Nonetheless
the saying “there's no free lunch” applies even down here in the Land of
Eternal Sun. A classic example is the “Early Bird Special” (EBS) which roughly
means that right after breakfast you start getting ready for dinner. EBS menus
have customer-friendly dinner prices that knock off a buck or two from the
meals in order to lure in those of us on Social Security. “Having cocktails”
has become an evergreen all around the country and most certainly is a fixture
down here where the bar bill gobbles up what few dollars are saved on EBS,
plus, plus.
When
the sun goes down most of us retreat to our little hideaways to turn on our
television sets to check the weather up north. Schadenfreude kicks in for a few
minutes followed by hours of gloom because television series re-runs dominate
the airwaves. It could be far worse of course since most of the new prime time
viewing is simply terrible. Re-runs of oldies are generally the best of what
used to be better. And still is.
Florida
is often derided as “Heaven's Waiting Room” because so many of us are
senior-seniors. So be it. Most of our old gang on the upper side of the
Mason-Dixon line are also senior-seniors living in retirement homes afraid to
go out because of bone chilling cold. At least down here the nurses have
suntans.
With
all the talk of Health Care in Washington, D.C., we Floridians share the
perspective that television has the answer for most ailments. Products for
every conceivable sickness flash by our eyes night after night. Especially if
you are suffering from erectile dysfunction which some say make up 40% (others
say 80%) of the TV commercials.
Hang
in, dear reader, for eventually Spring and then Summer will come your way. And
then, when Florida becomes a white hot furnace for us, you may well have The
Last Laugh as you bask in your glorious weather.
Best,
Charles
