On The Road Again

So on Wednesday morning we checked-out of the resort. . . .
(Cylindrical Stanley was all ready to go before any of the rest of us.)

. . . .and we headed down the road a piece to go to a Perkins Restaurant for breakfast and to say our goodbyes. . . .  Mikey, Meredith and the girls headed back to South Carolina, and I headed south to visit old friends.

I told Michael I liked his shirt:

I stopped along the way to Pompano Beach in Delray Beach and met my Boss, Karen, from my stint at DMV some years back.  Karen has been fully retired and enjoying life here in Florida for the past several years.  Many of my and her friends from the old job often come to visit her, especially at this time of year when New York is an "iceberg" compared to here. She's a wonderful person, one of the best bosses I've ever had.  We went to "Deck 84" an open-air restaurant right on the Intercoastal Waterway in downtown Delray Beach, as we did about 4 years ago when I was here last.  We chewed the fat and caught up on our news for about 2 and a half hours, over Margharitas and Cuba Libres. . . .
(Yes, I'm back to imbibing once again. . . .  but on a much more limited basis than I did before the ticker problems of last year.)

One of the Valet guys was nice enough to take our photo as we departed:

After our Lun-ner (combo Lunch and Dinner. . .  Hey if they can call a mid-morning meal Brunch, we decided to call our mid-afternoon meal Lunner) I continued on my merry way to see old friend Jane about 1/2 hour farther south off I-95.  Jane made a nice smaller meal for me and we, too, talked on-and-on about what's gone on over the past 4 years in our lives.

I checked-in at a nearby motel for the night at about 10pm, much later than I'd expected. Having phoned from Jane's place to make sure they saved my room for me was a good idea. Seems they had "reserved" the best room in the place for me!  At no extra charge.  Tho, in my judgement, the room looked just a little too "kitschy" for my tastes.  I was also welcomed by Jiminy Cricket.  I guess he got out and away from Donkey Island in DisneyWorld and had come to remind me to Always Let My Conscience Be My Guide. . . .

Okay, okay, so he's not really a cricket.  He's a Palmetto Bug, quite common even indoors hereabouts. And he's not very big compared to others I've seen. . . .  some two or even three times this guy's size. I didn't have the heart to evict him. He's still there in the bathtub.  I will see him to the door in the morning, when I want to let him know it's MY turn to use the shower.

I should be a Hindu. Who knows, I may come back some day as a Palmetto Bug myself!

I heard from Mikey a short time after I checked-in.  He and Meredith and the girls made it back home to South Carolina safe and sound.

So, in spite of Jiminy "crashing my party" I had a very good day re-connecting with some very good old friends!

To be continued. . . .

Disney Springs

Spent Tuesday at Disney Springs, Disney World's newest section. Lots of stores and restaurants.

Started the day having breakfast at the resort.  Mikey toasted me on my choice, which included biscuits and gravy:

At Disney Springs later in the day I treated everyone to ice cream at an iconic San Francisco establishment that I was surprised to see had a "branch office" here:

Other things we did included resting our weary feet. . . .

 While watching the balloon rise:

Watch Buzz and Woody rocket to infinity and beyond. Musta taken a million LEGO pieces to build this bit of art:

And try on a few chapeaus at a local hattery:

Wednesday we hit the road. Mikey and Meredith for back home in South Carolina and I for points south, to visit some old friends in Jensen Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Pompano Beach. The tour will end for me on Friday when I drive back to Orlando to catch my flight back to The Best Coast!

Just Pottering Around in Orlando

So I'm here in Orlando Florida for a few days. Met Michael, his Meredith and the gals - Piper and Gabbi here on Saturday. Went to Universal Studios Theme Park on Sunday.  Took today "off."  Here's some photos of our adventures so far:

Mikey and I went to Dunkin' Donuts early Sunday morning.  He found other stuff to do besides sip coffee. . . .

Later same morning, we are getting ready to have breakfast back at the resort with the gals:

After which we went to Universal:

I "stole" the coffee cup from a friend. It has been named "Cylindrical Stanley" by me. I will photo it at various places I visit on this trip.

Nearing the entrance to Universal:

Charlie and Teddy would have enjoyed this. . . .

Who's the cat in THAT hat?

This one has a little car. This one has a little star. SAY! What a lot of fish there ARE!

Unless.  The Lorax in the Dr. Seuss area got all decked out for Christmas Day.

