Monday, October 10, 2011

An Excellent 24 Hours

We went and now we're back and I'm so glad I finally got my head out of my ass and let myself have what is commonly known as a good time.

From the moment I really made up my mind to go, it began to be fun. To the point where Mr. Moon said as we were getting ready, "Hello! Nice to see you again!"
Ahem.

The drive down to the coast is always a lovely thing. You go through woods and by the water and sometimes you see deer or even bear or wild boar. And of course raccoons and possums but they're usually lying very still. In the road. Where they are dead.
Cars and small animals do not mix well.

We stopped in Lanark where we bought an entire package of Cheese-It's. The orange AND yellow ones.

This is what it looks like behind the place we stopped, looking out across the bay to Dog Island. When we put the boat in to go to the island, this is where we do it. They not only sell Cheese-Its. They sell gas and beer and milk and ketchup and other stuff and have a boat ramp too.

I read some of a Larry McMurtry book out loud to Mr. Moon. It's a very old book, but one of my favorites. All My Friends Are Going To Be Strangers. My copy is so old that the cover is soft and the pages are brittle. It contains one of my favorite lines in all of literature which is this: "If you're too drunk to walk you can borrow my car," she said.
I may have told you this before and I should probably not even tell you that ONE time, much less twice but the fact of the matter is that I find the line hysterical. And disclaimer: I WOULD NEVER, EVER SAY THIS IN REAL LIFE NOR DO I APPROVE OF ITS MESSAGE BUT FUCK THAT, IT'S FUNNY!
(I think I may have just channeled Ms. Bastard-Beloved.)

Mr. Moon had booked us a room at the Gibson in Apalachicola.

When we checked in, they told us there was a drink on the house for us when we were ready. What?
I asked Mr. Moon if he had told them some sort of story about us celebrating something. He claims he didn't but I'm not convinced. But what the hell? I will never look a gift drink in the mouth.

They gave us room 304 and I know we've stayed in that room before. More than once. It's a nice room. Here's a hallway at the Gibson.

The place started out back in the olden days when the rooms did not all have their own bathrooms so when they redid it in the eighties, they had to artfully rearrange things and the hallways wander around and exit doors end up on porches and you can sometimes get a little lost.
Oh. Maybe that's just me.

Here's a picture of Mr. Moon and me in another hallway.


God, that's a goofy picture. I look like Mrs. Dorkie D. McDork.
I sort of am but I really hate visual proof.

We went down to the bar and got our perfect on-the-house martinis.
I love the bar.

Now that is what a bar should look like if you ask me.

Here's the lobby where supposedly you can get wireless.

Haha! Supposedly you can get wireless in the rooms too.
Well, who cares about wireless when you've got all this charm? What I love about the Gibson is that they don't even seem to be disturbed when the wireless isn't working. "Oh, maybe it has something to do with the weather," they say, looking at their fingernails.
And maybe it does.

Well, so, we had oysters and we had dinner and we walked around some and it was all so lovely.

Here's Mr. Moon in the middle of a main road where a few minutes later we saw a bald eagle swoop and fly. I'm not even kidding you. Living in Apalachicola really wouldn't be that bad. Bookstore, library, restaurants, pretty bars, water all over the place, bald eagles downtown...
All within walking distance. And two parks on either side of where our house will be. With a dock. Which Mr. Moon can net fish right off of. And shrimp, maybe. And set out crab traps. And have his boat right nearby.
And the sky looks like this at sunset.

Not a bad place. Not a bad place at all.

Oh yes. It was very good and very loving and very sweet and we had a huge breakfast and there was bacon and a biscuit bigger than Zeke's head, and we sat by the river and the waitress who was old enough to be our daughter, maybe, kept saying things like, "More coffee, loves?" and she had tattoos and we never ran out of coffee or grape jelly either one and we left the Gibson in an excellent mood, renewed in spirit and in hearts and then we drove by our lot and it's right there, just waiting for us and so is the Gibson, so is all of it, right down the road and we came home and bought shrimp on the way to eat here in Lloyd and my favorite- cocktail crab claws, too- and it's raining, sort of, drip, drip, drizzle and the chickens are all still here and the dogs, too, of course, and sometimes, SOMETIMES, you just have to pack a bag and get in the car and go away with the one you love and come home loving him even more.

