is possible you may see us on at Hog's Breath (great Key Lime Pie shooters), Sloppy Joe's, Two Friend's (yes we have gotten Tom to sing karaoke there), Cowboy Bill's (no I DO NOT ride the bull), Green Parrot (fiddlers contest there today that is really cool to listen to) or on the Duval Street cam. The Bed Races start at 2 pm so you might be able to see those on the Duval St cam.
Then tonight is the Pirates Ball and Pig Roast at Schooner Wharf. This is our usual hang out and we are there at least every Fri night if not a few other times during the week. We will be there tonight!
If you see us call us on Tom's cell, 305-407-7089.

The Conch Republic Days 'Drag' Races

2008-04-23T06:00:00.005-04:00

So here we are in the middle of Conch Republic Days and I am not sure my liver will survive! We started off last Friday night and have kept on going.....

Last Saturday was KW version of the Drag Races..... in this case the 'Drag Queen' races which were held down Duval St. Tom and I were there and so was MSN. I found a link today on MSN video that they shot about the drag races and thought I would share it with you. Check out the link below.........

http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&vid=bc3f2467-4133-4d50-bc2a-22ad6765d8d6&playlist=videoByTag:tag:viral:ns:Gallery:mk:us:vs:1&from=MSNHP&tab=m137&GT1=42003

Tomorrow is the parade. It is known as the World's Longest Parade. It is a come as you are, everyone included parade. To quote the KW Citizen Newspaper 'This is a totally impromptu parade featuring floats, Conch Cruisers (painted cars), Snorkeling Elvises, bicycles, motorcycles, decorated truck full of musicians and lots of stuff we don't even know about yet because they haven't shown up, but will. We never have any idea who will show up for this parade because there is no sign up, no fee, and no wonder'.

Tom and I are planning to join in the parade as the Adventure continues..... and of course the after parade party that takes place at one of our favorite bars, Schooner Wharf Bar........

Myrla's Cell Phone Number Change

2008-04-20T21:21:00.003-04:00

We have had a busy weekend with the Conch Republic celebration but took some time today to call and get my cell phone number changed from an Arizona number to a Florida number. Below is the new number that is now in effective.

305-407-7000

The Conch Republic

2008-04-16T21:44:00.003-04:00

"We Seceded Where Others Failed!"

I thought you all would enjoy learning a little about Key West and why we are called the Conch Republic. The following link will take you to the history of how the Conch Republic came to be. I think you will get a hoot out of it.
http://www.conchrepublic.com/history.htm

Then each year the independence is celebrated with a week of events (or any reason to have a party) so I have attached the link to this years party schedule. We have already planned out which ones we will attending.
http://www.conchrepublic.com/schedule.htm

In the past we have been in KW during this celebration and really enjoy it. Our favorites are the Great Conch Republic Drag Race & the Conch Republic Red Ribbon Bed Race.
This year we will attend more events than before. Captain Frank, a friend of ours (a MF investor, of course, and a private yacht captain) is a Rear Admiral for the Conch Republic Army so we will be watching him in battle along with attending a lot of the other activities. I wish I could explain what all goes on in the battle. Any of the local ships can join in to fight the Coast Guard and in the Keys News today there was a separate section outlining all of the activities along with the list of Approved Ammunition. The boats fight each other with FOOD!!!! Only in KW!!!
Then of course there is the Conch Crawl (along Duval which is the main party street in town) so we will let you know how that goes (it's a good thing we can walk home)!

So this will be an interesting part of the Adventure as we partake in the local celebration!!!!

Salvagers flash their pearly whites

2008-04-11T09:36:00.008-04:00

This was the one of the headlines in the Keys News today and I thought I would pass it along since many of you knew about the excitement when the box of pearls was found. I have also included the link to the news story on-line since there are pictures that I can't get copied to the blog. I have posted the story from the paper below so you can read that here.
http://www.keysnews.com/

Our friends who work at MF have been spending weeks and weeks going through all of these pearls to sort them for appraisals so we have been getting weekly updates on the progress.

Division takes place the first week in May and we are hoping to get pearls. I will let you know and post pictures.

