Is My Brother Trying to Kill Me?

Probably not. Probably it just feels that way this morning. Happily for me, he feels the same way. Even more happily for me, he had to go to work and I get to play Holiday Sistah.

There are a few places I have to go when I'm here in the city. One is  Out of the Closet, 'the world's most fabulous thrift store' that pretty much exists to provide free HIV testing as well as other medical services, regardless of ability to pay. If I can find cool stuff (and I do) and support an excellent work, it's all win win to me! The good thing is, I don't live here, so I can't spend even more $ and time in there. Couches and glasses and clothes and books and...well, you get the idea. And it's all really, really good stuff! At amazing prices. Ok, enough about that. But I want that couch so muuuuuuuuuuuuuccccchhhhhhh. And those chairs and...oh, they wouldn't fit in the shack anyway. Never mind.

Not a place I have to go, but I do like the sign and that it still exists!

The other place I head to is only a block away, carved out of the city bits, Richardson Historic Park and Nature Preserve. How can you not love a small city that has a 5 acre park with a walkway along the water, with a kayak rental place right there? I don't fight it, I love this park.

Yes, I even love the spiders. I grew up dodging these babies in the woods. EWWWWW!

I'm not sure why I like Australian pines so much. They are non-native, invasive water suckers, untidy looking, with shallow root systems that usually fail to hold in a strong storm (though obviously these have held a long time!). But like them I do. They landscaped my east coastal world as a kid, beaches were known by names like Two Pines, and they sound really wonderful in a high wind. They are the cool bad boys of trees. Of course I like them.

 I've never seen a bottle brush plant like this - it is more like a 

weeping willow and had to have branches dangling 30 feet or more. Wow!

And then my brother got home. The beginning of the afternoon and night starting innocently enough.A cocktail while he transitioned from work to play...and onward went we.

A bridge my bro bikes over that harbors many many many iguanas. They were scattering faster than I could get my camera out, but I did get a few of the slower ones

Where iguanas in cities go to hide from humans

 We were on our way to see an old friend and took the beach route (A1A), which is probably one of my favorite roads in America, almost purely for sentimental reasons. Along with the fact that it is so Florida like, green and grimy, beach and towering buildings along its journey up the east coast...here is part of the Pompano Beach section.

Not for shopping

No shirt law here

No right of access law either!

Yes, citizens, this is your entrance

Water ahead. Bars, souvenir shops and more? to the left

Great beach parks. And if you pay the price, you can park by them

Very cool mural here...I'll try for a better shot later

We hit the Publix store to pick up some wine. Adele had martinis ready to go. I drank wine. I was trying to pace myself. Really. It didn't help.

Adele, as gorgeous as ever. Her children like being photographed as much as mine. Which is why you won't see a photograph of their beautiful selves.

How to make your own reality in a city

Adele is a brilliant manicurist. Michelle is a brilliant manicuree. Adele said giving me a manicure would be worthless because I'd never keep up with it. She is right. As usual.

My brother, watching Martini Manicure World

We left while I could still remember the evening (going to Adele's can be dangerous) and stopped at...this place. Because obviously we needed sustenance. And libations. Obviously.

The best smoked fish dip platter I've ever had. Yum!!

Our super nice bartender. His name is ______.

I went outside to photograph the almost full moon

Sadly, this is the best of quite a few attempts. 

It was a great day and night! I am pretty sure he has plans for us later on today and tonight as well. I'm going to spend the rest of the morning going on a long walk exercising actively zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......