Most people probably know that I’m from South Florida. My parents were both raised there, and my grandparents, two of my uncles, and many longtime family friends still live there. I know it’s weird – or pathetic – that I still claim to be from Miami even though I’ve lived in Memphis for roughly 2/3 of my life, but my roots run deep. I’ve only recently reached a point of considering myself a dual citizen, with allegiance to both places. On my trip last week, although it was balm to my soul to be in Florida, I was also aware of my Memphisness. It was strangely satisfying. Maybe it’s because, at this point in my life, I’m actually choosing to be in Memphis. As a single lady, if I had a job opportunity, I could move back to Florida at any time. But I’ve decided that, at least for the time being, my relationships and roots here are more important than being near the ocean again. Besides, there are some great things about Memphis – you just have to want to see them.
Aside from lobstering, all I did on my trip was eat amazing food and commune with the ocean and with relatives and friends. We spent several days in the Keys and it was exactly what I needed. I ate seafood lasagna at the Key Colony Inn, and one of the best meals of my life at Snappers – hogfish (my favorite) sauteed in a wine and lemon butter sauce, with creamed spinach and sweet potato fries. I also had two kinds of key lime pie (surprisingly, the Publix bakery version was better by a nose). We also went to Gilbert’s, one of my grandfather’s favorite haunts!
We went out to the coral reef for snorkeling one day, and my mom and I were crushed to see THOUSANDS of jellyfish in the water.
They were moon jellyfish, which aren’t severe but will still sting you. Of course, my dad got in the water anyway. After a long internal struggle, I worked up the courage to get in the water because snorkeling is pretty much my favorite thing in the world. Unfortunately, my self-preservation instincts were too strong. The jellyfish were easy to see and dodge, but I had to keep looking up and checking for them. It was basically “Oh a beautiful parrotfish – OMG JELLYFISH! Oh a sea fan – JELLYFISH TO THE LEFT!! OMG JELLYFISH TO THE RIGHT!!!” It was like trying to snorkel inside a video game. I was afraid of hitting a jellyfish head-on and getting stung in the face. I kept shrieking and scaring my poor dad. After about ten minutes I was practically having a panic attack, so I admitted defeat and got back in the boat. I was very disappointed in myself. My only jellyfish sting was in Savannah a couple of years ago, and my dad says that that was a box or lionhead jellyfish and much more lethal than the moon jellies. But apparently my subconscious can’t make a distinction.
Back in Miami, my mom and I decided to go to South Beach. I’ve never spent much time down there, but I loved it. I think it would be really fun to go with friends for a few days, and stay at one of those huge hotels, and not worry about anything but going to the beach and sitting by the pool and eating good food and enjoying the atmosphere. And shopping! They have some amazing shopping.
In conclusion, I wish I had a magical door between Memphis and Miami so I could go back and forth as needed.
2 Comments + Posted in: florida, memphis, ocean, travel
Last week I was in the Florida Keys with my parents, boating and lobster diving with various relatives and friends. Since most people I talk to are a little bemused about what’s involved in Florida lobster diving, here’s an overview.
When I talk about lobster, most people picture this:
Maine lobster
But I’m talking about this:
Florida spiny lobster
Lobster of the southern Atlantic do NOT have claws. But they have sharp legs, feelers, and spines, so always wear gloves when handling them. They’re referred to as spiny lobster, or rock lobster, and they live under rocks (coral or otherwise) or inside holes in the sea floor. Your best chance at finding a good number of them is to look for a coral head offshore. My dad and relatives have been diving for lobster all their lives and can spot coral heads at a distance, but if you don’t have much experience, it can be difficult to identify a spot. My family has caught lobster in as shallow as 3-4 feet and as deep as about 20 feet. That time, I watched my dad stick his entire arm under a grassy shelf in the sea floor, and shake the shelf so hard that all kinds of stuff started breaking off. I advise against this, both for personal safety (eels and things live in these holes, too!!) and for the sake of nature!
To catch lobster, you need the following:
• A small net with a handle
• A tickle stick, preferably with a measuring gauge attached
• Diving gloves
• A cooler to put the lobster in, if your boat doesn’t have a holding tank
• Plus a mask, snorkel, and fins like you would typically use for snorkeling.
Sometimes you can catch a lobster that’s swimming around in the sea grass, but you’ll probably need to coax them out from under their rock. When you’ve extracted the lobster, dive down with the net in one hand and the tickle stick in the other. Hold the net behind the lobster, and tap it between its feelers with the tickle stick. They can only swim backward, so it should swim right into the net. Then measure it – a keeper has to be at least three inches long from the spot between its eyes to the bottom of its front shell (which is called a carapace).
