We had a great weekend.
Sometimes my aim is a little off when taking self portraits with a passenger.
We took a three hour car ride (plus two stops for gas, one stop to pee, and two more stops to change diapers, resulting in four hours to destination, but who's counting?) down to Marco Island. Beautiful, sunny, white sandy beaches with clear blue waters lured us from our daily grind of work and school.
All the way down, we played an alternating shouting game of Marco Polo with Jack, a game Uncle Jem taught him so we could find him if he went astray. A brilliant game to teach a little who loves to hide. Another great game I learned (well, always knew, but not for this benefit) was Red Light, Green Light. If he runs, shout Red Light and he will freeze in his spot. When life is a fun game and full of play, it's a good life. Jack taught me this.
How did I stray so far off topic? Marco?
Polo. The whole island greeted us. Crossing the bridge over bright blue waters with beautiful sailboats lined with green palm trees and cracking our windows to feel the warm, salty breeze told us we were on vacation. My casual, laid-back husband met my obsessive, uptight planning needs by booking a fabulous hotel and printing a list of the top twenty places to eat on the island. A list that I read through very carefully before choosing our first stop: Simply Cupcakes. Let me assure you that this location was strategically chosen, utilizing all of my best investigative techniques and applying my education of theories and research and the scientific method. There was evidence of decadent chocolate and sweet butter cream. Obviously, this was the best option.
Upon further inquiry, I was able to conclude the subject in question is to be a certain first stop for all travelers of this destination. I am confident in my research (be sure to say research with an English accent, placing emphasis on the second syllable rather than the first) as a professor of decadence (be sure to roll the first r when say professor).
Judy, the owner, was the sweetest woman, for lack of a better pun. She told us about Marco, half convincing us to move in. Her whole cupcake bakery looks like a cupcake with bright pink walls and white icing trim. Everything had been touched with a little bit of fancy.
She stockpiled a hundred cupcake aprons on one hook, barely blocking an entryway. Apparently, all of her friends and relatives found her the perfect unique gift at a cute little shop that would represent her cupcake charm. She now names the apparels of that hook her heap of rags and was therefore happy to donate to a baker lover such as me.
Do not presume my family fills up with sweets prior to ingesting appropriate nutrients. Second on my list was the absolute best lunch I have had in a long time. Lee Be Fish is a hole-in-the-wall joint where Lee serves fresh fish on the days that he is not on his boat reeling them in. He fries up fresh fish and chips and whips up some fantastic curry tartar sauce. And if he likes you, he'll throw in some raw tuna.
After we checked into the Marriott, we did a whole lotta lounging by the great big pool.
We taught Jack how to act like a drunk in the hallway at night so the other guests would get aggravated.
And we drank in the view from the tenth story.
