tampalampadingdong

i arrived in clearwater thursday evening after a decent if not boring flight. i really do prefer flying on westjet rather than air canada. the entertainment factor is so much higher. as soon as i got in, my parents drove me to target to pick up a bathing suit before heading to the "55+ community" where they are staying. it's a very cute little park with lots of wildlife: geckos, parrots, ibises (sp?). i'm going to try to get pictures of everything to post.

the first day, my dad played in a golf tournament, so my mum and i just hung around the park and went swimming -- i forgot how nice it is to swim on a hot day. and it's great that i don't have to feel self-conscious just swimming around the little old people. it doesn't hurt that i'm at least 25 years younger than everyone. i am just so like cameron diaz in in her shoes. or so i've been told, because i haven't seen it yet. when my father got home he drove us to the westfield countryside mall to do some shopping. we hit jc penney (better than i remember), forever 21 (cute and cheap), papaya (tres hoochie), and breezed through macy's.

today, my dad went to see a bluegrass band play at "country in the park" and he dropped mum and i off at largo mall where we went to beall's (pronounced bell's), marshall's (like winner's) and target. we then ate at a tex-mex restaurant called tijuana flats. if you answer the trivia question you get free chips and salsa. today the question was "who snapped the picture of tenzing norgay at the top of mt. everest?" after lunch, we went to clearwater mall where mum and i hit ross (again, like winner's) and supertarget (as though regular wasn't enough). i know it sounds like i've done nothing but shop, but mum is loving having someone here to shop with. tomorrow i believe we are going to fort de soto for a picnic and walk on the #1 beach in north america according to "dr. beach" -- whoever that is. good times.