Had a wonderful day. Hung out with my cousin the librarian, from Tampa, and her husband and daughter, and their dog. We figured that I hadn't seen my cousin or her husband in 26 years, since their wedding day, to be precise, when I was a small child. :-) I'd never met their daughter, of course.
We did everything as we'd planned, in addition to a drive by FIU North Campus, which sits on the bay. First, lunch at T.G.I. Fridays, al fresco, then the drive-by, then Starbucks, al fresco, then my apartment to see the kitchen and the cats and the view from the terrace and the little Christmas tree they got me. Lucky went into hiding when we got there, but Bootsy was very happy to have some company and was even licking their hands. Bootsy loves being around people, the more the merrier. And he wasn't fazed by the dog. The dog, Sandy, was fazed by Bootsy, however. (My cousin said Sandy had been attacked by a feral cat when she was a puppy. Also, Bootsy is big.) Sandy's a cross between a chihuahua and a beagle and is very sweet and well-behaved, more beagle-sized than chihuahua-. The weather, by the way, was excellent for sitting outside, and of course Sandy was in her element. She even had her own chair at our table at Starbucks.
Maybe I'd forgotten or never knew that the husband has written and had published a number of children's books. He also teaches Advanced Placement high school English. He grew up near here and on the way down from Hollywood, he drove through his old neighborhood. (I assume my cousin and the daughter had never seen it.) The daughter is now studying architecture in Tampa and lives at home. Very nice, smart family. It was certainly worth getting up earlier than I normally do.
Next year I plan on taking a little vacation in Tampa. I'll probably stay a gay guesthouse in Ybor City, a quaint, old part of Tampa that has a lively nightlife.
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