I should first provide a little background.

Special Someone and I drove down to Omaha the Friday night before our VERY early Saturday morning flight to Tampa.  For whatever reason I wasn't able to sleep.  I got about a 45 minute nap on our flight from Omaha to Dallas, but otherwise I was basically up for 44 hours straight.

When we got to Sarasota Dr. Linda took us on a whirlwind tour of the area.  As we were driving along she informed us that the plan was to have a picnic on the beach that night.  To that end Special Someone and I were to decide what we wanted to eat for the picnic.

"Will we have time to hit a grocery store and get some dinner fixins" I asked.

Friend Brian said "Sure.  There's a public grocery store on just about every corner."

Public grocery store?  Frankly I was confused. I thought most grocery stores were open to the public.

So I asked.  "Public grocery store?  Are those like little Mom and Pop type grocery stores?"

"Oh no" Brian replied "They're pretty big and have a good selection."

I let it go at that.  I was too tired to pursue it.

It wasn't until much later, when we were planning our "picnic" that I asked Brian to give me more information about "public" grocery stores.

"You know...Public Grocery Stores...like that one over there..."

Yeah...it was a riot.  It was also a joke that never died the entire time we were in Florida.

I'm off to Sioux Falls this weekend.  Shopping for new patio furniture and a front door are on the agenda.  Apparently we're also working on Special Someone's new pond.  That, of course, means that he's working on it and I'm cooking dinner.

First a little diversion down Peter Cotton-Tail Lane.

This is my "mother in law" Sheryl.  After Special Someone's father passed I away it was sort of necessary to move his Mom from the farm into town.  I bought a house at auction and she moved in the Fall of 2007.

Sheryl's idea of how a grandmother should decorate for Easter.  The neon rabbit in the window is a real special touch.

And then on to Sunny Sarasota where I spent a week of vacation at Dr. Linda's house.

Dr. Linda was working as a locum tenems surgeon from Sarasota when she took the job in Huron, SD.

Her house is in a gated community...one of several in the area.  The house was actually built about 13 years ago.

Our first night in Sarasota we decided to have a picnic at Siesta Key Beach.

Brian lays out the goods.  A variety of cured meats, cheeses, french and foccocia bread, olives, red wine and hard cider.  Also just a little bit of sand.

This little bugger swept in and stole a piece of bread.  Snatched it right out of Ros' hand!  He kept dive bombing our picnic until I strongly disuaded him from entering our airspace.

Gotta love a beautiful sunset.

The expression on Brian's face just screams "I won't spend time in Time Out.  I just won't!"

The Lanai at the house.  Many a game of dominos was played at that table.

The boys enjoy the pool and the sun.

Brian favored the hot tub.

Even I ventured into the sun soaked water.

These Sand Cranes paid a visit.

I swear these two were picking up and eating rocks.  Apparently their craws needed a recharge.

Special Someone got the gas fireplace working.  It's been dormant the entire time Linda has owned the house.

Lanai at dusk.

The lagoon in back of the house.  That shrub used to be twice as high.  We did a lot of pruning while we were there.

One night I made pizzas on the grill.  Everyone got to choose their own toppings.  I made buffalo chicken pizza for myself.

Turtles Restaurant.  What a motley crew.

This house was across the bay.  I decided to put a down payment on it before I left.

Just kidding.

Siesta Key Beach.  We actually only spent one day at the beach.

This guy was carrying all his belongings on a baby stroller.  The two men bickered like an old married couple.

Attack of the Seagulls!

Special Someone made good use of his zoom lens to photograph a few skinful delights.

The lifeguard on duty.  He wasn't all that interested in demonstrating his mouth-to-mouth technique.

This little feller sunned himself daily at the lagoon.

Gekkos were everywhere.

And this guy also lives in the lagoon.  Can you see him?

Yeah.  That's an alligator.  Living less than 20 feet from the back door.  He's about 8 feet long.  Apparently he's one of three that are commonly seen in the rather small lagoon.  When they get to be too big animal control comes by and removes them.

Critters of a different sort.  We had to stop in Hooters to get a t-shirt for Brian's brother.

Not that Brian seemed to mind the company...while his wife was less than pleased with the delay.

