LauderKids

Ok, so there's this new Pixar flick called "UP!" right? Haven't seen it yet but friends say it's pretty funny. But it's also the best word to use about my most incredible adventure of the summer so far. Most deff, I was totally "UP!"

Hi again, blog buds - it's Isabella back to finish the story I started in my last blog. Remember I was talking about all those exciting things I was doing with my BFF Juliette? Like scuba diving and riding the Water Taxi. Remember that? But we also went parasailing together. Which was completely amazing.

Oh ... yeah. I guess I should tell you something else, since we're friends, ok? I also texted Bryan back this week. I still think he's lame but we're going to get together anyway around the 4^th of July. Just so I can get him to stop bothering me. ;-)) More about all that in a sec. Because now I want to tell you how cool parasailing really is.

So Juliette and I took the Sun Trolley to the beach. We saved up our allowances and everything so we could do this special thing. We just go to this one place and pay our money and pretty soon there we are. In the middle of the wide ocean on a fast boat. Well, not really in the middle of the ocean but it was exciting anyway. Then we both get strapped into this thick harness thingie that holds us to the parachute. We'll be floating way up in the air soon. And we're looking at each other like, "Is this REALLY a good plan??!" Gulp.

If you've never been parasailing, it's just this huge, huge parachute that lifts you into the sky, right off a moving boat! You go flying around in the air as the parachute keeps you up, up, up! But the parachute is still hooked to the boat so it's really great because the boat pulls you all around. Like water skiing 300 feet in the air! LOL.

So Juliette and I are all strapped in side by side. Then the guy driving the boat really hits the gas and - woo-hoo! Before we knew anything else, we're taking off into the clouds. It's a major thrill ride when the wind grabs you and carries you straight up totally fast! I think we both screamed, kinda, sorta. Maybe... a little. :-)

But then we looked around at the beautiful scene everywhere. It was Fort Lauderdale, way down below us! I never saw this city look so totally amazing before. Always beautiful, but not like this. Because there we were, blog amigos, hanging under a parachute in the blue sky, just some straps keeping us from falling into the sea. And the beach and the shops and the hotels all were sparkling so bright in the sunshine. Wow! Major rush.

You get to stay up in the sky a long time as the boat buzzes around, pulling you behind it on that rope. The wind blows through your hair and you see the tiny people below you swimming in the ocean. Scary? At first, yeah. But you get used to it pretty fast. J and I were talking and laughing like crazy up there. You know, like, "Whoa! Look at that big old ship out there! It looks so small!" And, "This just makes you feel so totally free, ya know?" Stuff like that. Finally, we had to come down and they reeled us back in to the boat on that rope. When we landed on the boat deck, J just says, "Awwwwwwe-some!" She was right.

That same night, I got another (!!) text from Bryan. I guess this guy won't ever quit. It said, "Plz, pleez, pleeeez! Meet 4 ice cream? Pleeeeeez! :)" So this time, I texted back. "OK, OK! Whatever. When?" Then it seemed like we had about 50 texts back and forth. Anyway, we're going to get ice cream on the beach this Sunday. No biggie, right?

I just hope I like Bryan better this time. He was such a major jerk at the mall. But I have to admit, he is kinda cute too!! LOL!! Next week I'll tell you how it goes and everything, ok? Stay tuned, blog-o-buds. Believe me, I don't think I'll be falling in love or anything, ya know?? The only fireworks I'm going to see will be the ones they shoot off at the beach this weekend for the 4^th of July. Hahaha!!!! See ya next week!!

Hi again everyone! It's your faithful blogger Isabella. Back for more adventure. And I really really DO mean adventure, blog buds! Last week was the best thing so far this whole year. I've already done so much this summer even if the summer has hardly started at all. So listen to this because everything I did last week was all on the water. Or way high above it.

Or under it. The week started when Dad took Juliette and me on a morning scuba diving trip out in the ocean. He can't dive but he can snorkel. (There's that weird word again that always makes me laugh. Don't know why. Snorkel!! ROFL!) I'm sure you remember that J and I are official certified scuba divers now. Dad was so nice. He just says, "I want you and Juliette to get some practice. So I'm taking tomorrow off work and we'll go on a dive trip, ok?" Like, YES! I texted Juliette and she was so excited too, just like me. My dad even paid for both of us. He really can be pretty cool even if he gets a little uncoordinated sometimes like on that Segway a couple weeks ago. Remember that? Haha.

