End of the Year Catch-Up

Well, it's been a while since I've written a blog so, with the beginning of the new year, I thought I'd recap the last [undocumented] bit of 2011.

What hung me up, I think, was Fantasy Fest.  I was all psyched-up to share our experience and a bit of the debauchery and mayhem.  Fantasy Fest is the biggest event that happens around here.  Originally started to boast the tourist economy during a slow part of the year, the festival has earned a reputation and a following.  People come from all over to shed their inhibitions [and clothing] and party in the streets of Key West.
My problem is posting pictures of said debauchery and mayhem suitable for all who follow my blog.
But, it is MY blog...MY documentation of things that go on in MY life.
So...here goes...

Painting by Sherry Sweet T

We headed to Key West mid-afternoon on parade day the last weekend in October.  We had an appointment for us both to get body-painted by artist and fellow displaced Kentuckian, Sherry Sweet Tewell. The process was nerve-wracking, but after the initial "disrobing" I had the choice to remain tense and awkward about it or stand tall and enjoy myself.


All in all we had a really good time, running into different friends in various states of attire and making new friends as well.

Jeff's turn!

Having a much needed cocktail @ Capt. Tony's

Dolphin!

We hung around Captain Tony's and did a bit of people watching prior to the parade.  If you'd like a glimpse at all of the strange and unusual, just follow this link:  Pics Fantasy Fest 2011



Soon the parade started and the beads started flying.  I had no problem landing myself a whole cache of baubles this year!

I'll just mention that my favorite float was the Lionfish - representing the venomous species that has recently invaded our reefs and with no known predators besides man, our local divers and fisherman have declared war!
-- and then we'll move on.

The next event on our calendar was Jeff's 46th birthday.  Since his birthday fell on a Tuesday, we celebrated twice.  The actual day of, we joined friends at the Hurricane for a fun night of carousing and playing pool which ended with take-out pizza and a late night BUZZ! trivia session.  On Saturday, we re-celebrated for his "weekend" birthday and caught a performance by one of our favorite local musicians, Howard Livingston, at the Sugarloaf KOA with friends Tabby and Tom.
A good time was had by all and we got to wear our special Howard hats!

Let's see...
Next was Thanksgiving which I enjoyed here in the balmy islands with the dog while Jeff flew to the frigid north to spend time with friends in Ohio.  I had a potluck feast at the tiki hut and made yummy dressing while Jeff had a bonfire and target practice.


And that brings us to December.

Jeff and the dog lit out on the 8th to travel once again to the frigid north...this time by car.  They made the long drive to Louisville in 20 hours and arrived to temps in the low 20's.  But one of Jeff's favorite pastimes is creating fire and that's exactly what he did in his mama's backyard so I didn't worry too much about him being cold.

What a crew!

Meanwhile back on the boat, temperatures remained in the 70's.  I had to work, so couldn't tag along on his sojourn to Kentucky...at least not yet.

He had a police academy reunion to attend on the 10th, then after that, annual doctors appointments and catching up with friends was on the agenda...not to mention the burning of copious amounts of firewood!

Love my Girls!

I kept myself busy with work, movie night, the boat parade, and a spectacular girls night complete with 6 dozen raw oysters, baked brie, and dice!

I flew in to Louisville on the 21st and Jeff picked me up at the airport.  It wasn't too brisk on my arrival and that was a good thing.  After arriving at the house, I never left that first day - choosing to enjoy the company and just being there.  Jeff's mom, Denise made us a lovely dinner of steaks and baked potatoes and I turned in early after my full day of traveling.

Uncle Bill playing Jeff's newest guitar

Between visiting friends and relatives and the pursuit of certain foods that we don't have access to here in the keys...Skyline Chili, The Bristol's green chili wontons, Lotsa Pasta, White Castle...the time in Kentucky went by quickly.

It was Jeff's Aunt's one night, the 5th annual McDevitt Christmas party the next.  Then a bit of hopping around a bit to see who we could.

Christmas fire

Christmas arrived soon enough with, as you may have guessed - a Christmas fire and a house full of people.

We had a wonderful dinner and a lot of laughs and pleasant conversation...along with generous amounts of holiday cheer!

