Cafe Hitch-hike

Diary

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2020-06-04
The first steps are always the hardest :
2020-06-03
The country drive :
2020-05-31
The thickened skin has its place in survival :
2020-05-29
I've already had to do that :
2020-05-26

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Diaryland

2020-05-23

Life without abandon

I'd love to be on a sandbar in The Keys with a Hurricane and a rum shooter or a cold brewki in hand. I'd love to be baking in the salt water and under the hot sun, knee-deep in that emerald green water. Then, I'd head back to share and either get some conch fritters at Alabama Jack's, or listen to a local rock band at Gilbert's Resort. Another cool thing would be to sit at a pool in my bikini (yeah, I can still look halfway viewable in one) with a rum runner (with a rum shooter), listening to either classic rock or reggae.

Last night, I played what I call 'paper doll' and tried on some clothes I hadn't worn for a while to see how they fit. I wore a Calvin Klein dinner dress that I bought a long time ago but hasn't lost its elegance. I even donned the leather biker vest with all the patches that I used to wear when I'd join Remy and his crew on their Harleys. I had to laugh... My patches said:

**Warning: Bombshell
**You Couldn't Handle Me Even If I Came With Instructions.
**Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History

Other patches included an American flag and a hand flashing the peace sign, both of which Remy really liked. I then had a nice patch of a praying female calavera (skull) wearing a prayer veil, with some pink roses at the edge. Another had a cross made of vines (well, motorcycling is dangerous, haha). The back of my vest had some wings. I also had a little purse that clipped onto my belt loops where I carried the bare essentials for the road: my ID, a credit card, some cash, Tylenol, lipstick, and a hairbrush (Remy carried sunblock in his bike, which we both used religiously).

I had to laugh! It felt like a million years ago. I actually liked wearing those clothes and liked riding, too. Remy was an excellent rider and I trusted him being on the front of the bike. When we'd go on very long rides or isolated areas, he carried a pistol in his vest. That didn't bother me because he was licensed and trained, and I'd rather have something like that just in case we found ourselves in a situation in the middle of po'dunk Florida.

The beaches have opened here, but we have to stay active (meaning we can't sit or sunbathe). I know a private place where the surfers go, so I'll probably go there to get my bach groove back on. The restaurants are gradually opening. Rafael and I went to one of our favorite local ones were we enjoyed seafood sandwiches and beer, followed by ice cream (both a local, Mom & Pop places; I'm so glad they were able to stay afloat and can't imagine what they had to go through to do that). It felt so good to be near the water, supporting local, and to just plain be outside again. I guess I have a hankering for chilling the fuck out and socializing.

Just had a funny conversation with my former colleague/ gal pal Bernadette. She's excited about my newly recent position and is more excited talking about it that I usually am, but our ideas just go and go. We met when she was an intern in 2009 and she shadowed me for a bit, and eventually was hired full time. She's had a very international life and has a mind that goes a mile a minute. She has this contagious laugh, and I get the biggest ones out of her when we talk about men.

Today's chat tapered off with my recollections of the lovely Ol' Blue Eyes, my grad school advisor who now heads a program in an esteemed university in the midwest. Things between Ol' Blue Eyes and I never got further than flirting and fancying each other, but I guess we left an impression. I was in touch with him 2 years ago when he courted me to join his program as a scholar (why didn't I do it? I don't want to move to a prairie town and I kinda can't afford to not contribute to pension/ retirement for a few years to pursue it). But, OBE still seemed as lovely as ever and we still had the little spark. It was so funny to share that with Bernadette (who had ringside seats to what went on with me and Prof. Felipe).