St. Pete Pride!...Gulfport Dinner(yuck)...Alafia Biking!

Another great weekend in Tampa Bay comes to a close. Saturday, me and some buddies decided to venture to an unknown territory, our first Gay Pride Festival. Boasting itself as the largest in Gay Pride Festival in Florida, and largest St. Pete Festival, with close to 50,000, and over 300 vendors, bands, and a diverse crowd, I was curious to see what its all about, and glad we went. The parade(or "promenade") was over two hours long, and interesting to say the least. The amount of businesses and community that came out to support this day was amazing, I really had no idea there was such a large community like this in Tampa Bay area. The 15 blocks of the Grand Central area of St. Pete was hopping with more entertainment than the eyes and ears could handle, even more interesting was there was only about half dozen protesters. And there were an unusual amount of straight couples and families with kids that also attended the day long event. Im putting this one on my list for an annual participation, it was a a great time, talked to many interesting people. That evening, went to dinner in Gulfport to Aqua Bella's, and to see my favorite local band, Buffalo Strange. Aqua Bella's is a nice casual place along the beach front in Gulfport, a cute little artsy town on Boca Ciega Bay. Buffalo Strange was missing their lead singer, Rob, but they still sounded good. I have only had drinks here, and now know why...the food was awful!! We ordered Beer Battered Onion Rings to start - they were dripping with grease, and very little batter, kind of like oily onions. Then we had a cheese burger which was the blandest tasting burger, that came with limp fries. We also ordered a chop salad with meats and cheeses, what came out was a soggy lettuce mess, small slivers of turkey and ham, and warm...Uggg! We will be back for the cocktails and great views, but plan to eat elsewhere in Gulfport.
Sunday, my brother and I ventured out for some more Tampa Bay area off-road biking, this time it was Alafia River State Park. Its a good 45 minute trip from Tampa, but well worth the drive. I have NEVER seen this type of topography any where in Florida, the trails simply just blew me away. Large rollarcoaster type hills, all kinds of terrain, very woodsy to swampy..totally kicked Flatwoods and Wilderness Parks off-road biking, but be prepared, cause some of the trails are NOT for the novice. They make helmets a requirement, and I understand why...next time I plan to hike the Expert trails before riding(we rode the easy and intermediate trails..the intermediate was difficult enough), during the ride, my chain broke off, and I had to walk my bike out..you really get a better glimpse of the abundance wildlife(deers, wild boars, exotic plant species), lots of shade made it great to ride and not get overheated.
My brother made an announcement at the family fun day dinner tonight, that he and my sister in law and their new baby are moving to Colorado in 2 weeks!! He got a job to move back, but we are all hoping that little Sebastian will be back in Florida by the time school starts in 5 years. It was nice having them around, but i'll be happy visiting them outside of Denver, and my other brother and his family in Colorado Springs. I had to include his pic of him helping me to repair my bike on the trails today.

My Brother Greg trying to Fix my bike at Alafia River State Park (nice look Greg..LOL)

Back Home in Tampa....Knocked Up!

Getting back home from a week in Boston, what a great trip, it's nice to escape to the Northeast during the summer, and Im a huge history buff, so hangin in Beantown was a great escape!
Went to the Stadium Chili's the other night with a buddy, always loved there Nachos appetizer, each nacho has cheese, beans, and a jalapeno, to be dipped in sour cream and salsa. Chili's still seems to be one of my fav chain restaurants. Afterwards we went to La Casa Dolce for Gelato and people watchin along Howard Ave in South Tampa. It seems no matter what evening you go to sit outside along Howard Ave, there are always things to see along the Avenue in Hyde Park/SOHO sections of Tampa.
Last night, did dinner at Panera Bread - this spot seems to be a great area to meet blind dates, as its next to Starbucks, and just seemed like couples were meeting for the first time....then I got back into my weekly movie thinggy, and saw "Knocked Up". Laughs and many of them out loud laughs...lots of great one-liners, great cast, and overall one of the better comedies to come along in a while..i'll see it again for sure. Wednesday nights at AMC are always free popcorn nights with your Movie Watcher card.

Tampa Flatwoods Bike Trails-Happy Father's Day!

Sunday was spent with the family, I took my brother, a new father 5 months ago, to Flatwoods Wilderness Parks to do some off-road biking. We decided to complete the entire Main Trail(20 miles), starting at Morris Bridge Park, looping throughout Flatwoods-Wilderness Park system in North Tampa areas. One of the best rated off-road biking in the Tampa Bay area(Alafaya is #1), there are many terrains we travelled over, about 95% is shaded, and every now and then it crosses the Wilderness Paved trail with water stops and maps. The trails are very well plotted through Florida scrubs, pine barrens, and marshy areas, along the Hillsborough River and large lake areas. There are deer, wild boars, snakes, lizards, all kinds of wildlife, the best of Florida wildlife, and can be hiked also. Afterwards it was dinner with the family with all the kids(my Pointer and Min-Pin, my nephew, my Moms Chiuaua, and the two border collies).

South Tampa evenin' - CDB's Southside and Stuff!

Another great work week come to an end...last night we decided to check out the new CDB Southside on Westshore Blvd in South Tampa. What a GREAT place. With all the cars outside, and limited parking, you would think it was packed, but they had the upstairs and downstairs open, and outdoor balcony overlooking Westshore Blvd open. They did a great job with the two bars, and very classy, but casual atmosphere. Eating outside was on tap for us, so at 7pm, we were able to be seated promptly on the 2nd floor balcony, they even set a fan up on the floor next to our table, as the breezes were limited this evening. Very friendly service, prompt and always checked up on us, but not intruding, and best of all, great tasting food. the menu reminded me a little of Bella's on South Howard, but the portions are huge, real tomatoes in the sauce! Some of the best Pizza in the area as well. All our dishes were cooked to perfection and tasty(Chicken Parm, Chicken Bianco, and Seafood Pasta). It was nice just casually sitting outside above Westshore, listening to some tunes, having some drinks, and eating great food. Will be back for sure! It was than on to the Green Iguana Westshore down the street, packed house, and a good band playing, again we sat out in the tiki bar area. It was getting late, and some of us wanted to check out some 'alternative' bars. The last days of the Male Room were this weekend, so some of us headed there, only to learn that they were moving to Ybor City as a bar on 7th Ave and 14th Street called '7 at 14' another alternative bar was opening in Ybor(this makes 6 now, and overheard that there were three others in the works, all on 7th Ave)..seems to be turning into a mecca for the gay bars, like a mini boystown. For the heck of it, we then decided to keep the alternative bar crawl going in South Tampa, so we headed to The Rainbow Room on MacDill Ave, a lesbian bar that is male friendly - they had great jello shots, kick ass juke box, and a huge back area with volleyball sand courts....we ended at City Side on Henderson Ave, about a couple dozen late night peeps listening to great tunes as they played the videos to the songs simultaneously on the video monitors throughout the bar. Interesting diverse evening with lots of laughs, and great people watchin'.

