The Day I Had (Originally Published 21 Nov 2008)

 

I wandered through the city, bundled up against the chill winds.  I kept my course straight down Atlantic Avenue, taking my usual route directly to the rail terminal.  As I got there, I heard the train's whistle announcing its arrival as well as the imminent arrival of Miss Patti to my island.  I walked over to the vending machines by the food kiosk and got my usual V-8 and waited for her to disembark.  I watched, through the glass walls that look into the Atlantic City Convention Center, the latest conventioneers, all dressed in suits and on their mobile phones.  It was some sort of League of Municipalities or some such organization.  The movers and shakers of our fair state, I guess. 

I saw Miss Patti enter the terminal and she saw my V-8 and demanded a taste, which I happily obliged.  We bundled up for the cold once more and walked out of the station and down the steps.  We crossed over to the Sheraton and made our way up and over the earthen embankment that lines the entryway to the Atlantic City Expressway, built to block the sound.  We crossed the busy avenues, the ones you buy in Monopoly; Arkansas, Baltic, Missouri and down to Atlantic where we went shopping for new pots for Miss Patti's new abode, wherever that may be.  It seems they are tearing down her hobbit home at the end of the year and she needs a new place to call her own.  The latest city to gain her fancy is that dry little town of Ocean City.  I've lived there before.  It's way overrated.

We did the aisles, pricing the wares and shooing away the overly helpful staff.  We both reminisced about the now defunct kitchenware store that used to be in Somers Point.  When you shopped there, half the fun was trying to figure out what the hell the tools were for, some of them resembled things you'd find in a sex shop! 

We decided to get coffee so we meandered through The Walk to that overpriced purveyor of java, Starbucks.  We ordered our particular versions of Joe and sat by the window watching the shoppers and talking about all the things we usually talk about.  We then stopped by the exquisite culinary restaurant, McDonalds, and used a coupon to purchase our lunch, two delicious sandwiches for the price of one!  She ate half of hers and I finished off the rest.  We then looked at what they laughingly refer to as the nutrition listing on the back of the placemat.  I would suggest you NEVER, EVER look at that travesty of information they have the nerve to publicize.  It's scary!

It was time for her to go to work so I walked her down to the Jitney stop and we waited on the shady side of Pacific Avenue, in the cold, for the bus to come along and whisk her away to work. 

I walked through Bally's Hotel and Casino, making my way through the walkways to Bally's Wild Wild West and then to Caesars finally getting to The Pier.  I purposely took the stairs instead of the escalators, some of them three stories high, just to keep myself in shape.  The Madonna afterparty is on Saturday and I needed to work off those McDonald's calories I consumed with Miss Patti. 

I made my way to directly to Souzi, the sushi place on the restaurant level, to see my friend Philip (formerly known as AE, as my AOL Café readers will note).  We chatted a bit about the upcoming Studio Six opening and a few other things and I turned and looked out the picture windows where I saw the most spectacular view of the city and sky.  I just HAD to go out onto the boardwalk and see it in person so I made my good-byes and dashed through Caesars and down the steps to the boards and proceeded to walk west, into the sunset and towards home. The clouds were flying over my head going south and the sunlight was streaming through them, glistening off the Atlantic Ocean.  I was reminded of a painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and I could almost see the figure of God, his outstretched hand extending a finger and giving life to Adam, to all of mankind.  It was a beautiful sight, and were I one to believe, I would have been moved to sing a hymn or two.  I think I may have hummed a few bars of "Day By Day". 

I strolled ever so slowly home drinking in the heavenly vision above my head knowing that, although they may say they have "big sky country" out west, you can't get any more sky than what I have over the mightyAtlantic!

Once home, I went right to my room and sat down in my Morris chair and finished watching "South Pacific", contemplating what to have for dinner and so very full, spiritually.

With my mood being ever so depressed as of late, this is exactly what I need.