The Next Leg

Well, that week sure went by fast!

Ken and I were talking today about how when we first get here, it’s like the week stretches out in front of us and it feels like forever. Once we hit Wednesday, it just zooms by. Next thing you know, we’re packing up to leave!

It was a fun but very low-key week. Our biggest activity was going to the Speakeasy on Monday and the rest of the time was total vegecation. Even though I don’t work anymore, I told Ken that it was still a true vacation for me because I didn’t have to do laundry or cook meals or take care of any of those little tasks that consume a day. I got to sit out on the balcony and get some serious reading in. Very enjoyable!

Our activities were curtailed a bit by Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hermine. Although it hit on the Gulf Coast (we’re on the Atlantic Coast), we still got the outer edges with some heavy rain and even a tornado warning! The lights in the condo flickered a few times but we never lost power. I was saddened to hear that one person died due to the storm.

We got to hit our very favorite places, including the Sea Shack, Norwood’s, Oceans Seafood, The Breakers (my favorite burger ever!), Toni and Joe’s, Bethune Park to see the manatees, and JB’s Fish Camp. Ken also got to golf one morning and I got to drive the cart, and I had two new bird sightings on the course: a roseate spoonbill and a wood stork! Yay!

It was no surprise that today, the day before we leave, we had the nicest afternoon we had all week. There was actual sunshine and even a beautiful rainbow over the ocean, very close to shore. Hard to believe that just yesterday we were under a tornado warning!

Our next stop will be Newnan, Georgia followed by some activities in Senoia, Georgia on Sunday. Some of you might know the significance of that! I will post more about it soon. I am very excited!

Let the Music Play

Stay with the music

Let it play a little longer

You don’t need anybody

All you need is now

~~ “All You Need Is Now” by Duran Duran

I think this is the first time I’ve ever spent my birthday on vacation and it was truly a special one!

For one thing, I got many wonderful wishes from family and friends on Facebook, including some fun memes ranging from this one to Donald Sutherland from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” to a picture of Simon and his tight white pants. (So many others were hilarious, but I can’t list them all!) All the wishes made me smile and I enjoyed them very much, so thanks to everyone!

Second, we got invited to a party in Orlando! To make a long story short, we saw one of our favorite entertainers from New Orleans, Gypsy Elise and her husband Ryan on Sunday. They moved to Orlando about a year ago and play gigs in the area. They were at one of our favorite new places in New Smyrna Beach, the Treehouse Bar at Norwood’s restaurant (a great, old-school place with amazing food). Gypsy and Ryan used to have monthly speakeasies in NOLA, where Gypsy cooked up a feast for everyone and those with artistic and creative talent would perform a song or two. We never made it to one in NOLA but happily, Gypsy and Ryan are continuing the Speakeasy in Orlando and were kind enough to invite us!

We made our way to Orlando (about an hour away, a little longer with traffic) and we had an absolutely wonderful time! We got to meet their son, JR, who is adorable and seemed to have fun playing soccer with me in his room. Gypsy gave me a super cute crossbody purse and had filled it with 54 packets of taco sauce for each of my 54 years. Ha! Another guest, John, brought me a container of 54 tea lights (with one to grow on). Almost everyone was a stranger to me but I felt welcome and at ease, and for an introvert like me, that is NOT easy!

Gypsy had put out an amazing spread of beef bourguignon, potato salad, regular salad, a fruit and cheese platter, some other things I think I’m forgetting, and for dessert, a pear upside down cake. Everything was delicious! After everyone had gotten their fill, the music started.

A London-trained pianist named Julian played ragtime, Chopin, and a rendition of “Rhapsody In Blue” that gave me chills. He also played some impromptu duets with Ryan (who is also an amazing player) including a funked-up version of “Heart and Soul.” Ryan played other songs on his own like “St. Louis Blues” and a fun snippet of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” at my request, one that we all joined in singing. There was a lovely duet with Nathan who played the saxophone. Julian’s girlfriend (I’m sorry I didn’t catch her name!) sang “My Funny Valentine” and “Over the Rainbow” with Julian’s accompaniment. A very nice woman named Shondra read her poem and it was excellent. A guy named Swami (not his given name, haha) read his short ode to jazz. And of course, Gypsy herself sang a medley of songs, including the New Orleans classic “Iko Iko.” Gypsy and Ryan broke out the tambourines for us all and it was fun to play along even when you don’t have a whole helluva lot of talent! (Note to self: I need to buy a tambourine.)

