raw oysters, lobster, sunset, and splashing

Hello all. I am currently digesting lobster tail with mango-cognac butter and chocolate fondant souffle + chocolate truffles, all courtesy of "Pisces" restaurant in Key West. Amazing! Well, and pricey. But totally worth it. I have admitted to Bret that I have a weakness for the "finer things in life"...luckily, I do not mind paying for my weakness, and he doesn't mind tagging along. He enjoyed an endive-goat cheese salad and a yellow-tail snapper with shrimp dish, as well as Creme Brulee for dessert. Also very yummy.

After the decadent dinner, we headed down to Malory Square where we got a glimpse of the sunset. For those of you who have never witnessed a Key West sunset, there's a reason why it is so famous. There's nothing like staring at a glowing fireball amidst dramatic clouds sink into the glistening ocean.

Two nights ago we tried to see the sunset, but we got distracted. You see, after a disappointing day of fishing and not catching a damn thing (and Bret burning his back due to poor sunblock application), we wanted a good adventure. We decided: what would be more Keys-appropriate and daring than a batch of raw oysters? I love these little critters, though I know that they can be a bit dangerous re food poisoning. We searched online and found several enticing raw bars in Key West. Raw bars tend to really overdo the whole raw food thing. They give you all these extra sauces to cover up the taste. But take my word for it: a little lime and slurp it down! No extra sauces needed.

After our dinner, we dove into the pool at the restaurant. It was a lovely and festive evening. There was a happening bar scene full of locals, a puppy, and good music. But we were soon told to get out of the pool because it was closed and they were "shocking" it with chemicals. We didn't ask what that meant. For fear of turning radioactive, we rushed over to the showers and left for a walk. If our hair suddenly falls out, we'll sue Dante's Raw Bar.

Walking around Key West at night is one of the most exciting things to do. There are cute shops, colorful people, and lots of outgoing individuals. One of those outgoing individuals is "Paul Goodhead," the man who either (1) scammed us into giving him 20 bucks, or (2) legitimately works for the Hyatt in some odd/ overly generous marketing promotion. As we were strolling about, Paul shouts at us:

Paul: Hey, are you on your honeymoon?
Us: Yeah, how did you know?
Paul: Oh, you just have the look of love in your eyes!
Us: (bashful chuckles)

He then goes on to tell us that the Hyatt has opened up a new location and that after a 90 minute presentation, we would get free wine and three 50 dollar vouchers to spend on the island. While the whole thing sounds incredibly suspicious, we decided that it might be worth it. Our appointment is at 11 am on Friday, and we have already given him the "refundable 20 dollars"...He showed us his I.D. and told some guy on a walkie-talkie (presumably the man is also affiliated with the Hyatt) that we'll be going on Friday. The papers and brochures he gave us look legitimate, but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if I just lost 20 dollars to a conartist. We'll keep you posted!!!