March 21, 2013

• You Caught Me!

  TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

  All right!  I confess.  We weren’t gone two days.  Just one.  But, by the time we got home, it was truly the end of a long day and the start of another.  I was in pain.  Caused by sleeping wrong and with my leg twisted in an odd way.  It felt like I had a knot in the center and, at first, I thought *blood clot?*But as I walked, I found out it wasn’t.  But….we got home so late that I slept until almost one o’clock.  That’s *PM*.
  

  I know I’m late getting this up but I fell asleep watching this boring documentary (I won’t tell you which it was but it has this Scottish guy narrating.  I had hoped it would be interesting.)  I will now tell you about our *road trip* yesterday.  First of all, the route was fast but boring.  I tried to sleep most of the way because the Beast, worried () about my leg, decided I shouldn’t do any.  Somehow I doubt he was really worried but he did manage to keep the hope off his face. 
  

  I will tell you two things about both the city of Mobile and the city of Birmingham.  They both give you the impression of cleanliness.  A type that I haven’t seen since I first drove through Florida.  I think all people are stunned by that.  Mobile actually has some of the most interesting looking architecture that I have ever seen.  Many of their downtown buildings are truly beautiful and impressive as you drive along I-59.  We didn’t hit any real traffic but had the weirdest experience.  We had a hell of a time finding a damn beach!
  

  We finally found Dauphin Island, located just off the coast and still considered a part of Mobile.  There is just a short bridge over to it.  We found the public beach and there were no restrictions listed about dogs (but we try to keep Baron leashed at first until we scope out the scene).  There were others with their dogs along with them and not leashed so the Beast eventually DID unleash him and let him run.
  

  I had forgotten how difficult it was to walk on sugar sand and I pooped out because the beach was so far away from the walk.  I just sat down and enjoyed the sun while the Beast took Baron down to the sand and water.  Baron DID wet his feet but I saw him run back to the Beast’s side almost as fast as the water had lapped his feet.    Baron ran up and down but it was the first time we ever saw his footprints fully extended and looking HUGE!    I know!  It was the sugar sand effect.  No one in their right mind tries to walk in it with shoes on.  It’s like walking on quicksand.
  

  So I spent about a half hour in the sunlight and got a little bit of color in my face and along my arms and chest.  I had my bathing suit top on.  I also have freckles that popped out (which Chewlee will notice as soon as she gets to see them if I don’t keep them covered up).  I had to take my shoes and socks off to get back to the car on my own.  I was exhausted.  Poor Baron was both thirsty as hell (he drank almost a quart of water when we got back to the car) and tired from the sugar sand walk.  He plopped down and closed his eyes once he finished drinking and got into the car.  It was lunch time when we left the beach.  He told me no one was swimming because the water was really, really cold still.  If it had been warm, I would have kicked myself but the fact that no one was in the water was telling.  They had all just come to picnic and enjoy the warm weather.  Warm?  It was damn near HOT!  It was 79 degrees at the beach with no wind.  Beautiful!
  

  They had a ferry on Dauphin Island that took you to another island with a bridge to some city right on the edge of the panhandle of Florida.  I begged the Beast to go there but he didn’t want to pay for a ferry ride.  I was totally pissed about that since I thought the short ride would have been a cool experience.  But the Beast was really tired of not being able to find some of the attractions we read about.  The GPS tried to send us down roads that didn’t exist because there were now construction sites where some might have existed last year.  I had told him to download the updates (I got an email from Garmin about doing that.  We have lifetime downloads.)  Now he’ll do it in time for his trip to NC with the Princess to see Auntie Em. 
  

  We ate at a really nice restaurant on the Bay and one of the shrimp boats was in and unloading.  Baron (still tired), plopped down on the deck and went to sleep.  The poor waitress almost tripped over him and woke him up in time for him to see and growl menacingly at a pelican swimming around the deck.  He was fascinated with the gulls that were flying around but, since none dropped down on the deck, you could tell he hadn’t made up his mind about how he felt about them.  Growl or not growl? 
  

  I felt the restaurant (called the Pelican Inn) was a slice of heaven.  Their fried shrimp was fresh and I had almost forgotten how good that tasted.  The owner told us he bought them fresh every day from the shrimp boats.  I just know they were wonderful.  It was so peaceful there that I hated to leave.  Our plans were to get just outside Mobile and get a room.  However, the Beast said we might as well head home even though we would get there late and be driving in the dark for most of the way.  I had hoped for a motel with a pool (that was warm) but I had to admit, I like my own bed.  This WAS just a short trip (relatively) so I let him drive.  I had taken a pain pill for my leg and it knocks me out because I don’t take them often.  I finally managed to get it into a good position and went to sleep (that was the pain pill’s fault).  I woke up about an hour from home and was shocked at how late it was.  I knew the Beast was tired so I stayed up and talked to him to make sure he didn’t fall asleep at the wheel.
  

  When the Beast said he was hungry, I reminded him that I had sandwiches in our little cooler.  He stopped to let Baron pee and grabbed a sandwich.  After a couple bites, he declared them GREAT!  They were just ham and baloney with either Monteray Jack or Swiss cheese.  I also had sliced tomatoes to put on them (which he had done).  I made two with just mayonnaise and two with mayonnaise and Deli mustard.  They were all great.  I ate one for my lunch today. 
  

  The Beast made some sloppy joe that was really good.  He’s gotten a knack for making that.  Very tasty.  We also discussed my using one of those electronic cigarettes and I discovered he had bought one last year and never opened the package because he really wasn’t having trouble with quitting other than constantly reaching for one in his pocket.  He had broached the subject back then with me but I wasn’t having any of it because I had just read some negative things about the vapor producing liquids.  But I told him that I would give it a try….I just wasn’t promising anything.  Let’s face it….we all know by this time that smoking is bad for us.  I would like to be a non-smoker one day.  I’ll let you know how that goes.  It DOES produce the vapor-smoke and that may help mentally. 
  

  Well, I’ll go ahead and post this.  Love you all and I apologize for posting this late.  But I am an old person and I either forget or I am asleep sometimes. 
  

  • 2:10 am
  • 2 Comments