That SoFlo Style
Train ride over!! Woo Hoo!!
Back to Act IV. I took hella notes constantly which is why these posts are so late but I hope still able to convey what was going on. Plus, Frank has a very good memory.
It is finally setting in at this point that every material item I value is in a pod that is 8’x7’x5’ and that if there is an item I need, I can’t just walk over to where it lives in my apartment. I now must go out and procure it again. It gives a peculiar sensation, one that is a combination of frightened and being free. A chance to be simultaneously fearful and fearless. I like it.
It was epic to spend the morning on the beach after sleeping in and having a quick small breakfast. Today is the day we travel to my neck of the swamp. Frank does some body surfing while I soak up as much sun as possible, chat with my Dad and Aunt, and just listened to the voice of the ocean. The ocean speaking is a magical thing to me, it isn’t just the sounds of the waves. It is the bubbles from the sand that gurgle up, the slight tinkling sound of shells shifting with the water. My most favorite sound from the beach is the wind. It’s always been the lead vocal for me, while the rest is back up.
Despite my love and devotion to the ocean, I have other passions to satisfy. I must feed again and it must be Cuban food. There is zero good Cuban food in Seattle, or Anchorage, and I plan on taking advantage. Hello with a tip of the hat to El Ambia Cubano, I have been dreaming (not kidding one bit) about their Ropa Vieja for weeks. The moment my brain realized I was going to be near it, I craved it. I should move on otherwise I am going to get to hungry, pause to get food, and never come back to this.
After feeding, we head down to even further south, SoFlo. I lived in this area for over 9 years, it has been the home of my highest ups and my lowest downs. This tiny space on the planet is why I am the adult you know today and I am super proud to say that I have #noregrets. There are so many people here that I love, which is driving home the theme of never enough time. I can’t see everybody I want but I do get to see a handful of the crème de la crème. Our first stop is The Vine Post, my good friends’ stellar new bar in Juno/Jupiter, with whom we are staying. This place has it all, a retail shop up front and a comfy bar with tables in the back to stay and sip some bang-up beverages. It’s quality friends, and you should drink as much quantity there as you can. This isn’t just a plug for my friends Tish and Brian, it’s true fact, so don’t be a sucka and get over there.
We could only imbibe so many bubble from Tish before we needed depart since we were driving and prefer to maintain safety and freedom. So off we go to feed, I know big surprise right, and meet up with a few more people. This is where I get to shower some written words of love over one of my oldest and dearest friends in Florida, Miss H-Bomb herself. This chick... I once sang Happy Birthday to Hope in my un-biological sister’s house, while wearing an outfit to be forever remembered, holding a gourd and donning a light up Viking helmet. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is. I meet her and super rad dude Mr. Dave MF McGrew. These introductions are not to lessen anyone else’s grandeur, I just need y’all to know what level of awesome they are bringing to the table. We end up having a quick pint at an Irish Pub just off of PGA Blvd, well as quick as 4 people who are catching up can be, then we took a stroll over to Café Chardonnay.
This place was my first official, mega fancy dinner in Palm Beach County. I was wined, I was dined, and I was fell asleep on. I am not making this up, I went on a first date here, which was amazing up until the point where he fell asleep on a bench outside of the place we went after dinner. I know what you are thinking fam, and no, he was not narcoleptic. I have since then, had many amazing and wonderful evenings here at Chard, most of which had wine as the main attraction.
Charlie, my very first neighbor in Florida happened to be working this night along with Brian, a major component of The Vine Post. I still have a button with Charlie’s face as a child on it somewhere in my possession. It was an adorable gesture of his wife to add to the celebration of his birthday one year. I would bet money that if you have ever been to any bar anywhere in Palm Beach Co, you have been surrounded by at least 5 people who know Charlie and you are the better for it. The now 5 of us are at the bar, Frank, myself, Hope, Dave and Tish who is off work and I am thrilled I get to be on the same side of the bar with her. We partake of provisions and libations, and are eventually greeted by my amazing buddy Troy.
Troy and I go way back, we have met up in many cities and I look forward to meeting him in many more. Now that I think about it, I have met up with most of my good friends in numerous cities. Perhaps birds of a feather really do flock together. I feel the need to mention that Hope and I have meet up in more cities than anyone else I know, and they have all been worth it. Naturally we all end up back at the Irish Pub for pints and whiskey. Brian join us and we proceed to have a glorious time sharing stories and just kickin it like old times. I have been to this pub close to 100 times, and I never remember the name of it. I literally worked a 2 minutes walk from it as well as lived near it for a year. I don’t understand what my mental block with this place is. Long story longer.
We wake up the next day, excited that we can still comfortably wear tank tops, shorts, and flip flops. We chat with Tish for a bit before realizing she has a box with the name of one of the most sought after cognacs scrawled on the front. After a brief struggle, we figure out how to open the dang thing and bask in the glory of brandy in Baccarat Crystal. Cognac is grape brandy primarily from the Ungi Blanc grape for anyone who was curious.
We had already decided on sparkling wine to accompany breakfast for all of us, so what was a little Louis XIII. Tish will always get my vote for hostess with the most. We are legit having cognac and English sparkling wine for brekky. Let me just take a second to add that sentence to the list of things I never thought I would say. Later, in the car and ready to go, there is one person I can’t not see here. Some of you may negatively judge me for this and I don't care in the slightest. I am talking about Anita Hawke, the most talented hair stylist I have ever met. I have flown long and far to have her cut my hair and will until continue to do so till the day she retires. She has cut my hair for years, and the times I had attempted someone else, they have butchered it. One woman, for real, gave me a grown out mullet. I can’t make this up, it looked like I had had a mullet on purpose 8 months ago and then just stopped getting my hair cut. There was one woman who deserves an honorable mention who cut my hair in LA before I went to Zihuat and she did a great job. However, I love when Anita cuts my hair, she knows me and she knows how to make me look most like myself through my hair. So here we are on the road to Wellington for my annual cut.
She does me real right fam, I love it. Cutting off all that hair AND being able to catch up with one of the best humans I know in the world is something special. I wish she and I could have had more time together, but I can only get so much done in 24 hours. We naturally make one last stop in Juno to give a quick hello and goodbye to my dear friend Gina, give Tish some last hugs, and head back up the coast.
This is probably what I would look like if I was a bird. I mean, just look at that big smile :) Expert Frank says it's either a White Heron or an Egret. If you know, let us know!
Palm Trees hanging out with their cloud friends on a beautifully warm day. #nailedit
