Lobstah at Ballast Point

A day of errands yesterday. Specifically, I took my stepmother's better jewelry into town to get some appraisals and offers from jewelers who may want to buy it. My stepsister already got one appraisal and a single offer, and we wanted to confirm it was fair with more data.

I found a second jeweler who seemed promising, but when I brought them the jewelry they said it was too high-end for their store to sell quickly. (My translation: They didn't want to pay for it because they couldn't turn it around fast enough.) So they recommended another place, and I took it there, and sat while a woman named Kaila who looked scarcely old enough to be out of high school examined each piece. It was a very pleasant experience, actually, chatting with her while she tested the metals and scrutinized the stones. She made an offer in the end nearly identical to that of the first jeweler, plus an offer for a piece the first jeweler didn't want -- so there's our confirmation plus possibly an additional sale.

We may finalize some of these sales today, but first -- we're off to see yet another notary this morning! Fortunately, since I'm here in the USA, this should be a much easier process than the rigmarole I went through to get something notarized in London. My stepsister seemed to think it might not even cost us anything, which would be a refreshing change.

After the jewelry chore, I went to Ballast Point Park and sat overlooking the bay. The pier still isn't open after hurricane damage a couple of years ago -- it was closed when I went in February 2025 as well. It's not closed to the seagulls and terns, though, and they seem to love it.

I had a lobster roll with slaw and an iced tea at Leon's Lobstah Shack:

I sat out on their covered patio and spent most of my lunch trying to keep my napkins from blowing away. (Successfully, I might add.)

Afterwards I took a drive through South Tampa, passing this funky looking little drive-through coffee shop on the way.

I popped into a favorite thrift store and found a fantastic shirt from India featuring tigers on a pink background. It's in serious need of an ironing -- and if I'm saying that you know it's bad, because I never iron anything. Photo to come once I've spiffed it up a bit.

This sign is voicing the enthusiasm that every Floridian feels when the summer heat departs. It's actually not too terrible out there now -- humid, but bearable. Our high temperatures are in the low 80's F (roughly 28º or 29º C).

Last night my stepsister, her husband and my nephew went to dinner with my stepmother's sister (my step-aunt, I guess?) and her husband. About eight years ago, my stepmother gave me and Dave some cookbooks that belonged to her mother. We've kept them all this time, but we've never so much as opened them, so I decided to bring them back thinking my aunt might want them. As it turns out, my stepsister wanted them -- so anyway they've now found a new home back in Florida.

I had fantasies of making "Royal Diplomatic Pudding" and some of the other far-out, elaborate dishes in those old cookbooks, but let's face it -- I am not that person.

Dinner was a yummy caesar salad with shrimp and a martini. (I was not driving!)