Christmas Vacation

My vacation travel started on 12/24 and ended on 1/5.  It was great to see so many family and several friends, but I really missed seeing the Nashville kids and their partners.

Monday 12/24 - I was able to successfully transfer files I needed from my big laptop to this small one.  But after three tries and a total of 50 minutes, I was unable to get Maggie to do her morning big business.  This caused me to be running a little late, so Patty came over early and walked Maggie while I finished checking off my list.  She is such a great sister in law.

The dog still hadn't pooped, but we were off for Knoxville, only five minutes behind schedule. 

Patty and I both enjoyed steak for a very filling late lunch at Texas Roadhouse.  Then we walked it off, and use up some time, doing some shopping at several stores.  I tried out this hanging chair/swing at Pier 1 Imports.  It was quite lovely, comfy, but too pricey.  We each made a small purchase at Target and Wal-Mart and then Patty dropped me off at the airport.


I had an hour wait.  Not wanting to sit, I walked one end of the terminal to the other, people watching and gazing out the window.
This is a photo of my plane landing.






I watched the sun set and was soon boarded and on my way.  Joe picked me up in Orlando and we were at Sarah's an hour later. 







We enjoyed libations out at the fire-pit and then sat and watched "It's A Wonderful Life."  Sarah's daughter (Diane) and granddaughter (Elanya) were also spending the holidyas with Sarah. 
This is Elanya's favorite spot - the huge bean bag.







Patty had gone back to our house to get Maggie  and take her home with her.  Maggie finally pooped and was chillaxing at Patty's on Christmas eve.

Tuesday 12/25 - Merry Christmas.

Christmas is for kids and pets.  This is Sarah's dog, also named Maggie.  She was on her favorite spot where she could watch out the window and see the action in the room.







Patty sent this photo of Maggie intently investigating her new toy that had treats inside.  She eventually destroyed the ball to get the treat out.  Well that didn't last long.


Sarah made us a wonderful, big Christmas morning breakfast.  Then we watched Elanya open Christmas presents.  

When Joe had flopped down in the big beanbag, Elanya did what she could, mostly tickling, to get him to move. 










What a fun Christmas morning. 
After a walk (3 miles) around Sarah's lake (well the lake she lives on), we packed up and hit the road for Mom's.





It wasn't a bad 90 minute drive, but I am always glad, and thankful, to arrive at our next destination.


We hung out, Joe at the pool and I with Mom on her back patio, for a few hours.  This little lizard was hanging out too, in one of Mom's plants.

Joe and I went for another walk to the nearby park and I continued on along the neighboring lake, catching a pretty sunset.

Joe left for the airport after I had gone to bed, and I slept so soundly I didn't even hear he and Britney come home at 1am.

Wednesday 12/26 - We had a leisurely morning, opening a few gifts, sitting in the sun, and getting Mom packed up.











We hit the road at noon, stopping in Tampa at the Columbia, the oldest and largest Spanish restaurant in America. 


We all dug in when the bread (one of Britney's favorite food groups) came out.


















The four of us thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience.





After Mom had a smoke, we piled back in the car and were at Longboat Key before we knew it.  Although, it took us over 30 minutes to go the last five miles because traffic across the Cortez bridge was backed up for miles.








Dave, Patti, Nicole, Michael, and JJ had arrived and got us all checked in.  Cathy, Ralph and Ben were not far behind us.  We all got un-packed and settled in.

The Sidensticks cooked dinner and Carol and Chris arrived just in time to join us.

I brought puzzles this year so we got started on our first one.  






Seven of us went for a walk, then some started in on game playing, but many of us didn't last long, tired from our travels.

Thursday 12/27 - I had woken at 1am, couldn't get back to sleep, so got up at 2:00.  This resulted in a long day with me being kind of grumpy.

The day started out foggy.  


We did our Wal-mart shopping run from 7 - 8:15.  It was so much quicker to go early in the morning.  And that gave us more of the day to play outside.

A mid-morning walk and then I took a nap pool side.  Because it was so cloudy, I got cold.  Finally though, there was a break in the clouds and I enjoyed 'roasting' in the sun.

I chose to cook early in the week so this was my night.  Joe grilled the chicken, Britney made the salad, and I cooked rice and corn.  The meal was nothing special, but everyone seemed to enjoy it.