BY MANDY BOLEN
Citizen Staff
The lustrous white and beige pearls that now fill an entire shelf bear little resemblance to the saturated mass of blackened BB-like orbs that divers recovered from the ocean floor 10 months ago while searching for the remaining treasure on the Spanish galleon Santa Margarita.
The pearls, now nearly 400 years old, filled a mysterious lead box that divers from Blue Water Ventures found while working on the site in June. The company works in a joint partnership with Mel Fisher’s Treasures to finish the treasure recovery from the Santa Margarita, which sank in the same 1622 hurricane that sent the legendary Nuestra Señora de Atocha to the bottom of the ocean.
The lead from the box had stained the pearls over the centuries, but John Corcoran, head conservator with Mel Fisher’s Treasures, worked methodically and patiently to restore the 16,184 pearls that were inside the box, along with silt and saltwater. “We had to remove the saltwater from the pearls first, but while keeping them wet,” Corcoran said this week after finishing the conservation and cataloging. The pearls were stored in the saltwater since their discovery to prevent the salt from crystallizing on the surface when it dried. Also, a shock of freshwater on the pearl would erode it nacre, or luster, Corcoran said.
Over a period of 14 weeks, Corcoran gradually reduced the water’s salt level by 10 percent every week until the pearls at last were in distilled water. “Then we soaked them in mineral oil for about an hour to restore their luster,” he said. The treasure team hired pearl experts to appraise the find for current market value. The appraisers offered individual evaluations for 251 of the largest and highest quality pearls. Some were irregular while others were perfectly round, which makes them more valuable.
A division committee from the treasure group will meet to assign a “shipwreck value” to each piece, which generally is 10 to 20 times market value due to uniqueness and antiquity, said Gary Randolph, vice president and operations director. “These pearls hadn’t been touched in almost 400 years,” said Sharon Wiley, public relations director for the company.
The entire cache of gems will be added to this year’s total treasure inventory, which is divided among the company’s investors every spring at a “division party.” “The investors will be happy this year,” Randolph said, estimating the shipwreck value of the pearls to exceed $3 million.
The largest of the stash is 52 carats, making it one of the biggest pearls in the world, and worth nearly $500,000, he said. Along with the box of pearls, divers on the Santa Margarita site also found several gold chains, bars and artifacts in the same area on the same day.
Marine archaeologist Duncan Mathewson, who works for Blue Water Ventures, in June said he believes a craftsman may have been planning to use the pearls for a belt, as divers found several gold belt buckles and fasteners near the lead box, which protected them from decay over the past 385 years. The organic gems normally would not have survived the centuries, Mathewson said.

Island Dog!

2008-04-06T21:03:00.008-04:00

As you can see from the pictures we now have an Island Dog!!!

Yes this is Dyna, the dog who hates water, but for some reason loves the ocean. KW has a small area of beach called Dog Beach. It is the the only beach that dogs are allowed on. This was our second trip to the beach and she is just an crazy about it in this visit as she was in her first visit two weeks ago.

She won't go very deep into the water. Only to her belly where she can still stand. No swimming for her but she still gets plenty wet jumping into the waves and biting at them. She has drank so much salt water we were afraid that it would make her throw up but that hasn't happened yet.

So every couple of weeks we plan a walk to Dog Beach. It's a mile and half round trip so a great walk for all of us and now an Adventure for Dyna.

We have Scooters!!!

2008-03-30T21:04:00.013-04:00

The latest addition to the Adventure is our Scooters!
As you know here in KW parking is an Adventure so the locals get around by walking, riding a bike or a scooter. Of course with us it has to be scooters! We have parked the car and it already hasn't moved for a week and it has been 3 weeks since I have driven a car. We are truely becoming a KW local.

Anyone can drive a scooter without a motorcycle license as long as the motor is 49cc or less. It is hard to imagine Tom riding anything that has only 49cc but it is TRUE!

We went over to Andy's (one of the local scooter shops) and came home with 2 new scooters. They are both TGB (Taiwan Golden Bee) with Tom's being a red R5 Laser and mine is a yellow Key West. TGB sold so many of these scooters in KW that they actually call one of them by the city name.

So we went to the scooter shop to get just one scooter to try it out and see what we would use. Somehow we came home with 2 of them which was an Adventure in it's self (since you know our shopping habit you know it is no surprise we came home with 2 even though the plan was for 1).

It has been YEARS since I have driven a motorcycle and so I had a little trouble getting the hang of it after we left the scooter shop. 2 parked cars were barely missed in my lack of being able to make a left turn! I finally made it back to the house (had A LOT of beer) and vowed to master the yellow beast. The next few nights (late at night when there was little traffic) we toured around the neighborhood until I got the hang of it. No, I am not an expert but I can get to where I need to go and back.

