There is nothing like a visit from old friends

My friends Fred and Mary Etta came to Anna Maria today to visit me! We have been friends since 1982 when we all worked in Zaire. They now live in a gorgeous home they built on the top of a mountain in the Smokey mountains of Georgia. They drove down to Tampa to watch their baseball team play a few spring training games. We toured the island and headed south along the coast and ended up in Sarasota where we had lunch at Columbia, a spanish/cuban type restaurant. Great lunch of coconut mahi mahi and a 1/2 cuban sandwich and salad. We then spent the afternoon at the pool relaxing and chatting...ok the truth is we were planning our next big overseas trip! More about that later. We then closed out the day with a beer at the Rod and Reel watching the dolphins swimming by. All in all, a great day off!

Congratulations Tilghman!

I'm so proud of my brother-in-law! Promotions were announced today and my favorite brother in law, Tilghman, was promoted to Admiral! Join me in congratulating him!

From the Department of Defense

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced March 26 that the president has made the following nominations:

Capt. Tilghman D. Payne has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Payne is currently serving as executive assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy (installations and environment), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C.

Bunnies everywhere

I arrived at work today to find the kitchen filled with bunny sugar cookies and Sally busily decorating every last one of them. As you can see, they were as cute as can be. I took the picture of the pastry case right away knowing they would not last long. Sure enough, they hopped out the door as fast as can be! In fact just about everything in the case went today!

Spring break has arrived

Business has picked up considerably at Rudy's this week and it's been super duper busy! We are having so much fun! After the doors close, there is always lots of preparation for the next day. Here is Julie keeping the slicer busy!

Spring!

It's finally spring and soon the cherry blossoms around Washington DC will be in full bloom. I'm hoping that when they are in bloom my family will send me some pictures....until then, a more permanent kind of cherry blossom.....

Walk your iguana lately?

Just when I'd thought I'd seen it all, this woman had her pet iguana on her back at the recent music fest on Anna Maria. At first I thought it was not real until I watched it crawl up her back at which point I whipped out my trusty camera to share with my readers!

Ellie and her friends