Monday, April 19, 2010

The golden girls at the Dixie Pig

Yesterday in that massive amount of rain, I had scheduled a visit to my 91 year old Aunt's condo in Century Village.  We were going to go out to lunch or dinner, and this time we weren't going to go out for Chinese food.

I hadn't heard from her all week, and I hadn't called either since I was rather busy dealing with my own personal nonsense here.  Since the road to Dinner was paved with good intentions, I basically missed calling all week myself and when I got to Sunday she had made some small plans of including one of her friends to go with us.   We were going to go for Chinese and since I was bringing a friend along who has had quite enough for what passes for Good Chinese Food here in South Florida, we were going to go for barbecue.

Barbecue is a religion.  Everyone has one, their favourite is always better than yours and don't try to tell them otherwise.   We tried going to Barbecue before and they took me to this place here that is more steak house than Barbecue.  I had some dried up Tilapia while I watched everyone else enjoy their meals.

Dixie Pig is my favourite here, you can have your choice of sauces, all somewhat spicy to very spicy, and a choice of your sides and some excellent Iced Tea.  The place is near my house and convenient and I have never had a bad meal there.   Great Old Florida place, you order at the take out window and sit under the awnings on a picnic bench or just go home.

When I got to My Aunt's place, she said that she had planned on bringing her friend Jo and was going to call Lucy to come with us.  In the rain.  Biblical proportions of rain.  Lakes of the stuff.

I am just glad I didn't bring my Jeep because five do not fit in a Jeep without heroic efforts and I don't think I could put a little old lady in my lap while trying to drive a five speed manual!

So there went the happy little threesome which was a fun and friendly fivesome and we got in the beast of a Merc and drove down I-95 at 50MPH to get there.   If you have ever driven in South Florida, the speed limit is 65 here, and you get run over if you drive legally.  There are more banged up cars here than I am used to living in the North East because nobody up there can drive over 35 mph since there are too many on the roads.

As we got there, we witnessed that the three sweet little old ladies turned into some right ol' cougars.  The average age of the three was over 80 and they were starting to talk about whether they could "get" the opera singer from the night before performance if they tried.  They decided that he had a nice smile, but he was a bit old for them since he was in his 40s and they wanted a younger man.  On the other hand "He had a nice bulge".

Yes, from the mouths of babes....

We got there, in the downpour with me with my mouth agape in surprise, and I herded them into the awning for their meals.  Four of us with a Pulled Pork BBQ plate and one with a rather excellent Chicken BBQ sandwich sat down after drying the entire place with napkins and clearing a very noisy family of 6 away.

More talk about bulge, and I swear I heard one of those sweet little old ladies say "Betty, your nephew has a real hot butt".  Well not specifically "butt" but ... I'm trying to keep this G Rated.

For the record, I thought I heard Betty agree but very demurely... didn't want to cross over the line.

The family of 6 looked up and started making their way out into the weather across the parking lot lake, and I finally put my butt down on the damp, napkin dried seat to enjoy my own food once it arrives.

Just before we got there I realized that I had a calculator/clock that I had gotten in a grab bag that I wanted to pass on to others and we took the time diverting them from body parts onto the little calculator that all the sudden became the focus of the discussion.  WHEW!

It wasn't really all that predatory but I did get a chance to hear some rather amazing stories about parties in Alpha NJ back in the 40s and someone's neighbour in Bedminster NJ who was going to help out Jo with a particular problem that she had.

As they settled in I realized that I had a dog with her legs crossed while they tried to convince me and Kevin that I wanted to stay there so they could play card games.  I remember Betty's card games from when I was a kid visiting their home in Woodhaven Queens New York and they were always a blast, but an excuse to stay up way too late.

Mrs Dog wouldn't approve, nor would my furniture where she'd turn into a pointer and not a setter...

Quite a trick for a Border Collie isn't it?

We made it back with Jo saying that Betty is making up the names of these games like "King in the Corner" and my fondly thinking of those days smelling home made food while playing Continental and wishing I could stay.   After dropping off Lucy, since she could get her car and drive back and none of the rest could drive, we got Betty and Jo to Betty's condo.  Hugs all around and more "I wish we could stays" and we really meant it.   We got on our way leaving Betty and Jo there to discuss the ways of the world.

I am going to miss Betty when she goes back to Lawn Guy Lant.  I have always enjoyed her trips to see us when I was a child living on the Plains of South Jersey, and truly have liked having her only about 10 miles above me at Century Village.  It is much closer to me there than having to drive 100 miles from my house in Philadelphia, to my sister's in South Jersey, then up through New Jersey and New York City out to The Islant to see them. 

I hope she will make it back down to visit somehow, but I know she won't.  I won't be able to get to NY in a year because of my own complexities.  At 91... well, she's 91.  That brings it's own complexities.

May she and her friends all live to 200, hale and hearty.  I'll enjoy all the visits I can while I am able.

For now, I am sharing them with you.  Here's to you Betty, Lucy and Jo - in the back seat of my friend's Merc on I 95 on the way back from Dixie Pig.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks Bill for the huge smile that is across my face right now ! While I steadfastly refuse to believe that my mother (Betty) would take part in any conversation about a "bulge" (lol I'm dying here!), I am just so happy to see her still having so much fun at 91. Aren't these ladies just beautiful and amazing? May we all learn from them & still be enjoying life so fully at 91 (or even 50 for that matter).

    Thanks for showing them a good time ! You're a brave man !

    Darlene from Lawn Guy Lant.

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  2. While I steadfastly refuse to believe that my mother (Betty) would take part in any conversation about a "bulge" (lol I'm dying here !) I'm so happy to see her still having so much fun at 91. Aren't these ladies beautiful and amazing? May we all learn from them and hopefully still be enjoying life this much at 91 (or even 50 for that matter)!

    Thanks for showing them a great time. You're a brave man !

    Darlene from Lawn Guy Lant.

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  3. Darlene,

    You know I truly enjoyed that group of wacky and unhinged women. Hopefully Betty will come down again and we can do it again next year. For now, I'm going to try to visit as much as I can until she goes back North. An amazing woman, and an amazing group of friends!

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