Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me!

So I'm back from Jam Cruise and trying to catch up on sleep. What an amazing ten days... Let's start off with Florida and New Year's Eve. I flew down on an uneventful flight to Ft. Lauderdale and hopped the tri-rail train up to Mangonia Park where Russ and Beth picked me up. We went back to their place and got settled, then drove to the Crab House at the light house in Jupiter. Epic meal, with about 200 peel-and-eat shrimp consumed.

The first night we were there, a commotion was a-brewin' on the drive home from dinner. There were some cop cars at the bridge to Jupiter Island, and some more in front of Bethy's place. A helicopter ("Look down below!") shining its search beacon all around the beach and the intercoastal, several boats cruising both waterways. At least 20 cop cars on our street. We're all staring intently from the front balcony. Eventually 3 people are pulled out of the bushes, handcuffed and full-cavity-searched in our gazebo. We find out later that night that a boat of 17 Haitians crashing into Blowing Rocks and the Haitians spread through JI looking for a hiding spot. 11 were found, 2 were killed somewhere in the process and the other 4 were never found. Crazy stuff...

Spent the next few days with R&B, Chrissy and Kyle, and Adam and Carmen. Played some tennis, obsessed over a 1000-piece "Lost" puzzle (for which the box cover only depicted a fraction of the final scene), hung in the hot tub and just relaxed. Marcus and Meredith surprised EVERYONE the morning of the 29th showing up at our door. Spent each night sleeping out on the patio, with the loud roar of the Atlantic lulling me to sleep.

New Year's Eve morning was spent with me about to approach Russ with the intent of borrowing him and his car to drive up to Vero Beach, where Deanna was spending NYE without me. I sent her a text asking if she wanted to meet halfway for lunch (knowing full well that she couldn't come down to Jupiter). 10 minutes after I sent that text, I was drinking some coffee on the balcony when Deanna walked through the back door. Are you serious??? She cooked up this scheme with Bethy and the rest of my crew at My Morning Jacket in at Roseland.

So she spent the whole day with me--walking down the beach to Blowing Rocks (where we saw the Haitians' boat!!!), playing tennis, chilling in the hot tub and prepping for the evening's festivities. All 10 of us dined at Pasquale's for an incredible Italian feast (amazing clams casino and chicken with sausage, peppers and mushrooms) and then partied back at Casa di Cornwell well into the morning. Guitar hero, karaoke hero (Deanna was far and away the best!), gift-exchange Left Right Center (which I won), poker, balloon racing and general fun. Great times. Woke the next morning and Deanna drove me to the tri-rail and I rode the rail back South trying to rest up for my next adventure... Jam Cruise.

Stay tuned for my Jam Cruise write-up. But first I have to post all my pictures. Selah!