We decorated Christmas cookies for desert, and ate as we decorated.



















































 We opened Christmas gifts. 

I went to bed early.

Friday 12/28 - I was bright eyed and bushy tailed at 5am, feeling really well rested.  As usual, we all gathered at the beach side condo and enjoyed watching the sunrise.











We took several walks.  I over did the sun at the pool and then biked with Ben.  We peddled to the south end of the island and back (round trip about 19 miles).

Ben also had some fun biking on the gravel dunes between the sidewalk and golf course (video).














Puzzle working, games, computerizing, and talking was the usual dinnertime and evening activity.








The salmon eaters were restricted to the outside balcony to keep the smell out of the condo.














We liked this mailbox design during our night walk.

Saturday 12/29 - was basically a repeat of Friday.  There were walks, sunning, and biking; and I also lifted weights at the gym.












Ben and I biked north, over the bridge, along Bradenton beach.  








Carol cooked turkey and we all had a tryptophan induced glossy eyed wanting to go to bed early evening.  Many did hit the hay early, but another poker game also happen.

Sunday 12/30 -  I started laundry, and Carol and I walked to the park.  There are lotss of beautiful trails and wildlife to see.














We all had lunch at The Beach House Restaurant on Bradenton Beach (two of us missing from this photo).








































After lunch we laid in the sun at the pool.  I finished one book and started another.



Dinner was every man for himself, like our lunches usually are.
















We played games and started a new jigsaw puzzle. 

Monday 12/31 - New Years eve day, it was another beautiful morning, our sixth day of great weather.


I was delighted to see photos of our kids on Facebook.  I didn't even recognize Courtney with her new haircut.  WOW!  What a cutie.


I was also delighted to see Dan and Val looking so happy.



I only walked once today.

A lot of time was spent sitting on the beach.






Several of us watched Dave and J.J. fish.  They were quite successful, catching ten little hammerhead shark.
























Cathy made a wonderful pork roast for dinner.

We all watched a couple of silly movies (Weekend At Bernie's and Fletch).  I had given up on going out dancing and couldn't even stay awake until midnight.  Joe and Britney needed to be on the road early, so we went to bed by 9:00.

Tuesday 1/1/2019
Happy New Year!

I like this poster and hope to continue doing several of these suggestions and work at doing many others during the new 2019 year.



Joe and Britney left for the Tampa airport before 7am.  Wahh, I missed her already, but am so glad she came.

Many of us were up before the sun, as usual, because we had not stayed up till midnight but gone to bed at our usual time.










Carol, Cathy, and I walked and enjoyed seeing much wildlife.

After an early lunch, I went to the gym to lift weights and then checked out a bike and went for a long ride with Ben.  Our first stop, Palmetto Beach on Anna Maria.










Ben decided to go for a swim and I checked a map to make a route plan.



We  decided to continue north and go to Bean Point Beach at the farthest northern end of the island.  The sidewalks were full of pedestrians and other walkers, so we stuck to the road.

Once we got to the tip of the island by road, we had to walk our bikes down a path and then parked them to finish our walk out to the beach.  From there we could see waterfront ahead and on both sides of us.  The lower photo kind of shows it.







It was to be a very busy evening for all, as everyone packed up and got ready for an early morning departure.


We all ate leftovers for dinner, in an attempt to clean out the refrigerators.

A timeout was taken to watch our final sunset on the beach and an evening walk also happened.  I down-loaded photos from Carol and Cathy and finished loading the SUV before calling it a night.

You can be sure that all the good photos, like this moon shot, were taken by Carol, who has a very nice camera.

Wednesday 1/2 - The Sidensticks were packed to the gills and on the road a little after 5am.  The three Bakers caught their Uber at 7am.  Joe and I then rolled out at 8:00, leaving Cathy to get Mom, Ralph, and Ben (along with all the food leftovers) packed into their small car.  One last look at the beach before leaving. 😓






We drove south towards Ft. Myers, arriving at Mike and Linda's almost two hours later.  Linda had brunch awaiting and we soon enjoyed a delicious meal. 










Unfortunately, we had miles to go before we were done driving for the day, so we had to leave way too early.

It was too long (for me) of a drive from Ft. Meyers to Jacksonville and I was so thankful to safely arrive at Jim and Debbie's.

