New Owners of Red Crab……

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Other than when we need fast food we prioritize dining at family-owned restaurant, but do have some franchises we frequent at times. I posted last year about how all of a sudden we were seeing the trend of crab places. We went from none to three in a couple of years. The first one is still good (Krab Kingz) and we use them for carryout. They aren’t exactly a sit-down place though and they don’t have wine or coffee. Then a Crafty Crab in Homestead and a Red Crab in Florida City both opened within months of each other. Red Crab is a little closer to us and we tried it first. It was okay, but they didn’t serve coffee so my friend and I tried Crafty next. The menus were almost identical, the ambience was better even though they didn’t serve coffee either. We tried Red Crab a couple more times, then decided not to bother with it again.

Maybe four months or so ago, I saw it was closed and wasn’t surprised. Then about six weeks ago, it looked as if they were open again. I didn’t think anything about it because there might just have been a building issue they needed to take care of. An individual contacted me recently and said friends of theirs owned Red Crab and could I maybe get them some publicity. I cautiously sent a text asking if they were new owners. That was a “yes”, so Hubby and I went for dinner. The ambience was like night and day. They also had an expanded menu and indeed have coffee as regular, espresso, or cappuccino. Service was fine and prices were essentially the same. It was a pleasant surprise and later this summer, I’ll do an interview for a  write-up for the paper. I have another one to do before them.

Another Week Zipping Past…..

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For some people, summer is actually a bit of a break. That is most assuredly not the case for others. The areas that may not be as busy are overlaid by new ones or by either the ones on the “yes, I’ll get to it” list. These are the tasks that simmer along until such time as they really can no longer be avoided.This week has been a combination of the two. Ah well, we are at no risk of being bored in the near future.

After queries from a few fans I have begun work on Shades of Remorse, the fifth in the series featuring Police Detective Bev Henderson. As I explained to one of these individuals, I did not set out to write a series. My plan was for all stand-alone novels, but one idea led to another. As a reader, if I find a book I think is interesting and see it is a series, I try to go back to the first one instead to see if I like the writing and characters. As an author, it’s tricky to decide how much information to include about the characters and other background if a reader chooses to jump into a series beginning with a later book. Oh, I did plan the “Small Town” quilting cozies as a series so was able to set that up accordingly.

In this case, the long lapse between novels has to do with the structure of “Remorse” in order to tell the story in the way I should. I generally write in first person or dual Point of View depending on the book. This particular story requires writing with a triple Point of View and I’ve never done that. While I have the story pretty well outlined, there are a couple of gaps yet and rather than continue to wrestle with it, I’ve decided I have enough to start. The rest should develop as I work through the main and subplots. We’ll see.

 

About Stories in Bars…..

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A conversation last evening set me to thinking about this. If you happen to be new to the blog, a quick bit of history of my writing journey. I was around ten years old when I knew I wanted to be a writer (Yes, influenced by Little Women). As a middle class, one-income, three children family, financial support for me to do that wasn’t going to happen and I didn’t want to do the “starving writer” bit. I had written short stories and some poetry of course although sadly, in the time before computers I lost the file in my subsequent moves. Anyway, I did tinker with short stories later, did some professional writing, and kept the dream of the novel for “some day”. Fast forward to my decision to primarily self-publish and thus the body of work I have.

I enjoy short stories though and am inspired periodically to write a new one. I did even have one published (“Ferris Wheel Love”) a number of years ago. A great many of my stories do take place or at least start in bars and that does come from the phrase of, “Write what you know”. Indeed for fans of my first novel, Orchids in the Snow, that combines my military background with the social aspects of the Officers Club. The list of stories and essays are in the Archives on my website, https://www.charliehudson.net/stories/story_archive.html

Those that take place all or in part in bars written from early to later are: Come Here Often?, Draft With a Sprig of Mistletoe, Painted Cabanas, Twelve Pack Trip (not exactly in a bar), Closing Time, Closing Day, Running Yellow Lights, Forty-two Beers on Draft, Herding Seahorses, and Flight Delay.

Hmmm, just thinking about short stories might bring on another idea. We’ll see. Oh, there are also a couple that are really long, but generally 3,000 or so words in length.

 

Burgers on the Menu….

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This is one of the rare Fourth of July times Hubby doesn’t have to teach/guide scuba. On the other hand, he does have to go to the big Race to the Fourth the city puts on at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Not a car race; music, vendors, fireworks later. In years past, they had a special event where people could go into the Champions Club and we would attend that usually with a few friends. I would stay there as Hubby ate quickly, then went out to get “cute kid pictures”, and re-set for the fireworks. The population has increased so much, they can’t have that event any longer and quite frankly, I’m past the stage where I want to spend three hours in the heat basically by myself. It is a fun time though for those that go.

So, we’ll do our burgers at lunch – potato salad and coleslaw as the sides and Hubby will go later for the photo shoot. I can see the fireworks from the house and I will put the apple pie in the oven to where it is still warm when he gets in probably around 10:00. I will try to still be awake although there is not guarantee of that.

We generally swap around three standard menus for the Fourth – burgers, BBQ, or fried chicken. They all work as traditional and whether just the two of us or if we have others over. There will of course be neighbors out on the street for the fireworks and the folks on the gate will be really busy as this is one of the holidays with lots of visitors. Fireworks will be going late as well and some of the internal displays are pretty extensive. Hmmm, that means I probably will still be awake when Hubby gets in.

Happy Fourth of July!

Speaking of Amazing Women….

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100 women in almost 40 airplanes making a 2,684 mile race from Grand Forks, North Dakota to Homestead, Florida. Now that isn’t something you see everyday. The small planes, each with a pilot and co-pilot, left ND Tuesday, Jun 20, 2023 and had until Friday, Jun 23 at 5:00 p.m., to make the trip to be qualified to win. Programmed stops were Mankato, MN, Ottumwa, IA, Hastings, NE, Ponca City, OK, Sulphur Springs, TX, Jonesboro, AR, Pell City, AL, and Cross City, FL before arriving in Homestead. This was also the first time in the 46-year history they came as far south as Homestead. The race changes each year to different parts of the country. This is from the initial Press Release we were provided:

“he oldest race of its kind in the nation, the Air Race Classic traces its roots to the 1929 Women’s Air Derby, aka the Powder Puff Derby, in which Amelia Earhart and 19 other daring female pilots raced from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio. This year’s ARC celebrates the 94th anniversary of that historic competition, which marked the beginning of women’s air racing in the United States. Today, the ARC is the epicenter of women’s air racing, the ultimate test of piloting skill and aviation decision[1]making for female pilots of all ages and from all walks of life.”

There were of course weather issues and a couple of mechanical failures, but most arrived, tired, sweaty, yet successful. Since they all had different airplanes (quite a few Cessna 172s), there was a formula used in a controlled course prior to the start of the race to provide a “handicap” that was applied to the final flight information to determine the winner. Ages were mixed with college teams all they way into women in their seventies. Hubby was taking the article because it was definitely one that needed great photographs. There was one team in particular the paper was interested in as the pilot is a member of Rotary. Hubby began following her using the tracking system and with the delays, he had to finish teaching a class when the team was scheduled to land. I went out to snap an easy photo, get a few details and set up a time for Hubby to interview them that evening.

I spoke with several volunteers, mostly women, again in a mix of ages. It takes

One of the all women teams in the 2023 Air Race Classic

quite an effort to put something like this on and to have that many accomplished women in one place at one time is incredibly inspiring.

“ABOUT THE AIR RACE CLASSIC

Air Race Classic Inc. is an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization with a mission of encouraging and educating current and future female pilots, increasing public awareness of general aviation, demonstrating women’s roles in aviation, and preserving and promoting the tradition of pioneering women in aviation. For more information, go to airraceclassic.org. Follow Air Race Classic on Facebook. On Twitter: @AuthenticARC”

 

 

Got Behind Again……

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So much for a calmer week. I’m not going to get into how the week became so jammed, but it’s not the first time and probably won’t be the last. Hopefully, the extra things thrown in will have positive results and we’ll leave it at that.

Skipping forward to the Food and Drink part, that’s not the usual sharing of a recipe. The oldest (or second depending on how you count a couple of factors) continuously serving family restaurant in Miami Dade County will change hands next week. We’ve know this if coming for a while as a couple of different offers have been working. The Capri in Florida City was opened in 1959 and carried on by the second generation. As I have posted before when it comes to family businesses, it is common for the third generation to be the one that walks away, or in some cases, fails. This time it’s that the third generation did work in the business for a while and have chosen not to continue with it.

COVID was so difficult for businesses and the Capri was determined to try and provide some normalcy during the months of closures and ever-changing restrictions. They complied with each new edict and we patronized them even more than usual in support of their efforts. The government financial support was no where near what has often been lauded although it was of some help. The follow-on inability to get staff is what was an added difficulty. And so, there comes a time when you make a logical choice even if it is not the one you would have preferred.

For all of its years, this was the special occasion restaurant and hundreds – probably thousands – of special memories were made. It was also the “nice” restaurant where celebrities and VIPs were taken when they were in town. While we will very much miss it as a place, we hope the family taking it over will be successful in their own way.

 

Aaargh – Not the Pirate Talk One…..

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Hubby was a big “Bloom County” comic strip fan although it was not one I was familiar with when we started dating. One of the characters – Bill the Cat – often used the Aargh! for exclamations of different reactions – and I don’t know, maybe it was adapted from “pirate talk”. Anyway, I seem to be having somewhat of an Aargh! stretch here when it comes to finding files. Like most people, I have drawers and boxes full and that doesn’t count the thousands I now have on the computer. I have posted about this before and a recent conversation with a friend, plus my annoyance at not being able to locate a couple of fairly important files, is what triggered the thought.

I cannot imagine what I did with the two missing files – well, the two I’m frustrated with at the moment – because I have a specific place where each of them should be. That means I filed them in a temporary place even though I have checked the usual “temporary place” to no avail. Or I inadvertently filed them in a wrong folder/box. The primary issue with files is of course the sheer volume as you accumulate things and what on earth to do with them. I’m not referring to “hoarding”; rather to the normal things we all experience in life. For example, I still have a large number of files from my second career dealing with projects that have long since been over and there is virtually no likelihood anyone will ever ask me for them again. And yet, what if someone does? That collides right into the primary issue when I (and most people) decide to clear some out. There are few things more mind-numbing than starting to go through old files. Some are easy; expired insurance documents I meant to toss is a good example. Beyond that, you often have to think about what to do with each one and about fifty (or fewer) into it, the temptation to toss increases. While that may be okay, sure as the world, that may be the item you do later realize you needed to keep.

When Not Winning Isn’t Losing…..

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Musing content alert. I was watching an episode of “Brokenwood Mysteries” the other day – I watch DVD while I’m on the exercise bike – and it was centered around the murder of the local rugby team coach. As always, there was more than one story line. A somewhat catalyst (although not the true motive) for the murder was the fact the team had lost fifty straight games. In teasing one of the players, his comment was, “Hey, us not winning doesn’t mean we’re losers.”

That sets up the duality of, “It’s isn’t whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game that counts,” as opposed to, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

Competitiveness runs the gamut from individuals who feel no reason to compete/are afraid to, to the far end of those who will do anything to win. The saying (more or less) of, “The first automobile race occurred ten minutes after the second automobile was produced,” speaks to the human nature to compete. It motivates and allows/encourages people to reach for a higher level in whatever. As with most things in life, balance and moderation are key. Team sports teach much to an individual; such as how to do your best and how you can often do more than you think. Training and practice can improve your performance (again in whatever). In many situations though there can only be one winner. That’s the valuable lesson of understanding that not winning is not the same as being a loser.

