traci in the swamp

Treasure Island, Florida - family, return to childhood

My sister, Michelle and her husband Ron and my nephews drove from (straight through) Texas to Florida a few weekends ago (how, I don't know).  They stopped in Gainesville Saturday night before heading to Treasure Island for the rest of their vacation.  Matt and I spent some time with them that Sunday, taking them to the Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park, the Butterfly Garden at the University, and lunch at Leonardo's Millhopper.  (The picture is us at the Devil's Millhopper).

There isn't anything cooler than spending time with your sister.  Thankfully fate worked out that I was able to head down to Treasure Island and spend some more time with them and our other sister Jackie and her kids.   It was just a regular family reunion, as we took our dad to the St.Petersburg Pier and enjoyed lunch together (imagine nine people at a fast food restaurant, with four of them under 13 - talk about crazy).

Our dad made us his famous spaghetti and meatballs and I headed back to Treasure Island to spend time with our mom enjoy the beach a little more.  Gotta love getting time off!!

Technology killed the Arcade

Now I like technology as much as the next person.  I own a Nintendo DS, an iPod Touch and have favorite websites to visit to get my gaming fix.  But I also love arcades.  There's nothing like the flashing lights, bad pizza, or trying to win the cheap teddy bear (gotta get more tickets) or beating your personal best high score (personally, I'm the Queen at Galaga and Ms. Pac Man). I can remember growing up visiting these places.  The Madeiria Beach Fun Center , St. Pete Beach Amusement Center and the Treasure Island Fun Center (see a theme here) were often a weekly fixture in my childhood.  And now it's official, all of these (original) places are closed.

The St. Pete Times ran a great "special report" about the closing of St. Pete Beach Amusement Center (which ironically enough, was only a block from my first apartment).  This is the last arcade on the beach and now it's closed.  I vaguely remember reading that the Treasure Island Fun Center relocated, but that happened too.  I also fondly remember every time I visited the Pizza Hut (which is also now gone) playing Ms. Pac Man (this continued until my twenties - I know, I know, I'm a kid).

Well, I remember my dad always saying this,  "everything changes, they get rid of the old and replace it with the new" and that's obviously very true.  I'm very sad about the loss of my childhood haunts, but I guess that's all part of growing up.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy one year anniversary to us! 

Does that mean we aren't newlyweds anymore?

Even across the miles...

I don't know how people become best friends.  It's one of those strange things that I think are hard to explain or totally understand.  Is it because you have a lot in common with the person, come from similar backgrounds, find the same things humorous or boring?  Or do you just find a connection with someone and don't really know a time when you weren't best friends. 

Tonight I spent almost four hours, talking to my old best friend, Letha.  Even though we live a thousand miles away, haven't seen each other for many years and went many years not talking after a bad argument, she'll always be the closet and most favorite girl-friend I've ever had.  I don't even know exactly how we met, although I know it was during our high school lunch hour - more than 13 years ago. 

Conversations with Letha always remind me that I have selective amnesia - I have an uncanny ability to suppress old memories and they are only refreshed when we talk and review them.  This often results in hilarity since only a few words and even just a name will make me remember everything.

Tonight, Letha and I reviewed how we used to stop at Wal-Mart to buy towels, before we drove out to Pass-A-Grille Beach for a midnight swim, how we got in trouble with the police after we were passengers in a car traveling over 100 mph (yes, very stupid I know, but we were teenagers), first kisses, old relationships, what we learned from each other, and what we'd do differently if we had the chance.  The conversations were great, refreshing and important, since we both played such a big role in each other's lives and it  was a blast reliving the past with someone that was such a huge part of it.

Thanks, Leaf-a, for being there all those years!