FLORIDAZE

Yesterday children, Miss Vero was a little, well let's just say frustrated. We sure do like to spend time on the internet playing connect the news stories and find the cool graphics and especially look at how stoopid something/someone is, to share with y'all, but honestly we just couldn't find anything worth our time and that has been happening more and more lately. Especially when it comes to Vero Beach. More often than not we are t'd off and steamed about big time politics like this: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=5344932

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00168

Thanks a lot Senator Mel Martinez and Senator Bill Nelson (a Democrat!) and even you, Mr. Barack Obama for bringin that frog to a boil! And y'all know what that means, right?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_frog

Anyhoo, we get all riled and then we forget to have fun or we find ourself having to self medicate with the appropriate alkeeholic libations. So we've decided that we should digress and regress a little today and remember happier Florida times, all of which have nothing to do with Vero Beach.

MY-AM-AH

(Miami)

When Miss Vero was a little thing, our Granmamie would take us to My-am-ah to go shoppin at Burdines, which was the biggest and best damn department store in the world, as far as we were concerned. It was pretty big in those days and since Burdines was founded by Confederate war veteran, Mr. William Burdine in 1898, we thought it had been there forever, when actually it was opened only two years after the city of Miami itself was established. And of course when we traveled down there from the remote and bucolic Broward County we passed the Coppertone sign that was animated by moving lights, the little dog tuggin at the little girl's britches. For us and many other folks, seeing that sign meant that you had arrived in Miami.

This is what it looks like now.

And that's pretty much how we've been feeling. It's why we're frustrated with Florida, why we know that growth is going to happen, why we're so mad at Carl Hiaasen for playin golf at Quail Valley and why it doesn't feel like Florida anymore.

Imagine living here without air conditioning like Miss Vero's Grandmamie. It weren't no bother, the uncovered terrazzo floors were always cool on our bare feet. The ceiling fans were forever thumpin and we slept with the jalousie windows opened to let in the scent of night blooming jasmine breezes. We really did pick oranges off the trees to juice them and coconuts hung from the palms before the blight took the them. It was the paradise that the postcards promised.

Too many places are gone now, Florida doesn't have a sense of history for those that don't remember it. The Trains and routes that brought everything here have been forgotten like the little towns passed over for interstates and worship of our car culture. Our downtowns are still there, most built around the discarded train stations, but we can't or won't see the value.

There is some good news after all, the sign might be saved by some concerned preservationists. Maybe by some one like Barbara Capitman, who lobbied Washington to get Art Deco buildings in Miami Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. No small feat considering her opponents to her preservation plan were The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, City Hall, The Board of Realtors and the Miami Beach Resort Association. She has been credited with saving the treasures of Miami Beach's art deco district one of which is the Cardoza, purchased in 1992 by none other than Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

http://www.miamiherald.com/548/story/171093.html

http://www.cardozohotel.com/

Our little Coppertone girl just needs a little nip and tuck and hunnies, we sure do know what that feels like: http://www.miaminights.com/coppertone-sign-safe-for-now-5211.phtml

Thanks so much for all the luvin! Y'all have cheered us up and reminded us why we're bloggin. Have a groovy weekend kids we'll be back again on Monday!

MWAH!

missvero@live.com