We Are Family!

Busy but fun weekend....my sister Etienne and my niece Ashley (17) flew in to spend the weekend with me. They have never been to my home in FL and I have not seen Ashley since she was 9 years old. I did get to see Etie when she flew from her home in San Diego this past July to OKC (for just 24 hours) to see me while I was visiting our dad. We did not grow up together - we have different mothers, but we have tried to maintain a relationship since she was 16. We are so alike in many ways, but mostly in our desire to be close to one another. What a great time we had! I picked they up at the airport after work on Thursday and we went to dinner on Atlantic Ave in Delray Beach, at Cabana. We walked in and out of the shops and I got a bargain...I bought a pair or designer jeans (I never buy designer anything) for a FRACTION of the original cost. Friday they took the Tri-rail train to Miami, took a sightseeing boat to view the homes of the rich and famous, then spent a few hours in Bayside (shopping area). That night we did more browsing of the shops and I bought a beautiful dress, this one cost 83% BELOW the original tag - LOVE IT! and then went to my favorite restaurant on Atlantic Ave - Sazio, and had a nice Italian meal (well, I only had mahi-mahi on salad but it was still delicious). Afterward we went to the dance studio for the weekly dance party. There were more women than men there - I guess men don't brave the rain like we women do, and it was so much fun. Eric, my partner/instructor was so gracious, dancing with both Etie and Ashley several times. On Saturday I took them to Sawgrass Mills, a HUGE shopping mall (mostly outlet stores) - I mean, where else would you take a teenage? They loved it and had a ball shopping there (me? I just kept them company, having done my thing the past two nights). For dinner we went to the Banana Boat in Boynton Beach, on the intracoastal waterway and serving yummy seafood. On Sunday we were on our way to the airport when I told Etie to call and check the flight. She was told that there was no such flight, that it had been cancelled in JUNE. Her travel agent had gotten the info but did not communicate with Etie...had not even done a seat assignment. We had to go back to my house and wait another few hours till their flight. At least we got to eat some of our restaurant leftovers, and they took the rest with them.
Later that afternoon my friend Laura came up to Delray. We had dinner on the Ave and went to a singles "thing" at the Blue Fish (restaurant) on the Ave. I am NOT into singles things but she met a guy there who she had met a few nights before at another place. He hung with us all night (or were we hanging with him?) and he was a lot of fun. Then Laura spent the night at my house and in the morning, after the rain, we went to the beach, meeting her friend JoAnn and my friend Eva and had a really nice, relaxing time!