MAKING MEMORIES: IN TACOMA, QUICKY MEETS CLASSY AT THE ELKS LODGE
Well, we’re back in Tacoma where odd is a little more normal than it is in Dallas! We’ve had a great day of sightseeing (and coffee) in Downtown Tacoma and it’s time for dinner. If McMenamin’s is in the name of the venue, expect it to be ordinary. The Elks Temple is no exception.Let’s go for dinner!
Collecting McMenamin’s Locations
I discovered the McMenamin’s brand when we visited Oregon. We spent a lovely morning at Edgefield in Troutdale. The odd mixture of grand architecture, at a poor house, with vegetable gardens was charming and our breakfast was delicious. Bill enjoyed it enough that he didn’t completely nix the idea of dinner at the Elk’s Lodge when I started describing it to him. Actually, a hotel with multiple restaurants & bars, as well as a music venue or two, might not sound all that odd, but I’d done enough research to know it wouldn’t exactly be his cup of tea.
I’m the sort who would stay at a McMenamin’s Lodge just because it was funky and out of the ordinary. That is not Mr. Bill. While I wasn’t crazy about our Best Western lodgings, the creature comforts and familiarity made it a perfect place to hang our hats for a couple of days. Still, I convinced Bill to give the Elks Lodge a try.
It did not go well. It was a Saturday night with a big name concert and everyone, who had not been at the museums, must have been sleeping in for a big night at the Elks Temple. So we had all of Bill’s least favorite things – traffic, no place to park, crowds and noise.
Still, he was a trooper. We got a “Wandering Map” at the front desk and began to explore. In each venue, there was lots of foot traffic, no place to sit, crowds and noise. I expected him to cut and run to the nearest Taco Bell at any moment, but instead he asked where we might get the most normal food. I postulated the Pub might be the right spot. Luckily, the rest of the patrons were more interested in the exotic, so we were seated right away.
We had a lovely meal, perhaps a tad noisy, but it was Saturday night. I think Bill and I shared the salmon to meet my gluten-free requirements. They had a dessert special I could not resist. Being GF makes dessert a hard course to order, but this was a polenta shortcake with mixed berries. Really good!
If you like funky, then The Elks Temple is a must. If you don’t, go to Olive Garden! We headed back to the Best Western to rest up for the next day’s activities and it proved to be a long one. Come back next week for cars, gardens and beaches. You’ll love it!
MAKING MEMORIES: ANNIVERSARY DINNER AT THE SALISH LODGE
I’m taking you along on our 2024 vacation to Wild & Wonderful Washington State. We’ve just enjoyed the amazing Snoqualmie Falls and we’re about to check out the dining offerings at the Salish Lodge.
Thirty Years Later He Can Still Surprise Me
Though we left home a few days after our actual wedding anniversary, this trip was our gift to ourselves for 30 great years of marriage. You’ll notice I didn’t say perfect, because we are two humans, but it’s been a darned good ride.
During those years I’ve come to understand the things that will displease him and feeling as if he’s paid too much for a meal is one of them. I really thought having our anniversary dinner at the Salish Lodge would be a pretty cool way to celebrate, but I also knew that most of the guidebooks considered it pricey.
So, as we climbed the hill back towards our car, I introduced him to the edifice we’d seen at the top of the falls. I told him the history and I told him my concern about the prices, but I also told him how wonderful it was supposed to be. Then I even back-peddled on that and told him about the remodel of the main dining room that was going on. I figured he’d make a hard pass on the Lodge and go directly to the car.
Instead, he wanted to check it out. He went up to the reception desk and started a conversation. I stepped away, because I didn’t want to influence him either way. If we had dinner there, great. If we didn’t, I was determined that was going to be great, too.
To my surprise, he made some reservations and we had about an hour to kill before they had room for us. We hung out in the lobby, read all the signs and just enjoyed the relaxation.
As I mentioned, the main dining room was undergoing renovation, so our seats were tucked away in some other spot, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. The bar(?) was cozy, with only a few tables – one of which had to be the best possible view of the falls and we were at the table next to that one, so our view was pretty darned good, too.
