We have the best neighbours!

I came home to THIS!  A gift dropped over to us by our lovely neighbours. How unbelievably sweet of them.

Isn't the branding and the box just adorable?! And of course you know how much I love Key Lime Pie!

Yep.  Their branding is just perfect!

Slice to meet you :)

A big key lime pie and oh my gosh chocolate dipped key lime pie on a stick, I've always wanted to try that!!

Ummm!  Well excuse me, Mr Two Bars of Chocolate hiding behind the pie on a stick!

So! Tonight we shared the pie on a stick and it was fab! And we had some of the chocolate too.  The pie we are keeping for the weekend and I will be sure to report back how it is...particularly compared to my favourite - the Publix pie!

Letter from Key West, April 17 2020

One Human Family.
There are a number of charities and outreach programs here on the island who support people in need - rough sleepers/people who are homeless/unemployed/people who are laid off - now, and before, the Covid19 pandemic.

In addition to this there are restaurants around town who are giving out free food to people in need.Yesterday it was Margaritaville who stepped forward and I saw this in action as I out went to CVS for some essential items.

As I pulled up on my bike I noticed little pockets of people standing around eating.  Then a man across the street sitting on a step eating from a take out box, shouted across to me "hey, they are giving out free food at Margaritaville, make sure you go get some".  I thanked him for telling me and shouted back to enjoy his lunch "oh I am, I am".

His unbridled joy brought me happiness.  I am not too proud to admit that I was a little nervous when I pulled up initially.  But you know,  his happiness and his willingness to engage with me gave me perspective, we are all just humans, and all just trying to get by in this old world of ours as best we can.

Fair play to the following for what they are doing to help:
- Better than Sex Restaurant
- Off the Hook Grill
- Margaritaville
- The Florida Keys Outreach Coalition
- Sister Season
And many others no doubt, as I hear of any more I will add them here.

Hey, if any of you out there wants some of these stickers just let me know and I will post to you

Sharing is caring

I spent a beautiful yesterday morning hanging out at the beach.  I find the beach both reviving and restorative. 

A good book and a little picnic of a Cuban sandwich was the bow on the top, it was so pretty perfect that I ended up going back today also! 

On the way home I cycled past a house that had a basket and sign outside!

I frickin love this little island!

And for anyone wondering (i.e. all my Irish friends!) this is what a starfruit looks like when cut.  

Nature is amazing, right?!

#OneHumanFamily

Great service - thumbs up for Miami Subs Grill

One human family!

Pulled up at Miami Sub Grill (N. Roosevelt) at 9.30am to get sandwiches for fishing. Eek it was closed! The sandwich maker who was prepping and setting up for the day sticks his head out the window and says it opens at 10.30am.

And then he asks what we need and I explain a cold sandwich (for fishing lol!) He says No Problem and makes the sandwich!! Hands it to me with a big smile "just remember even a bad day fishing out on the water is better than a day in work"

What a nice man. I love Key West.

A weekend of weekends!

Where to start?

First up, an amazing dinner cooked at home on Saturday.  Lobster! Read all about it here.

That fab dinner was followed by a quick spin on the bike to the new amphitheatre in Key West.  It's a wonderfully cute venue surrounded by palm trees, planned and built perfectly for great atmosphere and sound.  We found a good raised spot and settled in for a good evening.  By settled in, I mean went and got some food (pretzel bites and chipotle sauce - pretty good, and good value too) and drinks (pretty poor selection and seriously expensive in my opinion).
...Ah well, at the end of the day I guess we were there for the music and there is Very Good News to report there.

The Revivalists were just terrific! Kicking off with the ebullient "Celebrate" the scene was set, and they ran with it - raising the roof with a 2 hour set of fantastic musicianship  (their sax player is AWESOME, their lead singer throwing himself around with the energy of a man who knows how to enjoy living in the moment had the crowd in his hand from the second he bounced on stage). Culminating with a 3 song encore; a wonderful cover of the Travelling Wilbury's, "Handle with Care" (which happens to be only one of my favourite tunes ever), and their superb "Wish I knew You".  And their third and final song; the melancholic and melodic "Soulfight"...what a song...what a message...what a band.

It's just easy listening music at the end of the day.  But it's good easy listening. It's got edge, it's got soul, and it's quality. Really, really enjoyable night.

And then Sunday! Ah Sunday.  A surprise invite brought me to IHOP.  Woohoo! That was super!  It was also fun driving in a jeep with the roof off. What a novelty after 3/4 months of only being on my bike. I do like car rides.

After a quick pitstop at the bike shop to get a tyre repaired and buying a drinks container for the bike I decided I needed some beach time.  I had a lovely couple of hours to myself on the Southernmost beach getting some Vitamin D and contemplating life.  'Twas good.

Sunday finished up with another good home barbecued dinner, of pork tacos, washed down with Cuba Libre's. Afterwards a little cycle to White Street pier to watch the famous Key West sunset and set intentions for the week ahead.  Ahahahahahhahahhaa! Ok Amy, too hippy, too hippy!
Seriously though, there are awesome sunsets here, no two ways about it.  And check out the photo of me below.  There were some amazing para sail boarders out doing their thing right beside White St pier.

Yeah it was a good weekend! And I didn't even mention Friday night - a lovely night out meeting gal pals, and chats over cocktails.  I do like after-work Friday night drinks.

I do like weekends like this!

iPad lost, iSad. iPad found, iHappy.

I did something really really stupid and left my iPad on the train on Monday morning.

How the hell did I do that?!!!!  Well let me explain.
In Dublin we have this free newspaper (the Metro) which I was reading on the train.  I had my iPad on the table also and when I finished the newspaper I put it on top of the iPad.  I then dozed off for a few minutes...I sometimes do this on the train :-) And while I was starting to doze off, I actually remember thinking, now that is a really silly place for your iPad, you're going to forget it because you can't see it.  And what did I do? Exactly that!

So when I realised I had left it *umm which was only about 4 hours later (embarrassed face)*, I got straight onto Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Rail) and talked to some very helpful people who set about trying to help me. It had not been handed in to Lost Property at this point...which was not good news.

By 6pm that evening I really had given up hope.  But (co-incidentally enough) while I was on the train home Irish Rail rang me to say that it had been handed in.  They sounded very surprised - but happy for me.

So the next morning I collected it in the main Dublin station on my way into work.  The phone number of the guy who had handed it in was there as well.  I texted him to tell him how grateful I was.  Plus I asked for his address as I wanted to send him something small.  He replied saying my text was enough as he is just glad it is back with the owner, plus he hoped somebody would do the same for him some day.  I am sure Karma will be good to him in the future...

I really was so lucky to get it back.

I like to think that my "One Human Family" sticker on the iPad cover had something to do with it coming back to me! :-)

One Human Family

I miss Key West.

To remind me of the island, plus to help keep me calm and sane at work I've placed a One Human Family sticker on my pc.

This is the philosophy of Key West - that every human being is created equal and part of the same family.  

When I look at this sticker it makes me think of Key West and smile :-)

Click here for more information on the One Human Family foundation.