Tom of course was a natural! He rides his each day to the boat yard. You will not be surprised that he is already planning on how to make his scooter go faster. That is why we were only going to get one when we went to the scooter shop. I was not convinced that he would be OK with a scooter and not want a larger bike. He has his motorcycle license since he was able to get it when we got our FL drivers license so he can get a larger bike without a problem.
Anyway we have already been back to Andy's to talk to the mechanic about what Tom can do to make his 'go faster'. There is only so much that can be done with the 49cc motor! At this point Tom has to wait until his bike has 500 miles before he can do anything. Since it only has 40 miles on it in the last week he may have to wait MONTHS before he can start tweaking it! We shall see if he can wait the 500 miles or if a large bike will be in his future.

So we are now KW scooter kids as the Adventure continues!

The Adventure According to Dyna

2008-03-27T21:57:00.004-04:00

We thought we would pass on the Adventure as seen through Dyna's eye's.

Let's start at the beginning, weeks and weeks ago... it appears we are moving AGAIN! The human parental's are doing a lot with boxes and that thing I hate the most - a noisy, obnoxious, 2 wheeled contraption (the hand truck)!!

Then what is with all of these boxes and packing. I HATE it! The human parental's are so noisy and LOUD about it with the discussions of what will go in the boxes and what won't. Why all this noise and confusion. Why not just pack up some food and water and head out, I don't get it at all!

It has taken me months to get adjusted to this place and I can't believe we are moving again. Oh well, as long as I get to go along.......

After all of that they put me in the car with the 'others' in the family pack (I love car rides since the car takes me to the park for walks). I do love these 'others' but they just don't seem to understand that in the pack hierarchy they are beneath me (that would be Taryn and Brandon)! By the end of this ride I am sure I will have them convinced of their place.

We spend days and days traveling to who knows where! I have adjusted to the fact the 'others' expect me to pee on demand whenever they stop the car. Most of the nights have been spent in strange places that have a lot of new smells. There was also this small room that moved when the door closed (an elevator) that I am not crazy about. We had more than 1 of them that I had to go into and once I almost got caught in the doors that close without anyone around them. I am glad that there isn't one of those at my new house.

The best place we stayed had a room high in the sky with a great window where I could look out 0n the pretty lights (the 13th floor of the Loew's hotel in New Orleans).

My next favorite place had a great bed with a big window looking out over a pretty garden and lots of grass to play in. The parentals and the 'others' kept going in and out all the time which interrupted my naps (riding roller coasters at Universal Studios). The naps were greatly needed after so much time in the car. It is hard to get a good nap with all that goes on when traveling.

At last we have arrived at what appears to be my new home. The boxes have started to disappear, things that have a familiar smell have appeared and I have a doggie door to come and go as I please, so this must be the place. So far I like it. A little to windy for me but overall a great place. My favorite thing is the front porch and yard. It isn't a large area but I LOVE all of the people who come by to visit me. This is the most friendly place we have ever been! (The pictures show Dyna as she is every afternoon, looking for people who walk by to pet her. She is also greeting Tom as he returns from the boat yard.)

There are a couple of strange things in this new place.

First there are LOTS of cats who continually taunt me outside the front yard fence. I am not sure why there are so many of them and why they won't go away.

Second are these strange noisy, feathered creatures (chickens and roosters). I have never seen such an animal and we seem to always come across a few of them on our walks. I don't understand what they are.

So for now I am settled in and happy in the new home just as the parentals are!

Hopefully my Adventures have come to an end!!!!!

Meet the Neighbors

2008-03-24T04:10:00.024-04:00

The latest part of the Adventure is getting to know the neighbors. Ours are very interesting and with the close proximity that we live you get to know them VERY quickly. Remember this is an island that is only 4 miles long and 2 mile wide (with 25,000 residents) so closeness is a way of life!

To the North of us is the set of what I call the Daily Neighbors. These are the people we see EVERY DAY and have learned much about their lives already. On that side of our house there is an access way to the houses that are in the rear of these 2 lots (see the picture and our house is on the left).
We have 1 house behind us and there is another house behind the 2 story 4-plex next door. So in this area where we were used to it being us and 2 neighbors there are 13 of us (think of 13 people on 2 FH lots)! This has been interesting for us since this time of year is when we sleep with the windows open..... we now know more about our Daily Neighbors than we thought possible! When they leave, when they come home, when they walk the dogs, when they have been drinking, who has friends over and so on.