The couple next to us was celebrating something, also, but they’d gotten dressed up for their dinner at the Salish. We just had on the casual clothes we’d worn to see the falls. Bill chose the risotto. He claimed he wanted to try something different, but what might have been the difference was that the price was less than the rest of the menu. I opted for the Duroc Pork Chop with Bearnaise Sauce and a spring mix of vegetables.
They brought out some gorgeous bread to entertain us while we waited for our meal, but of course, I’m gluten free, so they brought me a gf dinner roll. Not quite the same, but they get points for effort. We knew we were at someplace out of the ordinary when they added a coconut oil candle to our table.
Then a little later, they brought us a sample of the gazpacho. We hadn’t ordered it and it’s not a favorite of mine, but again a nice touch you don’t get at other places. In fact, the waitress kept us busy with all kinds of samples throughout the meal and topped it off with free hand-made chocolates. The food we had ordered was delicious by the way. Bill felt his meal was worth every penny – even if it was a little out of his usual budget.
When we arrived back at the hotel, it was 9 PM Dallas time and I was beat. I went right to sleep. Bill stayed up a little longer, but I warned him to get plenty of rest, because the next morning we’d be heading to a huge attraction he’d want to be awake for.
You’ll want to be awake, too, next week when we visit the Museum of Flight. Come and check it out.
My friendship with Lizbet started at work many years ago. I was in a bind with a customer and she fixed it, when everyone else in the company shrugged their shoulders at me. I was in sales back in those days, which I hated, and when I moved to admin, one of the best things about it was being in the same building as Lizbet. What started as a transactional solution, led to being lunch buddies and on to her being one of my favorite people on the face of the earth. There’s a lot of water under that bridge.
No one can make me laugh the way she can. We love talking about odd, esoteric things that few others care about. And she gets Bill. There’s more, but that’s enough!
Tour Guide Extraordinaire
Because she gets me and she gets Bill, she knew we’d love the things she loves about the area. Such as the ferry to Balboa Island, which was her first treat of the day. It’s a tiny ferry that only holds one or two cars. These days there’s a bridge that takes you there without waiting for the nostalgic reminder of yesteryear, but we loved the experience. She also took us up a winding Laguna Beach road which leads through gorgeous residential areas to an overlook that’s known as Top of the World. Bill’s favorite thing was Crescent Bay Point Park, which was a lovely park high above a beautiful bay.
But the best part of the day, by far, was spending time with such a good friend. Neither one of us is particularly good about staying in touch, but the occasional holiday greeting and texted update keeps the friendship alive, until we spend another wonderful day together. From a day like that, there should be hundreds and hundreds of photos, but there’s not! Here’s some that we did take.
Being a tourist and visiting family are two different things. I get that, so I cooled my jets, played with my new grandnephew and did the family things. However, when it was decided we were heading to Malibu, I was very happy to put on my tourist cap and jump in the car.
We took the route through Topanga Canyon and Nephew drove us to a favorite pier for some sightseeing. It was lovely. We enjoyed strolling along and taking in the beauty all around us. We took lots of photos. Here are a few.
Then nephew drove us by several of their favorite restaurants and though I can’t remember the reasoning behind the choice, if there was any reasoning behind the choice, we ended up at Duke’s.
Duke’s Malibu
Having been told by my husband that Nephew had our sightseeing all mapped out, I’d optimistically neglected my usual research. I knew nothing about beach bars on Malibu. When Duke’s got a strong recommendation from Nephew and Niece, we went with it.
I did not realize at the time Duke’s Malibu was an offshoot of Duke’s Waikiki. I wanted a true Malibu experience and Duke’s was more like the Pipeline meets Hollywood – very kitschy in a schizophrenic sort of way. There’s a storyline that justifies a Duke’s in Malibu. After making surfing popular with the tourists in Waikiki Duke did come to Hollywood. That doesn’t explain why there is a Duke’s Canton in East Texas that has nothing to do with surfing, but maybe I’ll go one day and see if I can figure it out.
Anyway, in true Egyptian fashion, we’d shown up in the middle of the afternoon during that lull between lunch and dinner. It’s a constant dissonance I feel when I’m around my beloved Egyptians. I love them to death, but after 31 years of marriage, I still don’t understand their eating habits. Their meals rarely coincide with my appetite. Usually, because I have given up and snacked heartily out of desperation right before they decide to eat.
