Far Far Away

When Meg is really, really tired, she can close her eyes and within seconds travel really far away to a more peaceful place. She wishes that she could do more of this at night, during the hours she is supposed to be sleeping. But she can't, so she tries to imagine her sleep deprivation as a special gift, like a magical way to quickly travel through time.

Wasn't sure where to drop Meg, as I too was feeling sleepy by the time early holiday work deadlines were through with me. Then I remembered iced coffee Thursday, and thought that might be just what I needed. I was on Powerline in Pompano and found a DD. Pulled into the plaza parking lot and was headed up there when an older white-haired man on a park bench told me I looked tired but that there was no DD today. DD was closed. Apparently, he'd come there for coffee too, but no such luck. He did find some caffeine though. I could see the steam rising from his Styrofoam cup.

There's coffee in there, he says, pointing to the door of a bingo hall. I just didn't feel up for the bingo hall coffee thing, though. I was imagining powdered creamer and thick coffee that had been in the pot for awhile. I coulda been wrong. I didn't really give it a chance. Decided instead to just skip the coffee. The coffee-drinking man on the bench told me he used to be a waiter in New York and never heard of iced coffee before coming here. He wasn't looking for iced coffee, he said. Just the hot stuff. He said a lady told him about iced coffee once and that he tried it, but it just didn't to make sense to him ... cold coffee. I used to think that too.

It was an odd little shopping center. There was also a place called New Mermaid House Restaurant and a hair place that I think was called Dominican Johnny's or something. But everything looked kind of closed up, vacant, and abandoned. I guess bingo was a survivor, or maybe it's a middle-of-the-day sorta place

I pulled out of my parking space and was nearly out to Powerline when I realized there was a pay phone outside the Mermaid. Pay phones are hard to find in this town. If you do find one, there's generally no receiver or it's all beat up and not working or only for international calls or something crazy. I don't use a cell phone, so I appreciate seeing a good pay phone now and again. I went back and left my tile at the pay phone. It probably doesn't work, but at least the next person who can't make their call will find a little surprise.