Who are the Daily Neighbors......
The house that is behind us has a mother, Karen, and daughter, Susan. They run the KW Wildlife Rescue Center. To say the least things are never dull there! Permanently they have 6 dogs and an attack parrot. Yes an attack parrot! Ricky only likes Karen and Ricky goes everywhere with Karen, riding on her shoulder. If you walk to close to Karen you will get BIT! Their dogs range in size from a miniature dachshund to a german shepard. Then of course there is a temporary animals they bring home when they have to have overnight care. They are all quite a menagerie!

The 4-plex has 2 condos in the front and 2 in the back.
The bottom front has Bill and Susan. If they are not at work they sit on their front porch each morning and evening so we talk with them a lot. They are the resident pet sitter since they currently don't have any of their own. If you want to know whats going on with any of the Daily's then you check with them.
The top front is Jaime who has a black cat named Jazz.
Bottom rear is Jane and Paul. They have 2 dogs, Spike who is a labradoodle and Max who is small and fuzzy.
Top rear is Karen and Dwight. Karen does freelance design so she works from home like me so I see her a lot. They have love birds that I hear each day.

The rear house behind the 4-plex is Tony and Kristy.

Every other Thurs the Daily Neighbors get together and have a BBQ potluck in the access way between the houses. Karen (who lives behind us) is the organizer and Susan communicates the info when you pass by her porch. Last Thursday we had the pleasure of attending since it is DIRECTLY outside our side door. A temporary fence is put up across the access way so that our pets can attend (yes there were 6 dogs and a parrot included) which Dyna loved since she attends too. The shared BBQ grill (which is also DIRECTLY outside our bedroom window) is opened up, someone brings a table, we all bring our chairs and whatever we are drinking along with what food we want to share. They also invite others from around the block so Joe (who lives a block down) was also invited. It was a great experience and one that we will do again.

To the South of us is an empty house so no neighbors there. In fact it looks like the house is going to be condemned. That doesn't mean it will be since many of them look that way but at this time there is no one on that side. They are building a new house in the rear of the site so I get to hear constructions sounds each day when I work. It is not uncommon to have 2 houses on the same lot due to the limited amount of land.

Across the street and East of us are 2 very different houses. One is very well kept up and the other is not. Both of them have families living in them where the grown children are living with the elderly parents. There is a very nice elderly lady that sits on her front porch every morning and evening. She waves to me when I come out to sit on ours.

So that is what we know of the neighbors so far who are becoming KW friends and the Adventure continues!!!!!

Tom's Has Entered Slavery!

2008-03-18T21:18:00.008-04:00

Big News! Tom has officially entered Slavery! Yes he has started a job with Mel Fisher.

Currently there aren't any open positions for a salvage diver. Both of the boats already have a full set of divers. One of the boats, the Dare, is in dry dock being worked on and they need help with getting it ready to be out to sea in a month. He has hired on to work on the boat until that work is done and then will be next when a diver position opens up.

Today was his first day at a new job in 30 years. It was a lot like sending your child off to kindergarten on their first day. We made sure he had the right clothes to wear, packed his lunch and sent him off to the boat yard. We were both nervous when he left.

Eight hours later he returned. I was setting on the porch having a beer (it is a daily routine for the neighbors to hang out on their porch in the afternoon since the weather is nice) when he came dragging his tired, painted body (yes he had white paint everwhere) to the closest chair he could find. The look on his face was PRICELESS! All he could say was "what have I gotten myself into". Tom had spent the day in the bottom of the boat painting the engine area, yes that is what he did all day! 8 hours of paint fumes and small spaces since every nook and cranny in a boat has to be painted (and it is not all done yet). I could see that he was amazed that he had left the vendor lunches, golf outings and 'unlimited vacation days' for All of This!

So this is not exactly the job he was looking for but at least he has gotten his foot in the door and is paying his dues (major manual labor) until he can hunt treasure.
Tomorrow we will pack his lunch and in keeping with the Adventure it is back to the engine room......

The Art of On Street Parking

2008-03-14T08:19:00.011-04:00

As you know we don't have any parking at the house, no driveway, garage or anything of the sort (Tom does miss his garage!). This has proven to be an Adventure in it's self.

