Rewind

If I tried to pick a highlight from yesterday birthday celebrations, it might be the moment in New York Mart, in the fish market section, gaping at huge salt water tanks, some filled with crabs of many varieties - blue, golden and spider to name the ones I knew - and some with fish - bass, flounder, snapper, more. In giant bins of ice lay every shellfish I knew and quite a few I didn't. There were eels and barracuda (eels swimming, 'cuda on ice), There were live turtles (really) and frogs. It was staggering.

Of course, when I'm staggered I grab my camera, which is exactly what I did. Click gape click gape. Smile at the nice man watching me intensely. Then my brother taps me on the shoulder. 'Put the camera away. Now.' What? He points and I then see the smallish paper with a camera sitting inside the internationally accepted slashed circle. No cameras. No more photos.

Apparently while I'd been taking pictures, another guy was looking at my brother and gesturing to the notice, which my brother didn't notice. Until he did. So that's why you don't have photos of everything from fresh bull testicles to durian fruit. That doesn't include the 'deli section' that had barbecued Peking ducks, among others, hanging from a wire, their heads bowed down. And only 16.00 for a cooked Peking duck! No, we didn't get one.

But we did get some dragonfruit, and pork belly bacon (yes, pork belly bacon - I'm thinking of you, Zach!) and sesame treats. And a few other things. Not the bull testicles (though I've eaten them and sorry to say, they are pretty damn good; sorry because I'll never cook them like Gus did so I won't even try. Ever.)

So it is hard to pick a real highlight when everything about the day was great, including the lunch my bro made me, the sushi we drove through a blinding rainstorm to get, the little episodes of the day. One being during the beach walk, when a guy we'd seen staggering around the beach, obviously a long-time local, was being talk walked off the beach by a very genial cop, who was holding said guy's beer. He sat the beer down on the table, and nicely told the jabbering drunk guy to keep it in that area, rather than on the beach. We walked away.

There is a huge streetscape / beach restoration going on in Pompano. Sea oats and other indigenous plants have been planted on refreshed dunes, with watering systems to insure good solid growth. Scattered 'refreshment' stands have been built, with sidewalks and mini bridges connecting the whole. In a part of Florida lined with condos, some not so bad, others monuments to ugly, this stretch of wide open ocean views is really incredible. I don't know how the developers got held off, but somehow the decision to move the Swimming Hall of fame and its attendant hotels was staved and beauty prevailed. That is as staggering as golden crabs waving at you any day, and lasts a lot longer. 

Very important to document hunky guys using their muscles to create beauty in the rain. 

And then there was my bro surprising me by going to see an old friend, who offered to tip some Tennessee 'shine with him as a birthday gift. If you have ever had the pleasure of drinking well made moonshine, you know it was an honor well appreciated. Thanks, Tony!

And that about wraps up, in words, a day that will make me smile for more than awhile. Life is good. It should be celebrated. 

Have a feel special Saturday. Do something shining.