"Hit The Road Jack..."

trying to contain his glee about seconds from being FREE!

So the husband has taken off.  Literally.  But not long term (one would like to hope).  After a full year in close quarters en famille, he has taken leave of the monsters and me and has departed on his spankin' brand new red retro bicycle (this time of the non-motorised variety) from here in Daytona Beach, heading southward on Highway Numero Uno to Key West.

Key West is not only the gay capital of the world but also boasts tropical weather and a plethora of head shops.  Most importantly it's also a few hundred miles south of us and that's probably part of the appeal.  And who can blame him?

Of course it doesn't help that he's just finished reading Paul Theroux's 'My Other Life' about the authors search for adventure and travel within the framework of a conventional family.

Never mind.  I've given him my blessing.  A hilarious Indian family man we once met in Goa years back, a tad merry after a few too many Kingfishers at dinner one night, clapped the husband vigourously on the back and imparted these great words of wisdom:

"Happy wife...happy life!"

He's not wrong:)  But conversely, a happy husband makes for a happy(er) wife too, so it is with my blessing that I packed him off a few days ago, with instructions to:

a) not get killed (we have no life insurance...and he has another thing coming if he thinks I am going to raise the monsters on my own)

b) steer clear of 'dangerous types' (hey, we are in Florida after all - a notorious breeding ground for weirdo serial killers)

c) come home (if he's not back in three weeks there is going to be hell to pay.  seriously.)

In the meantime, Eggie, Dumps and I are spending some much needed (and very overdue) time with 'Grandpa' - my father who winters here in Florida every year.  Every day we take long walks on the beach, cook up lovely meals together, and when I can, I sneak out to places like Target, Walmart and Publix superstores to roam the aisles like the consumerist junkie I (secretly) am.

After a year spent in South East Asia, I am simply blown away by the sheer amount of THINGS FOR SALE here in America.

I could easily spend an hour just gazing at the shelf containing various ice-cream toppings for instance.  And don't even get me started on the baking section.  Oh, and the glories that await me in the kitchen implements section!

In fact, I'm thinking of regaling y'all (notice the ease with which I've picked up what I like to call 'hick-speak' with apparent ease after only having been here two weeks...as if to the trailer born) with pictures and details of all my latest 'finds'...kind of like a daily 'Check THIS out'!

But of course that may have to wait until I get my laptop back.  IF I get my laptop back.

In fact the reason I've not been blogging since we got here has been because I have still not recovered my beloved MacBook.  Nope.  And since the husband has commandeered his for his little 'On The Road Odyssey' I've been fighting to get onto my father's computer, which is hotly contended for given that he and Egg are currently using it to play online poker 24/7...

Stay tuned...

a big squeezy hug good-by for Dada from the Monsters...