A Little Memory

I love that Facebook posts a daily memory on my feed. Sometimes it’s a photo I shared last year, sometimes a silly meme from way back. 

Today, it was a post from three years ago on this date. I wasn’t blogging back then and the name Studly Doright hadn’t yet occurred to me–he was still David. Likewise our home hadn’t yet been dubbed Doright Manor. How boring, right? Yet somehow we still existed. Here’s what was going on four years ago:

We had torrential rains all night Thursday and woke up to a steady drizzle yesterday. I had to work for a couple of hours on Friday morning, but coaxed David to take a drive to St. George Island in the afternoon.  

Of course he grumbled about the rain, but I promised to take him to an outstanding burger place if he’d just take me to the beach. I might’ve made other promises, but I’m not telling those.  

We took the scenic route and soon enough were rewarded by the sight of waves crashing against the shore and the “stork” houses as I call them, raised on pillars to allow the water to flow around and through with minimal consequence. Even the ugliest, plainest of these homes on stilts fascinates me. I think I need one.

We found Bayside Burgers at Eastpoint just in time for a late lunch, then took the bridge over to the island. I could visit every day. Tide was high when we got there, but it wasn’t raining; although, we could see areas of precipitation all along the beach.  

The clouds were so low that the differences between heaven, earth, and the gulf were difficult to discern. Who could imagine the beauty in the different shades of grey?
Note: Bayside Burgers is no longer in business! I was so disappointed on my last visit to discover it had been torn down and a Mexican food restaurant put up in its place. 

The picture below is not one I took, but I found it on Pinterest when I searched “Eastpoint.” Likewise, the featured image of the bridge is from Pinterest. Eastpoint and St. George Island are must see places on Florida’s Forgotten Coast.

Snapshot #152

The wildflowers are growing with abandon just down the road from Doright Manor. I call this one, “I’m Pretty Sure These are Making Me Sneeze, But Aren’t They Pretty.” Maybe I’ll just shorten that to “Ahhhchooo!”

About Laundromats…

Several weeks ago I posted a piece about how we’d had a direct lightning strike at Doright Manor and as a result had lost our television sets, our washing machine, and Studly Doright’s ugly elliptical to Mother Nature. http://wp.me/p4O8fw-2YN

We immediately bought a new tv. The Masters golf tournament was on that weekend and there was no force on earth that could keep Studly from watching the action in his own house, sitting in his favorite chair, in front of his own tv. No sports bars for my man. Take that, lightning!

I called the GE service line as soon as we realized the washer was kaput, and they scheduled a repairman to come out on Friday of that very week. I went ahead and took some stuff to the laundromat because I hate letting laundry get ahead of me. Plus, I kind of like laundromats. They’re great people watching venues. 

On my first visit a man hit on me. His move was to compliment me on my choice of dryers. “You got the best dryers. Those are my favorites,” he said.

Immediately after he asked me how old I was. 

“Sixty,” I replied.

“You sure don’t look 60. Wanna go out sometime?”

When I told him I was married he looked a little crestfallen, but as I turned back to my book I heard him tell the woman three dryers down, “You got the best dryers. Those are my favorites.” 

You win some; you lose some.

On my way home from the laundromat I got a call from the GE service center. Their repairman was sick. He didn’t want to spread his germs, so could he come on Wednesday of the following week? Not the best news, but what are you going to do? Of course I said that was fine and a date and time was agreed upon.

When the repairman arrived on Wednesday he was professional and courteous. It took him all of three minutes to tell me what was wrong. And another minute to tell me he didn’t have that particular part and the soonest he could get it would be the next week. I was a little disappointed, but on the bright side, I might get a second chance with DryerMan! 

Unfortunately DryerMan wasn’t at the laundromat the following week. And there weren’t all that many other folks there. So much for people watching. 

The repairman returned today. I’d received the replacement part in the mail earlier in the week, so now all that was left was for him to install it. Except he ordered the wrong part.

He apologized profusely. “You know I was sick last week.”

