CREATURES FROM THE SEA
... DURING THE FINAL DAYS IN MY HOME STATE
ALL ABOARD!!
I have just had an ugly cry on my mama’s shoulder in Florence, South Carolina. Yes… parts of this town would make anyone cry (a bit scary across the tracks at times). Alas, this time, I was full-on waterworks as we hugged goodbye for the last time until who knows when and I boarded a very late train that I had been (im)patiently waiting for for over an hour.
Just before I climbed in the business class caboose... I had uttered, (well, maybe I didn’t keep the utter under my breath), at a rather high volume, that “I would NEVER do this again.” That is, take a “speed train” in the US of A. I was reminded here that I wasn’t in Europe anymore.
The waiting room was full of unattended babies who were randomly coming over to snoop in my bags as I scurried to crame skirts here, books there, presents (I hope yours doesn’t break, Viv!!!! I have been protecting it like gold since I left Paris!) anywhere I can find to make it work. This was all to meet the 2 checked-bag at 50lb minimum restriction. (Yes, if you’re curious, they do indeed weigh each.) After the final “excuse me” in probably my most rude tone ever to the little boy who literally probably learned to walk last week, my mama handed me $20 cash and said.. “This one’s on me.” She bought me a 3rd checked-bag so we could make it all fit.
My waterworks took us outside so that I could cry in peace, stare at the sun for some needed vitamin D, blow my nose umpteen times, and hug my mom repeatedly before we saw that they had called my train. I don’t know what came over me, but I couldn’t even make out the conductor through my tears. Seeing this incredibly, ridiculously, emotional woman (who he must have thought was a little girl with my reaction), invited my mother, Harriette, to join me on the platform. So sweet! We hugged several more times and she tried to lighten the mood with a story about her and my father taking a train ride once and her feet swelling. Cute! We smiled as we left one another – yet, I couldn’t bare to watch her as I pulled away. Instead, I snapped her pic as she was waving to me so that I could look at it often on this trip.
I miss her already.
Yet … now that I am on the train, and we are moving at a high speed to make up for lost time. I feel more settled. And, I am eating my words (and a spoonful of chicken salad). I would definitely do this again! (But snob alert – Only in Business Class.)
POINT ME TO THE COAST
I have just spent the better part of a week at the beach with my fRamily (what we call our family on my father’s side. This has been a running joke since 15 years ago, when Miller accidentally added an R to the word family. Ha.) and we had a BALL!
It was our first proper vacation without other extended family members included, without visiting an amusement park, or without swinging by one of the family business properties. It was a dream and I’m happy to report that we have decided to make this an annual event moving forward!
Before we went, I had started an email to get us organized and, most of all, excited. In the email I invited us all to share our intentions for our time together. This way we removed all guessing and assuming … so to get to the bottom of what everyone wanted to do. This way, we had the combination to everyone’s happiness, and could take action to make sure it was achieved. I am proud to say – we did next to everything we all had written. (All, with the exception of one of my intentions. To play spoons. I’m thinking my fRamily had all just read the En Route where I whooped my friends at this game in France. I have a hunch that they were nervous to play a champ and wanted to forgo it ummmmm on purpose. Am I right?)
Some of the intentions that were met, were: swimming acrobats performed by Belle Miller — to be scored on a 10 point scale (check, check), boogie boarding and hunting treasures with a metal detector by Boggs jr. (check, check), getting our initial tender skin burned with my pops (check – majorly!), walking the beach with my Bubba, Miller (check), going on an early morning run with my favorite Brother in Law, Boggs (check), drinking coffee on the porch every morning (quadruple check), laughing a LOT, listening to good playlists, making a bonfire, grilling out, eating all the seafood we can possible find, drinking all the GSB beer I can consume, and staying outside until nightfall (check, check, check, check, CHECK!!!!).
Before we arrived at the condo, Pops came to pick me up from Conway on Saturday morning, well, turn afternoon given the traffic. It took him 45 mins to go 2.5 miles. He sent me an SOS when he was 35 minutes out asking if Uber offers helicopters! He was desperate — and I think, serious.
When he finally arrived, and we packed all of my boxes of food and bags into his car, we eased over to the beach, stopping off at Dagwoods for the best deli sandwich. We needed a full tummy before we burned up (93° this day) and burned calories walking our newest mini golf course.
When we arrived at the property, my father’s entire demeanor went full on Lite-Brite. I had forgotten how energetic he became on one of his construction sites. He practically bounced from tee-box to tee-box showing me “how to get a hole-in-one” on each green. He laughed and winked a lot during the tour. He loves this game and loves building them. It, truly, was a pleasure to see. This marks his 12th golf amusement park… and he’s always always said that he “just want(s) a dozen. After that, (he’ll) retire.” Ha! Not counting on it after seeing the glow he had that day – Thinking his future holds another several!
When we arrived at the condo to unload, we were met with a mini downpour. It was perfect timing and a very normal occurrence for the south east. Unpredictable summer storms happen all the livelong days during this season. They cool off the blazing temps and if we’re lucky to be caught in one.. They cool us off too!
