Homeward Ho!

Now that you have had a few minutes…Is your pulse/heart rate a little quicker? Sweat subtly appearing?…upper lip?...slight moistening…on the forehead? My, my, my, how the mind and eye dance in strange ways…

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We bid a fond farewell to South Beach on the last day of February. The Flamingo now just a fading memory like the image of a tree in the Louisiana Bayou.

The Honda Element was spatially challenged as we loaded all our stuff plus Jan and Bill’s suitcases with a month’s worth of articles and, lest we forget, Jan and Bill! Through the use of cell phones we were able to keep in touch with the back seat as we rode to Winter Park to visit Mary.

Alas Mary was suffering the loss of Sophie, her sweet companion (see picture in Blog Archive, Jan. 2010, “Ah…The Women”). Our arrival was fortunate for her to provide and share an emotional visit to the site in the backyard where Sophie now remains. Latest news is that there is a new Sophie and we shall see if the newer incarnation lives up to the sprightly standard of her predecessor.

After a quick stop for lunch we bid farewell to our Flamingo mates and Mary to head for Tallahassee. Gini had booked a night to give us a travel break for the long haul to Lousiana. The Florida capital proved to be more interesting than anticipated but we had to make progress.

In our endless quest for Five Guys we were further surprised by the charm and beauty of Mobile, Alabama. It even has a French Quarter with a fascinating history to match. This city deserves its own destination visit.

Now, fully nourished by Five Guys cuisine we made our run to Lafayette… in a pouring rainstorm that lasted through Mississippi and just about to Katy and Chris’ house in Lafayette. Our arrival was celebrated in grand fashion. When the debris was organized we realized we had drunk several martinis and the equivalent of a bottle of wine apiece. Late morning prayers were seriously offered in thanks for our survival.

Zach did get his GED and also was able to put together a scholarship application with the help of our ad hoc Von D’Lucci village. Now, Zach, about those dishes…

Taco Sisters was of course our daily agenda for lunch. The ladies are doin’ fine and are now open on Saturday. Y’all come on down now!

The small town of Breaux Bridge is a must for anyone fortunate enough to be in this area. Its charm is exquisite and offers Zydeco, antiques and great food. In fact we have officially decided that inside the continental US this is the best region for its food.

Katy’s great friends Margaret and Walter decided that the yankees should be treated to a proper crawfish boil. We meandered to their house just a few blocks away to a gorgeous cottage:




As evening fell it became the perfect milieu for crawfish:



Laissez les bon temps rouler! And so they did. Walter steeped and swirled the crawfish as a labor of love. Corn, mushrooms, potatoes, onions and delicious artichokes were first cast into the boil. Then four pots worth of crawfish made it to the cooler:



Grab your tray, some beer and try to remember to breathe.

The next morning saw us having to bid farewell to Katy, Chris and Zach. Hopefully we will see them here in New Hampshire this year.

It was then on to the Huntsville, Alabama area to meet with Helen Keniston Oney and her family. Helen graduated from Newfound in 1986 and had become a close friend of the family after initially being in Chris’s classes and taking a turn at baby sitting Chip. Now she has three children of her own. The oldest is just starting his 20’s. The youngest gives the impression of being ten years old but has been categorized as a Force of Nature. We will hear from her again without a doubt.

We chose a Japanese steak house and were entertained by the flashy show of the cook as he made dinner right in front of us. Helen kept us entertained with her stories and engaging take on life. Bill and Chris exchanged family stories and discussed the history of rocketry in the Huntsville area.

Helen is looking forward to her trip to India later in the spring. She has always kept it interesting.

The next morning we continued our driving odyssey with a stop in Franklin, Tennessee. It had been over thirty years since the roommates had seen each other. Terry Dunham and Chris had been roommates for three years in college. One of the years included Mike Foley (remember he married Gini’s roommate Ann). In senior year Terry lived with his wife Sue in a Lowell apartment. Terry, as you might remember, was the instigator for the Ouija Board incident (Everything You Know Is Wrong – Blog Archive, Nov 2009).

There are many things in life that exist and are not easily described in science but are readily known when experienced. Reuniting with Terry without missing a beat in comfort, intimacy or emotion qualifies. Though our lives have been physically separated for over three decades there is a continuity to the feelings that had linked us together so long ago.

We were able to meet Gretchen, their 34 year old daughter (34-Yikes!) and enjoy her company. Unfortunately, their oldest, Chris’s namesake, lives in the Pacific Northwest and was not currently visiting. He’s 37 (Yikes squared!).

