BUFFETT Bound - Palm Beach to Key Largo, SEYON style!

When we heard last fall that Jimmy Buffett was playing in Key Largo at my in-laws' club, we jumped at the chance to grab some tickets. What an awesome way to celebrate my husband's 55th birthday along with a cousin and another friend whose birthdays were just three days later? The Keys in April, best friends, Jimmy Buffett? What's not to love?!

Since the mighty Seyon was necessarily going to be our accommodations for us and our four guests, we first needed to get the boat there.

 We said a temporary "adios" to my beloved Palm Beach and headed south. The heat only got more intense, but after the winter I had, bring it, baby!

From one boat to another. Big container ships come to the Port of Palm Beach.

 We'll be back Peanut Island...

This guy got rescued by Tow Boat/US just in time before he smashed into the container ship. 

THAT would've left a mark!

 I never knew this was how boats got across the pond!

Here's another example - this was in Fort Lauderdale. Amazing!

We passed all sorts of marine activity. 

This barge was loaded with coral to make walls further down the waterway.

 The houses along the waterway from Palm Beach…

…to Boynton Beach...

…to Delray Beach

 …to Boca Raton are in as many styles as you can imagine. 
Some are gorgeous and some look like drug lords live there.

 These gardens were amazing!

 This house had so many wings for guests...

 …and it even had its own waterway boat house - so cool!

 The ivy on this house stopped me in my tracks.

 I LOVED the flagpole with the yardarm and all the code flags

And then in Deerfield Beach, we started to notice a change.

From giant mansions taking over huge corner lots…

 …to neighborhood canals off the waterway and the increasing amounts of condos

 I LOVED these Dads taking their daughters on a spring break cruise (or at least I HOPE they were these girls' dads, otherwise they'd be creepers - ha ha!)

This guy clearly didn't get the "Slow Speed, No Wake Zone" memo

 I liked the palm tree's shadow

Busy, busy busy! Richard Scarry would've had a field day!

Fun waterway restaurants - can you please pass me a pina colada?

And a rum punch with a rum floater on top?

The Addison Mizner famous Pink Hotel (Boca Raton Resort and Club) built in 1926 is an architectural stunner! 

Look at all those rooflines!

And to get to all these places, you have to go under a lot of bridges. 

 This chart onboard is very important because you have to figure out how much clearance under the bridge you'll have.

 Eventually, I just lowered the antennas

 For once, an easy job. Not like varnish stripping - ugh!!

We're ready for the next opening. It always cracked me up when the bridge operator said , "thanks Cap" to my husband

 There was no lack of gorgeous yachts to drool over along the way

 Would you happen to have any Grey Poupon?

 Pretty classic...

 …with a funny name. All I need to do is add a "No" in front and then the boat has my last name!

 Or maybe I'm being told something? 

(I don't think I say "No" too often but who knows?)

 And then, well, you see some boats that aren't so pretty or classic

And the name kind of says it all. Bada boom, bada bing!

Eventually, the waterway opened up and Miami came into view as night fell

 They were having some kind of celebration and this building was blinking sign language the whole time

But it was certainly nice of them to greet us with fireworks!

 We anchored for the night in this cool little spot off Miami next to a neat little island. 

I love the juxtaposition of island/city.

 Father-daughter speed boat ride. Life is different down here.

Don't jump!

 Off Miami on a sand bar in Biscayne Bay is Stiltsville! It's a funny cluster of houses built on stilts that started being constructed in the 1930's.

 No longer allowed to be built, some are occupied and others are sitting there left to rot. 

Kind of sad...

And when you get closer to the Keys, the water starts to change into a beautiful aqua blue. The channels are narrow so boats have to pass you pretty close. Some are nice and slow down when they do, like this guy. But others are jerks and go bombing by making stuff fly all over the cabin. Thanks so much - not!

 Ahhh, we made it to this small fishing club in the Keys. Ready to PLAY!

 Even the mighty Seyon looked good from far away! 

I told the dockmaster that we were a "work in progress" and he just laughed.

Life was good at the pool, and I did eventually enjoy that rum punch with a rum floater :)

My nieces and their husband/fiance, (respectively) and friends zoomed by us the day we took our guests snorkeling. They were headed to this great seafood dive bar named Alabama Jacks. 

