#Cool Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Text
New Title Tuesday: Cookbooks
6 Spices 60 Dishes by Ruta Kahate
Using just six spices—cayenne, coriander, cumin, turmeric, mustard seed, and asafetida—chef Ruta Kahate presents 60 delicious recipes that are easy to prepare and deliver rich, complex flavor. These dishes—including tons of nourishing veggies, raitas, grains, and dals—are fresh, healthy, and versatile enough to mix and match, plus they feature Instant Pot variations for maximum ease.
Serve up a quick lunch of Mustard Shrimp alongside a cool lettuce and citrus salad. Short on time after a busy day? Instant Pot your supper with a comforting Coconut Beef Stew. Prep a double batch of Parsi-Style Rajma on Sunday and enjoy it throughout the week—the flavors only get better over time.
With stories from Ruta Kahate's culinary life around the world, plus vibrant, colorful photography that reflects the lively recipes within, 6 Spices 60 Dishes is a must-have for anyone who wants super-tasty, healthy meals that come together in a flash.
American Table by Smithsonian Institution
In collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, a sweeping history of food and culture that summons everyone to the table for a fresh look at the people, ingredients, events, and movements that have shaped how and what we eat in the United States.
This exploration of the American table presents a fresh look at what and how we've fed ourselves, for sustenance and for pleasure, through the lens of location, immigration, ingenuity, innovation, and culture. Learn about Native Americans growers and chefs who are reclaiming and reinventing Indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques. Meet a Black chef who gained national renown and culinary influence by showcasing her skills on her own television show in segregated New Orleans. And find out how everything from fondue to Jell-O salads to pumpkin spice (even in hummus) became national obsessions. Cook your way through American history with over 40 iconic and notable recipes offered throughout the book.
With chapters spanning coast to coast and stretching over centuries, this enlightening enriching, and entertaining collection uncovers the many histories of American food.
One by Jamie Oliver
Quick and easy meals are even simpler when you cook with just one pot, pan or tray. And with each recipe using eight ingredients or fewer, requiring minimal prep (and washing up), they offer maximum convenience.
One is packed with budget-friendly dishes you can rustle up any time: delicious work from home lunches, quick dinners the whole family will love, meals to get novice cooks started.
With over 100 recipes that'll teach you simple one-pan techniques - chapters include Veggie Delights, Celebrating Chicken, Frying Pan Pasta, Batch Cooking and Puds & Cakes - there are plenty of no-fuss, tasty recipes that make this a must-have for every kitchen.
Trejo's Cantina by Danny Trejo
The cantina is the place where families, friends, and colleagues gather to celebrate. In Trejo’s Cantina, beloved actor and restaurateur Danny Trejo shares recipes for snacks and drinks that celebrate his traditions and spirit. Along with mouthwatering recipes that make all people feel welcome, from plant-based ( Vegan Tamales ) and vegetarian ( Fight Night Nachos; Mexican Grilled Caesar ) to meaty faves ( Chorizo Smash Burgers; Tijuana-Style Birria ), there are also dozens of inventive takes on classic cocktails including spicy Margaritas and Oaxacan “Moscow” Mules as well as dozens of thirst-quenching non-alcoholic drinks such as Agua Frescas (Pineapple, Guava Lime, Mango), a Tamarind Fizz , and a Cacao Chile Smoothie .
Danny’s approach to entertaining is accessible, celebratory, and empowering to cooks of all skill levels. Trejo’s Cantina, at its heart, is about living to the fullest, and about how no matter what happens, you need to eat well, drink with gratitude, and celebrate life.
#cookbooks#cooking#food#new books#new library books#reading recommendations#reading recs#book recommendations#book recs#tbr#tbrpile#to read#booklr#book tumblr#book blog#library blog
3 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Authentic Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Coctel de Camarones estilo Mexicano
A very cooling summer appetizer is this incredibly authentic Mexican shrimp cocktail, which also features cucumber, jalapeno, and avocado.
0 notes
Text
Catering And Forms Of Caterers
How many birthday events have you ever been to the place the host is running round attempting to feed everybody and isn't having fun with themselves at all? If you’re hosting a birthday party and you need to be relaxed and in a position to mingle freely with your guests, go away the meals preparation to a full-service catering company. Don’t make any of your staff deal with the meals preparation at your next event, regardless of how well they cook!
Plan your next catered occasion on considered one of our city’s historic waterways. The Buffalo Catering Company is affiliated with a number of lovely local venues. The Patrick J. Paladino Boathouse on the shores of the historic Buffalo River is the proper outdoor venue in your subsequent occasion. An open home appetizer party, or an elegant anniversary celebration. Premiere can provide the experience needed to perform successful occasions. We are a third technology family owned food distributor primarily based in the agricultural of California.
This service is cheaper than many of the other availabilities. This sort of service wants fewer involvements and depends primarily on the calls for of the clients. The munchies you savored in the final celebration were probably ready by a leveraged caterer. And what really left the durable impression on you had been the finesse and punctuality.
200 Fresh New Catering Concepts Appetizers
Hors d’oeuvres are versatile in so many ways. From the way they’re served to the flavors they boast, the choices are truly limitless. In many circumstances they're a nibble earlier than the main occasion, or in some circumstances you'll have the ability to craft a whole meal serving heavy hors d’oeuvres paired with a few stations.
Kick up your cocktail shrimp's taste profile with a slice of bacon to wrap round its center. We love the way they display on a easy cedar wood cutting board. These cheesy bites are a staple of French delicacies. Choux dough is baked with cheese leading to savory little pastry bites. They look extra yummy paired with salmon and crackers.
Keep the season in mind as you plan your wedding ceremony hors d’oeuvres. Go for lighter, refreshing choices in the summer months and hearty and warm with thicker sauces within the winter. One of the best experiences in life is getting together with friends and family to rejoice – the menu is the very last thing you should be worrying about in your party.
Providing quite so much of easy, yet festive finger food choices for lunch or dinner is key to a profitable and enjoyable Christmas spread. Ensure you have each cold and hot Christmas celebration finger foods out there, and a wide range of flavors for a balanced palette. Getting your food menu proper can make or break your holiday half, as when the food goes south, so does the Christmas cheer. From Italian mini caprese bites to Mexican shrimp ceviche shooters topped with crispy tortilla chips to handed lamb and risotto served decadently on elegant silver spoons.
Order Custom Restaurant Packaging & Customized Take Out Boxes
In truth, since the pandemic hit in March of 2020, on-line ordering rose by greater than 25%, with 78% of consumers ordering on-line as incessantly or more often than earlier than. Environmental Protection Agency, paper and plastic foodservice packaging discarded within the nation's municipal strong waste stream accounted 1.3 p.c in of municipal solid waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency additionally says that an often-cited waste prevention measure is the usage of washable plates, cups, and napkins as an alternative of the disposable variety. When the days begin to cool down, what better approach to supply your prospects a scrumptious soup or a velvety soup that they will get pleasure from wherever, than elegant disposable soup containers? Solia's disposable soup containers are made of strong supplies that can retain warmth for some time. In addition, they're obtainable in numerous and sizes so you can provide extra selection to your customers.
Customers wish to know the place it came from, what’s in it, and the way it’s made. With elevated strain on corporate social duty, clients are much less forgiving of corporations who don’t share their values. People additionally buy with their eyes, and engaging packaging encourages repeat sales.
It must be lightweight, straightforward to carry, and resealable (so it doesn’t have to be eaten all in one go). Burger King was one of many first big restaurant manufacturers to embrace this pared-down aesthetic, by rebranding its takeout packaging with extra fashionable, minimalistic designs. McDonald’s and different brands quickly adopted suit, stepping away from cluttered designs with a number of colors and fonts. Styrofoam is a incredible insulator that helps to control the temperature of hot and cold meals.
Inventive Foods Catering
I’ve never had loaded baked potato soup that tasted so creamy and cheesy! My husband made most of it (I’m somewhat sick) and I assume it tasted better because of my sore throat, haha. Only thing he didn’t do was add extra milk on the finish to make it thinner, it came out slightly too thick. We will thin it out slightly extra subsequent time. Thank you a lot for this share. South of the border type with sautéed onions and peppers, crisp romaine, corn, black beans, fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, jalapeños and steamed brown rice.
I was nervous if I added extra milk I would lose any taste it did tackle. Really good, but to get the potatoes tender, I had to cook dinner it for much longer than the recipe states, even after par-cooking them in the microwave for ten minutes. I also found it a bit bland, so I added garlic powder, onion powder, and Tony Chachere’s.
Muddled fresh fruit with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Angostura bitters, 100 percent natural agave syrup and RIPE® Cold-Pressed all-natural bitter combine. At the occasion, we could have our in home wine Sommelier discuss each wine, the grape and traits of the wine, reply any questions, and naturally, taste the wine. We can arrange cheese and crackers or do a full buffet. Meet with us before the event and determine the flavor profiles of wines you would like to taste.
Hand-breaded crispy hen tenders with honey BBQ sauce. Wrapped up with lettuce, tomatoes, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. Melted Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses and applewood smoked bacon layered on top of crispy potato skins.
Polonia Catering
Portable stations make it easy to excellent the moveable feast. But it also helps caterers adjust with the flow of traffic and make sure the meals will get to the guests as quickly as possible. Hungry folks are inclined to pile on meals like salads, bread, and appetizers after they first get in line at a buffet. As they move down the road, their plates refill, leaving much less room for the steaks and salmon dishes at the finish.
Inside they have every thing for their own little spread. Notice the paper straw just isn't solely a cute design, nevertheless it also won’t endanger local wildlife or the surroundings. Check out some of the coolest food truck ideas round.
If friends are anticipated to wear jackets, ties, and cocktail or evening gowns, the expectation might be for the dinner to be a table service meal. Kids will instantly recognize our scrumptious food options and can pick and select their favorites to eat while socializing with their friends. Our kids menu is appealing for youngsters of all ages together with menus for the grown ups as nicely. Our cooking and serving station comes geared up with grills, tent and desk displaying all foods and refreshments where your friends can stroll up and be served. Our cooking and serving station comes outfitted with grills, tent for cooking area and desk displaying all foods and refreshments the place your guests can walk up and be served.
Catering On A Finances
An artisanal drink is something that's unique to the occasion, and the trick is to make use of interesting and ideally local components. Artisanal drinks are a perfect method to showcase a little bit of what makes your event vacation spot particular from a culinary perspective. An alternative to native ingredients is local expertise.
Food can often be saved heat, though it’s typically ready off-site or in the venues kitchen. Use of Wedding Spot is subject to our terms of use and privacy coverage. Or use some spicy pico de gallo for slightly extra kick! Here’s a slow-roasted recipe and a delicious fast one. You can both use a flaky dough to serve them in or use the actual mushroom cap as the container for the delicious filling.
They hired one of Tommy’s highschool friends who owned Bandito Burrito, and ordered meat and vegetarian choices for his or her seventy five visitors. Even paying 外燴 and all-in, they spent $1,200 on the meals. Around 25% of couples ask guests to choose their meal earlier than attending to avoid wasting on value. Trying to determine out how you’re going to pay in your wedding? Here’s a look at some average prices of wedding ceremony catering, based mostly on recent data from WeddingWire. This great chilli recipe needs to be top-of-the-line dishes to serve to associates for a casual get-together.
Three Catering Kinds
Chafing dishes preserve food-safe temperatures so you can arrange buffet strains upfront. Buffets permit your guests to serve themselves, saving you cash on employed wait workers. While many couples have just lately served individually-wrapped meals due to COVID, we love the concept of making ready a special arrange for your loved ones. Present them with a basket filled with food for them to enjoy—from appetizers to entrees to desserts. This idea would work especially nicely for couples internet hosting a backyard wedding ceremony, park marriage ceremony or winery wedding, because it really feels such as you're taking your guests out for an epic picnic meal. Many attendees will choose to be served versus fetching their food themselves.
A plated sit-down dinner can be fairly cost-effective since you primarily can control the worth. In terms of meals costs and rentals, a plated dinner typically costs lower than a family-style or buffet meal since you don’t must have as a lot food , however the service costs are typically a bit higher. 3) Depending on the size of your event you may require a couple of line or station to get rid of long strains, annoyed friends and some visitors ending their meals before others begin. This will have to be discussed witht he caterer during the initial session as there can be extra charges for additional employees and set-up. Shorten the traditional cocktail hour and seat friends sooner at the tables with appetizer plates to share and pre-set salads waiting for them.
We cater meals that meet your personal taste and are in a position that will help you curate your menu with options for everybody. Get in touch with us to learn extra about our range of services at present. Family-style catering is a superb way to comfortably feed your friends while allowing them to bond as they pass meals around the desk.
Buffet Food Ideas
From touring bars to branded trucks you presumably can customise your food truck to fit into the occasion theme or act as a alternative for organising a bar or stand. Ditch the sticky rice and go with a thinly sliced cucumber to create this greek variation on a cool classic. Food bouquets can be used as ornament for tables or as an attention-grabbing catering buffet thought. They are pleasing to the attention and offer smaller serving sizes.
