Eyesight really is the first to go. Or is that memory? I can’t remember.

But my eyesight is going. I went 40 years with perfect vision then BOOM!.. I’m blind. I have to pull things so far away from my face to read, they might as well be in the other room.

So I recently got my first pair of reading glasses. And I’m much less excited about looking smarter than I am sad that it’s not a fashion statement, I really need them.

It’s probably a coincidence this happened right around my 40th birthday. But it was sort of a double whammy of age creeping up that I wasn’t at all prepared for. (more…)

Months ago we booked a long weekend trip to Key West. Then Hurricane Irma happened. The category 4 made landfall 20 miles east of Key West before churning through pretty much all of Florida.

I’m not gonna lie, I was a little apprehensive to go, not sure what we would find. But our vacation rental company said their homes sustained no damage and the island fared well.

And if anything, I figured our presence would be beneficial to the businesses and the people who make their living off tourism. Which is a lot. According to the Sun Sentinel, tourism accounts for more than half of all jobs in Monroe County. And 60% of the money spent there comes from tourists, according to numbers from the county’s Tourism Development Council.

Long story short.. it was a great decision. Key West is still kickin’ and looks great. And it’s a great place for a family-friendly vacation, with lots of affordable things to do. Check out some of these reasons why. (more…)