Duke’s was open, but it wasn’t really ready for us. They recommended we have a Lava Flow while the staff got ready for the dinner hour. We complied and enjoyed the view. I do not recommend the Lava Flow. For me, it was like drinking medicine, but Niece and Nephew swear by it – so it’s up to you.
We had a variety of appetizers and then a meal – all of which they loved. None of which thrilled me or Bill for that matter, but then we are picky.
So, beach & pier – marvelous. Duke’s, not so much. Next week I’ll tell you about LACMOA! Enjoy Memory Preservation and Memory Sharing for the rest of the week.
Before abandoning the conference completely, I will share a couple of incidents. One was good and one was bad. Let’s start with the good. On Friday morning we were running a little late and as we struggled to find a seat, someone approached Deb and asked her if we wanted to sit up front. Are you kidding? Would we rather be front and center or up there in the nosebleed section. Of course we wanted to move up front.
I’m guessing some group wasn’t making it to the session and they wanted it to be filled up for the people watching online and the videos which I am sure they sell. We certainly weren’t invited back up front for the rest of the conference, but it was exciting to be so close you didn’t even need to look at the monitors. It’s the only time in my life I’ve been glad I was running late!
The second incident of note was not as pleasant, but it was the same day. When we left that night we were ragged. Stomping all over San Antonio in the heat, eating big meals and drinking margaritas had taken their toll. It didn’t exactly energize us to sit for hours in the dark, listening to the various speakers.
We made our way across the parking lot and the car was in sight. I was going to drive, so I wanted to put my stuff in the trunk. I squeezed between two cars parked nose to nose and suddenly I was down. It was one of those bone jarring falls that leaves you stunned and my leg was really hurting. What’s more I was concerned about all my stuff. Where were my glasses which had been on my head? Was the traveling tiara in my tote bag? Billfold? And so forth and so on.
The fall had been bad enough to draw the attention of others who were wanting to call 9-1-1. I didn’t want that to happen, but I wondered what was the matter with my leg. I had on a pair of jeans which had not torn, but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt something had scrapped up my leg and knee. Then I started looking for the reason I fell. Lord knows I can be clumsy, but even though I didn’t know WHAT it was, I knew I’d been kneecapped.
While everyone else discussed my need for a hospital, I looked for the culprit. On the front bumper of the car I squeezed past was some sort of implement. I have no idea what it was used for but it was sharp and it was at least four inches long – just enough to trip me up!
Being the brave soul that I am, I drove back to Shana’s just as I had said I would do, even thought Deb was wishing I would drive to some hospital. When I got to Shana’s and looked at my leg, things were worse than I thought. I had scrapes and bruises from falling and whatever the implement on the front of the car had been, it was sharp enough to actually cut my leg. By the time we got there, things were swelling. Nurses Deb & Shana got to work on me. In the morning I was much better, but it had been quite a fall.
A Return to Palmer’s
Back in 2016, my friend Shana was thinking of starting a coaching/retreat business. She now runs a very successful concierge business with three Texas locations, but back in 2016 she was in transition. Deb and I went to the retreat and had a great time. It’s when we discovered the wonders of the San Marcos Outlet Mall and we ate at Palmer’s.
Shana, Deborah and I had set aside Saturday night for ourselves. Shana had a local watering hole she wanted to take us to, but for dinner we wanted Palmer’s. Deb and I adore anything al fresco and Shana had warm memories of it from her college days, so that’s what we planned on doing.
On this particular visit, the service was a little off and the food was not the best, but their patio is so amazing, I’d go back tomorrow. The picture you see at the top of this post is one I snapped. Totally awful pic of me, but sharing for the other two.
A Return to Brahmin
Then Sunday morning it was time to return to the Metroplex. We said farewell to Shana and our first stop was the Brahmin store at the San Marcos Outlet Stores. We got there a few minutes before the store opened, so we waited. As soon as they opened, Deb swooped in, grabbed her clearance bag and we were on the road back home.
