Florida Men

 

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport

The Cat was waiting when we opened the door. 

We got home a little over a half hour ago and Rascal greeted us at the door. Myriad squeaking meows and lots of petting later he has settled back down. Sort of.

In the meantime, the laundry is already rolling around in the machine and things are put away.

But, yes, we're back in Connecticut. Our flight from Sarasota to Westchester came with zero drama though it was raining steadily when we got back. An Uber ride later and we are home.

And, as a side note, how else can I say this? Westchester County, your airport is just substandard. It has limited amenities and, basically, limited everything.

OK, I'm glad to get that out of the way.

I could blather on about my profound gratitude to Kris and Lori for hosting us and to Stacy and her daughters for laughing with us and to everyone we encountered for helping make our time in the Sunshine State so wonderful.

Instead, I'd rather talk about Florida.

Yes, just Florida. You know, the state that gets routinely mocked?

Oh, I know, blah blah blah DeSantis, Mar-a-Lago, "Florida Man," etc.

Oh, I certainly know the stereotypes exist all over the state.

But I also know that it's a state that has been close to my heart since I first visited as a little boy.

It dazzled me as a teenager.

From Jacksonville to Ocala to Tampa and St. Pete. From West Palm Beach to Miami to Key West.

From Pensacola to Naples and from Orlando to Daytona.

I've seen a lot of Florida. Not all -- not even close -- but I've seen plenty.

I've been back a few times as an adult and, frankly, shame on me for not going more.

The Tampa Bay region has always been my area. Yes, traffic stinks and that's a fact but there were so many moments when I just had the pleasant scent or feeling of times past.

If that's a way to keep me connected to some kind of ideal upbringing, well, sure. Then I'm guilty. I certainly liked connecting the dots between Sean and his grandparents.

I also know the downsides. Not the least of which is no matter how much I enjoyed the weather this week it can get obnoxiously hot also.

And reptiles. Say no more.

But there were those happy moments when there wasn't heavy rain or congestion on I-75. There were moments of moving freely with less traffic along state highway 54, which served as a potential lifeline between where we stayed and its western end at US 19 near my grandparents' former house. FL 54 even goes right past the cemetery where they lie.

On the beach (photo by Lori)
We were just talking.

There was the feeling of strolling Dodecanese Blvd and the beach at Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs.

The joy of sitting outside at Ricky T's in Treasure Island and, even though we couldn't see or hear the Gulf, it was still there, a short walk away.

There was the lake house and the warm temperatures and the laughter of the children.

There was a moment on US 41 or Pasco County route 595 where there were glimpses of even older Florida. That's the less-glamorous side but still harkened back to the scrappier and simpler past.

But there was, perhaps, the ultimate blissful moment for me on Saturday.

We had just left the Yankees/Pirates game in Bradenton and, sure, the Bombers had lost, but who cared? It was spring training, the game didn't count, and we had fun in a beautiful old ballpark.

Traffic had let up and we were beginning to move along US 19 north of Palmetto. We'd soon connect with I-275 to go across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Q105 played softly on the radio. The station has been my go-to around Tampa Bay ever since the 80s when I first discovered it. While it was a Top 40 powerhouse at the time (and where Scott Shannon came to prominence before heading to Z100 in New York) it has since shifted to a classic oldies format.

In other words: heavy on the 80s.

See where this is going?

Me behind the wheel, on my beloved US 19, heading towards my favorite bridge, and...while we weren't doing 88 miles per hour, it was still Huey Lewis and the News and "The Power of Love" on the radio.

Bliss.

My focus, mostly, was on Sean and making sure he loved this experience. That seems to have happened.

His focus, at times, was making sure that I was getting what I wanted out of the trip. We both agreed we'll aim for more next time. 

I'm just babbling tonight. In some ways, it's like it never happened. I literally had breakfast at Waffle House this morning.

In Florida.

But now I'm back to reality on a cold, rainy night in Connecticut.

But that's travel. That happens. There's so much that goes into it and then it's over.

And I'll be back there again.

But now I have to fold laundry and settle a cat down before I sleep in my own bed.

Sean is back in his own bedroom.

There will be another adventure.

Let's make sure of that.