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What's up, Internet.

Today's installment is gonna sound pretty, damn random, and the weekend excursion that it details certainly was - a last-minute, relatively inexpensive roll of the dice that none of us would have predicted a month ago:

Abby spent the weekend downin Clearwater, Florida.

Allow me to explain.

Ella, sleeping on the early-AM drive to the airport.

Our friend, Courtney, had been wanting to do a mom/daughter trip with her kid, Ella, on the beach to celebrate Ella's 16th Birthday. No amusement parks, no car rentals - just the beach. She found a cheap Airbnb and flight deal because it's the off-season down there and it's a last-minute splurge, so it cost next to nothing to go down there for three nights. Her plan was to leave bright and early on Saturday morning and return bright and early on Tuesday morning ('bright and early' being like 4am - another reason why everything was so damn cheap.) She booked the trip back in early September and kept it a secret from Ella so it could be a birthday surprise or whatever.

Fast forward to like two weeks ago, ish. Courtney texted Kris and asked her if she'd be okay with Abby tagging along, saying that she thinks Ella would have more fun if she had her best friend down there with her, and not just hanging out with her mom ('cause teenagers.) We were okay with it, and PayPal'd her a couple hundred bucks to chip in on flight, lodging and groceries, but we also didn't say anything until Courtney eventually told Ella. 

Finally, about a week ago, Courtney told Ella that they were going to Florida and Abby was coming along as well. Of course mass hysteria followed as both girls began losing their damn minds, and the subsequent few days of 'packing' were comically unorganized (Abby had zero time to pack because her current after-school schedule - which includes pom, honors orchestra, and the Focus newspaper - doesn't see her home most nights until after 8pm.) But, long story short, we managed to get her mostly packed and out the door for a 6am pick-up on Saturday morning. From that point forward, she was Courtney's problem.

Today's installment has lots of pics and video, all from Abby's phone. Since I wasn't down there, you obviously can't expect much in the captioning department, but I'll give it the ol' college try.

Here we go, folks - buckle up. . .

Arriving at the airport.

Not sure why they took of this random person, but okay.

Six, Sevennnn. . . .

Not sure what the deal is with this in-flight snack box, but I can't imagine it was free. . . 

Shortly after landing, the girls updated their new location on their Snapchat map thingy that the app has (I guess, I don't have that app.)

Arriving at their Airbnb for the weekend (Abby said it was about a block from the beach, right on the island.)

After unpacking, the girls did a quick reconnoitering of the beach before heading into town. 

Checking out some of the touristy shops on the island.

I'm sooooo sick of the six/seven thing. Jesus H. Christ.

After hitting up a couple shops, the girls came back to the rental for a quick nap (considering they'd been up since like 4:30am.) Abby fell right asleep, but Ella. . . not so much.

After a power nap, they returned to the beach for a shit-load of pictures and selfies (clearly for flexing on their social media accounts.)

Abby walking off into the sunset.

Taking turns cartwheeling.

Ella's turn.

They wrote this right near the waterline, so, you know, it's gonna last forever.

Not sure what's up with the face, here.

If I had a nickel for every picture that looked exactly like this that I found on Abby's camera reel, I could easily give up teaching (and would in a heartbeat.)

Coming back from their sunset photo shoot on the beach.

Their rental for the weekend.

Not sure what vantage point I'm looking from here. . . .

Abby must have misplaced something, and Ella must have thought Abby's butt looked hilarious. Again, wasn't there, only speculating.

Another screenshot of their Snapchat map thing with their avatars.

The next morning, they evidently went to Dunkin Donuts - a Hough family favorite (well, Kris and the girls - I could care less) - for some morning coffees.

They seem to have spent a solid portion of the morning doing this. And, 'cause they're teenagers, they had to take selfies of themselves doing it.

Lunch break back at the Airbnb.

These kids and their constant need to post on their social media accounts. . .

. . . like this.

At some point in the afternoon, they went out to grab some ice cream at some local joint and posed for this photo-op outside the place.

(Not sure, but I'm pretty sure that's Ella's on the right.)

Seaweed in the shape of a cross? I guess that's worth a picture.

Collecting shells in their Birkenstocks.

Lots of artsy beach pics in this post. . .

Abby and Kingston. Awww. . . .

That's the tackiest shit I've ever seen. But, then again, I'm not a 15-year-old girl, so what the hell do I know.

An artsy pic of a palm tree.

Not sure.

Eating out at some place for what I assume is dinner.

Nice and healthy food option here.

Hey look, it matches.

Sweet 'stache fry, bro.

Some post-dinner shopping. . . somewhere.

Abby posing with a couple dolphin statues. . .

Heading back to the beach for some more sunset pics.

I'm not sure what that is on the horizon - the Tower of Barad Dur?

For the 'Gram.

LOTS of sunset pics.

And a few more with Ella. . . 

Ah, another 'Abby and Kingston' tagging. . .

Rats with wings, and a sunset.

The morning of Day Three. Someone got some sun over the course of the last day.

Mandatory palm tree pic.

A quick selfie before heading out for the last, full day of sight-seeing.

Posing with some hippie-ass turtle.

They went out on some chartered, dolphin-seeing tour in the bay later on in the morning.

Selfie out on the boat.

You can spot the dolphins jumping after the boat in its wake.

Looks like a decent day for it, that's for sure. Definitely better than what we had up here in Michigan this weekend.

Abby described a bunch of these structures on the shoreline as the tour guide passed them and identified them for the passengers. This was some kinda building dating back towards the Seminole Civil War.

One of these houses (not sure which one) belonged to Michael Jackson (the child molester.)

Tom Cruise's penthouse.

More footage from the boat tour.

Don't f*** with Shark Boat.

Back on the beach, grabbing some lunch at some beachside snack joint.

Last sunset pic session of the weekend trip. . .

A little risque, but okay. . . .

I wouldn't go in the water at this time of night (you know, 'cause sharks.)

This looks like the sort of picture Dateline posts as the last picture of someone that was taken shortly before they mysteriously disappeared. . . without a trace.  Anyway, that's the last pic from Abby's random, weekend-long, Florida excursion. Hope you enjoyed it, gang - we'll see ya next time.

- Brian