And that’s the end of this tale. Next week we’ll move on to Cali 2024, the Friends and Family Tour. Don’t miss Memory Keeping on Wednesday and Memory Sharing on Thursday!
MEMORY MAKING: JOYCE MEYERS’ LOVE LIFE 2023 IN SAN ANTONIO
It Wasn’t Love Life 2022 in St. Louis
There, I said it. There were a few great moments, but the impact I experienced in 2022 just wasn’t there, even if all the loud music was. We did not sign up for 2024.
That’s not to say there weren’t some good moments. I just didn’t feel as if I got as much out of it as I did the year before. I can’t point to a single moment or thought that impacted me significantly, but lightning rarely strikes twice.
But I Loved Life in San Antonio
If you’ve been around this blog long, then you know I love San Antonio. If I could only have one travel destination for the rest of my life, it would probably be San Antonio, but I’m glad I don’t have to make that choice.
Staying in New Braunfels with Shana and being at the Alamo Dome kept us from our usual center of activity, but we loved the time with Shana and the walking was good for us. All in all it was a great trip. Here’s a few highlights.
We loved reading all the signs!
Guadalajara Grill for Lunch
When Love Life broke for lunch on Friday, job one was to find a restaurant that wasn’t already filled to capacity with other Love Life attendees. That meant we walked and walked and walked and walked a little more, but finally we landed at Guadalajara Grill. Google is trying to tell me it was a four minute walk, but we must have gone the long way.
It was a fortunate stop. The food was great, but the best part was the signs all over the walls and the ceiling. Even though the restaurant was not as inundated with as many people as some we’d passed, this was a popular lunch spot, so we plunked down at the bar, margaritas and decided to enjoy ourselves.
We explained out conference dilemma to the man behind the bar and while he didn’t seem all that sympathetic, we did seem to get seated pretty quickly. On our next trip to San Antonio (and there will always be more trips to San Antonio) we’ll certainly eat at Guadalajara Grill again.
Chart House Restaurant in Tower of the Americas
So, one of my favorite places to eat, bar none, is the Chart House Restaurant in The Tower of the Americas. Not that I could find any of my own photos of it. I stole this one from their website. I love the food and the view is wonderful. And it’s a special place. People get dressed up to go there. Not all of them anymore, unfortunately, the usual grunge was visible on this visit, but it’s everywhere, so I have to live with it.
Deb and I tried it first in 2015 and we still feel the same way about it. So much so, that on the way back from Guadalajara Grill we stopped at the Tower and made reservations for dinner. Take that all you Love Life attendees filling the other restaurants. We had a reservation.
I did a good job of describing the the experience in the post linked above, so no need to go over it all again. Just click the link. Was it still as good Yep, for me it’s a must-do every time I go to San Antonio.
Lunch on Saturday
By Saturday we were a little tired of shuffling around the Hemisfair Plaza battling for dining space. We squeezed out of the morning session as soon as we dared and made a beeline for the first luxury hotel. I can’t remember which one we landed at. The meal was both mediocre and expensive – well at least the margarita was expensive – but we enjoyed the break and headed back to the final session, which we also scooted out of early. We were going out with Shana that evening.
Check in Wednesday for Memory Keeping and on Friday we’ll be creating something fun for Memory Sharing. Then next Monday I’ll wrap up a few details from this trip and we can start thinking about California!
So, one of my all-time favorite networking groups is Polka Dot Powerhouse . My particular chapter had a little thing they called the Traveling Tiara and I’d been selected to wear it for the next month. Most of the women get it and they don’t do much with it. Not me! I carried it everywhere I went and posted lots of photos. This first one was at a McDonald’s somewhere between Dallas and San Marcos.
SAN MARCOS OUTLETS
The next stop was the San Marcos Outlet Mall and we got there just as the stores were opening. We were girls on a mission. Deb needed a Brahmin bag. The last time we’d been down this way, back in 2015, I’d convinced Deb she should invest in a Brahmin. It was a little out of her intended price range, but she did it and she loved it. Eight years later, she was still carrying her Brahmin during the fall and winter, but now she needed one for spring and summer.
