Memorial Day

What a beautiful holiday this has been.

Memorial Day is all about remembering those who've served our country especially those who have died in service so you would think that might be sad. But, it fact, it's a rip-roarin' beach-lake-pool-picnic-barbecue-fireworks celebratin' sort of day and that's what we did.

All that stuff!

I started off meeting Carolyn, Dalecia, Dabria, Dominique and Quincy at the beach about 10:00. IT WASN'T EARLY ENOUGH, lol!! We literally drove up and down the parking lanes for better than 50 minutes (you would never have done that, I know!) and still there was no room at the inn.

So we drove across the street to the condo Carolyn's friend lives in but - alas - she was having people over herself and couldn't give us the go-ahead to use her parking spaces as we'd hoped she might.

All that running in place made up hungry so we stopped for brunch at Denny's. As soon as we got our drinks we toasted our service people, their sacrifices and those of their families - then we ate like pigs!

You would have hooted over our ancient waitness. She had to be in her late seventies. Guess we'll be seeing a lot more of that in this economy....

You have to know that, yes, I left her a hugh tip!

Having been denied access to the Gulf of Mexico we headed to Oscar Sherer State Park figuring we'd go to the little beach there. I pulled up to the ranger's station first and paid but as she was handing me change the officer said, "Oh, by the way, the beach is closed for high bacteria count."

"Oh, no! That's the only reason we were here - to go to the beach!!"

She gave me the entire refund, Quincy switched back to Carolyn's car (she was nice enough to bring him so I didn't have to drive all the way cross town to pick him up!) and we parted company.

I went back home and joined Suzy and Thom on the lanai. Suzy was wiping away big crocodile tears when I stepped out there. Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" was on XM and she was remembering the crazy 'exercises' that Tom used to do to that song and to so many others.

The softie!!

We spent the afternoon watching the Tigers play the Royals and whup 'em pretty good: 13-1! That, lazing in the pool and reading completed our holiday afternoon.

It's dinnertime now and Thom Strong is manning the grill. We're having all the staples: barbecued rib steaks, corn on the cob, salad, hot crusty rolls.

Later, there'll be watermelon, ice cream and sparklers.

All I can say is, "Wish you were here,

Tom."