Night Moves

Another semester bites the dust (finally) & we're back to doing what we do best: adventuring. I'm not going to Hong Kong this year (miss ya, Dad) so I decided to drive down to Weston with Jake so that we could have a little week of adventures together. My dad was kind enough to buy me a Nikon D3200 for Christmas. I've been playing with it non-stop all weekend & it's finally making it's Stellar Piece debut. J keeps describing it's photo quality as "crispy" & I'd have to agree. I'm in love.

We've only been here a day & it's been amazing so far. We woke up at noon, had lunch with his family & made a trip to Sawgrass Mills Mall. I feel compelled to tell you guys that I finally bought a pair of suede J.Crew loafers that I've been drooling over for months. They were originally $98 & I got them for $44 (hell yes).

Later in the evening, J & I drove to Radioactive Records to do a little hunting. I've been searching high & low for the Pretty in Pink soundtrack on vinyl, but haven't found it yet. Jake is trying really hard to teach me how fun it can be to patiently dig through bins at record stores. It can be pretty hard for a girl who doesn't know the first thing about patience, but I'm learning. J bought a couple of 7"s & I bought some Thompson Twins & Dead or Alive LPs.

Afterwards, Jake took me to this neat little dive called Le Tub. The decor was ultra kitschy & cool. They had metal bathtubs & toilets everywhere and their walls were adorned with old photographs & license plates. I had a yummy hot dog while J downed a huge cheeseburger. We finished it all off with some homemade Key Lime pie. It's amazing how much better you feel after eating when you're starving.  J & I both turn into Betty White in that Snickers commercial if we wait to eat but luckily it only takes a few bites until we are back to our normal, silly selves. 

I thought that we were heading home for the night when Jake took an impromptu right turn & took me to the beach so that we could run around for a few minutes. As we were walking down the boardwalk, I expected the beach to be nice & calm (you know, rom-com style) but the gale force winds kind of ruined that dream for me. It was romantic in a different kind of way, though. J & I were just running around like crazies, getting our shoes all wet in the ocean, drawing 'J+A Forever' in the sand & climbing all over everything. That's our style & I wouldn't have it any other way.

Love,

A

Beach Buns

Ever since I hit that too-cool-for-everything pre-teen stage, I've hated the beach. Then I met my soulmate, A, who feels just the same. It's hot, sticky, sandy, & the water is always still too cold for my rice paper-thin skin. I still groan when the word is uttered, but there is one spot that merits an exception: the Fort DeSoto Dog Beach. What's more Floridian than a beach day in September?

We met A's family at their RV spot on Saturday afternoon, & after chowing down on some  Xtreme Cheese Goldfish & Pub Subs (turkey, mustard & cheese only, thx) we packed the car full of some snacks & our favorite little traveler: Bentley. 

My pale skin is no match for Florida's scorching hot beach days, so pass me the Coppertone. I somehow manage to always forget to lather up my neck & shoulders, you know, the only two parts that really require ample amounts of sunblock. Thankfully A had my back when the heat got hot (literally). Oh, & a big thank you to the weather gods, because the water was perfect & I'm always the one to scurry away from the ocean or pool if it's too cold (remember, I hate the beach).

A & I love the dog beach because watching such a widely diverse range of dog breeds interacting with each other, while simultaneously peeing on anything in sight, is hilarious. Nothing is funnier than when little Shelby trots up for a scratching while a frazzled owner screams her name from a distance. 

Our little Bentley is such a diva; not only does he refuse to play with any dog that is remotely near his size, he doesn't care much for the water, either. At one point, all seven of us were in the water calling for him to join us. He instead turned around trotted up the sand, & sat on a chair beneath an umbrella. Okay, Bentley.

In between moments of balancing Aisha's little brother Aric on my shoulders & coaxing Bentley into the water for a family portrait, we all took turns trying to stand up with our feet on two separate boogie boards. Summary: not easy if you weigh more than an eight-year-old boy, but I was more than impressed to see A get all the way up there.

All in all, maybe I don't hate the beach as much as I thought. Getting out in the fresh air & watching the dogs & kids play must have inspired childlike enjoyment out of me, because A's sister Ariana had to ask me how old I was multiple times throughout the day.

Here's to broadening our horizons.

Love,

J