Tampa Trip

I got to Tampa on Thursday afternoon (April 18^th) after a bit of a delay leaving DC.  Alexia picked me up at the airport and we went to Samaria Blue for sushi for lunch.  It was awesome!  I absolutely love their caterpillar rolls!  It has cream cheese for eyes.  They are so cute, and they taste scrumptious.  I don’t care for eel, but I sure do love the eel sauce that comes on the roll.  I typically get some extra of it on the side and use it instead of soy sauce.  Yummy! 

caterpillar roll!

After we had sushi, Alexia drove through my old neighborhood so I could get a look at my old house.  It really hadn’t changed, other than the community switched to a different mailbox. 

From there, we were off to J.J. Gandy’s in Palm Harbor for me to pick up one of their delicious key lime pies.  Alexia is not a key lime pie fan, so she got a peanut butter pie.  Alexia and I also got a mini-popper cupcake.  

  

pie case at J.J. Gandy's in Palm Harbor

On Friday morning we headed to the Lowry Park Zoo.  I’m always interested in visiting any critters in the neighborhood!  I wasn’t sure Alexia would be interested in going.  But it worked out really well.  I feel confident she enjoyed herself, because she upgraded to a year pass before we left! 

Friday night we met some old friends for happy hour at Champps at the International Plaza mall.  Once the gang split up, we went to the Westshore Mall to do some shopping.  I told Alexia she is my good luck charm when it comes to being able to find clothes.  I seem to always be able to find things that fit me and look good when we are together!  I got a new pair of walking shoes at the New Balance Store, and we bought new Bluetooths for our cell phones.  I will sheepishly admit I haven’t even taken mine out of the case yet.  I do need a new one though.  The leather-like material covering my old one is peeling off.

Alexia and I went to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s Tuxes and Tails event on Saturday (April 20^th).  It was even better than the one we went to 2 years ago.  This year it was held at the Marriott Waterside in downtown Tampa.  We spent the night at the hotel after the event, which made it doubly nice!  She bid on a couple of items at the silent auction, but wasn’t a winner.  The live auction items were bigger ticket items, such as several overseas trips going for thousands of dollars.  Definitely too rich for my blood!

Sunday afternoon I went to USF to participate in the induction ceremony into Phi Kappi Phi.  I've never been part of a fraternity before!

The rest of my time in Tampa was more laid back.  I visited with several old friends and Alexia and I went to see Oblivion at the movies.  My visit made me realize how much I miss hanging out with my Tampa friends.  I have friends where I'm living now, but not ones that I spend time with regularly.  That I definitely miss.