I live ten miles north of the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk as the seagull flies. If I go early in the morning I can miss most of the traffic in and out of Rehoboth Beach, the east coast capital resort de jour of many folk in the Washington, D.C./Balitmore/Philadelphia and New Jersey area of the eastern sea board.
Even though I went early this morning, the air was heavy with humidity. After I finished my two mile walk (the Rehoboth boardwalk is one mile in each direction exactly) I wandered around some of the nearby streets to soak in some of the flavor of prime Atlantic seacoast resort living. Of course I could never afford to live in one of those houses near the boardwalk or beach but I can still walk the streets and fantasize.
Sunday is the best time for me to make a run to the boardwalk because the weekday rush hour traffic is gone and most of the weekend visitors are still sleeping off Saturday night.
Last night I saw an old friend (from high school days) was at my neighbor's house, dog sitting his mutts. I drove over and asked him if he want to go out for dinner. He did. We went to Villa Sorrento which is a wonderful, small, family Italian restaurant in Lewes with tasty Italian dishes and reasonable prices. The only downside, from my viewpoint anyway, is that the owner occasionally breaks out into an aria. I don't need anyone singing to me while I'm stuffing my face with pasta. I don't know what it is with a lot of these restaurants down here but many of them feel that it is necessary to have "entertainment" for the diners. I don't know about you but I would prefer to eat my meal and have a conversation with my dining partner.
After I got back last night, I watch another episode of season two of "Mad Men." I am hooked on that show. I must have missed something from watching season one episodes but when did Peggy have a baby? I think I missed a DVD or two from my Netflix rental.
Yesterday I went out to Sandhill Nursery and Peppers to pick up the last of my plant purchases this season. My pansies (don't go there) are exhausted and about to give it up and I need to replace them with something hardier. I went for the wave petunias. Purple and lavender of course.
Right now I'm hot a sweaty and thinking about taking a shower to freshen up. I plan to stay inside the hacienda all day until later this afternoon when the heat and humidity lets up a bit.
Oh, I forgot to tell you. On the way back from the Boardwalk I stopped at Panera and ordered four black bean soup to take out. I got The Look. This is the third time in since Panera opened up two weeks ago I've ordered FOUR BLACK BEAN soups to take out. I'm pretty sure some of the staff at Panera how has me pegged as one of these eccentric resort folk. You know, "that old guy who comes in here early in the morning and ordering FOUR black bean soups for takeout!" Whatever. Just another brick in the wall of Weird Ron's Reputation. Like I said.....WHATEVER. I really am at the point in my life that I don't care what anyone thinks of me. I really don't.
I just finished reading a book about Jean Arthur, the screwball comedy actress of the Thirties. Some of you younger readers probably have no idea of who Jean Arthur was but she was a very successful actress. She was also a very private person.
One of Jean Arthur's few (maybe only) close friend described Jean's personality as she got older:
"She just didn't like people around that much. She's essentially a loner. She likes people around when she wants them around. She didn't need a lot of people to make her happy. That's the only way to be if you can achieve it."
Asked late in life what advice she would give to young people in the action profession, Arthur replied that she would give none. "That would be sticking my nose in somebody else's business," she said. "Influencing their lives. And I think everybody has to find their own way."
Guess what, Jean Arthur and I have something in common, our outlook on life.
Have a great day!
