“The Beatnik, Ocean Springs – Happy 60th Anne!”
I treated Diana to Happy Hour oysters at Superior Seafood on Tuesday. We sat at the bar and first saw Fred enter with a guy who was assessing him for his psychiatry accreditation (we didn’t blow it for him), and then our neighbors Britney, Tony and little Auggie, Britney telling Diana that she and Tony met at Superior years ago – she was his waitress. Me thinks a bit more investigation of that story is needed.
I attended Dat Dog trivia after oysters and we had a mediocre fifth place win – my contribution was also mediocre. We need to pick up our game! Anne and Kara joined for the second half and might have been a bit of a disruptive distraction, depending on one’s point of view.
Anne’s sixtieth birthday was a couple of months ago, and Denny had presented her with a certificate for a beach getaway. We picked up Kenny and Kara, made the ninety minute drive to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and rendezvoused with Fred and Kelly to surprise Anne at the Beatnik.
This is a motel with four units, a pool, firepit and nice seating areas. Denny rented out the whole shebang for Thursday and Friday night. The ladies put together a beautiful array of charcuterie, dips and fruits, and I think Anne was genuinely surprised on arrival – she thought it was just going to be her and Denny. Smart idea from Kelly to move our cars over to the dive bar across the street so as not to blow the surprise.
Here’s a map to orient you on Ocean Springs location:
We walked across the street to Sweets Lounge in the evening and had good fun playing various different pool games.
I had Diana challenge the amount of the bill when we left – “It can’t possibly be that inexpensive.” The bartender explained that drinks were reduced when a Saints game was showing – even before that they were prices from 15 years ago.
I walked across the street to the Lazy Oak for breakfast on Friday morning. McD joined me after her run around town and ate the fruit that I had pushed to the side of the plate. Then we had a nice time hanging out in the pool for a couple of hours.
We wandered around downtown Ocean Springs in the afternoon. What a nice and eclectic little town.
Glory Bound provided us with a yummy Greek dinner.
We hung out around the firepit in the evening, with Kenny participating in a pool tournament at Sweets, and as is typical, making friends with a number of the locals.
We drove back via the coastal road on Saturday, meeting up with Kenny’s long time friend, Chris, for lunch at a marina side taco joint in Bay St. Louis.
Diana had texted Amy, also a resident of Bay St. Louis, to see what the chances of swinging by for a boat ride looked like. The timing worked out well and we drove to Captain Randy and Amy’s place after lunch. We were soon out on the water and enjoying the Jourdan river trail.
I had planned on watching the Cowboys and 49ers game on Sunday night – wrong weekend – the Cowboys are on a bye week and that’s next week. Probably good for the Boys to rest up before that challenging game.
My book this week was “The Radleys” by Matt Haig. I had enjoyed another of his books, “The Midnight Library”, and this one sounded good, except that I totally missed it was a story about vampires trying for abstinence from vampire activities. Here’s an online review:
“Just about everyone knows a family like the Radleys. Many of us grew up next door to one. They are a modern family, averagely content, averagely dysfunctional, living in a staid and quiet suburban English town. Peter is an overworked doctor whose wife, Helen, has become increasingly remote and uncommunicative. Rowan, their teenage son, is being bullied at school, and their anemic daughter, Clara, has recently become a vegan. They are typical, that is, save for one devastating exception: Peter and Helen are vampires and have—for seventeen years—been abstaining by choice from a life of chasing blood in the hope that their children could live normal lives.”
Given the silly subject matter, I did still find this tale well written and entertaining. I’m sure it’s not for everyone.
A very good cover:
And an even better cover – I love this one a lot:
And finally, some great 70s feel:
Coexist peacefully, with kindness and compassion for all!