Rev. 01/06/02
Florida Adventure - continued
1/05 - 01/06
Margate, FL (Coral Springs)
Just taking it easy -- getting to know the area.
My laptop, with GPS and Delorme's Street Atlas program really does a good job -- wanted to find a Japanese restaurant -- it picked one about a mile away -- wanted to find a place to get my Roadtrek serviced -- Jiffy Lube about 2 miles away -- Laundromat, half mile. Boy, I'd be lost without my laptop.
Spending time "people watching."
Eating at an Italian restaurant across the street. A small group came in while I was eating -- a lady in her eighties or so, obviously her birthday. Soon joined by another family which included a young girl about five, whom I deduced was the ladies great-granddaughter. The little girl was carrying a birthday gift, beautifully wrapped, and she hung on to it for dear life. Every time the great-grandmother reached for the package, the girl would, without looking at her, scamper away. This game went on for several minutes -- great-granddaughter always a step ahead.
Finally the hostess lead them to a table, great-granddaughter in the lead. Hostess stopped at a small table across from me, but the little girl would have none of it -- she wanted the large table at the end of the room -- and she got it. Only then did she give recognition to her great-grandmother -- smiling, with a twinkle in her eye, presented her with the gift. My prediction is, that girl, with all that self confidence, is going to be our next President.
Another group, four couples, were seated at a large round table to my left. Again a birthday celebration. This time, for the wife of one of the couples. From appearance and overheard bits of conversation, the woman seated next to the birthday ladies husband was his sister. And she was thoroughly enjoying herself. She would start a controversial conversation going between her brother and her husband, and sit back and smile. Just as the conversation got warmed up, she would lean forward, open her menu, blocking their line of communication to the point they would reach over and push her menu out of the line -- and behind it, she would sit there grinning. She did this a number of times, and they never seemed to catch on to her ploy. Where have I seen a stunt like this pulled before?
Yesterday evening, I walked down the street for about a mile. The street, softly lit, is lined with restaurants, stores, and offices. Down about half way is a Barne's & Noble book store. The building housing it is built with large low windows and inside it is well lit. At one end there are three large, overstuffed chairs grouped in the corner. They were occupied by a young man and two young women. The young man was hunched over, deeply engrossed in a book, his attention riveted to the words. The young lady next to him had relaxed, leaning back, comfortably reading. The second young lady had totally succumbed to the relaxation of the written word, her book, fallen to her lap, sound asleep. I'd left my small digital camera in my room, what a mistake -- missed a great picture, "A study in reading."