Family Vacation

Since my Dad and stepmom Maureen moved to Ft. Lauderdale, John and I have been wanting to get down there to visit.  Previously, when they were living in New York City, we would make our annual pilgrimage to the Big Apple every January, of course when it colder than a witches never-mind-what.  But we would get an amazing room at the Marriott or the Renaissance in Times Square for the right price, so who was complaining.  We would take Dad and Maureen out to dinner and catch up on what was going on with them, with us, with the extended family.  Then John and I would bid our adieus, and head back to the hotel.  On Sunday, before leaving to negotiate the wilds of the Jersey Turnpike, we'd head up to School Products on 28th street and Broadway and buy - despite what the name appears to infer - yarn:)!

Well, this time, they were in Ft. Lauderdale.  In April:) It's tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.  This time we did it right - four days off from work, Dori, Donald, Madison and Ruby had time off from their jobs.  John has time off for his.  Again, adjoining suites in a Marriott Time Share resort in Ft. Lauderdale and it was a real family vacation!  

We left at 4:45 a.m. for our 6:30 flight out of BWI airport and arrived at Ft. Lauderdale at about 9 a.m.  We rented a car for the week and stowed our bags in there until we could check in.  Then we did about 5 hours on the Water Taxi and I learned about something new.  Being from the North (well, immediately south of the old Mason-Dixon Line) I had heard the phrase "Intra-coastal Waters" but just figured it was water like the Chesapeake Bay that ran up between parts of land of the East Coast.  I never realized these waters stretch from southern Virginia, to clear around Florida all the way up the Gulf Coast! We went through a rather wealthy stretch of Lauderdale, getting glimpses at a string of McMansions that would curl your hair. I just can't relate.

After a brief visit with "Great-Grandpa and Great Grandma," we went back to our rooms and slept like logs.

The next day was fun at the pool. My brother, Chris, who had been staying with the folks for a few days, had an interview with someone in Miami and later joined us for lunch.  It was great to catch up with him - it has been years since we actually saw each other face to face (thank God for cellphones and Facebook!) We drove him to the airport to catch his flight back to NY.  Donald and Dori took Mads and Ruby to visit with two of his siblings and John and I chilled out with some vino and meatloaf. 

Yesterday was another full day poolside, looking out over a white beach and an ocean as blue as the sky. Tuesday I used sunscreen, thanks to my daughter.  Yesterday I did not. Ouch.
Yesterday evening, we had dinner with Dad and Maureen at a restaurant  near the hotel.  It was good for Dad to get out and for the kids to see him.  We had a great time - four generations at one table - pretty cool!
The pictures on the right are the view from our hotel suite.  It's not the ocean side, but we agree that it was the far more interesting view!
Today is our last day.  Checkout time is any minute now.  We will check our bags at the hotel until our flight this evening.  And in the meantime, we are going to Jungleworld in Miami.  (Is that like Wallyworld?)

My knitting has gone with me.  I started a sock on some Kroy FX yarn I really liked and am still working on the Mondo Cable Vest in the Lavold Silky Wool. Knitting makes those waiting times bearable on the airplane and other places - and for those times when I just feel like kicking back and chilling out.  (Hey, we're on vacation!)
Well, gotta go pack. God be with you 'til we meet again!
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