Sue has faithfully maintained communication with the fraternity and is an ardent follower of the blog. Gini regrets that she had not known much about her back in college and is so glad to have had this opportunity to reconnect.

I like this quote:
“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart”



The journey continued as we were to meet someone in Nashville that night.

In many ways we have a “second son” in Luke Elliott. He graduated from Newfound in 2000 and was a member of the track team that finished third in the state (“Coach, we left nothing on the track, we gave it all for you” …and they did).

He had been living in San Francisco for several years and had decided to start anew in Nashville. He has a couple of roommates but one was in Australia. The other, Christine, has a great relationship with Luke and we had a great time together. Delicious pizza was the dinner choice followed by a panoramic walk across the Cumberland River. There was a casual cruising of downtown Nashville. Not too crazy on a Monday night but were impressed by the number of musical venues. We were without our cowboy hats and boots and needs must return.

Luke guided us to a great breakfast place the next morning and we were off once again. This day was the long haul since it involved over eleven hours of driving and a time change that was not in our favor. However waiting at the other end were Chris’ cousins Kitty and Phil. In fact they almost wound up waiting a lot longer than planned when it was discovered that they were in their new home and our GPS instructions were for their old house. We would have knocked on some strangers’ door late at night with a struggle for an explanation.

Kitty figured it out and provided a great family welcome. Phil (“Oh no! Not those guys!”) eventually came around and we managed to enjoy a couple of bottles of wine while exchanging family news and old stories. Their house is enormous! We had to pack a light snack to take in all three floors. The basement is a paradise for their grandchildren and their rollerskates.

We were treated the next morning to a monster breakfast as we headed out for Rich and Val’s in Mass. Kitty and Phil promise to visit New England – we shall see, it would be great to have them.

So the home stretch brings us back to familiar territory. Instead of the last day of our trip we decided to think of this as the first day of being back and doing what we like to do. Val, still missing Miami Beach after her one week stay, cooked up a delicious meal. Richie had some great pictures to show us and stories of New York City and adventures with Simone, their daughter, at her poetry events.

Chris made it back to Newfound the next day in time to attend a couple of track meetings. Damage to the house seemed minimal until we tried to turn on the dishwasher and it would not fill with water. Hopefully someone will figure it out.

So 5800 miles later Gini could only exclaim, “Auto Train next year!”.

So What Do You Think Of Miami Beach?

We believe we have documented evidence of what a conscientiously applied program of South Beach and regular solar care will produce:



We would show you ‘before’ pictures but it is best that we think of them in their current incarnation. This picture was actually taken on the mainland in Coconut Grove at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

Vizcaya is the former home of James Deering, vice president of International Harvester. For those who might be curious the Deering Harvester company merged with the McCormick Reaper to form International Harvester. There was an eruption of money that resulted in land being purchased in Coconut Grove.

By 1916, and after spending 20 million dollars, Mr. Deering had produced an estate that showcased the Italian Renaissance style with a Miami Beach appreciation.

Here is the Venetian look:



In the background is the Tea House.

To the left is the Great Stone Boat:



Funny, the Empress Dowager of China was also famous for a stone (marble) boat. You would think they would have had a better concept of buoyancy with all their money and all.

As to Vizcaya, itself, let us turn 180 degrees and look at it from its best perspective from Biscayne Bay:



The archway on the second floor above the three blue openings was the private balcony of James Deering. He would surreptitiously gaze at the public who could roam the gardens on the weekends.

Sadly he only lived until 1925. In 1926 a hurricane did tremendous damage to the property. Its history is filled with minimal staff and hurricanes. Finally in 1952 a token amount of 1.3 million was paid by Miami-Dade County and the next year the property was made available to the public.

The gardens were not completed until 1921 due to the outbreak of World War I. They have moonlit tours once a month in the gardens. The original 180 acres have been reduced to 50 but it still remains beautiful:















We were also impressed with the number of celebrities we encountered.

“What Link from yonder window breaks?” Well that would be Chris Link, soon to be Dr. Link in a few short months, taking a break from bedside ministrations to entertain a duet of damsels:



And did we not say that HGTV is ubiquitous? Though he shyly turned from our camera, we encountered David Bromstad (he of the blue shirt) filming an episode for his Color Splash show for the House and Garden TV network. There was appropriate oohing and ahing:



We all know that the Miami area is a mecca for fashion and style. This picture says it all as to the allure of Vizcaya and the world of Elle and Vogue:



Let’s just think of them as the Mamarazzi.

