It's That Time of Year Again

I'm back!

Did you miss me?

And guess what: It's that time of year again.

The weather is getting cooler. The leaves are changing, if they haven't vanished already. Even though the Halloween decor hasn't been put up yet, the crazy's are already coming out, making their lists and planning how they will spend the last few days after Thanksgiving.

No, I'm not talking about Christmas. Nanowrimo, of course!

Around the time my Blog Break started, I began outlining a training schedule for myself. I kept saying that I wasn't going to do Nano this year, because with a book under contract, I doubt I'll have time. But...

I might as well give it a go, eh?

Once again, I'll be joining the Typewriter Brigade on the Nano forums. I'm not committing to doing an entire novel on the typewriter, just because my time is so limited and I'm faster on the computer than on the typewriter, but I did do my entire outline on the Sterling, and I'll probably work at least in part on the typewriter, now that I have two portables. If you're part of the Columbus region, you might see me at the occasional meetup with a typewriter. I'll be the one with the blue hair, if the typewriter isn't enough of a giveaway.

A Moment of Zen

....Okay, I can continue now.

Travel Tuesday: Florida Edition

Currently reading: Midnight's Daughter
In the DVD player: The Princess Bride



Did you miss me? I’m back home now, after spending a week down in central Florida with family. That typewriter post actually came from down there, since I just couldn’t wait to share it.

The family lives on the Treasure Coast of Florida, which is about halfway down on the Atlantic side of the state, in a relatively small town called Fort Pierce. For those following the Navy SEALs after their recent adventure, there is a museum down there near Pepper Beach, right on the spot where the SEALs were founded. It’s a fascinating look into military history and contemporary training, and I recommend it if you’re down in that area.

If you’re looking for some local color, then Archie’s restaurant is a good place to start--they’ve got some great casual fare and are across the street from the beach. I had their lemon pepper shrimp, which was fabulous--I think the best meal I had while we were down there. Their motto is “No shirt, no shoes, no problem,” so they’re a great place to stop before or after hitting the beach, and their menus outline some of the history of the area.

Another great place to stop and eat with a sea side view is the Tiki Bar. When the weather is good they’re all open air, and they have live music in the evenings, at least on the weekends (not sure about weeknights).

If you’re looking for something to do down there that isn’t food or beach related, US 1 is your best bet. Slightly to the north is Vero Beach, which boasts an outlet mall and a regular mall, as well as many local and chain shops. Along the route are numerous antique shops, and I almost picked up a couple of typewriters at one of them--alas, the car was already filled to capacity.

Following US 1 to the south is Jenson Beach, home of Gweeds Gangsters and a fun, weekly classic car show. It’s held on Tuesday nights in the parking lot of the Treasure Coast Mall, so it wouldn’t be hard to make a night of it, coming for a movie and staying for the show. Their music is great and while there are a lot of regulars who stop buy, there are always new cars showing up, too. The show is held year round and supported by donations and the sale of concessions and raffle tickets, and it’s only $3 to enter your car in the show (it must be a classic, that is, 25 or more years old).

Overall, this is a great place to go down for a nice, quiet, relaxing stay. While we stayed with family, there are a lot of nice hotels and rentals right on the water (we saw some really nice ones in Vero, and they have a lot of small local shops right near the beach). I know I really needed a break (as evidenced by that last post before I left), and I came back feeling refreshed. The entire drive back up we kept trying to make a u-turn to go back!

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I know that’s a short and not especially detailed review, but this vacation was about relaxing and taking a break, so we didn’t do much and I was very insistent with myself that I not blog the whole week. I broke that a little with the typewriter, but I just had to share that find.

Wish You Were Here

Chill

Busy, busy days. We have seen so much stuff in the last few days. Buckingham Palace, Parliment, Westminster, the Tower Bridge, Picadilly, China Town. Alice swears that she saw Bill Nighy when we were in Picadilly, but I was facing the wrong direction and she didn't want to say anything. I guess he was about two feet behind me....yeah. Never going to forgive that one.

It looks like today we might be taking some time off. We went to see The Vampire's Assistant this morning. Not great, but it was a good way to kill two hours or so.

Last night was the L13 tour, which involved a riverboat cruise (kinda cold), a Jack the Ripper walk, and a bus tour. We got to see the building where Sweeny Todd had his barber shop (!!!) and the corner where Mrs. Lovette's used to be, among other things. Honestly, I had no idea he was a real person. I knew that there were stories (several) of murderous barbers, and I thought the movie was just based on one of them--not that he actually lived and it ws based on a specific person. The things you learn when taking macabre tours of foreign cities.


The biggest problem we have right now is that we've run out of things to read. I know, I know, we're on vacation, why would we be sitting around reading when there are places to go, people to see? Well neither of us is really up for dawn to dusk site seeing. I've done that before, and it isn't fun. Normally we go out a little in the morning, then come back sometime after lunch, chill for a an hour or two, then go back out again. We're usually back by 9, and then we just chill. It makes for a much more relaxing trip, since this is VACATION. Maybe there aren't any white sand beaches or nice boys bringing us drinks with umbellas in them with their shirts off, but we are still here to relax, and oh my god, it has been wonderful. I absolutely adore London, and I want to live here. After living in Columbus and London, Ohio, and Florence, it us such a change to be in a city that is so full of life. Those other cities are dying--Ohio because of the economy, and Florence through a combination of polution, economic woes, and the general age of the population (which I think is somewhere between 50 and 60. There's an average of 4 elderly people for every child born, and the birth rate is on the decline). That and the vast majority of Italians I've met have been rather rude and inconsiderate, while the Brits have been friendly, helpful, and all around pleasant.

I'm going to go kick back and finish up my last book. Maybe I'll go out later and seek out a new one...