Last week I met a new doctor. The exam went well. I felt good. He thought I was responding to treatment well. Everyone was happy. Then, as he began describing a recovery plan that appeared to require a permanent change of address to this tropical locale he must have noticed a distinct change in mood cross my face. I launched into the whole "I'm supposed to be in Bolivia" story and everything started to get a bit more complicated ... luckily, he was willing to work with me on a plan B.
To make a long story short, in exchange for what I thought was an excessive amount of blood, the doctor is going to rerun all my tests and let me know just what plan B is in two weeks. Yep, two more weeks.
To help pass the time, and just to be good parental units, mom and dad came to visit last weekend. It was nice to have them around. And nice to have access to a car. We actually got to do some sightseeing. Other than the local Chili's and the Cheesecake Factory across the street, Bob and I really don't get out much.
One overtly warm afternoon we visited the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens. I wouldn't say that our group was made up of extreme plant enthusiasts but we did enjoy the scenery. The free tram was a godsend (as was the free admission offered to crazy people who visit on ridiculously hot Sundays in the summer). The frozen lemonade wasn't bad either. There were some really pretty spots and, if I actually knew what I was doing with my camera, I think I could come away with some things worth hanging up. But in all seriousness, this place is best visited not in August.
The next day we visited Vizcaya, a house and formal gardens built by James Deering in 1916. The house has the appearance of an Italian estate and really is quite something. The humidity and sea air are too much for the artifacts inside the home so, unfortunately, they have had to install central air conditioning throughout the entire house. Although this alters the historical integrity of the tour, it made for a much more pleasant afternoon.
The house really is quite something but even more impressive may be the boat landing and grounds. Especially when you consider that they get completely flooded as each tropical storm or hurricane passes by. The house is owned by Miami-Dade county now and I have a feeling they do not devote quite the resources to upkeep as Mr. Deering did in his day and still the grounds are quite the sight.
On the other hand, maybe they are just waiting for hurricane season to end...
3 comments:
Hurrah! A blog post. That's a good sign. I like the lilypad picture w/the reflection of the sky and all. Very pretty!
Glad to hear you're getting out, even if it's just a little bit.
-Brian
Yay for news from Jessie! As much as I love that "Now with 50% Less" headline, I was starving for some fresh and good news--a Plan B in two weeks is a solid first step.
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