Heading Down the Coast

It was a relaxing Thursday in Palm Coast. Ed went to his horseshoe club to toss some metal. Jackie and I went to Beall’s store and found a few bargains, then took a nice long walk in the afternoon. We enjoyed dinner at a great burger joint on A1A, overlooking the ocean. 

After breakfast Friday morning, I petted my cat goodbye. Brody is in good hands while I make my loop around Florida. He seems to have settled in quite nicely with one exception. He is spooked by their 75” TV.  Jackie, Ed and I were in hysterics as we watched him scoot past the television sideways, looking frantically over his shoulder, not being able to get past that behemoth quick enough. Jackie spotted Brody later, in the far corner of the living room, peeking through the legs of an end table, trying to size up that monstrous object across the room. I’m sure he’ll muster the strength to deal with it, after a cat nap or two.

I left Rt. 95 So. to fill the gas tank at Buc-ee’s. It was my first experience at this chain of gasoline/rest stop mega-stores. This experience was one of sensory overload. I could have spent an entire day there, checking out all the food, snack, beverage, and merchandise areas. The store was larger than any grocery store I’ve ever been in. I sampled a few flavored beef jerkies and settled on a half-pound of the lemon pepper jerky. I’ll enjoy sharing that with my friends and relatives throughout my travels.  

My next stop was Merritt Island, home of Debby and Brian. Debby and I worked together for nearly two decades at the county social service agency. Since their retirement, they’ve been regulars of cruising and have enjoyed many exotic destinations. Debby and I sat in their screened porch overlooking the pond and catching each other up with what’s been happening in our lives. The three of us then drove to “Grillz” in Port Canaveral, where we had what I thought was one of the best New England clam chowders I’ve ever tasted, and we were certainly nowhere near New England. The area was busy with a few cruise ships that were docked and awaiting the people being processed for boarding. 

Travelling further down the coast, I stopped for the night, two actually, with Pootsie (Patricia) who I worked with at Monroe County Domestic Relations, in Stroudsburg, PA, back in the early 90’s. While I only worked there for two years, I made lifelong friends. A gang of us “DRO” girls, as we called ourselves, enjoyed a gazillion summer weekends over the past three decades, to Seaside Heights, Atlantic City, Ocean City, Md. and the like, raising hell and taking names. Pootsie may be moving to Arizona before summer, to live near her son and family. She said she’ll be less than an hour from the Grand Canyon, so I see an entrée on my bucket list being crossed off in my future. We sat up until 10 p.m., enjoying some wine, looking through old photos and reminiscing. Pootsie may be 10 years older than me, but I’m convinced that we’ll never lose our ability to act juvenile and goofy.

2012 Ocean City, MD

1995  Seaside Heights, NJ