My alarm went off at 8:00, and my first thought was, “Why does drinking always seem like such a good idea at night?” Joe called shortly after that to make sure I was up. I told him I’d be at his house between 9:00 and 9:15.
I had two sausage biscuits and some milk, shaved, showered, packed a bag real quick with suntan lotions, and a change of clothes, grabbed two beach towels, and was on my way to Joe’s by 9:00.
When I got to his house, we were standing in his kitchen, and suddenly heard a noise behind me on the floor, as if I’d dropped something. Joe said, “Oh you dropped something.” I turned around and there was a french fry on the floor behind me. WTF??? A whole french fry, like from McDonalds. Well, we both lost it. It was the damnest thing. We joked about it all day long.
We talked all the way to Wilmington. We stopped for gas off an exit of I-40, and I ran in to use the restroom. OMG — it was so hot in there, and not in a good way. And I mean in the entire place, not just the restroom. They had no air-conditioning; all the doors were open. I’m sure if I had bought a chocolate candy bar and held it vertically, it would have just bent over.
The restroom had a huge vending machine on the wall containing the following:
|
Extra Lubricated Condom 50¢ |
Seductive Package of 4 Love Items 50¢ |
Rough Rider Condom 50¢ |
French Tickler Condom 50¢ |
I was particularly intrigued by the bolded item. First of all, I seriously doubt that anyone getting their sexual accoutrements from this venue is thinking of any of these things as love items. Second of all, for 50¢, of what items could this seductive package possibly consist? Beyond one condom and a tiny tube of lube, I can’t fathom what else might be included in this value pack.
Immediately on the other side of the bridge at Wrightsville beach, we pulled into the Trolly Stop.
Trolly Stop
94 S. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach
(910) 256-3421
The Trolly Stop, a beach tradition since 1976, offers hot dogs in a surprising array of choices. How about a Surfers Hot Dog with cheese, bacon bits and mustard? Or go Nuclear with mustard, jalapeno peppers and cheese on your dog. Want something more traditional? The North Carolina Hot Dog is as Tarheel as they come with chili, mustard and cole slaw. Trolly Stop offers all-meat, all-beef Sabrett, nonfat or vegetarian (soy) options in their “dogs.” Other popular items include a black bean burrito and nachos with toppings. The Wrightsville Beach location is open daily. Their other locations are open Monday through Saturday at 111 S. Howe Street in Southport, (910) 457-7017; and 103-A Cape Fear Boulevard in Carolina Beach, (910) 458-7557 (closed off-season); and in downtown Wilmington at 121 N. Front Street, (910) 343-2999.
We set up camp on the beach within distance of several pieces of eye candy. Call us shallow. After a while, we took a walk along the beach, toward the Shell Island resort, and once there, actually went in it. This is the resort at which Joe is staying next week with his sister and her family, so he was excited about seeing it ahead of time.
After about 3 hours, at about 3:15, we decided that we were roasting, and packed up. We thought about stopping by Costello’s for a Bloody Mary, but called and found out that they open at 7PM seven days a week. We decided to head directly back to Raleigh.
On the way back, we listened to three of my 10-CD collection of Soul Ballads, with the agreement that we’d listen to the first minute or so of the song, and if we didn’t both know it, we’d move on to the next one. It was fun. This is the collection that I bought in a weak moment as documented at the end of this journal entry.
Disc 1
1 Sexual Healing Marvin Gaye 4:03
2 Power of Love/Love Power Luther Vandross 6:44
3 Turn Off the Lights Teddy Pendergrass 5:55
4 Shining Star The Manhattans 4:41
5 After the Love Has Gone Earth, Wind and Fire 4:30
6 Baby Come to Me Regina Belle 4:12
7 Don’t Say Goodnight (It’s Time for Love) (Parts 1 & 2) The Isley Brothers 5:47
8 Juicy Fruit Mtume 4:33
9 Shake You Down Gregory Abbott 4:07
10 Me and Mrs. Jones Billy Paul 4:49
11 How ‘Bout Us Champaign 4:37
12 Always and Forever Heatwave 6:16
13 Betcha by Golly, Wow The Stylistics 3:18
14 Shower Me with Your Love Surface 4:56
15 If You Don’t Know Me by Now Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes 3:28
Disc 2
1 Reasons Earth, Wind and Fire 5:00
2 Lean on Me Bill Withers 4:20
3 You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine Lou Rawls 3:34