It was a lovely evening, and I am always blown away by the talent that is out there. There is nothing more wonderful than sharing the joy of music with others. Unless it’s sharing the joy of food with others. Put ‘em both together, and it’s magic! Something that struck me as I watched these talented people (and something I’ve seen in many other talented artists) is the way the music transports them. The smiles, the concentration, the joy. I may not have that talent, but I feel that sometimes when I play the piano, and I certainly feel it when I see others playing so beautifully.

Thanks again to Gypsy and Ryan for their hospitality, and thanks to everyone for such a fun night. It was an unexpected treat and made my day feel special!

Last Dance

Not a bad way to end our time in Florida today. Not bad at all!

It was a little overcast this morning, so it was a decent time for Ken to get in a last round of golf. As the morning wore on, the sun started peeking out, and I put on my suit and sat outside to read and catch a few rays. I didn’t want to head to the beach or the pool, because we were planning on doing lunch at one of the nicer restaurants in New Smyrna Beach.

When Ken got back, we headed over to Norwood’s, a cool mid-century modern restaurant that has been around since the mid-1940’s. I love the rock columns, the high ceilings, the large windows, and the pendant lights. This is a real throwback, and a true beauty. Even better, it’s some of the best food we’ve had in New Smyrna Beach.

We started off with escargot for the two of us, and Ken had two appetizers for lunch—their She-Crab soup and bacon-wrapped scallops. I had tastes of both, and they were delicious! I had the mid-day special of Mediterranean Mahi Mahi, a filet topped with grilled vegetables and feta cheese. So good! I didn’t care that we were having mahi mahi tonight for dinner. It was a mahi mahi mahi mahi day!

I finished up with my annual piece of Key Lime pie, and Norwood’s does it up right. I have no need for meringue on my Key Lime pie, but it was easy to peel that off. The pie itself is dense and creamy, a pastel yellow rather than artificially green. True Key Lime pie isn’t green. Accept no substitutes! I considered getting it to go, but once I dug in, that piece o’ pie was history. I think my eyes rolled up in my head for a moment there...it was that good!

When we got back, it was a little overcast but still warm enough that we were able to spend some time on the beach and in the ocean. After frolicking in the waves, I conked out on the beach, and learned that falling asleep on your back when it’s windy on the beach results in sand in your teeth! The waves were apparently strong enough that I had sand pretty much everywhere, as I found out later when I showered!

We spent some time packing up what we could and getting ready to head out tomorrow morning. After twelve years here, we’ve got it down to a science, and we’ll be able to clear out easily.

We were happy we got some time on the beach and in the ocean on our last day this year. We were able to sit outside a while longer to dry off, but the clouds rolled in and we got a good rain in the evening. This was the first night that Ken wasn’t able to grill our fish, and had to cook it in a skillet inside. It still turned out great, and I’ve loved eating all this fresh seafood this week. I can also say honestly that I’m looking forward to a burger or a steak tomorrow!

Our next stop is Newnan, Georgia, just a few miles from Senoia. That is the town that doubled for Woodbury in “The Walking Dead,” and I’ll be gettin’ my Dead on for a couple of days before we head back home!

“It’s been a wonderful week,” she said, as she sipped the last of her margarita. “You’ve all been dears, and you are all lovely people. I look forward to seeing you next year! Cheers!”

More vegecation pictures

The weather has been beautiful the past few days, and my connection has been slow, so I haven’t been overly concerned about spending much time online. Today is a little overcast, and we’ll be leaving soon to go see a movie, so I have a little time.

While driving through New Smyrna, we came across my new car. Oh yeah!

I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for Friday’s shuttle launch, but right now there is only a 30% chance that it will launch. I’m bummed. But the shuttle launch was going to be a bonus, anyway, so I’ll have to just make do with having a nice week at the beach! I remain hopeful. Apparently, if they can find a window to launch, they’ll do so tomorrow, rather than wait until Sunday.

