Dan Antion

My Happy Place is Back – #SoCS

The perfect lime wedge.
My Coworker

It’s Saturday, so we are gathered are the bar. Cheryl has a surprise for us and Linda, well, Linda G. Hill always has a surprise for us when she brings us her Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. This week, she gives us:

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘check/cheque/Czech.’ Use one, use ’em all, use ’em any way you’d like. Have fun!

I checked, and she’s offering bonus points if we use all three.

If we were having a beer, we’d be doing our happy dance.

“Hey boys, welcome to Cheryl’s place. Please help yourself to some hand sanitizer and join me at the bar.”

“You mean in the bar, Cheryl, right? As in our corner table in the bar.”

“No, David. I mean at – the – bar, as in park your butts on a stool and join me at the bar.”

“Whoa, check that out, Dan! That’s a lot of Plexiglass.”

“You guys can take either end or the center. We need to leave room between parties.”

“Well, I want a stool between me and Dan. No offense intended.”

“None taken, David. It will give us a place to put the pizza you’re buying.”

“Boys, boys, don’t start. I mean, you can start drinking, but don’t start arguing, besides, you may not want pizza today.”

“How does it feel back there, Cheryl?”

“Like I’m in a fishbowl, Dan, but I’m getting used to it.”

“Can you get a Corona under there? It looks pretty low.”

“Draft glasses slide under. Drink glasses are no problem. Coronas and other long necks have to be tilted, but I haven’t spilled any beer yet.”

“Sweet. Shove the lime all the way in and give yourself a little extra room.”

“Thanks Dan. These are clean gloves.”

“I will be easy, Cheryl. Slide a glass of John Howell’s bourbon under there along with a snifter of seltzer and a glass of ice – all shorties.”

“Coming right up, David, there’s even room for some cherries.”

“Those cherries look different.”

“Old Smokey – Soaked in Tennessee moonshine.”

“Special for me?”

“As far as you know, David. Actually, they were a gift from our distributor.”

“Still, I’m honored.”

“You guys are so easy to please.”

“Cheers David.”

“Cheers Dan. Now, please tell me that you finished your bookcase.”

“I did. I haven’t moved it into the house yet, but it’s done.”

“Why is it still sitting outside?”

“So the smell from the stain and finish can die down. Also, because I’ve been working on the shed, and I haven’t felt like doing anything else after that.

“It has been hot. How far did you get?”

“The two sides by the fence are done.”

“I saw the pictures you’ve been posting. I’m surprised you fit between those walls and that fence.”

“Thanks.”

“I do have a question though.”

“Shoot.”

“In the past, you’ve wrapped the walls in Tyvek. This time you’re using tarpaper. What gives?”

“Felt paper.”

“Tomato tomahto, Dan.”

“No, felt paper is impregnated with asphalt, instead of tar.”

“Yeah, yeah, now you’re the one being pedantic. Can you just answer my question?”

“I didn’t have enough Tyvek, and it’s over a hundred-dollars a roll. I had a full roll of felt paper left over from the garage job last year.”

“It works the same?”

“It’s a shed, David. It’s not like I’m ever going to put heat in there.”

“Speaking of heat, can I add some fuel to this fire?”

“I could use another beer, Cheryl, this one went down fast.”

“And you can add a splash here, too. I wouldn’t mind another one of those cherry-bombs, in case you have them handy.”

“The rules say I have to give you a new glass, so I guess I can add new cherries.”

“Why a new glass? I’m the only one touching it.”

“Do you want more bourbon?”

“I do, I’m just curious.”

“Well, I stopped being curious about the State’s regulations, it was giving me a headache.”

“I understand. I’ll take the bourbon and when you’re ready, I’ll take the cheque.”

“You’re paying?”

“I am, Dan, but, unfortunately, I have to leave a little early. A family thing.”

“I thought the benefit of this lockdown was that there aren’t any family things.”

“It’s a get-together on Zoom.”

“David, I’ll give you the WiFi password, you can Zoom from here.”

“My wife might hurt me if I do that, Cheryl.”

“You didn’t hear about the special, you know, the reason you don’t want pizza today.”

“And that would be?”

“Well, we’ve been adding comfort food to our takeout menu, and Andrej, one of our new cooks, made his Czech grandmother’s stroganoff.”

“Let’s see, if I lean my phone up against the glass of ice…yes, perfect.”