I found a Tampa Dentist..and Arco Iris dinner

Ive been looking for a while for a good referral since I fired my last dentist(long story), and am very Happy with Ed Tony Francisco, DDS, on MacDill Ave in South Tampa. So much so that I had to add this to my blog. Took my appointment right on time, flat screen monitors showing not only TV, but your instant xrays, and they take photos of your teeth to further explain in detail everything about your mouth, teeth and gums. I'm just happy I have great teeth, and glad the dentist was happy about that also(even though he won't be making a mint off of me). Just glad to have Competent people from the receptionist, Hygienist and Dentist himself, to pleasant surroundings.
For dinner this evening, we went to "Little Cuba" section of Tampa(Columbus Avenue in West Tampa. There are about a dozen or so small cafe's/restaurants, and even more specialty shops in this area with a large Cuban population. Arco Iris continues to be one of my favs, I had two HUGE breaded Pork Chops, that came with black beans and rice. YUM!!

Shuttle Launch from Tampa, "Totally Electric", and Fort DeSoto Park

Friday was the Space Shuttle Launch from Cape Canaveral, and you can actually watch the launch right from Tampa..we went to Darin's highrise condo on Bayshore Blvd, it was just after an incredibly strong summer thunderstorm, and overlooking the Bay were two double rainbows across the water, an amazing sight. Right on time, the shuttle took of from the East Coast of Florida, and you can watch the plume of smoke rising in the air through the rainbows. Afterwards we did some apt hopping in Darin's building, heading to John's apt on the 11th florr, then late night at Dan's on the 12th floor. Looking out over the Bayshore, you get a great vantage point to see just how beautiful Tampa really is, with the winding Bayshore Blvd to the skyscrapers of downtown, and all the greenery fom the many old trees throughout South Tampa.
Saturday, Debi and I went kayaking out in Riviera Bay in Northeast St. Petersburg. It was a beautiful day to be out on the water, temps were hovering around 90 today. Afterwards, we headed to Ybor City to see the M.A.D. Theater production of "Totally Electric" at the Ritz Theater(old Masquerade). The theater was done up so to look like a high school reunion, there were cocktails being served, and food from the Silver Ring Cafe. The play was very good, taking an interesting look at everything 80's(music, fashion, lingo), there was just about every type of kid you went to high school with in the play. It was amusing at times, and all in all it was entertaining. We headed to Big City Tavern for dinner in Centro Ybor. It was late(around 10:30pm), so many items on the menu were not available, but they were able to cook up a great 14oz ribeye, and the Salmon stuffed with Crabmeat was excellent as well. It was nice to get a table out on the balcony overlooking 7th Ave. Ybor just isn't the same anymore, as it's heydays in the 90's. The crowds are very different, and there are definitely alot less people in the evenings. With about a dozen people on the ground bantering Christian and religious verbiage, with huge signs condeming sinners, I wondered if they had a permit to make all that noise and Fuss, very disturbing. I miss the good old Ybor days, and it seems some recent incident from a couple of clubs(Empire and Fuel), have led to even less people taking advantage of some great restaurants and entertainment in the City's Historic District. I find myself just going into Ybor for an event, play, or dinner nowadays. After Ybor we met up with some friends at St. Bart's Island House on Howard Ave in Hyde Park. Great Band was playing Jazz/Blues/Dance, with a very lively crowd. St. Bart's is an upscale historic type lounge, great Martini Bar type atmosphere, they are known for their Rum Drinks. A nice outdoor patio with fountains had a lot of people mingling together outside as well. For our last stop, it was the Green Iguana Westshore, closing the night with the Band playing "Crazy Bitch" by Buck Cherry.
Sunday we made it out to Fort DeSoto Park with the bikes, the beach was busier than I had seen in some time, but still PLENTY of room for all to enjoy, while riding today along the paved paths from North Beach to East Beach, this has to be one of the nicest Parks in the Tampa Bay area, where you can truly enjoy everything Florida has to offer: Biking, Kayaking, Historic Fort, Fishing, Pier, Ferry to Egmont Key, Wide open pristine beaches, great views of the Skyway and area islands, and Great Homemade Lemonade!

The Middle East in Tampa! Byblos!

Took Donna to Byblos Cafe on MacDill Ave near Bay to Bay in South Tampa this evening for her going away party. They did an amazing job re-doing the restaurant(it's been over a year since Ive been there), much bigger bar area, and great seating areas. Byblos is amazing with a Lebanese atmosphere, most wait staff are all Middle Eastern, very authentic. Then you have the Middle Eastern music, and Belly Dancers a few times during each night to entertain. And that is just the atmosphere, the food is INCREDIBLE. Our table ordered Lamb Chops, Kabobs, lots of Appetizers, and Lebanese wine(the Cabernet was very good). Service is top notch! We ended the evening with Hookah on the patio outside, where many people gathered to enjoy Hookah themselves, and it turned out to be a huge , friendly social gathering. This is one place not to miss, great times, and GREAT eats, with an authentic atmosphere.
Tropical Storm Barry is rolling in this evening, being much needed rain...finally! What a great way to start the Hurricane and Tropical Season!
Im headin out to Chicago tomorrow, to play then to work, be back on Wednesday.

LOVEBUGS!

Found this site interesting : http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_MG068

Also, wetting the bugs that are stuck on your bumper/windshield, then using dryer sheets to remove has been known to work best, besides WD-40, and PAM spray also.

Sakana Sushi-Donna's Last Days in Tampa

Donna is leaving Tampa for a great job in Jacksonville. I met this great girl a few through a buddy, and she is one of the friendliest people I have come across in a while, and very attractive. Tonight my buddy and I took her to Sakana Suhi on Gandy Blvd in South Tampa. My first visit here, and it was EXCELLENT!! Yoko's is usually my fav here in South Tampa, but Sakana was amazing, very fresh rolls, sushi and sashimi. The start each table with Edamame in a seasoned soy/oil flavoring-very good. The Spicy Tuna Bowl had the freshest, reddest tuna, with smalls bits of Mango and Avacado and a spicey soy. I will definitley be back to this place, the Sushi bar was large, and decor was very Asian and eclectic like. Afterwards we hit my favorite Gelato place, La Casa Dolce, on Howard Ave in SOHO/Hyde Park area of Tampa, then over to Hyde Park Village to spend some gift cards at Williams-Sonoma. The weather here is still DRY, and breezy, enjoy it while it lasts, I believe the humidity is on its way.

