My computer died and needed a transplant! or How I met Sweet Pete’s

My beloved iMac needed surgery and just got a new hard drive.  Is that considered heart surgery for computers, or is it brain surgery?!   I don’t get it … Aren’t Apples supposed to be better than oranges in that respect? !  Aren’t they supposed to be above all that mundane suffering?!

Friendly and super cute! One of the girls working at Sweet Pete’s in Jacksonville, Florida.  She stopped for the picture without hesitation or even being asked!

Two or three months ago my computer started acting sluggish and it only got worse with time.  When we got to Florida, it pretty much stopped working, it was making these painful noises, like if it was struggling to breathe… I was heartbroken.  The last days have been frustrating, I had missed blogging and didn’t want to lose momentum. The fact that I was finally posting on a more regular basis (at least compared to my own self!) made me feel more confident and kind of hopeful for at least consistency, until I find my substance…

What a wonderful place to be!

We have been dealing with The Geek Squad, she and I . Actually, she had to deal with them more than I ’cause she was the one who had to stay overnight in the Jacksonville store while I went back to St. Augustine.  To say that I was surprised to find out St Augustine didn’t have a Best Buy store is an understatement!  Who doesn’t have a Best Buy?!  Not that I like that store particularly. Actually, I don’t. But in this day and age, you can’t survive without an Apple store and one with a geek squad nearby, can you?!…  Well, I know! Jacksonville is nearby….I get it!  Who can survive without that kind of stores I asked?! Answer to self: Those who live with beautiful, white sandy beaches in their front and backyards and don’t want anything to ruin that!  That’s who! and that’s why I’m moving here!  Duh!  Because it reminds me of my absolutely beautiful city, Trujillo, in Peru, were I was born and where I grew up, the way the city was during my childhood…but that is a subject for another post!  PERU  (Where the heck is the accent wordpress people?!  -I know where the accent is. Don’t answer. I just don’t want to switch keyboards all the time)  Today I tried to use my computer with its brand new heart, or brain, or heart …whichever! only to realize it was still slow, but in a different way. It might have to do with the internet speed. Tomorrow I’ll have to call the  geek squad again and deal with those mundane maladies. ( The viruses, not the actual geeks!) Actually, the Geek Squad said it was the hard drive, no viruses.

Arriving to Sweet Pete’s after a little struggle finding a parking space.

I walk to the corner to get a better angle.

…and there it was!

The good news for me was that because I had to go to Jacksonville every day -only a 40 minute drive- I had plenty of opportunity to visit SWEET PETE’S, a one of a kind candy store that was featured in THE PROFIT (I like MARCUS LEMONIS! he seems to be a very nice guy)  It was one of my favorite episodes and I really, REALLY, despised the bad guy and I really, REALLY liked the good guy, PETE!

Almost there! I wanted to meet Pete, but more than anything, I wanted to meet the bad guy, so I could make him an offer he couldn’t refuse… at the same time I had the hope that they were able to get rid of such a negative and shady partner and that he wasn’t going to be around anymore.

I had a great time taking pictures and admiring everything. What a great, happy and colorful place to be! full of old fashion hand made candy and joyful children young and old!!! That Sunday I was actually dropping family at the airport and had a really nice brunch there at Sweet Pete’s, all by my self, it was Father’s Day.  The only sad note was missing my husband with whom I spoke several times that day, and I was missing my dad… But I couldn’t do anything about that. I haven’t been able to do anything about that for almost four years in September.

Finally I was here! I wasn’t planning to come that day, but took advantage of the situation to make my bucket list shorter. My secondary bucket list. The one you make mentally as you go, while you watch a program, read an article or hear a conversation. “I have to make sure I visit that restaurant/store/museum/cafe/etc” Not the one where you have: “Dance a Tango with Al Pacino in the Oak Room” ( I cried when I learned it closed for good…)   “Have Breakfast at Tiffany’s”  (I don’t have the top of Mount Everest in mine. Hell no)

Dance a Tango with Al Pacino at The Oak Room…. This was a moment in time, for sure.

