What I did on my winter vacation
When I first starting writing this post I began writing every little detail and then I erased it all. I realized that every little detail wasn't important. The highlights on the other hand...
I went to visit my parents in Palm Beach for 6 days beginning on December 24th, clearly the best travel day in the world since the airport was empty.
I was sick before the trip even began. A terribly sore throat but not a runny nose.
I didn't sleep the night before the flight. Something new and different. Sigh. I really am beginning to forget what a good night's sleep is all about.
A shout-out to eBay for proving free wireless for the flight. I was really hoping that being with my parents would help lessen my obsession dependency on my iPad. It didn't. My seatmate from Atlanta to West Palm Beach was a fascinating woman who is also surgically attached to her iPad. She also trains dressage horses and riders including those of Olympic quality. Very interesting. I love having interesting seatmates.
Got to visit both Wakodahatchie and Green Cay. Saw a Rosiette Spoonbill and a variety of other gorgeous birds. I am never here this early and it's cool to see how different it is - the difference in the birds who have already migrated. (I was disappointed not to see any redwing blackbirds but that's because they haven't migrated down yet. They're too busy eating me out of house and home at my seed feeders in Birmingham. A fact I discovered as soon as I got home.) Saw juvenile birds who will be mating in a few months. Normally in March I see hatchlings.
When to UrgentCare on Christmas. Not sure the antibiotics helped. I must be the only person who asked to get on the scale when asked for my weight but since I really didn't eat for the month of December, I wanted to see the impact. 12 pounds. Ill take it.
Went to some fantastic restaurants including Taboo on Worth Avenue. Had the lump crap stack. Wow. It's a very atmospheric restaurant.
Still wasn't eating a whole lot. Or sleeping a whole lot. If I managed 5 hours in 2 stretches I was thrilled.
Went shelling. Didn't find too much. Didn't need anything. It was the idea. I haven't been shelling for a couple of years because the weather hasn't cooperated.
Went shopping. To Nordstroms. I must have tried on the entire floor. My sales associate, from New Jersey (she went to BU. She bonded with us.) was amazing. I bought some gorgeous clothes. As always, I'm afraid to wear them. Particularly one top that I fell in love with and really wanted but is far and away the most expensive item in my wardrobe. I'm afraid to wear it if there is any chance there might be food in the vicinity. I get happy just seeing it in my closet. It was nice having things fit. While the sizes were larger than I really want, they are going in the right direction and they fit.
Despite not sleeping, it was a delightful vacation. I was in first class all the way home, which isn't that big a deal for such short flights but its still nice. My seatmate for the long flight (90 minutes) was a 70 year old professor who just got a Kindle. He asked me a few questions about it and I showed him how it looked on the iPad and the difference between a website and a book on the iPad. He was adorable. It made for a very fast flight. He was highly entertaining.
I wish I could say that I used the next 4 days wisely but I didn't. I enjoyed them anyway. Sometimes a vacation is just supposed to be a release from the tensions of the everyday. This one fit the bill and honestly started my New Year on the right foot.
I went to visit my parents in Palm Beach for 6 days beginning on December 24th, clearly the best travel day in the world since the airport was empty.
I was sick before the trip even began. A terribly sore throat but not a runny nose.
I didn't sleep the night before the flight. Something new and different. Sigh. I really am beginning to forget what a good night's sleep is all about.
A shout-out to eBay for proving free wireless for the flight. I was really hoping that being with my parents would help lessen my obsession dependency on my iPad. It didn't. My seatmate from Atlanta to West Palm Beach was a fascinating woman who is also surgically attached to her iPad. She also trains dressage horses and riders including those of Olympic quality. Very interesting. I love having interesting seatmates.
Got to visit both Wakodahatchie and Green Cay. Saw a Rosiette Spoonbill and a variety of other gorgeous birds. I am never here this early and it's cool to see how different it is - the difference in the birds who have already migrated. (I was disappointed not to see any redwing blackbirds but that's because they haven't migrated down yet. They're too busy eating me out of house and home at my seed feeders in Birmingham. A fact I discovered as soon as I got home.) Saw juvenile birds who will be mating in a few months. Normally in March I see hatchlings.
When to UrgentCare on Christmas. Not sure the antibiotics helped. I must be the only person who asked to get on the scale when asked for my weight but since I really didn't eat for the month of December, I wanted to see the impact. 12 pounds. Ill take it.
Went to some fantastic restaurants including Taboo on Worth Avenue. Had the lump crap stack. Wow. It's a very atmospheric restaurant.
Still wasn't eating a whole lot. Or sleeping a whole lot. If I managed 5 hours in 2 stretches I was thrilled.
Went shelling. Didn't find too much. Didn't need anything. It was the idea. I haven't been shelling for a couple of years because the weather hasn't cooperated.
Went shopping. To Nordstroms. I must have tried on the entire floor. My sales associate, from New Jersey (she went to BU. She bonded with us.) was amazing. I bought some gorgeous clothes. As always, I'm afraid to wear them. Particularly one top that I fell in love with and really wanted but is far and away the most expensive item in my wardrobe. I'm afraid to wear it if there is any chance there might be food in the vicinity. I get happy just seeing it in my closet. It was nice having things fit. While the sizes were larger than I really want, they are going in the right direction and they fit.
Despite not sleeping, it was a delightful vacation. I was in first class all the way home, which isn't that big a deal for such short flights but its still nice. My seatmate for the long flight (90 minutes) was a 70 year old professor who just got a Kindle. He asked me a few questions about it and I showed him how it looked on the iPad and the difference between a website and a book on the iPad. He was adorable. It made for a very fast flight. He was highly entertaining.
I wish I could say that I used the next 4 days wisely but I didn't. I enjoyed them anyway. Sometimes a vacation is just supposed to be a release from the tensions of the everyday. This one fit the bill and honestly started my New Year on the right foot.