Splendid Literary Effort... "And Good Night to All the Beautiful Young Women..."

Memoirs of a Geezer!

Reflections and Observations -- A Bright Passage from the Fantasies of Youth 

to Illuminations of Advanced Maturity!

This Episode:      Um...    Just a Little Reminder about a Splendid Literary Effort...   (What??!! Another Reminder!!!... )    

The Book is Intended For Anyone Interested in Elder and Hospice Care, Caregivers and Potential Recipients alike!!...  Features Coping Strategies for the Care of Someone Suffering from Dementia, Possibly Alzheimer's Disease, along with Complications Arising from the Aging Process....  A Methodology for "Playing Along" on Behalf of a Loved One, a Relative or Friend Coping with the Challenges of Dementia, along with Advancing Age and Disease -- Possibly Someone in YOUR Care!  

Please visit:    www.amazon.com        or        www.barnesandnoble.com  
  
The Book is Available through Either Resource!!

You may even wish to write a REVIEW!  Thank you!  I'll hold...    

Holidays in the Sunshine State... at First, Big Reluctance!

Memoirs of a Geezer!

Reflections and Observations -- A Bright Passage from the Fantasies of Youth 

to Illuminations of Advanced Maturity!

This Episode:     Holidays in the Sunshine State...  at First, Big Reluctance...!

"Flaarider!  You want me to spend an entire week in Flaarider?!"  In mock contempt, the word

is flattened, bent, extruded -- like solid material turned into a length of gutter or a downspout.  I conjure visions of the "beautiful people" languishing on beaches in Miami, or playing "pickle ball" from golf carts in The Villages.  Within the silent confines of my stubborn brain, I'm refusing to go, ever.      

"Do we really want to spend a whole week in Flaarider?"  Again, the mocking version of the word, dripping with derision.  The "er" at the end a dig at New Yorkers who wind up there when they're almost dead. "I may be a geezer," I say, "but I'm not ready for Flaarider!  They have nasty creatures there...  alligators, snakes, women in moo moos, rich guys in flowery tunics with manicured toes!  I won't go!"   

"You'll love it," says Sweetheart.  "Cousin Emma lets us rent her condo at a great price. It's in Cocoa Beach, and it's right on the ocean, with a swimming pool just beneath the balcony that overlooks the Atlantic.  I'll look for cheap airfares and a rental van.  The condo has three bedrooms, a full kitchen, air conditioning.  The village of Cocoa Beach is within walking distance.  You'll love it," she repeats with great emphasis.  "They have a great coffee shop."

"Alright," I say without conviction, "but only this once."  It's been five consecutive years!  The coffee shop in Cocoa Beach -- Juice N Java -- is a major draw for me.  I must have coffee houses in my life.  You purchase one large coffee (at ...Java); in theory, you can spend the entire day refilling your cup... without further remittance.  Now that's a great coffee shop! 

I must admit, I've grown to like and enjoy the destination.  It's what some might call, "Old Florida." Cocoa Beach has a number of small, independent businesses.  Restaurants, surf board shops, art studios, a pizza parlor that, we're reliably told by locals, isn't horrible.  (But you might get an argument from the aforementioned moo moo-clad New Yorkers!) And there's no dense forest of high-rises, those ugly great phalluses scratching at the skies, glutting and scarring beaches in so many oceanside cities.  

Pelicans roost on a
portion of bridge in
Sebastian Inlet!

Bethie and Phia in
Sebastian Inlet
Tide Pool...

On our first venture, five years back, we had a long day of travel, hunger beckoned and we stopped at Brano's, a decent Italian restaurant on A1A, prior to venturing on to the condo.  The waiter was a peach (though "orange" might seem a more appropriate word, it doesn't really fit...  apologies to Georgia Tourism!). He was generous with his friendliness and his tour guide persona. Among the "must-see" destinations he recommended was Sebastian Inlet State Park.  A truly gorgeous place! On one visit, we witnessed pelicans in great numbers diving into the tide pool, fishing, just a few feet, perhaps inches!... from swimmers and waders. The third year we were surrounded by at least a dozen manatees circling us, great gentle creatures like enormous friendly dogs.  With her four-year-old child in her arms, our daughter sang to them.  The manatees were drawn to her, quite possibly mesmerized by the sweet melody and her stillness.  Not as many this year as two years ago!  