Family Portrait

Santa was pretty good to me.  I got a new Kindle, a made-just -for-me messenger bag from Timbuk2, a new red Marmot jacket, and a tamborine! Jeff raked in guitar accessories - a tuner, a slide, strings - to go with his latest guitar purchase, some fancy new pillows, and new work-out attire.

But Christmas wasn't quite over for me.  On Wednesday, I traveled to my Dad's and waited for my brother and his family to arrive from North Carolina.  After a long day in the car, my niece, Maddy, was the first in the door and raring to go!

We opened presents and the adults had a champagne toast, then it was time for bed.

I got to spend the entire next day with the 3-year old bundle of energy, and even though I was tricked into going to an antique mall [wth?], we had a really good family day.

Friday, I headed back to Louisville.  That morning, Jeff had a minor surgical procedure removing a cyst from his wrist.
While waiting for him, I loaded the car.
Sadly, it was time for us to make the long trek back to Marathon.

After a full 20 hours in the car, we arrived home on New Year's Eve.  We joined friend's Hilary and Charles on their new boat for welcome home bloody mary's and then we both needed a nap.

We weren't much on the festivities going on at the tiki that evening...just too darn tired...so we made a trip to the grocery for provisions and called it an early night.

I had just fallen asleep when the cannon fire told me it was midnight in Marathon!

So that should get everyone up to speed on Life on the S/V Exposure.

We hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season and 
Happy New Year!

My Favorite Things

The Chambers Clan

This October, some of my favorite people, [Poor] Donnie and [Dammit] Janet Chambers, visited their condo in St. Petersburg - one of my favorite areas in Florida.  So, we drove up to see them.  With them were Donnie's brother, Butch, and his wife, Jayne.  We came in towards the end of their stay and the 2 couples had already had a lot of fun on their vacation.  We arrived in the middle of the night having left Marathon when I got off work.

Sunrise over Boca Ciega Bay

The next morning, we were all up bright and early to watch the sun rise over the Boca Ciega Bay and Donnie, assisted by Butch, made us all a huge breakfast with eggs, sausage, gravy, biscuits, and hash-browns.

The tiny veranda

Afterwards, we all went out on the tiny veranda to talk about what we were going to do for the day, all of us hoping it would warm up a bit as the area was experiencing a bit of cold front with temps in the low 60's, overcast, and windy.

Butch and Abby

Us girls decided we would go to Target - a favorite of mine and a rare opportunity that I wasn't going to pass up.  The boys decided that they would do a whole lot of nothing, although they did manage to go to the liquor store.  A good thing, too, because shopping can be thirsty work.  With all of us back at the condo, the 6 of us and 2 dogs once again crammed onto the tiny balcony for cocktails and conversation.

Janus taking it all in

We decided on Billy's for dinner - certainly one of my favorite restaurants in the area - for some of my favorite food, stone crabs served warm with lots of melted butter.  Billy's was the first place I'd ever tried stone crabs and is still the best.

Got my ringer!

We played the ring game, enjoyed the live entertainment, and devoured plates full of crab claws...what a good time!

Afterwards, we all headed back to the condo where Jeff played us a bit of music on his guitar - another of my favorite things - before we all meandered off to bed.

The next morning, Donnie made us another fabulous breakfast...should I mention that more of my favorite things are a man in the kitchen and a meal I didn't have to cook?

Jeff had promised a to run an errand with our friend, June, so we set off along the beach road so I could drop him off.  My destination for this A.M. was Mazzaro's Italian Market - quite possibly my favorite place on earth that I've discovered so far.  The Chamber's brother's, fellow foodies, decided to accompany me on my grand adventure.

 The minute you arrive at Mazzaro's, you know you are somewhere special...and not just at any old grocery store.  Taking up nearly the entire block, the building itself is a work of art with intricate stone work,  murals of Venetian canals, Italian women waving from painted windows, and faux landscapes and architecture depicted on every surface.  The property is dotted with cozy grottoes, mystical archways, bubbling fountains, and Romanesque statuary...and a couple of art cars reside in the parking lot.

And that's just the outside!