We parked out front and went in to handle all their stuff. I helped Deborah pick out a beauty from the clearance department and then went to see the billfolds. I didn’t really need one, but it was about the only item in the store I might fit into my budget. Eventually, I became aware of the fact that Deb’s purchase was not going smoothly. In fact, I’d handled all the billfolds several times and Deb was still waiting to check out. There was only one lady in front of her, but the cash register was down.
We waited a little longer, but nothing was happening. Finally, our stomachs let us know it was nearing the lunch hour, but Deb really, really wanted that bag. At least she did for a while and then she decided maybe the hold up was a sign from God. She’d put the bag back on the shelf and if we had time, we’d stop back by on the way home. If we had time and the bag was still there, then she was meant to have the bag.
GRUENE’S GRISTMILL
To begin with, for the uninitiated, “Gruene” is pronounced like the color, green. It’s a lovely little shopping and eating town right next to New Braunfels and the Guadalupe River. The Gristmill is a wonderful riverside restaurant that I try to eat at every time I pass by on nearby I-35. It’s like getting kolaches in West, you just do it.
Is it the best food you can get in Gruene? No, but it’s good enough and while you wait for a table (you ALWAYS have to wait for a table) you sit in their great little beer garden and the margaritas are marvelous. The Gristmill did not disappoint. It was a gorgeous day for the beer garden, so I enjoyed my margarita while we waited for a table.
I can’t remember what we ate, but I bet it included the onion rings. We love them and used to always get them. (Now I’m gluten free, so I wonder what I’ll eat next time! I won’t be having my usual burger either.)
HEADING ON DOWN THE ROAD
Next stop was Shana’s house where we got situated for our stay. Deb took a nap and I marveled at her cat who looked just like our Princess, who we’d lost not all that long before this trip. So, it almost seemed like I was seeing a ghost! FYI – the top one is Princess!
Joyce’s conference was going to begin at 7, so the nap ended and we got back on the road. Doors opened quite a while before we got to the Alamo Dome, so we didn’t exactly have optimal seats, but we enjoyed the opening festivities.
Afterwards, we made our way back to Shana’s, so we could turn around and do it all the next day. I hope you’ll turn around and read my blog post on Wednesday. We’ll be doing some Memory Keeping and on Friday, we’ll Memory Sharing!
Confession, Bill and I are happy when it’s just us two. It’s not that we don’t love our family and friends, nor does it have anything to do with not wanting to spend time with them. We just like to find the right mix of time for us and time with them.
Our weekend in Michigan was going to be full to bursting with family time from a happy hour on Friday evening to a family feast on Monday evening. So, Friday morning we decided to play tourists on our own.
Plans Are Made to be Changed
I cannot count the times I rearranged our itinerary in the months before our trip, but I thought I had a pretty good plan put together a few weeks before our arrival. Then I did some double checking, just in case – and it was a good thing! The hours posted in March for my chosen attractions had changed in May! I had to completely revamp my schedule in the days just before we left.
My plan, when we departed on Thursday, included getting up early and heading off to Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford on Friday morning. Well, after the bumps in the road on our travel day, getting Mr. Bill up early the next morning to go to a historical amusement part, didn’t sound as good as it had back in Dallas.
If I had been traveling with my bestie, we’re both early risers by nature, so it would have just been another day of fun for us. However, getting an exhausted Bill up early and out of our hotel room, to go to an amusement park, wasn’t going to kick off our vacation with the right foot.
Because of the accumulated travel difficulties, we’d missed out on a walking tour of Downtown Detroit I’d planned for Thursday evening. So, I changed my plans again. We’d take our time getting up and checking out of our hotel room and then do our Detroit walking tour, beginning with the People Mover.
Breakfast in Renaissance Center
In 1996 General Motors opened the first phase of Renaissance Center in homage to itself. This was to be, and still is, their world headquarters. It is a beautiful grouping of buildings, but it is also a ghost town. On a Friday morning it should be abustle with the comings and goings of the world, but it seemed virtually empty. It was us, a few maintenance people and a group of rambunctious children meeting for a field trip.