Entering the Harry Potter area:

My castle in Scotland:

A street-show:

 Cylindrical Stanley and I made it to LONDON.  Harry Potter's version of it, that is. . . .

Quite crowded. On Christmas Day. . . .

Across "The Pond" from "London" stood Krustyland, a part of The Simpsons. I just HAD to go on THAT ride. It was the highlight of my day.  Couldn't stop laughing. Even standing in the 50 minute long LINE to get on the ride. They entertained us waiting saps with "Best of The Simpsons" film clips while we waited. Best waiting line I have EVER been in.

 Fire breathing dragon in Harry Potter "land". . . .

It was a hot time in the old town.  Took today ("Boxing Day") off. Went to a timeshare sales presentation at the resort where we are staying and was able to stonewall and get out within just about an hour. Already owning ONE I know about the high-pressure sales pitch and was able to get out of it "gracefully" IMHO, by telling the salesguy that I have a certain medical condition that renders my butt useless after too much time sitting (and listening to circuitous explanations about options, points, blah, blah, blah). He was a nice enough fellow.  He understood my point of view and didn't push the matter TOO far.

To be continued (hopefully). . . .

We're coming to the edge, running on the water, coming through the fog. . . .

I took the title to this blog posting from Carly Simon's "Let the River Run," one of my favorite songs.

Here's the photos from my last two days back East, in Connecticut and Long Island.  Tho I got home nearly one week ago, it took me until today to finally "catch up" and finish posting the last photos of the last two full days, Monday September 5th and Tuesday, September 6th.

On Monday, I was up before the crack of dawn at Beth and Greg's to make it to New London and catch the 6:30am ferry from there back to the eastern end of Long Island, at Orient Point on the northern "tail" of The Island. . . .

Still waiting in line to drive the car onto the ferry at sunrise:

The trip out of New London harbor was interesting. . .

We were "outbound" and crossed paths with another ferry that was "inbound". . . 

Went past the old Submarine-building company, General Dynamics, in the harbor, on the way out. Dunno if that one "in two pieces" was under construction or just there for display.  It looked a lot smaller than the really BIG ones I remember I used to see inside the building when going by and the doors to the building were open. . . .

A "tin can" as sailors call them, was docked in the harbor. The nemesis of all submariners! Maybe the destroyer was there to practice dropping some depth-charges on the subs???

Looking to the west as we exited the harbor, the lighthouse there. . .

And looking to the east as we got outside the harbor, the little island lighthouse there. . . .

Being that it was Labor Day, there weren't many other passengers or cars on board:

It was a little rough when we got out to "open seas". . . .  

Here's some video clips of it:

Click HERE to see HOW rough!
https://goo.gl/photos/ziyXLmMYBCqm6fuY8

And click HERE too!!
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO4QYJ7W93eU4aVTvNxvluxxhWTRDl9oAiSXWo

Saw plenty more lighthouses on the way. . . .

Out in the middle of Long Island Sound:

Over on Plum Island. . . .

Out in "Plum Gut," the strait between Orient Point and Plum Island:

Pulling in to the Orient Point ferry terminal was exciting. . . .  Like watching Star Wars' Death Star swallow up a smaller planet!

Click HERE to see "The Death Star" in action.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPdzjFp2p6GbIXwIIw5KLMM-99LyZ8fjuZSQTg

When we pulled in to port, it was very interesting to see the good ship "Cape Henlopen" alongside of us.  Her original name was "LST 510" and her first purpose in her long life was to land marines and soldiers on one of the beaches in Normandy on D-Day of World War II.  Many veterans have had reunions on her over the years.  After the surrender of Germany she was scheduled to go thru the Panama Canal to go help finish the war against the Japanese, but by the time she made it to the Caribbean the Japanese had already surrendered, so she went back to the East Coast and was used as a ferry in a few of the places there, including the Cape May, New Jersey to Lewes, Delaware ferry run. . . .  before she was sold to the Cross Sound Ferry Co. - where she proudly serves even today.

Some of her history is given on the Cross Sound Ferry Company's website:

After driving off the ferry I felt very welcomed back to New York . . . .

and it's *ahem* big wine-growing region on Long Island's "North Fork". . . .

Passed thu the Oyster Ponds on the causeway there. . . .

And the interestingly named town of East Marion, NY. . . .  named after South Carolina's "Swamp Fox" - Francis Marion - of the American Revolution, by the first settlers of this area. . . .  folks who moved here from South Carolina way back then!  I didn't have time to take photos of that little town as I passed thru it. Like they say, "Don't blink!"

