More time on water than on land???

This weekend I quite possibly spent more time out on the water than on land.  Well, almost!

On Saturday morning we went 10 miles out to the new spot that Patrick had learnt from the night before.  We were up and out at about 8.30am and in both our heads we would be home around noon or so.  Well, I could not believe it when we walked in the door and saw the clock showing 2pm lol. Time flies when you are having fun, eh.

Then Sunday morning we went out and checked our crab traps.  Which were a total strike out!  We gambled leaving them out for the final two weeks of the season - it tends to be very slow then - and it is becoming apparent that the gamble is not going our way unfortunately.  We will check them once more and bring the traps in at that point.

Early that afternoon I met up with a fun gang for brunch.  Celebrating Jennifer and Janine's birthday, plus Conch Republic Days - Megan, as Queen of the Conch Republic, is wearing her crown.

Why yes, that is a Spicy Margarita in my hand.

 

The plan for that evening was that we would go downtown for a little happy hour.  But the weather was so delightful and water so calm that we decided we would go out and do some more fishing - and take a picnic of sushi with us.  Mmmm.We got in literally as the sun went down, quickly cleaned the boat and flushed the engine and home.  Pretty beat up and exhausted as you can imagine! But a good beat up - what a great weekend.

Brunch in Key West / Papa's Pilar Rum

Soooo may I take this opportunity to recommend a good breakfast place in Key West?!

The Breakfast Club Too (number one is in Lake Placid, New York) opens every day for breakfast and lunch.  Literally breakfast and lunch i.e. you can have a burger at 9am and bacon and eggs at 1pm if you so wish!

Me, I went for shrimp and grits which were pretty damn awesome! Washed down with a  mimosa and Bloody Mary. I was told the caprese salad was pretty good too!

They have 11 different types of mimosas (get the mermosa, you won't regret it) and 11 different Bloody Mary's (pictured is the bacon Mary).

Did I mention it also is a really cool space with some funky cool sculptures created by the owner's husband.  Seriously, this place needs to go on your list!

And why not follow it by a short stroll (two doors away) to the Hemingway Rum company distillery where you can learn about, and actually see a master distiller at work. Resulting in two extremely good rums.

Don't take my word for it, get your ticket for this super tour - it costs only $10 and within that price you get to do a tasting of both the blonde and the dark rum. Plus your entry fee gets you $5 off a bottle to purchase!

Easter Sunday in Paradise!

Easter Sunday is a big deal at home in Ireland.  Well in my family anyway. We have a big dinner similar to Christmas in my parents house with all attending.

Yesterday was no different with my sister Katie travelling from Galway and Enid making her way over from Southside to North on the bus(!!).

It was however very different for me this year!

Winn Dixie Easter pie

Pie debacle:
Patrick went off on Sunday morning to do some grocery shopping and came back with No Key Lime Pie. Drama and despair (on my part) ensued.  It turned out that Publix was closed (nice for their employees, bad for someone desperate for Key Lime Pie like me) and the pie in Winn Dixie is never as good as the Publix one.  Faced with No Pie or Second Best Pie a decision was made to take a trip back to Winn Dixie to get some Key Lime Pie.

Side note.  The Publix Key Lime Pie is so special there are internet articles about it

So with the pie ensconced in the fridge and dinner planned for the evening what to do for the day?  Well first I cleaned my house from top to bottom.  Those of you who know me well know I am not the most domesticated person (housework bleugh) but it was way overdue and it felt so good, and still does today, to have it done.  After that I took myself off downtown to meet up with Dawn for a little drink.  Totally unplanned but you know me I find it hard to refuse invitations!

Andie and Dawn were in the Green Parrot where Tony, Andie's husband, and his band were playing.  Latin jazz funk, very cool.  The Green Parrot is fast becoming my favourite bar in Key West - cool atmosphere, good drinks, GREAT bands and music, and free popcorn :) It was a fun afternoon with some good craic chat and conversation with the laydeez.

From there Dawn and I went to La Te Da to their "Sunday Tea Dance". It was pretty animated and raucous. It reminded me of Apres Ski in Europe - 4pm in the afternoon and everyone is jumping around and dancing on tables like it's 2am in a nightclub.  Ok so  that's Apre Ski in Chamonix, France,  La Te Da wasn't aaaaaas wild as that.  But for a slow Sunday afternoon on a sleepy Duval Street (at that time of the day) it definitely has the most action going on.

And then that evening I got to eat the most fab dinner ever of SurfnTurf - steak and lobster tail.  The lobster tail, although looked small before cooking, revealed a big massive lump of meat which with a small smathering kerrygold butter was divine. The steak was lovely too.

And the Key Lime Pie...dear God the pie. It may be only the second best pie on the island but last night it got my gold medal  Good job Winn Dixie!

After dinner I watched an old (recorded) episode of Jeopardy.  I had watched it before but was happy to watch it again because I am Completely Obsessed With, and Addicted, to Jeopardy.

It was a great day!

Barbecue tales Part 4 - Sausages

Today started well and ended well.  That is all.  I could literally lock up shop and sign this blog off now, but I do have some photos so I guess I will share these with you and some more information too.

Today was a celebration of some good news and I was treated to a fabulous brunch in the old Westin hotel, now a Margaritaville resort. Amazing seafood as pictured.  Not pictured are the bottomless mimosas, prime rib, french toast and bacon, lobster pasta, skirt steak, sushi, freshly baked pastries, smoked salmon, poached salmon, tuna steak, tuna tartar, meat charcuterie, cheese and more.  And the desserts! The desserts!

The good news was that I have a job! I am working in a cute (and  very beautiful) boutique hotel here in Key West.  I am working with a lovely group of people, and every day am meeting nice happy people who are on their holidays travelling down South from all over the USA.  So that's very exciting!


After the lovely brunch - which by the way we relaxed over for hours - we went for a nice stroll around the harbor/historic seaport of Key West. And then cycled back via Duval Street.  Duval was buzzing!  A really nice atmosphere, everyone just having the craic and enjoying the sunshine while having a few drinks.  On the subject of having a few drinks, that is pretty much what I did for the remainder of the afternoon, relaxed in the tiki hut with a little vodka cocktail.  Oh.  I did one other thing. There may or may not have been a bit of snoozing on the daybed going on *embarrassed face*

So after a fancy brunch of a LOT of food I really didn't need much for the rest of the day.

We made sausages on the barbecue.  Nice big flavourful Wisconsin pork sausages!  Here it is pictured on a Hawaiian bread roll with mustard, tomato and barbecued red peppers. I ate mine plain, no bread, with (French/grain) mustard and bbq sauce.

Last photo of a super day! Here is me at the barbecue (Look Ma, I'm cooking!!!).

I posted this on facebook and Instagram with the caption "And later tonight I shall be teaching my aerobics class down at the Y"
Bahahahahahhaaaa.  Yes I'm silly. I just think my outfit looks so 1980's lol!  Feck it, if you can't have a little laugh at yourself sure what is the point of it at all?
#LifeisShort