Wednesday, November 21, 2012

We've been home a week and a half and are beginning to get back into the groove of living on terra firma.  Feels good!  We're once again walking 2-1/2 miles every morning in our neighborhood. Several new houses have been built since we've been gone.  Nice to be home and greeting our neighbors again.

Ralph has been busy with boat maintenance working on the teak and I've been busy getting our house back in order and finishing my Christmas shopping.  Living away now, we've got to get our packages in the mail soon.  Our Publix has had a makeover in our absence -- it was a nice store before, but is brighter and the bakery has been expanded.  That's good news.

My gym, on the other hand, has had a major change -- most of the classes I took are no longer offered and have been replaced with additional zumba classes, a boot camp, kickboxing, and a class called butts and guts. This change meant three of my former instructors are no longer there. That's bad news.   When my contract is up next month, I'm not renewing and will go to the gym up the street where my instructors are now employed. 

Our friends Neil and Becky Hoch just bought a home a block from us and they're here for the Thanksgiving holiday with their son and daughter-in-law, Ron and Julie -- and Baby Ashton who is due to be born in April 2013.   We've spent a lot of time with them this week and it's been a lot of fun.

We all went to the 26h American Sand Sculpting Championship in Ft. Myers Beach yesterday.  Here are a few photos from that amazing event:

Welcome

Snow Dragons

Aurora Borealis

Piata sculpted by John Gowdy, a former Atlantic City Firefighter, now living in Italy

Another view of Piata -- Mary holding Jesus following the crucifixion

Julie (expecting Baby Asher in April) and Becky

Texas Ice Palace

Slide and Go With The Flow -- this piece won first place.  It was quite unique with wave-like structures and figures on the waves in different positions, a hand stand, several yoga positions, a fetal position, a relaxing pose -- very clever.

The Night Before Christmas -- Santa and the Grinch Arm Wrestling

Waiting for the shuttle L-R:  Ralph, Julie, Ron, me, Neil and Becky