Tampa Bay - Memorial Day Weekend 2007

Amazing weather this Memorial Day weekend! Very dry, breezy, sunny days, and cooler than normal evenings with great breezes...PERFECT(as long as you weren't on a boat)...
THURSDAY my buddy from LA came to Tampa, I picked him up from TIA(so damn convenient to park in the garage for free, grab his bags and head up to the top deck for a great view), we had to scout out the area for Heffe Weisen beer-first the Rainbow Mart Package store on Westshore, then Sweetbay Liquor store on Gandy, the the Warehouse Wine and Package on Gandy, only to settle for Corona's.....we relaxed with some chilly ones on the patio, and ordered Westshore Pizza. Had some friends come over and we headed out in Tampa for the evening. We met up at Mangrove's on Howard Ave in South Tampa, only a few people in the bar, DJ was spinning downstairs a mix of 80's/90's dance tunes. We tried to get some eats from the late night menu, but the manager demanded that we had to wait 20 more minutes(unitl 10:30pm) to order off the late night..with only a few people in the bar, I really didn't understand this thinking, and was extremely disappointed in Mangrove's!! We ventured out in South Tampa down Howard Ave to MacDinton's..there was a VERY lively crowd, many outside on the patio enjoying the cool breezes. I ran into some people I haven't seen in a while, and we chatted with quite a few people in for the Holiday weekend. My LA buddy was not too happy as they didn't have Heffe-Weisen, but settled for Hoe Garden beer instead(he insisted we get Heffe-Weisen everywhere we go)...we then ventured off to Whiskey Park a few blocks down, the crowd was ok, DJ was spinning here as well..my LA buddy mentioned he was bored, so we left to the MCD's drive thru and called it a night.
FRIDAY we finally got out of the house around 1pm to head to Fort DeSoto Park. We parked along the grassy side road on the way to the North Beach area. The beaches in this area are so wide, and there is so much space, you are practically out there on your own, plenty of room for frisbee throwing, and the water was a lukewarm 82 degrees. Some of the most pristine beaches in Tampa area are here at Fort DeSoto. After the beach it was time to prepare for the Mojito and Meatballs party I annually throw different times of the year..since my buddy was in town, I decide this would be a good time to get some friends together for refreshing mojitos and yes, meatballs(the frozen balls are great heated in Pasta Sauce, served with toothpicks and crusty bread). After the rum was gone, it was a quick walk to the Green Iguana Westshore in Tampa for some shots, and great live music. Then it was on to Hyde Park again, this time Dubliner, where there was a great guitarist outside, and some interesting people to watch and mingle with..it was about 2am, and we were a little hungry so some of us headed to The Deck for Pizza and beers, while others ventured to the packed MacDintons.
SATURDAY I wound up picking up my LA buddy at Rainbow Mart on Howard Ave in South Tampa at 11am..I didn't even want to know what kind of mischief he got into last night, just glad he was safe and not in jail. I dropped him off to sleep off his drunk stupor, and I headed to St. Pete for a great bike ride from 62nd Street to the Pier in downtown St. Pete. It great to bike through a variety of really nice neighborhoods in northern St. Pete along the waterfront Tampa Bay - Riveiera Bay, Venetian Isles, Snell Isle, Old Northeast to name a few...Tampa's Rock station 97X was hosting the annual memorial Day BBQ at Vinoy Park, with a number of bands and events at this all day long festival along the Tampa Bay in downtown St. Pete...again great breezy day, and DRY. A quick nap and it was out to dinner, we ended up at Seven17 on Howard Avenue in Hyde Park are of South Tampa...again! Seven17 is nice, they have outdoor seating, but it was pretty busy this evening around 9pm. A few disappointments will not have me coming back here soon for dinner, the meal didn't come out for about an hour, my filet was very rare when I ordered it Medium, and not once did the waiter ask how everything was, I had to tell him after a while, and he just shrugged his shoulders and just said "sorry bout that"...oh well. Being kind of tired from the Bike ride, we looked for a relaxing Saturday night, so we went to Fly Bar on Franklin Street in downtown Tampa. An excellent spot for great drinks, rooftop bar, eclectic surroundings, and there was a trio of guitarists and a bongo player..very cool and relaxing...then we checked out the new bar across from University of Tampa called The Retreat Bar, on Hyde Park Ave. The Green Iguana guys fixed this place up, great juke box, pool tables, dart boards, and a variety of beers, and ONLY beers...we played some darts, they did a great job fixing the place up, and are adding a restaurant soon.(The Retreat was the original name when it opened in 1938, there is alot of history to this place.)
SUNDAY I took my boy to the dog beach at Picnic Island in South Tampa. VERY busy today, but still alot of space for the dogs to explore and roam around the beach. My LA buddy decided it was time to visit family, so he took off for Ft Myers, and I headed up to Wesley Chapel for lunch with my brother, sis in law and my new nephew. Leaving South Tampa, and Tampa in general on the way to Wesley Chapel, I was attacked...by what seemed like millions of love bugs...uggg, all over the wind shield and front bumper! There was some heavy mating by Lovebugs this season...Later Sunday evening we went to my friends in the Historic Roser Park in St. Pete, and took there boat out into the Bay to drive it over to dinner at Fresco's, on downtown St. Pete's waterfront. Not a great idea, as we got out of the channel and into the Bay, it was sooo rough, we had to head back, and just drive it to the restaurant, and the fact that the rough seas caused a lil bit of a spillage of our red wine we were drinking to kind of make a bit of a mess..it was alot of laughs though. Dinner at Fresco;s was great, a bit pricey, but the outdoor seating and views are worth the price. The food is excellent as was the service. WE then headed to BayWalk for some Ice Cream, and then called it a night watching "School of Scoundrels" on Pay Per View(hilarious movie).
MONDAY-MEMORIAL DAY, hung the American Flag out today, and did the family thing, we BBQ Brats and such in the backyard, enjoying the last of what we feel will be a non-humid, dry, breezy perfect weekend in Tampa Bay! One last note, I inherited a new little girl to my family, 5 year old Rica, a min-pin, from my brother. I have always thought about getting a second dog for my boy, and they wanted to keep her in the family, but two border collies, and a new baby were too much for Rica, so I was able to take her in, and very happy to have her!

EG Simmons Park, Tampa Bay

Sunday was Family Fun Day again, hangin with my bro and his wife and the little guy, we all met at my Moms down near Sun City Center, and decided to venture out to EG Simmons Beach and Park. Its a rather large park, with a bayfront beach, great views of downtown, you really get a view of just how large the Bay really is from here. There are nice secluded little out coves on the beach, we found one near then end of the parking area and set up a blanket under the palms right on the water. There is also camping facilities, and boat ramps, bike and hiking trails.

Tampa Pond Tour, Gulfport

Saturday was the bi-annual daytime Pond Tour through South Tampa. It is sponsored by Pondscapes, and donations benefited the Tampa Bay Humane Society. It was a great tour, with 10 homes in South Tampa showing off there landscaped backyards and built in ponds. It really gives you a great way to see the different neighborhoods throughout South Tampa, and great ideas for landscaping and if you wish to put a pond in the backyard. Also a great opportunity to meet interesting folks from the area. The night Pond Tour through South Tampa homes is still my favorite, as most of the home owners usually have small parties, its like going from one party to another, and viewing these beautiful landscaped yards of South Tampa.
After the Pond Tour, we headed over to "Arts Alive" in St. Pete to partake in the free museum day for Hillsborough and Pinellas residents. We went to Sunken Gardens, as I have been to most of the other St. Pete museums. Although there were more than usual amount of people at Sunken Gardens in St. Pete, it was a great casual stroll through the many different types of plant and tree species. Great picture taking and scenery.
After Sunken Gardens is was time for a few late afternoon cocktails so we decide to go to the small village of Gulfport, just south and west of downtown St. Pete. It's a great little artsy town located right on Boca Ceiga Bay. Gulfport has an interesting vibe, many art galleries, and small cafes and restaurants along the main street, and lively bars with live music along the waterfront. Most of the cafe's have outdoor patios. We settled on Aqua Bella's for some Run Runners, and great views of the Bay and Intracoastal from the top deck. From there we went to Pia's for Italian..they had a great menu at Pia's in Gulfport, mostly Pastas with different sauces, and over a dozen types of Panini's. Eating on the outdoor pation reminded me of what it would be like in Italy, with Italian music in the background, and lots of trees shading the back area. There was a Saturday Evening Stroll happening in Gulfport, live music and art filled the sidewalks of this quaint little town.
We ended the night at Debi's backyard in the St. Pete neighborhood of Riviera Bay. It was comfy out sitting along her waterfront backyard gazing at the stars, and some good conversation.

