Day(time) Tripper, A Tampa tribute

I am back from my jaunt to Tampa where I appeared on the syndicated morning TV show, "Daytime!". I was a big girl and boarded the plane on my own leaving the guys for, egads, 28 hours. It was fun! I read magazines. I jotted down blog ideas. I shuttled from the airport to the The Sheraton Riverwalk hotel. I got the whole deal, plane tix and the room, for 300 bucks via Southwest travel specials online. The hotel was nice. I enjoyed using their workout room and computer center. The bed was cushy plush and I could see the studio where I had to be at the next morning, across the river from my hotel room balcony. That was good for a little peace o' mind; I could swim there if I had to!

I was on the sandy soil of my ancestors (The Braddocks, I am told, were among the first hundred non-Spanish white settlers in Florida). My cousin Carol and her husband Larry live about 45 minutes away, in the same town where my dad grew up, and were kind enough to come meet me. We went to the famed Columbia restaurant in Tampa's old Latin-quarter, Ybor city, The Columbia is famous for Old-World Spanish and New-World Cuban cuisine, and has been there since 1905. Our grandparents actually courted there in the late 1920's and early 1930's- yikes! I had an amazing seafood paella and just one little sangria (yum) and plantains.

We stayed for the flamenco dancer show and had a really nice time.
I went back to the hotel to get to bed early for the show. No insomnia haunted me, thank goodness. After a little room service breakfast I went to the studio and hung out in the green room where the super sweet producer, Maureen, came and met me and explained that it was a 4 1/2 minute interview (live to tape)which would go fast. She told me she really enjoyed the book and I was impressed that she had read it.
I hung out in the greenroom to wait until it was my time to go on. I met the hostess, Cyndi, who would be interviewing me. She was funny, telling me she was liking my book, but that it made her want to keep her legs crossed! (She later repeated that line on camera) For our actual interview, she asked a couple of unexpected questions. She asked me right away about my mother (who I haven't seen since I was 14) and questioned whose issue our infertility was. Wha' is she, Barbara Walters?!
She asked probing questions which I am sure makes for more interesting TV and hopefully I rolled with it ok. I felt like we had a nice rapport and I felt relaxed, so that was all good. And then ... it was over!
It was a fun little adventure, but it is also nice to be home and hear the sweet words "I missed you mommy!"