The dive boat took us to this way beautiful coral reef near the coast of Fort Lauderdale. We put on our scuba tanks and all our strange equipment and stepped into the deep, clear blue sea. Cool! Once you're underwater, all that equipment feels lighter than a feather.  And it lets you stay under there for the longest time to watch everything really close up. Big rays and schools of small pretty fish going by. And then this huge monster grouper fish swims up near Juliette and so J just looks over at me like, "Can you believe this??!" We only went down about 30 feet and Dad was snorkeling above us anyway. It was totally safe. But also totally amazing. Definitely worth getting out of bed at 6am to do this.

The very next day we took a ride on the big yellow Water Taxi! Not Dad this time but just Juliette and me. And ... unfortunately, J's little brother Spencer had to come with us. But it was ok and still lots of fun. We all walked over from their house together because the Water Taxi stops near the gigantic 17^th Street bridge and that's pretty close to where we all live. Then we just hopped on and went everywhere around town. In a boat!

The guy on the boat talks about everything you see along the way. About all these awesome mansion homes owned by these famous rich guys and some movie stars live in some of them too. There's even this big old white house in the middle of the Intracoastal Waterway and it looks just like the real White House in Washington where the Obamas live. Well, not just like it - but a little like it anyway. :-)

We stopped on Las Olas and walked to Kilwin's for ice cream. All I can say is that it's the best! Mmmmm. Luckily, Spencer was too busy texting all his friends to make his goofy, dorky eyes at me like he's in love or something. (I also think he's mad at me because I don't talk to him that much or whatever. Yeah, right! He's 12 and I'll be 15 next month. Get real, Spencer!!!) After we hopped back on the Water Taxi, I got this lame text from Bryan too. It's about the third time he's texted to tell me all this pathetic stuff about how beautiful I am and everything. I totally deleted all his texts and SO barely even read them.

But the very best, most amazing and totally awesome part of my week was still ahead, blog amigos!! I'll have to save that part of my story for the next blog, ok? Sorry! But I won't keep you in suspense either because that's not fair. So I'll just say that we went parasailing ... Up, up in the sky on a real parachute, hanging high above the Atlantic Ocean!! So I sure hope you'll want to hear all about that next week, all right? Can't wait to tell you about one of my most exciting, scariest adventures ever!!! BFN! :-))

That was Juliette's tweet and I read it early in the morning. So I clicked on her "visitlauderdale" link and then clicked again for some blog. I started reading about these beautiful butterflies and guess what? They're at this place called Butterfly World. I went there two summers ago with Juliette and her dorky brother Spencer. But we had a great time even if he was with us. The blog talks about "piano key butterflies" and hummingbirds and other totally amazing things at this totally amazing place. So I tweet back: "Butterflies and hummingbirds too! Gotta go back to Butterfly World with my BFF!! ;-)" Yes, this was how it all started, blog buds.

Two days later, Juliette and I were riding on our way to Butterfly World again. No Spencer this time! Yay!!! Her mom dropped us off and went shopping for a couple hours so we could be alone. Big thanks to J's mom for that one. Except here's what happened.

We get there and go straight to the Paradise Adventure Aviary, which that Fort Lauderdale blog talks all about too. This is like a huge, huge garden surrounded by screens so the butterflies and hummingbirds don't fly away. There's a waterfall and ponds and this rock tunnel thingie that sprays a mist of water when you walk through it. And butterflies! Thousands of butterflies, flying and floating all around you like beautiful, colorful angels. They also have hummingbirds buzzing everywhere with the butterflies and it's so amazing that I can't even really describe it. You just have to go to Butterfly World if you want to find out what it's really like.

But listen to this. J looks at me and goes, "Let me borrow your cell, ok? Mine just died. I need to text my mom something." That's all she says so I'm thinking like, sure whatever, right? But instead of texting, she starts reading - MY texts! She walks away for a minute like she's texting, then starts laughing so hard. So I say, "What's so funny? Your mom?"

Then I have to admit I got pretty mad about what happened next. Because Juliette says, "You texted Bryan! I knew you would! I knew it!" I mean, she's my best friend ever but that doesn't mean I want her reading all my texts. You know what I'm saying, don't you? Wouldn't you be angry too? I was for sure!! :-{{

You probably remember Bryan from my last blog. He's that really lame guy who actually kissed me in the Galleria Mall the first time we met! And who I only texted to tell him what a total loser he acted like. Here's all I texted him: "Your SO rude!! & SO lame!! Can't believe what u did!!!"  Even if I did misspell "you're" - not good for someone who wants to be a famous writer. LOL. Anyway, I had to let him know that he shouldn't treat girls that way. That's the only reason I texted. I mean really that's the ONLY reason!!