First let's understand how the parking works......
All of the street parking is marked with lines so you can tell if it is Scooter parking, Residential parking, Handicapped parking or Open for anyone.
On our street we have NO Open for everyone spots. All of them are marked Residential or Scooter with 1 Handicapped. In fact we have to go more than 3 blocks and there are only 2 Open spots (which are always taken).
Of course the parking is first come first serve and with the number of scooters people drive they just park their cars and leave them for weeks in the same spot. Usually only driven when they have to.
Also remember that our street is narrow and one way so it only has parking on one side.

So that brings us to parking our car. Now we currently don't have FL plates. We are working on that but somehow in the move we lost the title to the Murano so now we are trying to get a duplicate title (with the help from Shirley and yes this HAS NOT been fun doing it long distance).
Without a standard FL plate or a residential parking permit (without a title we can't get either one) we aren't supposed to park in a Residential space but since there are no Open spaces it has been a full time job looking for a spot to park and then when one opens up close to the house moving the car so that we do not get a ticket. We have already had NUMEROUS notes left on the car about not being allowed to park in ae Residential space. People think we are tourists so it happens a lot.
Parking is taken VERY seriously here. Yesterday someone parked and overlapped the scooter parking in front of our house. It created quite an issue and the parking police was called to ticket the car!

To add to the fun these spots are all small parallel spots. Now you can just imagine me trying to back the Murano into one of these spots when both front and back spots are full. I will tell you it DOESN'T happen! I have been known to park many blocks away just to get a spot I can get into. To say the least Tom doesn't let me drive if he doesn't have to.

Then there is the Unloading Sprint and Relay (a new Olympic sport coming soon). This is when we have been some where and need to unload the car since we have NO idea where we will park. Due to our narrow, one way street you can stop and unload but it has to be quick if cars are coming. You should see Tom and I's latest speed round. We are getting it down to a science!

I tell you now there is a scooter in our very near future since there is Scooter parking in front of our house!

WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!!!!

2008-03-11T19:57:00.004-04:00

We finally arrived around 3:30 pm on Friday afternoon. It was a long 8 hour day of driving but worth it! We had to park down the street about a half a block (remember only street parking) to unload the trailer and then were lucky that we were able to get the truck into the small access space beside the house. Of course it was 85 degrees with a bit of humidity but we had it all unloaded by 5:30pm and the trailer back to the Uhaul place just before it closed.
With doing the unloading so fast we had boxes EVERYWHERE!!! First things first, we had to find the beds and get those together so we could at least sleep. We found everything for the guest bed so the kids were set. The master bedroom set was another matter.... it took awhile and we found everything except the mattress pad, that wasn't found until today!

Saturday was spent with trying to organize and spend time with Taryn and Brandon in Key West. It was quite a Saturday night when they finally found a great place to get the tattoos they have always wanted, Taryn got a lily on her ankle and Brandon a cross between his shoulder blades. They look great!

Another Adventure came on Sunday when we got to the airport and found out that the kids missed their plane... guess what.... we didn't change our clocks for day light savings time! We had been out of touch with not having any TV or Internet since Thurs night and of course aren't used to doing the time change thing. What a shock that was!!!
So off we went to Ft Lauderdale to get the kids to their next flight. From KW you usually have to fly to Miami, Ft Lauderdale or Tampa. We were lucky that the kids had a 4 hour layover in Ft Lauderdale so off we went at record breaking speed. The trip can take up to 4.5 hours but we were luck since it was early (and Tom was speeding) that we made it in 3.5 hours. They got to their flight and made the rest of the trip home without a problem.
Of course Tom and I had the trip back to KW so we spent another 4.5 hours in the car (just what we wanted to do after the miles drive in the past week). The traffic was heavier on the way back so we didn't make as good of time.
This resulted in a day lost but a lessoned learned - we are East Coasters now!!!

Then we came to Monday... cable and internet day (finally access to the outside world)!!!! Of course the cable guy was late (this is KW) and had problems with the hook up so it took 3 hours! By the time that was done there were other things to do (on the To Do List of course) so I didn't even get a chance to log on until today.
While all this was going on Tom was off with the Mel Fisher guys at the boat. No job yet but things are still in the works!!
When Tom finally got back we were able to get the furniture set up and a few boxes unloaded. The living room/ dining room/ office area almost looks like a truly livable space!
Of course no new place is complete without a trip to Home Depot. The house is a rental and older so there are a few things that we need to do to make it our own but that is all part of the Adventure (and Tom's very long To Do List)!

