Our most recent snowbird road trip ended successfully in Fort Lauderdale. (Thank God!)
We have our “getting settled” routine down to a science.
We actually stopped to pick up our DVR’s at Comcast on our way into town. That way Peepaw could take care of the TVs and the “technical stuff” while I unpacked our bags and boxes. And there was PLENTY to unpack! Our car was so full I had to hold the Comcast bag on my lap until we got to our home! (I’m glad Comcast isn’t far away.)
We took down the hurricane shutters from our windows and we gave our little condo a quick dusting and sweeping. As you might imagine after almost eight months of emptiness and a close scare from a hurricane we needed to dust and sweep and wipe down the countertops! (A deep cleaning came later.) That is another plus for owning a small condo…it’s a super quick job to clean the entire place.
Then it was time to head to our nearby Aldi grocery store in Fort Lauderdale. We needed almost EVERYTHING as we set up housekeeping and stocked our pantry with groceries once again. In case you don’t believe me…check out our trunk after our first grocery run.
After the ice and snow in the Heartland it was SO FUN to throw the top down on our convertible and soak in that warm Florida sunshine! (I wasn’t angry…but without my sunglasses that bright Sunshine State sunshine was an unaccustomed shock to my eyes!)
I was really anxious to cook again in my tiny Fort Lauderdale kitchen, so that night I whipped up some seared salmon, a baked potato and a BIG salad. It all tasted great after several nights of “bar food” on the road.
My rosemary and my garlic chives were the only fresh herbs to survive in my Florida herb bed while we were away, but those garlic chives added a touch of green on that plate. Yes, replanting my herb bed is one of the first things I do when we return to Fort Lauderdale since I use them in almost every dinner I cook…no matter what kitchen I’m in!
It was great to be back, so I headed out to my favorite spot to salute the sunset. Our precious Royal Palm trees survived the brush with the hurricane and their huge fronds are beginning to grow back. I was amazed by their resilience in those wicked gale force winds.
Our Fort Lauderdale winter had begun.
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