Sarasota bound.  Overpacked...but what else would you expect from a gay boy.

I'll be checkin' in on all of you so you better behave.

Not like I'm goin' to.

Anyone that says that animals don't have any sense of foreboding is full of it.

I've slowly been gathering things for my trip.  Summer shirts, shorts, toiletries...that kinda stuff.

So far I haven't even touched my luggage, much less gotten it out of the closet.

That didn't stop Miss Zippy Kitty from attacking my luggage at 3 am this morning.  Chewing on it, scratching at it and finally tumbling it over.

She also pushed the bedroom door closed (effectively "locking" us in).   That was around 3:30 am.

I fully expect her to try and pack herself tonight.

Oh, but I can.

The Malignant Stick.  It's been busy today.  Seems somehow appropriate that I spread around some misery before I leave on vacation.

Special Someone and I fly to Sarasota on Saturday morning.  We'll be spending a week with Dr. Linda, Ros and Brian at Dr. Linda's house in Florida.  Swimming pool and hot tub just out the patio door.  Temps in the mid-80s.

Did I mention that I'm NOT a beach person?  But hey...a cheap vacation is a cheap vacation.  I'm mostly looking forward to trying lots of great restaurants.

Well...and maybe sex in a cabana.  I've never had sex in a cabana.  Nor had sex with a cabana boy for that matter.

We've moved from cold and wet to moderate and wet.  Next comes hot and humid.  Bleh.

I spent the afternoon cleaning my office in preparation for the pathologist that is covering for me next week.  The fact that I found a calendar that I lost back in 2006 tells you something about the shamble-ish state of my desk and office.

Viewtiful_Justin has posed the following interview questions.

1. When you were young, what was one thing you looked forward to every week?

Saturday morning fishing trips with my Dad.  We'd make fried bologna sandwiches for lunch, load up the boat and head for the local stripper pits.  That would be strip coal mining, not the other type of strippers.

2. What is one of your most important core beliefs? Why do you believe it?

While I'm not the least bit religious I do believe in a Creator.  Given the complexity of the world I can't believe that there wasn't some form of intelligence behind its design.

3. If you could change your legal name, would you? To what?

I wouldn't change my legal name.  I like the one I have just fine.

4. When in your life have you felt the proudest about who you are?

I'm not sure how to answer this one.  I've had lots of proud moments...big and small.  I tend not to dwell on them.  Hubris is one of the few Deadly Sins that I don't commit on a fairly regular basis.

5. If you were a pro wrestler, what would be your name, intro song, and finishing move?

Dakota Thug, the theme song from Gunsmoke and the Swingin' Steak Scissor Kick. (I don't know jack about wrestling, just in case you couldn't tell.  I do, however, have several great recipes for Swingin' Steak.)

Special Someone emailed me photos from the weekend so I thought I'd post a few more.

That's Darla in red on the right hand side.  Darla and my Mother grew up in the same small town. Because there are several years difference in age they really got to know each other in Evansville, my hometown.  Darla initially lived in an apartment in a house across the street from ours.  When Mrs. Seitz, the old lady that owned the house died, Darla bought it.  After my father passed away (I was 12) Darla became a big support for my Mother.  She also helped keep us kids in line.

Mother Hofer holding court.

This gives you a better idea about the actual lighting.  I always keep it pretty low.  Melissa insists that I'm part vampire.  You'll also note that Darla is laughing.  She spends a lot of time doing that.  She's a crafty story teller and had us all in stitches.

Friend Brian brought dessert for us...Coconut cream pie.  My Mother's favorite!

He made two so there'd be plenty for 9 people.  It should be noted that while I love to cook (and, imho I'm rather good at it) I don't bake often and certainly not well.

Sunny Sunday morning.  Special Someone's camera was balanced on a spittoon and a stack of books.

And in other news...

I did a bone marrow aspiration/biopsy procedure on a patient this morning.  The patient was really anxious.  She also has a history of valve replacement.  The procedure went well and I left the emergency room (where I do the bone marrows).  Approximately 2 minutes later I heard the announcement "Code Blue...emergency room.  Code Blue...emergency room."

Code Brown moment for me (i.e. OH SHIT)

Fortunately not my patient.  The nurses found my concern amusing.

