Saturday Night Of Fantasy Fest 2008

Well, this was the big night, the big parade the big crowds. We actually stood in one place this year rather than strolling up and down, and really, you get to see more costumes that way. We went out around 8, while the big parade was in session. Whew, you gotta plan your moves while the parade is going on. The street is blocked off with metal fences all the way down Duval, to Mel Fisher's and beyond. You just can't cross anywhere! We went a block or two past Mel's, down Whitehead Street, I think. The one with Audubon House. There, the crowds thin out and you see mostly locals who bring lawn chairs and know they won't be bothered by the masses up at that end. The metal barriers are gone and here you can cross. But if you're wearing heels like I was, this is a long trek. Good thing my heels were wedge heels.

In general, high heels last about twenty minutes, then most girls will change into flats. I did that last year, and knew this year to wear wedge heels if I was going to survive the night. 

More Sarah Palins out tonight, but in general not so many political themed costumes. The theme was difficult to dress to: political stuff. Be an elephant or a jackass or Sarah Pahlin? Not sexy or fantasic enough. There was a flo

at in the parade full of Monica Lewinskys and a few Bill Clintons, but not that exciting either. Last year's theme was great: basically Alice in Wonderland. All kinds of crazy tea party costumes and fantastic attire.

Here are few of my favorite Fantasy Fest 2008 costumes. It was another great year, and I still can't wait for next year. I guess that means I'm not yet a local.

Friday Night of Fantasy Fest 2008

Less rain, more people.

Now Duval is really blocked off and the costumes are out. People are here for the weekend now, who are, thankfully, younger. Not that there's anything wrong with all ages enjoying the freedom of expression that Fantasy Fest offers. But it's good to have a balance, with all age groups represented.

Tonight was the Pimp 'n Ho party and the Pirate Bash. More pirates out there, but surprisingly few pimps and hos. Well, I think some costumes were ho-ish anyway, but not for the party. And ho-ish is part of the spirit of Fantasy Fest, so it's a good thing.

Costumes were excellent tonight. Raggedy Ann and her Raggedy Andy were awesome. They win hands down for best couple's costumes. Not only were their costumes perfect, but their personalities seemed to match the Raggedy persona. They were so, I don't know, floppy and happy. Kind of like giant dolls on E.

Seemed like the boxing couple also chose their costumes according to personal aura. They were in fabulous shape, maybe they were personal trainers. I just loved their whole look. Good job.

99% of the people out there love having their pictures taken. They worked hard, obviously anyone dressed up at Fantasy Fest has a little exhibitionist in them. So it's fun to dress up and be wierd and have people want to take your picture. From experience, it's a great feeling. Everyone should feel it once in their life.

Too bad those girls in the ivy costumes didn't agree. Girls, enjoy yourselves! Or have a drink or something if you need one. Fantasy Fest is not the place to feel shy or unfriendly. You won't get the full benefit, darlings. This is not a cocktail party!

Toga Party, Thursday Night of Fantasy Fest 2008

There is just so. much. rain.

Is body paint waterproof? It's not just rain, it's downpour and flooding. However, Fantasy Fest 2008 rolled on Thursday night. When the downpours came, people crowded under awnings of Duval Street and into bars, still happy. If you spend all year looking forward to Fantasy Fest, and pour all that energy into a fabulous costume, why let a little rain stop you? I only worried for the guy whose toga costume was made entirely of body paint. Yes, he painted his toga right on!

There was a PJ and lingerie party too, but we didn't see many costumes for this one. The toga party is definitely very popular and famous. Plus it's at Sloppy Joe's, one of the most famous Key West bars.

Those two tall tall men whom I remember from last year's Fantasy Fest were out again. They have the best costumes! I was transfixed by the huge black feathered headdresses they wore with their trojan outfits. Wow. They definitely carry the spirit of Fantasy Fest with them.

Speaking of the spirit of Fantasy Fest, what is it with locals? Today my survery continued, "So, all geared up for Fantasy Fest?". "Oh, it just means more work". Yo, idiot, work is money. You were probably crying out for business just a few weeks ago during the off season! Locals are so whiney. I swear, they love to complain. Oh, business is so bad. Oh, I have to work so hard. Which is it?

Fantasy Fest Green Party 2008

Finnegan's Wake had its new annual Green Party last night. If you wear green you get in for free, but it wasn't actually enforced so even white t-shirts passed in with no cover. There were people standing out front, which was cool because you could see their outfits. Inside, people sat at booths and mingled but somehow it seemed more lively out on the street.

The band tried a few times to corral people inside, using a megaphone even! Well, the megaphone was part of their act so why not use it to try and get people inside the bar where they might buy some drinks. We were there for a few hours and heard maybe three songs played. They were on break or something when we arrived, but oy what a long break! Once they started playing again people actually moved out of bar and back outside again!

