It’s been a minute since I blogged in TVFL about anything – 10 months to be exact – call it the ‘Pandemic Blues’ but I’ve been feeling pretty unmotivated when it comes to writing about my life.
It could also be because I’ve been having GI issues of late which are more annoying than painful. Between doctor’s appointments, getting my Vitals checked, eliminating certain foods from my diet, it’s not been a fun start to the New Year…
One thing’s for sure, the issue is not related to alcohol since I stopped drinking anything but Mocktails at the onset of the Pandemic..
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Mocktail
The silver lining is that my GI office is real close to figuring out what’s wrong with me so that they can prescribe the correct course of action.
And I can try and get back to a more normal way of living which includes a positive mindset and healthier version of clean eating.
There was a small window in time at some point in July of 2021 where life was beginning to feel a little normal, albeit, the “new normal,” as masks were flung off, dressy outfits were put back on and baseball caps were sent back to the ball field.
Then along came Delta, it sounds like a movie but instead it’s the name of the new variant that is quickly turning our everyday lives into a mini nightmare. The medical doctor on the last news segment I watched explained that even if you are fully vaccinated, you can still catch and/or transmit the COVID virus – Yikes! It’s no wonder that it’s spreading like wildfire.
And now the Connecticut Department of Public Health recommends that all state residents go back to wearing masks inside public buildings.
Yes. Again…Wait, Really?!?
So as of today, me and my fellow News 8 Account Executives continue to work (masked up outside our cubicles) in the same hybrid fashion we started about 14 months ago. Call me crazy but I happen to like working 50 percent from home and 50 percent from the office. I have even created a cozy home office in one corner of my dining room that easily fits my desk, office supplies, desktop computer, office chair, printer and work files. I can’t lie: I’m not looking forward to going back to work in the office 100 percent of the time. Especially since I’ll have to face those crazy, unhinged drivers everyday as opposed to just half the week.
Being the Optimist that I am though, I take a deep breath and remember what I am truly grateful for: I am truly grateful that me, my family and my loved ones are all healthy, fully vaccinated and presently living Covid- free lives.
And I certainly hope the same for all of my TVFL readers.
I am writing this blog post on a semi-wet and blustery Sunday afternoon in the month of May. We are having a true Spring this year and it’s not easy getting used to. Also it’s been 14 months since the pandemic officially started in Connecticut and although some things have changed, others have not…
This is the 7th installment of a (hopefully) limited series of blog posts related to my Covid 19 experience – but 7 is my lucky number so I’m going to go with that (smile).
But first things first, I am still working hybrid — one day operating from home, the next day from my News 8 local sales office — which I absolutely love doing but I fear the end is near…
…the state of Connecticut is fully opening back up on May 19th which is a pretty good sign that things are moving towards what is being deemed, the “new normal.”
I can’t lie, I want the “old normal” back and I promise not to complain about anything anymore (double smile).
I’m also still attending my church home, Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church, via Facebook live. There’s something to be said about hearing “The Word” virtually and from the safety and comfort of your own home…
And I still work out 5 days a week at I Love Kickboxing in North Haven, CT. What has recently changed at ILKB is this: there are no more mask optional classes (just mask-mandatory) nor are there any more limits to class sizes. So with the arrival of earlier sunrises in Connecticut, these early bird class sizes will sometimes swell to capacity.
I’m also super excited to announce that I am now fully vaccinated so a simple mask is my new entry point to getting some of my life back, Yay!
I’m not going crazy though. I am slowly easing myself back into my new life. Pre-Pandemic I was Go-Go-Go, trying to cram everything in all at one time without once stopping to take a break.
Nowadays I’m learning to appreciate the simple things in life. Things that bring me love, peace and joy. I’m also planning for my retirement over the next 4 or 5 years where I will look forward to enjoying a much slower and leisurely pace.
We are now entering the 6th month of living in a pandemic and needless to say, things have changed for me in Connecticut… here’s what I’m noticing:
Masks are still required when you walk into any workplace/school/retail store/restaurant/bank etc. (which, by the way, is not a problem to me…)
Gyms continue to operate at 50% capacity which forces me to work out from home on an online app 3 days out of the 5…and go to my gym I Love Kickboxing (at 5am) the other 2 days..
We Local Account Executives at News 8 continue to work from home every other day in a team hybrid fashion and to be honest, I’m not mad about it (smile).
Zoom calls (the way we now converse with each other and with our clients) are beginning to feel “natural” and “the norm.”
And I just returned from an actual vacay in Delaware where we drove to visit family and because I brought my latop with me, I did not miss a beat on my work load…
Virtual church is becoming “a thing” now, I can hear ‘The Word” from Pastor King at Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church right from the safety of my living room…
As far as golf goes, social distancing was already in place so other than having an electric cart all to myself, not much has changed there…
Self Care is becoming extremely important during this anxiety-ridden time…I am not feeling guilt at all about taking out quality time for myself as often as I need it…
And finally, my father and sibs mean the world to me so catching up with them via consistent family Facetime chats has become the best part of my week (smile).