Who Dat Up There Who’s Dat Down There

The super bowl crescendo/whirlwind is ubiquitous and unrelenting. South Beach is not the NFL’s primary focus (Fort Lauderdale is). but they have ‘assumed the position’ Last night was a free concert on the beach featuring Rihanna and Justin Bieber and broadcast on VH1. We had spent a lot of the afternoon on Ocean Ave and the sand so we thought we would capture it in the safety of our own living room on TV. We were watching it for 15 minutes before we realized that, yes, the music had started and that the repetitive sounds and motions were it. Now Rihanna turned out to be a real talent but what is this Justin Bieber thing? He looked like an early version of Peter Noone (Herman’s Hermit’s) – granted with better teeth and skin.

Well – just a little joke. However one must be careful about these little jokes, just ask columnist Dave Barry. (“Dave has also written a total of 30 books, although virtually none of them contain useful information.” – Dave Barry Website)

Dave is a regular contributor to the Miami Herald and South Florida gadfly cum humorist. On a good day when the b.s. (blog stuff) is flowing, his style is Chris’ aspiration. Well Dave exercised the poor judgment of trying to advise those who had come to his fair city for the Super Bowl. His basic premise was that one could feel safe, mobile and fiscally responsible as much as one wanted as long as they did not leave their hotel room.

His reference to maniacal driving practices on I95 and the Palmetto Expressway; his fondness for the serendipitous public transit system and its ability to transport live sharks; the preoccupation with people (read ‘breast’) watching; the Clinton administration being the last time that someone from Miami found a parking space on Miami Beach; and the probability of hailing one of Miami’s 4 cabs seem to have upset some Miamians.

So the next day he retracted everything in an enumerated list of mea culpas which included a solemn desire to reassure everyone about the courteousness of every driver and the wholesomeness of South Beach. However, due to the extremely tight security, anyone holding an umbrella would be taken out by snipers and congregating would be investigated (this would, of course, include huddles).

Well, Dave is still my kind of guy – maybe we are both just drawn that way.

Anyway, Paul, Gini, Jan (Gini’s sister) and Bill (her husband) are sporadically distributed around the pool (group assembly, then, not an issue).

Here is our runway model when she is not slaving in the kitchen:



Our search for the perfect fleur-de-lis continues.

As does Chris’ attempts at night photography:



(Click on pictures for separate viewing)

We do intend to leave our apartment but only for vital supplies (gelato….cappuccino….chocolate martinis….)

Ciao.

Deco Rating

Greetings:

Major flood warnings have been issued. Chris has begged Gini to save herself and just leave him the gin, a smidgeon of vermouth and some olives. (He can be so brave). However Gini will not stand for the gin being left behind and will weather whatever the storm offers.

Flashback to a few days ago…

Our heroes love to walk and one of the reasons is the Miami Beach architecture. Here is just a small sample:







The shelves above the windows are known as ‘eyebrows’. Should they ‘wink’, immediately call a cab.

Chris got a little space-oid with a shot of the Royal Palm Hotel on the beach:



He felt that it was an obvious nexus for aliens and wanted to casually make contact. The rest of the crew thinks maybe they’ll just have brunch there someday.

Meanwhile night photography becomes a challenge from the balcony:



Fast forward to the recent past (don’t hurt yourself)…

Two very wonderful events occurred within moments of each other.

The first was a make your day/month/year variety. Zack Hinchliffe called to announce that he had obtained his GED. Chris was weeping because it was not ‘owed to a fairy tale’ and had finally happened.

Next, Elayne (remember ‘Take Me To The River…’ in High Springs blog?) emailed to let Chris and Gini know that one of her most recent paintings would be on display at a local theater. The painting captured one of the photo experiences during the canoe ride down the Santa Fe River, specifically Blue Springs:



Chris just kept weeping.

Fast forward to the relative present…

Janice and Bill have just arrived. It continues to rain…the force seems to ripple each time new players make the scene. Thank goodness they landed a few hours before the Indianapolis Colts landed at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood airport. Pro Bowl/Super Bowl weeks are lurking out there.

Eileen (Chris’ sister) left yesterday to drive back to Orlando. She has formulated a sophisticated plan to get a transfer from TDBank (her current employer) to the Miami area as a rich executive. It sounds foolproof.

Val left this morning just two hours before the New Orleans Saints’ team jet landed at the Miami airport. Her plan was a bit more direct. She was going to inform Jan and Bill that their room was no longer available and that it was a real tragedy. We just assume the pedestrian position and hope for the best.

They have resumed flying severely injured Haitian patients to Florida hospitals. This is a good thing.

We give thanks for what we have.