Lobstering is unpredictable. You never know how many lobster you might find at one spot. On our first day this time, we visited about 15 holes and it took most of the day, but we also had a lot of people. The Florida season runs from August to March, and the limit is 6 lobster per person per day (after purchase of a saltwater fishing and lobster license). You can find a lot more information at floridalobstering.com.
I’m typically more of a spectator on our dive trips, but this time I caught a few lobster myself! It was exciting. However, I don’t participate in the cleaning or cooking of the lobster. They’re usually still alive when you start cleaning them up, and I CANNOT deliver the death knell to a living creature (other than the occasional bug, and even then I don’t like it). But I’ll eat it happily. I know that’s very inconsistent of me, but I’m okay with it.
Here are a few lobstering pictures from last week!
Thousands of miles southeast of Dutch Harbor…
42 the first day, 48 the second day. Another great dive in the books!
4 Comments + Posted in: florida, ocean
It’s my birthday!!! So far today, I have:
– received lots of phone calls, texts, and e-mails
– gotten lots of birthday wishes on Twitter and my Facebook wall
– had lunch at Newk’s with Alanna and Myla
– received flowers and balloons from my parents, and a fantastic monogrammed Land’s End tote from Myla
Tonight I’m having dinner at my parents’ and then we’re going to see The Help! I still haven’t read the book (I know), but I’m excited about the movie. And who knows what else the day may bring? :)
This is the first year I’ve cringed at the number on my cake. But that’s mostly because of singleness – if I was married, I doubt it would bother me. Aside from that, I know I’m in the prime of life. So far my 30s are beating my 20s by a mile. I’ve gained some wisdom and experience, I’m comfortable in my own skin, and I’m finally reaping the benefits of looking younger than my age.* :) My relationships with friends and family have never been stronger. I’m very blessed and loved. Here’s hoping the goodness continues, and some happy surprises are in store for this new year of my life!
I’ve been on vacation in Miami and have lots to talk about, so stay tuned!
* = This was not so fun when I was in college and was regularly given children’s menus at restaurants.
5 Comments + Posted in: birthday
Never Been Kissed is the story of Josie Geller, a dorky Chicago copyeditor desperate to become a writer and reporter. Unfortunately, her big break is an undercover assignment at a local high school – and she doesn’t want to revisit her own painful high school days. With help from her cooler brother, she becomes one of the in-crowd, but discovers that popularity can come with its own set of problems. After making a mess of her story and her new relationships, she bravely takes charge as her real self – and saves the day in the process. The movie also has enjoyable supporting performances from John C. Reilly, David Arquette, and Molly Shannon.
This movie is pretty personal to me. As a teenager, I wasn’t as painfully nerdy as Josie, but I was close. I never had my crush throw eggs at me from a limo, but I had a few experiences that were almost as bad. I feel like I’ve only grown into my looks and into my own self over the past three or so years, so I can relate to Josie’s late blooming and everything that comes with it. Obviously I don’t get a do-over of high school, but I do have a do-over of some other things. Oh and I would love to be a copyeditor – or a reporter.
This movie also features a lot of cute boys.
I’ll see you around the cell block, Mrs. Robinson
And lots of great quotes and catchphrases.
Oh I’m great. Totally rufus
And an excellent soundtrack. I can’t listen to “Don’t Worry Baby” anymore without feeling a little swoony.
In my opinion, Never Been Kissed isn’t your standard chick flick. It’s not as much about finding love as it is about finding yourself.
3 Comments + Posted in: movies
Today is Alanna‘s birthday! She’s part of the “August Beauties Club” that also includes Esther, Hillary, and my college BFF Emily. (Actually, I just made that up – we don’t have an official club, but we totally should! And we should wear gardenias in our hair at all our meetings.)
Alanna moved to Memphis several years ago and hardly knew anyone here. Her sister, who was and is an online friend of mine, suggested that we meet. So we met for lunch at Atlanta Bread Company (RIP) and we were wearing the same sunglasses. We hit it off right away, and as we were leaving, a passing man asked us if we were sisters. The rest is history. :) I’m thankful for our friendship and have learned a lot from her, especially over the past year or so.
Alanna has an Etsy shop, Charlie + Lu, with beautiful handmade jewelry (and other fun things to come!). I especially love the earrings made from pages from Narnia books. Check it out!
2 Comments + Posted in: friends