4 Can You Stop the Rain Peabo Bryson 5:04
5 Here and Now Luther Vandross 5:24
6 Make It Like It Was Regina Belle 4:02
7 Kiss and Say Goodbye The Manhattans 3:33
8 Best of My Love The Emotions 3:42
9 Have You Seen Her The Chi-Lites 5:09
10 Caravan of Love Isley, Jasper, Isley 5:43
11 Woman to Woman Shirley Brown 3:55
12 Cowboys to Girls The Intruders 2:36
13 Close Your Eyes Peaches and Herb 2:36
14 Let Me Make Love to You The O’Jays 3:40
15 When Will I See You Again The Three Degrees 3:00
Disc 3
1 Let’s Get It On Marvin Gaye 4:53
2 Cruisin’ Smokey Robinson 5:54
3 It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me Barry White 6:56
4 Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) The Temptations 3:50
5 Three Times a Lady Commodores 3:39
6 You Make Me Feel Brand New The Stylistics 4:46
7 You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song) Jeffrey Osborne 4:27
8 I’ll Make Love to You Boyz II Men 3:57
9 Save the Best for Last Vanessa Williams 3:42
10 On My Own Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald 4:49
11 Love You Down Ready for the World 6:29
12 Get Here Oleta Adams 4:36
13 Joanna Kool and the Gang 4:23
14 I Feel Good All Over Stephanie Mills 5:01
15 Ooo Baby Baby The Miracles 2:44
Disc 4
1 Being with You Smokey Robinson 4:06
2 Playing Your Game, Baby Barry White 3:37
3 Distant Lover Marvin Gaye 4:15
4 If Only You Knew Patti LaBelle 4:47
5 I Believe in You and Me The Four Tops 4:00
6 I’ll Be Good to You The Brothers Johnson 4:43
7 Just to Be Close to You Commodores 6:23
8 Special Lady Ray, Goodman and Brown 4:16
9 Love Ballad L.T.D. 4:35
10 Sweet Thing Rufus featuring Chaka Khan 3:21
11 Float On The Floaters 4:14
12 Stay in My Corner The Dells 6:11
13 In the Rain The Dramatics 5:07
14 Hey There Lonely Girl Eddie Holman 3:35
15 The Bells The Originals 3:01
Disc 5
1 I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) Otis Redding 2:58
2 Oh Girl The Chi-Lites 3:31
3 Something He Can Feel Aretha Franklin 6:19
4 I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) Michael McDonald 3:41
5 Through the Fire Chaka Khan 4:47
6 Miss You Like Crazy Natalie Cole 3:54
7 Let’s Do It Again The Staple Singers 3:29
8 Always Atlantic Starr 4:02
9 What You Won’t Do for Love Bobby Caldwell 4:47
10 Giving You the Best That I Got Anita Baker 4:16
11 If Ever You’re in My Arms Again Peabo Bryson 4:12
12 I’ll Be Around The Spinners 3:13
13 Sideshow Blue Magic 4:14
14 Nite and Day Al B. Sure! 4:00
15 Love Won’t Let Me Wait Major Harris 5:33
Disc 6
1 Close the Door Teddy Pendergrass 5:29
2 Just the Two of Us Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers 7:24
3 Rainy Night in Georgia Brook Benton 3:52
4 Sweet Love Anita Baker 4:25
5 One in a Million You Larry Graham 4:11
6 Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do) Aretha Franklin 3:27
7 Thin Line Between Love and Hate The Persuaders 3:24
8 Baby, I’m Yours Barbara Lewis 2:31
9 (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right Luther Ingram 3:34
10 Love on a Two-Way Street The Moments 3:46
11 Pillow Talk Sylvia 4:06
12 Hypnotized Linda Jones 2:37
13 Baby, Come to Me Patti Austin and James Ingram 3:37
14 Natural High Bloodstone 4:07
15 When a Man Loves a Woman Percy Sledge 2:51
Disc 7
1 Midnight Train to Georgia Gladys Knight and the Pips 4:40
2 Any Love Luther Vandross 5:01
3 La La Means I Love You The Delfonics 3:21
4 I Like the Way (The Kissing Game) Hi-Five 5:45
5 I’ll Never Love This Way Again Dionne Warwick 3:29
6 Groove Me King Floyd 3:01
7 You Are My Starship Norman Connors 4:32
8 Everybody Plays the Fool The Main Ingredient 3:21
9 Going in Circles The Friends of Distinction 4:14
10 Do What You Do Jermaine Jackson 4:27
11 I Do Love You GQ 4:47
12 Dream Merchant The New Birth 4:27
13 Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me Gladys Knight and the Pips 3:46
14 I’m Your Puppet James and Bobby Purify 3:02
15 Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) The Delfonics 3:24
Disc 8
1 Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) Freddie Jackson 7:13
2 Let’s Stay Together Al Green 3:41
3 Misty Blue Dorothy Moore 3:37
4 Come Go with Me Teddy Pendergrass 5:50
5 I’ve Got Love on My Mind Natalie Cole 4:21
6 She’s Gone Tavares 3:41
7 Tell It Like It Is Aaron Neville 2:41
8 Lady The Whispers 5:05
9 Lovin’ You Minnie Riperton 3:25
10 That’s the Way I Feel About ‘Cha Bobby Womack 5:11
11 It’s You That I Need Enchantment 6:03
12 I’m So into You Peabo Bryson 5:50
13 You Are My Lady Freddie Jackson 4:43
14 L-O-V-E (Love) