Catching-Up

* Disclaimer - I've been desperately trying to correct the spacing on this post. I've tried multiple times on the laptop ... and then on my phone. Then on the lap top again. Not working. SO if the text/pics are still wonky - sorry. I have no idea what's going on.

Anyway. I'm still trying to breach the chasm. So let's hit the high points, shall we?

* Hanging out with our new friend Erick: We met at Brother Jimmy's a while back whilst watching Auburn play one of its early games. He's a super cool guy - a bilingual lawyer and guitarist who is originally from L.A. We all really click together ...

He came over on Monday with some of our other friends to cheer on Auburn (who lost, sadly) so we returned the favor and cheered on his Saints (who also lost ... the football gods refused to smile on us last week).

But we had fun anyway ...

Good times.

* Trying new things: So this isn't a huge deal but I did try those new nail strips that you peel and place. I thought it was a bunch of bullshit ... apparently I was wrong (a first). They turned out really well. And days later they are still intact. A happy surprise.

I'm a sucker for words.

I love the way script looks on just about anything - pictures, pillows, fingernails.

* Visiting new local sites: I originally planning to go to an art museum (Tuesday) but opted instead

to visit the Holocaust Memorial and Botanical Gardens on Miami Beach. Both were breathtaking.

Here are le pics:  

From the outside

Right when you walk in ... this Anne Frank quote kinda hits you in the face. So powerful.

Then you wind through an open corridor with a timeline of the Holocaust and some really chilling photos.

One image was a map of Europe with the Jewish death toll from each country.

A shot of the monument's reflection through the trees.

You pass through a dome with an eternal flame then walk down a hall with a recording of a children's choir singing in Hebrew. There are panels with the name of each concentration camp that leads you down.

Then you get to the doorway and see this ...

Moving ... and scary but mostly moving. There were life-sized sculptures standing and sprawled on the concrete.

Then you look up and see all of these men, women and children ... climbing up this enormous hand. And you can't see it here but there was a number tattoo (like the ones given to Jews) on the forearm.

Totally overwhelming.

On the way out of the memorial ... I got this shot which I thought was cool. I loved the reflection in the pool.

Then onto the gardens ... I had some more Instagram fun here.

It was a fun-filled and dare I say it FREE day at the beach. That's a headline in itself.

OK that about does it. I'm caught up. Finally.