Spidey and St. Pete Fun

Friday I finished work a little early and headed out to International Plaza to do some shopping(clothes and furniture)...it seems they will be building a Crate and Barrel in the area where Westshore Blvd meets Spruce Street, adjacent to the Mall. Afterwards we hit Channelside IMAX to see Spiderman 3. Recommend seeing it in it's loudest, and biggest venue, they are a lot of action packed scenes, although the movie was nearly 2.5 hours. The storyline seemed to go from one area to another, but it was fun watching in IMAX. There was an Elivs Tribute going on in Channelside, and an Arena Football game at the Forum, so they area downtown was packed with people as we were leaving after the movie. For eats, we headed over to Red Mesa on 4th Street in St. Pete. Probably on of the BEST restaurants in the Bay area, it goes on my top five. Southwestern Cuisine in a very nice, but casual setting. The Sangria is great, but the food overwhelms you with tremendous flavors and portions, GREAT service. Expect a wait, but worth it. WE had the combination platters, one with a Southwestern Steak and Cheese Enchiladas, the other with a Southwestern Steak and Stuffed Fried Shrimps. A MUST go in the Tampa Bay area. After dinner, we headed downtown St. Pete to meet some friends at the Bishop Tavern. There was a great band playing tonight, and a lively crowd. St .Pete's downtown was hoppin, George Clinton was at Jannus Landing concert venue, and it was a beautiful night with very low humidity, and a nice breeze. We then headed to The Lobby, and ended the evening at Cafe Alma. Both have DJ's and play very laid back dance, acid jazz type music. St. Pete's downtown is great, very laid back, flip flops, friendly people...absolutely no attitude.
This weekend seems to be busy so far, Saturday there is the annual Pond Tour, great ot look at some really nice homes, and landscaped backyards with ponds, Arts Alive is in St. Pete also with all museums free on Saturday.

Another Great Tampa Bay Weekend!

I ended work around 4pm Friday, Lisa was on her way over, and we were heading out to John's Pass at Madeira Beach to see my friend Rob play at The Hut. He's an awesome musician and singer, plays a WIDE variety of tunes(his band is 'Buffalo Strange'). The food at the Hut is great, I ordered wings this time, and Lisa had the Chicken Tacos. Wings were HUGE, with a flour breading and baked..the chicken tacos were stuffed with lots of chicken and cheese. The Hut is a great place on the Intracoastal, where you can watch boats coming in and out of the Gulf through John's Pass. There are tons of shops and restaurants/bars in John's Pass.
Afterwards we headed to meet some friends at downtown St. Pete's First Friday event. They close a few blocks of Central Avenue downtown, have a band, and lots of locals from around St. Pete and elsewhere have a great time. St. Pete has a great downtown, Jannus Landing was open to the public this evening with a free Reggae Concert, and the Blues Fest was going on at the waterfront Vinoy Park. We hung out at "Taste for Wine' bar on the second floor on Central Ave between 2nd and 3rd streets. It was great to watch the crowd below from the outdoor balcony seats we had. The place has all kinds of wines by the bottle and glass, and a few appetizers which were very pricey, and very small in portions(cheese and fruit plate).
We left St. Pete to head closer to home in Tampa, and ended the evening meeting some other friends at Green Iguana Westshore, a happenin spot always, the live band was great tonight, and they finally finished the new bathrooms which are AMAZING as far as bathroom's go...a great change from the past.
Saturday we went on a buddy's boat, out from Tierra Verde to Shell Island(the island just off the northern tip of Fort DeSoto). Lots of people hanging out, relaxing along the beautiful island, crystal clear aqua blue waters are getting warmer..and the temps outside are also getting warmer..it was a perfect beach, boat, sunning day.
Sunday was 'Family Fun Day' as my brother and I call it, so we headed to my Moms new house in Southern Hillsborough, and all went to the Prime Outlet Stores in Ellenton, lots of bargains to be had at the outlets, and me being not the shopper found a few things with the help from the family.
The work week takes me to NYC this week, be back on Sunday, just in time for Mother's Day!

Pre-Cinco De Mayo Dinner in Tampa

My buddy Bryan took me out for a belated bday dinner, we chose Algusto's Mexican on Kennedy Blvd near downtown. He is from Dallas, and was looking for some authentic Mexican, Ive been here before and always enjoyed it. The place had only a few tables at 8pm, so we aere seated immediately, started off with Chips and 3 kinds of fresh salsa, and also Guacamole Dip which was very fresh and excellent. I got the 3 taco dinner(Pork, Chicken, Steak), and he got the fajitas. Well, from a Texan, he said this was the freshest, best Mexican he's had since moving to Tampa, the food is plentiful as well. They are having Cinco De Mayo celebration all day Saturday with Mariachi Bands, and 2 for 1 Mexican beers, may have to stop by some time between the Ybor Arts Festival, and Blues Fest this weekend.

Tampa's Al Palonis Park - near Friendship Trail

Just discovered a new park in South Tampa have not ventured out to, Al Palonis Park, off Gandy Blvd just before the Friendship Trail, along side the Marine Corps Base. It's a small City of Tampa Park, on the Bay with a fishing ledge in deep water, small wooded trail bridge/path, and a few picnic tables. Great views of the Bay, dogs are allowed, and also a great area to launch a kayak/canoe into the Bay.

Birthday Weekend in Tampa!

Got back from my business trip on Friday, and decided to watch Robin Williams "Man of the Year" on Pay Per View...funny flick. Saturday, my friends took me out to 717 South in Hyde Park on Howard Avenue. Most of the restaurants were all packed and not seting until at least 9:30pm, so we ended up at 717, and glad we did. We were able to get a table outside along Howard Ave within 15 minutes..the weather was excellent this evening. Angie provided incredible service, we ordered the 8oz fillets, and Pork Chop which was huge and cooked perfectly, I will definitely be back. The menu is Italian and Pan Asian. Afterwards we went for a few cocktails at Mangrove's which started getting busy around 11:30, great DJ.
Sunday, wen to the Green Thumb Festival in St. Pete, this had to be one of the biggest and best plant, outdoor art, and landscaping festivals ive been to. Got myself a unique Pitcher Plant. WE then went to Green Iguana on Bay Pines near the causeway leading to Maderia Beach. Crab Rangoon was awesome, and of course they serve some of the best burgers. We ate outside, watching the boats come in and out on the intracoastal. Sunday evening was birthday celebration with the family...homemade baked Ziti..and lots of laughs with Aunt and Uncle, Bro and Sis-in-Law and Sebastian, and my mom.
Monday, the actual BirthDAY, we had a small BBQ at my house, and watched "Tenacious D" with Jack Black...another good movie, interesting storyline.