I'm going to have to say that sitting inside a bar during Fantasy Fest is like going to a movie and spending the whole time in the bathroom because you ran into someone you know in the next stall. Don't you want to see the show? You're missing all action! Why sit in a bar, talking to the same people you see every day, looking at a tv screen or whatever, when there is a festival right outside those doors, with people dressed elaborate costumes, body paint, or nothing at all. The mood on the streets during Fantasy Fest is so much fun, so positive, such a great time. Why would you want to sit in a bar and listen to people blathering on about nothing at all or just talking about themselves?

Anyhoo, there were some awesome costumes. Even if it was a fabulous little green dress, I love the festiveness of people who get into the costume part of Fantasy Fest. There were some girls dressed in green hotpants and tube socks, some sort of green sports theme. Some great ultra Vogue designer dresses with matching shoes, and some silly leprechauns. That was mostly outside the bar, but hey that's part of the Green Party too. Next year maybe go with the tried-and-true Irish band. There certainly isn't any shortage of Irish bands in the world to pick from, right?

Leather Night at Fantasy Fest

Monday Night of Fantast Fest 2008 could be called Leather Night. There was the Dungeons and Dragons party at 801 Bourbon Street. 801 Bourbon Street is a drag queen gay bar at 801 Duval Street. Their party is on the official Fantasy Fest 2008 website as the only party that night. But that's incorrect. There was also a leather and bondage party at Kelly's Caribbean Bar on Whitehead Street. That party was pretty interesting, even if you didn't pay to go in. The sidewalk in front of the bar had plenty of action!

People in their favorite leather costumes, masks and whips showed up from all over the place, and since this isn't a gay bar, maybe it's the biggest leather-bondage-fetish party during Fantasy Fest. There's also a Leather and Lace party at Club Zu, but don't know anything about it yet.

Leather and bondage people haven' yet realized that it's not the 80's anymore, and those high-waisted thongs aren't really in style any more. But I guess that's what they think is attractive. Then we had the lineup of butts, which a friend called "The Timeline of Butts" since it went from young to more mature, left to right. I'd show you but I don't think I'm allowed to post pictures like that on Blogger.

Snorkeling at Dry Tortugas

We went snorkeling at Dry Tortugas last week, around the pylons that used to be a dock, and off the beach. It was calm out, maybe just 10 knot wind, but that was enough to stir up the sand around the island and decrease the vis. I'm sure that when the vis is better, or if we had swum around to the moat on the northwest wall where the vis might have been better, it could have been amazing. There were lots of small fish on the old dock pilings and it was beautiful. There was a 25" or so mutton snapper on the furthest out piling, and it wasn't at all afraid of us! It's used to being watched but never shot at or having a hook dangled in front of it. Pretty amazing to see how they learn from their environment and adjust accordingly. Out on the reef, we never could have gotten so close to him. Otherwise he would have been dinner!

Have you heard of Reverse Phone Number Lookup?

Did you know that when you get a phone call from a number you don't recognize there's a way to look up who is trying to call you? It's called Reverse Phone Number Lookup and it's available on the internet. Instead of looking up someone's phone number by name, you're looking up someone's name by their phone number. Take that, crank callers and telemarketers! There are sites that list National Phone Numbers in a database searchable by anyone who needs to attach a name to a phone number.

when I see a phone number on caller ID and I don't know who it is, I usually try an Google the number and see what comes up. Half the time, if it's a business, I can get an answer. But I think with the reverse phone number lookup, you get better results, and more information. Usually you can find out the city and state of the phone number for free. Then if you want the full report you will have to pay something. It's information that's been collected and it has a value so don't expect anything for free. But detectives use this type of service, and anyone who wants to find out about someone. This is a great service for nosy people too!

4ppl Online Dating Personals

Fantasy Fest for Locals?

What's up Fantasy Fest is starting this week, with Goombay. This will be my second one, and I'm pretty excited. Last year's Fantasy Fest 2007 was a blast. The vibe on the street is super friendly and communal, bacchanalian and cheerful. The best costumes are the ones people dream up themselves, or the body paint done by a very good artist. And I like anything with plumage, so the more feathers the better. That's why this year, for Fantasy Fest 2008 I decided to be a raven. That was about six months ago. Now, with just a few days left I have given up and will go with the pieces I did buy here and there. I will still call myself a raven, only now it's impressionistic.

Locals I've talked to are not enthusiastic about Fantasy Fest. I guess year after year it loses its shine. If you just go to look, then I can understand why it goes stale. Drunk people in scimpy clothing is only interesting for so long. But if you go to Fantasy Fest to participate, wear a great costume and have fun, well how can that ever get old and boring?

Of course you have to have a little bit of exhibitionist in you. Or even if you don't, you can wear a mask and be somebody else. That's the beauty! Costumes can hide your identity while you behave outrageously.

One local said it's weird to go and see friends of daughters of friends in such scimpy clothing. He will just go and have dinner on a balcony and watch from above for a few hours. Another local just didn't want to talk about why, but said she doesn't care about it. Another said she's boycotting it altogether, perhaps because of some body issues she's having lately. I have yet to find a local who is excited for Fantasy Fest 2008.

