Sunshine

So gather round and listen to the story.  We booked our Caribbean Cruise ( Costa Maya, Roatan and Cozumel) aboard the NCL Mega ship Epic over a year ago.  The excuse was that it was to celebrate my 60th Birthday and also our 20th Anniversary (which isn't until September).  We have never had a winter vacation and we thought it was about time to try one ;)

In November I decided that since the cruise left from Miami on Saturday we should plan to leave here a couple of days early and enjoy Florida for 2 days. Just in case of weather, you know. And since we were going to spend 2 days we should leave on a 6:40 flight so that we would actually have 2 days to enjoy. Most of you know I have never been to Florida and have avoided it like the plague due to some silly story I read in the 4th grade.  So, since we were flying into Fort Lauderdale I found a cute little Inn in Hollywood Beach right on the beach for Thursday and Friday.


We haven't had a bad winter here in years. Enter the big, bad winter of 2011.  First there was the Christmas weekend blizzard followed closely by mega snow (and sometimes ice) storms twice a week.  I am not much of a worrier, but the closer the trip got the closer I followed the weather.  Sure enough a storm was predicted from Tuesday (2/1) AM to last thru the wee hours of the 3rd.  The day we were to leave, one of the days that was supposed to be expendable.  I was no longer viewing those two days as mere cyphers filling a void, but as valid vacation in the sun days.   Southwest offered a one time chance to rebook due to so much storminess.  I hemmed, I hawed, I chewed my nails and finally I took the plunge and rebooked for Friday AM, early...very early.  I figured it was better to be on a confirmed flight than on standby from a canceled flight.

The storm ended early...how very nervy....late Wednesday afternoon.  I vowed I would not check the Southwest website on Thursday AM, after all all the planes must be "sleeping" somewhere where the weather had not been crazy. Certainly none would be hanging around in Providence.  Guess what?  My original flight left right on time Thursday morning while I slept ;(.

Everything was packed and ready Thursday night with just a list of those last minute items...toothbrushes, hairbrush, curling iron, makeup...you know that stuff, right.  Alarm clock set for 4:00, right Bob?  We went to bed, I woke up at 2:37 and tossed for a while.  I heard the clock downstairs strike 2:45 and then 3:00.  Then nothing.  Perhaps I had dozed off??  I looked at the clock...WTH it was 5:10.  We were out of the house in 12 minutes...no shower, no makeup and NO COFFEE.  We got to the airport with 26 minutes til flight time and then there was a very long check in line.  Then they told us our luggage probably wouldn't make it on our flight ( if we made it on our flight).  I mumbled something about a Nudist Cruise.  But, we made it and our luggage made it and the Inn was just a half block from the most glorious beach and broadwalk( as opposed to boardwalk) that I ever could have imagined. And the cruise was glorious and now we are back to filthy, crusty snow and eating inside.  But ahh, it was glorious while it lasted and I can tell you....Florida has not seen the last of me :-)

These are pictures from Florida, minus the muscle cars etc.  I will post pictures from Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel when Bob has them processed and available.

Later,
Janet