Salad bars and BBQ's are perfect for spring and summer season. Just consider what's in season, and what time of year it is. Decide early what you are prepared to spend and base your menu round it. Believe it or not, it's quite easy to do a celebration for reasonable and even free. Potluck, BYOM BBQ, dessert celebration, or maybe a pasta party all may be done for only a few dollars.
They’re made with mini phyllo tarts, sweetened condensed milk, contemporary lime juice, powdered sugar, and egg yolks, topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Turn a rooster caesar salad into a scrumptious sandwich will this elegant and fun recipe. It’s made with grilled chicken breast, creamy caesar salad dressing, recent greens, avocados, and complete grain bread.
Nothing boosts worker morale and consumer confidence greater than an appetizing meal! DonerG provides wholesome and wide-ranging menus from Mediterianean and Turkish Kitchen for day by day corporate catering throughout Los Angele to San Diego County. These cute little skewers rework Caprese salad right into a fun, bite-sized picnic food! Keep them traditional with cherry tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella, or add diced peaches for a candy twist. No gathering is full without tasty finger foods. These ready-made snacks are perfect for pre-dinner bites, weeknight get-togethers or any sort of get together whenever you want something quick, easy and delicious.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Meals And Beverage Services
Shrimp cocktail is a standard favorite for starters however don’t limit it just because you’re having a buffet as an alternative. Rather than pre-making 1980’s prawn cocktails, go extravagant and futuristic with this chilled shrimp tower. It uses the ice to keep the shrimp chilled and visitors can choose from squeezed lemon or Tabasco sauce as an accompaniment, plus the shrimp luge is a cool wave to make it more fascinating too. Attendees will think it’s enjoyable to observe these little guys careen down the ice slalom.
Host a grazing table with no formal meal and self-serve meals. Ditch the waitstaff (unless you’re utilizing them to control the variety of appetizers people eat). Here are 25 surefire methods to save money on event catering.
Hot beverages usually embody tea, masala tea , milk, sizzling chocolate, and variants of coffee such as expresso, latte, and cappuccino. Mexican line of food is famous for spicy and tangy taste. It contains salads, snacks, one-dish meals, elaborate meals, and desserts.
Three Catering Types
Shrimp cocktail is a traditional favorite for starters however don’t restrict it simply because you’re having a buffet as a substitute. Rather than pre-making 1980’s prawn cocktails, go extravagant and futuristic with this chilled shrimp tower. Attendees will assume it’s enjoyable to observe these little guys careen down the ice slalom.
If your visitors are hungry, a cake and punch bar should do the trick for a yummy and nice first impression. Keep in thoughts that "cake and punch" does not imply strictly cake and punch; you'll find a way to combine it up with completely different drinks and more healthy snacks to choose from. Cheese cubes are a staple at most events, and inevitably, if the pile is excessive sufficient, some runaway cheese hits the ground and get floor into the carpet. You can hold that from occurring by opting to a much more orderly show like this cheese star. Mirrored display stands have a mess of benefits, and they’re inexpensive.
Expect flatware to be rolled up in napkins and picked up individually as nicely. For Constellation, Miller says that buffets sometimes start at $165 per individual. Wicked Whisk Cateringis a FULL-SERVICE catering firm. We even have a meals truck as an extension of our division which can be rented for private occasions.
15 Imaginative Occasion Catering Concepts For Virtual And In
Learn more about our fresh elements, catering options, and order course of right here at Apple Spice Catering Co. Think outdoors of the box in relation to planning your subsequent office lunch catering. Deborah Miller Catering focuses on creating distinctive catering menus that meet your wants and exceed your expectations.
From breakfast to dinner and every thing in between, Tasty is your Chicago corporate catering HQ. Let’s face it, all people loves a good pasta dish and if you’re after a way to get tasty, fast meals quick, pasta may be simply the means in which to go. Opt for a tomato base, creamy pasta everyone loves Sweetwater Chicken Alfredo or a recent pesto, a number of salads and even some garlic bread for a perfect combine everyone can get pleasure from. Give us a call today, and we would be happy to schedule a free session to discuss your catering needs. We proudly serve Lumberton, NC; Pinehurst, NC; Fayetteville, NC; Sanford, NC; and the surrounding areas. Did you understand that catered lunches can also help with employee retention?
People that work side-by-side daily can have informal conversations with each other and build personal relationships. These bonds function further initiative to return in and work onerous, and work better as a group. To finish this submit on a candy observe, this Orange sabayon tart with strawberry rhubarb compote and pistachio crumble has been one of our all-time favorites. Introduced to the enterprise particular menu in 2013, it's remembered as one of our most DELICIOUS desserts thus far.
Tips On How To Choose A Theme In Your Restaurant
Family-style restaurant costs could additionally be higher than these at fast-food eating places, however these establishments present desk service to compensate. The décor of family-style eating places is generally comfy, with muted tones, unremarkable art work, and plenty of booths and extensive chairs. Booster seats and highchairs for kids are available. Midscale steakhouses are typically family-oriented and supply an off-the-cuff environment with meals perceived nearly as good values. In phrases of décor, comfort is emphasized and Western themes are well-liked. Upscale steakhouses provide a extra formal ambiance and will serve larger cuts of meat which would possibly be of better quality than these served in midscale eating places.
However, in case you are already using sure third-party staffing purposes, Caterease can move detailed shift information from your occasions into that application for simpler worker administration. One quick mouse click at the backside of an occasion permits you to move all shift particulars – positions, occasions and even numbers of staff required after which you probably can handle their schedules rapidly and simply in that program. Instantly select room sorts from a customized listing of choices, and this system routinely calculates standard charges and even particular, seasonal charges. Optionally track separate totals for the number of rooms initially agreed upon versus the number of rooms blocked, an adjusted number and the number actually picked up by the friends. Choose which of those numbers you wish to see on the display screen, in addition to which number ought to function the monetary basis for the contract. Enhanced Caterease menu selection instruments permit you to easily grab any menu objects for the order – dragging and dropping a number of gadgets and looking by any merchandise element you realize.
When you first embark on opening your restaurant, one of the first decisions you need to make is the sort of restaurant you need to open and your restaurant concept. Secondly, signing up for the companies and getting all set up as a companion takes underneath a week. In other words, catering throughout Covid as a delivery service is an possibility that won’t take months to get up and operating.
35 Simple Cold Lunch Ideas
Talk along with your caterer about completely different options for choosing the reduce. Some classic choices embody tenderloin, t-bone, rib-eye, and New York strip. Customize the glaze based on the season for a recent and unique twist.
If you might be internet hosting numerous people, think about a meal buffet somewhat than finger meals. Traditional buffet foods could be less expensive and simpler to prepare. While virtually everyone likes deviled eggs, they often solely get them at pot lucks and neighborhood dinners. They can simply be prepared ahead so long as they are stored refrigerated.
The word "menu", like a lot of the terminology of cuisine, is French in origin. It in the end derives from Latin "minutus", something made small; in French, it came to be utilized to a detailed list or résumé of any kind. Menus are also usually a feature of very formal meals apart from in eating places, for example at weddings. In the 19th and 20th centuries printed menus were often used for society dinner-parties in properties; certainly this was their authentic use in Europe.
Hors D'oeuvres Catering In South Florida
Open-faced sandwiches may give your viewers the flavour and satisfaction of a sandwich but with fewer carbs. But before you go putting a piece of ham on one slice of bread, take a glance at these colorful choices. Plant-based meals are getting plenty of buzz these days, as the current concentrate on environmentally sustainable practices and wholesome living builds. Salads are a nice addition to any picnic in that they're gentle and refreshing. These decadent bites are fashionable and flavorful. They’re just enough richness to top off a meal without being too much.
These cute wraps are actually made from sliced bread and never pitas however they're additionally superbly displayed. Plus, it’s a well-known incontrovertible fact that meals tastes better on a stick. Rustic themes are very fashionable right now and this one’s a beauty. Simply drill holes in blocks of wood, add some clay within the hole, and insert a kebab stick. The first piece of meals on your kebab will keep the stick from falling via the outlet.
Use rows of similar-sized apples topped with glass to create a stunning particular shelf on your buffet. Check out some of the coolest meals truck ideas around. Although they’re fairly enough to sit down close to your cake pops, they are for a very completely different course. These moveable pops are awfully delish though. This straightforward DIY concept incorporates sandwich fixings.
Celebration Event Catering
Our workers is well-trained, highly experienced, and demonstrates unequaled professionalism in any scenario. We take great satisfaction in preparation, meticulously planning to make certain that our performance lives as much as our reputation. Castello of Niantic offers an array of catering companies, from small company luncheons to large extravagant weddings. 外燴 provide authentic Italian food for very reasonable pricing. Many cultures rejoice rites of passage marking life’s changes and stages.
And we repeatedly expose ourselves to the expertise that every celebratory event bestows upon us. This compensation might range depending on a candidate’s education, expertise and geographical location. Burnett says you want to “know what you’re getting into,” because of the physical and demanding nature of the work. “At the first location, we introduced on employees members one after the other as we would have liked individuals.
Catering firms that offer personal full-service weddings, or non-public event caterers. Weddings that we cater go for full service, with good cause. With massive numbers of individuals to cater for and many shifting elements, this is a significantly choreographed event. Even probably the most organized bride and groom couldn’t possibly oversee the many varied parts. This is your special day and worrying about any a part of the group is assured to detract out of your experience.
Our enterprise is solely catering and personal chef dinners, giving the utmost consideration to your special event wants. Whether you're planning a gathering, staff get together, milestone celebration or buyer appreciation event, we can help you make a strong, positive assertion. We provide corporate catering for companies to assist you focus on the event's different details while we deal with the food.
107 Primary Course Recipes For A Dinner Party
Making great food that everyone will get pleasure from is a large responsibility, though. We are dedicated to providing scrumptious cuisine accompanied by private service and alluring décor at each event. Our Chefs have a number of superb signature dishes so that you simply can select from. The pattern menus on our web site are a starting point – a method to introduce you to an array of menu potentialities.
Chef stanley's southeast asian and continental culinary type is distinctively up to date and displays his upbringing in germany to a german mom and chinese language father. Our seasonal, artistic, lunch and dinner choices may have you wanting forward to your subsequent meal. With lots of of choices from which to select, we are going to design a menu to your needs and specifications. Visit Menu Inspiration page for much more choices. Visit the ribbon links under for a sampling of our menu decisions. We delight ourselves on working with one of the best native distributors and companions to “cater” to the precise needs and preferences of each individual get together.
Still, when someone wheels in a wheelbarrow full of potatoes and fries with different flavored sauces and ketchup, your friends will take notice. This show or service idea takes halved wine bottles to make use of as sensible serving platters. You can place a quantity of totally different finger foods in there and it makes an particularly nice theme tie-in for a wine tasting or vineyard event. S’mores deliver out the kid in all of us but most occasion planners don’t think about them for an indoor event.
1 note
·
View note
Photo
Shrimp, vegetable juice cocktail, and plenty of fresh and spicy Mexican ingredients make up a delicious, light appetizer served chilled in martini glasses.
1 note
·
View note
Text
A Weekend in Ciudad de Guanajuato
*Originally posted February 18, 2021*
If there’s one thing that became apparent upon moving to SMA was the overwhelming amount of old expats. It doesn’t bother me much that the town has more of an older presence, and in hindsight that was something I probably should have realized due to it’s popularity as a retirement destination. It was also something shoved in my face when Zane and I were chatting with a drunk American retiree and he pronounced in an inebriated slur, “What the fuck are you two doing here? You need to get to Guanajuato, and especially Oaxaca.”
Fuck off to Guanajuato we did, for a long weekend at the least. Oaxaca was too far for the time being, so Valentine’s Day weekend we booked an Airbnb and took a car to Guanajuato city. When we first arrived in the city, Zane and I were both immediately struck with a sense of “Oh, I get it now”. Guanajuato is cool, and it’s architecture is equally as alluring. The city was essentially built in a mountain range due to the minerals surrounding the area. During Spanish Colonization Guanajuato City was a major gold and silver mining area, which explains the mass amounts of tunnels that are used by cars instead of miners. Walking around the city is a workout, narrow alleys with steep inclines make up most of the city with the exception of some major thorough fares that cars can get through.
On our first day we arrived in the late afternoon and just decided to roam the streets in search of delicious food and breathtaking churches. Guanajuato’s centro is intimidating; it had about three gargantuan, colonial-style churches within walking distance with restaurants and shops filling the gap. After a bit of sight seeing we retired to a seemingly unimpressive restaurant in a popular courtyard because you could sit on a balcony upstairs. Zane ordered a molcajete dish and refused to let me take a peak at the picture of it on the menu. Once it arrived, I knew why. It was comically large; in his mortar there was strips of steak, chicken, cactus, a whole chorizo sausage, and an gooey center filled with molten cheese.
Day two we were determined to check off the touristy activities by heading to the famous mummy museum and the look out point Monumento a El Pípila. Zane and I waited for two hours in a line which wrapped around the building to get into the museum. During that time I took a peak at the shops near by and got a little fridge magnet for our apartment to make the kitchen a tiny bit more vibrant.