…Will never come true… but it happened many times in my mind!

Have Breakfast at Tiffany’s… in the past 😉

… But there is always something special in all the little moments that conform our lives. I believe it is as I say at the beginning of this blog: “Life is all about the little moments and the little things”  Don’t you think so?… ( And I share mine, here, in my little Castle of Dreams..)

There is something about TV that make things more special. They become more than places. It’s more about the people and the history behind it, than the places themselves.

It reminded me a little of my second  Window Display at school! 

You see? I knew already how the store came about and how deserving the owner was of the success!

If it wasn’t about the people and their stories these places would remain only places, cute stores but they couldn’t compete with spaces like this Starbucks cafe in London…. Next picture please.

This is a freaking Starbucks for god’s sake! (yes, god’s with lower case, I wouldn’t take His name for this, I’m talking about the lesser gods people!)
How I would love to have my store, my imaginary store here! I would decorate the heck out of it and I’d would have crazy fun creating the most beautiful window displays!!!!  You lost me… I’m already dreaming….

Lo-ve-ly!

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Ready! I’m gonna have me some brunch! (Just trying to sound like a southerner!)

My coffee, waiting for my tomato, Kalamata olives and feta Omelet.

The Cafe is a concession, I was disappointed! That might explain why they have only one Willy Wonka picture up there looking too small and out of scale..

That girl is gorgeous! the one with the hot pink tank top.

This pretty girl.

When I took the picture I wasn’t focusing on anything in particular but when I saw it latter on at home I thought I might have annoyed some people with my pictures! So sorry, nobody seemed to mind..

Oops! I think I did looking at her expression..

I love windows and what you can see through them

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This is probably the part where you want to run! This is where my love of pictures is unleashed and I go crazy sharing them…. still, if you are like me… I hope you enjoy them!

Isn’t this cute?!  You can see it from the outside in the next picture

Second floor, the balcony on the left

His and hers…

and one more for little bear!

I forgot to mention, I didn’t try any candy! It didn’t even come to mind. That is so me. I can go to a place for something and come back with everything else but that. One of my kids has a good story about me going to buy coffee…

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OMG!

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I run to the door/window just to see the view it framed!

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That mom and baby were so precious!

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Old fashion cotton candy! and GORGEOUS CHANDELIERS!!!

A red chandelier among many!

Jewels hanging from the ceiling..

Happy Father’s day guys!!!!  Look at his backpack full of baby stuff! What about the pink blanket and precious cargo in his hands?!  Who wouldn’t melt at this sight?

What a pretty sight! Those adorable green dresses…

Aren’t grandpas the best?!

What a blessing to be able to be together three generations or even more..

I need more color in my life!

It’s all about family.

Surrounded by trees..

Looking at everything through the eyes of a child… Priceless

Can I give you a hug?..

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I love Visual Merchandizing! After my first window at school they sent me to a store to do their windows!

Color and more color!

It’s a colorful life!

Shall we go to the third floor?

Yes, Let’s!

Be careful, it looks a bit dark in the camera…

Of course there is an elevator! It is prettier this way though !

Too many pictures of the same thing right?… sorry! I couldn’t capture the light coming through the pretty window!

Here is where they teach groups how to make candy and also host some showers and parties! It wasn’t being used but of course they let us tour it 😉

Impecable!

One of the many nooks and crannies of the place

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What a great place for children to learn and open their imagination!

Perhaps if given the choice, one would rather be at the Café de Flore

Café de Flore…

Or Les deux Magots

Omelettes au Les Deux Magots…

Having croissants `a Paris. But you do what you have to do, find the beauty of each moment and each place, it is all we have. NOW.

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It’s time to go, Pete wasn’t there, I was told he is around all the time, I’m planning to go back to see if I get to meet him! At least I got to see that Pete in the picture and it was enough for now…

Good bye friends! Come and visit again! This is one guy who created many jobs and helped revitalize downtown. All downtowns need that. Thanks Pete!