Yeah yeah yeah....I know...etc.

OK...I get it...one must keep up with blog entries in order for one to lay claim to a blog. I got it.

Since the dreadful 'Last Pro Football Game of the Year', it's been rather busy from many angles. Work, travels, condo stuff and even some running...yeah, go figure.

I'll litter this entry with a bunch of pics...

Here's my last football entry....about 3 hours before the 'Big Game'.

Well, after the big heartbreak that first Sunday of February, it was off to Key West for some serious shenanigans and buffoonary. There were 8 of us that went. Some of my old friends that I have known for years. Originally, one of the gals was getting married this same weekend in Key West. But about a month before the wedding, let's just say she kicked his ass to the curb...really hard. So, the ex-bride-to-be said, "We already have flights booked, so let's go down there anyway and cut loose! "

And that we did...

Here are the boys after a few cocktails and some serious seafood...
Here's where we had breakfast...twice out of three mornings. Needless to say the Blue Heaven was incredible. Mimosas or Bloody's while waiting for a table. Then breakfast from the gods.


Very cool how they mixed original 'weathered' items with created 'weathered' things. The place had a great atmosphere...
One of the goofier things...there were chickens and cats roaming around the joint. They weren't pests, just colorful characters...
Just a scenic portion of Duval Street...
....hopefully I'll get more pics from the others that made the trip.

After Key West, I decided to take a break and go to work for a week or so, because I had to rest up for about 9 days back in Florida. Did a lot of things once Lora and I got there. We had no real plans, but there's always something to do down there.

First thing of course was the Sarasota Half Marathon. My goal? Finish...regardless of the time. And I did. No, the time is irrelevant....not worth posting. There was a lot of walking involved. Considering this was the longest run I have had since the 2005 Chicago Marathon, finishing was fine with me. Heck, I think I only ran about 30 miles total since the 1st of the year prior to this race! Finishing was gratifying, but the best news of all? NO SHIN SPLINTS....AT ALL!!! I think I finally rid myself of that nasty issue.Here are my folks and my sister with Lora and me at a great seafood place. One of our many ventures of good eating....

We hooked up with Jason & Leah at a Cincinnati Reds spring training game. The weather was great and I even earned a sunburn. Jason and I were basically unofficial scouts for the Cubs. We agree that both the Reds and Phillies really suck and the Cubs should have no problem with them this year...

WATCH OUT FOR GATORS!!!
There are a few other pics on Lora's blog if you want to check them out.

And lastly, while we were down there....I had a birthday!!! I'm a ripe 44...hahaha. And on this day, a major purchase was made. Something I have needed for a very long time. A new vehicle. After test driving the Nissan Xterra(which I've been eyeballing for about 2 years now) & Pathfinder and Toyota Highlander, I decided on this beauty...the Toyota 4Runner... same color as this pic...minus the mountainous terrain.

It should be delivered no later than next Tuesday...woooooo hooooooo!!!

WOW...this was a long blog entry. I'm a bit winded. I might have to wait until April to do this again.

PS......I'm still doing ok on the exercise and weight loss thing. 19 pounds as of today since January 1st. I was a bit stagnant during February, but never really fell off the wagon. I was kind of in neutral. But I'm getting back on track and we'll keep on trucking...with my 4Runner :)