By Georgia Osten
So, there we were…Our vacation was the best ever! Our Granddaughter, Addyson, decided to stay a bit longer with the Grands. Her parents and brothers left on Southwest for their new home in Tampa, sight unseen, they bought a beautiful new home with the assistance of Ann, the realtor. As it turns out, Ann, a realtor in Tampa, is close friends with our daughter-in-law. Ann was a Godsend. She found the house for them, guided them along the way on the purchase, even let the family move into her house temporarily while utilities were turned on and before any of their movers arrived.

The week before we were to leave, Addyson visited with her aunts who took turns taking her shopping. Auntie Leigh made the hair appointment for Addyson for highlights and a slight cut, then took her to see Top Gun! Third time for Aunt Leigh and second time for Addyson!

She came back to us the day before we were to leave for Tampa. Three dogs, a fourteen-year-old and two old geezers hopped in the car at 3:30am. I’ve already told you about the trip there, so here’s a bit about our time in Tampa.

To begin with, the house is 100 years old, a great rambling Beautiful Lady, sitting on the corner in the south bit of Tampa known as Port Tampa. Just a mile or so from McDill AFB and so close to the kids new school. We had projects galore, a new shed out in the backyard, insulation and an attic fan above the upstairs master, new area rugs, shopping many times at Trader Joe’s, uniform shopping, and then the big day when the first shipment from Israel arrived. Crate after crate, huge boxes emptied as fast as we could so the movers could take the empty boxes. I was stuck in the kitchen, which was great with me. My daughter and I had the layout made where everything would go. Addyson came along later to organize where I had dumped a box into a drawer. Everyone had a part and at the end of the day, we relaxed playing Mexican Train and enjoyed refreshments. By the way, if you ever visit a Trader Joe’s, check out their beer, they call it Trader Jose’s!

After mass on Sunday, we found Goody Goody, I had a spinach omelet, the kids each had a plate size pancake, so big it had to be folded over. Michael had the Hangover omelet over hash browns with gravy. Half off to military, can’t beat that. Then a Farmer’s Market for two blocks. Yes, peaches and fresh tomatoes!

A few days before the end of our vacation, we took a tourist trip to Clearwater Beach where we shopped the Ron Jon’s and walked the pier out over the Gulf of Mexico. Yep, 800 miles away across the Gulf, was home! The water was beautiful, we could see the fish out there swimming amongst the beachgoers, huge trout and sheepshead. Lunch at a quaint little sidewalk restaurant where I had to tell the waiter how I wanted a Corona Extra dressed! I told him it was a Texas thing, I think it’s now a Florida Thing!

Saturday came upon us and time to head home. With one dog only this time, we planned to stop just the other side of Mobile.

Here’s a tip for anyone traveling to or from Florida, if you can avoid Mobile, please do so! About 11 miles on the other side of the tunnel in Mobile, the traffic stopped and remained bumper to bumper the whole way to the tunnel. I’m telling you, it was close to a two hour creep.

We made it through finally and decided to keep on going, no stopping now. I think it was into Louisiana, I suggested we stop for some coffee. Thinking Waffle House would have the freshest coffee, nope, no way, it was burned and awful, we drank it anyway.

We arrived safe and sound at home a bit before 11pm, PawPaw made himself an Old Fashioned and I had a glass of wine while we sat on our new couches and watched an episode of Cheers.

Ah, Home Sweet Home! So good to be home, but so darned quiet in this big ol’ house. We sure do miss our family and all those nights of playing Mexican Train and mornings of breakfasts, biscuits, eggs & sausage.

As usual, we’ve already planned our next getaway, as always, when saying goodbye, we have the next trip scheduled.

That’s what keeps us going – Thanking God for our safe travels.

[Jul-12-2022]