(Fun in the Sun, Day 1 in Florida)

I'm on my mother's laptop and my entire post was just erased, entirely. This is frustrating, to say the least. I had links! It also, being a laptop with a touch pad, keeps jumping the curser around as I'm typing, making this take three times as long as it should!

So, to recap my recap...

I slept in and woke up to fresh scrambled eggs and fruit. I naturally added a slice of American Cheese onto my toasted English Muffin, loaded it with the eggs and had myself a little sandwich!

Then we went on a bike ride to Casey Key, where Steven King lives and where John Gotti has (had?) a mansion. I don't know if he still owns it or not, and in fact, I'm not sure if Gotti owned it or if one of his associates owned it, but the place is a beautiful fortress.

After returning from the bike ride, my mother and I went to Siesta Key to walk the beaches. The beaches in Siesta Key are considered the best in the world. The sand is so soft and cool, even on the hottest day. Being Spring Break for everyone and everywhere BUT for my husband (who couldn't come with me), the beaches were jam packed. But Mom and I walked them anyway. Of course, every time the water came up and splashed my ankles, I gave a very girlish squeal of 'Ooh, that's cold'.

After the beach, we went and got myself a bathing suit (blegh, bathing suits!) and I also bought some My Little Ponies! Three for myself and one for Chloe.

Chloe is my almost 2 year old niece. I've been getting her ponies as gifts ever since she started to get gifts! Her first gift was a pair of 'vintage' 80's ponies (in played in condition, so no heart attacks for any pony enthusiest!) and one G3. I've been getting her G3 ponies since then. She got one at her 1st birthday party and I had two at home waiting for when I could see her again (from Christmas), and I found a Pinkie Pie that actually looks pretty as opposed to dumb like she usually does, so I grabbed her (both for Chloe and myself!)

After shopping, we returned home and I went on a motorcycle ride with my Dad on his hog. We saw the other side of Casey Key this time around. Some of those homes are outrageously gorgeous, and then right next to them are these little run down shacks. It's so strange. But the land those shacks sit on is ... probably worth more money than I'll make in my entire lifetime.

After I got back, my brother, his pregnant wife and my niece showed up. Chloe is very cute and rather smart, too. She isn't yet 2 and talks in sentences (a little mumbled, but sentences. When she can't find her dad or mom, she says 'where is mommy' or 'where is daddy'). She got to open one of her ponies today, the FIRST TIME EVER. Her mom has been keeping them out of reach for a while until she got old enough. She first tried to pick up and hold all three pony boxes. It was very cute. Then she walked around with the pony in her hand and would give it kisses on the head.

At first, once it was open, she wouldn't pick it up. So I put it on the floor. And she then gets down on all fours and leans over so she can look at it on its level. Talk about absolutely adorable!

At one time, she was doing something my brother didn't want her to do, and he called her over to him. She looked at him over her shoulder with this impish little coy look, like 'are you talking to me, daddy? heeheehee!' and she ran into the other room, away from him, giggling.

Uh.. so, we had dinner and played a domino's game called Mexican Train. At first, we were playing it however they played it the other day, which because I wasn't there for the first time they played it, I was reading the rules. And ... uh, yeah. They were playing a game loosely based off of Mexican Train. So I found rules that were a little easier to follow (I love the internet) and we had much more fun, as the game as it really plays has a little more strategy involved.

When my brother left, I got into my bathing suit and I went to the pool. Yes. I went swimming at 11pm. The water was a little cool but you know... that's fine. I did a few laps, stretched my muscles a bit and was refreshed.

The funny thing.. or not so funny, all things considered ... is that one of the first things I did when I got to my parents house was teach my mother how to clip her dogs nails. They used to have to muzzle her and have my dad restrain her. I did it by myself. I also taught her the rudiments of 'stay', which she didn't know.

I go on vacation and I'm still working! Not that I mind. Katie the greyhound is a great dog (not a rescued greyhound, they've had her since she was 4 months old, she was going to BE a racing greyhound, but my dad is... well, my dad, and wound up with her instead. I'll relate that story later if I need to.

So ends Day 1. I'm going to go to sleep and try to wake up tomorrow to take another quick swim before we get started on the day. I think the tentative plan is to play miniature golf and go to a store called Splatter, where you pick an unpainted ceramic statue, paint it and they fire it. And it's yours! And... my parents were pretty sure they had a My Little Pony in there. I can't wait!