Channelside Saturday Night

Bryan came over and we decided on a movie at Channelside, "Disturbia" . We saw the 630pm show, so there was plenty of parking at the garage but it was quickly filling up. (Parking is only .50 cent if you have it validated by the theater). The theater was not crowded, unfortunately the staff behind the counter was all under 18, and could not serve any alcohol, so we had to wait until someone finally came back to serve(I think one of the managers). It took awhile, so we decide not to get any chilly ones for the flick. The movie was good, a few surprises, creepy, and decent storyline.
After the movie, we went for dinner to Thai Thani, one of the dozen or so restaurants in Channelside. The service was VERY quick, Thai Spring rolls to start out that were cut like sushi, the meals were decent at best, and came out very quickly. I just didn't think there was enough Chicken in the Ginger Chicken, or Chicken w/Baby Corn and Mushrooms.
They just opened another new Country/Western bar, McGraw's. Not sure I understand as there is another"SlingSHots" right next door, which actually looks much better than McGraw's. All the windows in McGraw's are open to Channelside, which gives a nice view of the courtyard, and almost like being outside.
My work takes me to Chicago and Atlanta this week...be back Friday!

Friday Night Ybor...

WE were heading to see the band "SemiSoul" in Ybor last night(Great band), but never made it to actually see them. Lisa came over around 630, we picked up some friends off Bayshore went to Ybor. We decided for the some dinner before the show, and Valet parked at Centro Ybor on 9th Ave, behind the theaters(great idea if you are goign to the movies, or eating in the restaurants in Centro Ybor-only $3 with validation). We ate at the Tampa Bay Brewing Company, great outdoor patio that was lively with music..the food was great, service was excellent(thanks Phil). I had the Shepards Pie, and the others had Salads. Lots of homeade Brews in this joint.
After dinner we went over to the Orpheum to see the show, SemiSoul was opening for Del Castillo. Arriving about 5 minutes before 8pm, we were let in, and then told that we would need to come back at 8. After asking the bouncer and others when SemiSoul would be playing(there were three bands playing), that did not know the line-up, and then we asked if we could just hang out for 5 minutes(till 8), and they said no we had to leave and wait outside...for 5 minutes! What a joke...we left and watched the Tampa Bay Lightning lose to the Devils in the Stanley Cup playoffs game 3 at Rockin Sports Grille. A good time there, we talked with some strange woman(she must have been 80 yo, and an Ybor resident), but she had lots of good stories. After the game was over(about 845), we went back to Orpheum, only to hear as we walked in that SemiSoul was playing their last song...one of us stayed, the rest of us left to go elsewhere. The Orpheum is a very grungy type music venue, large stage, one large bar, but definitely not kept up like the State Theater in St. Pete(their sister venue-same owner).
We walked down 7th and stopped by Adobe Gila's, great guitarist playing, and it was sort of outdoors on the 2nd floor of Centro Ybor. There were some fine looking people in this place. Centro Ybor was packed, Tracey Morgan was a the Improv. After a drink there and some laughs, we headed again down 7th Ave to Green Iguana, great crowd, played some darts, and the live band was awesome.
Deciding to be closer to home, we left Ybor, and headed to the Green Iguana Westshore. Again, a great crowd..had some Yummy Chicken Nachos(John the manager made sure the kitchen made one last item for us)..live band inside, but we stayed outside on the Tiki Deck.
Busy weekend ahead..Madre is moving into her home in South Hillsborough, so my bro and I are doing lots of stuff for her, then a BBQ in Roser Park neighborhood of St. Pete, Mainsail Art Festival at Vinoy Park, and the Lightning are home on Sunday for an afternoon playoff game at the Forum.

Ybor and the Easter Bunny

Weather got much cooler this weekend, temps barely reached 70, and in the upper 40's to near 50 in the evenin...brrrr, last minute cold front. Saturday, I finally decided to spend some gift cards from Christmas, so Bry and I headed to Hyde Park Village, and Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn..got some crap for the home. They're doing some major renovations where Cactus Club used to be, looks like Wine Exchange is moving there, and some coffee/dessert place. We then headed to Ybor City, to go see the Quentin tarnatino flick "Grindhouse". I love the Premiere Theaters there, cost a little more but well worth it. The movie was classic Tarantino, it's a double feature nearly 3 hours long but well worth it. After the flick we wanted some Sushi, so Samurai Blue was callin us, but it was PACKED...9pm, and a 50 minute wait, I decided to try another Sushi joint in Ybor on 7th Ave called Sushiyaki..what a great find! They were playing 70's disco music, and had a disco light spinning, very interesting atmosphere, and on top, there was a live band playing 70's/80's tunes. The menu was great, many rolls to choose from, but also Japanese favorites. Not nearly as good as Yoko's, but a close match for Samurai's rolls, without the wait or attitude I can sometimes get from Samurai Blue.
Spent Easter with the fam at the Aunt and Uncle's house in Brandon. Lots of laughs, and delicious Lamb!!

Sushi and St. Pete

Went over to Debi's Friday evening, we decided to head for Hook's on 9th Street and 11th Ave North. Hook's was excellent, not a fancy place like across the street at Sushi Rock Grille, but casual, and an abundance of yummy rolls, and very fresh sushi. This one tops my list for Sushi in St. Pete. ON our way there, we took a ride down 9th Street(MLK Blvd), and my first time driving through a neighborhood called 'Allendale'. Reminded me of LA(Sunset Blvd near Beverly Hills), as to the many tree lined streets, and HUGE homes.
After dinner we got a few duraflame logs at Walgreen's(it was chilly last night), and had a fire in her backyard in Riviera Bay.

Pizza and Will Ferrel...

Went out last night to Channelside for some Pizza and a movie. We wound up at NYPD Pizza, next to Hooter's in Channelside. Great Pizza, thin NY style with a crispy crust. You can get by the slice or a pie ranging from 10" to 18". They have sit down service, or take out. It was tasty and fast.
We then went to see the Will Ferrel movie 'Blades of Glory'. Channelside was hopping for a Thursday evening, the movie was Will Ferrel at his best, lots of out loud laughs, and just plain silliness.

Boring Tampa Weekend...NOT! Airfest, Grand Prix, Italian Fest....

Picture Perfect weather, tons of things going on in town, who had time to be bored??
Started Friday night having dinner with Lisa and some friends. My buddy from New Tampa had a friend fly in from Tulsa, OK...first time in Tampa. We met at my house in South Tampa, and headed to Lime on Howard Ave in Hyde Park. VERY busy this Friday eve, we got there around 845pm, and there was a 45 min wait. We hung out at the bar, they were playin some Brazilian/Spanish music, place was jumping. We opted for the large part table at the bar, which had 4 seats opened up. We were able to gets eats and drinks from there. The food was OK at best this time out, we all ordered Chicken Enchiladas which were kind of bland, Bryan got the Steak Tacos, which he said were good. The music got a bit loud after 10pm, and we couldn't talk to one another without screaming, so we walked over after eating to Whiskey Park SOHO, not too busy, good DJ playing, the pool tables were jammed. We got a few drinks in the 'lodge' area of the club(it looks like a lodge, all wood), and proceeded outside where the night temps were great. After a few there(im still on the water habit, and enjoyin it!!), we went to Mangrove's down the street. Again, a decent crowd around 11pm, and the tunes were just flowing from the DJ upstairs. Very loungy, we got a booth on the first floor, and did some people watchin for a while, then sat outside on the deck, until we got the itch to dance, so we headed over to Hyde Park Cafe. DJ's Freddy Fernandez and Tony Faline had the Dance side really groovin', the center courtyard in the place is real nice, gathering area, and the Hip Hop side is ok, if that's what your into. Place had alot of empty 'Reserved' tables and booths all night, don't know why they just lower there reservation standards, instead of holding out all night for those special peeps that spend $300..i think they are missin out, we just wanted to get a bottle of champagne, they wanted us to get more to be able to sit at a table..there loss, many were left empty all night. Still, HPC is one of the best neighborhood dance clubs in the area.