Note: Don’t worry. I’m not taking any chances with my health. If you notice, the bar is fairly empty during my visit.

Plexiglass, in a very nicely detailed frame, separates the customers from the bartender.
Down there is a larger lounge, and the doors to the patio.
Let’s not dilute the bourbon.
Beef Stroganoff. This is a dish I will try almost anywhere.
These are the double Rose of Sharon bushes, now in full bloom.
I guess that’s why they call it Bee Balm.
Bee Balm.
The Rose of Sharron add color to our perimeter check.
It’s a tight squeeze, but this was very close to the top.
The last piece of siding for this wall.
Done! Next, I move onto sides where I have some room to work.
“It’s OK, bunny. We won’t bother you.”
“Let’s Limber up, guys. Those other birds are going to be tough.”
“Hey guys, eat up. As soon as the field dries out, we play ball.”
We’ve had some stormy nights lately. We’ve been walking early to beat the heat.
“More schmutz on my deck. What’s going on here?”
I have a broom on the porch, but she wasn’t in the mood to wait.
MiMi is trying to figure out what Maddie is up to.

68 comments

  3. I have a Zoom meeting this afternoon too, Dan. The best bookshop in South Africa is closing down. It was the place where all the Indie and other authors gathered and so we are meeting to try and make another plan for the future. Very sad. I loved looking at your pictures as always.

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  4. Ha ha ha ha I did wonder how you were going to fit all three words. Well done! Love the look at the bar! I am sitting on my balcony, the weather is gorgeous but we’re expected to get hit with another heat bomb. So I will enjoy this for the moment.

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    • Yeah, our next heatwave begins tomorrow, although it’s going to be 92°f (33°c) today – I remember when we would call that a heatwave :(

      The bar is looking pretty good. I’m still trying to get there between the waves of customers. No sense getting sick for a beer.

      Enjoy the balcony while it’s safe to sit outside, Pam. Stay cool.

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  5. I had to come by and check to see that you had gone to the bar this Saturday – pandemic or no pandemic!
    It’s looking like you’re having great weather. We’ve been rained on a lot thanks to that Tropical storm that breezed past us on its way to Texas.

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  6. Don’t you find the large variety of choices to provide employees a clear plastic substance between them and customers interesting? This one is quite classy. I saw a shower curtain on a rod suspended from the ceiling the other day while another place has a plastic drop cloth suspended from the ceiling with small squares cut out for business here and there. Creativity is interesting. Maddie is going to be wishing her deck had a cooling coil underneath it for this week’s weather forecast. Stay well, and you may get a couple of days rest until this heat moves through. Stay well.

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    • The owner had only recently remodeled the restaurant, so he had the same guy come back and do the plexiglass frame in the same material. It really does look nice. I understand the need, especially for the bartender. She has nowhere to go as people are eating, drinking and talking.

      The package store I visit has the shower curtain. The Chinese restaurant we like is sealed up like Fort Knox – they actually build a box with two doors to deliver the food. They put it in one door and then you can open the outer door and take it out. It’s crazy.

      I am at a good stopping point on the shed. I may wait out this next heatwave in the garage.

      Stay cool – and stay well.

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  7. What a beautiful bar, and what a classy way to protect bartender and customers. Great job on prompt!

    Rose of Sharon are beautiful and your Bee Balm seems to be living up to its name.

    Maddie looks quite content, schmutz and all. Somehow I don’t think MiMi is watching Maddie. It’s more likely she’s watching for you and your camera !

    Hope you and the Editor pace yourselves these next few days. Lots of heat/humidity in the forecast. Is this what the song means, “Those lazy hazy days of summer”? I think we’ve gone far beyond that! Lol!!
    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    • The bar is pretty snazzy, Ginger. I hope they aren’t looking for a better class of customer ;-)

      Maddie and I walked, we might sit this morning, but the afternoon sitting spells are off the table for a few days. I will be working in the garage, not outside, for a few days, but I’m taking today and tomorrow off.

      MiMi had been cleaning herself before I took that picture. Then I rubbed her head. Then she cleaned it again :(

      Stay safe and try to stay cool. Maybe one of those tropical storms will work its way up here and blow this heat out to sea.

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  8. The bar owner did a nice job with the plexiglass barrier at the bar, as did you with using all three of Linda’s prompts. I imagine the plexiglass added a measure of comfort for you in regard to safety, but it had to seem a bit weird…unlike the stroganoff, which looked delicious. My breakfast waffle pales in comparison. ;-)

    Stay cool, Dan. We’re in day one of a weekend heat wave – heat index around 100 today – so I think I’ll stay inside and brush the cats. Happy Saturday!