From another context, the idea of “participation trophies” and not keeping scores comes with the risk of not learning that valuable lesson. I firmly believe in participation acknowledgement and instilling in the “winners” the need to do so graciously.

Whole Fish on the Grill……

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There are certain meals we do that are multi-step and/or time consuming which means we don’t make them very often. Whole fish on the grill is one and I’m not sure exactly why we decided to do it last week. I think it was because it had been a while.

Step one of course is to get the whole fish and the market that does them changed ownership several months ago. There weren’t many changes inside and it was later on a Saturday so the selection was limited. They did have some nice yellow-tail snappers. Next step is waiting for the lady (in this case) to prep the fish as we don’t do that. Prepping the fish when it’s time to cook is a process, too, with seasoning, then putting fresh herbs, and lemon slices. Hubby did dill, parsley, and rosemary as the herbs. Salt, pepper, and a little seafood seasoning for that part. The fish is scored although I don’t remember the reason for that step. Next is prepping the grill to try and keep the fish from sticking. Yes, this step can be by-passed if you do them in foil packets, but that wasn’t the plan this time.

Okay, grill and fish are all prepped and Hubby has the extra special spatula he uses to turn them and did manage to do so with leaving them intact. Now, the whole fish is on the plate and it’s being very careful with eating as there are the bones to deal with. I managed to only get stuck once. It is a delicious meal although not everyone likes looking at a whole fish on a plate. We did small whole potatoes and corm as the sides. I don’t recall the brand, but Publix has the potatoes in a package that has a seasoning pack and they are done in the microwave in like seven minutes. You cook them, then stir in 1-2 TBS of butter and the seasoning mix until the potatoes are coated. They are excellent and easy to do.

D-Day To Remember……

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Someone should be running “The Longest Day” today; the movie that until “Saving Private Ryan” came along was arguably the premiere movies about WW II. I still prefer, “The Longest Day”, but that’s merely an age-and-time thing. I only have it on tape so will record it although I should just go ahead and buy the DVD. Anyway, by telling the story from both the Allied and German perspectives, there are intriguing points made (many historically accurate) and marvelous moments encapsulate the extraordinary day that shifted the war. Yes, it was almost another year (May 1945) before the war was over and thousands died in the battles following June 6th; yet that day was the “beginning of the end”.

The cast of the movie included virtually every major American male actor, a number of British ones, some German, and a few in minor roles who would later become iconic such as Sean Connery.  For those who need a quick history lesson, the planned invasion (Operation Overload) was indeed the largest force assembled in modern history and there was always the issue of crossing the channel at the narrowest point – the logical approach – or taking a greater risk of selecting another path. The German defenses were formidable and in deciding on the riskier Normandy option, a major deception campaign with multiple pieces was developed and launched; all designed to reinforce the belief that the invasion would occur near Pas de Clais. In the movie, as events begin, that continues to be the core issue. When paratroopers make their mostly successful drops (despite the horrific cost at Saint Mare d’Eglise) and members of the French Resistance play their parts, a few German officers draw the correct conclusion. In one of the memorable lines, a highly placed German commander says, “No, no; Normandy is a diversion. The invasion will come where it has always been expected.” He does plan to shift the reserves German tank battalions (Panzers) as a precaution. This is denied by Berlin. Would the outcome have been different had the Panzers been added into the fray? Perhaps; perhaps other factors would have offset that.

In any case, there is another scene I can watch endlessly. The order is given to launch the Allied forces and there is a shot of the armada moving through the pre-dawn hours. On board one of the Navy ships, the Captain stands with one of his officers, looking at the blips on the radar screen. He says something like, “The biggest armada the world has ever seen. You remember this; you remember every bit of this. The world is going to talk about this day long after we are dead and gone.”