An Update, in Words

I've been here now almost a full month, and I'm still acclimating. There's been a good deal of culture shock, and people who live here really ARE friendlier. Threw me for a loop for a while. Anyway. In a typical day, this is what I do:

7:30 am: Wake up.
7:35-8:30: Walk Daisy from here to Kingdom Come so she'll relax a little.
8:30-9:30: Breakfast and Reading. And generally three bowls of tea. With coconut milk.
9:40-11: Ride around the island on my bike listening to my iPod and trying to think of stuff to do.
11-11:30: Shower and Change.
11:30-12:30: Search for work. Make applications and follow-up calls.
12:30-1:00: Lunch. Generally another three bowls of tea.
1:00-1:30: Take Daisy out again.
1:30-3: Swim in the pool. Or go to Bahia Honda. Or the Key West nature preserve. Or the beach.
3:00-5:00: Law and Order: SVU or Bones. Or groceries. Or laundry. This is my variable time.
Then, there's some combination of dinner, a run, more walking of Daisy, and of course playing on the internet. Then, generally I sleep. I wake up a lot because it's friggin' cold in this apartment, or because Daisy has decided to sit on top of me, or because my LED nightlight's changed colors and woken me up.

So, I don't really do much. I clean. I look after my dog. I cook. I look for work. I feel like ass because I don't have a job. I walk along t he boardwalk at night with Daisy and hope that somewhere something good is happening to people who deserve it. I get discouraged and hide in my room. Or I get sad and miss my mom and her kitchen and drink tea. I think about all the bills I have and wonder if I will ever work again. I fantasize about winning the lottery, which is ridiculous because I don't play the lottery. ...Logic-- who needs that?

There's a lot of good here, too. While I don't have a job, I'm attempting to volunteer. I have a meeting with the volunteer coordinator at Sugarloaf fire department to see if I can be of use to them. I made an appointment to interview for a volunteer position at the Lower Keys Medical Facility. I submitted one for the botanical gardens. So, I don't make any money right now, but I am trying to make a real go of my move here. Daisy has made some friends. I get to see my southernmost friends when they're around (and not at work). I have been trying to live in the moment instead of in the hypothetical future, which I find suits me for the moment.

I haven't been out to "party" since I've been here. I don't think I have earned that right, really-- no job, no playtime. At least that is how I'm looking at it. I tried to go out tonight, but I chickened out when Daisy got sick ("sick" is a euphemism, by the way), so I stayed home and changed the dead lightbulbs out, cleaned the kitchen and had a good talk with my recently-returned housemate. It's a challenge to not get discouraged about the situation I'm facing, but I am dealing with it the best I can. And realistically it's not all that bad. I don't know how people get laid off and deal when they have families to support. It's just me and Daisy. I cannot imagine how moms and dads do it when they've lost their jobs or their partners or their day care... ugh.

Anyway, I will update this when I have more interesting things to talk about. I just needed something to do in the space between pouring the cup of tea and going to sleep. Which will probably happen soon.

A Saturday in Photos

Bahia Honda State Park

A Leaflet

Spanish Harbor

Spanish Harbor

Bahia Honda State Park

Bahia Honda State Park

Fossilized coral at Bahia Honda

View from Bahia Honda

Conchlife

Crab, aka Sea Spider in A Suit of Armor. (SHUDDER!)

Shore bird hunting for breakfast.

Hanging Ten....from a kite.

Morning glory.

Bed of morning glories.

Ocean raptor.

Beach hut.

Kayaking to freedom.

Flower.

New Camera

Because I broke my trusty old one, I had to buy a new camera. Not my idea of a good time. Anyway, I played around with it just a little before I started feeling like I was about to break that one, too. Here are the results.

Playing with the red filter.

The paper lanterns over the balcony.

Dog looks shiny and pretty annoyed.

Playing with the green filter.

Home

Well, we made it to the Keys. My dead air conditioner did not melt my dog as I feared.

My housemates are pretty cool, and I love the area we're living in. Every day, the pooch and I start the morning with an hour long walk along South Roosevelt Boulevard, and then have breakfast. After breakfast, I go for a nice long bike ride. I spy on chickens and apply for jobs, watch cabbies fight over fares, see old guys arrested for fighting or something at 9am... Ahhh, life here is like an alternate reality. It's a real trip.

  The mostly-unfurnished room in which Dog and I reside

Sunset from my balcony

 

Thus far, for sea-life, we've seen from the sidewalk:

A bunch of horseshoe crabs.
A big, blob-ular purple and red jellyfish.
THREE STINGRAYS.
A bunch of tropical fish.
A MANATEE!!
Bright red crabs.
Brilliant blue crabs.

A MANATEE!! For real!! If only I had a camera...!