Saturday, my brother and sis in law came down with the baby. My brother and I went over to 'Sweetwater Kayaks' on Gandy and 4th street to rent him a kayak. We were taking the kayaks out in the Bay at Picnic Island to watch the Blue Angels and the MacDill Air Show. What a perfect place to watch the show, there were NO crowds at all in Picnic Island, granted your not right on the base, but you can see most of the show from the park. We got into the bay, and there were lots of boaters around, it was a blast! The Blue Angels were incredible. Saturday night, I went out with Bryan and his friend from Tulsa, OK to Bella's in Hyde Park for dinner. We met some other friends there, again, Bella's pars up there as one of the top three Italian Restaurants, everything was very fresh, service great. We then headed over to Jackson's on Harbour Island, we watched the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey game on the outside deck over looking downtown Tampa and the River/Bay. Our Tulsa friend was VERY impressed so far with Tampa. Tunes were playing in the background, but it was nice to be able to sit outside on the water, talk, watch the game, and of course, do some people watchin'. We all eneded the night with some Gelato at La Casa Dolce on Howard Ave in Hyde Park. This place has the BEST Gelato, and great desserts. This time we sat on their front patio, watchin the partiers bar crawl along Howard Ave.

Sunday, as if the past two days were not enough, it was off to the annual Italian Fest in Ybor City. The family and I got there early(around noon), and were able to get in and try lots if Italian Treats, by 1:30, there was quite a crowd, but it was fun, and there was alot going on, Ybor was VERY busy. My brother and I had free tix to the St. Pete Grand Prix, so we headed over there around 2:30. No problems with traffic or parking(we parked in Roser Park neighborhood, a GREAT historic area downtown St. Pete), and walked over to the races. LOUD, FAST, AMAZING! I'll definitely be going back again year after year. Earplugs next time, so many corners, and tight curves through downtown and along the waterfront, for General Admission tix, we were able to walk around the whole area, and get some really good views. Westshore Pizza wrapped up the night(seems like a Sunday eve tradition kind of)...and im off to Baltimore and Jersey this week for work....another killer weekend here in the Bay area.

Mexican Food and a Broadway Show!

Took Madre out for dinner and a show tonight. We started at Algusto's Mexican Restaurant on Kennedy Blvd just west of University of Tampa. Parking is behind the restaurant...I have to say some of the FRESHEST Mexican I've had in a while. It wasn't too busy at 630pm when we arrived, and were seated in a nice window booth facing Kennedy Blvd. Started with the Guacamole Dip and Chips, which was so fresh, but could've used a little more garlic. The salsa is perfect the way I like it with chunks of tomato. We ordered the Combo Fajitas for two, and when it came out it was more like for four!! Fresh tender cuts of chicken and steak piled with tri colored peppers and onion, the flour tortillas were hot and fresh as well. A Great Meal.
We then headed to the Tampa Performing Arts Center to see "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"..I have wanted to see this every time I go to NYC, but it's always sold out. it has won several Tony Awards. The musical/comedy was excellent, great story line, audience gets involved, although I can see why it would be better to see this in a smaller venue, like the 200 seat theater on Broadway it plays at. All in all, a very entertaining show!
One thing I noticed when leaving the Performing Arts Center(which is beautiful, right on the River downtown, there are several venues)..that is that walking out of the Morsani Hall you see the best view of the downtown skyscrapers, and University of Tampa minarets all lit up at night.
I'm looking forward to this weekend, with no rain in sight, temps around 80, and blue skies..AGAIN(4th week in a row)...there is so many choices..Spring Break game, St Pete Grand Prix, MacDill AirFest, Italian Fest in Ybor City, Tampa Firefighter Chili cookoff..and on and on!

Dali Fest, St Pete Beach, Tampa GreenFest

Another great weekend come and gone - Saturday morning, made the trip to Home Depot to complete the Spring Yard Cleaning, and plantings. Lisa and Bryan came over and we headed to Dori and Darrin's in Roser Park to go to DaliFest in downtown St. Pete at the Dali Museum. Dori and Darrin have an awesome 1920's home is the Historic Roser Park section of downtown St. Pete, just south of Bayfront Hospital. I'd recommend a walk or at least drive thru this VERY unique historic neighborhood. Lots of hills, older homes. DaliFest was celebrating its 25th year, with live bands on some vendors along the waterfront. Weather couldn't be more perfect. The museum was having 1/2 price admission and free guided tours, so Bryan and I went in to take a look at Salvador Dali's amazing collection - this museum in St. Pete boasts one of the largest Dali original collections in the world.
After the Festival we headed to St. Pete Beach for dinner and sunset. Driving down Gulf Blvd from Central Ave towards Pass-a-Grille, we could tell there were LOTS of people in town, the Blvd was very busy. We finally made it to Pass-a-Grille beach and ended up watching the sunset from the Hurricane rooftop bar, then went over to The Brass Monkey for dinner. Had a great table out on the deck over looking the Gulf of Mexico. Lisa had the Fish n Chips, Huge piece of White Fish with Fries, and 5 Onion Soup which was very tasty. Bryan got a Burger, and I had the Salmon with Pesto Sauce. All in all, an excellent spot!!
We then headed to Georgi's Alibi in St. Pete, as Bryan had never been there before, he just moved to Tampa from Dallas 6 weeks ago and was getting to know the area. Nice crowd, not too busy, but it was just before 11pm, and i was told it gets very busy by midnight. Green Iguana Westshore was next on our list, as it was walking distance to my house. We hung out on the Tiki Bar deck, checkin out the people, and listening to an all time fav band, Velvet Jones.

Sunday was Family Fun Day - it seems a term me and my bro made up as we have been spending the last few months getting together every Sunday, usually with my mom, aunt and uncle, and of course his wife and new baby boy. Today we went to the Tampa GreenFest, at Plant Park downtown. Plant Park is a beautiful park on the grounds of the University of Tampa along the Hillsborough River. Great photo ops of downtown skyscrapers, lots of shade trees and plams, and of course the UT famous minarets and historic buildings around the University as a backdrop. The festival had numerous nearby nursery and garden center booths, i had no idea Tampa had so many small mom n pop type garden centers around town. After a few hours here, we were hungry and headed to Hawk's on Bay to Bay near MacDill Ave. Great choice we sat outside, the NCAA games were on (Florida and Oregon), inside was packed with Gator fans. Sandwiches were big and extremely tasty, excellent Quesadilla's with lots of chicken. The Beef Melt is one of my favs, lots of Cheddar Cheese and Grilled Onions on a Garlic Buttered Cuban Bread. We then headed to Dairy Joy, my local neighborhood Ice Cream shop on Manhattan Ave, just south of Euclid Ave, with Soft Serve, and Sundaes. They have a walk up window, and picnic tables outside. We relaxed at my house in the backyard, and watched videos and pictures from the days adventure. The weather over the next few weeks through May is my favorites time, very low humidity, clear blue skies, breezy, and temps from the upper 50's at night to about 80 during the day....PERFECT!