But J wouldn't believe me. "You like Bryan! I could tell at the mall you liked him," and then she's saying all this other stuff about me and this dude who I don't even know. Oh yeah, right - as if!! No way do I like this guy and no way do I want to see him ever again!! That's what I even wrote in my last blog, remember? But Juliette just had to read my texts and then start saying all this goofy stuff.

I won't even tell you what I said to Juliette, except let's just say she knew I was really, really, really mad. But Butterfly World still was totally amazing. Even after our fight. Because J said she was SO sorry and then we both cried and made up like the sisters we almost really are. "Julibella" again, right? But when we went home, I couldn't help writing this blog. Sorry J. I just had to write it down so I don't stay all angry and everything, ok? Hope you understand. And then I posted a special tweet just for her too. It's just some quote from some guy I never heard of before. I found it in one of my dad's books at home. This is what I tweeted, "Special words I found 4 someone special: ‘The only way to have a friend is to be one.' Ralph Waldo Emerson. Still BFFs, ok??" This Emerson guy must be a pretty smart dude, whoever he is. Don't ya think so, Juliette?? :-)) See ya next week!!

Remember I told you I'm writing my first book? About my life growing up in Fort Lauderdale. This blog is for my fun writing that I'm doing just for you. My blog amigos! So I guess I should tell you all about my latest adventure, even if I wouldn't even mention this person in my book. Ever! Like, never, ever!! His name is Bryan and this guy thinks he is just SO cool - even if he is really one of the lamest guys I've ever met in my life, ok?

And if you think I'm getting all weird about him just listen to this. I met him at the mall yesterday for the first time. And he kissed me!! Right there in front of everyone!! Eeeww, so totally and completely gross!! I wanted to take a shower or jump in the ocean or something to wash it off.

Here's how this bizarre, strange thing happened to me. I guess it's not surprising since I told you this was going to be a big "summer of adventure." I just didn't expect adventures like this! LOL! My best friend Juliette and I rode the bus to the Galleria Mall. We both love it there. Great places to eat in the very cool food court that looks like it should be near a canal in Italy. Great stores too with lots of summer sales right now. I can afford to buy some things, even with my pathetic allowance from Dad. ;-)

So then J and I walk around the mall for a while and then decide to go for some gelato in the food court. (I call Juliette just "J" for a nickname pretty often when we're together, as you might remember if you followed my old blogs.) Anyway, there's this dude standing there waiting for some chocolate gelato or whatever. I hardly notice him but he keeps staring at me. Eeew again, right? I'm totally ignoring him, just talking to Juliette. And he goes, "Hi beautiful! Let me buy the gelato for you and your friend here, all right?"

Huh? Or maybe I should say, "Duh!" Like, "Uh, hello!! NO! Duh!" I just say hi to be polite and we order our gelato and pay for it. But this guy keeps hanging around. "I'm Bryan." Like I care. And then he says, "Let me taste that flavor, would you? I've never had green gelato before!" He's all smiling and acting cute like I'm supposed to be really totally impressed. J looks at me and just rolls her eyes and we both laugh and walk away.

Except there's old Bryan, who must be in high school because he looks older, and he won't quit hanging around. He keeps bugging me about where I go to school and he wants my phone number and everything else. Why can't some guys take a hint? Now you won't believe this part! Because Bryan writes down his phone number and shoves it in my hand and then he puts his own dirty spoon into my gelato to take a taste. Can you believe this guy?? Then ... you probably won't even believe me for sure this time. But yes, he really kisses me!! Half on the cheek, half on the lips!! I wanted to slap him but my hands were holding the gelato and I didn't even know what to say or do or anything anyway!!! :-O 

O ... M ... G!!!

Then Bryan does that phone thing with his hand like, "Call me!" and then walks away. Juliette just laughed and laughed. "He's so totally cute! You've GOT to text him," and that kind of stuff she's telling me. All the time now. I just got a text from her while I'm writing this blog: "Text Bryan yet??! LOL!!!" Very funny. There's NO way I'm going to give this crazy guy my cell number, even if he is pretty cute like Juliette said. I hope I never see him for even one second ever again!! Come back next week, blog-o-buds, because you'll find out I'm not kidding, ok? I might want a great "summer of adventure" in Fort Lauderdale ... but definitely not with totally creepy Bryan!!! BFN!!