key west...

Think New Orlean's Square in Disneyland with a tropical twist, minus the screaming children and obnoxious teens, keep the gay/lesbian couples, but fill it with a bunch of middle aged (plus) Jimmy Buffet fans burnt to an almost unrecognizable crisp, and lots of roosters and you get Key West. Tanner had an overnight there last night so I decided to hitch along for the ride and check it out. We got in at about 2:30 in the afternoon and checked into our room (free room that is) at the Crown Plaza. We were both hungry and so we took a stroll down Duval Street to find a good place to eat. Is it too much to ask for a humburger under $10? It seems so. We decided on a restuarant we had been to before, but on another island, Oahu. Cheeseburger Key West, no not Cheeseburger in Paradise, although Tanner kept singing it. I read later that Jimmy Buffet thinks he should pretty much own all things "cheeseburger" and the restaurant basically hates him for this. I just hope the servers never heard Tanner singing, or at least only spit in his food not mine. Either way, our food was sooo good -we ate like vacationers. Chili-cheese fries and the best oriental chicken salad I have ever had in my life.

Key West has to be 10 degrees hotter than any other place in Florida, so after lunch and a stroll thru this historical site/master planned community we decided to take a nap and shower before heading out again for dessert and the sunset festivities. Key Westerner's love their sunsets.

For dessert we enjoyed the Brownie Explosion Sundae with Kaluha ice cream at Matteessen's. It was difficult to walk after that. I couldn't decide if standing up straight or if leaning over and holding my belly would make the amount of food I ate somehow shrink and take away the pain from overeating. We walked it off though and headed for Sunset Pier (I think that is what it is called) to watch the sunset (obviously). Our friend had warned us of this place and insisted we stay as far away from it as possible, something about taming (originally I thought she had said painting and I was concerned) mice, cats, and dogs to dance with each other or something, I didn't understand, but when I expressed what she had said to Tanner we had no other choice. He had to see this dancing mice/cats, whatever. So we walked and walked and found the crowds. Key West is home to many interesting people, like bag pipers, jugglers, people covered in silver paint who make "machine" noises, the Great Rondini, and yes, cat tamers. We thought if we just kept walking the crowds would thin and we could stand in a place without "performers". Well, we reached the end of the pier and there was the juggler. Tanner was instantly captivated when he started juggling 5 firey torches, this would later cost him (Tanner, not the juggler). While he stood there staring like a seven year old, the juggler picked him out the crowd to be a "helper" by throwing a cardboard block at him. He tried to hand it off to me, but the joggler caught him and publically chastised him for being a weenie. I loved this. He then was made to hold hands with a bunch of dudes in front of the rectangular crowd that had formed, but ended up holding a tightrope for the juggler to walk on while juggling knives. I was slightly impressed.

Anyways, the sun set and once it was gone, everybody clapped. Yeah, Sun! I don't know why. However, it was beautiful and boats seemed to take their cue and position themselves right in front of it to make these perfect sailboat silhoettes that really solidified the whole experience.

We had been told of a ghost that haunts the hotel we were staying at and so all night scenes from the move 1408 kept popping into my head even though I find it to be complete rubbish (sorry I just finished reading Harry Potter).

So it turned out to be a fun a little excursion and small taste of life after 40. Here are some pictures from the day...

looking out towards Sunset Pier

so happy we are about to eat chili-cheese fries and oriental chicken salad.

super cute home in the Truman's Annex community

like i said, chicken and roosters everywhere. here's a gang of them hanging out at the court house.

friendly cat. I was trying to check his toes to see if he was one of Hemingways 3-toed cats, but he wouldn't cooperate.

And here is some of the local talent...

yeah that's a dog in shorts, he wouldn't tell me what his talent was though. but what can you expect from a dog wearing shorts?

jumping cats.

here is Tanner's performing debut, check out the little curtsie the guy next to him is doing.

tightrope walking juggler, tanner said he was heavy.

the sunset. photographed by Tanner Kemp of Tanner Kemp Photographical Institue of Art and Picture Talking Abilities for the Blind and Kids Who Can't Read Good, a division of Allie Kemp Photography.

pirate allie.

drinking the night away. "milk was a bad choice"