WE WENT WHERE THERE AIN’T NO SNOW…

About a year ago, a good friend of mine announced his engagement (Congrat’s Frank and Jen!).

I got Frank involved on my pit crew for Riverhead Raceway years ago, and ever since he’s become an avid race fan. A bunch of us take trips to Dover and Pocono’s twice a year to watch the NASCAR races.

Frank thought it would be a great idea to celebrate his bachelor party at the Daytona 500. Being he is very conservative, his soon to be wife would soon be an EX if he decided on the generic stag party!

Of course, when we (seven of us) booked this trip, none of us realized that Valentine’s Day would be a conflict. Why should we? No one was seriously involved… except Frank of course! Since then, however, several of us have become involved in relationships. Oh Oh!!!

So here it is, Wednesday night, just before we leave, consoling our loved ones, “It’s only going to be a race weekend sweetheart! We’ll be home before you even miss us! We’ll make it up to you, don’t worry, you’ll see!”

Yikes! Now I’ve seen ‘evil eyes’ before, but never the most wickedest of evil eye’s!!! Go figure!! All understandings aside, we’re on our way.

We stay at Walt Disney’s “Old Key West Resort”. Paradise! Especially being we were so glad to escape the NY ice box!! 80 degree’s, in shorts, sitting at the Tiki Bar, listening to Jimmy throughout the grounds of the resort, a dip in the pool or hot tub, and of course, the Margarita’s keeping our minds in a state of bliss. (I left the bikini clad girls we met out on purpose!) The only thing missing was our girlfriends!!! Awwwwweeee. (If there is remorse here, I don’t really see it, someday I will!)

Good thing we arranged to have those Roses and Chocolates delivered in our absence! And the occasional phone calls to tell them “you should have come down with us” and “No, we did NOT go to Margaritaville EVERY SINGLE night!” (Oh Oh, Now I’m in real trouble!).

We did spend 2 afternoons in Daytona for the races, just the races. The race, as everyone already knows, was rain-shortened. We really wish it could have been the full Monte. Maybe next year! (There goes another can of worms!) If it falls on Valentines Day, we may be forced to invite the girls for sure! Not a problem!

Now it’s Monday morning, time to go back home. We are, of course, missing our girlfriends’ terribly!!! Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on whose point of view, our Flights back are CANCELLED due to some sort of nasty weather. Rescheduled, get this, for Thursday! Seems the planes can’t land in 2 feet of snow. Bummer. So we drive down to Fort Lauderdale to await our trip back home. Spend another few days in the sun, on the beach, at the Tiki bars, and on the boats. We are still smiling!

This must be our punishment for playing nice with others while our girlfriends kept the snow off the sidewalks. I’ll accept that punishment… anytime. Either that or someone up above didn’t see EVERYTHING that we really did! – Just Kidding!!!

-- Larry “Squid” Kiewra