“Wait,” I said. “I thought you were sick the week you cancelled on me, and that you didn’t come out because you didn’t want to spread germs….”

“Well, I was better, but still not a hundred percent.”

I fumed silently.

He ordered the part, and we set a time for him to come out. As he left he said, “I’m really sorry. I feel your pain.”

Harrumph. I’m going in search of a man who understands me–where is DryerMan when you need him!

Maybe I should revert to the old ways of doing laundry. Lightning never took one of these babies down.

A Limerick for Bill O’Reilly

alotfromlydia's avatarA lot from Lydia

**BREAKING NEWS**

Though Donald Trump said he approved

Bill O’Reilly has still been removed

From his top rated show

Fox News let him go

A har-ass-hole at last is reproved

*Lets hope he negotiated a health insurance package.

________________________

<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/chuckle/”>Chuckle</a>

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All Points Bulletin

I stumbled into the middle of a manhunt in Tallahassee today. I’d gone to eat lunch at Firehouse Subs on Capital Circle having become slightly addicted to their New York Streamer sandwich. The small size is only 360 calories and it tastes so darned good. But back to the manhunt.

As I walked out of the restaurant I heard the distinct sounds of a helicopter directly above me. I waved, for what it’s worth, and went on to my car. 

When I turned into a side street I saw a police cruiser, lights flashing, partially blocking the road. An officer standing by her patrol car waved me through. I still hadn’t connected her presence with the hovering helicopter, but when I turned the next corner and saw three cruisers and a police van, I realized I was probably in the middle of something big. 

I was just trying to get back to Capital Circle so I could go home, so I kept driving and turned right again. There, coming down the sidewalk toward my car was a police canine and his cop. That dog had the scent and was pulling hard on his leash. 

Hurriedly I found a way out of the area and drove to Home Depot a few blocks away. As soon as I was parked I googled breaking news in Tallahassee. Two possibilities popped up.

Now, I’m not sure which of these headlines is pertinent to the manhunt. One would certainly be more interesting than the other.

Was it this person they were using dogs to search for?


Or this one?


You know which one I’m rooting for, right?

Peace, people. And for goodness sake, put on some clothes!

Snapshot #151 and a Song

I call this one, “Not-So Long and Winding Road, with Apologies to The Hollies.”


https://youtu.be/EYzfTdIZoP0

Secret, Secret Agent

For this day I’ve decided to be a secret agent. I will be unobtrusive, nondescript, a silhouette of my usual self.

My cavalier demeanor will bely my purpose: to spy, observe, and report on my fellow citizens.

So far, I have noted one woman pushing a baby stroller. What nefarious plan might she be hatching?

I will hide in plain sight in hopes that her motives are revealed. Oh! Look! Starbucks on the right. Maybe another day.

Snapshot #150

These tiny little wildflowers are popping up in the yard across the road from Doright Manor. I call them, “Tiny Little Wildflowers Across the Road.”

She’s a What?

Studly Doright and I were cruising around Tallahassee on Saturday afternoon in his now almost un-smelly car. Out of the blue  Studly had a hankering for Kentucky Fried Chicken, so we drove through the drive up and then sat in their parking lot while he nibbled on a breast and a wing. I’m dieting, so I just watched. Willpower is my middle name. Ok, maybe it’s “Biscuit with Honey” since I had a bite of his. 

We were listening to the 60’s channel on Sirius/XM when the song Must to Avoid by Herman’s Hermits started playing. Studly put down his chicken and sang, “She’s a muscular boy.” 

I snorted. “That’s not how it goes! It’s “she’s a must to avoid,” and pointed to the radio’s dashboard display where the correct title was clearly spelled out.

“Oh,” he shrugged. “I always thought it was a strange song.”

And now? Now I can’t help but sing it his way.

https://youtu.be/icEUzyyL88A

Peace, people.

Snapshot #149

Another photo taken at the Chain of Parks Art Walk in Tallahassee on Saturday. I call this one, “Be Advised.” I need one of these tshirts. Seriously.