The museum itself was pretty crazy. As we observed the dead bodies I realized that I was staring at dead strangers who were dug up and put in a glass box for public consumption, but the experience was interesting nonetheless. One of the more morbid yet fascinating mummies was a woman who was about 6 months pregnant; her and her fetus had mummified and been put on display. After the museum we made our way to the viewpoint for pictures and a cocktail at a touristy looking bar at the top.
On Valentines day we decided to prioritize relaxation. We paddle boated around Paseo de la Presa, a small dam, and had a bite to eat next to the water. A band came up to our table and asked if we wanted them to play us a song, an offer that Zane enthusiastically agreed to. I must admit, while it was beautiful music, I found it a bit funny that they wouldn’t make eye contact with us throughout the number. We ended our day at a French restaurant in the heart of town, watching the singing city tours from below.
On the last day we checked out of our Airbnb and decided to take a different route back home so that we could visit Dolores-Hidalgo, the place where the Mexican revolution began. They also happened to have world famous ice-cream, which peaked both our interests. We tried numerous ice cream flavors, including: Blackberry-cheese, fruit of the cactus, tequila, whiskey, red wine, beer, avocado, guava, and shrimp/octopus. I would like to spend more time in Dolores-Hidalgo as they are also known for their pottery. It’s an interesting place.
That pretty much sums up our weekend. It was one to remember, and reminded me of how much history is around me at all times. It was our first real trip since moving into our apartment which made it even more memorable. While I love Guanajuato city for it’s unique color palette and bustling streets, I still yearned for the more relaxed and charming vibe that San Miguel de Allende offered. I look forward to the future and finding a good time to visit Oaxaca.
3 notes
·
View notes
Note
What is your favorite game (board or video)? What is your favorite cocktail? What's your favorite restaurant (name or cuisine of the place)?
Fave games:
Board: Monopoly
Game: Triominos
Arcade: Pac-Man Battle Royale
NES Game: Super Mario Bros. But Genghis Khan was close
N64: Golden Eye for competition or Mario 64 solo
Sega Game: Sonic 3 but I also played a lot of Asterix and the Great Rescue
Sega CD Game: Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
PlayStation Video Game: Persona though I spent more time playing Driver. Sadly that series really took a dive.
PS2 Game: GTA III but San Andreas was cool and Vice City the greatest game soundtrack of all time. I’ll just say all the GTA games for that system.
GameCube Game: Animal Crossing
Nintendo DS: Brain Age 2
Xbox Game: GTA IV but you know I love me some Arkham.
Fave Cocktail:
Pina Colada, Mojito, Chi Chi, or a Sparkling Apple Kicker are high on my list. But I will try anything, out or at home I’m always ordering or whipping up new drinks. I’m just extra partial to a drink if it has rum and maybe a bit of tiki flair. Working my way through my new cocktail book currently and learning a lot. I’ll refine this list later as I try more things. Always on the look out for drink recommendations!
Fave Restaurant:
I don’t have one. I have a lot of favorite places but I love them for individual specific reasons. Also I’m a mood based eater. What feels good that day? Japanese? Okay but do I want ramen or sushi? Maybe I actually want Chinese food. What about Mexican? Sure, but is it a taco or burrito mood? Maybe I just want tamales? Hey what about a Molcajete full of adobada, steak, chicken and shrimp? Yessss. You see my pickle surely. So much food, so little time.
Thanks for such a good ask! 💖
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Shrimp, vegetable juice cocktail, and plenty of fresh and spicy Mexican ingredients make up a delicious, light appetizer served chilled in martini glasses.
0 notes
Photo
Shrimp, vegetable juice cocktail, and plenty of fresh and spicy Mexican ingredients make up a delicious, light appetizer served chilled in martini glasses.
0 notes
Text
My love for lists
I have always loved making lists, since I was little. From a grocery list to places to visit in a new city. Today I want to talk about my amazing list about places to visit in San Diego, California.
I have been to this place 3 times in the past year and I can’t tell you how much I love it. The amazing weather, the happy people, their food and beaches. My first experience was good, I’ve got to go to very cool places with my Colombian friend who had been living there for almost 2y so she knew a lot about San Diego and took me to her favorite spots. My second experience was very good, I went there with my boyfriend and we got to explore breweries, brunch places and bars!
So going there for a third time with two of my best friends, had to be better than the past two because I kind of felt like a local after dedicating a little bit of my extra time to create an amazing list of places based on our needs. From what I have experienced, San Diego has a pleasant weather throughout the year but from my perspective, June to September (summer time) are the warmest and better times of the year to visit. Temp runs around 75-80 or so. Which means you don’t need a jacket or long pants. Just a very cute outfit to go out and have fun.
As I said, this list is based on my needs but I’m pretty sure you’ll like a few of this places once you’re there. Keep in mind that this list is made for 3 days only. We flew on a Friday morning and left on a Sunday night. Our best deals were with SouthWest Airlines (+they give us rapid rewards if you fly with them and if you want to cancel your flight, they will refund the money to your SouthWest Airline account.)
Friday
We wanted to start our day going to 1. La Churreria Cafe, they are open from 12pm-10pm. Their hot churros are hand-crafted and delicious, they are served very fresh and you can join that with an espresso, a latte or hot chocolate! your choice.
After this amazing and sweet breakfast, we headed to 2. Ocean Beach, is a vibrant, bohemian neighborhood, with a classic SoCal beach vibe. Going to the beach to relax and get some sun, play some music sounded like something we wanted to do. We spent about an hour or so there and then started exploring this neighborhood.
3. Mike’s Taco Club is a must if you like Mexican food. We need to keep in mind that a lot of Mexican people lives there and the food is authentic! I have to say that I had their amazing steak and shrimp burrito twice on my second trip. Their place is small, their menu is extensive and they have a good beer menu + some mixed drinks. Price is reasonable. You can walk down the street from this restaurant and find bars, stores, etc. If you keep going down the street you’ll see a big line of people waiting for their burgers to be serve! 4. Hodad’s is a great place if you would rather have burgers. They have 3 locations in SD and many different kinds of burgers, extensive menu as well and a -all you can eat- option for $99.75 per person. Prices per burgers are pretty cheap and their burgers are delicious.
There are a lot of bars and dance floors around the area, so I highly recommend to just walk around and stumbled into something fun 5. Wonderland ocean pub is a good option, 6. Pacific shores bar. 7. South beach bar and grille. If you’re a beer lover as I am, go to 8. Culture Brewery CO.
Saturday
My friends and I wanted to explore 9. La Jolla and what a better way to do it then to go kayaking, so we booked our experience through Airbnb. Yes, Airbnb. Now you can book experiences besides a house or a room for a night, which make things easier! I found this kayak experience as a recommendation because I had booked my Airbnb in SD. This was an 1.5 hour experience where we got to explore the sea caves, hear some stories about La Jolla and the caves. Paddling was fun and tiring but it was fun and the water was warm. We met at California Everyday (a great store btw) and rented some wetsuits and helmets. All of their staff was very helpful and nice to us. Theres a pretty place right in the corner of their store in case you want to grab a bite to eat before the kayak.
10. Shake shack burgers were a good way to go after exercising so much! Their service is fast and good. Their burgers and french fries are cheap and delicious. 11. Ballast Point brewery has a variety of craft beers, my favorite two are the grapefruit & pineapple sculpin. Their place is very pretty and big! They also have food. Another brewery option is 12. Stone Brewing World Bistro.
13. Old town San Diego, a very historical and gorgeous place. Good to take a long walk and pictures exploring the old town. If you walk towards the end of the place, you’ll find some restaurants and some of them have live bands with Spanish music. 14. The kissing statue and Seaport Villa are good options as well. 15. Balboa Park, a big park to explore surrounded by museums and schools. Another place to walk around and see a lot of nature. 16. Rustic Root, is an american restaurant with amazing food. It can be a little pricy if you’re having cocktails on top of your dinner. They have good options for you to eat and drink + the place is very modern and pretty. Rustic Root is located in Gaslamp Quarter which is the heart of SD. After having dinner we started to walk around and visit bars. 17. Whiskey girl was a cool place to start our night at. Once you’re out that place, if you go right or left you’ll have fun!
Sunday
18. Breakfast Republic or Hash House are good options for brunch! 19. Baja beach cafe, Barefoot bar and grill, Backyard kitchen and bar or Mavericks are good options for lunch of to spend the afternoon there. My friends and I went to 20. El Prez and we all felt in love with it! Highly recommended and their tacos are just the best + the mimosas! They have a big rooftop and if you’re lucky enough you’ll get a table! They have a dance floor downstairs. Pacific Beach has a lot of fun places to visit and they are walking distance. A lot of them have rooftops which is great because sometimes it can get really hot and all you need is a little bit of breeze.
This is my 3 day weekend list of my favorite places to visit in San Diego, we took a lot of Uber’s but it was worth it because my friend had a discount going on and the distances are pretty short, so the Uber’s were about $15 max.
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Candler Park Music Festival Experience
Festival-lovers, get ready for a weekend of good music, company, and of course...food! The Candler Park Music Festival has matched their amazing lineup of artists with some of the best food trucks and vendors in Atlanta! We have put together a list of the food and drink vendors you will expect to see this weekend. Read below to pick your favorites.
Food
Beat the Heat with a King of Pop’s
Served under those bright rainbow umbrellas are some of the most flavorful popsicles you’ll eat! Known for over 500 flavors like Chocolate Sea Salt, Key Lime Pie, and Strawberry Lemonade, King of Pops is committed to providing wholesome ingredients and lots of taste. Feel like a kid in the summer again when you try one of King of Pop’s flavorful popsicles! For more information visit: https://kingofpops.com/
Try Simone’s Homemade Recipes at Simone’s Kitchen
Treasured homemade recipes served at your convenience! Self-taught Chef and Culinary Artist, Simone is catering to your tastebuds with some of the most mouthwatering dishes served just like you would see it at a restaurant. Fill your seafood cravings with seafood stuffed grilled cheese, cajun pasta trio, strawberry salmon salad, or golden fried catfish & grits. Brunch-lovers can enjoy Simone’s famous chicken & strawberry cheesecake waffles, shrimp & grits, or the loaded hashbrown casserole. To see these beautifully prepared dishes, visit: https://simoneskitchenatl.com/food-truck for more!
Grab a Slice of Pizza at Pizza Nova
Because you can't go wrong with a classic cheese pizza. Pizza Nova is proud to serve festival-lovers a classic cheese or pepperoni pizza at anytime of the day. If you’re looking to kick it up a notch, try their specialty Veggie, El Bianco, or War Pigs pizza with all the different meats you can think of! Visit http://www.eatsbychoice.com/pizza-nova.html for more information
Sample the Mediterranean at Makara’s
Gourmet Mediterranean foods served locally. From Gryos to Falafel, Makara’s has it all! If you’re avoiding fat or gluten, Makara offers a number of low-fat and gluten-free choices.
Enjoy Gourmet Festival Food at Quesadilla Gourmet
All your favorite finger foods and snacks served at Quesadilla Gourmet! Quesadilla Gourmet is taking festival food to a whole new level with their specialty quesadillas, tacos, nachos, hand-dipped party dogs, chicken tender baskets, and lemonade.
A Barbecue Fusion at So:Ko:Me
Suffering from multiple cravings and can't find the best one? Have them all at So: Ko: Me! Its name is derived from its southern barbecue, Korean, and Mexican menu options. Barbecue-lovers can pick any style burger from a bacon cheeseburger, All-American, or even Black Bean or Salmon burger! Those who love Korean options can be at ease with their build-you-own hibachi bowls, fried rice, and lo-mein. So:Ko:Me has endless options and more! Visit http://sokome.com/menu/ for more information.
Drink
Sip on a Beer or Seltzer with Scofflaw’s Brewing
Candler Park Music Festival is proud to partner with Scofflaw’s Brewing. Scofflaw specializes in being big, bold, and full of flavor with each one of their speciality beers. Beer-lovers can enjoy their Basement, Hooligan, Double Jeopardy, or Dirty Beaches beer on tap all the time. Refresh on some of their hard seltzer’s which include Black Cherry, Tahitian Lime, Tropical Pog, or a classic Georgia Peach. Whisky-lovers can get a taste of the finest barrel proof straight rye whiskey. You can also find Flippin Bird’s vodka, gin, and canned cocktails at any of the Scofflaw’s Brewing bases.
Try Something New with Flippin Birds
Don't worry about mixing your own drinks, Flippin Birds has you covered! Flip your everyday vodka upside down with their pink or clear hue inspired vodka made gluten-free and from non-GMO corn. Their Transfusion Fusion drinks are perfect to cool down while you listen to your favorite bands. Some of the flavors include a classic Margarita, Tahitian Lime, or Ginger Grape. Visit https://flippinbirdbrands.com/spirits/transfusion/ to see more of their unique flavors.