It was a little spooky wandering around in the vast empty lobby of the Renaissance Towers. Just outside the Marriott lobby, a sign promised several dining choices, but we just wanted to grab a quick breakfast, not have dinner at a steak or seafood venue. The People Mover Food Court sounded like what we needed, especially since we were also looking for the People Mover, but getting to it was a new challenge.
With a little direction from the cleaning crew, we took an elevator to a lower level and found the epicenter of the ghost town. The ambitious plans of the designers were evident, as were the resulting disappointment. An attractive seating area for hundreds of patrons with spots for many food vendors filled a large portion of the lower level, but it echoed emptily with a few orders from the field trip participants to the last food vendor standing.
Their menu was a cross between a short order grill and a gyro stand. The menu offered schwerma that didn’t actually exist, so Bill settled on something else from the Mediterranean menu and I got a grilled cheese sandwich. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t all that good either. Time for the People Mover.
The People Mover
I missed the People Mover in my initial Detroit research, but our family mentioned a free monorail in some of our correspondence, so I looked a little further because free city transportation sounded like a great thing. The sign announcing the presence of the People Mover Food Court led me to believe the Food Court and the People Mover would be adjacent to one other, but after breakfast we discovered my assumption was wrong.
The signage in the building is awful and as I mentioned, there were hardly any fellow humans walking around in it. The cleaning people, who had sent us to the Food Court, seemed a little vague about the People Mover’s location, but then we ran into an elevator repairman. He got us going in the right direction, but it was still hard to find. We went through a little trial and error before we actually found it.
Bill was ready to just walk where we wanted to go, because it wasn’t far, but I wanted to include a report on the People Mover here, so I pressed on. We did eventually find it, but the discovery was like happening up on an abandoned amusement park. As we waited, we’d just about given up again, when a security guard arrived and assured us we were in the right place. The monorail would arrive shortly.
To my dismay, I discovered the monorail traveled in only one direction and that direction was in the opposite direction of where I wanted to go. However, the circular route isn’t all that long, so we boarded the car when it came and took in an aerial tour of Downtown Detroit.
It wasn’t long until we’d made it all around and were arriving at our stop. I got my bearings and headed to the Guardian Building. Come back next week, because you’ll want to find out about that Art Deco beauty.
OK – I confess. We didn’t make it to every single session of the Love Life Conference. For instance, we totally blew off Friday night. We were praise-music-ed out. Even though it would mean missing one of Joyce’s teachings, we just couldn’t face a “CELEBRATION” and concert. Can I pay less to get less music? Or could I pay more and get less music? Asking for a friend…
We also skipped Joel Olsteen. My theology doesn’t line up 100% with Joyce, but I just overlook those places where we diverge and enjoy the rest. Anytime I hear Joel Olsteen, he’s so far down another path I want to throw things. I’ve been known to talk back to the TV when he’s sharing his opinion on something. I didn’t trust myself to behave.
What We Did Instead
So, walking back and forth between our parking lot (remember the BROWN level) and America’s Dome, I noticed a trailer with an amazing aroma coming out of it. Then I figured out that it must be the smoker for the restaurant next to it. The name of the restaurant was Sugarfire.
Deb loves BBQ with a passion, so as they prepared the stage for Joel to come out, Deb and I scooted to the streets, headed for BBQ. Little did we realize we were about to enter epicurean heaven.
It had barely turned 11 and there was already a line of locals waiting to order their ‘cue, as Sugarfire calls it. It was obvious everyone was a frequent flyer and as the server chatted with the regulars, he would do a little upselling, giving them samples of the more upscale meat choices. Then he saw us, obviously not regulars, with our women’s conference badges on. So, he gave us samples, too.
The sample worked and Deb was all about some French Dip style Brisket sandwich. If it’s BBQ, I want ribs, but most places want to sell me a half rack, which I can’t eat on my own, so I either end up eating far too many ribs or I just get something else, which wasn’t what I wanted. Sugarfire sells a Four Rib plate and I could get excited about that. I also got excited about the cornbread, which was more dessert than bread, and the cold beer.
Deb’s judgement? Best BBQ brisket she’d ever had. I don’t know if I’d go quite that far with the ribs, but they were pretty darned good and certainly rated up there among the best.