Once you walk through the ornate front doors, that's when the wonderland truly begins - a maze of culinary magnificence!

You'll have to check out this slideshow for pics of the inside:  a MUST see click here for more Mazzaro's  pics!

My haul from Mazzaro's

As you enter, to the left lies the meagar produce section, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in quality.  Next to that is the butcher counter chock full of quality cuts of meat, stuffed chickens, fresh sausages, meatballs, kabobs, and one of the most beautiful pieces of ahi tuna I have ever seen.  Next you venture on to cases of cured sausages, soppresettas, and pepperonis situated next to cases full of butter and cheeses from around the world.  Then there's the array of coffee beans, freshly roasted, and teas for every connoisseur.  To the right, a whole room devoted to wine and cheese.  To the left, a wall of imported beers.

There's an olive bar, complete with toothpicks for sampling and a whole prepared food section loaded with heavy slabs of lasagna, rice balls, roasted peppers, crab cakes, and gourmet salads galore.  Around the corner is all the fresh, frozen, and dried pastas along with oven ready hand-tossed pizzas.  In the next corner lies the bakery with a number of pizzas by the slices, fresh baguettes, pepperoni rolls, and dozens of other fresh baked delicacies.  Venture further down the counter and you come to the sweets and every Italian pastry known to man along with fresh gelato.  At the coffee counter, the brother's ordered rich coffee drinks and Donnie bought me an ice tea...remember that shopping is thirsty work!

The middle of the store is devoted to can goods, dry goods, spices, oils, and vinegars...some of which were quite pricey!
When my basket was full and becoming too heavy to carry, I sadly brought my time at Mazzaro's to an end.  But what a haul:  white truffle oil, seasame oil, fresh mozzarella, cheese curds, cavatappi, rice balls, sesame encrusted seared tuna, truffle mousse, Parmesan flatbread, prosecco, and my favorite find - smoked bacon chipotle sea salt in a grinder!  Once in the car, the boys and I enjoyed bites of the nearly raw tuna drizzled with sesame oil.  Much of my purchases would make a tasty snack this afternoon...just as soon as the prosecco gets cold!

Sunshine Skyway Bridge

 Then we missed our exit and had to take the scenic route across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and back.  I finally made it to my car and as I headed to meet Jeff, the other menfolk went back to the condo to collect their wives.  The plan was for us all to spend the day with June, certainly another one of my favorite people, at her Madeira Beach home, another of my favorite places.  The house itself has come a long way since my first visit 6 years ago.  Originally one story and below the flood plain, the house qualified for a F.E.M.A. grant and underwent a spectacular rebuild. 

The first floor now consists of a 2 car garage, office, bathroom, and my favorite part - a tiki bar overlooking the pool, hot tub, and the Boca Ciega Bay.  The upper floor, with it's open floor plan and dream kitchen is a site to behold, second only to the panoramic view highlighted by the generous floor to ceiling windows.

We had a great time all hanging out together in the Florida sunshine.  It turned out to be a beautiful day, warm and sunny.  After sunset, we moved the party inside, ordered pizza, and fired up the Wii bowling.  The Chambers clan eventually ventured back to the condo, but I decided that after sharing the couch with Jeff for the last 2 nights I would avail myself of June's hospitality and the cushy spare bedroom.
I slept like a rock!  [Thanks, June!]

Hot-tubbing!

June and Jeff

Casa June

Janet, June, and Jayne

The View

Unfortunately, the next morning rolled around and it was time for us all to go our separate ways.

We said good-bye to June and headed to the condo for the rest of our things and to bid the Chambers family farewell. 
Their vacation was over and they had a long and progressively colder ride back to Kentucky ahead of them.


But, it was another great adventure...and full of all my favorite things!

A Series of Firsts

Jeff's Aunt Karen came for her first visit to the sailboat and the Florida Keys earlier this month. She was accompanied by Jeff's mom, Denise - a sister's getaway! They arrived mid-afternoon on a Wednesday just as I was getting off work and we all headed out to the boat to relax and float around a bit. Jeff had planned ahead and grilled us a yummy dinner of flank steak spiraled around fresh spinach and cheese with a side of mashed potatoes.