Audubon House

With family visiting, it's time to hit the tourist spots again. And bonus, it's slow season in Key West so locals get discounts left and right this time of year. Mel Fisher's even gave my parents the locals discount just because they were with us. $6 admission!

Audubon House is right across the street from Mel Fisher's Museum. It's just a white house with a white picket fence and lots of lush foliage from the outside. I have to say I wasn't thrilled about visiting this attraction. But I was pleasantly surprised. We got a personal tourguide who knew more than we ever wanted to know about John James Audubon and the Geiger House which is now called the Audubon House just because Audubon stayed there for a few weeks in 1837. She gave a great speech and the house was beautifully preserved. The Audubon lithographs were stunning in person, and I came away with a new appreciation for one of our earliest conservationists.

The tropical gardens surrounding Audubon House are nice too, although their billing as "the best tropical garden in Key West" make it kind of a letdown. But the yard is great, beautiful enough for people to book their weddings there all the time. If you like orchids, then visit Audubon House. They have them growing on tree trunks there.

The gift shop is beautiful but not the place to pick up that cheap trinket souvenir of your Key West vacation. Items for sale include precious bird sculptures and prints of Audubon's work that cost in the hundreds. Some of the nicest things are the cards featuring his birds from Florida.

Birding at Dry Tortugas

After almost two years of living in Key West, and five years of visiting the Keys, we finally made it out to Dry Tortugas. Parents visiting, the perfect time to go. And BONUS: LOCALS' DICOUNT!!! It's half price for locals until mid December I think. That's $75 plus some fees making it closer to $80. Excellent.

Let me just say that the guide was the best ever. I wish I could remember her name because she is so good at her job. She's a scientist, a park ranger I think, and she's hired by Yankee Fleet to tell us about the Dry Tortugas and the wildlife we encounter on the way and while we're there. She loves birds, so she brings a telescope to the fort and sets it up on the beach. There are two smaller islands near the island where Fort Jefferson is located. One had tons of peregrine falcons on it and the other had frigates. She knew all about the plight of various bird species in the area. She pointed out and counted boobies on a nav marker as we approached the fort by boat. She had stories, facts, and anything you wanted to know.

Benihana's Key West

What happened to Benihana's? Just five months after reopening, it's gone downhill from the fabulous experience with delicious food it first was. After being shut down after Hurrican Wilma, Benihana's Key West finally reopened Spring of 2008. We went one week after reopening and there was an exciting buzz about the place. It was jam packed, the chefs were excited, and the food was delicious and plentifull. Now, in October, it changed, at least for us on that night it was our experience.

With a party of four, we got an 8-person table to ourselves, which gave us more elbow room. The waitress was attentive and very nice, but hard to hear above the noise. The chef was disappointing and hardly did any tricks or made any jokes. He just kind of cooked the food and made some pathetic jokes. Our fist visit was so good because the chef worked off any type crowd and handled some very hungry people, who'd been waiting an hour and a half for food. This guy could hardly make the onion volcano! He was not even paying attention, kept looking around the room and over our collective shoulder.

The yakisoba was not good at all! Yuck, blechho sauce poured all over it, and just mostly cabbage. Two orders of yakisoba got one paper thin piece of chicken the size of a saucer between them. Benihana's is trying to save money by handing out itty bitty pieces of chicken? The filet mignon and Hibachi steaks were tiny as well. Ripoff!!!

I just wouldn't recommend it anymore, but maybe it was just the one chef. And don't order the yakisoba. The beef is great, but there's not enough of it. And why take a chance you get the bored chef? Cross it off the list.

Allison Stokke Approach Action

Allison Stokke

Sexy women in pole vault

Stop off at Walt Disney World on Your Way to Key West

Key Westers are used to having house guests.  When you live on a tropical island, everyone wants to visit!  A nice vacation for folks up north is to drive down, or fly into Orlando where the airfare is cheap, then rent a car to drive to Key West.  The bonus of driving or flying into Orlando is that you get to stop off at Walt Disney World.   Walt Disney World Vacations may not necessarily be on your agenda if you're coming to Key West, but with the drive/fly combo, you get two vacations on one.  

Walt Disney World is actually pretty interesting for all ages, not just kids and parents.  Disney Theme Park Tickets are worth it for the food alone!  You'll sample German, Chinese, Japanese, Morroccan and French Cuisine just at Epcot Center!   With a Small World created around a lake featuring ferry rides from "country" to "country", you can explore the cuisine of the world.  From a German Beer House with long tables and large steins of beer where you can watch the oompah show, to the other side of the lake where you'll feast on sushi and sashimi.  

Disney world Tickets are easy to purchase, either online or at the gate, and you'll get a full day's worth of entertainment, excellent food, and happy memories to last a lifetime.  

Another Amanda Beard Sexy Bikini

Sexy women athlete Amanda Beard in sexy bikini

Top Sexy Women In Sports Today

1. Ana Ivanovic
2. Amanda Beard
3. Natalie Gulbis
   
4. Venus Williams
5. Allison Stokke
   

Enjoy!