Okay, I've got a few people who are getting a little antsy here for an update so I guess I'll give them one so they don't hijack my TR!!!
So we are on our 8th day of vacation and our 4th full day on Marco Island.
First, let me tell you ahead of time...there are NO pictures. I had the camera with me all day but forgot to take pictures.
So today was girls day. Nicki and I had been looking forward to this day for a long time. We arranged it that Nicki would pick me up at 8 a.m. so we could stop at Starbucks for our coffee on our way to the outlet malls for SHOPPING!
Nicki picked me up around 8:10 (she hit almost every red light on the way from Naples to the Island). We stopped at Starbucks. Nicki insisted she was buying my coffee. So Nic asked what I wanted. As I started to tell her she said to me, "you better just order it." Now, it's really not that complicated, but obviously Nic thought it was. Normally, on the weekend I get two on the weekends, but decided to just get one since there was a Starbucks at the outlet mall and I knew we'd get one there as well.
So we both had our drinks and decided rather than sit and drink it that we would head to our first outlet mall even though it wouldn't be open until 10 a.m. We arrived at the outlet mall around 9:15 or so if I remember correctly and walked from our parking spot through to the other side of the mall, noting what stores their were, etc., and stopped at Starbucks for a second coffee. It was REALLY hot already so Nicki got a cold one and I got another hot one. And for all the curious minds following along, I order a Venti Non-fat, 1/2 decaf, wet cappucino. I'm not supposed to have caffeine, but I get a really bad headache if I drink strictly decaf.
So we sat inside and enjoyed our coffee and talked about my dad and how I still missed him so much and Nicki told me about how she had to get up and talk at her grandpa and uncle's funeral services. We both were a little teary eyed when we were done.
Then it was time to SHOP! I cannot remember every store we went to but we did go to Dress Barn, a lingerie shop or two, Coach Purse shop and, of course, the Disney Outlet store.
Here's what I bought at this first stop (yes, I did take pictures of these items when I got home):
I got this blouse at the Dress Barn for a really good cost:
Got this at the Disney Outlet Store for $2.99 for the set:
I also got this cute t-shirt for $6.99, but I didn't take a picture of it when I took pics of all my souvenirs (but here is me wearing it on the day we departed). It says "lovebirds" up on top with some birds and then Mickey and Minnie are on the bottom (I doubt you can see much of the detail):
From there we went to another mall. We hit another lingerie store, a Pier One, a Yankee Candle and Sephoria. I picked up a candle and holder for our gracious condo owners as a thank you gift; I also purchased the hand lotion that Disney carries in a larger size for home and some OPI nail polish. We also went to the
Disney Store, but they didn't have anything that caught my eye.
Nicki and I were now getting hungry and we decided to go to Thank God It's Friday's. We ordered a Diet Coke (me) and an iced tea for Nicki. We were both craving a good cheeseburger and that's what we went with along with french fries. I have to tell you it was REALLY, REALLY good. We decided to skip dessert because we were going to stop at another Starbucks for our "afternoon delight."
So we left TGIF's and started on the road back to Marco Island to sit outside and have our afternoon beverage. It started to rain...just a typical Florida afternoon rain shower with the sun still shining. We got to a stop light and we were talking about what time we were going to dinner tonight and that we would meet Nicki and Todd at the restaurant (and we promised not to get lost this time).
All of a sudden, my head goes forward and Nicki says to me, "
did you feel that?" We had been hit from behind and the impact was so hard that we went into the car in front of us. Nic asked if I was okay and I said yes and I asked her if she was okay. She was crying...not because she was hurt, but because she was so angry.
First, she felt so bad that I was in the car with her and second this was the SECOND time she had been hit in four months. She just couldn't get over it. Nicki called 911 immediately (something the clown who hit us did not do or the lady in front of all--they called a boss and a relative). Nicki asked again if I was all right and I said my neck hurt a little but other than that I was fine. Nicki's bosom hurt because the seat belt on impact became very tight. The police arrived and first wanted to know if we were okay. Nicki tld them my neck hurt and her **** hurt but other than that we were fine. The medics came and wanted to know if we wanted to be checked out but we both declined; my neck pain had basically gone away by then and I was more worried about Nic. She was beginning to hyperventilate because she was crying so hard because she had talked to Todd and she was so upset. She kept telling me she was sorry. I kept tellng her it wasn't her fault and she had nothing to be sorry about. She kept saying, but you are in the car with me, and I kept telling her if she said it one more time I was NOT going to dinner with her that night. I was trying to lighten the mood and failing miserably.
Then all three drivers got out of the car and she told me to stay in the car because there was too much traffic. Yeah, right...like I was going to stay in the car while she is hyperventilating on me. We checked the damage and, of course, Nicki's car took the brunt of it. The police blocked all traffic and had the three cars pull into the pizza parlor parking lot.
By this time it was no longer just a Florida shower, but it was pouring. Again, I was told to stay in the car. No, I don't think so best friend of mine. I got Nicki's umbrella and got out of the car with the rest of them. The police officer talked to each driver, looked at each of the cars to note the damage and to get everyone's driver's license and insurance info. The guy who hit us at some point indicated that a car pulled out of a parking lot and pulled in front of him to turn and by the time he saw us he couldn't stop. He also made a comment a bout being "
late for a wedding. It seems he was a photographer on the way to a wedding for a photo shoot. Now, don't you think you'd give yourself plenty of time to get to a wedding if YOU were the photographer? My theory is he was on the cell phone and NOT paying attention. The woman that we ran into had minor damage to her car.
As we were waiting for the police to finish up the reports, the boss of the man who hit us showed up. As I was standing there he made a comment and I really just wanted to slap him. He said, "people need to learn how to drive in Florida with the rain, etc." He was insinuating that it was Nicki's fault for the accident. I turned around and said to him, "she has lived here for over ten years...she knows how to drive in Florida." "And on top of that, we were at a complete stop at a stoplight and we weren't the one who rammed into anyone.
The police informed Nicki that the guy who hit us would be the one getting the ticket and she should call her insurance company, etc.
We checked the trunk to be sure our packages were not all over the place, etc., and found that the trunk could no longer be closed. Our packages were fine and we got in the car. And, to lighten the mood, I said, "
We are still going to Starbucks, aren't we?" That got a laugh out of Nicki and we started on our way. We took our time as Nicki was still shaking. After we got to Starbucks, we ordered our drinks adn Nicki called Todd to tell him where we were and that after she dropped me off she would be home. Todd asked to talk to me because Nicki said he wanted to be sure I was okay. I think he wanted to see how I was but he wanted to see how Nicki was because she was still crying off and on. I told him I was fine, but that she was not--she was just so upset and she was crying so hard that she scared me to death. I reassured him I was fine and Nicki would be okay and I'd see him that night.
We sat outside and drank our drinks and talked about the accident and what a jerk the guy was that hit us. We then made the drive back to Marco Island and confirmed dinner time and that we were both going home to rest before then. We both needed a nap.
So there you have it: "Did you feel that?, Late for a Wedding, and We are Still Going to Starbucks, Aren't we?" The good news is Mark wasn't in the car after his neck surgery--that would NOT have been a good thing. And the best news is that nobody was seriously hurt. Yes, the car was damaged big time, but that's why you have insurance--so they can be fixed. I'd rather a car be fixed than me or my best friend. It certainly was an unusual end of our "girls day out."
And this concludes the part of the title of this TR -- Test Track Moves to Naples.


Nicki: If I missed anything please feel free to add it. And I LOVE YOU!
Up next, our last dinner with Nicki and Todd.