Thursday was to be our day in Key West to see the sites - another first for Aunt Karen. First stop was the Southernmost Point for a photo op and then on to Captain Tony's for a pirate punch. Carl Peachey was singing and playing guitar so we sat and listened for a bit.







Next we meandered our way to and around the Historic Seaport and ended up at the Schooner Wharf Bar sipping margarita's and enjoying the melodic emanations of local legend, Michael McCloud.



Pepe's, the oldest restaurant in the Keys, was next on our list. We sat at the bar while the bartender squeezed fresh juice for our cocktails.
Tell me, can you beat that?

From there, we headed to Mallory Square to take in the daily sunset festivities/fiasco as well as a completely breath-taking setting sun.















Afterwards, it was time to find some dinner and head back to the Middle Keys.


We stopped at Mangrove Mama's where we shared an order of fish dip for an appetizer. I made a special request and ordered yummy fried, cracked conch on top of a Caesar salad. Jeff had the scallop special and the sisters had seafood nacho's...all fabulous and tasty.

Friday was a day we did a whole lot of nothing - but that is one of our favorite things to do and it was a request by Aunt Karen! So we whiled away the hours listening to music and enjoying one another's company.
Evening found us at Castaway's, where Dan Sullivan rocks on Friday nights, for a bit of entertainment and dinner.

Jeff brought his guitar and took a turn up the stage, to all of our delight. It was a great turn out with a myriad of friends in attendance, and we all had a great time.



Saturday, we woke to a very wet and rainy day after a big storm in the middle of the night, but that didn't stop us from having a girls "alfresco" breakfast at the 7-mile Grill followed by bloody mary's at Castaways. Once fortified, we were off to the grocery store to pick up supplies for the evening and the 2 boxes of fresh oysters [72 total count] that I had ordered a few days ago.

We were about to have an oyster and lobster feast!

Back at the boat, Jeff started the grill and then started shucking oysters. The first dozen were slurped down immediately followed by sips of Veuve Clicquot champagne, provided by friends, Charles and Hilary, and quite delicious.

The next dozen or so were topped with baby spinach, irish butter, a bit of red onion, bacon, and parmesan cheese and then put on the grill to melt into yummy oysters rockerfella'...Thin Line-style!

More were eaten on the half-shell and another batch went on the grill. In the meantime, the lobsters were prepped and wrapped in foil, and eventually tossed on the grill. One lucky lobster tail was transformed into ceviche. I was a little nervous about the raw seafood, but it turned out quite well and was absolutely beautiful.






The lobster tails, after being grilled to tender perfection on the Cobb grill, were served with fresh asparagus and buttered, garlicky orzo.

We're talking seafood decadence!
And, despite the crappy weather, we had a lovely time with friends and family.


By Sunday, the weather perked up a bit and after a couple of bloody marys in the sunshine, so did we. Since we girls had done all the shopping yesterday, today we sent Jeff to the store. He came back with an 8-plus pound chicken for us to smoke on the grill. It took most of the afternoon, which was fine by us. We did have one incident when it came time to add more charcoal to the grill. Being so heavy, it was hard to find a place to sit the hot bird and the grate slipped and our dinner became a "bucket of chicken"...fortunately it was a clean bucket and the chicken didn't travel any further than that.

Monday morning came around and it was to be the girls' last day of vacation. The plan was to go out on the snorkel boat with Jeff and see him in action. We set off in different directions: Jeff going to work and us girls to the airport to get the rental car. We met back at the Starfish and set off to the reef. It was another picture perfect day with calm seas and a light breeze. Once at the reef, we could tell right away the visibility was going to be great. We all donned our masks and fins and jumped on in....snorkeling being another first for Aunt Karen! The sisters seemed to be having a great time kicking about and holding hands while seeing all the underwater sights. Before we knew it, it was time to head back, and we enjoyed a beverage at the bar while Jeff finished up his boat chores.
We kept it simple for the evening and ordered pizza to be delivered to the marina.

The next morning, it was time for Karen and Denise to head back to the mainland. It's always sad to see people you love leave, but we know they had a great time and hope they will both be back soon!