(PS: Simon called me yesterday “just to show (me) that the sun does indeed shine in Paris.” We laughed, as before I left, I do believe it had rained at some point nearly every day since I had moved there in October.)
Miller and her family were expected to arrive late the next day, on Father’s Day. So, while we waited for them, pops and I strolled to Litchfield by the Sea for coffee and enjoyed the packet of gaufres I had brought him from Aux Merveilleux de Fred. We had the best time that morning and made a day of it – grocery shopping and going by his home to gather more, and more, and more provisions.
CREEPY CRAWLERS
One night, after our scavenger hunt for an open restaurant that could accommodate six people (The PIT said 1 hr wait, R’Way was having a private party, and Quigley’s wouldn’t take our name over the phone), we lucked up with The Hanser House. Boggs, had worked there 20 years ago over a summer in College, and now, his two twin nieces and nephew are keeping the family tradition by waitressing and cooking in the kitchen. Boggs was able to sweet talk us onto the wait-list and to sit in the section of his niece working that night. He also was able to smuggle in the birthday cake that we surprised our pops with. He was turning 67 the following day.
After our celebratory dinner, where next to everything on the menu was ordered, an impromptu “Happy Birthday” was sung, and ample Shirly Temples were consumed by Boggs Jr. and Belle Miller… we made our way home. When we arrived, I promptly threw on a sweater and blazer over the top of my outfit and headed to the beach. I knew this would be my last touchdown before I left the coast and just needed to feel that cold night sand one more time.
As I walked to the tip of North Litchfield, where the houses end and the protected Huntington Beach begins, I noticed two men walking very slowly, very intentionally staring at the ocean, and holding a very long stick. I also took notice that they had a following – to the tune of 40 people! I finally asked “what’s happening?” to a lady. Before she could answer, she looked over my shoulder and yelled, “alligator!” as she ran towards the sea (idiot!). When I turned to look… everything came into focus. These men weren’t random – they were police officers (who I guess were threatening to arrest this four legged reptile that is typically found in fresh or brackish waters but for some reason on this evening decided to wave surf in the ocean?) on the hunt to rescue an alligator from the sea.
Unlike the lady who clearly wasn’t familiar with these ummmm very dangerous eat-you-in-one-bite animals, I didn’t run towards the scene… I continued to back up. After all, if there’s a baby animal around … their mother, without question, is very close by.
I decided to do an about face and walk back (at a brisk zig zag pace just in case the alligator broke free and decided to run) and followed the light to find my people. Boggs had made us a beach bonfire.
We had a ball. We all poured our individually packed drinks in our glasses (one single pour of red wine for me, a double pour of white wine for Mill, Angel’s Envy bourbon for Boggs and my Pops, and beers for anyone who wanted more). While we sat together, I was asked to cue up Zach Bryan on the speaker – a new singer who my sister and Boggs are wild about. We all got hypnotized by the flames and stayed in our chairs until the embers burned out. When they did, Boggs covered the hole with sand and we let the extra bright moon guide us home.
FINAL DAY
The next morning, we all stayed on the porch for hours, fixed my Pops’s favorite breakfast – smoked salmon, bagels, capers, onions, and cream cheese with scrambled eggs and lots of coffee and fruit. We had laughs, shared birthday wishes, and witnessed a few morning break-down-tears from the boodles. It was the best! I gave my father a bottle of XO calvados and Miller gave him the most precious painting of her and me from our childhood. He, I think, had a great start to his new year!
Miller took me to meet our mother, so I could go back to Conway and pack for my final week in the US. It was a very bitter sweet day and night. Lots of tears, lots of smiles, lots of Goldie Hawn smooches and walks, NO sleep whatsoever, and lots of excitement to see Jane and Jimmy!
This was the best way to spend my final week in South Carolina. Sandwiched by nights with my mother and Joe, and then the days in between with my father and sister’s family. It was a week full of laughter, love, smooches (I got upwards of 30 mouth kisses from my precious Belle Miller. My dream!!!!), silly chats over the walkie talkies with Boggs jr., donuts, huge breakfasts and dinners, and so, so, sooooo much more.
I miss everyone already!
As you know from my first line of this En Route, I am Richmond bound now, on an Amtrak speed-train. And as I type, I am getting dizzy from the Lysol and Clorox fumes from my fellow seat mate who has literally just sprayed the seat. I just may scream. That’s as bad as painting your fingernails on an airplane or putting perfume on in the subway. It’s, well, an absolute NO. Not under any circumstance. Alas, since I’m in the comfort of my lush business class seat (highly recommended if you’re ever in need to take Amtrak). Instead. I will crank up the volume on my 528 frequency sound playing in my headphones, press “publish” for En Route, put my eye mask on tight, and hope the fumes knock me out until I arrive in a chubby baby’s arms for his baptism weekend!!
Xo ac