We've seen ibis, great blue herons, wood storks, egrets, armies of pelicans, gopher turtles, dolphins, tropical fish...  Wonderful place to "commune with nature" (a phrase my father used with great frequency!).  We've taken dolphin-sighting cruises and one air boat ride in the swampy regions of St. John's river, where some of us spotted at least six alligators!  At one

point, on the Banana River boat excursion, we spotted seven breaching dolphins, an actual pod of them cavorting near the boat, obviously trying to get our attention!  We had a pleasant conversation with those delightful, bottle noses each time they broke the surface for air!  (I must engage a translator next time!...)  Oh!!  Lest one forget...  we also were thrilled to see, both perched and in full flight while passing a small island in the Banana River, a Roseate Spoon Bill.  Absolutely beautiful to behold.  I've even posted a picture (up a bit...  left...  that's it)!  

Beautiful Grandkids Phi Phi (left)
and Seany (he's the one eschews
the giant surf shop, with me!) and
(right) Allegra, the granddaughter /
daughter of great friends who visit
us in Cocoa...  They live in FLA!

Alright, alright!  I'm getting sappy!  I have to say something negative about the place!  I know what it is!!  That giant surf shop on the corner of A1A and Highway 520!  When Sweetheart and our daughter wish to go there, I'm off to the coffee shop with a book and a male child who shares my sentiment...  no book this time; we played "Hangman."     

Exploration Tower (photo, rt.), overlooking Port Canaveral, offers a fine view of locks and ships, tug boats and birds, the ocean as well. The tower is a kind of space and shipping museum, with a bit of surfing lore thrown in for comic relief.  We broke a fancy wine stopper in the gift shop, but they didn't charge us for it, in spite of staff petulance exacerbated (homage to Carol T.!) by sour, snotty attitudes.  We all had a good chuckle about that, and then headed off to Rusty's for a fine, mostly seafood dinner.  Rusty's offers a panoramic view of the Port, and they don't even charge extra (or do they?!!).

Oh, hey, listen...  if you get to Cocoa Beach, you must pay a visit to Cocoa Village, west via

Highway 520 about 5 or so miles.  Charming place, good restaurants, including Ossorio's and Murdock's, both located on Brevard Street. We got pictures, too, even (Ossorio's is the top photo, at right)!! We asked "Captain Quinn" of the dolphin-boat tour.  He was adamant. "You gotta eat at Murdock's.  Great food, good atmosphere. Ossorio's is good, don't get me wrong, but if you've never been there, you gotta eat at Murdocks."  It's one of my favorite's. Absolutely..." We ate at Murdock's.  It was good!  So is Ossorio's. They have ice cream, and it's a bit more family-oriented!  

Book stores?  Visit "Paperbacks" in the self-same Village.  They have the largest collection of books, mainly paperback editions, that I've

ever seen in one place!  And, "Books-A-Million (BAM)" is east of the Village along Highway 520, south side of the road. You know...  it just now occurred to me!  They offer my book though BAM (http://www.booksamillion.com) -- And Good Night to All the Beautiful Young Women...! Isn't that an odd coincidence.  Gee!  That's all I have for now about the Peninsula State.  If you're there in June 2017, we'll see you at Juice N Java.  Thank you, and Good Day, or maybe even...  Good Night...! Wait a minute! One more thing!!  Coconuts!!  You gotta get to Coconuts on the Beach!  Adventure!  Romance!...  

Special Note of Gratitude:   The perpetrator extends giant thanks to Sweetheart's Cousin Emma, and to Sweetheart, too, of course.  Thanks to Emma, her parents and siblings, we are able to enjoy time in the Sunshine!  She, Emma, is a treasure.  Sweetheart has the travel acumen to enable us to wander affordably.  Great thanks to Cousin Terri, the other E. siblings too!  Love and hugs to all...       

  Humbly Submitted -- July 8, 2016 -- Joel K.