 And on Sundays at sunset, they have a cocktail gathering out on the breakwater. 

People come by golf cart, but we could just walk from our boat

 I might have to make this picture my computer's wallpaper. 

The sky was so pink!

This could be a lifestyle…

 But the main reason we were there, was to celebrate a few birthdays and see Jimmy! 

First we had to decorate the cart. FINS UP!

 We were so close to the stage - people danced all night

 Fins to left, fins to the right!

Oh, yeah, and this happened too!

Here's to fun in the sun, wherever you find it!

Cheers!

HAPPY EASTER from THE WHITE HOUSE

Happy Easter and Passover to one and all!

Here I am in the EAST WING of the White House in THE Easter Bunny suit!

Here's a quickie post to let you all know that I SO appreciate any and all the time you spend reading this silly blog! And more posts are coming soon! But I'm heading off to see the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC! (I hope!) 

As you've read, it's been a hard winter so the timing of all blooming things is a little screwy to say the least! So I hope the cherry blossoms are out, but I won't know until I get there. But thinking of being in Washington over Easter weekend reminded me of one of the TWO TIMES I got to be at the White House for their major Easter Egg Roll and celebration, which actually happens on the Monday after Easter, funnily enough!

My friend Meg, has a friend Missy, who had a very big job in the White House. Missy knows I'm a little out there, so she once asked Meg if I wanted to be the OFFICIAL White House Easter Bunny!! Uh, duh! YESSSS!!! Who wouldn't? That's what I thought!

So needing an actual "Bunny Handler", I promptly asked my sweet Mum if she would do the honors. Of course she said yes! Meg and her Mom were outside handling the Egg Roll very nicely.

The BEST Bunny Handler money can buy! Don't you just love her coat?

Fun fact - my Mum is standing next to the East Wing connector where each First Lady is honored by a specific variety of tulip!

So here we were, at the crack of dawn, being processed through multiple security checkpoints, before we entered the East Wing…of THE WHITE HOUSE (omg!). And once inside, we were ushered into the room where the Bunny costume manager met me. Boy, was he serious about his job!! I wanted to laugh, because, well, it's a bunny suit. But this was his life, so I had to behave.

 They didn't mind me taking pictures of their artwork. 

Wish I knew who she was...

 This was really cool - like a diorama and painting all in one!

A little side table arrangement courtesy of the White House floral department. 

A sure dream job for me!

So, once I was encased in this suit, I immediately began to die twelve thousand deaths from the sheer heat. I could only see out of one mesh eye hole and my Mum led me into the main hallway of the White House where all the Senators, Congressmen and important people wanted to have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny aka ME!

Just imagine…all these important politicians and famous people that you see on tv all the time, clamoring to stand with me. I was starstruck, in the little bit of me that could see through the sweat and one eye hole. Glamour knows no bounds! ha ha!

And there was my Mum, bless her heart, with her arthritic hands, trying to corral all these VIPS into groups so that she could wrap her fingers around the varied cameras and get the shot. It was too funny!!

We mingled with everyone inside and out. And though this was a few years ago, as evident by the President, it was truly one of the most spectacular days of my life! Granted it was HOT! The Bunny suit manager and his minions all said "ewwww" when I finally took off the suit. I was soaked with sweat. Way to keep it classy, Nanny :)

This is what the Oval Office looks like when you're actually on the White House lawn. 

The Rose Garden is right nearby and tiny compared to what you see on tv!

The Truman Balcony is so pretty, and with the Marine Band playing, really moving...

The JONAS BROTHERS back when no one knew who they were! They were so AWFUL singing the National Anthem acapella. They definitely needed auto-tune.

The President and First Lady greeting the throngs of people on the lawn.

 GWB checking this Bunny out!

Even Easter Bunnies like hugs!!! 

 The giant-headed Presidents from the Washington Nationals came to play...

…and Mrs. Bush read from Arthur's New Puppy to promote literacy.

Troy Aikman, now GM of the Denver Broncos, brought his beautiful family.

And here's the gang after it was all said and done! And if you thought I was taking that hat off, after the "bunny head" (instead of hat head) I had, you were mistaken! My Mum, and Meg's dear Mom, with us standing behind.

Here's to Easter and Passover with your loved ones, even if it's only in spirit!

Cheers!