A Good Day

I previously posted a description of an extremely bad day in my life. In the interest of equal time, I thought it might be interesting to describe what a good day in Terri and my life would look like. A particular day came to mind that did not relate to weddings, births or other positive life events. The day I will describe has occurred many times while on vacation.

This particular day occurred during one of our vacations to North Carolina. We love the time we spend along the Outer Banks. Sunset Beach , an area just north of Myrtle Beach, is a favorite vacation location. The beaches are wide and flat, the seafood is great, and the golf courses are plentiful. The day I remember most was the last day spent on one particular vacation about 3 years ago. It is also the last time we were there.

It started how all days do while vacationing in Sunset Beach. We played golf. We always rise early to get a good tee time, so we were probably on the first hole by 8:00. There is very little competition for early tee times in a resort community. I suspect that we played The Pearl, since we usually save that challenging course for the end of our golf vacation. Since we go off early, we usually walk off the course around 11:00 AM.

From golf we always go to a local breakfast stop called the Sunrise Cafe. We always have breakfast there since Terri loves their strawberry pancakes. By the end of our vacation, the waitresses know us. I normally get a bacon omelet. It is not on the menu, but I asked and they supplied. I guess that non-menu items do not have preparation standards because their omelets contain more bacon that I have found anywhere else. I suspect the next time we are there, bacon omelets will be on the menu and will contain only 2 strips of bacon. Nothing stays the way you remember it.

From the restaurant, we head back to the condo we rent while in Sunset Beach. A quick change into swimwear prepares us for the beach or the local pool. On this day we decided to just lay about, nap and read on the beach. We rarely swim in the ocean, preferring instead to walk in the surf and enjoy the cool sea breeze. After a couple hours there, we return to the condo to clean up and get ready for the evening activities.

Each evening while in Sunset Beach, we have dinner at a restaurant in Calabash, North Carolina. Calabash is a small town with a reputation for good seafood. The myth goes that Jimmy Durante stopped in Calabash while on the vaudeville circuit and was served by a local waitress he named Mrs. Calabash. From that point forward, he recognized her on his radio program by saying good night to Mrs. Calabash. Jimmy was far before my time, but I do recollect his signature sign off.

On this night we probably went to the Grapevine and had their huge crab cakes. We might have gone to the Seafood Shack, or one of several bay side restaurants. The food is always superb and comes with local recipe hush puppies and a cole slaw that contains dill pickle for a distinctive flavor.

We finished our evening and vacation with a stop by a local ice cream parlor. We sat on the front porch of the establishment in rocking chairs, eating our ice cream and watching the sun set over Sunset Beach, NC. I remember my thoughts at that time. I thought how much I liked it there, and wondered when I would return. We planned to return the next summer, but did not due to health issues. We did not return this year, opting instead for a trip to Destin with my brother and sister in law. So there is always next year. One thing is a certainty. We will return.