People Watching
14 January 2010 | Vero Beach, FL
Beth / one layer weather!
Hmmm... Buses or Bars? They're both wonderful people watching spots.
We walked to the beach last night, searched out Waldo's - part of the Driftwood Resort across from Cravings on the main drag along the waterfront. The music was great - and the people watching was just about as good. Voodoo played great old rock music in a bar/restaurant that has seen its share of good times, I'm sure! Above our heads was an old tin ceiling, walls were wood and plaster and the decor was "beach" with shells and twine enlivened with lighting from Tiffany styled lamps. The bar opened inside and outside on the deck and beer was unquestionably the drink of choice. The place had good vibes!
With the exception of a few cruisers, including Cori and Eric (Further) and Frank (Melodeon) with whom we sat, the crowd seemed mostly local. How did we know this? Lots of hugs and kisses when people came in, some enthusiastic dancing, a "standing by the band" crowd instead of a "sit at the tables" crowd. There were some battered old hats, and interesting hairdos, and a guy with an instrument that seemed to be made of a board, a coke can, a string or two and a lighter that served as a fret. We never did hear it, but it was pretty neat looking.
We both loved watching the human interactions, listening to the music and drinking Island Lager with new friends.
This morning (Thursday) it was quite a lot warmer in the cabin when we woke up (13C) and as the sun rose, it got warmer still until it was a coffee in the cockpit with a book kind of a morning. Ahhhh...
Then I headed off on the bus to the library to use the internet. I can't pick up a good enough signal to use at the marina without paying for it and why pay when I can take a trip to the library?
Besides running into Pat and Wayne (Kolibrie) and making plans for meeting tomorrow for happy hour at a place they've found, I spent my time listening to the fascinating one sided conversation from the robust and friendly woman behind me. She kept up a lively commentary as we rode along - Banks and how they treat people, Ice cream parlours and her favourite flavours, thugs who elbow old ladies out of the way. A girl across from me was intently reading a college text on Accounting, a couple of fellows were doing the typical slouch with ipod plugs in their ears, and a lovely gentle young man got on with a sweet little girl in tow. Yesterday there was another young man with a child - equally warm and kind.
As I sit at the library table, there are a couple of 50 ish men doing a practice test for some sort of exam. I'm listening in shamelessly and think it must be a math test of some kind. The talk is of adding and subtracting and they are working hard at it.
Down the aisle, a very stylish 70 something lady is checking with the librarian on some topic or another. The easy chairs are filled with seniors and the computer stations have mostly intent younger faces at them. The signs around the room announce tai chi and calligraphy classes, Zumba Dance opportunities and book clubs and a valentine tea party.
Think of the opportunities!!