Have the Finest Barrel Whiskey at All Nations
Whiskey-lovers can get a taste of the finest barrel proof straight rye whiskey originated from Kentucky. The 129 prof Rye brings heat with notes of orchard fruits and vanillas that have accumulated from 11 years in the barrel. When you taste All Nation’s Fine Whiskey, you also get a glimpse back in time through American history!
0 notes
Link
Shrimp cocktail. Prawn cocktail, also known as shrimp cocktail, is a seafood dish consisting of shelled, cooked prawns in a Marie Rose sauce or cocktail sauce, served in a glass. When we want shrimp cocktail at home, it's easy enough to buy some precooked shrimp (maybe already arranged in a ring) and a jar of cocktail sauce and set it out for people to munch on. This classic shrimp cocktail recipe is one of my favorite Valentine's Day recipes, but really it's terrific year-round.
I've also included tip for buying and preparing shrimp. Shrimp cocktail is an appetizer of boiled shrimp that's dipped into a tomato-based cocktail sauce. Shrimp cocktail is all about the shrimp: big, fat, perfectly cooked gorgeous shrimp. You can have Shrimp cocktail using 15 ingredients and 4 steps. Here is how you cook it.
Ingredients of Shrimp cocktail
It's of salad bowl.
It's of jumbo shrimp.
It's of can tomato juice.
It's of tomatoes chopped.
Prepare of haas avocados chunked.
Prepare of cucumber peeled/seeded/chunked.
You need of yellow onion diced.
Prepare of fresh cilantro leaves chopped.
It's of green pepper diced.
You need of jalapeno seeded/chopped you can throw in a few seeds for added heat.
It's of finely chopped garlic.
It's of hot sauce I like Franks red hot.
You need of ketchup or catsup whatever.
Prepare of splash of citrus soda I recommend fresca or squirt.
You need of salt n pepper to taste.
Shrimp cocktail is a classic American dish. However old-fashioned it may seem, shrimp cocktail is a classic. We've updated this party standby with a zesty homemade sauce that packs a flavorful punch thanks to acidic ketchup, spicy chili sauce. Shrimp/Prawn Cocktail Recipes_ With Varied, Inventive and Unique Sauces!
Shrimp cocktail instructions
boil shrimp in salt water (large pot, 1Tbsp salt) if shrimp r precooked defrost fully in cold water instead of boiling them. tips: bring water to boil before throwing shrimp in, they will float to the surface when done. dont leave the shrimp in too long, you want them tender not chewy!.
cool shrimp in cold water ( ice speeds up the process of coarse.) when cooled, or defrosted, peel shrimp and devein (to devein shrimp, run a paring knife along the outer curve of the shrimp almost 1/4in deep from top to bottom youll see it!) its poop u dont want to eat that part!.
throw the shrimp in the bowl with all other ingredients, toss well, but gently u dont want to mash the avocado or tomatoes... chill for atleast an hour n enjoy! great with saltine crackers and a slice of lime.
a great add-in is chunked octopus..
So put that flavorless cocktail shrimp down and make these! I guarantee you'll fall in love! Shrimp cocktail may be simple, but there are still ways to make sure it tastes the very best it can Shrimp cocktail is an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer. We like to serve ours with a simple cocktail. Mexican Shrimp Cocktail. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.
0 notes
Text
FLORIDA
2021 Feb 23 (Tue) – We went out for lunch today to Micanopy. It was a small, historic town with lots of antique shops. We wanted to eat at a restaurant but it was closed so we went next door to Coffee & Cream where we enjoyed chicken salad sandwiches with rice and beans. After lunch, we walked up and down the main street wandering in some of the shops and reading the historic plaques describing the history of the town.
On the way back to the campground, we stopped at the post office to mail off some items and at a convenience store to pick up wine and get some lottery tickets. Then we stopped at the Antique Emporium. It was a large warehouse with 55 vendor shops inside. There were so many items we used to use for sale. There is no faster way to feel old than to walk through an antique shop and see your life’s belongings laid out and considered to be “old stuff.”
2021 Feb 22 (Mon) – We took our time closing up this morning. Bonnie and Sheba got to play outside and we chatted with Rich and Margaret for a while. Then we packed up and left Hernando at 11:35 a.m. The campground was just 40 miles away and we were here within an hour. Ocala North RV Park is a very nice, very clean facility. It is large and there were workers putting in new lights, a shuffle board, and a bocce ball court. They are getting ready for a luau in two days. The clerk who checked us in said the owner bought the rundown campground two years ago and has been working on renovating it. He’s done an excellent job.
2021 Feb 21 (Sun) – We all drove over to Matt & Michele’s today. They were hosting a drone speed course event for their local club. It was amazing to watch these little things zip around the yard, sounding like a bunch of angry bees. We could watch the drones fly around the course and watch the TV screens to see what the pilots were seeing in their headsets.
When we got back to the house, Margaret made roast beef sandwiches for us. For dinner, she cooked baked clams and steaks. We visited for a bit after dinner then returned to the rig to get ready for tomorrow’s move.
2021 Feb 20 (Sat) – I did some laundry today. Margaret was kind enough to let me use her washer and dryer. Matt & Michele came over for dinner and Margaret outdid herself, as usual. I think she loves to cook and is glad to have people visit. She not only made lots to eat, but packed us a take-home box.
2021 Feb 19 (Fri) – It started out cloudy, rained, then got really cool. We had to switch to long sleeve shirts and pants as the day wore on.
We drove to WalMart at 8 a.m. to get an oil change on the truck. There was a line of six cars in front of us waiting for service. We checked in then went shopping where we spent almost $200 on items in the store. The damn oil change should be free considering we shopped while waiting and spent so much we would not have spent other wise. Lol.
We got back around 10:30 a.m. and Margaret & Rich took us to Matt & Michele’s house. Paul and Margaret used to work with Matt at NYSDOT. They were building their home and a drone speed course when we were here last January. It is all finished now and everything is very nice. The drone control center and speed course are quite the thing to see.
We returned to the house and finished off Margaret’s egg salad. Later, we went to dinner at Crump’s Landing in Homasossa. It had a large grass covered roof over a seated patio area. There were plastic panels pinned in around the sides to keep it warm along with large gas heaters. It was very nice and the food was good. After dinner, Rich drove us over to Monkey Island. It is a small island in the middle of the Homosassa River where a troupe of monkeys lives. It was too dark to see anything but there is a house and a replica lighthouse on the island that is little more than a mound of dirt in the middle of the river. Guess the monkeys were asleep because we didn’t see any. It was too dark anyway.
2021 Feb 18 (Thu) – We packed up and left Tampa at 10:30 a.m. It was a little more than two hours to Hernando where we are staying in the driveway of friends, Margaret & Rich. We were here last January where we celebrated the New Year with them. Margaret was waiting for our arrival with egg salad sandwiches. We visited for a couple of hours. Later, she made sausage and peppers heroes for dinner.
2021 Feb 17 (Wed) – I went back to ENT doctor today. First I had a hearing test with the audiologist then a follow-up with the ENT doctor. I was told I have hearing loss in both ears and should go back to the VA for a re-evaluation on the hearing aids. The doctor prescribed prednisone for 6 days and a Flonase. Both are intended to reduce swelling and allow the fluid behind my ear to be reabsorbed.
After the doctor, we dropped the prescription off to CVS then went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant. After a stop at U-Haul for propane, we went back to CVS to pick up my prescriptions.
2021 Feb 16 (Tue) – Johnny & Linda and Rick & Brenda came over for a barbecue. It was chilly with an overcast sky and cool wind blowing. At least it didn’t rain. We had burgers, baked beans, potato salad, tossed salad and a chocolate cake to celebrate Brenda’s birthday. We visited for almost 4 hours. It was very enjoyable. After they left, we took down the town and cleaned up.
2021 Feb 15 (Mon) – I went to the ENT doctor today. He wanted to follow up and see how my ear was doing after using the drops. While the pain is gone, my ear still feels stuffed up. The doctor believes that I have fluid behind my ear. He asked me to come back for a hearing test.
After the doctor, we stopped at Bonefish Grill for lunch. The Bang Bang Shrimp is good every time! Then we stopped at Publix to pick up some groceries. When we got back to the campground, Paul set up the covered tent for tomorrow’s barbecue.
2021 Feb 14 (Sun – Valentine’s Day) – We went to the Hard Rock Café & Casino for lunch. Thought we’d enjoy a meal and a little gambling. What an UNenjoyable experience! The place is huge with several parking garages surrounding the main casino. We walked deep into the building before we found the café. The food was OK but very expensive - $101! After lunch, we went up to the second floor to the non-smoking lounge. We searched for 10 and 25 cent machines. That didn’t make any difference. When you found a 25 cent machine, you had to bet a minimum of 30 credits – each credit being equal to 25 cents. We both put $20 in a machine and after just 3 or 4 pushes of the button, we were broke. It is nice when you can find a machine to play that will last a little while. After all, you look for entertainment for a while. I don’t mind losing my money if the machine lets me play for an hour or so.
So, we went back down to the first floor and stopped in at a lounge for a cocktail and just enjoy the ambiance of the place. We walked up to the plastic shield and waited for service. Two bartenders were making drinks and even though they came by us to get bottles off the shelf, no one said anything to us. The bar was oval shaped and they were waiting on people on the other side of the bar. After about ten minutes, we spotted a waitress. Paul asked if we could get service at a table. She said yes so we sat at a small table and ordered our drinks. I asked for a double shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream and Paul had a shot of 43. My drink wasn’t more than an ounce. In fact, I questioned her as to whether it was even a double as it looked like so little. The charge for my drink was $22. We left the casino feeling ripped off and very unsatisfied with our experience. Sad.
2021 Feb 13 (Sat) – A fierce thunderstorm rolled through last night. The campground is full of puddles and squishy grass. It rained off and on all day today. There are more thunderstorms on the way over the next two or three days.
At 11:30, we wandered over to the livestock barn to see what was going on with the little piggies. They were having some kind of contest. A group of ten kids with pigs entered the ring. Each one had a long, thin switch that they used to continuously smack the pig on the right side of the face. Apparently, that is how they control the pig; with the switch and a stiff brush in their other hand. It looked like a confusing melee to me. The pigs walked all over the place and the kids followed, switching them in the face while trying to maintain eye contact with the judge. A judge watched and selected two or three contestants. They left the arena and entered cages on the side. The rest of the contestants were dismissed and the selectees came back out, fist bumped the judge, then left, too. Then, the next group of ten entered the ring. We watched for about a half hour. The animals were beautiful – strong, healthy looking beasts with ears that stood straight up and an energy to their trot. Some pigs were pink but more were other colors – chocolate brown, black with a pink band around their center, black with pink spots or pink with black splotches. It must be more difficult than it looks.
2021 Feb 12 (Fri) – We met Brenda & Rick for lunch at Portillo’s. The restaurant is famous in Chicago for its hot dogs and chocolate cake. We sat outside and visited for almost two hours. It was fun.
Next door was a Walgreens. After lunch, Paul and I went to find cards for our grandsons. We addressed them, put in a few candy hearts, and mailed them off.
2021 Feb 11 (Thu) – We went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. We were appalled to see many tables with the dishes still sitting on them after diners have left. The service was very slow. We watched the hostess come in, haphazardly wipe off a table and then seat a couple there. She definitely is not COVID protective.
After lunch, we went to Lazydays which was right next door to the restaurant. After buying a few supplies, we met with a salesman who took us to look at several rigs. We found two we liked and when we returned to the office, he worked hard to get us to buy one of the RVs. He even brought in the boss to talk to us. Fortunately, he saw we weren’t looking to buy right now so he just chatted amiably with us then left. Good. I didn’t feel like going through a high pressure sales pitch. They offered to give us a trade in of $32,000 on our current rig.
Campers are starting to come into the campground. There will be a Swine Festival this weekend for the local kids club.
2021 Feb 10 (Wed) – Paul tested the charge on several stanchions and found high voltage running through the line. I called the office and they sent an electrician over. He said they have a fair coming up and run a higher voltage over the line. With lots of people drawing power, it causes the voltage to drop. Since we are the only camper here, the voltage is too high and they can’t reduce it. It should be running around 128 but it’s over 133 and tripping the surge protector (which we thought was broken but was really doing its job). So, we packed up and moved to the other side of the campground where they are not setting up for the fair. The voltage seems to be OK over here. There’s one other camper in this area.
After the set up, we drove to MacDill Air Force Base. We have tried to get reservations on that base a couple of times but they were always full. They have over 400 spaces in their campground. It was full and the sites were very close to each other. We were just as glad we didn’t get in.
We then stopped at the commissary and picked up some groceries, then walked next door to the Class VI Package Store and picked up some wine.
2021 Feb 9 (Tue) – We drove to a laundromat to do some wash. They had a value card system in place. You have to put money on a card and put that into the washer and dryer. It is a confusing system but we managed. For two washers and two dryers, we spent $12.70. That was high.
While the clothes were doing their thing, we went to WalMart and picked up oil and DEF for the truck. Paul asked about having an oil change done but the clerk said they didn’t have a lift big enough to fit the truck. He told us to go to the WalMart in Valrico.
