Jacob and Mischa

1.14.2009

Driving down to Key West wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. The day we left, we got off on a rough start because of the snow. Once that was cleared away, it occurred to me that we have a second refrigerator and that everything in there had to be thrown out. So I threw everything out. The neat freak in me emerged. I had to clean the empty fridge before we left. Then I had to clean the floor on the first floor in case anyone stopped by. We were on our way at 10:30. Three and a half hours behind schedule. We went to bed the night before at 2:30. I was already exhausted.

After 12 hours of driving through gloomy snow, slush and rain we arrived in Atlanta at 11:30 (est). It was 50 degrees. We checked in, had a couple of cocktails, took the dogs on a midnight walk and went to bed. I really like Atlanta. It’s clean and eclectic.

The next day we drove for another 12 hours. Jacob cut almost 2 hours off of our time. That included stops and getting lost. This road trip day was one of the most fun I’ve ever had. It made me think about how it’s possible to be so close to a single human- to know each others secrets, weaknesses, fears and ambitions. I think its rare.

We got to our house around 9:30 and started checking everything out. Comcast was out on the entire island and I discovered a couple of ants here and there in the bathrooms, so we had to call the exterminator. Other than that, everything looked gorgeous.

We really lucked out on the purchase of our house. Its a free standing house in old town- we’re 4 blocks away from Duval Street (the Bourbon Street of the Keys). We have our own small fenced ‘backyard’ with a pool and hot tub. It’s private and cozy. We’re at 13 feet elevation, which means our place won’t flood in the event of a hurricane and we’re surrounded by palms so there won’t be too much wind damage either.

The next day I was out to meet the fish mongers and look for the best selection of produce on the island. Everyone is so incredibly helpful. They’re also genuinely appreciative of your business. That day we bought some tilapia, snow crab and an amazing Spanish wine.

Yesterday it rained. We bought a hammock and an orchid and a bonsai tree. Did you know that Home Depot has a 1 year guarantee on all plants?

We’re supposed to have two of the coldest days in Key West history today and tomorrow. It’s currently 68 and sunny. I’m thinking about buying some local salmon and grilling it with a cedar plank and making a black bean, tomato, scallion and avocado salad. We’ll see what happens. This month is also the first annual National Drag History Month, so I’d like to see a show.

Tomorrow is tax day, which I’m not too excited about and it’ll be the official start date of my e-cookbook. I’m going to write it all in a journal and put my photos in it. I think it’ll make a nice heirloom to pass down eventually. Then after testing, I’ll put the final products online.

On a side note, my nightmares have gone away. I told my mom about them and she suggested that I eat a piece of fruit and have a glass of wine right before bed to rid them. It worked.