Bad way to start the day. . . .

I'm feeling slightly passe this morning.  The Today Show was on the TV and there was lots of excitement about an upcoming musical guest that in all truth I've never paid much attention to.  Rap is not my thing, as I've mentioned in the past.

My head jerked up when I heard "Mr. 305" and they introduced Pitbull to lots of screaming and excited yelling.  OMG!  He looks familiar, and I don't mean from TV.  305 is my area code and I remembered vaguely that Pitbull comes from Miami and was brought up in the Hialeah area.

What I didn't realize is that the very well dressed, bald young man I've seen several times in the bar at the Club here in Grove Isle where I live, is very, very famous.  My friend Sheila always says hello to him and he always responds in a most friendly manner. Who knew he's got the #1 song on the charts, I think it's called "Timber", pronounced "Timbah", and he sang it this morning while lots of very sexy girls wearing tank tops that I swear read "I'm Going Down" shimmied around him.  Even the Today Show female anchors were going crazy! 

No, I am not stuck in the Sinatra era, musicwise, but I have to admit Pitbull and his rapper like have passed me by.  I did stop and watch him perform and he is good.  What amazed me was that every young woman in the audience, and there were crowds of them on the outdoor plaza, knew every word of the song.  I guess we used to know every word that our favorite singers sang, but this was the first time I ever heard these lyrics, that's for sure.

I think I'll pay more attention the next time I see Mr. 305 in the bar.  Or maybe I'll just watch CNN in the morning from now on, so I don't have to start my day on such an age-revealing note.
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Oh what a beautiful morning. . . .

Like the lyric from the long ago song from the show "Oklahoma" : "Oh what a  beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day".  I found myself humming that as I walked around our island this morning.  The waters of Biscayne Bay were like glass and the sun was just starting to break through the clouds.

To make it even more perfect, my favorite bird, the blue-black anhinga, was drying his wings on one of the poles that mark the deep water passageway out of Grove Isle.  I had to whip out my iphone and take his picture with the Key Biscayne bridge and the towers of downtown Miami shimmering in the background.

Usually I do my morning walk with two friends and we are so busy talking that we don't take time to really drink in the natural beauty of our surroundings.  This morning I was walking alone, with even my earphones left home.   Sometimes it's not a bad idea to take time out and simply enjoy the beauty of the morning.   This special place called Miami where we live.

It was so calm and peaceful that I decided I wanted to share it with all of you.  What a lovely way to start the day.
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Early morning in Miami. . .

At 7:30 this morning, my friend Sandy and I were standing on a street corner in Downtown Miami holding up signs. Hers read "Go, Alli, Go" and mine read "Go, Ana, Go".  You have to have been a once-upon-a-time long distance runner to understand the importance of what we were doing.

Sandy was watching for her daughter Allison, and I was watching for both Allison and my grand-niece Ana, who has become the premier runner in our family. They were both running in the Michelob Ultra 13.1 Mile Half Marathon on an absolutely glorious day in Miami.   On hand also was Ana's husband Craig and their two youngsters.  Years ago, Craig's dad, my nephew Bobby, used to run in 10k races with me and my ex, so I get a real kick out of seeing this generation carrying the torch.

Once both women passed within minutes of each other, along with guys in tutus, couples running hand in hand, and one funny young man with Dr. Dribble written on his tank shirt, who was actually bouncing two basketballs in front of him as he ran, we raced back to our car and headed over to Miami Beach and the finish line..  Long distance runners are not normal people, folks, you have to have a very special competitive spirit to run 13.1 miles and still be smiling as you cross the finish line.  Both Alli and Ana were grinning from ear to ear.

Alli proudly wore her medal around her neck when we went for late breakfast with friends on Lincoln Road.  We both laughed out loud when she gave me a  close-up of the big round metal medallion with Michelob Ultra 13.1 prominently displayed on the front.   Michelob, the company that sponsors the run, need I remind you, is a very upscale beer company.  A second look at the medal and you suddenly realize it also doubles as a beer bottle opener!  Way to go, Michelob.  Congratulations, Alli and Ana!
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