We had lunch at Duke’s Brewhouse. It was a relatively new place (as an evaluator said on Trip Advisor) but was not crowded. The walls were covered with big screen TVs playing every kind of sports. The Tamp Bay Buccaneers are big news after their win at the Superbowl this past weekend. I had a Greek flatbread and Paul had a Caesar wrap. The food was OK.
The electric breaker kicked off twice. Our surge protector usually takes two minutes to bring the electric back on. It did it the first time but not the second. Paul thinks the surge protector has bit the dust. It is almost four years old. That’s an awful short life. Add to that the Jetpack that keeps giving us problems in accessing the Internet. Ugh.
2021 Feb 8 (Mon) – I found an ENT doctor and went to see him this morning. He said I have a bacterial infection in my ear and prescribed ear drops. He said to stop the Amoxicillin that the urgent care doctor prescribed. I am supposed to go back to see the ENT doctor in a week.
We then went to Smokey Bones for lunch. The ribs were delicious! Then I ran into CVS (which happened to be in a Target store) to get the ear drops. I spent a good part of the day cancelling reservations and appointments back in New York. I was supposed to fly out today.
2021 Feb 7 (Sun) – We packed up and left Sarasota at 10 a.m. It was an hour and a half drive to the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. Sometimes I have to wonder about our timing. The Superbowl is being played in Tampa tonight. We always seem to arrive somewhere where something amazing or very big is going on – like a presidential rally or a big concert.
When we arrived, we discovered we didn’t have an assigned site. The saleslady had acknowledged our reservation and promised to send us information before we arrived. She didn’t do that. The guard called someone who told them to just point us to the camping area and to pick a spot. That’s what we did. There are two RVs camped along the fence next to the interstate. Having camped near the interstate before, we knew it would be too loud with the 24/7 traffic. So we found a site on the other side of the field as far away from the road as we could get.
After set up, we went out to get some lunch. We were also going to do some laundry but my ear was hurting very badly. I got a message from Southwest that I had to have a negative COVID test within 72 hours of arriving in NY. On top of that, New York is getting another snowstorm today and another is scheduled for Thursday, all on top of a snowstorm they had a few days ago. I decided to cancel my trip until I could get my ear repaired. Maybe the COVID test will not be a requirement in another month with the vaccine out there. We’ll see.
My sister gave me a homeopathic treatment for my ear so we went to Sprouts Market where I picked up some ear drops. It did help to alleviate some of the pressure in my ear.
2021 Feb 6 (Sat) – We stayed in the trailer all day except to walk the dog. The wind was blowing briskly but it was more balmy than cold. Paul dumped the tanks this evening in readiness for our move tomorrow.
2021 Feb 5 (Fri) – It was cool today. Had to wear long pants, socks, and a jacket in the morning. We ran several errands around town. We went to Millie’s Restaurant for lunch. It was a delightful little café decorated with a French motif. I told Paul that I would like that wallpaper in our next house, wherever we settle down. Next stop was at Petco to pick up dry food for Bonnie. In the same shopping center was a Total Wine where we picked up some wine, a cordial, and a margarita mix. We stopped in a mall to look for sweat pants and jeans for me. It was about 3/4s empty. I guess COVID killed most of the stores. There was a JC Penney’s where I found a pair of soft slacks, not sweats nor jeans. We looked at cruise wear but decided to wait before buying any.
After we got home and dropped off our purchases, we ran back out to a medical clinic. My ear has been painful for a couple of days and I am getting some blood on a Q-tip. The doctor thinks I might have ruptured the ear drum and recommended that I see an ENT doctor. She prescribed an antibiotic. I think she should have cleaned the ear out with a topical antiseptic but she refused to do it. I called back home to my cancer doctor to be sure there was no problem with an interaction with my chemo medication. I stopped taking it yesterday. A nurse called back and said there would be no problem with the two medications.
When we got back, we fed the animals then went into the lodge for dinner and drinks. I still had my free drink to claim from the Queen of Hearts drawing. The bar was full and service was very slow but we finally got our meal. The Exalted Ruler came over to chat with us and Paul met a couple of people who were from4rrrr our hometown. One man came over to sit with us and reminisce about the old town.
2021 Feb 4 (Thu) – I called my brother, Gregory, and made arrangements for dinner. We met them at Longhorn Restaurant. The meal was delicious! Afterward, we went to Greg’s house to visit with him and Potsy for a while. He had us laughing with his stories of doctors, nail guns, and children. I love his sense of humor.
2021 Feb 3 (Wed) – We pulled up stakes and drove 120 miles northwest to Sarasota. We are camped on the side of an Elks Lodge. There are 3 campers hooked up. We got the only 50 amp site. We parked so another camper can fit between us and the motorcoach next to us. The RV is due to come in tomorrow.
We went out to pick up groceries and dog food, drop off postcards for mailing, and refuel. We stopped at the Bayan Tree Chocolate & Café for lunch. They had a display case with specialty chocolates right when you walked in. We sat and ordered off the menu. I got a quiche and Paul had a sandwich. We took home chocolate chili for dinner. It did not taste as good as it sounded.
At 5 p.m. we went to the outdoor Tiki Bar behind our trailer for a drink. Several people were in there with heaters and a fireplace all blazing away. It was cold and everyone was in jackets. We then went into the lodge to pay for our site. We sat at the bar and had a drink. It was Queen of Hearts night so we bought tickets for that as well as the 50-50 drawing. I won a free drink. We paid the bartender for our 4-night stay.
2021 Feb 2 (Tue) – We drove the Loop Road this morning. It was pretty cool. It is a 40 mile road that loops through the Big Cypress National Preserve. About 12 miles of it is hard packed gravel (unpaved). It was in pretty good condition with few potholes. It was a narrow, 2-lane road that wound through the Everglades. There were cypress trees and bushes lining both sides of the road and lots of water on either side. We spotted 3 alligators and several egrets.
When we came out on the main road, we drove to Everglades City to take an airboat ride. We were an hour early, so we stopped at a deli on the Miccosukee Indian Reservation for lunch. We bought a meatball hero, a bag of chips, and an iced tea. We sat in the car and split the meal between us. At 1 p.m. we drove to the meeting spot. It was an entrance into the canal with no office building. Two airboats were sitting there, waiting for customers. Our guide came over, introduced himself (CPT Ryan), and gave us paperwork to sign absolving them of all liability if we got hurt. It was only the guide and the two of us on the boat. We wore headsets so we could hear him speaking over the drone of the engine. He drove us through the Everglades for better than an hour and a half regaling us with stories of his childhood and descriptions of the area with its wildlife, fauna, and flora. We saw gators, great blue herons, egrets, vultures, and turtles. It seemed like we went deep into the wild and untamed wilderness. The water was so clean and pure looking. Not at all what you would expect a swamp to be like. We saw a couple of alligators and many kinds of birds and even a turtle. I was hoping to catch sight of a python but our guide said they were hard to spot – usually only when a bird or gator has caught one. What a great experience!
2021 Feb 1 (Mon) – We packed up and headed out at 9:30 a.m. It was 110 miles to the Big Cypress National Preserve where we are camped in the Midway Campground. There are 32 campsites arranged around the perimeter of a large pond. We have electric hookup only. We dumped our tanks and filled the fresh water tank before pulling into our assigned site. The camp host met us at the entrance, ran through a litany of rules, and wished us well. He warned us to beware of the wildlife. When I asked him what kind of wildlife they have here in the park, he said “Everything!” Does he think they have a zoo in here?
After set up and a quick lunch, we headed out to the visitor center. It was very small. We watched a video about the ecosystem but it failed to explain how it all works together. Outside the center was a wooden walkway that ran along a canal. There were many alligators in the water as well as different kinds of fish. It was quite thrilling.
We then drove to Everglades City. It looked like it has been pretty much beat up over the years. Almost all of the buildings were raised 10 or more feet off the ground. Is that for storm surge or wildlife avoidance? The city is laid out in a large grid. The houses have large yards; they might each be on one or two acres apiece. The local museum was closed. We stopped in a very old store-turned-museum and wandered around all the old stuff. They had interesting signs up describing how various equipment/furniture/ appliances were used. The Smallwood Store was built in 1906 on Chokoloskee Island.
My hair is going through another kind of metamorphosis. It seems to be losing its curl and is more coarse. I guess the change in chemo strength is doing something. I made reservations for a flight back home next month for a PET Scan and checkup. I am not looking forward to going back to New York in February. It’s cold! And with the damn virus, they might make me take a COVID test. Keep your fingers crossed I don’t have to do that. I won’t go back then if they try to make me take that thing. It is too painful.
2021 Jan 31 (Sun) – We went into the Elks lodge for brunch at 11:30 a.m. The food was very good. At 5:30 p.m. we drove to Marathon to meet Tim at the Sunset Grill. We had dinner and watched the sun set. There were clouds in the sky so we did not get much color. A gentleman sitting next to me got a very interesting looking appetizer. I asked him what it was and he said it was cheesecake spring rolls. I asked him many questions about it. What was that name again? Did the waiter recommend it? It is sweet or tart? Is it supposed to be a dessert? He said it was delicious and he couldn’t taste any cream cheese at all. We finally got our hands on a menu and looked up the appetizer, hoping to find out what ingredients could be put into a cheesecake spring roll that would erase all taste of cream cheese. What a laugh we had!!! There was a cheesesteak spring roll on the menu. The bar was crowded, he had misheard the waiter, and he never bothered to check it out on the menu. We had quite a chuckle all night long as we ordered and ate our “cheesecake” spring rolls.
There are the nastiest gnats around here. Their bites sting and just keep itching. Our legs and arms are covered with these small red blotches that won’t stop itching. Ugh. Well, we have checked off the Florida Keys from our bucket list. Time to move on.
2021 Jan 30 (Sat) – We had planned to take a glass bottom boat tour in Key Largo with Tim today. He called to say that the weather for the day was bad for boat rides. The wind is blowing pretty hard which would give us a rough ride. So we cancelled that plan and arranged to meet Tim at Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada. Every time we drive down the road, the marina is packed. Apparently, they have lots of activities going on there and we wanted to see what they have.
We got there at 11:30 a.m. There was a storyboard that told the story of Scarface. The owner found a tarpon with its jaw badly torn and hanging. He called a friend who sewed the jaw back in place. The owner nursed the fish back to health and after six months, released it back into the wild. Apparently, it liked the treatment because it continued to hang around the marina. In addition, it brought friends back for handouts, too. Today, you can pay $2.25 to walk out on the dock to look at the tarpons gathered around and you can buy a bucket of food for $4.00 to feed them. The dock was crowded with people and pelicans looking to sample the food. We skipped the melee and had lunch on the patio. The margarita was terrible. We told the waitress that and she brought another drink. It was a little better but still not good. The food was not that good either.
Tim’s friend, Jimmy, joined us. He and Tim met back up in New York working on the casino boat that went out of Freeport. They have both moved down here to Florida. Jimmy works for a pool company. He was pretty funny. Interestingly, Tim is talking about getting an RV.
It was cloudy, windy, and cool all day long. We went on to the patio at the Elks lodge at 6 p.m. to watch the sunset. We were sure that with all the clouds, the sunset would be fantastic. Unfortunately, the clouds were too thick and too low on the horizon. There were no beautiful colors to see. A couple sitting at a nearby table live next door to the lodge and came over to watch the sunset, too. They peppered us with questions about RVs. They were dressed in winter jackets, gloves and hats. Guess they thought it was cold.
2021 Jan 29 (Fri) – We met Tim at the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center. It is located on the property of the Islander Resort in their convention center. It was small but interesting. Tim and I got in free because we were veterans. Paul got the senior rate.
After the center, we went across the street to Lorelei for lunch. We found a table in the sun out on the patio and enjoyed a delightful meal together. After lunch, Paul and I stopped at Publix to pick up a few things. We also stopped at the post office where I mailed off our passport renewals. Let’s see how long it takes to get the new passports.
Our mail arrived this afternoon. I asked to have our mail forwarded 2 days ago. UPS marked it as a 3 day shipment but it arrived in 2 days. Unfortunately, the package was marked as one of two packages. The tracking number for the second package says it is scheduled to arrive here at the Elks Lodge on Tuesday. We leave on Monday. The UPS driver said they could forward it to us. Just leave the forwarding address with the camp host here.
A cold front came in today. The temperature dropped to a low of 59 degrees. Lol. The Floridians brought out their parkas, gloves, scarves, and hats.
2021 Jan 28 (Thu) – We went to the laundromat this morning to wash clothes. We sat in the truck while the clothes washed, then drove to a Mexican restaurant for lunch while they were in the dryer.
I spent an hour putting together an annual report on finances for the SMART Nomads. Later in the day at 4 p.m. there was a Zoom meeting with National Muster committee (I volunteered to chair the Administrative Team). The meeting went on for about an hour.