There are more Adventure and Blogs in the works as we settle into island life so stay tuned.....

Rollers Coasters and more Roller Coasters

2008-03-06T18:08:00.008-05:00

Our days of adventures at Universal Studios has come to end today. We have spent the last 2 days riding roller coaster after roller coaster after roller coaster and it was a BLAST!!!

Also note the t-shirts that Taryn and Brandon are wearing in the picture. It is the pirate t-shirt that is shown in the 1/30 blog. We all had them for the first day at the parks and were referred to as the pirate family!

Universal Studios has 2 theme parks, Island of Adventure & Universal Studios.
Island of Adventure is mostly rides and has a lot of roller coasters & water rides. Taryn & Brandon's favorite was The Hulk and Tom & I's favorite was Dueling Dragons - Fire.
There were also 3 water rides which we got soaked!
Universal Studios is based on the movies with rides and adventure shows. I found that I am a horrible shot when shooting Aliens during Men In Black while Brandon had the highest score of the 4 of us!

We have stayed at the Royal Pacific Resort which is a Universal Studios resort that is right by the parks. It is a beautiful place and the close location has allowed us to enjoy the parks while being able to spend time with Dyna.

We have also had more than our share of great food and drink. There are lots of places both at the resort and the parks to hang out which has been great to hang out and relax after our days on the road.

EARLY tomorrow we head out to Key West!!!!!
It is a full days drive and we want to get an early start to get in and get the truck unloaded as early as possible. It is also supposed to rain tomorrow so that may result in another adventure. We won't have internet access until sometime Monday when the cable installation is done so it will be a few days until the next update......

4 Days Down .......

2008-03-03T21:17:00.009-05:00

We have now completed 4 days of the road trip Adventure!

Day 3 was spent traveling from Houston to New Orleans. We left Houston early Sunday morning which was a good thing with all the freeways and more freeways that we had to navigate through. Once out of the city and in LA there were bridges, bridges and more bridges. One was 18 miles long that went over a swamp!
We were on the road for 7 hours and covered 322 miles.
At last we landed in the French Quarter...... imagine the Arizona Hillbillies meets Nola. Yes it was as if Tom was reincarnated as Jed Clampett when we pulled up in front of the hotel. The picture above is a view from across the street. It was a HOOT! The hotel agreed to park the truck for us but had problems finding a place for it. It sat outside the hotel for 3 hours before they could move it. I am sure they were THRILLED with that.
The evening was spent walking Bourbon St, eating at Acme Oyster House, drinking 151 Pina Colada's and doing the Vampire Walking tour. We had a great time!

Day 4 we left Nola and headed for Tallahassee (after sleeping past 6 am for the first time). The I10 route took us through 4 states and more bridges over swamps and rivers. It was an uneventful day but seemed to be a long one for all of us with being on the road for 8.5 hours and covering 380 miles.

Tomorrow it is off to Orlando for 2 days of roller coaster fun!

Total miles covered = 1871

2 Days Down....

2008-03-01T21:56:00.004-05:00

As today closes we have completed 2 days on the road with Adventures!

Day 1 started early with us getting out of Phoenix at 5 am. We stopped in Las Cruses for lunch with my Dad which was good. Then the Adventure started. After we left Las Cruses we got to El Paso and there was an accident on I10 which caused a delay. We sat on the freeway for an hour and then led us on a short detour since they closed the freeway.
I had also pulled a muscle in my back while moving the day before so I spent the day on muscle relaxers and basically missed the day. I tried to help drive but was pretty much a waste. Tom had to do most of the driving.
We finally arrived in Ft Stockton TX at 9:30 pm. We were all so exhausted that we went had dinner out of the vending machine at the hotel and went to sleep.
Day 1 ended with covering 671 miles in 15.5 hours!

Day 2 we left Ft Stockton after a breakfast at IHOP (needed food after missing dinner) and had a wonderful uneventful trip with arriving in Houston at 5 pm. We took the outer loop around San Antonio which was great on getting around traffic. It is great to get in early and have Mexican food at a local place.
The other good news is that the muscle relaxers took care of my back and things are good as new.
Day 2 ended with covering 498 miles in 8.5 hours!

