We’re returning to the normal day in, day out lifestyle after spending a week in Florida. I’m catching up with yard work, washing clothes, and sorting out bills. I run across several charges marked Charlie Lahan’s Car. They’re not small charges either. Who the hell is Charlie Lahan and why did we give him so much money? It only took a few seconds to figure it out. Car is short for Carousel.

One of the sweetest perks to staying at Panama City this year rather than Grayton Beach was the Carousel. About a mile down the road, it had everything a vacationer could ask for. There was a fairly well stocked grocery, a gift shop, and a liquor store attached to the side. To top it off, they boasted a wine cellar, which was very well equipped to accommodate our needs. I even bought our bait there. Cigarettes were only $3 a pack. Paradise.

I’m not sure if I can calculate exactly how much wine was consumed, but I know that two full cases were purchased (one by Josh, the other by Dad), and I bought seven bottles on our first day there. We found some decent French wine at $13 a magnum that could always be found in the fridge. Josh brought in some big guns, including a bottle of ice wine. He really liked saying Chateauneuf du Pape over and over again. It was good stuff, but I think he liked saying it almost as much as drinking it. Dad made a trip and returned with several nice whites, including the elusive Ken Forrester Sauv, which was worth the wait. I even picked up a Cavit big boy, just because.

We had plenty of wine, but it wasn’t all about the party. Florida is one of the two times a year we all come together and do family things. Throughout the daytime hours, we would go about our business. But when the evening rolled around, we all gathered and shared the day’s events over some wine. I look forward to those times and try to squeeze the most out of each day shared with family. That’s not to say there aren’t some tense moments, but it comes with the territory. Hell, I spent two days with my own family at Thanksgiving and my brother and I almost came to blows. We’ll probably still remember Dad’s attempt at a southern drawl at Katya’s graduation. I’ll share the tradition with my kids someday, and hopefully they’ll do the same. So tonight I raise my glass to family. It ain’t always easy, but the wine helps.

This will be my third consecutive year to make the journey over to the Florida panhandle for a week of fun, sun and alcohol with the Boyd family. This year holds new surprises as we will continue to travel past Grayton Beach to Carillon, just north of Panama City. The new house is beach front and has an elevator and a built in wine fridge! I’m posting a few pictures from previous years to help build the excitement. I will try to post while away, but I cannot guarantee anything.

Congratulations to the Callaway family! Little Owen Wyatt J. Callaway was born In early May, to proud parents Jay and Evelyn. We visited baby and mom in Austin last weekend, and both are doing very well. Sorry we missed dad, but we’ll have plenty of interaction once fantasy football starts.

To break in the new vehicle, Fiona and I loaded up and drove to Austin for the 4th. It’s nice to get away once and awhile, even if it is only for a couple of days. We arrived on Thursday night to attend Wahoo’s semi-annual party. Wahoo’s has become a staple of our Austin trips since John and Gayna discovered it a couple years ago. It was wild to see a fish taco restaurant transform into a nightclub; complete with a DJ, dancing, and snow cones with flavored vodka. Annie stopped by to visit too.

We slept in and hit the pool on Friday before heading out to Dripping Springs to see the family. Mom and Elena drove a U-Haul up to Jennifer’s new place. It was great to see everyone. Even though I’m fully a Houstonian, I still miss the Valley from time to time. My nephew Waylon has gotten so big, and he’s into everything. He’ll be two in September, and I’m hoping there will be a party for him.

Saturday, we hit Isolation Station, home of the Scroggins. They were still celebrating the holiday, and we had a great time by the pool with the Reeds, Kelly’s sister Lisa. and Patty and her family. Kudos to Scroggins, who ironically was the “last man standing.” I really enjoy the hill country. It’s amazing how many stars you can see when you’re away from the city. I picked up a twelve pack of the new BudLight Lime, and it was really good. We saw a winery on the way home that we’ll have to add to our Texas wine tour.

Fiona finally talked me into trading in the Altima. We are now the proud owners of a 2009 Nissan Murano with most of the bells and whistles. Since it is somewhat champagne in color, we decided to christen the vehicle Bubbles. To commemorate the new addition to the family, I purchased two bubbly wines; a Vouvray-Chateau Moncontour, and Principessa Perlante-from the Gavi Vineyards in Italy.