Reluctant Rebel: September 2018

Friday, September 28, 2018

TRIP to the East Coast Part 2

We are currently in western South Carolina visiting Leon's mom and family. I must say we are not used to the humidity. My apologies to those blogger buddies who live here or anywhere in the Southeast...I don't envy you. Everything here looks so moist and moldy. Many of the deciduous trees look bare as if they are dying off and the very dark green oak trees seem to shed dead leaves all year giving the countryside an unappealing look. The Kudzu vine is, however, green and lush as it devours the trees upon which it grows.

Leon and I, and Benni too from what I can discern, are more than ready to return home. Yes, New Mexico is home. For all its shortcomings (lack of water and rain, every food smothered in green chili, ubiquitous juniper trees dotting the otherwise barren landscapes, the Italian bread void, and the intense, unrelenting sun), I think it suits us well.

I've noticed the stark difference in general friendliness of people in the East vs. those in New Mexico. I can say that I've become a friendlier person since living there and my overall mood has improved a great deal. I attribute it to the sunshine unobscured by dense forests or tall buildings.

Anyhow, that's where I'm at today as we prepare to head West tomorrow.

Having returned to some of our old haunts in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut, I am left with a weird feeling of having died and gone to New Mexico. Perhaps it is, as some say, the Land of Entrapment...going back East this time was both enjoyable and disappointing.

The weather at the Cape (Provincetown) was not ideal as we had several rainy, cloudy days. And the darn Achilles tendonitis (or more precisely, tendonosis) was like a constant thorn. It's going on 10 months now and physical therapy only gave me partial relief.

In a nutshell, walking the beach was excruciating...and I had to make it to "Boys Beach" (now "Boys Island" at high tide due to the re-configuration of the coastline after winter storms) which was over a mile from the parking lot. Call me a glutton for punishment, a masochist, a fool, but that is the gay beach and it is, to me, like Capistrano to a swallow.

And if I thought P-town was going to the wealthy two years ago, it has certainly gone over the chasm now. The "early bird specials" are few and run about $19+. Dinner for two, with beverage, no alcohol, with tax and tip will run a minimum of $56. Friends of ours were eating out every night...the Lobster Pot, Front Street, Ciro and Sal's to the tune of $70 to $80 or more for two.

Sadly out of reach for the common aging hippie or young gay person or anyone retired on a small income (me). Thankfully we had saved and as always go "cheap" at the campground and making most of our own meals. Even the Littleneck clams I bought for my homemade linguini and clam sauce were 50 cents each. I made it for myself when Leon went to dine with the Yankee Chapter of Lambda Car Club.

Anyhow, here are some photos. Not the greatest, but... (Having difficulty uploading and other technical issues, so in no particular order)