2021 Jan 27 (Wed) – We drove to Marathon and met Tim at his boat at 9:30 a.m. Before we got there, we stopped at a nearby Walgreens to have passport pictures taken. He took us out on the dinghy to his dive boat then we rode out to the Sombrero Reef, the third largest reef in the world. The water was such a beautiful green-blue color. Tim said the water was not cold but I thought it was so I did not go in. Paul put on a weight belt and a belt to hold the breathing regulator in place. Right after he jumped into the water with just his bathing suit, Tim promptly donned a wetsuit. So much for the water not being cold! Paul and Tim spent about an hour diving on the reef hookah style (as Tim calls it). The 50’ hoses were attached to the oxygen tanks that stayed on the boat while they swam around the boat. I looked over the sides and watched the colorful fish go crazy for crackers I threw in the water.
After we got back, we transferred to the dinghy and rode to the Dockside Grill where we enjoyed a refreshing drink. Then we returned to the dock and came back to the campground, stopping at Walgreens to pick up our pictures then at Winn Dixie to pick up a few groceries.
At 6:45 p.m. we went into the Elks lodge for dinner and to play the Queen of Hearts. The woman whose name was drawn did not choose the $900 Teaser. She drew a card but it was not the Queen of Hearts. So she won nothing. Next week’s drawing will have a prize over $32,000.
2021 Jan 26 (Tue) – We drove to the post office to make application to renew our passports. The clerk told us to go online. Turns out that all renewals have to be done by mail. That means we have to go get our pictures taken somewhere. Ugh.
We went for breakfast at the Bitton Bistro. Turned out to be a French café. The owner, Michel, is from Morocco. He was the only person working in the café and there were 3 tables taken and several people coming and going to buy pastries. The food was good and we even bought pastries for tomorrow’s breakfast.
We met Tim at the Crane Point Museum. It is a 63 acre hammock. A hammock in Florida is used in the southeastern United States for stands of trees, usually hardwood, that form an ecological island in a contrasting ecosystem. Hammocks grow on elevated areas, often just a few inches high, surrounded by wetlands that are too wet to support them. There were birds in a cage being cared for by rehabbers. The group included pelicans, cormorants, owls, kestrels, egrets, herons, and an eagle. A little further on was a pedicure pool. People could take their shoes off and put their feet in the water. Little fish nibbled on the bottom of their feet. Four people were sitting on the dock with their feet in the water. They said it tickled. We wandered through thick foliage with lots of roots sticking up in the pathway. It was a rough hike through the trees.
After the tour, we drove to the Overseas Pub & Grill and had lunch outside on the patio. It had an Irish menu and I enjoyed shepherd’s pie. Tim had corned beef stew and Paul just had a burger.
2021 Jan 25 (Mon) – What an illuminating day it was! We drove to Key West today. It was 90 miles one way. The road (US 1) passed over one island after another. Each island is called a key and there are many keys (also called a cay). The houses and buildings are painted in lovely pastel shades of pink, green, blue, peach, yellow and dove gray. Some islands are very built up and others are sparse. There are many boats and marinas along the way. Key West was incredibly crowded. The streets are narrow and the houses are tightly packed. The entire place was so built up! We had to wait on a long line just to get our picture taken at the 0 mile marker for the southernmost point in the Continental U.S. There were so many people in town and no parking that we couldn’t even tour the Truman Little White House or Hemingway’s Home. It was very disappointing.
We did stop in at a Butterfly Conservancy. That was delightful. There were butterflies flying everywhere! The docent told us they buy 300 egg sacks a week and release 15-30 new butterflies into the screen area every day. There were also very colorful little birds flying around.
We drove over to the Naval Air Station to check out the Sigsbee Campground. Although they have almost 100 hookups, there were not many RVs camped there at all. We guess that only servicemen who are stationed at the base are allowed to camp there. It was nice but the sites were tight. We are just as glad that we never got in there.
2021 Jan 24 (Sun) – We drove to the Florida Keys History and Discovery Center in Islamorada but it was closed. It is located in the Islander Resort and a guard at the gate told us they are only open Wednesday to Saturday. That was disappointing.
We drove down the road to the Island Grill and had a meal outside on the beach. Out table was a long table with two trees growing up through the table. After lunch, we drove further south to Bud ‘n Mary’s Marina. A friend of ours told us to go see the fish there. There were loads of pelicans begging scraps from a fisherman cleaning the day’s catch. In the water was a manatee, several very long fish (we think they were mackerel), and lots of minnows. The water was a beautiful color.
We stopped at the Hurricane Monument. A carved granite marker stands on the side of the road in tribute to the people who lost their lives in a hurricane in 1935. Next, we stopped at the History of Diving Museum. It was a very informative place. There were displays of deep sea diving gear, SCUBA gear, and underwater equipment. Lots of storyboards told about the personalities that made breakthroughs in diving and contributed to the sport. We enjoyed the museum very much.
2021 Jan 23 (Sat) – We drove to the post office this morning to get pictures and submit paperwork to renew our passports. We will be taking a cruise to Australia and New Zealand next year. Following the cruise, we are planning to take a camper around Australia for 2 or 3 months. That’s when our current passports will expire. We are renewing them now in order to avoid the possibility that our passports might expire before we get back home. Unfortunately, the post office was closed. So we went next door to the Made 2 Order café and had a late breakfast.
After our meal, we drove to Islamorada to the Theater of the Sea. It was fun. We got on a tour that went to several stations. First was the fish display. There were sting rays, parrot fish, and nurse sharks in shallow pools. The guide described the fish and showed how they train the sharks. Next to the display area was a wading pool where people could wade in the water with some of the fish.
Next stop was at a glass enclosure that held two alligators; one female and one male. We learned the females grow to about 6-8 feet and the males can grow up to 14 feet. Another enclosure held a crocodile where the guide explained the difference between the crocodilians.
After that was a stop at the turtle pools. They had leatherbacks, loggerheads, and green sea turtles. One turtle floated around the pool with a life vest on. There was something wrong with its shell that prevented it from surfacing. The vest helps it to be able to take a breath. These critters were so big!
Then we went to 3 shows. The first was where they had several parrots and macaws. The emcee described the different types of exotic birds and where they come from. Then we all went to a large pool where two dolphins performed tricks for the audience. Beside the pool were two small pools where people were swimming with the dolphins. The place offered the opportunity to swim with dolphins, sting rays, and sharks, all for an additional fee. The admission fee was pretty steep - $87 for the two of us and that was with a 10% discount! After the dolphins, we went to another pool where they had sea lions perform tricks, too. And, again, there were people swimming with the sea lions in small pools near the main pool.
The tour ended with a ride on a bottomless boat. The boat had benches on the four sides of the boat with an opening in the center. The two dolphins from the show came swimming by and popped up in the center of the boat and did tricks inside and on the side of the boat while we rode out and back on the lake. The guide said the entire park is landlocked so they pump in over 11 million gallons of water every day.
After the park, we drove to the “world famous” Lorelei Restaurant. It is a bar with a very large patio on three sides that sits right on the bay shore. We found a table where Tim joined us. He was meeting a friend who is in Florida on vacation. The friend didn’t want to come to the table so he sat up in the walkway in his wheelchair watching the women go by. Joey was also there, sitting up on the walkway with a friend.
2021 Jan 22 (Fri) – We drove to Marathon today to see Tim and take a ride on his boat. He actually has two boats. One he lives on and the other is his dive boat. He can take out groups of up to six people to dive on a nearby reef. His son, Joey, was also there.
We parked the truck and got on the dive boat. Tim drove from the dock to a nearby restaurant where we docked at the pier and had lunch on the patio. After a couple of margaritas, we got back on the boat and rode out into the ocean. We parked (can you park a boat?) out near the 7 mile bridge and watched the sunset. Sadly, there were no clouds in the sky so the sunset was pretty bland. You have to have clouds in the sky in order to have a beautiful sunset or sunrise.
We returned to the marina where Tim anchored his dive boat and we transferred to a little dinghy for a ride back to the dock. It was tight and a little nerve racking but we did it without incident. It was a good day.
When we got back to the lodge, I went in and asked if they had any leftovers. It was prime rib night and I thought I could get some of the leftover food. It turned out they had plenty left and we wound up sitting down to dinner at 8:30 p.m. Ugh. That is SO late to eat a heavy meal. We brought most of the meal back to the RV.
2021 Jan 21 (Thu) – After the motorhome next to us left, we readjusted our position in the campsite. We fit much better now. We have no TV stations over the air. Paul had to put the satellite dish up on the roof but it is working fine.
My brother, Tim, came over this morning. We were stuck in the campground because I was waiting for UPS to deliver my medicine (I have to sign for it). At 1 p.m. I called UPS and asked to pick up the package at their office tomorrow. The clerk I spoke with (sounding like she was in India) arranged it. We then went out to lunch at Tower of Pizza. Tim said it is the closest thing to New York pizza outside of New York. It was OK.
We returned to the campground and sat down by the water. A truck pulled up with a 100 gallon tank on the back. The driver put a hose in the water, turned on a generator, and began pumping water into the tank. It turns out that he sells salt water to aquariums for their collections. Who would have thought you could make a career out of that? A UPS truck pulled up and, low and behold, my medication and our forwarded mail were both on the truck. Luckily, we were here so I could sign for my medicine.
There was a beautiful sunset tonight. Tim, who lives on his boat in Marathon (an island further south in the Keys), says the sunsets seem to go on for hours down here. The water is incredibly clear. We walked out on a pier they have here at the lodge. There are little needle nose gars swimming in the water. They blend in with the water and algae so much that it is difficult to see them. I could not spot any dolphins or manatees.
2021 Jan 20 (Wed) – We are in The Keys! We packed up and left South Bay at 9 a.m. and drove 3 hours to Tavernier. We are camped at an Elks Lodge on Overseas Highway. The lodge is right on the water. The Keys is on a narrow strip of land flanked by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. The sites are very tight. We got into our assigned site (# 13) but we could adjust a little. The motor home next to us will be leaving tomorrow and we will readjust our position after they leave and before the next RV gets here.
We went into the lodge at 6 p.m. for dinner. They had a Queens of Hearts drawing at 7:30 p.m. That was a hoot. The prize is over $31,000. The reason the prize has grown so big is that they have a Teaser. Tonight’s Teaser is $900. If your ticket gets drawn, you get to turn a card over. If you turn a Queen of Hearts, you win the entire pot (+$31,000). You can opt to take the Teaser ($900) and they still turn a card over. If it’s the Queen of Hearts, you win nothing and they start a new game. Twenty-seven cards have been turned over so far. The winner took the Teaser and the card that was turned over was a Queen of Diamonds. The game is still on. The next drawing will be next Wednesday.
I got a series of reservations from the Newburgh KOA for our caravan this summer. The costs were all above our budgeted amount. I called and spoke with the manager of the campground. She explained that she had to just get something into the system to hold our sites. The price adjustments will come later and not to worry.
2021 Jan 19 (Tue) – We drove into West Palm Beach today. After a quick lunch at Zaxby’s, we took a ride on the Diva Duck boat. There were just 8 adults and 2 children on the boat. It was a weird sensation to go from the road into the water. The woman narrating the tour was very good and had lots of tongue-in-cheek jokes about ducks.
After our pleasant afternoon, we stopped at PetSmart to get some dog food then Publix for a few groceries. Paul filled up the truck and I bought lottery tickets hoping to hit the more than $800 million jackpot.
2021 Jan 16-18 (Sat, Sun, Mon) – We stayed in the campground. This was a holiday weekend and we were staying away from the crowds. The folks with the chicken on a leash left today. I wanted to get a picture of it but I missed out. Oh, well. The weather has been cool; lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s. Hopefully, it will be warmer down in the Keys.
2021 Jan 15 (Fri) – We drove to Palm Beach today. Palm Beach was named for the coconut groves that were once common along Lake Worth. The only remaining coconut grove in Palm Beach is on the Flagler estate.
First stop was at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. What an amazing place! Another example of the opulence of the nouveau rich of the 1800s. Flagler’s family immigrated from Germany to New York. Flagler left home at 14 to look for his fortune. He found it when he joined up with John D. Rockefeller and Samuel Andrews to form Standard Oil Co. He made millions (billions in today’s money). In 1902, he built Whitehall as a winter retreat and visited there for 12 years until he died. His wife died 4 years later and left their estate to a niece. She then turned it over to private investors when it became too expensive to keep and they turned the mansion into a grand hotel. In 1959, the investors had gone broke and the building was going to be torn down. A great granddaughter bought the property and turned it into a museum in 1960.
There were more than 75 rooms in the home. Much of the original furniture, as well as furniture from the period, are in the rooms. Each room is grander than the next. It was amazing! In the back of the home was another building housing Flagler’s personal rail car. He built a rail line that connected Jacksonville to the Keys. Flagler is credited with building up Florida and making it a major attraction for tourism and agriculture.
Across the water behind the estate was a marina that housed several yachts. One of them was a small ocean liner with beautiful lines. Ah, what the money people spend their dollars on.
