Hi Auntie! Thanks for visiting. Key West certainly was not slow-paced for our visit. Every joint was jumping with bikers, there were live C&W acts in every bar along Duvall Street, and the bikes were roaring up and down the street all night and next morning. On our way out of the Keys, along that bridge immortalized by Ahnuld in True Lies, there were hundreds more bikes streaming in. So I’m thinking we may have hit town on a quiet night! See you on Twitter.

TFH is great with a camera. I’m of the point and shoot persuasion, so I leave the camera work to him. And lose him, while he fiddles with aperture speed, light levels, etc. etc. All I want from a camera is a PhD button – Push here, Dummy!

Oddly I go north for the air clarity and the purity of the vodka. Actually, that’s a lie, I settle for the warmth of the Gulf Stream.

Weren’t there long enough to qualify as Snowbirds. Besides, I think everybody’s a bit pissed at Canadian birds after they brought US Airways down in the Hudson.

Didn’t get to see Hemingway’s cats, alas, although there were lots of chickens wandering the streets and a very raucous parrot on Duvall Street. TFH is not as bad as he used to be. Still thinks Twittering and blogging is bonkers, but has come around to BlackBerry and iPhone. That’s a big step from his previous attitude of “All I need is a phone that sends and receives phone calls. Harrumph!” Baby steps.

I had not thought of it in that way, really. I didn’t expect SMB to be as nervous as she has confessed to being. That was partly because she comes across as such an extrovert in her blog, and partly because I expect all Americans to be much more self-confident than me. Which I now realise, when I see it written down, is downright silly. But the reality overtakes whatever one has imagined so quickly that it’s almost seamless, and now I can’t say with confidence that I had imagined SMB to be anything other than she turned out to be.

See above. Come and borrow some from me … XOT

I think the point is that none of us are hiding behind some fake persona when we blog. In fact, I think my blog buds probably know me better than most of the people who know me in person. Btw, why wait to go all the way to Dublin, when you’re here in Ontario and I’m only a car ride across the top of Toronto away? Open invitation …

It’s funny that you both were so nervous about meeting each other. Some of my best friends are people I’ve met online years ago back before blogging. They called them chat rooms and no….they were NOT “those” kind of chat rooms. Ha!

Your trip sounds like a blast and like I said before, anytime you want to come to the great state of Texas, you’ve got a place to stay and I promise you a good time…..and much warmer weather than you are use to.

That’s very sweet of you, MLS. Mwah! And I return the invitation, with a heart and a half. I can promise you quite warm weather (in summer) and a lot more humid than you’re used to!

I’ve never met a bloggy friend in person (except my Mum), though I did spot the Poet Laura-eate recently, but chickened out and didn’t talk…

No, it wasn’t me, Duchess. But I’m so glad you passed it on. Very, very funny. In fairness to TFH, he’s really not like that. Even when he got his throat cut (apnea operation) he was really good. Although he did pass out when I insisted the nurse tell him what she’d been telling me before the op, about how unbelievably painful his recovery would be. I hate being told “you won’t feel a thing” before something agonizing is done to me. I’d rather know it’s going to be absolutely foul, and then it’s never as bad as my imagination. Silly me, I thought he’d be grateful!

I can’t believe you didn’t talk to Laura. I’d have been tugging at her sleeve, or jumping up and down going “Yoo-hoo!” I’m sure she’ll be pissed when she finds out! But far be it from me to let her know … *Yoo-hoo, Laura, over here!*

Oh, she’s weird alright, folks! But you don’t need me to tell you that! And you’re not at all goofy—or only in a nice way (kidding) (on the latter part!) Seriously, it was great. And, like you, I can’t wait to do it again, either here or there. Mwah!