Happy New Year!

Here we are with our friend, Jan, enjoying refreshments at Sloppy Joe's, Ernest Hemingway's favorite haunt. We were fortunate enough to get a seat on the veranda overlooking Deval Street. Jan, who lives in Evanston, decided to join us for the New Year's weekend. Now that we have moved closer to Key West, we will have more time to visit and less time on the road.

It was a hot one today, 8o degrees with 82% humidity. Before we joined Jan in Key West, we settled into the Sugar Loaf Key KOA. We decided to take quick showers to freshen up for our Key West evening. As Mel stepped out of the shower, the power went out. With no air conditioning, the RV quickly heated up, like a tin can waiting to explode. We dressed as quickly as we could, leaving behind several items that I thought we'd need in Key West, but we just had to get into the air-conditioned car.

We picked up Jan, from Eden House, and drove a little ways out of Key West for lunch at Friday's-not too exotic but old Key West was impossible to manuever through. The party started early at 3:00 p.m. We arrived at Mallory Square just in time to catch the sunset. It was interesting watching the variety of street performers.

After enjoying our libations at Sloppy Joe's, we walked Duval Street. We found a small theater and bought tickets for a musical, The Spitfire Grill, with book and lyrics by Fred Alley of Door County fame. It was a delightful play and set in Wisconsin so it gave us a feeling of home.

After the play, we stopped a snack and refreshments. The police had put up barricades for vehicles as the partyers had taken over DuVal Street. We walked back to Jan's hotel and set out for home at 11:00 p.m. We are all such party animals. We made it home by 11:20 p.m. just in time to see Dick Clark and the New York crystal ball drop at midnight. Since the RV park was having a party, too, Mel stayed up until 1 a.m. before he crashed.

It was time for 2005 to end. Three of our Florida families were affected by hurricane Wilma, however they are all grateful that it wasn't any worse for them. They have sustained only property damage, but their lives and livelihoods were spared. I am humbled by their resilence in the face of such devastion. Even though Katrina got all the press, clearly Florida suffered too.

Wishing all of us a safe passage in 2006.