Weekend Fun

It’s only 7:14pm on Sunday night but I feel like I’ve been up forever! My partner in crime has been out of town since mid-week so it was up to me to find my own fun.

I ran a 5K on Saturday and posted my fastest time to date, so that was fun! I was concerned about my MP3 player running out of power so I made sure it was fully charged prior to Saturday. I needn’t have worried because aside from the song playing right at the start, I couldn’t even guess at what songs were playing during the race; I was completely oblivious to the music throughout the race. I have never been so in the zone during an event but I can’t complain with the results.

Saturday afternoon was spent moving furniture from a couple places and into my condo. For the first time in 11 years I can actually eat a meal at a dining table in my place; I feel so grown-up! Of course, the table will also double as a computer table so maybe I can get some decent writing going on. So that will be fun, too!

Sunday broke with overcast skies and a wonderful breeze blowing thanks to Hurricane Sandy. My friends and family up in the north eastern states are preparing for a possible shellacking but here in Florida we are enjoying some absolutely beautiful weather! The sun broke through mid-afternoon while I was still moving furniture and cleaning but I’m enjoying the new look which is always fun!

My own Hurricane Sandy will blow back into town tomorrow and that will definitely be fun!

I hope you all had a fun weekend as well and Happy Halloween!

You Can’t Fool Mother Nature or Your Mother

“Hi Ma, what are you doing tomorrow afternoon? Would you like to go to lunch?”

Such an innocent question one would think and yet, perhaps an ulterior motive was at hand. Being the smart person that I am, I listened to She and called my mom again to let her know I would be bringing someone along with me when I picked her up.

And wouldn’t you know, my mother already knew! Apparently the tone of my voice gave away my “secret”. Really? Asking my mom to lunch had a tone to it? I wonder what else my mom knew when I thought I was being so sneaky?

Don’t answer that, Mom!

Oh My My, Key Lime Pie!

I took a little weekend excursion to Anna Maria Island and dined at a wonderful place called The Sand Bar. This gem of a restaurant is directly on the beach with tables and chairs right on the sand. It was dark when we arrived which limited the view but the company I was with more than made up for that!

We ordered an appetizer of shrimp and grits as well as a fried shrimp salad. Both dishes were terrific but the piece de resistance was about to arrive; Key lime pie. I mostly order Key lime pie for dessert whenever I do decide to indulge myself so I can judge who has the best. Well, let me tell you, I have never had a slice more decadently delicious than last night!

Visually, there were no indications of the joy I was about to experience. A pale-yellow triangle was flanked by two rosettes of whipped cream with another atop the narrow end of the slice. A dark red ribbon of raspberry glace accompanied the pie on my plate.

Ok, so I had studied my dessert long enough; it was time to eat! I slid the business end of my fork sideways down through the tip of the Key lime goodness, pulling some of the freshly made whipped cream along for the ride and snapping the graham cracker crust with a very satisfying “click” against the plate. A hint of the raspberry sauce completed the ensemble.

My anticipation almost got the better of me but I offered the first bite to my date. The look on her face told me I had clearly made a wise choice for dessert. Now, it was my turn!

The syrupy pureed raspberry sauce hit me first. Its delicate sweetness was quickly followed by a little piece of Heaven on Earth. My lips puckered and my mouth watered with that first forkful of the tart, creamy pie filling. It melded with the raspberries to produce a glorious harmony the likes of which my taste buds have never known! A subtle touch of honey accompanied the crispness of the graham cracker to complete this almost spiritual trinity of flavor, lightness and crunch.

So there you have it, my unabashed ode to the most perfect slice of Key lime pie I have ever encountered. If you ever find yourself on Anna Maria Island, you owe it to your soul to track down this little morsel of goodness.

Enjoy!

Where’s Your Passion?

During my school visits to read my book and speak to the students about writing and life, I often leave them with one last thought; whatever you do in life, do it for the pure love of doing it, not for the money. Your passion for your craft will carry you far and the money will come.

I should follow my own advice.

As a kid, I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. There were the usual fantasies of traveling in outer space, being a great sports hero or even a world famous rock and roll musician; however, those fantasies were just that. I grew up, or at least older anyway, and landed in the IT industry for lack of any real direction to do anything else with myself. A computer repair career led to a management career which has provided a nice living but it has never been, nor will it ever be, my passion.

I found my passion years ago when my first children’s book was published. Writing, traveling and speaking to kids about the process and life in general makes me very happy and satisfied. A friend of mine says she envisions me traveling and writing stories of all kind and being successful and happy; maybe she’s on to something.

So as I continue to chase that which will make me happy, I urge everyone to do the same. Don’t settle on a career just because you can make some money at it; do what truly satisfies you.

Find your passion and live it!