Okay we have definitive proof we are not the youngest fulltimers out there. While at our favorite pub, the Celtic Ray, we met Damien and Michelle who are now officially the youngest fulltimers we know of. Brigid’s Cross was playing we were out with Rachie and Donnie drinking some fine brews when we came across them at the bar. We were taken back when we asked them where they were from and they answered “We live full time in a motorhome”. And when we replied “So do we!” They seemed a little surprised. It is always nice to meet other young people living life like us.
It turned out that they we in town for the crafts festival on Sullivan Street. They have a jewelry business in which they hand create the designs and travel around to festivals and shows selling their pieces. It was beautiful jewelry! Completely natural materials, flowers, rocks and even butterfly wings! We will post a link to their products as soon as they get it up and running. They had to boogie on to Sarasota because of generator troubles (which we know all too well). They shared many of the same interests as us and we hope to catch up with them for some Thai food and good beer and share more adventures of living on the road as “gypsies” :)
The Hounds on Henry dog park was the location of a doggie birthday party. I never thought I would ever attend one of those, but it turned out to be fun. A lot of dogs running everywhere mixed in with adults eating cake and socializing. See the photos from the party here.
A little known fetish i have discovered that some people out there are smitten with is women wearing only one shoe. There are several pages on the internet exploring this fetish, complete with photos. No nudity, just women wearing only one shoe, albeit one high heel in hose, but still! Crazy what turns some people on!
UPDATE: The birthday party for the puppies at Hounds on Henry made the news, the Charlotte Sun actually devoted an entire page to the event, along with a group shot naming all the dogs. Amazing what the news will cover, with any luck I will get the One Shoe Diaries™ some press coverage.
The annual Festival of Beers in Fort Myers took place and we just had to go. Sharon, her Sister Rach, husband Donnie and I got a late start. When we got there it was sooo crowded, it was only for 3 hours and we already missed almost a whole hour driving there and then we had to wait in a large line to get in, only to get into another line to get our beer tickets and then stand in lines to get beer samples. It was supposed to be one 4oz. sample per ticket and we got 20 tickets each. I made it a game to see if i could distract the beer tenders and not have to give a ticket, I wanted to see how many I could end up with at the end of the night. The first 300 people entering the event got commemorative glasses and we were nowhere near that early so we got hosed. I did tell Sharon i was going to get a glass one way or another I figured some drunk would just set his glass down and wander off. No luck, but right at the end I noticed two glasses just sitting on a ledge near a couple, not sure if the glasses were theirs or not, but since they started making out and not paying attention (or so I thought) I grabbed the glasses calmly and walked off. Sharon was amazed when I walked back with two glasses. It was time to go so we started walking down the parking lot when I heard a guy shout “Hey you stole my glasses”. Damn, caught. So I figured they were his he caught me so I ran the glasses back to him. He just laughed and said “That was an awesome try, you can keep one”. “Thanks” I replied. I got a glass after all. It was a very fun night, met lots of people and tried many beers, although none that I had not tried before except Groelsch Amber, we was not that good.
We visited the Punta Gorda Gilchrist art festival and saw our buddy from Hudson Sea Fest, the Iguana “sculptor”. Just upon entering the festival we here a familiar annoying sound, “croaking” wooden frogs! I cannot believe he was there, what a shame artist. For more see “Carnie” Folk entry.
It got really cold down in Florida one night. And the day before Sharon and I went through our clothes and decided to donate a lot of our sweatshirts and sweaters to Goodwill. But her sister had a great idea, since it was going to be so cold the next couple of nights she suggested we give out the clothes to the homeless folks that reside under the 41 bridge. So of course we thought it would be a great idea, but we were nervous to go under there, but it was the right thing to do. We did get lucky and met a few guys in the parking lot and asked them if they would want some blankets and sweaters, and if they could help give them out to friends since there were quite a few. They were very nice, they were grateful and promised they would get the clothes to others. It didnt matter if they did, at least two people got some warm clothes.
The following day Sharon and I we ordered hot chocolates at Dunkin Donuts and when I went to pay I found to my dismay I had no wallet nor loose money. We told them we were sorry but we are going to have to run home and come back to get the chocolates. The woman working there was so sweet, she just told us to take them as a gesture for us to come back often. We will stop by again for sure, what a nice thing to happen in a world that so many times people disappoint us. I like to think maybe it was Karma giving us a little back from the night before :)