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    • They did do a nice job. It ties in very well with all the recent work. It’s a little weird because there’s a lot of reflections. It’s hard to see the bartender.

      I see that you’re sending that heatwave to us. I’m staying inside, either with the AC or in my garage.

      Take care, Mary. Try to stay cool.

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  9. Nice look to the bar, Dan. I didn’t realize the the moonshine cherries were a real thing. Who knew? I loved seeing your usual cast of characters in the photos, but my eyes were drawn irresistibly to the beef stroganoff. I need to get out more. :)

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  11. So much to love in this post. Wow. Your bar looks great. Ours are back to being closed down. Again. Still. Nice to know that Florida is one of the three New Yorks….Maddie and the schmutz…she is so cute. And MiMi…Your girls are a riot. Glad you are taking a break from the heat. I had all these grandiose plans for us to paint our garage and our screened porch. By ‘us’ I mean husband, of course. We decided that was just nuts–it is too hot so we are getting a quote to get a bunch of painting and pressure washing done by a pro. Husband just exhaled. :D Have a great weekend, Dan.

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    • I am covering everything in vinyl and PVC so (hopefully) I never have to paint again. The only bars that are open are the ones inside restaurants, and the capacity is limited at 50%. We were supposed to go up to 75% last week, but after seeing what happened across the south, our Gov put the brakes on.

      They did a great job renovating the bar. The top of the plexiglass is a little low (it cuts across the TVs) but it’s not too bad. I hope you’re having a good weeknd.

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  12. Great trip to the bar, Dan. You did Linda proud! The bar looks great, the framing of the plexiglass makes it look more intentioned which makes it feel cozy. We still have a few blooms on our Rose of Sharon, but not like you have. It has been hot and humid, here.

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    • Thanks Maggie. Hot and humid seems to be the rule here. they did a really nice job on the bar renovations. The place really looks nice. The Rose of Sharon plants are suffering in the heat. On Tuesday, there were almost as many blossoms on the ground as on the plants.

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  13. I’m surprised you could work in that narrow space. The job looks great. I love the Rose of Sharon. The bar looks terrific. I have to wonder about the long neck tilt. I guess it will work. MiMi is sweet. I don’t blame Maddie for being a little put out over the deck mess. Super post, Dan

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    • The deck mess was left over from the thunderstorms – not my fault – I swept the deck before taking her out this morning. I took a picture of the long neck tilt today. It’s a tight fit, but it works. Tall wine glasses do not. The bartender puts the glass under, stands it up and then pours the wine from a small carafe. I’m not sure how their arms bend that much, but…

      Working in that space was a challenge, John, but I put the shed there, so I really couldn’t complain. I am very happy to be out of there.

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  15. Hang on… moonshine soaked cherries? I. Am. Afraid… I know you must be over-joyed to have your favorite place back, Dan. Or what qualifies as “back” with the Covid-19 Apocalypse. Great photos. TDS isn’t working well enough for me to click through the slide show, so I couldn’t make out all the captions, but great photos just the same. Hugs on the wing.

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  17. That’s a pretty sweet looking setup at the bar. As a ‘bartender’ it almost seems a little safer in some other ways. Your projects are always so impressive. A bunya, a bunya! 👏🏻👏🏻. Easy Maddie. The kitty is in the regal position. 😉

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  21. Hooray, the bar is back! Moonshine soaked cherries- oh my! Glad you’re making progress on the shed. Looking forward to seeing the bookcase, once it dries (which might take forever in this heat!) Your flowers are so pretty, Dan.

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  22. Yay – you nailed it for bonus points and the bar earned some too! Their plexiglass is quite fancy looking. Way to work up a thirst outside by working on your shed in the heat. I’m looking forward to seeing your bookcase too. Stay cool and safe.

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    • I wish I could trade bonus points for degrees, I’d buy myself down into the 80s. It’s just miserable here today, Shelley. I looked at the pictures of the snow you posted and dreamed about walking behind my snow blower. No working outside today, and probably none tomorrow or Tesday the way the forecast is looking. Cheryl is OK in her fishbowl and the bar patrons are being respectful of necessary distance. As long as that holds, I’ll keep going,

      I hope you have a good week.

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