FRIDAY:

Sarah had to stay home to deal with our electrical system and the professionals who attended to it. The Gobbler couldn't be sure what the issue was, despite several phone calls about the issue. After work, I hopped on the Blue Line and got a text that Sarah was on the train directly behind mine. Dinner was standard airport fare. We boarded then waited while they made some repairs to the fan blades of the jet. Will and Carrie met us at the terminal, then escorted us directly to Taco Bus. We took the food back to Will and Carrie's new home and fell into the comfort of sharing a meal with good friends. Truman and Randall seemed happy to see us.

SATURDAY:

Saturday, Will and I went golfing while Carrie and Sarah went shopping and noshing. I tried to take pictures of aligators that were on the course, but I scared them away. Greenskeeping at this course carried a certain amount of risk. Will tried to run over birds with the golf cart. Beers drunk: seven. Wings eaten: nine-ish.

We all went out at night for Sarah's birthday. Along with Ben and Shawn, we went to "Gaybor", the gay district of Ybor City. We stuffed ourselves silly while dissecting the music videos for the dance music being pumped through the restaurant. It was raining out, but the doors and windows were wide open and the people watching was spectacular, given that there was a dance club next door. I went to the bathroom and some guy slapped my ass when I was washing my hands. I him asked if I knew him and he said "no".

After dinner, We took the trolley. We had to get off and walk around an accident. A drunk driver drove right onto the tracks and into a trolley

We rode the trolley to Channelside, a large entertainment complex. Splitsville, the bowling alley-cum-dance club-cum-pool hall-cum-restaurant, was entirely too packed and it was entirely the wrong crowd. We walked around and found a dueling piano bar. At first we had to stand, but then we got a table and some of the musicians changed positions and things started feeling better. Captain Morgan was doing a promotion, so he was there along with some comely wenches. They were handing out drinks and taking pictures. Some guy played the drums on my head with long straws. They served buckets of mixed drinks with several long straws to share with your friends. Some woman's boobs popped out of her dress and nobody alerted me to it.

SUNDAY:

We ate a soul food breakfast. Will mawed on some Louisiana crawdads, but didn't make finger puppets out of the heads.

Will's co-worker Casey (along with two deckhands whom I will not name as their employers might not be aware they went along with us) took us out on Tampa Bay on a sailboat. Hands down the highlight of my weekend in Tampa. I discussed what I know of sailing with one of the deckhands. 40 foot of boat is a lot to move around and it felt awkward and a bit scary to have a boat heel over at such a rakish angle. I got to pilot for awhile. A picture of me in a captain's hat is forthcoming. After we docked, Casey and his girlfriend joined us and we attacked a good amount of oysters at a bar up from the yacht club. Sarah got stung in the face by a bee inside the restaurant, which was completely random. The manager felt so bad that he bought Sarah a drink. We all went back to Will and Carrie's for pizza, cigars and Apples to Apples. Casey is incredibly persuasive, but his girlfriend came out triumphant.

MONDAY:

The morning was really low key. Slept in. We deserved it. I brushed my teeth three times, once in the middle of the night, to get the cigar taste out of my mouth. Will cooked up a grip of gourmet breakfast. Sarah and I went running.

Will took us on a driving tour of Tampa before he dropped us at the airport. We had to change routes for a MLK day parade. Will gave us glimpses at a very interesting cross section of neighborhoods. We saw the strip club with a spaceship on top where you can go for private dances with a little extra.

Sarah and I watched Dexter in the terminal at the airport. Blessedly uneventful travel back to Chicago for more Dexter before a late-night ultimate game.

Just 2 to Mom's. Happy early birthday mom! I love you.