And speaking of amusing...I've seen some of these before but there are a couple of newer ones.

One year, a husband decided to buy his mother-in-law a

cemetery plot as a Christmas gift.

The next year, he didn't buy her a gift. When she asked him why,

he replied, "Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"

And that's how the fight started.....

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My wife walked into the den & asked "What's on TV?"

I replied "Dust".

And that's how the fight started.....

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A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.

She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband,

'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you

to pay me a compliment.'

The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect.'

And that's how the fight started.....

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My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, 'I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 200 in about 3 seconds.

I bought her a scale.

And that's how the fight started.....

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I asked my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?'

It warmed my heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation. 'Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!' she said.

So I suggested, 'How about the kitchen?'

And that's when the fight started....

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My wife and I are watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while

we were in bed, I turned to her and said, 'Do you want to have sex?' 'No,' she answered.

I then said, 'Is that your final answer?'

She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying 'Yes.'

So I said, 'Then I'd like to phone a friend.'

And that's when the fight started....

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When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive. So, I took her to a gas station.

And that's when the fight started.....

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I tried to talk my wife into buying a case of Miller Light for $14.95.
Instead, she bought a jar of cold cream for $7.95. I told her the

beer would make her look better at night than the cold cream.

And that's when the fight started.....

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My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion,

and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat

alone at a nearby table.

My wife asked, 'Do you know her?' 'Yes,' I sighed, 'She's my old girlfriend.

I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those

many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'

'My God!' says my wife. 'Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'

And that's when the fight started.....

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I rear-ended a car this morning. So, there we were alongside the

road and slowly the other driver got out of his car.

You know how sometimes you just get soooo stressed and little

things just seem funny?

Yeah, well I couldn't believe it. He was a DWARF!!!

He stormed over to my car, looked up at me, and shouted,

'I AM NOT HAPPY!!!'

So, I looked down at him and said, 'Well, then which one are you?'

And that's when the fight started.....

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I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason,

took my order first. 'I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please.'

He said, 'Aren't you worried about the mad cow?'

'Nah, she can order for herself.'

And that's when the fight started......

Put my Mother and Special Someone in the same room and what do you get?

Quite the Family picture.

My Mother and I on Friday.  If we looked confused it's because Darla was taking the picture and said "Say Cheese" after she took the picture.

Saturday night supper for friends.  Dr. Linda, Melissa and t'Mother.  I'm not sure what Melissa was measuring but it seemed to be giving Dr. Linda a headache.

The rest of the crowd...except Brian.  There's the other Mother.  Mother Hofer that is.  Special Someone's Mother couldn't make it because of the weather.  And my other Quasi-Mother, Darla, is taking the picture.

If it seems like I have too many Mothers...well...it depends on which day you ask me.  Mostly it just means that there's a whole lotta people that care.

Brian, of course, remained aloof while he enjoyed the art of text messaging.

This is why Huron is The Home of the World's Largest Cock (aka Big Cock Country).  The world's largest pheasant.

Male pheasant.  Cock.  Get it?

On Saturday we got an additional 4" of snow.  By Sunday it was melting faster than the Wicked Witch of the West.

More pictures to follow once I get them from Special Someone.  He even managed to capture the elusive Darla on digital!

My Mother and a family friend are due to arrive here shortly.  It will be the first time since 2004 that she's come to visit me in South Dakota.

It's also the first time she'll be meeting Special Someone...and potentially HIS Mother.

The sleeping arrangements will be interesting, to say the least.

Something else will also be arriving.

More snow.

THE THREE LITTLE  PIGS
 
  
                                                   Got to love  kids!  
    This is a true story, proving how  fascinating the mind of a six year old is. They  think so logically.  

     A teacher was reading the story of the  Three Little Pigs to her class. She came to the  part of the story where first pig was trying to  gather the building materials for his home.    

    She read ... 'and so the pig went up to  the man with the wheelbarrow full of straw and  said: 'Pardon me sir, but may I have some of  that straw to build my house?'    

     The teacher paused then asked the class:   'And what do you think the man said?'    

     One little boy raised his hand and said  very matter-of-factly ......'I think the man  would have said - 'Well, f**k me!! A talking  pig!'

    The teacher was  unable to teach for the next 10  minutes.