Once again, I ventured down to FL on Friday afternoon. The only 'big plan' for us was on Sunday - it wasn't like my last trip with the Keys all planned out and stuff. But we still had some good stuff on the agenda. Just like the last time, Eric had to go back to the jobsite after he picked me up at the airport - his day was not over. But he didn't have much left, and that was enforced, so to speak, by the fact that AL (big boss man) wanted us to have drinks with he and his wife. So he actually had to wrap up by 4:30, which is early for him.
After some good social time with the work group (and significant others), we had to venture down into downtown Miami. We were going to the Miami Heat game, which was a quick decision by Eric the day before. Why not? I can always take in a game, no matter the sport. Besides - Eric heard good things about these games. Very energized, he was told, with constant cheering and hype. And he heard right. We had a great time!From here, it was just back to the hotel. We decided to stay out on the beach this trip, and thankfully, we were away from the early Spring Break crowd. Our hotel was in the perfect location... south of the party scene in South Beach, in an area known as 'SoFi' (South of Fifth). It was peaceful there, and the views and scenery were still to die for! We got in late, though, so we really didn't know how good we had it until the next morning.
Saturday was our day of no plans. Literally. We talked about a few ideas as we got ready for bed Friday night, but didn't really decide what to do until breakfast in the morning. It was a nice day, but a little breezy. So we decided to go for a drive through Coral Gables and 'old' Miami, and then do a little shopping on Lincoln Road. The drive was really nice, actually - a side of the Miami area you don't see on TV. It was normal. Houses with yards, parks, and little neighborhood shops. Then we went to Lincoln Road, which actually started with brunch at SushiSAMBA, one of our faves (yes, we already had breakfast. It was lunchtime by this time, but they were still serving brunch, and it sounded good!)! Then we walked up and down the mall, poking our heads in a few of the shops. We were only there for a few hours, but since we weren't really shopping for anything, that was enough. 
We went back to the hotel and Eric decided he needed a nap. I decided I'd try the beach. Of course. Unfortunately for me, it had only become windier and more clouds were moving in. But I still enjoyed about an hour of beach time. I even got to see The Epic leave port - that ship is huge!!After some freshening up, we decided to walk over to Joe's Stone Crab for dinner. We had heard about it - it's kind of famous - and it turns out we were staying only a few blocks away. So we walked over at about 6:30, figuring we might have to wait a bit. We got there, and there was a line to get on the list. And the wait? Two-and-a-half hours!! The good thing is that they don't expect you to stay there - they give you a time to come back. So we wandered down to South Pointe Park and grabbed a drink at Smith & Wollensky's. We ended up grabbing a quick appetizer, too, before finally heading back to Joe's.
The good news is that the host was just about spot on with our time. Shortly after we got there, our name was called and we were ushered into the massive dining room! It looks more like a steakhouse than a seafood joint. We sat down and the amazing service began. And I mean amazing! Eric is still talking about the impeccable service - the kind that happens without you even noticing! The kind that turns a table over for the next guest in 90 seconds flat! But the best part was that the service matched the food! We split and order of Stone Crab Claws and had two sides with it - fried green tomatoes and sauteed brussel sprouts. The Stone Crab was amazing! If you've never had it and see it on a menu somewhere, get them! More importantly, if you even get to Miami Beach, go to Joe's! Just remember to get there early!
Sunday was the reason I was really in FL. My nephew's confirmation. Just as we were getting on the road, though, my sister calls me, with panic in her voice. Apparently, there was some miscommunication in Jacksonville - my parents thought it was the NEXT weekend! So unfortunately, my Dad wasn't going to be able to make it down, and my Mom and Nan would just make it down. Thankfully, my sister called them when she did! But she was worried I was confused, too. I had it right in my calendar, at least. So Eric and I settled in for the 3 hour drive, with a few stops along the way. It was nice, since we didn't have to rush out really early - we actually stayed until check-out time! So we managed to have a nice breakfast and even get a bikeride in before leaving. Nice way to start the day.
We got to Palm Bay around 3pm and had some food off the grill that my BIL had been working on. I hadn't seen my sister's in-laws in quite awhile, so it was nice to catch-up with them. But we didn't have a lot of time since mass was at 6pm. Plus, Bubba had to be there early! So Eric and I drove around PB a bit - he hadn't been here before. So I showed him my old neighborhood (which is nothing like it used to be) and drove by three of my schools. And that's all we really had time for before we had to go to the church. The Bishop was in town for the confirmation and, I gotta say, they have a very lighthearted Bishop right now. Kind of refreshing! He led the mass and had some humorous points with both the congregation and the priest. And, thankfully, he kept the mass short, too. There was a quick reception afterwards, and then a quick stop at my sister's house to see the latest project... but Eric and I had to go, since we had to go back to Ft. Lauderdale that night - I had a 6am flight the next morning! We got to the hotel late and just crashed. And just like that, my weekend was over. But what another great weekend in FL!
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