Total miles covered = 1169

Tomorrow is New Orleans!!!! The Adventure will be Taryn hunting for a Fleur De Li's, vampire haunted walking tour and eating charbroiled oysters at Drago's.

An Adventure in Moving Trucks

2008-02-29T00:40:00.004-05:00

So we are finally packed and ready to hit the road early tomorrow morning. The past 2 days have been a true Adventure in moving with all that has gone on with the rental moving truck.

After months of cleaning out stuff, giving over 45 boxes to Ebay Bob to sell, countless trips to Goodwill and giving items to friends and family we thought we had given away all of our 'stuff'. After the last 2 days we are trying to figure out how we still have so much 'stuff'.

We started Wed morning with a 16 ft truck from Penske. Tom got it home and started loading....

About half way through we decided that it wasn't big enough. Of course Tom is WAY ticked off since he has had nightmares that the truck was to small. We checked and the next biggest Penske had was 24 ft and that was to big so we found a 17 ft truck at Uhaul. Off Tom and Taryn went to pick up another truck so they unloaded the Penske and started loading the Uhaul.

At 11 am today we still thought things were good since we were loading and still packing the last minute items. Somehow the 'stuff' seemed to expand and multiply. 2 hours later we realized that the 17 ft was not going to be enough. With Uhaul the next biggest is 26 ft and that is to big so what to do........

Get a trailer to tow behind the Uhaul. Yes I said a trailer. We needed more space than the 17 ft truck allowed so the day ended up with a full Uhaul and a full trailer........

Now to just get on the road before the 'stuff' multiplies again!

Boxes, Boxes, Boxes

2008-02-27T06:48:00.005-05:00

Yes there are lots of Boxes, Boxes, Boxes! The Adventure in moving and trying to down size!

We have almost completed all of the packing. The only spot left untouched, as of this morning, is my office space and only because I have not allowed Tom to box or wrap a thing. I still have work to do before we leave!
You will notice in the picture there are a number of items wrapped in green. That is the plastic wrap you can get to cover items in to move them. It is Tom's new favorite thing to do and if Dyna and I sit still too long I swear he will be wrapping us too!

As you can see there are many boxes (and more than Tom wanted, refer to Stuff blog). Our goal was to stay below 75 but we didn't make that. Right now we are at 75 numbered boxes with a few left to finish of the last minute items and a few in clear plastic crates that aren't number. Estimation is that there will be 85 when we are done.
Yes numbered boxes, not only numbered but you know me there is also a corresponding list that has the contents of each box. No wondering of what is in the box or just a simple category listed on the outside, details and lists all the way!

A few of the boxes are also the furniture that we bought. Once we got Elizabeth (with almost 1100 square feet) we found that there are a number of items we aren't able to take or had to be replaced due to their size. So off to Crate and Barrel we went for a new dining room table, chairs and shelves along with a few other things that were needed for the new house so none of those boxes are included on the 'moving box list' since we know what is in them.

Once Tom gets up this morning (remember he is unemployed now so getting up early isn't required) he will be off to get the moving truck and start getting it loaded. We will be getting everything we own into a 16 foot rental truck (remember the down size part)! Tom has had nightmares that it won't all fit so 'if it doesn't fit in the truck it isn't going' is his motto and we will be out of the rental house by tomorrow night.

My goal today is to stand my ground, avoid green plastic wrap, and keep my little space untouched until my work day ends!

Someday this will be Tom!

2008-02-25T16:36:00.004-05:00

The Magruder (one of the Mel Fisher salvage boats) found a gold bar on Saturday. Someday this will be Tom in the picture as the diver! Check out the link......

http://www.melfisher.com/GoldBar.asp

FINAL Count Down

2008-02-24T18:49:00.005-05:00

We are at the FINAL Count Down........

Picking up the moving truck on Wednesday - 2 days

Out of the house on Thursday - 3 days
(we are staying our last night with Patti)

Leave Phoenix on Friday, 2/29/2008, at 4:00 am - 4 days

End of an Era 6/1978-2/2008

2008-02-23T09:35:00.006-05:00

Friday, February 22, 2008 was the end of an Era for both Tom and HACI. After almost 30 years Tom has left the company and continues on the Adventure.

