Hadrcore Bender of Boring

My work trip to Ft. Lauderdale (Pompano Beach, actually) went really well. I saw the inside of a drab conference room during most of my time there, but hey--I was there for work, after all. However, we did go to a big group dinner at this insane tiki bar/restaurant place called Mai Kai. When I first learned about this place, I was worried that it was some ghastly theme restaurant (ex: Rain Forest Cafe), but this place has been there since 1956. It was just as kitschy as you're thinking, which was WONDERFUL. We sat right by the stage for the big Polynesian dance extravaganza.

Holy crap, I felt like I was on the Love Boat or something. Surprisingly, the food was actually decent and (not so surprisingly) the drinks were STRONG.

I'd like to go back to Pompano Beach with The Geej for some quality beach time. Aside from the evening we arrived, the weather was spectacular, and the beaches were uncrowded and lovely. And the direct flights from/to Austin is a nice touch (since, so often, you have to stop in Dallas or Houston if you're flying anywhere from Austin). So maybe this time next year...

Speaking of The Love Boat, Dah and her fiance are on a cruise in the Caribbean this week. I cannot tell you how happy I am that she has found someone with whom she can travel like this. My stepdad (RIP) developed a severe phobia to flying way back in the 80s, and for the last 15 or so years of their marriage, they never went on any vacations that weren't within a reasonable driving distance. If you live in Texas, that severely limits your options. In the last years of their marriage, he got to where he wasn't comfortable going anywhere (most likely due to the unease caused by early onset dementia), so the only time she really traveled was with me, which was nice, but infrequent. She deserves to explore and see the world, and she's done a BUNCH of that in the past five years.

This past weekend was filled with errands and laundry (as are most weekends), however while BH and his boys went camping Saturday evening, The Geej and I went to my friend Thelma Jane's for a sleepover. And not just any sleepover--a "Xanadu" sleepover! Thelma's daughter, Ruby, recently turned 7, so I got her roller skates for her birthday, and we all watched "Xanadu" together. Ruby and The Geej got up and danced during SEVERAL of the musical numbers, while the overall allure of the movie escaped Ruby's 3 yr. old sister, Mary. Her day will come, however...

The only bad part about the sleepover is that, well, I didn't really sleep all that much. I was in a full-size bed with The Geej, and I just couldn't get comfortable. So yesterday, I was SO damn tired. The gloomy, cool weather didn't help much.

Today, I'm back in my office--also known as my little metal storage container since that's pretty much what it is--for the first time in a week. I have lots to do, and it's (mostly) all good stuff--stuff that requires me to actually use my brain.Yay!!

Also good for my brain, some new (to me) music I'm enjoying:
--The Decemberists, "The King Is Dead"
--Blue Mountain, "Roots"
--Sera Cahoone, "Only As The Day Is Long"
--Carissa's Wierd (yes, it's misspelled), "They'll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996 - 2003"

And tomorrow, I'll get Iron & Wine's latest. Later this spring, new albums by P.J. Harvey and Elbow!

I'm currently reading two different books:
--Zombie, Spaceship, Wasteland by Patton Oswalt
--A Short History of a Small Place, by T.R. Pearson

It takes me me FOREVER to read a book these days (a side effect of parenthood), so who knows when/if I'll ever finish these two. But if I ever do, I've got plenty of new titles--mostly nonfiction--waiting for me on the bookshelf as I went on something of a book buying bender last month.

Sigh.

I am boring myself as I type this.

What a loser.