Jonah keeps an eye on Debbie in the kitchen.

We had drinks (I so needed a beer to wind down), a great dinner, and then played Bridge and caught up with each other. 

Thursday 1/3 - Jim cooked us breakfast, a great way to start the day before Deb and I went to the YMCA.  My weight workout went slowly (lasting one hour) because I had to read how to use the different equipment and make adjustments of the seats, arms, and amount of weight as I moved around to the different machines, in a much larger gym than I am used to.

After a bite to eat, we headed to the golf course where we met Greg.  I walked the nine holes, as Jim, Debbie, Joe, and Greg played.  I also took lots of photos.





 








It was a beautiful day, perfect golf weather.  The 80 degree temperature didn't feel hot because it was overcast and the breeze (which sometimes affected golf shots) was fairly strong.


















The course was quite scenic, with plenty of wildlife to observe. 

At one point a black snake, in hot pursuit of a running anole lizard, went slithering across the cart path right in front of me, but I was not quick enough to get a photo.  The snake retreated into the brush it had come out of and the lizard escaped.














The geese were so tame they were almost a nuisance, but I enjoyed watching them from a close distance.

I helped spot balls, find balls, and retrieve out of bounds balls, enjoying watching my hubby and three friends play.  But I also was so glad I wasn't getting frustrated by playing the game myself.  Golf is one way to ruin a good walk. 

A Great Blue Heron and one of five Cormorants drying its wings.
At about the right time, we were on number nine, the last hole.

A quick drive home and getting cleaned up, preceded a another drive, downtown.











We checked out Jacksonville Landing before hitting happy hour at the theater. 
















Greg and Gilda met us there and we enjoyed libations with conversations as the sun set.










I loved how the symphony was done.  The director explained all the parts (three movements) and had the musicians demonstrate the melodies we would be hearing. 

Then during the one hour concert, the soloists, or groups with a main part would be zoomed in, on the big screen. 

We went to a fun little Irish Pub for a late dinner and continued enjoying conversation with our food and drink.

We parted ways with Greg and Gilda, and once home we squeezed in a rubber of bridge even though Jim and Debbie needed to pack for their early departure.

Sleep  came easily with a full belly and a relaxed, happy spirit. 

Friday 1/4 - We were all up early but Joe went back to bed after bidding Jim and Debbie farewell, as they departed before 7am.

Joe was up latter and we got underway a little after 9:00.













Jackson Beach, where Greg and Gilda had a condo rented for the month, was our next destination.

Gilda and I enjoyed a walk on the beach while Joe and Greg started planning for a trip to Europe.  (There is a homeless person sleeping among the gulls in this photo.)










The beach was very flat and as the tide went out, large pools of water were left standing.



This photo from the condo's 4th floor, shows the daycare kids playing in the area of the dunes that was dug out so that the city's rain water could drain out to sea.








A few friendly games of euchre were played at pool side.  The dunes blocked our view of the ocean, but we enjoyed the warm sun.

After a tasty lunch at a rather deserted bar and grill, we hit the road for our next leg of the trip home.  It wasn't too long before the expected rain moved across our route.  Luckily the torrential downpour lasted less than an hour.  However, the almost five hour drive seemed to go on forever.







Joe did score an A+ for this wonderful Air B&B he found in Locust Grove GA. 

Part of living room going into bedroom

Showers followed by beer and popcorn for dinner and we were soon in bed, early, knowing it would be early to rise.

Living room and kitchenette

Saturday 1/5 - I was awake at 4:30am, drinking tea and blogging, before we hit the road at 5:45 (Eastern time).  Driving through the heart of Atlanta at 6am local time, and on a Saturday, went swiftly and smoothly. 

Heading toward the rising sun, we still did not see daylight for two hours.  House lights eventually came on, off in the distance, along the way, and soon I could read without the interior car light on. 














It was not that bad or long of a drive, but still, by the time we were heading up Peavine, I was ready to escape the captivity of the SUV. I also couldn’t wait to see my kitties, and maybe even Maggie.

We safely arrived home, thus vacation is officially over.  I will miss family and friends we don't get to see very often.  But I look forward to relaxing in my sunroom, chilling with my kitties, walking our doggie, riding my horse, etc.  Hope you all have a happy and healthy 2019.