Whenever I have gazed into the ocean-- even when the water was clear, or only tinted with a wisp of turquoise-- the creatures and terrain that my eyes could pick out under the waves looked muddied. I would have told you the fish and rocks and coral were a fuzzy brown, grey or muted green.... more

I never intended to be in the situation I found myself in last Sunday, perched on the edge of a plane’s open door at 2 miles above the earth, clipped to a strapping Italian man nicknamed “the Gladiator.”

I blame it on Linda, my boisterous, beautiful buddy. She has long, dark hair that swings close to her waist and a generous mouth that never lacks for a witty, smart comment.... more

I’ve been having way too much fun.... more

Nevertheless, I think we sometimes get so focused on appearance that we forget the real benefit of exercise; that is, to be healthy and to be able to participate in activities or sports that we want to. If you don’t feel good it’s hard to spring out of bed in the morning and want to celebrate another day of your life – and if you’re not healthy, it’s hard to feel good.... more

“What’s this?” he asked, dangling a handkerchief-size piece of cloth in front of me. I recognized it instantly.... more

You’ve stripped down to a short sleeve shirt.... more

I floated in the lake and chewed on the insides on my mouth while I waited. “How do you stand up?” I asked for the umpteenth time, maneuvering the disobedient wakeboard strapped to my feet.

Paul yelled an answer from the back of the boat.... more

Imagine it’s 1908. The automobile has barely been around for a decade, and driving one at all is thought to be radical. This unproven bit of technology may well leave you stranded, and most people -- sensible people -- believe that horses are a far more trustworthy means of everyday transportation.... more

In the Richard Petty Driving Experience, I got to pilot a NASCAR-style racecar around    the Daytona International Speedway. I reached 146 mph -- wild stuff, for me.

I couldn’t sleep that night.... more

If you’re going to be close to the ocean – which you probably will be, since Florida boasts 1,197 statute miles of coastline, 2,276 statute miles of tidal shoreline, and 663 miles of beaches -- it’s a good betyou’ll also be close to a parasailing operation.

If you’re not used to being up in the air, except maybe when you’re safely encapsulated in a 747, parasailing may sound as radical as eating grasshoppers for breakfast.... more

Paul responded from the living room. “What hurts?”

“Oh, just this comment somebody called Jake sent in to the website.... more

My husband Paul and I bicycled the scenic more

We were soaring high, high enough that the cars on Highway 33 looked like mere toys, high enough to see as many as 20 lakes at once, scattered across the countryside like jewels that had been dropped from the heavens, high enough the billowing clouds looked close enough to touch. The air was sharp and cool, but the sun spread across the plastic window above our heads and lent us some warmth. The white, blade-thin wings of our little plane cut through the sky silently.... more

“You’d probably be okay,” Wylie said, indicating the windsurfing equipment next to the shore.

Right, I thought. My eyes involuntarily darted to the whitecaps on Lake Louisa.... more

The sun became a fiery ball, bleeding pink into the clouds as it dipped closer to the horizon. Our boat glided silently across the tranquil lake. The evening was as relaxing as a double martini, and far healthier.... more

My back ached, but its whimpering was mild compared to the screams coming from my calves and butt. I blinked away the sweat that threatened to blind me, and concentrated on pedaling my bike up Sugarloaf Mountain. Why I – an older, decidedly recreational bike rider – had decided that entering the 37 mile section of the “more

By the time Paul and I stumbled out of bed, brewed our coffee, and drove to the Great Floridian Triathlon, we could see heads bobbing across the vast expanse of water.... more

This morning had that crisp feel that makes you throw open the windows and doors and invite the fresh air inside. I could see the bass striking the surface of the glassy lake behind our house – and they’re hungry enough even a hacker like me can catch them – but we decided to go hang gliding instead of fishing.

After a quick dip in the pool, my husband Paul and I drove to Quest, the small airport south of Groveland that we fly out of, only ten minutes away.... more

I woke to another perfect day. Paul and I scrambled to get in a bicycle ride this morning. The nearby town of Clermont has a trail that winds around Lake Minneola; it links up with other trails and you can take it for literally forty miles.... more