Weekend crumbs.

It's been a busy weekend! So far my two resolutions for 2007 are doing well for me; I've lost four pounds in less than a week already on the South Beach diet, and I'm staying MUCH more active than I was for 3/4 of 2006.

On Saturday, I wanted to go watch the Horses race at Gulfstream Park, maybe play some nickel slots, and chat with some of the hookers that hang out at the racetrack. Instead, Aly and I went on a 20 mile bikeride. I, as usual, made us detour through a bad neighborhood... well... yeah. A terrible neighborhood. In my quest to avoid traffic on Collins Avenue, I suggested we bike across the 79th Street Causeway and take Biscayne Blvd. down to the Venetian Causeway. Bad idea. Driving down Biscayne at night. Oops! But because I spent so much time around there when I was with Stephen, the Design District, Overtown, and the rest of the Biscayne Area isn't that scary to me. Probably unwise on my part, but I'm as comfortable there as I'd be in Aventura. Probably more so, actually...

Saturday, I also went Impulse Shopping at K-Mart because I dropped off two HUGE bags at GoodWill from when I cleaned out my closets on Christmas, and the Goodwill truck is in the K-Mart parking lot. I'm the proud owner of a roasting pan, a stovetop griddle/grill, and other varied accoutrements. When I'm bored... I shop for kitchen supplies. Weird? Yeah. But it brings me on adventures, hereinafter described.

Saturday night was our foray into Art Miami which blew. Oh well!

Sunday I woke up bright and early, rolled on outta bed, STRETCHED, and then said, "OKAY, GONNA SHINE, SHINE!" (No, I didn't say that, actually.)

I lay by the pool for a while and tried to read Guns, Germs and Steel (It's so boring, I think I'm about to give up on it), then went up and on T.V. was a magical commercial about an APPLIANCE WHOLESALE STORE!

Not being one to ignore a "Carpe diem!" moment, I jotted down the number and address, and called to see if they were open. No one answered, so I assumed it was so busy in the store that they couldn't answer the phones, because Krups Pannini presses were FLYING off the shelves!

(wrong.)

So, I did my Mapquest thang, and zipped 20 miles away.

And as I did that, I had an epiphany. Ready?

99.9% of Miami above the 836, is a TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, SCARY neighborhood. Where did I end up, you ask? Brownsville.

Brownsville is not a nice part of town. To clue you in on what kind of place it is, it's the area of town that has Martin Luther King boulevard in it. How do I know this? Because I TOOK THAT TO 95 after discovering that my Kitchen Goods Store was not busy today, because they're CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. (Confidential to all stores in Miami and Hollywood: Um... why do you close on Sunday!? It's one of TWO errands/impulse shopping days in the week, when MOST people are free... you really should stay open.)

So, as I whipped down MLK Blvd. seeing parts of Miami that none of you ever have, or ever will see, I schemed as to what I would do next, if I survived the trip to 95, through Liberty City.

Well, I survived. And I went up to Old Town Hollywood!

(I know, right? I was a SUPER busy beaver this weekend!)

Old Town Hollywood sucks. It has so much potential, but... it sucks.

That said, there IS a Transylvanian restauant there. Anyone down to go the weekend after next? I'm curious. I need a dining partner. I know one of you is itching to go. Lemme know.

Lastly, next weekend, I find myself off to Orlando. My friend Dan and his new fiancee Jordana are going to be in Orlando at Jordana's parents' house, so we're going up. It should be pretty interesting. Because Jordana and her father are Orthodox and practice Shomer Shabbas.

Looks like someone (me) is going to be the Shabbas Goy next weekend... I can't stand being without light.