Back in Florida, I miss Leo, but I’m glad to see Lee and the doggies, and the weather is beautiful. It’s St Paddies’ day but we decide to go to Whistle Stop for dinner, knowing it will be crowded, but who cares, their service is usually pretty good.
We are seated quickly, but then abandoned. We’re patient because it IS really busy, but when the table next to us is seated and then immediately greeted by their server, I snap. I say to her that we’ve been here way longer than them and she says she’s not our server but she’ll find ours. The manager comes over and takes our drink orders. Still no sign of our waiter, whose name is Jarred. So, when our drinks come we have decided what to order. We place our order (with the manager again). Eventually Jarred does come over to see if we are ok. I ask for water and he brings me some and then disappears again. The table next to us gets their apps. We eventually get our food. We have finished eating before Jarred shows up again. By this time we are pissed. Lee says if he had bothered to show up 20 minutes ago we would have ordered another beer, but as it stands we’ll take our check. As we leave we ask to talk to the manager. He is defensive and unapologetic although he does comp our drinks. It’s very disappointing because we do love Whistle Stop, but it’s going to be awhile before I’m willing to go back. If the manager had apologized, or if he had actually waited on our table it would have been ok, but the way it ended up we were disrespected and made to feel like we were wrong for complaining. Boo!
The next day Lee sends them a complaint through their website. We do get a swift apology from the manager, and a few days later a nice note from the owner as well. So I guess they have redeemed themselves. Maybe.
On Sunday I go on an easy 13 mile run in the morning. The weather is perfect, low 60’s. My meditation app has been talking a lot about staying in the moment and how to get yourself back there when your mind wanders, as it always does, so I practice that while I’m running. It makes the run more enjoyable even though I’m tired.
Later we go walk down Main Street to see the chalk art festival. The pictures are beautiful, but it’s pretty crowded and very warm. We retreat to the house and the cool interior, watching march madness basketball for the rest of the afternoon.
On Tuesday a big storm blows through. I have hill repeats to run but don’t want to get caught on the causeway if it starts to lightening and thunder. So I go to the McMillan Booth overpass instead; it’s more protected. It works, and the storm holds off until later anyway. Once the storm blows through the weather changes from very humid to very cool and windy.
On Wednesday I take a boxing class at the spa, my first (and only) one this year. It’s so much fun, and a great workout, too bad I haven’t done this more this year. In the late afternoon we ride our bikes to Crooked Thumb. I try a white wine barrel aged tangerine ale, that really does taste like a citrusy white wine. Then I get a small glass of chocolate mint porter. I like these strange tasting beers!
On Friday I go on an expedition to find a brand of sunglasses called Goodr. They come in all kinds of colors and more importantly are lightweight yet don’t bounce when you run. And they’re cheap too! The first running store I try is at Indian Rock Beach. It’s a nice beachtown but no sunglasses, even though their website said they carry them. Then I go back to St Pete Running Company. I should have gone there in the first place. They have lots of styles, It makes it hard to decide which ones to get. I choose some lucky pink ones with mirror lenses, and some in Boston Marathon colors, yellow with blue lenses.
I’ve also ordered some special edition Boston marathon running shoes from Brooks. They’re Brooks Launch which is a model I wear. They are in the Boston Marathon colors with lobsters and anchors on them!
We take the dogs for an early afternoon walk and then go to Sips for happy hour. This time I get a glass of Sauvignon blanc and then try a couple of wines from the machine. I try sips of a couple of high end wines but don’t think they are that spectacular, so then it’s back to the Twomy Pinot. Oh, and a popcorn snack too!
On Sunday March 24th it’s time for my 20 miler, the longest of my marathon training runs. It’s going to be warm so I start early, 6 am. Most of the run goes really well, maybe too well. I run the first 9 miles at an easy pace. Then I run 8 miles at marathon pace and I get a little cocky, running almost 10 seconds faster per mile than my goal pace. Toward the end of this portion I can start to feel the heat but I think I can power through it so I don’t slow down. It doesn’t really hit me until the last 3 miles at an easy pace. Then my heart rate starts to go through the roof and I’m really struggling. I don’t know how many times I have to learn this lesson but I guess I’ve learned it once again. Don’t run too fast, respect the heat. The marathon cannot be fooled! Thank God this wasn’t 26 miles!
On Monday we return to Honeymoon island. It’s warm, but when we first arrive it’s cloudy and breezy so we don’t put up the beach tent. Later we wish we had. We have to go stand in the surf to cool off several times. I’ve started a crazy new book about Jamaica, A Brief History of Seven Killings. It’s a challenge, I can’t read a lot of it at one sitting. We return home sun soaked and lazy but it’s time to start packing. We’re leaving a few days early so we can return home and get ready for the big move!
On Tuesday we go back to Enterprise Dog Park one more time. We walk around the paths several times and the dogs are soooo happy. It’s so interesting how Cosmo is friendly with any dog as long as he’s off leash. We watch a dog do the agility equipment. Harper wants a treat but doesn’t want to do the equipment. Cosmo just wants to chase the dog as it comes around the path but that dog can take care of himself and tells Cos to cut it out in no uncertain terms.
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