23 comments:

  1. So glad you gave in to your better half and went away. I was thinking you looked like a Fun person, in that picture you called dorky. A Fun person having a Fun time with her dear man. Keeses. N2

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm glad you had a good time and are feeling better. I've been taking a break from blogging the past couple of weeks, but now I'm back.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The bar is perfect. Glad you had a good time with your man, and how could you not?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Apalachicola has just gained a spot on my bucket list. Only for the bald eagle... Looks like the place to find yourself back... And what a great spot to go with your man. Well done. Glad you had a good time. I do like the self portrait!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Ms. Moon. Lovely post as always. I'm so glad you had a wonderful time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful and fine and lovely. What a hottie you have for a husband. And you can tell him for me...even tho I'm a queer. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good woman :)

    Lovely to read.

    And yes, Mr Moon is larger than life and twice as lovely :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. N2- Nope. I am dorky. But I was a dork having fun.

    Lois- Yes! Where have you been? It is good to see you again!

    Stephanie- Well, once Mr. Moon got a bad oyster and he certainly did not have a good time in Apalach but _I_ did. That was so long ago.

    Photocat- Lots and lots of eagles down this way, love.

    Terena- Hello! Hello!

    beth coyote- Ah, well. You are not the first woman-who-loves-women to tell me that if she loved men....

    Jo- The list is long of all who find that man lovely. And I cannot disagree nor become upset at the truth.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have never seen Mr. Moon in full before. You are an itty bitty thing beside him. I bet he makes you feel safe and protected. Which is nice and comforting.
    I am glad you had a nice time. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love, love, love this. Staying at an inn is a supreme pleasure.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What is it with Cheese-Its !? I just bought a box too...sometimes they are irresistable !
    You and Mr. Moon look gorgeous and giddy and gorgeous!
    So happy you got a little trip to such a fine place - it sounds wonderful. Who knew??? Apalachicola, a little piece of heaven.
    But glad you're back safe and sound.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You are absolutely gorgeous and so is Mr. Moon and thank heaven you had a seemingly unconflicted 24 hours or so.

    Try to make it to 48.

    Sounds lurvely.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh shut up.
    Love, daddyb

    ReplyDelete
  14. Birdie- I'm not itty-bitty. I'm just normal. He is extraordinarily tall. But yes, he does make me feel protected.

    Lora- I agree!

    Lo- I'll try my dear!

    Daddy B- What? What?
    Okay.
    Love you to pieces...M.M.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love the picture you paint of you reading to Mr. Moon. I feel like a little fly in your lap when you write like that and I love it.

    That looks like such a sweet, calm little inn/town. I can smell the saltwater and fishy beachy smell. Love that. Have a beautiful time!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, man -- it sounds like so much fun! I'm so glad that you got to do that. And the line from the McMurtry book is truly awesome, and I'm so glad that you shared that.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dang, you DID channel Ms Bastard B.

    And, I had to giggle at that picture because it sort of reminds me of those goofy yet scary photos she sometimes posts!! It was like you guys, only inhabited by goofballs!

    Bald Eagle, aye? That is a sacred encounter there. I'd take it as a good omen. They are so incredible.

    Glad you guys had fun, and welcome home.
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've stayed there before when I was at a meeting of the Appalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve. It is a cool inn. Glad that you got away. Everyone needs a little time away.

    ReplyDelete
  19. That line from Larry McMurtry is hysterically funny and I loved the hasty disclaimer too! That hotel looks like quirky heaven to me.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dear Mary Moon, please hurry up and build your dream house in Apalachicola so I can come visit you there. I promise to come and cook for y'all and make my bed in the morning and bring flowers and be the perfect guest in every way.

    Apalachicola is one of my favorite places on this planet. Until Maison de Moon becomes a reality, I will have to make do with the Gibson, which I love love love!

    I'm so glad you got away with your honey. You deserve it, darlin'!

    Hugs, kisses & cocktail claws,
    KT

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh, sweet marymoon. I'm just jealous. You know I love you more than my luggage.

    Love, daddyb

    ReplyDelete
  22. I will never look a gift drink in the mouth. ME NEITHER. I love that line.

    I love you MAS though.

    ReplyDelete
  23. That post made me siiighhh with contentment.

    ReplyDelete

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.