the Summer of Wendy

A friend came into town for Spring Break and to have a joint vacation.  We went to so many fabulous dining establishments.  And managed a quick trip down to Key West.  Yay!

Guess who fucked the Keys trip up a little by getting a migraine?

PICK ME!
PICK ME!

We stopped for lunch in Key Largo, where we had the best alligator I've ever eaten.  The coconut shrimp was delectable, too.

Key Lime Gator

Coconut Shrimp

Then on to No Name Key where we detoured to look for tiny Key Deer.  And where I had a mini freakout session.  The heat, the bright sunlight, and the frustration of not seeing any deer all contributed to it.  Mostly it was just me losing control of my emotions and not realizing that a migraine had snuck up on me.  Fortunately I wasn't driving, so I popped some meds.

It sounds ridiculous to think that these fuckers can still sneak up on me.  But one moment I'm fine and then by degrees, I get crankier and moodier and pain-ier and stabbier.  Usually after I've snapped at someone, I realize what's happening.  Then I'm swamped with guilt and tears, none of which helps the situation.  It's an emotional roller-coaster.  I fucking hate roller-coasters.  Especially emotional ones.  Especially mine.

I was feeling much better by the time we'd checked into our hotel in Key West.  I had only a sip each of our welcome (non-alcoholic) piña colada and daiquiri, too scared I'd worsen the migraine to veer off my water intake.  We did all the touristy stuff like see the (incorrect) southernmost point monument and watch sunset from Mallory Square.  We walked by the Hemingway House to look for polydactyl kitties.  We saw a few free-roaming kitties but didn't get close enough to count their toes.

welcome drinks

Hemingway cat

It was nice to see that the infamous Key West chickens had survived Hurricane Irma.  I'd read at the time that some locals had given shelter to ones they could catch.

Key West chickens

Apparently they opened a rum distillery since the last time I'd been down there.  Who knew?  Of course, we had to tour it and do a tasting.  Because of the reprieved migraine, I barely stuck my tongue in each type to get the flavor of them.  My favorite to drink was the Cuban Coffee Rum, which had a nice espresso rum flavor.  However, the best named is the Bad Bitch Rum, named after Spanish Marie, a legendary rum-runner during Prohibition.  I definitely got the t-shirt!  Interestingly, they said that their latest batch of it was being made during Hurricane Irma when the barometric pressure dropped so low, and the flavor is slightly different.

Rum tasting at Key West Distillery

And finally, no trip to the keys would be complete without comparing several Key Lime pies, including my first foray into deep-fried Key Lime pie.  It was tasty, but I prefer the original.

deep-fried Key Lime pie

All in all, it was a fun trip (minus the migraine) and a great visit with my friend (minus the other four migraines).  Obligatory FML.  It was a bit sad to still see Hurricane Irma damage after all this time, but I was happy to do my part by spending tourist money there.  I will end this lengthy post with gratitude that Kitten and I survived Irma fairly well.