When I Get Older, Losing My Hair, Many Years From Now

Greetings:

Charles Poitras, a Newfound graduate who has lived in Miami Beach for some time, says that the Flamingo South Beach is referred to as the South Beach Dorm. Eighty percent of the people here are under thirty five. The phrase ‘eye candy’ is bandied about…especially by those over thirty. Hot tubs are especially soothing…and the articles are great too.

Here is the view as you approach from the south:



There are those moments, especially in the elevator where age is the elephant in the middle of the room. Upon being given a casual greeting, one young woman gave that look similar to when you had to take some yucky medicine and there was no way out. Others have been very cordial but think either we are their parents in disguise or have been sent by them. French, Spanish, Italian are more common than English.

As for the apartment itself, it is wonderful. The management is another issue. For example, where are more keys for the apartment and a mail box key? We are now in day 6. To make matters even more ‘fun’, our arrangement with our local post office in New Hampshire has created a ‘button, button, who’s got the button’ game where we may or may not be allowed to play. If you mail us please use carrier pigeon.

To be in sympathy with northern climes the hallways are frigid. A heavy towel is needed at the bottom of the hallway door so as not to foster precipitation. We had, at one time, looked at this building as a possible site of purchase. As a rental it is great, but not so much for ownership. Maintenance and management are arbitrary. No one really knows what is going on.

So here is the good stuff. When you walk in you see:



That’s the internet router on the floor since there is no WiFi. The kitchen is not particularly well supplied and is basically equipped for a runway model. We are glad to have glasses, dishes and a few cooking implements. The layout is good though:



Master bedroom does have a bathroom:











There is a second bedroom (and a hallway bathroom):



But then there is the balcony; this we like very much. Here is Val at leisure:






Looking directly below at the ‘bra’ or ‘moustache’ pool (take your pick):




Sunset is always special:




Val’s arrival has given other purposes to walking. Her expertise from having researched and written their book ‘Discovering South Beach Deco’ with her husband Richie has been a real treat. The next posting will show some of the places seen along the walks.

Meanwhile Gini and Julia say ‘Bon Appetit’ (‘Runway model at work’ says Val):




Val, Chris’ sister Eileen, Greg and Paul admire the kitchen creations:



Ciao.

We Be At The Beach

Greetings:

This posting is basically to let people know that we are here safely in Miami Beach. Our first week is with our friends Paul and Greg (and Mishu). Here is a picture from last year with the view from their balcony:




It is on the first Venetian Island (Belle Isle) going from Miami Beach to Miami. It is the same island where we have purchased a condo.




However we are renting the condo for the year and are grateful to Paul and Greg for having us each year. But one week is enough if you want to remain friends. So we have a five week rental at a place called The Flamingo South Beach at 1504 Bay Road on Miami Beach.

Miami and Miami Beach are two different worlds. We do enjoy the Design District, Midtown Miami and Chris bicycles through Bayfront Park to get to Key Biscayne. However, the world of South Beach is our preference. Our lifestyle is not glamorous but the surroundings are.

A typical day begins with Gini and Paul meeting some friends to walk five miles down to South Pointe Park and back. Chris sleeps in a bit and will meet Rick sometimes for activities such as a bike ride or coffee. Rick is a very dear friend. Chris was his mentor back in Lowell days to help him get through high school. He and Paul were living and business partners at one time but life has moved on. Rick lives in the next building here on Belle Isle.

More than likely Chris will go to an afternoon movie at the 18 screen Regal on Lincoln Road. Gini, Paul and various other moviegoers will accompany him. So far the list includes: It’s Complicated (Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin were very entertaining); A Single Man (devastating movie that was excellently made but brutal emotionally); Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey and Jude Law redefine this pair in a very good way) and Up In The Air (sad but very well done and George Clooney is great).

Shopping is also an agenda item. The stores on Lincoln Road are world class and places like Sawgrass Mills constantly beckon. Ocean Ave is filled with eye candy and elegant hotels. Art deco architecture also interests us and makes local walks interesting tours, especially with our friends’, Val and Rich’s, book ( Discovering South Beach Deco: Walking Tours in the Miami Beach Art Deco District) which describes the buildings along the walks in great detail.

Over the years many of Paul and Rick’s friends have included us in their company so there is always an interesting opportunity for drinks and dinner. Many of these people live on Belle Isle so the venue is fantastic and the ocean and Biscayne Bay are never far away.

Tomorrow we move into the Flamingo. Val will be joining us on Monday; Eileen on Thursday. Then the following Monday they are tag-teamed by Gini’s sister Janice and her husband Bill. We will be together for four weeks, the balance of our stay here in ‘the Beach’. So perhaps we will post some pictures of our rental there and ambient accoutrements.

