After Two Days, Nothing to Complain About in the Florida Keys

I'm not the kind of guy who can find much to whine about when relaxing in the Florida Keys. Sure the relentless sun and heat usually turns my beer into the temperature of bath water before I manage to finish it, but it's just motivation to drink more quickly.

During my first two days in Islamorada, I've avoided getting sunburned; so, nothing to complain about there.

$200 later, a new prop.

The boat propeller took an unexpected dump on Day 1. I've decided that I am a jinx when it comes to Amy and Scott's boat. On two separate jaunts to South Florida earlier in the year we attempted to take the boat out. It's trailered by the side of their house most of the time. On one aborted attempt we managed to get the boat in the water before discovering it wouldn't run. The other time we didn't even get it that far. The boat had been performing brilliantly before my arrival, carrying several people out to a popular snorkeling spot. Before the prop went south, the boat had been dragging different kids around on a big tube. We headed to a sandbar for lunch – a trip cut short because we couldn't get the anchor to grab. As we motored away, the prop began slipping. We headed – at little more than idle speed – to the closest marina with a mechanic, who diagnosed the propeller as the culprit.

 I tell you all of this to emphasize the negative effect I appear to have on the reliable performance of this boat. If it could roll over and play dead when it sees me, it probably would. But I can't even moan about this because the mechanic showed up yesterday afternoon, as promised, and replaced the faulty prop. In fact, the repair was so timely that we were able to head out to a couple of joints for happy hour. How can I complain about that?

The "OV" for happy hour.

I don't always sleep well on the road, but not an issue on this trip. The beach-side condo my friends rented for a month has three bedrooms. The one I'm hogging for nearly a week has a queen-size bed that's as comfortable as any I've slept in. I've been sleeping like the dead. Nothing to bitch about there.

We've had decent sunsets both evenings I've been here. Neither was spectacular, but they were fairly colorful. No fodder for whining in the sunset department.

My good camera did give up the ghost, but I'm taking it's stubbornness to perform as an opportunity to buy a new camera. Most of the photos you see here were shot with my iPhone.

I don't have the energy to search high and low for something to moan about. I am on vacation after all. I may stumble across something in the next few days I'm here worthy of my animosity, but my optimism on this is waning. In the meantime, I'll just concentrate on trying to drink my beer before it gets warm. I'll have my hands full with that.