Marie's

Jen, Marianna, and I have been housesitting in Tavernier for the past week for their old marina lady, Marie. Hal has been here off and on too, but he isn't actually a fixed aspect of life at Marie's right now since he drives back and forth (a four-hour round trip) every other evening or so from Key West to Marie's and vice versa.

Marie's place is actually quite nice, well, luxorious compared to the boat, which gets pretty cramped with four people aboard all the time. Air conditioning that often freezes us out of the house and lets us sleep under several layers of blankets (!!), a bathroom that we don't have a five minute walk to and don't have to share with everyone else in the whole wide world, a fully equiped kitchen, and (Hal's favorite part)

a HUGE HD tv all make Marie's a nice retreat (but I still get the couch). Oh, I forgot to mention Marianna's favorite part. Romeo

and Chloe, Marie's two beloved and crazy cats.

I like the cats too, but they have sensitive stomachs or something and I really don't like that. Plus, they're kind of weird. Romeo you can play with and pet pretty much anytime you want to. Chloe you never play with and pet her only when she comes to you. For example, you'll be lounging on the hammock, gently rocking in the breeze, completely and utterly relaxed. Suddenly, you find a purring cat on your belly very happy to be stroked along her back and head, especially the ears. This is all sweet and good and adds to the atmosphere, right? But then her lips loose their lock or something and she starts drooling. It is quite amazing just how much she drools. I mean, I've seen cats drool before but never quite as much as Chloe does. Maybe she gets twice the enjoyment out of her pettings that other cats do, but really, when you have to wipe your arms off with a towel afterwards...Nah, there is a bit of exaggeration there in that you don't actually have to wipe your arms off. But she does drool. Still, for all that, she can be a pretty cool cat.

Ok, moving away from the cats. Thanks to Marie's fully equiped and well stocked kitchen, I got to do some baking last night! Yes, I made dinner and nobody died or has complained of food poisoning or anything! Actually, it was really delicious and I'm pretty sure everyone liked it. I made a ham florentine (minus the spinach-so is it still a florentine?) wreath.

Yum!

Looks good.

First bite!

And an empty plate! Is she smacking her lips there?!