NealEnJoy – Page 2

Neal’s Post from the Past: “Sometimes I Get What I Deserve”

Posted on November 4, 2021November 6, 2021 by Neal Saye

Here’s an old post from way back in 2014 (when I was still late middle-age).

So today I ate lunch at Savannah’s hip Green Truck Neighborhood Pub on Habersham Street.

Here’s how the story went down.

As some of you know, I no longer bring meat into the house–it’s all vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds there. But I occasionally indulge while eating out. And for some some reason, today I had an all-too-powerful-to-ignore-or-resist hankering for a hunk of grilled meat. So I pulled up to the Green Truck, belly-ed up to the bar to avoid the table wait and ordered the Green Truck Classic Burger, described in their menu as “plain and simple as an old truck: lettuce, tomato, onion and our soon-to-be-famous house-made pickle.” (I added cheddar.)

Yum. No, double yum!

I kept furtively looking around to see if any of my vegetarian friends might have followed me inside. I was nervously poised to slam my meaty plate in front of one of the folks on either side of me at the bar.

Anyway, I savored every moment, every bite. (Do Not Tell Anyone About This! It’s Just Between You And Me.)

Well, when I finished, (and be forewarned, the rest of the story is probably TMI, so stop right now, if you like, and you will still have my burger story), I went to the non-gender-specific bathroom–I’m so 2014– before waddling back to the car.

There was the coolest retro sink inside.

And the typical cabinet.

But for some reason I glanced at the cabinet again …

… and thought, “I wonder what’s in that little cabinet? And if the contents are also non-gender-specific?”

(P.S. When inviting me to birthday or Avon parties, put some of those plastic child resistant lock things on your cabinets. I’ve never been able to figure them out.)

So, of course I reached up and opened the cabinet door. Wouldn’t you? No?! (I also opened a door in a huge hallway in the Biltmore House in Asheville some years back, and a piercing alarm went off, terribly embarrassing my family and friends. Me? When things like that happen, I just try to go to my Happy Place inside and block out externals. There might have been an “Alarm Will Sound” notice on the door, I can’t remember, but really, how often would the Biltmores have changed the batteries?)

Lo and behold, an alarm of sorts also went off when I opened the cabinet door inside the Green Truck’s non-gender-specific bathroom. Here’s what was scrawled on the inside of the door:

I walked out of the bathroom beet red.

(P.S. II: I was so taken aback by the message that I completely forgot to see what was inside the cabinet. If someone wouldn’t mind, would you rush over to the Green Truck, pretend to have to use the bathroom, and snap a pic or two of the inside of that cabinet so I can go to sleep tonight? Thank you.)

Beautiful Savannah

I Love Our D.A.!

Posted on November 3, 2021November 6, 2021 by Neal Saye

My stomping ground, Historic District Savannah, is a lovely place anytime of the year. But D.A (Downtown Autumn) is especially beautiful—and comes in a pretty close second to our Azalea-d Spring.

On a stroll this morning, I decided to ignore the leftover Halloween displays and just concentrate on Fall. Here’s a sampling of what yelled “Hello there, look at me!”

Glorious stairs, leading Up:

Wreaths:

Boots:

Camellias (Savannah’s “cold weather azaleas”) ready to burst into bloom—and a few getting a head start:

Ralph:

Odds and ends:

A pink pumpkin:

A cool courtyard:

Two hanging baskets, who drew me close and whispered, “Please. Please. Get us outta here. Haven’t we grown enough?”

Loquats—a native Chinese fruit found growing More often than you would think in historic district courtyards and tree lawns.

And finally, our fair abode, which now seems sorta shadowy compared to all those others I walked by.

But what a beautiful D.A. we have here in Savannah’s Historic District. Thank you, Autumn.

T-Shirt of the Day

T-Shirt Tuesday: “If You Can’t”

Posted on November 3, 2021November 9, 2021 by Neal Saye

In the front window of Saints and Shamrocks boutique, Savannah

Solid advice.

Change

“Robert and …” #1

Posted on November 2, 2021July 19, 2022 by Neal Saye

A new blog category starting today.: pics I’ve taken of Hubby Robert and … well, just about anything.

Robert and a Waterfall

Robert, with a dash of visible frustration, in front of Toccoa Falls (on the campus of Toccoa Falls College), attempting to explain to me how to take his picture.

Monday Musings

Miles to Go

Posted on October 31, 2021November 1, 2021 by Neal Saye

After Forsyth Park Farmers Market-ing Saturday morning, Robert and I were walking home, minding our own business, when out of the blue, the Universe spoke to me again. (A fairly common occurrence these days.)

“It’s the end of October,” I thought. “Isn’t it a little late for hydrangeas to still be blooming?” But glancing up and down the row of bushes, I noticed that all the other hydrangeas were NOT blooming, except for this LONE, stubborn survivor.

I was mesmerized, the bloom just SO very June fresh.

“It’s rude to stare,” she interrupted my thoughts, a bit offended.

“Sorry, I didn’t meant to stare. But I’m floored to see you here when all of your … your brothers and sisters are … are less than alive.” (My awkward attempt to avoid further rudeness.)

“May I ask why you ARE still here?” I timidly wondered.

Her demeanor shifted, and she smiled the tiniest of smiles.

“I suppose you can, but I’ll let Frost answer for me.”

The woods are lovely dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost

I walked home with lively, renewed fervor in my step.

Humor

Rainy Days and Mondays

Posted on October 25, 2021November 6, 2021 by Neal Saye

“Rainy days and Mondays always get me down …” 🎶

Wait!

For a moment, I forgot!

I’m retired!

Please delete all of the above quickly!

Before I’m offered a job!

(Sorry for the confusion,)

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Challenges, Joy in Nature

Cuts Can Be Comely

Posted on October 20, 2021October 20, 2021 by Neal Saye

Here’s my very first post celebrating BeckyB’s TreeSquare in her October PastSquare challenge. (You will find a link to the challenge below.)

I usually have a very uncomfortable “Yikes” visceral reaction when I think about the word “cut.” But not recently when walking the lovely fall Habersham Woods Garden Tour (here in Savannah).

This stately old Live Oak actually had her beauty increased by her multiple cuts. Don’t you think?

Oh, what Mother Nature can teach us!

Daily Squares: Theme – Past- Hosted by Becky at the Life

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Photography 101

Solitude & The Absent Smile

Posted on November 7, 2014November 6, 2021 by Neal Saye

Yes I admit it, I’m an optimist. Pollyanna’s a very good buddy. We took tap dancing together.

What I mean is I’m USUALLY a somewhat cheery person. But not always. A while back, I underwent a fairly unpleasant medical procedure. (I’m a big baby when it comes to anything that hurts at a .5 or higher on a 1-10 pain level.)

Here I am in the waiting room, reading about blogging:

Finally I was called back to the procedure room but had to wait in solitude quite a while. The doctor was running behind. I got bored and started playing with the IPhone’s reverse camera capability:

I looked at these pictures, grimaced at their muted and otherworldly haziness, realized I wasn’t smiling–and started to delete them.

Then it hit me.

Get real, Neal. It’s okay not to smile. It’s okay to be muted and hazy … and to be by yourself for a while.