Dinner Saturday night at the Blue Moon Fish Company was excellent.  Elaine had scallops.  I had grouper.  I had grouper twice this trip and both times it was excellent.  As an appetizer I had six HUGE Willapa oysters from Washington State.  Very sweet.  I wanted Blue Points from Connecticut, but they were out of them.

Sunday Morning Cribbage Update:  Lino, on a high based on her first win on Saturday, was ready to kick ass.  Alas, she got skunked!  For those cribbage aficionados, twice I held a 4-5-5-6, and both times a 6 was cut.

The weather on Sunday was much improved.  We had a session at the Village Pump with some appetizers.  Dinner was pre-made sandwiches from Publix with chips and beverage of choice as we watched the Patriots’ special teams get embarrassed by the Eagles in Foxboro.  The Pats should pay us not to go to Florida and watch games at the Beachside Village Resort.  They are now 0-3 in games that we watched there.

Sunday morning we were up at four dark thirty for our drive to the airport and our 7 am flight home on American.  The flight was uneventful, we arrived thirty minutes early, and our driver was waiting.  We were home by 10:45 am.

Next scheduled trip:  UK and Ireland in May and then maybe Depoe Bay, Oregon and Crater Lake in September.  Meanwhile, Elaine has a trip to Viet Nam in the works with our friend Mianne for late in February, and perhaps I’ll post some pics from that trip after she returns in early March.

THURSDAY

Cribbage:  Joe wins again.  Ho hum.

Sultry weather.  Humid with off and on showers.  The boys did an afternoon session at the Village Pump.  Nothing much exciting.  I have a bad head cold, and today was my low point day.  At night everyone (except me) went out to the Ambry for German food. Elaine and I hjave been going there for over thirty years.  I missed it as I hit the sack early with a bottle of NyQuil.

A Pump Session

Sunrise

Again

Lino on the Hopper Bus

German Food at the Ambry

More

FRIDAY

Cribbage:  Joe wins close game!

Weather = RAIN.  Steady and heavy.  Record rainfall for the area.  Since the BVR has a cocktail party with food on Friday nights, we decided on a nice lunch.  Everyone met up at Shooters on the Intercoastal, not far from the hotel.  Very good food.  I had an excellent cheeseburger, and the cape codders were delicious.  The cocktail party was not a roaring success like last Friday:  less people, less food, but plenty of alcohol.

Sue and Larry Awaiting Happy Hour

John, Paula, and Willsey

The Blue Light Tree by the Pool

Elaine and John

The Bar at Happy Hour with Matt the Bartender

The Christmas Tree at the BVR Office

SATURDAY

Cribbage:  Lino breaks out with her first win; whining ceases temporarily.  Last game tomorrow.

Sue and Larry left this morning for their ride home to Estero on the other Florida coast.  The rest of us ventured to Gulfstream Park for the opening day of their championship meet.  The girls hit all the shops – there are lots!  Lino won money on a slot machine in the casino.  I was shutout at Gulfstream but managed to hit a race at Aqueduct and one at Tampa, so it wasn’t a total disaster.  We got free Gulfstream pens and calendars which we plan on giving to the hotel staff.

Saturday dinner will be in a little while at the Blue Moon Fish Company.  A report on that tomorrow, our last full day in LBTS.  We fly home at dawn on Monday.

The Pegasus Statue at Gulfstream Park

 

Wednesday

Pretty boring day.  Relax.  Go for food.  Nap.  Relax.  Go for dinner.  I have a pretty bad head cold but am surviving on aspirin and vodka.  Weather was mixed: periods of nice sun, lots of showers, some of which were deluges.

Cribbage update: Joe beats Lino for sixth straight time, now up $35.  Lino is not happy.  But she wins money playing Quiddler with the girls.

