Keep busy with things

I am finding in retirement that it is very easy to be complacent and sit around the house making  lists of all the things I would like to do and chores that I need to do.  But my motivation to actually do them disappears when I plop in front of the TV and see that one of my favorite Andy Griffith episodes is on. So, I find that I just need to keep busy with the small things...get away from the TV.

Last Sunday I decided to go to the surfing contest in Cocoa Beach. This is a National Kidney Foundation event that has been going on for years. I remember seeing Kelly Slater as a kid surfing, and Don "the Dragon" Wilson performing martial art demonstrations near the pier. I even saw Dave Mason and Sister Hazel play for free at theses events. This year I wanted to get some photos of the tandem surfing.

Tandem Surfing at Cocoa Beach Pier

 The waves were small and they were having trouble getting speed on the not-so-great conditions. I did get some photos of the tandem but there was lots of other scenery too. The professional women short board was going on and I caught a photo of one of the contestants.

The pink contestant waiting for her heat

 I love Florida! Apparently, lots of other people do too. I caught a photo from the pier looking south. The group was just as large looking North.

Some of the crowd at the NKF Surfing Contest

That was fun. I did stop by the Preacher Bar for another complimentary Bloody Mary. I talked with Stella again and showed her the blog. She took a picture of me holding my phone with a picture of her on it from the post. That is just too hard to explain!

On Monday, I had the privilege of having a beer with Reverend Jim. I have known Jim since I was a kid, he is the uncle to my cousins but I have always felt he was a relative to me too. Jim is 72 years old, a minister, and just recently was thrown out of Russia. Not to go into details here, but he has become almost a folk hero because of the event. Social media has embraced him. Here he is with his phone attached like a teenager. It is good to see him make use of the new technologies.

Reverend Jim Mulcahy

If you are interested in his story, just do a Google search on "reverend jim mulcahy russia". The Washington Post article should show up. His story is history.

Speaking of stories to be found, a group of us old farts have been going to Lou's Blues on Tuesdays for Happy Hour since the first week of January.  We use to go to Rum Island Grill but it closed down and was going to move. Us old guys could not wait so we had to find a new place. Of course, being regulars, we have gotten to know the servers really well. Meghan and Jennifer ("Sally") since week one, and Connie joining back in the early spring.  They know what we drink and expect us each week on Tuesday.

This past Tuesday Lou (the owner) was there. He knows a couple of the guys in our group and showed us on TV, that Connie was a celebrity.  Connie had been on the Bravo reality show Below Deck. I have included a photo here.

Connie on Below Deck

 Looking into her past, I also found she was a pretty great surfer when she was younger. Maybe she still is but she is pretty quiet at the bar. I have included a photo of her winning a contest at Sebastian Inlet about ten years ago. There were over 100 entries. Not bad Connie...

Connie on her pink board at Sebastian Inlet

Usually we have just a beer or two on Tuesday. I asked my friend Mac Monroe if he wanted to meet down at Hell n' Blazes Brewing Company, a new place in downtown Melbourne. I wanted to have a flight of their beers for dinner.

Six ounce glasses at Hell n' Blazes ($8.25 for the four)

The place is huge but they do not serve food. They do have a delivery service for food and you can call Chumley's next door for a quick delivery. Mac got a cheeseburger and fries from Chumley's. It looked good but they did not give him a fork or salt. I said why the fork do you need salt?

Just part of the large Hell n' Blazes Brewery

The place is supposed to be haunted. It previously was the Christmas Store but I guess it has a long history. In 1898 it was a Hardware Store, Bank and Mortuary.  You can read about it along the walls. I did not make it back to the game room but I hear it is really nice.  Everything is new and clean.  I have included a bad photo of the beer menu...

Beer Menu at Hell n' Blazes

If you are interested, they have a nice web page with lots of photos at http://www.hellnblazesbrewing.com/

On Wednesday, I went in search of lunch and found out that the Mexican Restaurant El Indio has closed. So I went further into Melbourne and found a place called Bar Refuge. It is located on Henley, just above the Cuban Restaurant El Ambia. They call themselves a Bohemian Eatery. What the hell is that?

My server/bartender was Trevor, all the way from Arizona. We chatted some and I asked him what he liked on the menu.  After some discussion I decided on some appetizers. I ordered the tuna poke which has sushi-grade yellow fin tuna and I had it lightly seared.  They mix it with avocado, Maui onion, little red things, and a citrus soy sauce.  It was delicious.

Tuna Poke at Bar Refuge

I also ordered the Refuge Tots, covered with Sloppy Joe and cheese sauce. It was served in an iron skillet and was very tasty.  The sloppy Joe meat was a true compliment to the tater tots. Bohemian!

Refuge Tots with Sloppy Joe and cheese sauce at Bar Refuge

Let's talk about the little red things in the tuna poke. I took a picture of one.

Little Red thing

I asked Trevor what they were. He said they were a miniature red pepper. When I got home I found them on the internet...

A jar of sweety drops

Here is a description I found:

Petits Poivrons, also known as "Sweety Drops," these small, tear-shaped peppers originated in the Peruvian Amazon, where it was brought back to the Gandules Inc. headquarters in Peru. Here, the growing and cultivation process was perfected over a period of two years. Also known as Incan Red Drops, Petits Poivrons have a sugar-like sweetness and work well in salads, paired with cheese and charcuterie, pizza or pastas, or even in baked goods. This is a unique type of pepper that grows in the Highlands of Peru. Its exceptional taste is both sweet and sour. 

There you have it. I give the Bar Refuge a 3 (great) and I will be back so I can become even more Bohemian. Again, what the hell is that?

Keep busy world....I know I am trying to...