St Pete 10

Sept 14 - 15, 2012

Sept 14

Oh boy - I rented a car and I took myself shopping.  This year I only brought a two-page list of things to buy (there have been years of four pages).  Most of the things I've already bought, but I still needed some clothes and shoes.

St Pete is laid out on a grid, so it's fairly easy to find my way around.  I passed through a sweet little neighborhood on 4th Street North with cute shops that I'd like to explore some more.

My focus (pun intended) this day was to find a place to order sunglasses.  I wear my polarized bifocal sunglasses all the time when I'm outside and driving, and my current pair are about 4-5 years old and scratched.  When I bought them, they had to be sent to the US to be polarized, so I figured I'd just buy them here.

I drove all around town, looking at frames and at the best deals.  The best frames were Maui Jim, an upscale brand I'd never heard of.  But for the price of one pair of Maui Jim sunglasses, I could get a pair of sunglasses plus another pair of clear, anti-glare bifocals that would help me drive at night, so practical me opted for the second choice.  They'll be ready in a couple of weeks.

Friday night I went to a potluck porch party in the adorable section of St Pete called Kenwood.  I've always wanted to live in this neighborhood, with its rehabbed 1920s houses, right off Central Ave, a happening place.  I was invited by Sandy, Judith's friend (we danced at First Friday), who has a fabulous apartment in Kenwood.  The people in Kenwood are tight-knit, and have all sorts of monthly activities and a newsletter.  They watch out for each other.  I met yet more, very nice people.

Sept 15
Happy Independence Day, Costa Rica!

This was another serious shopping day.  The selection in the US never ceases to amaze me.  If you live here, you may take it for granted, but I have been away so long (seven years) that whenever I come back I am awed by all the different stores selling a huge selection of everything.

I hit my favorite stores - TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross - and took my time trying on clothes.  I found a few nice tops, but I couldn't find any capris.  That's what I wear most days.

I had heard about Peltz, a chain of shoe stores that carries shoes in my size, 5 1/2, so I went there and was waited on by a very sweet and knowledgeable college girl.  I found a pair of shoes I liked, but they were size 5 and I needed them to be a little bigger.  She said she'd order size 6 from a different store.  As I went to take the right shoe off, I did something weird, and sort of fell out of the shoe.  And BROKE YET ANOTHER TOE!  Geez, Louise, this is the 13th toe I have broken, and the second time I have broken this particular one.  It's a good thing I've got another 6+ weeks before I go back to Costa Rica, because that's how long it takes for a broken toe to heal before I can dance on it again.  Meanwhile, I put ice and arnica on it, and am limping nicely.

This was Third Saturday, a night of walking around Gulfport to see art, art booths, and to hang out.  I saw my friend Karen's tables that she painted and tiled on sale at a new store.  I couldn't bring back a table, but I did buy a pair of purple and turquoise earrings.  And I saw Helen's paintings - she's very talented.

Neptune Grill, which is directly across the street from the beach and the Gulfport Casino, had live music.  I was lucky enough to get a stool at the bar.  Karen and her friend, Mark, who is in from Atlanta helping Karen move into the house that she just bought in Gulfport, joined me.  We had dinner and drinks and danced to the band.  I saw other people I had met in town.  Every time I go to Gulfport, I really, really like it.