Monday, June 30, 2008

Delray Affair and Kanapaha Botanical Gardens aka Where in the World is Jackie! March 31, 2008

Wow! This was a huge weekend for the soap biz. I double booked shows on a weekend of my biggest show of the Spring. Yes, it's been Spring in Florida since January!

My parents did the smaller of the two shows up in Gainesville (where the Univ. of FL is located) at the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. I took the big three day show in south FL with 250,000 customers. We did ok at the G'ville show--my parents had a good time and some of my buddies checked in on them and made sure they weren't working too hard. BIG thanks to Jay and Kathy for helping to load the vehicle and to Lynn for taking down the tent.

The show down in Delray Beach was not as big as it was billed--I think it has been a couple years since we saw crowds of a quarter million people. BUT, it was great weather and great sales for Friday and Saturday. Sunday was a lot slower, so I missed setting a new Delray record, but, it gives me something to work for next year.

A couple interesting things happened down there. If you checked out my pictures, I posted a new one with a yellow lab laying down in a tent. That's Gracie Lou and her owner came out during a rain shower and let Gracie Lou off her leash while she spent 45 minutes and $600 buying earrings from the guy across from me. Must be nice to have a dog who doesn't run if she gets off the leash...and to be able to afford spending $600 on jewelry!

Anyway, Gracie Lou pretty much layed down at her master feet and just let the rain get her. She is a Lab after all--water dog. She would get up and sniff around and then go back to Mom. Eventually she wandered into the dry tent next door, settled down and groomed herself a bit and then layed down and took a snooze. Cool dog. Mom says she is actually a service dog to help with her seizures. So, Miss Gracie Lou is not only cool, she helps her Mom stay safe.

The other thing that happened was not actually cool. My friend Eve is going through a divorce and is evidently trying to find herself. It is kind of painful to see someone you have always thought of as grounded and self assured acting so reckless--like she has no self esteem and has to "paint it on" every morning. I can only hope she gets through this phase quickly, safely, financially secure and relatively painlessly before I loss my friend. I am one of three of her friends who are just trying to be supportive, but, boy did I want to shake some sense into her this weekend.

Wine consumed--half a bottle of reserve Merlot

Sangria consumed--1/3 a picture of red sangria homemade with Brandy. Yummy.

Best Restaurant (maybe the best ever for seafood) Phyllis G's Enigma in Delray Beach on US 1. OMG, the stuffed snapper was to die for...and that Sangria!

Miles put on van since Thursday 803.

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