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Sometimes the best place is no particular place. There’s even a classic rock and roll song that celebrates the idea, though admittedly the lyrics put a specific spin on having “no particular place to go.” But the thought, and the feeling, are the same in any context. Somehow there’s a sense of freedom when you have nowhere you’ve got to be and no one you’ve got to meet. That was how my weekend felt – and it was nice. I spent time with friends both days, but much of Saturday and Sunday afternoons were taken up with wandering by myself around Fort Lauderdale, going wherever I felt like going.
On Saturday I was just driving wherever, slowly making my way north toward a friend’s condo in Lighthouse Point for the evening, when I turned into the Galleria Mall on a whim. I managed to motor around with my top down most of the weekend, despite unusual off-and-on October rains that came as part of some weird weather system. When I was on the road, the skies usually were at least partly sunny. So I parked my convertible and sort of sauntered through the mall at a leisurely pace. Other than a double macchiato (and two Godiva pumpkin chocolates for dessert that night), I bought nothing. But the mall was busy and so the people-watching was fun. Then I hopped back in the car and dropped into a Barnes and Noble bookstore to browse for a while before continuing to Lighthouse Point. It all made for a pleasant day.
On Sunday, I had my convertible top opened up again when I drove downtown to Stork’s for an iced coffee and some squash soup. I love seasonal foods and this soup was terrific with nice sourdough bread on the side. I just lazed around, chatted on the phone a bit, then strolled a long ways up and down Las Olas, enjoying the boat show tourists who were eagerly snapping pictures of Fort Lauderdale’s wild parrots. Walking back to my car, I noticed the sidewalk under my feet was strewn with purple bougainvillea blossoms, like a carpet of flowers laid down to add color to the day. A short time later, I found myself at Maguire’s Irish pub to meet a couple friends, sip an Irish coffee and have a few laughs. There were plenty of people sitting at the bar and in the booths, relaxing and watching football and knocking back pints of Guinness. It just felt very comfortable to be part of it. And on my way home I thought about how I’d really done nothing special all weekend. And how nothing special, on certain days and certain weekends, can be the most special thing to do.
On Saturday I was just driving wherever, slowly making my way north toward a friend’s condo in Lighthouse Point for the evening, when I turned into the Galleria Mall on a whim. I managed to motor around with my top down most of the weekend, despite unusual off-and-on October rains that came as part of some weird weather system. When I was on the road, the skies usually were at least partly sunny. So I parked my convertible and sort of sauntered through the mall at a leisurely pace. Other than a double macchiato (and two Godiva pumpkin chocolates for dessert that night), I bought nothing. But the mall was busy and so the people-watching was fun. Then I hopped back in the car and dropped into a Barnes and Noble bookstore to browse for a while before continuing to Lighthouse Point. It all made for a pleasant day.
On Sunday, I had my convertible top opened up again when I drove downtown to Stork’s for an iced coffee and some squash soup. I love seasonal foods and this soup was terrific with nice sourdough bread on the side. I just lazed around, chatted on the phone a bit, then strolled a long ways up and down Las Olas, enjoying the boat show tourists who were eagerly snapping pictures of Fort Lauderdale’s wild parrots. Walking back to my car, I noticed the sidewalk under my feet was strewn with purple bougainvillea blossoms, like a carpet of flowers laid down to add color to the day. A short time later, I found myself at Maguire’s Irish pub to meet a couple friends, sip an Irish coffee and have a few laughs. There were plenty of people sitting at the bar and in the booths, relaxing and watching football and knocking back pints of Guinness. It just felt very comfortable to be part of it. And on my way home I thought about how I’d really done nothing special all weekend. And how nothing special, on certain days and certain weekends, can be the most special thing to do.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 2:54 PM
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