But, bottom line, we are safe and doing fine.

Ah…The Women

Propulsed by our Five Guys infusion we found our way to Cyndy’s in Osprey, Florida. It had been many years since we had seen her. She is the former head of special education at Newfound Area School District and an amazing woman.

Fortune had thrown her and Chris together in an office above the 5&10 in Bristol. The experience was a positive one because when the new high school was built Chris begged and pleaded with her to share his office. So began the era-ette of ‘Special Needs Computer’. This was how the stenciling read above the door to the office. Immediately below it was a three foot picture of Howdy Doody (and you thought Dante’s invitation was of concern).

It soon became apparent that Cyndy’s home situation needed changing at the time, so she and another friend, JoJo, the drama director for the school, decided to enlist in the International school system in Bahia, Brazil. All accounts of this experience rival Woodstock – not bad for two ‘old broads’. How they survived is amusing and takes the ‘non’ out of non-plussed.

However that was not enough to satisfy her exotic wanderlust. She then signed on for two more stretches in Damascus, Syria. Having read many of her letters, we both want Cyndy to publish her ‘memoirs’. One of the more incredible tales was how she and another woman started out by bus from Damascus to Lebanon and then proceeded by train (by themselves) to Nice, France.

Her kharma has provided her with a nice town house in a retirement community in Osprey. Our conversation upon arrival begs conveyance. It was rich with ‘catching up’, fun filled nostalgia and philosophical exchanges. Chris has been fortunate to have had some very interesting office ‘mates’.

The agenda consisted of a tour of the coastal barrier islands, known as keys, in the Sarasota area; Casey Key, Siesta Key, AnnaMaria Key, LongBoat Key, all very impressive but… oh yeah, the weather. Now for those in the throes of New England winter you will feel like there is some justice in the universe when we relate the fact that temps had not really risen above 40 degrees anywhere we had visited and that sleet was gently kissing our windshield in downtown Sarasota.

In summary, Gini reluctantly admits that we might be the equivalent of Typhoid Mary. Ice in the streets of Myrtle Beach, biting winds preventing golf; ice dripping from fountains in Savannah; Elayne and Russ losing their water three mornings; and…while sitting comfortably in Cyndy’s living room, the power goes out. Our solution to the latter was to play three rousing games of Yahtzee by candlelight. Could this mean that the locusts would arrive in Punta Gorda to meet us?

Well this picture from Siesta Key sort of sums it up:



Long may Cyndy roam!

On Sunday, January 10, we left for Punta Gorda after a fine Perkins breakfast in Vencie…uh, Florida that is.

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Sandy and Lori had flown down to Charlotte Bay to investigate real estate. Sandy is a friend from many years who was present when Gini’s water broke for Chip at the ‘chicken barn. Check the comments section for that posting for her description.

Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda had been ravaged by hurricane Charlie. That, along with the current economy made for some very inexpensive homes. Here are some examples for between $45K and $60K:










Finding a good real estate agent can be quite challenging. Gini and I surreptitiously amused ourselves following Sandy and Lori and their agent during their tour of property. At one point Lori was gesturing madly through the back window about being rescued.

Their quest continues as the third day proved fruitful in finding a good agent but necessitates further visits to the area.

Gini and Chris liked downtown Punta Gorda. It was filled with funky shops and houses:

























As for the title of this blog – ‘Ah..The Woment’. This portion of the trip has been filled with fabulous independent, single women. One of the days searching for real estate involved Lori driving her rental car with Sandy, Gini and our cabana boy Chris doing iPhone searches and locations like he was born to it.

Cherchez la fun:

















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For those of you who know the blog from last year you will remember Mary, Gini’s step-mom. She and Gini were last heard yelling ‘Ride ‘em cowboy’ as they descended at breaknail speed down the side of Pila mountain in the Alps. Awaiting us in Winter Park was a fancy bottle of champagne, Mary’s signature. You may remember a previous blog posting of Gini’s dad, Charlie, helping build the steps. Mary is who he left with us for safekeeping.

Mary had decided, though, to foster a drug party. It was our first morning with her and there on our plates were small straws and ‘Pocket Espresso’. Chris’ attempts to convince everyone that the proper way was to snort it required a knowing demonstration by Mary:



We were impressed with Mary’s rendition of ecstasy:



However, ‘Ah....The Women’ would not be complete without Mary’s precious Sophie:



The bike was ridden today so there is thermal hope. Tomorrow we will visit Gini’s roommate from college, Nadine and her husband, Frank, and then later to try and finish another bottle of Moet and Chandon Imperial. Saturday – Miami Beach!