A Diversion Excursion July 11, 2008

Wrapping up parking lot duties by mid-afternoon, I set about in pursuing plans made the previous night - hanging out and catching up with pal Joelle and grabbing some grub somewhere in Cape May. As plans unfolded, the additions of "Sambo" and the somewhat M.I.A. "Oscar" made for an overall interesting rendezvous. I retrieved Oscar in front of the Wildwood Bowling Alley, finding him in an animated and garrulous mood. Eager to share with me his victory in a bowling match against a relative, I attempted to focus my attention on driving as opposed to Oscar's insistent gesticulations.

I admit, it's been a wee bit stale without Oscar as of late as he never fails to leave some form of impact on those he comes into proximity with. Dealings with Oscar are best described as establishing the proper quantity and baseline for interaction. No Oscar leads to a less "colorful" life (ha!); too much leads to madness and insanity (boy, do I know that firsthand!). Regarding this instance, I can attest that his presence did not disrupt.

While listening to the latest banter from Oscar regarding his renewed ambitions in claiming his "royalty and castle" later this year in England (read past blogs for more background on this if you're a "layman"), I managed to find "Sambo" out front of his workplace, awaiting my arrival. After lumbering into my car with his usual "vim and vigor", off we sped to Cape May to meet up with Joelle and her young'un, Frankie. I found both mother and child in front of the 7-11, ready for the main event.

Joelle tailed my car into the tourist trap that is Cape May, joining me in a seeming fruitless quest in obtaining a parking spot. Cape May is considered the "crown jewel" of New Jersey, being host to unique Victorian architecture as well as a number of other attractions. As a beach resort, Cape May is charming and distinctive but overrun with throngs of visitors to the point of distraction. I like Cape May and its genteel atmosphere, but when I am with car, the onus involved with securing a parking spot is considerable.

Despite these obstacles, I managed to scout out such a spot in the remote section of town, something of a distance from the town center. I have no issue with walking several blocks myself as I do not eschew exercise - but with Joelle and her toddler on in tow, I wanted to minimize factors of inconvenience as much as possible.

After wandering through the crowds on Cape May's notorious pedestrian mall, we meandered towards our designated dinner destination, "George's Place". I had never managed to dine at this longtime mainstay of Cape May, and had anticipated a decent dinner. This as well as finally meeting MySpace pal Nikos in the flesh. Unfortunately, the crowds and our timing had denied us the option for eating at George's Place. However, after more than a year of MySpace exclusivity, I did manage a hasty "meet and greet" with Mr. Nikos (very nice to meet you in person by the way) with the assurance of getting together for a beer sometime in the near future.

After exiting, we collectively shuffled back into the crowds seeking a suitable substitute for dinner plans. This is no easy feat in Cape May as most eateries tend to cater to the "well heeled" crowd, of which we are not. Some consideration was given to having dinner at Dellas 5&10, which features a recreated soda fountain counter and cheap causal offerings. Though the novelty was intriguing, Oscar and Joelle were insistent on seeking out something else. Efforts of which landed us at The Lemon Tree, close by. Once consensus was reached and we settled in to eat, Oscar went into a mindless rant addressing what he construed as a flimsy "fast food" atmosphere, not up to his snuff. This was surprising as Oscar is the last person I would expect to express any conscientiousness about his diet (I have seen him gorge on bags of marshmallows in between meals).

Despite his stance, his objections were stifled after our meals were served - which did have the ring of "fast food" to them, albeit of a "higher class". Joelle and her son Frankie managed a simple meal of a cheesesteak and "PB & J", of which she claimed was one of the best of such she had ever sampled. I never discount Joelle's comments on matters of food as she is an excellent cook bar none and fastidious to a hilt. Sambo seemed content enough with his selection, though he did lob a complaint about the exorbitant price of orange juice. As Frankie played with his sandwiches, Oscar hungrily dug into a seeming endless bucket of French fries - apparently content and satisfied to finally stuff something into his mouth. Dinner was served.

Just prior to closing time, we headed out onto the pedestrian mall back towards our cars. It was a simple, uncomplicated, and enjoyable time with little of the usual zany side effects that typically ensue as a result of such get togethers. I don't get many opportunities to truly enjoy the summer pace here at The Jersey Shore - but tonight was definitely a rarefied exception. Cheers.