Mardi Gras Season Has Begun!

The snowbirds are on to something. Nice weather in the south, great food, walks on the beach, and Mardi Gras fun, all while the rest of us are freezing our various body parts off up North for the winter. Can I be a snowbird, yet?

I took advantage of a three-day weekend and headed south to visit Mom and Dad in Orange Beach, Alabama (down in LA, as the locals call it). Their peaceful oasis from the cold is no longer a secret, because I am SO coming back again next year :) We had a great weekend!

One must begin with a breakfast of shrimp and cheese grits. YUM.

And then take in the view from Tacky Jack's

 Off to Mobile, AL for a mardi gras parade! I love the contrast of the architecture in the city

 Remnants of yesterday's parades still stuck in the roadside trees...

 Why yes, that is a peanut butter cup funnel cake!

And the parade begins!

 A mardi gras feather headband and a Moon Pie - does it get much better?

 So fun! Because it is the beginning of the season apparently this was a smaller parade, but I still had a great time! And we managed to come home with an entire bag full of beads, more moon pies than we could carry, and a stack of plastic cups. If you're not watching (or if you're taking photos and only looking through the viewfinder) all of the above WILL hit you in the head. 

  

A little post-parade seafood at Big Daddy's!

 ... and back in time to catch the sunset off of the balcony. Lovely. 

A mere fraction of the haul!

Mom and I did a little beach walking / shell hunting! My Brazil pants also work well in Alabama :)

We headed to Joe Patty's Fish Market to get some shrimp for dinner that night. LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT TUNA!!!!

I had such a great time - thanks for hosting, Mom and Dad! Can I reserve my space for next year, yet??

townie life

whooda thought... I'm becoming a townie. I'm officially moving to Elkhorn. Not Omaha. Not West Omaha that is practically Elkhorn. Actual Elkhorn. Right-across-the-street-from-work-run-in-to-everyone-I-know-at-the-grocery-store Elkhorn.

Around the world and right back to Elkhorn. Gypsy townie :)

And actually, I'm excited about it! After a couple months of apartment searching in Omaha I wasn't finding anything I loved that wouldn't give me a 45+ minute commute each way out to Elkhorn. The Old Market loses some of its appeal when it is on the other side of a terrible commute. I don't want to fight for street parking in Dundee. And that super-cute duplex in old mid-town? Not so cute when the bank on the corner keeps getting robbed. 

So I expanded my search, and as it turns out they are building an apartment complex right here in Elkhorn. Less than a 1/2 mile from work. Within walking distance to Olde Town Elkhorn. Within biking distance to all of Elkhorn. Near a park for running. Near my gym. Near mom and dad's (hellooo, bonfires). Within my budget. 

And brand. spankin'. new. 

Now you probably know that I'll use/drive/live in/eat anything that has long passed it's prime in the name of having things with character. (Okay, okay, really because I'm cheap) So it is weird to think that I'll be the very first person in this apartment! New carpet, new walls, new appliances, new dishwasher (!), new washer and dryer in the unit (!!), and a NEW BATHTUB! Gah!!!

So, here we go. Look out, Elkhorn. I'm moving in...

brrrr

Between fighting a lovely hacking cough for the past week and a half and a string of high temperatures in the teens for what seems like weeks, I have a severe case of cabin fever. My cough is still around and the temps were well below freezing this weekend but I didn't care. 

Had. To. Get. Out. 

One thing that Colorado taught me is that all seasons are outdoor seasons with the proper gear! And one thing that Nebraska has not-so-subtly reminded me is that Colorado winters are nothin' compared to the Midwest. Brr and brr again. I sure picked a tough season to acclimate.  

Regardless, I bundled up and headed out to Zorinsky Lake. I was not the only one, either! Cabin fever seems to be hitting the masses (or at least the 5 other people I saw there). The fresh air was refreshing, even though it did take me about an hour to thaw. 

Looking forward to heading south this coming weekend to spend a few days with Mom and Dad in Orange Beach! 60 degree temperatures sound glorious right now and I am ready for some SEAFOOD!

Much love from O-town!