We met up with Cousin Greg and Aunt June at a good seafood place called Norwood’s. It was great to see them, because it’s been a while! I think I talked my head off, but it had just been quite a while since we’d gotten together. There is the possibility that Greg’s son (and Aunt June’s grandson) will be able to take us up in a small plane Friday afternoon, but that might not happen, either. Russell is attending Embry-Riddle University in Daytona (apparently considered the best aeronautics school in the world), has his pilot’s license, and has a guaranteed slot for his Marine Corps pilot training. All right, Russell! I hope a trip Friday afternoon will work out, but if not, we’ll catch it next time! Update: I just spoke with Greg, and it looks like the weather isn’t going to cooperate tomorrow. I’ll take Russell up on his flight offer next year when we’re down!

One of Monday’s highlights was a walk down the beach to Breakers, a place that is right on the beach. I love sitting out on the balcony to have a drink, looking out at the beach and catching the ocean breeze. I had two Rum Runners, which was a mistake. Note to self: stick with one in the future! Man, those were tasty and went down like freakin’ Kool-Aid, but they pack a wallop!

There was another trip to Breakers for burgers. They have amazing burgers, big and juicy. One of my two favorite burgers I’ve experienced so far. (The other was a recent addition, Port Of Call’s in New Orleans. Thanks George, sweetie! You were right!) I couldn’t resist an IPA from Athens, Gee-Ay (home of the B-52s and REM), Terrapin Hopsecutioner. It was tasty, too! I got a nice picture of a great blue heron at the golf course on Wednesday. I was initially puzzled by this sign at the vehicle entrance to the beach. I thought, “Are people planking or something?” After thinking about it, I guess they mean that where the cars park on the beach, you can’t stake out a place to lie in between them.

After the early movie this afternoon, I’m hoping for some decent enough weather to hit the beach again. (Update: It’s still very overcast, but I’m seeing some clear skies on the horizon.) If I have to, I’ll lay out between the clouds! I’ve got some pretty good tan lines going, especially after I made an executive decision to wear a bikini down here. I said to myself, “Self, have you seen some of the people wearing bikinis down here? Honey, you just feel free to go right ahead.” And I did!

A 1946 restaurant and the ocean!

We went for a late lunch at Norwood's today. It was established in 1946, and I loved the retro vibe! I took a couple of pictures, and I noticed another woman walking around taking pictures. I told Ken, "See, I'm not the only crazy picture lady!" After we finished lunch, I walked around a little bit and took some more pictures, and I passed the woman I saw earlier. I heard her say to her friend, "See, she's taking pictures, too!" I laughed and stopped and said that I'd noticed her earlier and told her what I'd told Ken. She said, "You're probably not taking pictures of the walls, though." I said, "Actually, I did!" We had a good laugh. Always nice to find a kindred spirit.

Here is one picture that surprised me. If you look on the left, you'll see an image of the photographer. There were lots of mirrors in the place, and I had no idea I would show up in this!

Here is a little collage of the interior of the place and the sign. I love the stone walls and booths and wood. My favorite, though, is the pendant lighting. Very cool place! (Click to view all pictures in an embiggened state.)

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Oh, and the food was tasty, too! Ken had flounder stuffed with a crab mixture, and I had blackened mahi mahi with a pineapple-mango salsa. Yum! They also had a wine shop there and we found some reasonably-priced selections to bring back with us.

After we got back, the sun came out (it was very overcast earlier today when we took our beach walk), and we spent a little time by the pool, then headed out to the ocean. The clouds looked so menacing earlier, and it was wonderful to see it become a gorgeous day! We splashed around in the ocean for a while...you might even say that we frolicked. Okay, I'll say that I frolicked...Ken might balk at the frolicking thing. It was very pleasant to get out and enjoy the ocean! Wheeeee!

Ken is utilizing our downtime to plan our trip back. We think we're going to stop at Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina on our return trip. I've been there with my family years ago, but Ken has never been there. It will fit nicely into our return trip, and I would love to see it again. I told Ken that the coolest thing to me, something I've never forgotten, is that while the entire place is a museum, full of paintings and sculptures and the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed grounds...what struck me the most is that in one of the guest bedrooms, a small Renoir painting hung upon the wall. It was maybe 10x10 inches, but it was a freakin' Renoir...in one of the guest bedrooms!

The fanciest thing you'll find in our guest bedroom is an I Love Lucy print. (But it's really pretty cool.)