A South Tampa Friday Night

Lisa got to my house around 830, and we headed to Hyde Park/SOHO district for dinner and entertainment. Parking was easy tonight off Howard Ave, it seems 717 Parking has taken over many of the lots, and now charge $5 to park all night. Quite a bargain, and they watch your car all night. We went to Sangria's for dinner after meeting Kelly SOHO Sushi, Lisa hates Sushi(I love the stuff). Sangria's was busy as usual, but we were seated promptly. Ordered up Champagne Sangria for Lisa, and me with my water(still not drinking). For eats it was Meatballs, Lemon Chicken, Park tenderloin, Steak w/blue cheese, Mozzarella w/tomatoes, and Salad. All tapas plates mind you, so they were small portions. The Chicken and Pork were the best dishes, Meatballs were very tiny, bland and fell apart, Salad was just those weird greens with one tomato slice, and the Mozzarella dish only had three cheese slices. For a $60.00 bill with only to alcoholic drinks, I would expect more food, plus it all came out at the same time(not good).
Kelly came over to meet us(SOHO Sushi and Sangrias are connected), and we headed to the "Red House Lounge"(the old Po' Boys), walked in and they were blasting Heavy Metal music, and it just looked like they painted the walls black, and put black table cloths on the tables and kept the booths, not what I had thought it was going to be, so we quickly left and headed to 717 South for cocktails. It was busy, and they had some nice loungy music. We then headed for Whiskey Park across the street, again a good crowd, Hip Hop started the evening, but then it was more dance tunes as the night progressed. From there we went to Hyde Park Cafe, no problem getting in this time, as I had a girl with me, so we were let right in(I found out later that Friday nights are "Private Club" nights for reserved tables, guest lists, and if you have a HPC Card, with a girl, or you can wait in line. Still love this place, as Freddy Fernandez and Tony Faline spin some of the best tunes. The outdoor tropical courtyard, and side VIP Hop Hop section are nice as well, but the dance club area has the finest sounds and lights in the area.
At closing we headed to "The Deck" a few blocks away on Platt St. for Pizza(NY Style). It was a fun Friday in South Tampa.

'300' Movie at IMAX

WOW, if you haven't seen this movie yet, or haven't seen it at all in IMAX, I strongly suggest you check it out, the sounds and the visuals were amazing! It's a battle movie, lots of blood and guts, but just amazing scenes. Channelside was busy tonight with the Lightning game, and vacationers in town.

St. Patty's Weekend in TAMPA!

Im a little late with last weekend, but wanted share what a great weekend it was here in Tampa for St. Patricks Day.
FRIDAY was a date night for me, I met my date at the Starbucks on Westshore and Kennedy(quite a convenient spot), we headed to Davis Islands for dinner, Mexican was on tab so it was Estella's. I have never had a bad meal here, and getting there around 830, there were a few empty tables outside. Interesting, there was a Mariachi Band playing outside when we got there. We ordered the Chicken and Steak Fajitas, which was plenty for two, and Guacamole Dip. Temps were nice in the 50's. Afterwards I showed my date around Davis Islands, and we then headed to Hyde Park/SOHO area for dessert, which was Gelato at La Casa Dolce, the best coffee/gelato place around town. So many flavors of Gelato to choose from, and again, nice outdoor seating watching all the bar patrons across the way in MacDintons, and walking up and down Howard Ave. It was very business tonight, Spring Break, and alot of visitors in town. WE then walked over to the Dubliner, which had a live band outside. Hyde Park Cafe was next on the agenda, but tonight I was surprised that they were having a VIP party, and only allowing those on a "list" to get in. Very disspointed, im not sure what that was all about, and what's up with the Velvet Ropes, this ain't LA! We stopped for a cocktail(im still just drinking water, and really feel good about it) at City Side where I ran into a buddy of mine who was kind of out of it, so we drove him home, and then I took my date to the car at Starbucks.
SATURDAY-St. Patricks Day-after reading the paper out in the backyard with my juice(instead of coffee), I did a little yard work, and then met my date from last night at International Plaza's Bay Street. We had lunch at Cheesecake Factory, and did some browsing in the Mall. Not a big shopper, I tried a few things on, looked at the awesome LCD and Plasma TV's, and did some people watchin'. It was then off to Westshore Plaza, I needed something Green for the evenin festivities, so I spotted a snazy light green pull over sweater from Banana Republic. We went back to my house where we rested for a bit,m before heading to Hyde Park at the Irish Bars. MacDintons was PACKED, Dubliner was PACKED, Four Green Fields was PACKED..we decided to call my friends Lisa, Chantel, Mike and Calvin who were in MacDintons to meet us for dinner, I didnt want to deal with drunks that had been drinkin all day. We all went to Bella's for some awesome Italian bites. Then headed home to watch "Employee of the Month" on Pay Per View.
SUNDAY - was family day, my bro and sis inlaw came down with the baby, and we headed to Heritage Village, and the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo. What a great day, temps in the 70's, blue skies. Heritage Village is a recreated Florida town, where they took actual historic structures(homes, train depot, stores, churches, schools, etc.) that were going to be demolished in the local area, like a trip through time. Then we wondered through the Botanical Gardens which was very nice, my fav part with the Palms section. Who knew there was over 100 species of Palms. We then headed to Indian Rocks Beach to toss the Frisbee, but it was too breezy for the baby, so we grabbed some late lunch at Keegan's-great seafood joint, very casual, for some Crab Sandwich's, Oysters and Calamari. Wanting to still toss the Frisbee, we went to Seminole Lake Park, a beautiful park situated around Seminole Lake. After about an hour of tossin the disc around, we headed back to Tampa, and had Westshore Pizza and Stromboli while watchin some movies on Pay Per View. What a GREAT WEEKEND!
Heading to Birmingham and Orlando this week for work.....

For someone who HATES Clothes Shopping......

I rather enjoyed buying a couple of new suits at the Men's Warehouse. I have been putting this off for quite some time, and finally just went out after seeing the Men's Warehouse dude("Your gonna like the way you look, I guarantee it") on TV. What a great store, it was so easy to just walk in, be greeted by friendly sales people, get measured immediately, and then shown the area to choose a suit. They ask all the right questions(what is the suit for, how often do you wear it, etc.). Then you pick out a few, and they can match up pants, shirts, ties, shoes, socks, everything!! It's been 15 years since I bought a suit, and I have to say I was overly impressed. I do work from home, but travel a few times a month, a need a suit for my office visits. I bought two(light and dark), a few shirts, a few ties. Alterations were done the next day! It was that EASY! Very exciting for someone who loathes shopping for clothes. They made it sooo Easy. By the way, it was the Men's Warehouse in South Tampa. THANKS Ray!

Beautiful March Tampa Weekend!

