We had a perfectly lovely day yesterday. We had no plans whatsoever. I saw an announcement on the FB page for the condo complex here saying we could get a tour of one of the updated units. We decided before we did anything else, we would take a look. It seems the original management company may have led the investors to believe they were collecting money for maintenance and upgrades to the condos. It turns out that was misleading. The company was fired, a new company hired, a special assessment levied, and now the desperately needed updates are being completed as quickly as possible…which is to say, at a snail’s pace.
There is still a supply chain issue with furniture, appliances, cabinets…even paint due to the continued fallout from a number of factors, including covid and the untimely blockage of the Panama Canal, the war in Ukraine, resulting inflation…among other things. We walked in to view the updated unit and put on our masks as we were being escorted by an employee of the complex. As soon as he saw our masks, he launched into a political rant about the virus including some widely reported and debunked conspiracy theories.
I bit my tongue as he continued to harangue us with his beliefs about the legitimacy of the virus till I could hold back no longer and asked this maintenance man where exactly he had gone to medical school. I don’t like to throw anyone under the bus, but I felt his behavior was inappropriate at best and unnecessarily aggressive. I’m not a “snowflake”, nor am I what is derogatorily referred to as a “Karen”. But I don’t appreciate being berated by someone whose job it is to show us a condo and answer any questions we may have. I’m considering my options in this regard. That aside, the new updates are lovely and “beachy” and ever so appreciated. The work on our building is scheduled to begin in 2024.
When we were finished, we headed down the island…all the way to the ferry station on Hatteras Island. We stopped at the Blue Pelican Gallery and lo and behold…there was my friend, Jenn Johnson…owner of this fine establishment! She hasn’t been in the shop the last couple of times I’ve visited. We greeted each other like old home week and had a lovely chat as I filled my sale bag with the most beautiful yarns. Jenn has had some health struggles since I last saw her, and I was thrilled to have a few moments with just her and I…talking about God moments and how He works in our lives.
I would have loved to sit and knit and visit longer, but we needed to head back up the island. We ended up in Kill Devil Hills at Henry’s Restaurant for our one night indulgence of seafood. I had Coconut Shrimp…one of my all time favorites. Mr. FixIt had Shrimp and Scallops. We ate indoors with a respectable distance between us and the staff and other diners. This was only the second time we’ve eaten inside a restaurant since covid began and we remarked how totally weird it felt. Honestly, I believe dining out has lost its appeal to me. I know that would make Mr. Virgo sad because fine dining was his forte. I’ve gotten pretty used to the more frugal lifestyle unwillingly imposed by the constraints of the pandemic. I’d much rather cook a good meal at home with fresh ingredients. That way, I know what’s in it and how it’s been stored and prepared. And it costs SO much less.
It WAS Coconut Shrimp but I forgot to get a picture before I scarfed it down!
We both wanted a walk and some fresh air after dinner, so we headed back to Duck and walked the boardwalk along the marshy edges of Currituck Sound. We took several pictures along the way, but soon the evening chill began to creep in and we were ready to head back to the truck to get in out of the wind. Right then, we received a text from my dear friend Sue that there was some sort of issue at the White House surrounding a plane or something so we headed back to the condo to catch the news. Thankfully, it was a plane of errant skydivers accidentally off course. It didn’t look like we were going to have a spectacular sunset anyway.
Today and tomorrow look like our best bets to get some beach time and Mr. FixIt is chomping at the bit to get out there and do some surf fishing! I’ll take my knitting (and a blanket!) along with me and watch.
Two more sleeps and it’s time to go home already. It’s not fair how long it takes for a vacation to get here and how quickly it is over.
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“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,”
Ecclesiastes 2:24 ESV