If you are around my age, you’ll remember the series that came on Saturday mornings called “The Land of the Lost.” If so, a smile is probably spreading across your face as you remember all the characters; Rick, Will and Holly Marshall, Cha-Ka the Pakuni, and of course the Sleestak. The Sleestak were the green, scaly skinned reptile-like creatures that were always harassing the Marshall family.

With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine, Carlos Caballo. The following is a humorous anecdote about a day in his life. I just had to share with you and hope that it makes you laugh like it did me.

BEWARE THE SLEESTAK

Just got back from Georgia with my washer and dryer machines. Sounds
like a normal trip, right? Oh, no-things got weird from the very
beginning. Stopped in Shalimar on the way, was filling the Ranger with
Dinosaur Jizz, when this drunk dude comes wobbling up on his bicycle andruns it into the side of my truck! I stepped around, ready to kick some ass, but the dude’s ass has already been kicked. Seriously. Here’s a wrecked bicycle and an even more wrecked guy with a black eye, a busted nose and a fat lip. Somebody had beat me to it.

Call me soft, but I just cain’t kick a man when he’s already down. So I
said something to the effect of “Why don’t you watch whar the hell yer
goin”? and he opened one eye and said, “I was going to Crestview”.
Now, Shalimar is a long way from Crestview, so against my better
judgement, I threw his bike in the back of my truck and gave him a ride
up to CrestTucky. I had to go that way anyhow to get to Georgia.

Damn,it was an interesting study of the human condition. This guy wasn’t “a little bit eccentric” and he wasn’t “local color”- Oh No, he was a specimen of the FULL-BLOWN BURNT-OUT NORTH FLORIDA SLEESTAK.

His Daddy was some kind of War Hero, pilot in the Hair Force, and he
(the Sleestak) was your typical Miltary Brat.  He was entertaining, but by the time I dropped him off in Crestview, I was gladto be shot of him. BEWARE THE SLEESTAK- Don’t give them rides, that’s my advice.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lihin6i3aQQ

The Emerald Coast White Quartz Beach Challenge

Have you ever been to the beautiful white beaches on the Emerald Coast? Destin, Florida has the most gorgeous waters and sand I have ever seen. You can walk quite a long way out and still see the shimmering sand beneath your feet. And the water……sparkling green! I don’t think it can be beat!  Read the following post by WordRogue.  He sums it up quite nicely.

“It has come to my attention that there are a couple places in the world claiming to have sand that is whiter than our beaches here on the Emerald Coast. I take issue with that, and would like to settle the matter. Since I’ve only had 350 readers of my blog so far, and as far as I can tell not one of those readers lives anywhere near the offending beaches, we’ll just talk about them behind their backs until they catch on and decide to argue with us.”

Read more about the Emerald Coast White Quartz Beach Challenge

I am looking out of the window of my office right now and I see big fluffy flakes of snow falling from the sky…lots of them! It is a beautiful sight as long as I am inside looking out. However, this beach-loving girl gets the shivers at the thought of walking outside to my car.

I lived in northern Michigan for seventeen years. In Cadillac, the winters are very long and the summers are way too short. Living there while in high school was okay because I was involved in downhill skiing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and ice fishing. But as I grew older, the snow just wasn’t quite as fun.

When my children were young it was a chore to dress them in their winter suits so they could play outside. The poor kids were so bundled up they could hardly walk. When they fell over, they couldn’t get up by themselves. They looked like little penguins waddling around in the yard.

I can remember the day I decided I was leaving Michigan for good. It had reached below zero several nights in a row and the night before my decision, we had freezing rain. I woke up early and headed out to my car to go to work. I was bundled up in all the gear, had my purse in one hand and an apple for snack in the other. I slipped on a patch of ice on the sidewalk and my feet flew from under me. I dropped my purse and I could see my apple soaring through the air as I hit the ground on my back. I stood up furious and shouted out loud, “I am moving to Florida!!!” And, that is exactly what I did.

I lived in Florida about eight years and it was wonderful. I lived on gorgeous, Amelia Island and it did get cold for a few days in the winter, but I could handle it after all I went through in Michigan. My days were spent in the glorious sunshine with the roar of the ocean in my ears.

When I moved to north Georgia, never did I think I would have to suffer through snow again. I know, we only get about two inches at most, but temperatures still fall into the low teens and the wind chills your bones. Being cold is really one of the only things that makes me really mad, immediately.  I would rather be hot and sweaty any day.

So, I am planning to move back to Florida one of these days. Destin, Florida’s Emerald Coast is where I will go. Lying on the White sandy beaches and swimming in the beautiful blue water is how I picture the rest of my life. Walking along the shore watching the pelicans dive and the dolphins play sounds like paradise to me.