Wednesday, March 20, 2013 – Cocoa:

            I don’t know if the Sea Gods were taking pity on me or showing their displeasure at my saying “never say never,” but thankfully, we couldn’t ride our bikes to the grocery store because the sky was dark gray with huge, puffy white and black clouds over a black horizon, and it was pouring rain!  We even had thunder and some lightning.  The weather actually made for a great day of being able to do nothing but be extremely lazy!

            We tried to take advantage of the lazy part, but there were breaks in the weather that allowed us to do things like wash all the cat towels.  I believe we have mentioned before that we had the brilliant idea to cover all the settees and chairs with towels when we weren’t in residence and at night to protect them from kitty cat hair, “etc.,” and it was time to put them in the washing machine.  So that was one accomplishment. 

            We were going out to dinner with some boat neighbors, so we straightened up the boat.  I finished reading a book (Love in the Time of Cholera), which was an excellent book but not an easy read. 

            We discovered another boat neighbor who lives on an old wooden Grand Banks Alaskan who lives near Annapolis!  Bob chatted with him for a long time, but he is moving here so not interested in joining our Grand Banks club. 

            I have to marvel at Missy Mouser again.  She doesn’t seem to mind anyone coming over and visiting us anymore, and last night she came right up to our neighbors when they came over, and then she decided to play “Lions of the Serengeti,” and charge and leap all over the boat running inside and outside at full speed.  What a character!  Our neighbors also have a cat on their boat, and we spent a lot of time swapping cat stories.  For some reason (maybe all her recent playful activity) Lucy has become a monster-eating machine, and I realize I am going to have to buy more cat food when we “ride” to the grocery store.  I can just imagine the consequences if I ran out of her favorite cat food!

            After drinks and an h’or d’oeuvre last night, we walked over to the Black Tulip Restaurant here in Cocoa.  It was a fabulous restaurant, and we had a great meal, and some interesting conversation.  We weren’t always on the same page, but you learn to listen to other people’s opinions and ideas without being judgmental and try to understand “where they are coming from.”  It’s an interesting exercise in broadmindedness and tolerance, and if more people in the world tried it, we might all get along better.

            Oh dear, I think it is going to be sunny tomorrow, and I will have to get back on that horrible bike.  I’ll let you know!