Cafe Hitch-hike

2018-03-18

The hostess with the mostess

I was able to rig my sound bar so that I could get music, and also stream my favorite radio stations.
I often use my YouTube app on my Roku to stream music. I'm listening to Al DiMeola, the jazz guitarist. I saw him a few years ago in a free show where he kicked off his North American tour. I was really happy to go see him in a Miami Beach bar, but I only stayed for 40 minutes because the atmosphere was really abrasive. I found that I have to be careful about where I go for both there and South Beach. The places can be really enjoyable, or one better be ready to engage in conflict and walk around piles of vomit on their narrow sidewalks.

Speaking of Miami, the hostess with the mostess has been activated. I did not know that I've turned entertaining into an art! During Day 2 of the Steampunk Texan's visit, I discovered he loves brew pubs! I used bits of pieces of what I knew to find then, and his visit has been a brew pub crawl across my region! We've been taking coasters of all of the pubs as souvenirs, which I plan to use as some sort of decor in my kitchen or maybe even use them. The brew pub crawl has also helped us see local sights and sounds, which I especially liked.

In addition to beer, the visit has included plenty of music and entertainment (Little Dragon in concert and a trip to the local taqueria and drive-in). I took the Texan to Wynwood because they have a bunch of brew pubs there, and I really enjoyed the evening we spent in Miami. I flipped the script, thinking less of Rafa and more about the novelty of the whole experience. We were able to visit the less-intense parts of town. We watched a laser light show and then concluded the night on Calle Ocho, the little Cuban-American neighborhood with Latin jazz clubs, cigar shops, and restaurants. I got the cheerful Ola, Mami! greeting from Los Cubanos (my keyboard doesn't have the Spanish keys, hahahah, so I couldn't use proper punctuation). Thanks to living and dating Miami for over 2 years, I learned how to vibe like a local. I just wish I could had acquired better Spanish that way!

It's been a mini-vacation for me although I've been entertaining. I've been checking work email strictly to delete it or flag important ones, but I'm so surprised at the change in the way I feel. I like hanging with the Texan, he is easy company, and I found myself feeling more cheerful. I'm sure it's the luster of a fun time making me feel this way, but at the same time, it's nice to have good company.

We also went to the beach as is customary in these parts. As we sat and looked at the Atlantic, I compared here and central Texas, and was able to see lots of differences. He rarely takes trips like this, and I hope it was enjoyable. He's said nothing about wishing to move here (oh, The Lone Star State is home), but I sensed it was one of those trips where he got to see a lot of new things.

For today, it's gonna be movies at my place with a homecooked meal, and then we'll meet Ali for a drink at her place. It's easy!

Having the Texan here gave me a different perspective of my life down here... Yeah, I work and dwell here but in some respects, it's kind of been party time as well! People come down here to have fun, so I soaked it up and made a bit of it a part of my life. I also changed my appearance for it, but it felt natural rather than trying to fit in. I guess life down here can be sensuous, fun, and perhaps more extravagant than other places.

Ah, now I see why I don't really want to move. I really do like it down here!

It was also the right and perfect time for me to take a break. We get plenty of time off (for now) so I may need to take a quarterly mini-vacation so my mind doesn't feel gummed up by work! It was also a nice to take a break from my rebound woes. I felt pieces of me feel more normal and like myself; maybe it's taking this long because I spent a good amount of time trying to change myself into something I wasn't, and maybe what I feel is the process of undoing all of that. I've said it time and time again on these pages, and perhaps it's true.

Other things from which to take a break: thanks to various rewinds and returns, I got to see that a lot of my seemingly weird perceptions on work, people, and relationships were on the money. I sensed some people felt certain things about me a few years ago, and then I found a memo that outlined just that; wow, is it often when we find that type of proof for to confirm our perceptions? People and things really can be that complicated and not very nice sometimes (and not always), and yeah, I do need to handle it when it directly affects me. And, I got to see a few people cared for me and our friendship.

Other things that got a break: rewinds and returns again. I'm glad I haven't been thinking of certain things much lately because there's nothing more to think of anymore. No more mystery, no more 'what if's' or 'what could I had done differently?' Now, after I take a nice, maybe 7 day spell of rest when the Texan goes home, I can start to live more fully in the present and whatever new comes my way!

downwind | upstream