Here's a sample of Long Island's competition for Napa and Sonoma, California. . .

I drove thru the little town of Mattituck, on it's famed road:

Stopped by one of my last homes on Long Island - before my move to California - at Towne House Village in Islandia:

And my last house, on good old Genesee Drive. . .

They both look like they're still in pretty good shape.

Continuing my "homes tour" I decided to drive by the old home of 29 years in Huntington Station. . .

Still looking pretty good, too.  And with the Magnolia tree out front having grown to humongeous size.  It must look very beautiful when the blossoms on it are in bloom.

And Grammy's house, two blocks over. . .

The old neighborhoods haven't changed much.  Even the local "taverna" down the street from our old house in Huntington is still there.  The name of it now reminds me of some friends I have out here in California in a town of the same name. . . .

I then went downtown to Huntington to see if our favorite diner, Golden Dolphin, was still in business.  I was surprised to find it not only in business, but having been rebuilt and expanded another storefront. . .

Had my lunch there. . . .

Wow! What an improvement over the way it used to look!

I met good old Teddy, who told me his brother Peter had "dropped out" of co-ownership with him when they made all the changes to the old place.  I look like Teddy gave me an extra glass of wine in this photo (something he used to do - besides offering free dessert to Eleanor and me back when we were "regulars" at the old place).  I swear I didn't touch a drop this time.  I'm off liquor completely these days!

He's looking pretty good.  Told me he has slimmed down a bit. He has. Never trust a skinny cook!

After lunch at Golden Dolphin, I stopped by friends Bob & Mary and spent the afternoon yakking with them, then went to dinner with them at the Chinese restaurant in Commack near "Ciao Baby". . .

the Italian restaurant.  I didn't get any photos of us. . . .  I guess we yakked so much about what's been going on in our lives for the past year-and-a-half that I just didn't think to take any photos!

Got back to my "digs" at the hotel in Bethpage around 9pm and continued packing for my trip back home (still sounds funny, calling California my home) to take place on that Wednesday.  But I got up early the next morning  - Tuesday -to take one more trip to Connecticut. . . .  a shorter one, to my cousin Jimmy's and to see his dad, my Uncle Paul, that Tuesday in western Connecticut.

I hit the road on a cloudy morning, listening to radio reports of the hurricane that was NOW hitting the eastern end of Long Island. 

Crossed the "FROG'S NECK Bridge". . . .  Well, that's what my KIDS used to call the Throg's Neck Bridge. . . .

Took the good old Hutchinson River Parkway, stopping by "the Sequoia tree" at the good old rest stop near the north end of the parkway. . . .

A cleverly disguised cell-phone tower. 'Cept for the fact that any people who live LOCALLY know there's no other Sequoia trees in New York!

Anyways, got my coffee and donut and proceeded onward. . .

I reached my cousin Jimmy's at 11:30 and went with him to visit his dad, my Uncle Paul, at the nursing home.  He seemed happy and talkative, but Jim told me that he's not that way all of the time.  I think Uncle Paul was glad to see me and we did talk for over two hours.  I hope he keeps his spirits up and puts on a few pounds.  I had a nurse take a photo of the three of us, but would rather keep it for my personal use.

Went back to Jim and Karen's place after that and Jim showed me around.  They've got a very nice place out in the country.  We went out to their garden and Jim fresh-picked the veggies for our salad for dinner there.  His flower garden alongside the barn there impressed me. . . .

Karen fixed a wonderful dinner that I enjoyed.  She always makes me feel right at home whenever I visit.  Thanks Karen!

Again, we talked a long time and I forgot to take photos!  But I did exchange a jar of my son Jamie's honey for a jar of Jimmy's.  Both my James and my cousin Jimmy are beekeepers, so a comparison of California honey versus New England honey was something I had to take the honey for!

I drove back to my hotel on Long Island that night, finished packing, and was on my way to the airport by 8am Wednesday for my 11:30 flight back home.  It was pretty much uneventful, other than that we sat on the runway for what seemed like an eternity before getting into the air.  I joked with the fella across the aisle that "I think we've used up all our fuel just 'idling' on the runway."  He agreed.

Got back to Oakland airport on time, and had dinner then hitched a ride home with a certain-someone who shall remain unnamed here.  It was a great trip.  I felt a bit more like a tourist this last few weeks on this trip than I did last year when I made the same three-week-long trip.  I was glad to see so many of my old friends and relatives on this trip tho!

THE END

(aren't you glad?)