Last night, after looking at some photos of myself that we took at the beach, I made a decision - my left foot, the one with all the swelling from the arthritis, my impediment from running every day, in fact, from running at all, had quietly gotten better, so I decided to start my running program again. Wisely, I realized that I am no longer 20 years old, plus I haven't been running for 8 months, so I started slowly and shortly. Good thing, too! Darn, eight months can kill your fitness program. I ran the same trail that I walk to dog twice daily and was barely able to complete it. My foot was fine but my lungs need a booster of something. A new resolution was made on the spot - a short run every morning to start the day. Barb will be able to sleep in and it will clear any cobwebs that I might have while at the same time, hopefully, getting me back into shape.

Last night we walked into town and, on the fly, decided to have dinner at a place called the Bluefin Cafe which specializes in seafood so of course I ordered chicken. Barb had BBQ shrimp and Kayt had grouper and shrimp in a creamy sauce. My chicken was done in a teriyaki glaze and I was caught a bit by surprise by the side of wasabi sauce that I dipped the chicken in. I knew what it was, but for some reason, I assumed that it had been toned down. Silly me! After I managed to clear my eyes and nose the meal was excellent and Barb and Kayt made the same claim for theirs as well. The meals came with choice of salad and side dish and with drinks and a shared desert the bill came to $76 including a $10 tip. Pretty reasonable I would think.

The original plan today was intended to beneficial to everyone. I was going to drop Barb and Kayt off at the outlet mall and then head out to the north side of St Petersburg to a place that our friend Bob had introduced me to called Don's Marine Salvage. The ladies could shop in their environment to their hearts content and I would be immersed in good boat deals for the same length of time. Win-win all around! Everything went more or less according to plan right up to the point of my pulling up to Don's and finding out that he was closed until the 5th of January. That'll teach me not to call first! So, I did an about face and head on back to the outlet mall where I spent the afternoon sherping for Barb and Kayt. It wasn't as if the day was a total loss though. I got myself a new pair of jogging shoes courtesy of Barb who wants me back in fighting form again, I guess, and a new pair of good shorts to fit my increasingly svelte figure.......

We are also making plans for a number of outdoor trips with Kayt: Everglade visits, swimming with the manatees, gator farming, snorkelling etc. This was her choice, not ours. We will probably include a trip in to Tarpon Springs and to St Petersburg in there somewhere too.