Gimmie an awkward morning!

It's was the kind of day you pray for but rarely get. The hardest part was dropping Goddess and Winston, the little gay dog, off for boarding but even that turned out great. We found a new Vet just a few blocks from the house! By the time we left the island they'd been treated for everything and are well.

Cheryl Sadowsky showed up and drove us to the airport and we laughed and had a blast as the best of friends do.

Going through security at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (an oxymoron), Sarah helped a woman with two children and a double stroller through X-Ray because the TSA didn't give a damn the Mom was dragging one child while carrying another. I would have helped but TSA was  doing a thorough inspection of my pony tail band.

Seriously, the dude was fingering my band which was still in my hair while making me hold my arms out and spreading my legs!

But the flights were on time, we were given free cocktails and landed in Key West a few minutes early! The weather was sunny, bright and warm ... perfect to kick off Christmas!

Through the miracle of Facebook, I've reconnected with Joey Finch whom I haven't seen since Groves High School almost forty years ago. He graciously was standing there as we entered the Key West International Airport (which is NOT an oxymoron) to greet us and drive us to our Inn.

Years melted away as he drove to the Lighthouse Inn across the street from the Hemingway House. We have a stand alone bungalow with a lighthouse on one side and a swimming pool on the other. It's perfect!

Joey picked us up again and drove us to dinner at a Cuban restaurant where we renewed the celebration of our reunion over whole fried fist, chicken stewed bar-b-q, yellow rice and beans and a pitcher of Sangria!

It's funny how the world is as big, or as small, as we make it. The dead continue to come back to life for me. A couple of years ago it was college mates who reconnected. Now it's people I haven't seen since I was that other person long, long ago in High School. No amount of words can adequately convey witnessing and participating in the miracle of  old things becoming new again. Joey gave us that gift last night.

Afterwards we were on Duval Street where a large crowd was gathered outside of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville because Kenny Chesney was playing. The guy at the door took one look at Sarah and let us into the hottest ticket on Key West. It was too crowded to dance but we sand and toasted our good fortune.

When it ended we stumbled outside only to be kidnapped by two incredible musicians making their own music. We dove into the celebration. "Gimme an awkward morning over any lonely night" was the mantra of the place and Sarah and I sand and celebrated before walking arm in arm to our bungalow.

I woke to the sound of roosters crowing.

It's not something you hear on Tybee Island. I laid there for the longest time wondering what it was.

After a while I got up and stumbled outside and fell face first in the pool and floated mooning anyone who cared to be up.

A rooster crowed.

Nobody else seemed to care.

And so the day begins.