The Sugarfire has long community tables in the center of the restaurant and booths around the edges. If you sit at the community tables, you’ll be cheek to jowl with the regulars and as far as I am concerned that’s part of the fun.
Shortly after we were seated, huge waves of ladies from the conference began to line up for their ‘cue. Was Joel’s talk that short or are there others who have a problem sitting quietly while he’s talking? The line went all around the restaurant and then out the front door and down the sidewalk. CRAZY! Well, not so crazy. It is really good ‘cue.
I would like to remind Christian ladies they are a witness, good or bad, of their Savior at all times, but particularly when they have a huge sign around their neck proclaiming they are attending a Christian Women’s Conference at the Ameridome next door. With the huge crowds it draws, Sugarfire has numerous signs requesting patrons get their food BEFORE they start taking up spaces at the tables. As we sat having our lunch, a lady got up several times to make that announcement.
Then a Love Life Conference attendee plopped down at the table next to me with about five handbags wrapped around her arms. Thinking she may have missed the signs and/or the announcement I said, “They are requesting you wait until you have food to sit down.” Her response was not nice. I don’t think Joyce or Joel would have approved.
After lunch, it was time to head back to the convention center, because Lisa Harper was up and no way I was missing her. While we’d been in Sugarfire, it had started to rain. I have very independent hair and if it gets rained on, it begins to protest. I found a book bag down in my tote and used it as a rain hat. Not my best look, but I headed off the frizz, which would have been my ‘do, had my hair gotten wet.
Lisa was great, as I had anticipated she would be. There was another break before the evening’s “CELEBRATION” & concert, but we headed out for our second dose of hooky. Come back next week and I’ll let you know how that went!
Google had been very, very good to us on Wednesday night, so rather than spend an unnecessary moment at our horrible motel, finding out how they interpreted “breakfast included,” we googled “best breakfast downtown.” Apparently, overnight Google had forgotten where we were. We’d been researching restaurants with great ease the night before, but for some reason, it thought we wanted to go to Chicago for breakfast. You’ve got to love the SEO and algorithms that dreamed that up.
So, we tried again – “best breakfast downtown Little Rock.” It responded with Down Home, less than 10 minutes away. That was more like it, but it still wasn’t in downtown. We ended up backtracking a few exits and then when we got there, the restaurant wasn’t keeping its sites up-to-date, because the restaurant had a big McClard’s BBQ sign out front. “Down Home Catering” was further down and in smaller print.
At first, we weren’t sure whether they were closed for remodeling, because we thought the pick up trucks around the restaurant might belong to the construction crew. About that time we saw two great big old boys coming out rubbing their bellies in delight. We had arrived.
Our waitress was chatty. She and Deb discussed the sign, Google and the Christmas tree. In true flea market tradition, Deb’s coffee cup was a Christmas mug. The menu was fairly basic, nor surprises. We both got the same breakfast, but with different choices for meat and eggs. I like my eggs DONE, over well, hard enough to bounce on the floor and I told them to hold the gravy on my biscuit. Deb was over easy, she had bacon instead of sausage and she did want her gravy.
Our first reaction when the plates arrived was laughter. They serve toast with their biscuits. That cracked me up. Then I cracked into my egg and it was over easy, maybe more solid than Deb’s, but still runny. Our waitress picked my plate up before I could even say anything. It came back out in a few minutes over well, DONE. I was a happy camper.
The breakfasts were good and our conversation with the waitress continued. We told her where we were headed and I think she really wished she could just walk away and go with us. I wish we could have made that possible. Were I rich, I would have asked her what she made a week, written her a check for it, paid for her trip and the conference and squared her absence with her boss. That would be the best part of being rich – doing outrageous things for other people.
We also told her we were headed downtown to see the Clinton Library. It didn’t seem as if she was as excited about that. To tell the truth, I wasn’t either, but I sort of collect presidential libraries and homes. We were in Little Rock and it was too, so I wasn’t going to miss it. We paid our check and headed downtown.
Come back next week and visit the William J. Clinton presidential Library with us. I will admit is was better than I anticipated. You might be impressed enough to visit yourself, even if, like me, you aren’t a member of his fan club.
jane sadek 