Panama City
On Friday night I found myself in a southbound Mustang with Cindy at the wheel. I had just polished off my dinner from Chick-fil-a, and her two cats - who had been detained during dinner - were now roaming the car. We were going to Panama City, Florida.
On Saturday morning I awoke to the sound of children. We were staying at her mother’s house, and had crept in under cover of night at 12:30am local time. Her nieces and nephews were up and about. I am fairly sure there were clocks in the living room, yet these kids were up and at it at 7:30am. Remarkable. I don’t intend to sound indignant at being awoken - I wasn’t - but how is it that kids aren’t really all that concerned about sleeping late? I guess it’s really as simple as biding time with your eyes closed during the night, waiting until you wake up and it’s time to play all over again.
This was a new thing to me, meeting a girl’s family. So I remained in bed, “asleep,” while Cindy went out to greet the kids. There was a chorus of “Cindy!”s and I rolled over. At times like these one wishes he had more on the order of ten or eleven hours of sleep under his belt. First impressions and all that.
Realizing I couldn’t pretend to be “still sleeping” all day, I jumped into the shower and shaved, finally emerging. The first impression was about to be made. Word travelled quickly that I was up, and in a blink there were three children lined up before me, single file, another behind them at the computer. Cindy introduced each of them to me and I gave them each a big “Hello!” They all said bashful hello’s back, and then announced: “You smell like our dad!” Laughs and agreement followed from the Elementary schoolers. I asked, “Is that a compliment?” (Kids know what the word “compliment” means, right? I seem to remember my mom stressing compliments when I was young.) They thought about this for a second, and replied, “NO!” More laughs.
Thankfully that was the last of any commentary on how I smell for the duration of the weekend.
After meeting the kids we took the boat out on the bay. Three or so hours later we were back on solid land. Word to the wise: do not attempt to park (or un-park, for that matter) your boat from the beach when the tide is coming in. If I didn’t learn a lesson from the tsunami, I have now: waves are strong.
I had such a wonderful time this weekend, and no small part of it was due to lazing about on her mom’s screen porch with a lush, green garden as the background. Cindy’s mom is a Master Gardener, and so her yard (”jungle”) has a certain lushness to it. (The two above photographs were taken of/from her yard, and do not do it justice.) I never knew Florida grounds not kept by the Walt Disney Company could be so pleasing.
Saturday afternoon we took a walk around the neighborhood. It’s essentially right on the bayou, fingers of the bay that reach up into neighborhoods with private docks and such. I could say it was beautiful, but I think these photographs, which I took on that walk, will be more meaningful:
Our walk also took us to places that were not classically beautiful:
One wonders at what point in time The Fish House Restaurant (and oyster bar) was at its peak. We also encountered the Panama City Jail, which has to have one of the best views of all time. What appear to be cell windows overlook the bayou - boat docks, pretty houses, the whole bit. A razor wire skirt encircles the building about 20 feet up. It would probably break your fall if you happened to squeeze out your window.
As the sun was falling we made our way back toward the house, pausing at the draw bridge that guards the entrance to the bayou as a sailboat went past:
Somehow that photograph sums up the trip for me. The best vacations are the ones that let you forget about everything going on elsewhere in your life, and I easily found that place this weekend. My thanks to Cindy for making it all possible.
April 13th, 2005 at 8:28 am
Sounds like an awesome trip. Where are the photos of you and Cindy though?
April 13th, 2005 at 9:26 am
Twice this morning I have been asked this question. I suppose I’ll have to wrangle some up, huh? :)
April 13th, 2005 at 9:41 am
Make that THREE times this morning, chummy! Where are the photos of you and Cindy????? …and, more importantly, where did you acquire that dad smell?
April 13th, 2005 at 9:48 am
….i mean… dude…. you had just gotten outta the shower, too.
April 13th, 2005 at 10:10 am
I belive I may have to take credit, in part, for the lack of Adam/Cindy pictures. Before we went down there, I told him that I sure didn’t mind if he brought the camera so long as he SWORE he’d take no picutres of me in a bathing suit. He agreed, and since we spent most of the one day we had down there on the water, I suspect that explains the marked absence of pictures of us. Fortunately for him (and his camera) he kept his promise. Had he not, his camera, like my phone, might have “accidentally” gotten wet during the boating escapade…
April 13th, 2005 at 11:25 am
So…. if i’m reading this right, it appears that Cindy did not keep a promise to not use her phone on the boat, and now her phone is sleeping with the fishes. Adam, on the other hand, didn’t take pictures while on the boat, so he and his Canon were in the clear. Wow… i sure am glad I wasn’t on that boat…. my Marble Madness would’ve ended up in the drink for sure!
April 13th, 2005 at 11:29 am
Mike, I meant to thank you for sending Marble Madness along. The chop of the Gulf really brings out some subtle challenges in that game. I find it best to sprinkle salt water on the trackball shortly before play, however. Once the water evaporates, the remaining coating of salt provides good traction for mega-high scores.
April 13th, 2005 at 1:39 pm
Thanks for the tip, but after trying several different combinations, I always go back to tree sap on my ball. I find that oak sap tends to be most tacky out in the open water.
April 13th, 2005 at 10:31 pm
After all this talk about semi-nude people getting wet, some ball talk, and various lubricant talk you might have to upgrade this blog to an R rating!
So are we to believe that bathing suits were normal attire around the house and in the mustang? There must be some photos you allowed that we can see!
April 14th, 2005 at 2:47 pm
Well, Jon, I certainly don’t make it a habit of doing my interstate travel in a bathing suit. So to the extent there were photo ops off the boat, I take no responsibility for the absence of photos. I was trying to bail Adam out and defend his apparent desire to avoid being photographed with me. Now that you mention it though, it does seem a bit disconcerting… What’s up with that Adam?!?
April 14th, 2005 at 2:51 pm
…
Thanks, Jon.
;)
April 14th, 2005 at 2:55 pm
ROFL!
April 14th, 2005 at 3:07 pm
Sooo… my late joining of the comment party aside: pictures? Where are they? Ahem?
April 14th, 2005 at 10:23 pm
I’m on the phone with my mom. She wants a photo of Cindy, too. Incredible. Guess that pretty much means I have to deliver, now.
April 14th, 2005 at 10:26 pm
That’s right, Adam!
April 15th, 2005 at 7:44 am
Wow - the pressure!!
April 15th, 2005 at 11:08 am
Peer pressure is a wonderful thing sometimes :)
April 15th, 2005 at 11:44 am
Come on, Adam. Post some pictures!
You know you want to. Everybody’s doing it.
If you don’t, what will people think?
Etc.
April 15th, 2005 at 11:53 am
I will have some photos after I return from Las Vegas, which is where I am flying to in 4 hours. Thanks for your patience, and good night.
April 16th, 2005 at 1:43 pm
I want photos, too, but more importantly…
“I had just polished off my dinner from Chick-fil-a, and her two cats”
You ate her cats? You monster.
April 16th, 2005 at 9:00 pm
I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time….. thanks, Vince!