We were desperately in need of a vacation – the goal was somewhere warm, beachy and fun – so the Sunshine state immediately came to mind (with the help of Karen, our travel agent).
We couldn’t of timed it better – we departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, CT on a rainy, dreary Sunday morning in mid-May at 720am and arrived to sunny Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida less than 3 hours later.
Our destination was the Sirata Beach Resort in Clearwater, Florida a half hour from TIA airport (but it took our shuttle service over an hour and a half to get there due to heavy traffic and multiple drop-offs).
It was worth the long wait when we saw that the resort (although not as new as the promotional video pictured it) was nonetheless cute and quaint (smile).
Sirata Beach Resort
After we checked into our City View (as opposed to Ocean View) suite at Sirata Beach Resort, we headed out the door for some much needed grub and a walk on St. Pete’s Beach.
Our first stop at the resort for grub was Harry’s Beach Bar because we were starving and because it was literally right in front of us (smile). The food at Harry’s was okay, nothing to write home about, but the peek-a-boo views of the pool and the beach were inviting…
After lunch we went for a long walk on St. Pete’s Beach, touted as the number 1 beach in the U.S. The breathtaking beauty of this beach reminded me of vacationing in the Caribbean- – white sand, baby blue water and lots of big waves.
While walking the beach we could not help but notice how it was sectioned off by resorts in that each individual resort (over the 13 acres of premier beachfront!) had it’s own matching cabanas, beach loungers, chairs and umbrellas perfectly lined up on their own property. Sirata Beach Resort property provided 2 complimentary beach loungers per room per day to their guests. If you wanted front row access (prime real estate) you had to head to the beach by 8am and pay the the attendant $20 for a Sirata Beach umbrella. This reservation ensured that your beach loungers and umbrella would be placed in the front row and that no one could move into your spot for the entire day. Nor could anyone park in front of you. We made front row reservations every day over the next 4 days (smile).
Sirata Beach Resort is a lot of things but it is not all-inclusive. However there are a total of 4 restaurants at the resort which are all decent. One of our favorite casual dining restaurants on the resort was Rum Runners Bar and Grill which also featured live music in the evenings.
And since Sirata Beach Resort is situated on Gulf Boulevard, there are a ton of good restaurant choices – most within walking distance. We discovered a really good seafood restaurant called Crabby Bills 5 minutes from our resort a few days before we departed. It was sooooo good we ate there two days in a row (smile).
Crabby Bills (love the name!)
As far as night life, we stumbled upon a beautiful hotel while walking along Gulf Boulevard during the day. It had a rooftop deck for drinks and apps and a fine dining restaurant below called Spinners (it literally spun while you dined). This hotel was called the Grand Plaza Hotel. We went there that same evening and sat outside on the rooftop deck for drinks and apps.
Grand Plaza Hotel
While reading about daily activities at the resort I saw that there was a free service called Beach Rides. These vans provide free local rides to resort guests but ask that you leave a tip since this is how they make their living. We called Beach Rides to take us to another local beach called Madeira Beach on our 3rd day. We chose Madeira as were interested in seeing the marina, stopping in the boardwalk shops and taking a dolphin watch tour.
Our Dolphin Watch tour boat
Our dolphin watch tour was for 1.5 hours and we found it was a quick and easy way to learn about the residents who lived around the bay as well as information about dolphin life. There were a lot of dolphins out that afternoon and we even saw a baby dolphin that the Captain told us had just been born 24 hours ago!
Dolphin Watch tour boat
Houses along the bayOur Dolphin watch was a big success – lots of activity!
Afterwards we ate outdoors at The Hut Bar and Grill while we watched lots of other tours and boat activity.
Outdoor lunch at The Hut Bar and Grill
The following day we were back at our resort. Oh, I forgot to mention that every night during the week the resort offered free drinks at the tiki bar from 730pm to 8pm. You had your choice of beer, wine or rum punch. It was here that we met a nice couple that happened to be Clearwater locals. They were telling us where to go in the short time we had remaining on our trip.
Tiki Bar party with free drinks every night
What stuck in my mind was when this couple told us about going to downtown St. Petersburg at night. From the way they described it, it sounded like our kind of town so we took their advice and caught a Beach Rides van to St. Petersburg, FL (15 minutes from Clearwater). We paid a flat fee of $25.00 since it was out of the beach zone and enjoyed seeing the following:
Free movie night on the Green
The marina
Sightseeing
Late night snacks
Rooftop lounge for Adult beverages
Live music (jazz) at Ruby’s
We loved our time in St. Petersburg and will definately plan on heading back when we have more time (smile).
Our final day at the resort was spent packing up, spending time on the beach for a last walk and eating out at Crabby Bills. Here is a picture of Clearwater from the balcony of our City View suite:
