1st Anniversary of my AARP membership

As if South Beach knew that Sunday was the 1st anniversary of my full AARP membership, it threw out a massive celebratory party as if there was no tomorrow. Or maybe that’s the way every weekend goes on around these parts. Regardless, I took it as a sign that the city really celebrates it’s AARP members, especially if it happens to be yet another new Cuban in town.

Sunday morning greeted us with the sights of the 100s of bicycles riding over the causeway in front of our condo as they looped around to complete the bicycle and running part of the Nautical South Beach Triathlon. B and I walked down to join in and celebrate the passersby. I felt almost as if I was doing the triathlon myself, but that feeling ended quickly when I was walking back with a loaf of Cuban bread, tomatoes, sandwich meats and a plastic container full of fresh ceviche from the market. I imagine this must have been the inspiration for the famous "South Beach Diet", and we’ll be seeing the outcome of this new diet in a few months, I’m sure.

The highlight of my day was tickets to see finals of the 2008 season opener of the AVP beach volley ball tournament which began here on Friday. The games were held as they were meant to be, on the beach. The weather was perfect for beach volley ball but given that the whole thing lasted for almost 7 hours, we did get a refreshing rain shower a few minutes before the final few games. I was a faithful fan as I stayed on my seat under the hot mid-day sun, the afternoon rain shower and later on with the cool breeze over the wet clothes. I made it home hungry and thirsty but the best part was that I didn’t have to deal with traffic or parking since it was just about 7 blocks from home.

The games included some of the all time favorites such as Dalhausser and Rogers on the men’s side and Misty May and Kerry Walsh on the women’s side. I’m not a huge professional sports follower, but amazingly enough these were names that even I was familiar with from years of following them in the summer Olympic games and the professional VBall tours. The guys, --and the gals--, made me feel even more AARP than I am as it was difficult to say whether they were under the influence of the same gravitational forces as the rest of us humans tend to normally be under. It made for a fun afternoon and the closing of another page in my first year of being part of the (gulp) “over 50” demographics.

South Beach still felt as if it wasn't doing enough celebration because when I was sitting watching the VBall games, I heard the roar of the engines of a boat race that was going right behind me . I tell you what, this town really knows just how to make you feel welcome!

At home we are putting the final few touches on the paint, replacing the flooring and arranging the furniture and decoration to make us feel more at home. We now have Florida driver’s license and Florida tags in our car, so little by little we’re getting our act together and ready to start tackling the big steps that we have ahead. It’s starting to feel just like home.