After the museum, we drove into town and had lunch at Almond. It turned out they also have a restaurant in Manhattan and Bridgehampton back in New York. We sat on the patio and watched all the rich cars drive by. I’ve never seen so many high end vehicles – Tesla, Mercedes, Bentley, Ducati, etc. – in one place. Parking is restricted to two hours and while we were eating, two of the wait staff ran out to move their cars so they wouldn’t be ticketed. Our lunch was excellent but we paid for it. It was almost $100 (tip included). Whew!
Next was a drive around town. We wound up on Ocean Drive and drove past Mar-a-lago, President Trump’s Florida home. It’s a strange arrangement. The road cuts through the middle of the estate with the club on one side and the pool on the other side next to the ocean. There was a very large American flag standing on the lawn in front of the club. We couldn’t see the entire building as there was a 6’ hedge in front of the place. Most of them have 15-20 foot high hedges in front of their properties. I guess that’s more attractive than fences and certainly more private. Each home we drove past was more opulent than the next. This is definitely the place to come if you want to ogle the rich and famous.
When we got back to the campground, we could see that most campsites have been filled up. It’s the weekend. The folks next to us have a chicken. They tie a rope to its foot and the rooster just hangs around. He likes to be high so they put him on the handlebars of their bicycle or up on a 6’ ladder. I’ve seen some crazy things during our travels but a chicken on a leash is a new one for me. Lol.
2021 Jan 14 (Thu) – We stayed in the campground all day. I did work on the Nomads newsletter as well as the New York Caravan. Paul worked on finding us campgrounds to stay in. After he found a site in Tampa, I called Southwest and made a reservation to fly to New York next month.
2021 Jan 13 (Wed) – We asked the office to move to a site further away from the road. It must be a main truck route as it was noisy all night long. We got moved from 85 to 151. It’s marked as a handicapped site but the picnic table is located on the wrong side of the rig. Regardless, it is much quieter over here.
After our move, we drove into town to get propane and fuel. We drove through Clewiston and stopped at the Chamber of Commerce & Museum. It was small and not well laid out. The CoC offers a Sugarland Tour which we very much wanted to take. It is four hours learning about all the sugar cane farms in the area. Unfortunately, tours are suspended until September because of the coronavirus.
We drove through South Bay. There were many slum areas, dilapidated houses, and closed stores. This town is suffering greatly. Trip Advisor listed only one restaurant in the entire town – Subway.
2021 Jan 12 (Tue) – We packed up and left Cocoa at 9:50 a.m. and arrived at the South Bay RV Campground at 1:30 p.m. We ran into traffic going through the Palm Beach area. The campground is owned by the county. It is neat, clean, and well laid out. Unfortunately, it is right by a major truck route and quite noisy. We only got a 30-amp site while there are 50-amp sites open. The campground is about 90% full. It sits at the base of a levee. There is a lake and creek on the property with signs warning of alligators. Check-in was online as they are keeping everything contactless. There is nothing to do in South Bay. This is the kind of campground you come to when you want to get away from it all.
2021 Jan 11 (Mon) – We went to the Brevard Zoo today. Paul thought it was very nice. Not too big and all the animals were out and visible. We had to make a reservation online as they are limiting the number of people in the zoo at any one time. There were lots of animals from Australia and Africa. It was about a two hour tour.
We stopped at the Melbourne Seafood Grill for lunch. I had a crab cake and Paul enjoyed clams. Then we got some fuel in preparation for tomorrow’s move. When we got back to the campground, we did some wash. Sheba brought some hairballs last night while laying on our bed so we had to wash the sheets and bedspread. It’s time to take the flannel sheets off the bed anyway. We are headed into southern Florida where the weather is sure to be warmer (we sure hope so!).
2021 Jan 10 (Sun) – We did laundry today. It seemed like Sunday was wash day for a lot of people in the campground and we got the last two machines.
We met George & Linda at El Leoncita for dinner. The food, margaritas, and company were all good.
2021 Jan 9 (Sat) – We drove back to Merritt Island and picked up Denise with her dog, Levi, then drove to Cocoa to George & Linda’s. George made dough balls to go fishing with his grandson, Ryan. Their son, Neil, came over and we all went down to the lake. Ryan, Neil, George, and Paul fished while Linda, Denise, and I went for a drive around the neighborhood. It was cool with a brisk breeze blowing.
No fish caught, we returned to the house and George grilled up some burgers and hot dogs. After visiting, we returned to Merritt Island to drop off Denise, then back to the campground. Sheba ran out of the door when we got back at 8 p.m. and it took a bit of effort to get her back inside because it was dark and we couldn’t see.
2021 Jan 8 (Fri) – We went out to pick up food for Bonnie. The vet recommended that we only give her one protein source. Rather than mixing up beef and chicken, we should only feed her chicken. We also have to make sure her dry food is chicken as well as her treats.
Next door was a WalMart. We ran in to pick up a few things. While at George & Linda’s the other day, I noted she was cooking with a Blue Diamond pan. We got to talking about different kinds of pans. I have been thinking about getting rid of my Teflon pans for a while. So while we were at WalMart today, I picked up 3 new fry pans and a Dutch oven. I also picked up a roasting pan and a small baking pan with rack. After we came home, I spent time rearranging the cabinet and getting rid of the old pots and pans in favor of the new ones.
The day was very windy today. Sheba didn’t spend more than a few minutes outside before looking to come back in. It was just too breezy. She sure loves her new toy.
2021 Jan 7 (Thu) – We stayed around the campground for the day. Paul ran out briefly to pick up some hardware to fix the silverware drawer. It was not working smoothly and he had to replace the hardware slide. The drawer works very nicely now.
At 8:30 p.m., we went out to watch the Space-X launch. It was delayed for a little bit but the rocket finally took off at 9:15 p.m. It was so quiet but very bright. The launch was successful and they were able to capture the booster rocket.
2021 Jan 6 (Wed) – We went over to George & Linda’s for dinner tonight. They grilled chicken and Brussel sprouts. We enjoyed the food with margaritas.
I pulled out the NY Caravan file today to see what actions I have to take. I contacted one campground to confirm our arrival. After some discussion, the owner decided that they could not support our caravan. We have too many large rigs. It was with some disappointment I found another campground. The next one is $11 more per night. That will certainly put a dent in our budget.
2021 Jan 5 (Tue) – We packed up and left KARS RV Park at 10:30 a.m. Since the drive was only 27 miles, we waited until near checkout time before leaving. We had to stop and dump the tanks first. It was a good day to leave as a bunch of Fish & Wildlife trucks pulled up in the field across from us this morning. It looked like a manhunt was underway. I called the office only to find out they are doing a controlled burn around the property today.
It was 50 minutes to Patrick Space Force Base in Cocoa. We checked in with the camp host. She said we were lucky. That someone just left a very nice spot (they have a first-come, first served policy for campsites). The site looks out at the river without a camper in front of our site. It’s OK. The camp host told us this is a historic stay. They just changed the name from Patrick Air Force Base to Patrick Space Force Base last month. It’s a nice campground but a little tight. We have full hookups with 50 amp service.
We went out for dinner to Grill’s Seafood Restaurant. It was right on the water and we sat out on the deck. It was enclosed in glass so it felt like the inside but with all the view of the outside.
2021 Jan 4 (Mon) – We took Bonnie to the vet this morning. We might have inadvertently solved the problem on our own though. Bonnie has been doing a lot of barking and appeared to be very hungry. She has been suffering urine infections off and on for two years now. She’s been through a variety of antibiotics but the UTI always returned. We remembered a friend who used the same pro-digest we give Bonnie. She said she stopped giving it to her dogs because they had renal issues. We stopped giving all extra stuff to Bonnie – the pro-digest, multivitamin, glucosamine, and fish oil. We’ve just been giving her the liver medicine and regular food. She’s also been getting lots of extra treats. Interestingly, Bonnie has calmed down. She’s not doing the excessive barking or restless moving around. Maybe the antibiotic she was on and the pro-digest disagreed with each other.
At any rate, the vet’s office only allowed one of us in so Paul sat out in the car. After hearing of Bonnie’s story, the vet recommended that we give her only one protein source. We feed her Hill’s Science Diet (approved by the vet association) but mix it up between beef and chicken. The vet said that a dog’s system has to do a reset every time the protein source changes. Her long standing issue with diarrhea could be related to the changes in protein. She suggested we give her only one protein for three weeks and see how her system reacts.
The vet took some blood and found that Bonnie’s thyroid level is low. So now she is on a thyroid medication. She needs to go back for a recheck in two weeks. We’ll see about that.
When we got back to the campground, we did the laundry. There were two washers and two dryers in the laundry building when I looked in last week. Today, there was only one washing machine. We only did the whites.
A Falcon 9 Space-X launch was planned to take place between 8:30 and 12:30 tonight. We rode down to the waterfront, set out our chairs, and waited to see the launch. The sky was clear and the stars were so bright with no moon to fade out the stars. It was so cold; in the 40s. We waited 20 minutes, trying to find out online if the launch was going to be live streamed. People finally started posting on Facebook that the launch was rescheduled for January 7. That was disappointing. We are in such a perfect place to watch a launch, right across the river from the NASA launch site.
2021 Jan 3 (Sun) – We drove over George & Linda’s this morning. She made hash with the leftover corn beef. That and eggs with toast was scrumptious. The mimosas were a nice touch. Denise (George’s sister) and her little dog, Levi, joined us. After our meal, we sat out on the patio around their fire pit and had a nice visit.
On the way back to the campground, we stopped for lunch at Kelsey’s Pizzeria. We’ve seen a number of them around and wanted to try them. We couldn’t eat in their store. They instructed us to go next door to Harry & Jack’s, a bar and grill. They had indoor and outdoor seating. None of the wait staff wore masks. There were 3 tables occupied near us when we sat next to the bar. The first group left and the waitress haphazardly wiped the table but didn’t touch the seats. The other two tables vacated and neither of them was wiped down at all. We got our pizza. It wasn’t New York.
After lunch, I stopped in at Supercuts next door and got my hair cut. The woman did a terrible job. The good thing about it is that my hair will grow back in.
2021 Jan 2 (Sat) – Another day in the campground. The weather has turned cold. We went over George & Linda’s for dinner. She made reubens with corned beef and sauerkraut on rye bread. It was so good. We are invited over for breakfast tomorrow where Linda will make corned beef hash with the leftovers. After dinner, we watched a movie with Liam Neeson. It was awful. It certainly wasn’t his usual genre as a kick-ass fighter. I think the name of the movie was “The Other Man.” Don’t watch it!
2021 Jan 1 (Fri-New Year’s Day) - We stayed in the campground all day. Our church had a Zoom meeting at 1 p.m. We would normally have a potluck meal on New Year’s Day but no one’s getting together in groups this year. There were about 20 of us online. It was confusing to me with everyone talking over each other. But it was good to see all our friends. The call lasted about an hour.
2020 Dec 31 (Thu-New Year’s Eve) – We met George & Linda at the pier by Doc’s Bait House near their old condo. We were going for a boat ride on the Banana River and lunch down river. Unfortunately, as soon as we got past the bridge, the wind was whipping up the water and waves were splashing over the boat, getting us all wet. It was too rough to go boating so we returned to the dock and pulled the boat out of the water then followed George back to his shop. We met their dog and checked out their new Renegade Class C RV. They bought it in July and it still smells new. After putting away the boat, we went to Fishlips for lunch down by Port Canaveral. The meal was good but pretty expensive.
After lunch, Paul and I drove to Patrick Air Force base to check out the campground. Most of the gates into the base are closed and you have to drive a couple of miles around the runway to get to the campground. They are also pretty full but there are still a few empty spaces. We will look to move there next week.
We returned to the campground and spent a quiet night watching TV. We turned in at 9 p.m. How’s that for celebrating the new year? I think we are officially “old fogies.”
2020 Dec 30 (Wed) – We ran some errands today – picked up groceries and got some propane. George & Linda drove over to the campground and we chatted for about an hour then drove to Denise’s house. We picked her up and drove to Carrabba’s for an early dinner. We all sat out on the patio and enjoyed margaritas and a good meal.
2020 Dec 29 (Tue) – We packed up and left Mayport Naval Station at 9:30 a.m. It was 160 miles south to Merritt Island where we are camped at the NASA owned property KARS RV Park. We have been here twice before. It is pretty full now; almost every campsite is occupied. We have a site way in back behind the storage area nowhere near the water. They continue to improve the campground.
2020 Dec 28 (Mon) – We drove into St. Augustine for lunch. Our meal was at the Florida Cracker in the old historic town. St. Augustine was settled in 1565 and is said to be the oldest city in the United States. It has been under six flags over the years – Spain, Italy, France, England, Colonial America, and the U.S. (I think). It is an interesting tour. There were many people out and about, too many without masks. Traffic coming into town was all backed up. We walked around for a while then left. We stopped at the post office on the way back to mail off a package and got fuel for tomorrow’s move.
2020 Dec 27 (Sun) – We dialed into the virtual service at our church this morning. It appears that the minister contracted the coronavirus and was quarantined for two weeks. That must be why they stopped having in-person services last week.
We took down our Christmas decorations today. I thought we were leaving tomorrow, Monday, but we are leaving on December 29. That’s actually on Tuesday.
