Sunday, December 16, 2007

Why I Love Christmas in Florida

OK - so I was going to write this a few days ago, BEFORE the so'easter from hell blew through and brought with it the sub-zero temperatures. So, just for fun, let's pretend I wrote this 3 days ago, when it was 85 degrees and sunny...

I love Christmas (and Winter) in Florida, and in Tampa especially. I love it that when my alarm goes off, it happens to be when the DJ is usually giving the day's weather forecast. I love it when, day after day after day, the DJ says "man, it's going to be another unseasonably warm day, sunny with highs up to 85 degrees." (This DJ always follows the weather with Britney news, which I also love. Really - how can you not feel better about yourself after listening to what other trouble this train wreck has gotten into this time?) I love that yesterday (no - really yesterday, not yesterday 3 days ago...) we spent a large bulk of the day in the pool. I love that most days, my biggest fashion decision is which pair of flip flops to wear. I love palm trees with Christmas lights on them. I love that some of my friends send cheery photos of themselves in their yard in the SNOW, and I think "cute - but you can HAVE that." I love it that I can flip back and forth between NFL games on TV, and in Tampa (GO BUCS!) the cheerleaders are practically wearing bathing suits, while in Buffalo (sorry Nancy), it is snowing so freakin' hard that you can't really even see the game, and the cheerleaders are ice sculptures.

One of my bestest friends put it very well a few months back. I sent out an email to my pals, seeking vacation suggestions. I said that we'd like somewhere warm and tropical, with great beaches, fun drinks, and great seafood. By friend sent back a simple email that said "Ummmmmm...don't you live somewhere like that?" And she's sooooooo right. Tampa rocks - the 3 months of searing makes-hell-look-comfortable heat in the summer is worth it to get the other 9 months of super-fantastic-paradise.

Cheers - I'm going flip flop shopping...