John and Lino were going on a hotel search for their February vacation.  They prefer to down around 17th Street rather than way up here in LBTS.  So Sue, Larry, Elaine, and I headed north (not far) to Lighthouse Point for lunch at Nauti-Dawg’s Marina Cafe.  Great location and we sat on the water at the marina.  Beer and wine only, but great food and the sangria was nice.  Larry: Chili Dog; Sue: Fish Sandwich; Elaine: Fish Tacos; Moi: Shrimp Po Boy.  All excellent!   On the drive back we almost had to pull over, the rain was so heavy.  But it had stopped when we got back, and we had cocktails in our cabana by the pool.

At night Sue and Larry were venturing up to Deerfield Beach to meet two of Larry’s nephews for dinner.  Paula and Ma Wills are now holed up in Paula’s condo, about 1.5 miles up the road.  John and Lino met up with them at the world famous (self proclaimed)  Parrot Lounge, and Elaine and I drove down to join them for cocktails.  Then four us, minus Paula and Willsey, who were intent on drinking (like we are not, eh), went to Franko and Vinny’s’s Pizza Shack on Sunrise Boulevard for dinner.  Again, only beer and wine so we shared a carafe of CGR with dinner.  (5 points if you know what CGR is – answer below pictures).  I forget what everyone had, but I had a cup of delicious pasta figioli and then sausages with peppers and onions for ten people.  There were doggie bags.

Then it was back top the BVR for night caps in our cabana before bed.

Sue & Larry at the Natuti-Dawg

The Marina at the Nauti-Dawg

Puzzler Answer:  C=cheap; G=derogatory term for Italians; R=red

Tomorrow is another day.  Lino is determined to win the cribbage game.  Stay tuned.

Cribbage:  Ho him, Joe beats Lino again.

Helped Paula move into her condo which she rents for four months.

Drinks and Lunch at Sands Harbor Patio & Bar on the Inter-coastal.

Dinner was a cookout at the hotel:  sausages, burgers, chips, slaw, etc.  Delicious!

Pictures (Click to Enlarge)

 At the Village Pump, LBTS

Revelry at the Pump 

Drink Up Girls & Boys

Mike & Carla, the Pump Bartenders

Joe & the BVR Golf Cart (They Do Bar Pickups!)

Wedding on the Beach

Beers and Cape Codders at Sands Harbor

A Friend Visits

The Inter Coastal Canal

At Sands Harbor

Our Cabana at BVR

MONDAY

Nice warm day with the odd shower.  Quiet.  No Enterprise Happy Girls encounters.

Cribbage tournament day three:  Joe beats Lino again.  Ho hum.  Up $20.

Hotel Characters:

• Joan from Arlington/Dennisport – she stays here alone from November 1 to May 1.  At the Friday night social her seat at the bar is reserved with a dish of olives in front of it.  She’s quite a character.
• Roberto – he has worked here for 12 years, five years longer than the owner, Dave, has owned it.  Roberto is here at 4:30 am and one responsibility is to get the coffee urn ready.  He’s a nice guy.
• Dan from Indianapolis – he’s a sportswriter for some paper or other and he likes to talk.  And he brings food gifts constantly: donuts every morning, fried chicken for the football game, chocolates at night around the pool, etc.  He leaves today but promised me a donut every morning.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he arranged for it to be delivered.
• Joe McGonagle, a guest, the state representative from Everett, MA.  He’s Irish but has never been to Ireland and claimed his family owns McGonagle’s Bar, the northernmost bar in  Ireland.  Oops, he picked the wrong guy to impress.  Elaine and I have been to the northernmost bar in Ireland, the Farren Bar at Malin Point.  He wouldn’t believe me until I brought it up on my cell phone.
• There are more, too!

Lunch was at 101 Ocean Restaurant, a block off the beach.  They have good food.  Six of us sat the outdoor bar and ate (and, of course, drank).  One Pina Colada and three IPA’s for me.  Elaine is on Cape Codders.

Dinner, after a debate and a snippy encounter (by phone) with the hostess at Koluz was at Chuck’s Steak House.  I had low expectations, but it was quite good.  Elaine had coconut shrimp while I enjoyed a good New York Strip.  Most had the salad bar; I opted for a good Caesar Salad.  Service was excellent, and the bill including tip for eight was just $280.

More pictures next time.  Until then, peace.