2020 Dec 26 (Sat) – We drove into town and had lunch at North Beach Fish Camp. It was a seafood place. I had a cod dish and Paul enjoyed crab claws. On the way back to the campground, we stopped at Publix to pick up a few groceries.
The weather is pretty cold today. The temperatures have dropped into the thirties and there is a freeze warning for the area tonight. We’ll have to remember to disconnect the hose before going to bed. At least the wind has died down.
The vet called to say that Bonnie’s urine sample had come back normal. The antibiotic has done its job.
2020 Dec 25 (Fri – Christmas Day) – It was very cold this morning but warmed quickly to the 50s. The wind was blowing strongly. Last night’s storm left many homes without electric and the news showed streets and homes where trees fell onto them. It was a very destructive storm.
We went to the Oasis Galley on base at 3 p.m. for a holiday meal. It was supposed to be $9.20 per person but the guy just waved us through when we arrived. I don’t know if it was because he was having problems with the register or that it was almost time to close the mess hall (dinner was being served from 1 to 4 p.m. At any rate, we got a great meal for free. There was salad, shrimp cocktail, turkey, dressing, steak, mac & cheese, cranberry sauce, corn, kale, green beans, biscuits, eggnog, coffee, tea, and a variety of pies. We brought our pumpkin pie back to the trailer and had it later with coffee.
2020 Dec 24 (Thu) – We dropped a urine sample from Bonnie off at the vet’s office this morning. Then we went to breakfast at Another Broken Egg. They have such good and unusual selections. We both enjoyed our meal very much. We sat out on the patio with a lot of other people.
After breakfast (more like brunch), we drove to General RV to pick up our new loungers. The shipment never came in so we bought the floor sample. The saleslady we dealt with was out today. The person we dealt with today must have thought we were really stupid. She said they never had new furniture to order and we were always going to get the floor sample. Then she said the saleslady we first dealt with (Brandi) tried to order it but it wasn’t available. I then asked for a discount on the cost of the furniture since we had to take used furniture rather than get it new. She tried to tell us that the sample was only on the floor for 4 days. We sat in it over a week ago so that wasn’t true. Brandi had told us it was out for several weeks. In addition, the floor sample was still sitting on the floor. It was not sanitized and packed up for us. The woman tried to mumble that she couldn’t have sanitized it earlier because people would have still sat on it. Paul told her no one could sit on it if it was disassembled and she tried to tell him they would have. It was one of the most aggravating hours we have ever spent. The woman was either incompetent or an out-and-out liar. At any rate, we waited while they sanitized and took the furniture apart (2 chairs with a center console). She refused to give us any plastic to wrap up the furniture so it wouldn’t get dirty in back of the truck. We did get a refund of almost $200.
the old furniture
the new furniture
Paul then drove into downtown Jacksonville. Since it was Christmas eve, he figured a lot of the stores and offices would be closed. He was right. It reminded me of when we went to Phoenix and arrived on a weekend. It was like a ghost town. We stopped at the St. Johns River Riverwalk and strolled along the waterfront. There were a few people out but not many.
The day started out very nice but turned nasty late in the afternoon. Severe thunderstorms rolled through and there were warnings of tornadoes in the county. The temperatures dropped drastically and the prediction was for iguanas falling out of trees tomorrow (lol. Temps are supposed to be freezing)
2020 Dec 23 (Wed) – We did some laundry today. Since the machines are free, we are taking advantage of the benefit. Someone got annoyed we weren’t right there when our wash finished and they took our laundry out. They put it on top of the dryers. We put our stuff in the dryers and made sure to come back before it was done.
We went out for lunch at Cracker Barrel today. The food was good and they were doing a brisk business. It’s hard to believe there’s a pandemic out there. After lunch, we stopped at a liquor store to pick up some Bailey’s Irish Cream. It’s for Christmas day.
2020 Dec 22 (Tue) – The day was cold and blustery. We stayed in all day.
2020 Dec 21 (Mon) – We ran some errands today. Went food shopping at WalMart, picked up dog food at PetCo, got some fuel at a very sloooooooow pump (took a half hour to fill the gas tank), and dropped off an envelope at the post office.
At sunset, we drove over to the southeast side of the base to see the Christmas Star. Not since 1600 (400 years ago) has Saturn and Jupiter been aligned next to each other. They are so close that they look like a big star in the sky. This great conjunction is referred to as the Christmas Star. I think it’s because it’s happening during Christmas week. We saw nothing. Maybe it was hidden behind some low clouds on the horizon. We’ll try again tomorrow night.
I volunteered to put together a cookbook for SMART as a fundraiser. Paul was looking through our church cookbook one day and brought up the suggestion that we should do it for our travel club. I pitched the suggestion, went through lots of questions and hesitations, and finally got the go ahead today. Hope I don’t regret the offer.
2020 Dec 19&20 (Sat & Sun) – We stayed in the campground this weekend. We dialed into the church for a virtual service on Sunday morning. We had some initial trouble getting the live broadcast but it turned out to be a problem at their end, not ours.
2020 Dec 18 (Fri) – We ran out to get propane this morning. The weather has been cold (it was 37 degrees this morning) and the heat has been running almost constantly. We ran out of propane two nights ago (luckily, we have a second tank to switch to when one goes empty). The place we first stopped at was out of order and we struggled to find another place. The refill was finally achieved.
Karen called today. She is a travel agent and we are working with to arrange a cruise to Australia in 2022. We have tentatively decided on a Holland America 15-day cruise to Australia/New Zealand in January 2022. We also spoke with her about arranging a campervan trip around Australia following the cruise. We plan to take two months to travel around Australia after the cruise. She’s looking into it.
We returned to the campground and hunkered down for the day. I sure hope it gets warmer soon. This is Florida!!!!
2020 Dec 17 (Thu) – We drove into St. Augustine this afternoon. It took us over a half hour to find a parking space. We finally wound up parking in a church parking lot for $10. Then we walked into town and came upon the Lightner Museum. It is in the former Alcazar Hotel which was built from Henry Flagler in 1888. One half of the 5-story building houses government offices and the other half features the museum collection. The building was stunning and the hotel must have been amazing! The collections were from the 1800 and 1900s. There were pottery, crystal, and glass artifacts; furniture; paintings; sculptures; and more. A stuffed lion was on display that was a gift to Winston Churchill. The lion was placed in the London Zoo and sired over 40 cubs before being stuffed. I don’t know how it wound up in a museum in Florida.
At 5 p.m. we went to dinner at Harry’s Seafood Grill. It was a New Orleans style restaurant. The waiter was very animated and made the meal enjoyable. He said he was originally from Queens and worked in Melville. I had rice and beans with sausage and Paul had a scampi dish.
We walked down to the marina and took the Night of Lights boat tour. It was a boring ride back and forth in front of lighted store fronts in the freezing cold. The captain was absolutely silent. Most tours of this kind would have had a dialogue about the area. He should have described some of the landmarks or talked about the history of the marina or told the story about St. Augustine. Aside from his mandatory safety briefing (which was 75% unintelligible), he said nothing during the entire ride. We were supposed to get complimentary coffee or tea but they didn’t have that either. We didn’t think the boat tour was worth the expense.
2020 Dec 16 (Wed) – It rained for most of the day today. It was cool and miserable. I called the office today and was able to extend here at Mayport for another 3 nights until January 1st. Hopefully, that will be all we need to take care of Bonnie’s issue.
2020 Dec 15 (Tue) – We went food shopping at Winn Dixie to get groceries for the week. Then we went to Bono’s Pit BBQ. We bought a rack of ribs and brought it back for dinner. Yesterday and today have been blustery and the temperatures have been in the low 50s in the morning. The wind was blowing so hard today that you had to be sure to hold the door when you got out of the car or the RV. There were white caps and big splashing waves out in the river. We swear that the winds were gusting to 50 mph.
2020 Dec 14 (Mon) – We went furniture shopping today. After wandering through several stores, we finally arrived at General RV and paid for two lounge chairs. The clerk said she thought she could get it in by Friday, Monday at the latest. If it doesn’t come in, then they will give us the floor sample. We have to call on Friday so they’ll have time to sanitize the floor sample if it doesn’t look like the new chairs will come in on time.
After paying for the chairs, we stopped at Taco Bell for lunch. Yuck! They no longer have the taco salad. Now it’s bowls. I got a chicken quesadilla and Paul got chalupas. My meal was very skimpy and too spicy. I won’t get that again!
The vet called to say that Bonnie has a bacterial infection and needs to go on antibiotics. We turned around and drove to his office to get the medication. After ten days, we have to give another urine sample. The time period will be close to when we are scheduled to leave. Since we don’t have a reservation for the next campground, I called the office at Mayport to see if we could extend for a few days. The clerk said they have no vacancies. We have to call back every day to check on availability. Ugh.
2020 Dec 13 (Sun) – We went to lunch at Seaglass, a restaurant on base. We were the only two diners in the place. It looks like it would be really nice on a Friday night with folks gathered around the bar and socializing. That won’t happen for a while, if ever again. I had avocado toast and Paul had chorizo hash. It was good. We returned to the campground and let the animals play outside. Sheba is fascinated with the geckos crawling on the palm trees.
2020 Dec 12 (Sat) – The day was rainy and overcast. We just hung around the campground all day.
2020 Dec 11 (Fri) – We went out for lunch today at Colhane’s Irish Pub. The food was very good. I had my usual – shepherd pie and Paul enjoyed potato soup and a salad. He’s down to 208 lbs. His goal is in sight and he’s very focused. We came back and let the fur babies have time outside.
The vet called today. Aside from slightly elevated liver enzymes, he really doesn’t see anything in Bonnie’s bloodwork to indicate a problem. He is going to do a culture on the urine sample we left. He’ll call back in a couple of days.
2020 Dec 10 (Thu) – Paul offered to take me out for breakfast this morning. That’s very funny since he lost his credit card and we had to invalidate it. Now, I’m the only one with a credit card. After the breakfast that he treated me to (that I paid for), we went to Winn Dixie for groceries (I splurged on a lottery ticket), then to PetCo for dog food, and last to the post office to mail off a letter.
On the way back, we drove into the Village of Mayport. It is a small fishing village with a ferry port. There weren’t many businesses at all. When we got back on base, we drove around the docks looking at all the big Navy ships. There were about a dozen ships tied up to the piers.
We took Bonnie to the vet this afternoon. In the last two or three months, she has started this kind of barking routine. She gives a bark, waits about ten seconds, then barks again. She keeps this up until we are moved to do something. It’s either feed her, walk her, or pet her. She goes out for a walk about every 1-1/2 to 2 hours and has a bowel movement almost time. That’s many more than she used to have (which was two – one following breakfast and one following dinner). The doc took blood and promised to call us tomorrow.
2020 Dec 9 (Wed) – We stayed in today and spent the time putting up and decorating our Christmas tree. The season is here!
2020 Dec 8 (Tue) – We went to the post office to mail off the claim form to New York. It will be interesting to see how much is due to my mother (who passed away in 2009). My sister, Susan, had filled out a claim in 2010 for money due to my mother. The five of us each wound up getting $20 (she was due $100). This time around will probably be $2.50 each. Mom didn’t have much to her name when she died. I can’t imagine what this money is from.
We stopped for lunch at the Hangar Bay Café. It was a small place run by an African American retired Navy guy with an Asian wife. The menu had a lot of ramen on it. Paul got pork ramen and I ordered fried chicken. The food was good. The gentleman didn’t want to talk about his service. Even though there was an 11x13 picture of him in dress uniform on the wall, he kept avoiding my questions about his time in the Navy.
The commissary and PX are both off-post. We stopped in there to get a few things. You have to show ID at the register at the commissary and at the entrance at the PX to ensure you are military. When we got back to the base, we drove around the housing area. There is a second campground (called Osprey Cove) on base. It is not on the water but cloistered among spreading trees with lots of Spanish moss. It is very lovely and intended for long-term stays.
2020 Dec 7 (Mon) – We packed up and left Kings Bay Subbase at 11 a.m. It was much later than we normally move out but the drive was only an hour to the next campground. We ran out to the post office before we left so I could mail another registered letter to a lawyer used to sell Travis & Sam’s house. We’ve had serious issues with him and have had to make a formal complaint to the Judicial Review Board.
We arrived at Mayport Naval Station, Pelican Roost RV Park a little after noon. They gave us the option of choosing one of several sites. We elected to take a space at the end of the aisle on a curve. We can get a somewhat obscure look at the ocean. We stayed here last December. The ships sail right past the campground on their way out of and into the port. They blow their horns to say hello and goodbye.
We went out to the bank to get a paper notarized. I was cruising around the internet and put in Unclaimed Funds in New York State. Surprise, surprise! My mother’s name came up. The website doesn’t tell how much is owed, just there is some money due. I printed out the form and filled in the required information. I will mail it out tomorrow.
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
lklada
Waiting For Our Met
aceautoelectrical
Ace Auto Electrical
monstert33th
sleepy anarchy
supplementsforlife01
Supplements For LIfe
seanfineart
The Art of Sean Fine