Imagine June 1, 1978 when a young high school guy (remember the Hansen's singing group from the 7o's - he looked like that with long blonde hair) needed a summer job and got one at HACI.
After high school he moved from being clean up boy in the shop to the field and worked as an installer and foreman. After a motorcycle accident (yes he was racing his dirt bike and blew out his knee) he moved into the shop and then moved up to shop foreman. As time went on and things changed he moved from there to operations manager and gathered a number of departments under him to manage.

There were a number of times that Tom thought about a career change. He looked at a number of options but none of them afford him the things that HACI did. This includes "unlimited" vacation time, long lunches with vendors and MANY golf outings.

As this past week closed Tom was reminded of the times he hired, fired, chewed out, and supported many over the years. He takes with him great friendships that will continue to last a lifetime and many memories of the past 30 years.

YUK food!

2008-02-21T14:02:00.007-05:00

So we all have it.... YUK food! It is the food that has been around in the cupboard or pantry that you haven't gotten around to throwing out or giving to the food bank since someone in your family (usually me in our family) is sure that it is needed for a recipe or that it will be eaten.

YUK food is part of this Adventure since we have gotten down to that part of the pantry/cupboards. We aren't doing any more grocery shopping other than the bare essentials of beer, limes, diet coke, toilet paper and coffee mate. We need to get rid of as many items that we can since we have limited moving space (a future blog) and don't want to take what we don't have too. There are also other things that we aren't sure will survive 10 days in a moving truck.

That leaves us with YUK food! It leaves ME with YUK food! Each day I try to find something that can be assembled for lunch. Yes ME since I am the one who is 'work at home' and Tom is out lunching with everyone to say his work good-byes.

So in these many Adventures that I would not have guessed that YUK food would have been one of them.

Count Down Continues

2008-02-18T07:06:00.002-05:00

The Count Down continues........

Tom's Last Day of Work = 5 Days

Moving Day = 10 Days

Stuff!!!

2008-02-17T11:09:00.007-05:00

Along this adventure has been the never ending task of packing and getting rid of 'stuff'.

Lets start with the definition of stuff. This is also a never ending discussion since Tom and I do not and have not EVER agreed on what is 'stuff'! My version of stuff are things that are never used AND holds no sentimental value. Tom's version of stuff is that everything we own is stuff! So as we have gone through the process of packing and cleaning out 'stuff' it has been an on going battle.

This all started when we sold our house in Fountain Hills and moved to the rental in Scottsdale. At that time we had decided to make the move to KW but hadn't decided what we were going to take or would need so the first pass on getting rid of 'stuff' was based on 'when was the last time we used this?' and 'will you ever use this again'. We thought we had done a good job in cleaning out things but were still amazed when we got into the Scottsdale rental and SO MANY boxes. How could that be???? We had gotten rid of so much!

So from Aug until Jan we continued to get rid of stuff. Some days were very productive since we could agree and so things were sorted into categories. One was family, one was Taryn and Brandon, one was Good Will, one was sell on Ebay, one was moving (made the cut to KW) and the other was storage. The storage category is for items that we aren't ready to part with but also don't have room to take with us. That category is ALWAYS an interesting discussion between Tom and I.

As you know we found our home in KW which started another round of getting rid of 'stuff' that can actually fit in Elizabeth. With having a small house is REALLY changing our perceptive on what 'stuff' is. We found that not even all of our furniture will fit. It was an interesting round of, that goes, that doesn't go, that doesn't go, that doesn't go.

So now with less than 2 weeks left till we leave we are still getting rid of 'stuff' and the battle rages on as to what the means. Once the final count is done on what goes and what doesn't I will let you know.

Tom's New Cell Phone Number

2008-02-15T19:24:00.003-05:00

The Adventure continues with Tom getting a new cell phone. His current phone is through work and will no longer be available as of 2/22. Below is his new Florida number that is active and working. My cell number will continue to be the AZ one until we get settled in Key West. When it changes I will let you know.

Tom's Number - 305-407-7089

Tom's Finally Leaving Party

2008-02-11T06:36:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, February 9, we had the honor of attending the HACI Holiday Party and Tom's Finally Leaving Party. The gang at Tom's work decide to delay their holiday party and combine it with a party for Tom since he is leaving after almost 30 years.
In honor of our adventure the theme of the night was Pirates (aaaarrrggh) and the picture is of a banner that was hung up for the event. It is something that will hanging in Elizabeth as soon as we get moved in.
Thanks to all at HACI for many great years!