This is why we live in Tampa, temps in the upper 70's during day, 50's at night, dry and blue blue skies. Saturday Debi an I ventured off to the Saturday Morning Market in downtown St. Pete. Mayor Rick Baker was on hand playing guitar, there were roughly 50 booths along Central Ave and 2nd Street. Fresh Veges/Fruit, Plants, Arts, Food and more. As usual, there was plenty more goign on downtown St. Pete. The Cajun Crawfish Festival was in Vinoy Park, and there was some bands set up in Williams Park. It's nice to have both St. Pete close by, they have alot going on in there downtown. Afterwards, we headed to Jason's new Exotic Nursery over on 22nd Ave South, just West if I-275. He's done an awesome job cleaning the place up, and has numerous exotic plant species you dont see at Home Depot. Alot of Palms, Bamboo species, and very cool pots. He seems to be very happy, and is currently building another Koi Pond at the nursery. Saturday evening, we hung out at Debi's place over in Riviera Bay section of St. Pete. She lives on the water, with a dock over looking the canal and mangroves. We lit a fire in the firepit, and enjoyed some tunes, and I finally broke down and had a couple of beers. We picked up some sandwiches from City Subs over on 4th Street just south of Gandy(where the old Athenia restaurant used to be). AWESOME philly cheese steaks, and HUGE wrap sandwiches, I highly recommend this place!! And will be back!
Sunday was nice to sleep in late, of course do the Sunday routine of readin the paper out back in the yard. My bro and sis in law came down with the baby, and we all headed to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Pete. GREAT park with many trails along Lake Maggiore. Saw quite an abundance of wildlife(birds, gators, etc.). They were having the Wildlife Weekend so there were alot of exhibits. After walking many of the trails, we decided to picnic there, and toss the Frisbee around for a while. A cookout in the evening(Surf n Turf) in the backyard rounded out the evening perfectly. It's nice to have family close by.

Non-Alcoholic Friday Night in Tampa

A beautiful day this Friday, led to a beautiful Friday evening. Still on the heart monitor thinggy, I decided not to have any alcohol this weekend again. I'm getting a little used to this, it actually ain't so bad not drinking, and i'm thinking of all the crap I can do around the house, travel, etc. with the $$$ being saved. Anyways, Lisa came over and we started Happy Hour at Rattlefish down here in South Tampa. Nice crowd, sun was starting to set, they had a few guitarists on the outside deck, it was nice cause we were immediately sated while waiting on a few other friends. Me with my water and Lisa with her wine, things were fine. We got the Chicken Tenders and Crab Dip. The food is ok at best, but very pricey. $12 crab dip and $9 for three fancy chicken strips. Its the view and atmosphere I guess you pay for. We ran into quite a few people from the area we havn't seen in a while, Crazy Dave brought his boat over from across the way, drunk and crazy as usual, Bob and Stephanie, who lost lie 50 lbs each and now look like skeletons which was a little creepy, but they looked good, I guess. I wanted to feed them some burgers. Ran into my neighbor Kevin, who informed me that there was some place called BJ's in St. Pete offering free food this week as it was opening week. Finally, Leigh and Ashley showed up and we stayed till about 8:30, it was getting pretty busy by this time. The weather couldn't be any better.
Lisa and I then headed to Green Iguana Westshore, again, me with my water, and Lisa with her wine. We talked to John, the manager, for a while, he's a great guy. A guitarist was placing outside under the Tiki bar, it wasn't too busy inside. They just opened a new ladies restroom, which Lisa couldn't stop raving about.
Afterwards we then headed for Hyde Park/SOHO to meet with other friends. We met Kelly, Chaistain and George and Lime, very busy around 9:30. We munched on some quesidillas at the bar, while Lisa was busy chattin away with some Golfer dude. I decide to order a Bottled Water, only to find out afterwards it was $6 bucks for a water..WOW! I stick with Tampa Tap I guess.
Mangrove's was next on the agenda with all of us, for we needed to meet another Kelly there. I'm not to fond of this place, people are a lil different, but it made for excellent people watchin. The tunes were crankin upstairs, great DJ spinning. By this time I was getting a little water logged.
Lisa's new Golfer friend showed up, and it was about midnight, and I saw no reason to continue to stay out, the friends were getting tipsy.(Interesting to go out and watch other, but they seemed to get a little annoyed that I was having fun regardless of alcohol). I headed back home.
ONe word about the evening, Valet Parked at each spot, always free, and just give them a tip when picking up the car, makes life so much easier.

Drive to Sarasota

I drove over to Sarasota from Tampa Tuesday, what a beautiful drive, and only about an hour. Across Gandy Bridge, and then over the Skyway Bridge. I love this time of year, the water is soo nice, clear, aqua blue/green, blue blue skies, low humidity. Downtown Sarasota has grown soo much, but it seems like it grew too fast with a lack of planning. No parking, buildings and condos everywhere. Just seems disorganized. I'm glad there is alot of planning involved with the growth of Downtown Tampa, we'll see in 5 years how things are.

2007 Gasparilla is over...

After a month and half of festivities(Children's Parade, Battle and Fireworks; the Invasion, Festival and Parade; the Night Parade; Distance Classic, Film Festival and Arts Festival)..it was a great Gasparilla this year, and I was glad to have attended each part, except the Distance Classic. Saturday evening, my brother and sis in law came down from the burbs(Wesley Chapel), to have some dinner at Intl Plaza's Bar Louie. Great Food and Music, very lively crowd, and over 2 dozen beers on tap! The fish tacos and mac n cheese were great, but the Quesadilla's left much to be desired. After dinner we headed to Dubliner in SOHO for a few, until finally heading home.
Sunday, the family and I all got together for the 37th annual Gasparilla Arts Festival downtown. It was a beautiful day, blue blue skies, about 70 degrees. Im glad that brought this back to Ashley Street and Curtis Hixon Park. Its nice laying on the lawn listening to some tunes and doing some people watchin'.

Ybor Movies and Chow....

Went to see "ZODIAC" last evening in the Centro Ybor Premiere theaters..again , state of the art facilities. Movie was excellent, a little long, but kept you thinking throughout especially if you didn't know much of the ZODIAC killer. There were many famous actors, more than what was billed. Afterwards, we headed to MEMA's Tacos which moved from there shack on 5th Ave to the Little Sicily site on 8th Ave near Centennial Park. Excellent Taco-Rita's(double decker tacos)..I suggest at a minimum of a beef and a chicken taco-rita style and an order of Nachos with their special refried black beans. Ybor was very busy for being so early in the evening(8:30pm), but we discovered that the snowbirds, tourists have flocked to the city for one reason or another as is always from February to April. There is just a lot going on in this town this time of year.

No Seasons in Tampa?

Who ever said there were no seasons in Tampa? I raked up over 15 bags of leaves yesterday. as I have one of those Oaks in the backyard that sheds its leaves this time of year every year. Now I'll have to wait for all the "stringy" things to finish dropping and the new leaves to sprout. Along with that, I'll have green dust to sweep up daily for the next month outside. Travelling on the Interstate you so see the leaves change colors and leaves actually fall from the trees, it just doesn't last as long, and happens at a different time of year...
I went to my Primary doc Wednesday, love when you make an appt, and they actually see you at that time. Seems I need to wear a Heart Event Monitor for the next 30 days to see about this Afib episode, still getting lightheaded spells, but not as often - seems I may need something to regulate my adrenaline response in my body, as it is making me go into hypo-tension at certain times.
Its a big weekend in the Bay area, with the Seafood Festival in Safety Harbour, Arts Festival downtown, the Yankees playing....just hope the weather holds out.