23 May 2024
Yesterday was fun! First up was a massage at 5 Points Massage in Wilton Manors. I’ve been going once a month for several years and Tom is quite capable. I can’t help think he was a little distracted yesterday for some reason. I know him well enough and he knows me well enough that if he wanted to talk about it he would – but he didn’t so I left it alone.
The reason I said he was distracted was he went over some body parts twice, missed some body parts completely and spent more time in one section than the other. He was even a little late finishing.
In any case, I left 5 Points and headed across town to Walgreens to pick up a prescription. As I headed back across town to meet Tom and Kurt at Sardi Cafe and Lounge (not Sardi’s) I noticed that everyone who was trying to make a turn in front of me seemed to poke too far out and I had to swerve around several people to keep from hitting their front bumpers. It reminded me of a scene in Fried Green Tomatoes where Kathy Bates plays Evelyn Couch and she’s waiting on a parking spot at the grocery when two young girls pull in after her and take the spot. They snicker and laugh at her. Then she takes her car and rams the girls’ car several times and when they come out screaming, she says she’s older and has better insurance.
Sardi is a Peruvian restaurant. Normally, Peruvian restaurants are noted for their ceviche which they had on the menu but the three of us decided on a shared appetizer and an entrée this time. The appetizer had three things: mashed potatoes infused with Aji Amarillo, and chicken salad; antichuco skewers of beef and Yuca a la Huancaina (fried yuca with yellow pepper Huancaina sauce.
Tom opted for the Pituca Bowl (greens, sweet potato, avocado, tomatoes and grilled chicken. Kurt and I both opted for the Limo Lomo (sautéd sirloin tips with onions, peppers, tomatoes and lomo saltado sauce.
We got to meet the chef and had an interesting conversation with her. It’s great food at a reasonable price. The price was very reasonable for me because Tom and Kurt treated me.
From Sardi, we crossed Wilton Drive to The West End Lounge, a local bar. After the martini at Sardi, I decided on cranberry juice at the Lounge.
Today, I baked a triple chocolate buttermilk bundt cake to take over to Holley and Jim’s tonight.
This is the third time I’ve made this cake and it’s pretty good even if I say so myself. Holley and Jim are hosting a few people prior to the viewing of Mary Dinnen. I know most won’t go up to view Mary but I will. I’ve been around dead bodies enough to not be put off by them.
My first was my Grandfather Datee (Hollie William Agnew). We drove from Cleveland, Mississippi down to Morton with mother crying the whole way and not explaining anything. I didn’t know what was going on (eight years old) and only realized he had died when my cousin Jimmie told me. They emptied the front living room and had his casket against the west wall for viewing. Of course, the corpse looked something like him but they never look realistic. From then on, it was a steady stream of relatives: Great Grandma Laura, Great Uncle George Searcy, Grandma Searcy, and they continue to this day.
Funerals make me think of Arnold van Gennep’s (1873-1957) Rites de Passage: birth, puberty, marriage and death. These four things occur over and over in life and all are life threatening. Because they can be fatal, they are all celebrated with specific rites: baby showers/christenings; debutant balls/proms; weddings and funerals – to compensate for the grief.
I don’t go to any of the four any more. I found out early that funerals depressed me and I was ring bearer in too many weddings as a kid to want to attend another one. I’ve been to one baby shower (more than enough) and several christenings but I didn’t even go to my senior prom. I don’t plan to go to any more funerals. I’ve already told my brother I’m not coming to his and I’m going to be the only participant in mine.
The last funeral I attended was years ago up in the panhandle of Florida and the minister started a diatribe again evolution during the funeral. That sealed it for me.
Shannon canceled physical therapy today so that gave me the day off. That’s why I had time to make the cake. I just wish it was for a more joyous occasion.
Stay tuned!
