Sanibel Island

I am on Sanibel Island today, on another achingly beautiful, sunny Florida day. It's still a bit chilly now in the a.m., but temps are supposed to get into the mid 70s for a high. I have just finished breakfast the "Over Easy Café," waiting 20 minutes for the proverbial "single person's table" by the restrooms, but it wasn't too bad. Neither the chair nor the table were wobbly, and there was an extra partition concealing the actual doorways to the washrooms and keeping the bouquet contained therein. Breakfast consisted of one their homemade cinnamon rolls as a starter, and as the main event a bacon/tomato/swiss cheese omelet, with home fries and multigrain toast. Washed down with plenty of good coffee. Just under $20 with tip, which is fairly typical for a proper breakfast here on the island.

The last couple of days have been relatively quiet, and brought on to great degree by kvetchey bowels, which is probably more information than you want, but there you have it. Intestinal distress, complete with sharts (one thus far), is not bound by geography, and can strike anywhere, even here in paradise. Thus, I am waiting to see how breakfast settles before renting a bicycle. I'm currently on the porch outside the Sanibel Café, soaking up their complimentary Internet and penning these lines.

In the last couple of days,  I have posted four new watches to the website, and had one sale this morning of a Bulova military watch. Picked up a prescription at CVS, finished one of my books ("Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea"), and made another cake with the "Fasta Pasta" maker, this time chocolate which I'm sorry to report did not turn out very well. Such has been my rather uneventful passage of time for the last couple of days, but they can't all be winners, especially with a twitchy colon.

I did feel well enough on Tuesday night to venture to a new restaurant called, blandly enough, the "Austrian-German Restaurant" on Colonial Blvd. It followed a workout at Planet Fitness, so I was plenty hungry for it. (Here's a little tip: You should never go to a German restaurant half-hungry expecting to find a salad or any such similar "lighter fare" on the menu!) The food was delicious, and my waiter friendly and knowledgeable. Even the chef came to my table and asked if the meal was satisfactory. For starters, a generous basket of light rye bread with butter, and a half-liter mug of Radeberger Pilsner, imported from the Saxony region of Germany, with a taste similar to Stella Artois. Delicious. For first course, a cup of liver dumpling soup, which was a real treat because virtually no one makes it any more, and the last time I had it was at Karl Ratzch's in Milwaukee ages ago. For the main course: sauerbraten, served with spaetzle and sweet/sour red cabbage.

OK, let me guess what you're thinking here: "No wonder you're doing the Hershey two-step, fat boy,"  but honestly German food has never affected me that way, and I have to believe the source lies elsewhere.

In any event, the meal was delicious and the only detraction really was a group of four seated next to me with a couple of loud and rather nosey matriarchs who asked about my dinner selection, and then asked, "Are you all alone?", in a tone of wonderment that seemed to infer that dining solo was so completely incomprehensible to them as to prompt them to ask me about it, perhaps thinking I might have accidentally left my wife or date out in the car or something. Rather than explain my situation and risk wedging myself into deeper conversation, I simply replied that I was out on my own this particular evening. But the whole episode was yet another reminder of the emotional minefield that often accompanies solo dining.

Last night, I watched the final episode of "Breaking Bad" on Netflix. It's been a long time since a TV series has held me captive such as this. (Brother) Curt, if you are reading this, I know you found this series quite interesting as well. Really bends the notions of right and wrong and drives home the notion that life is rarely black and white, but infinite shades of grey. I'm surely going to miss the series.

Well, the breakfast seems to have settled nicely, so I am off to Billy's Rentals to secure a bicycle and peddle around this beautiful island.

Bruce

Update Thursday evening: I ultimately decided to come back to the apartment after breakfast and blogging because I still wasn't feeling quite right. Laid down at 12:30 p.m. and slept for four hours. Seem to be feeling much better now.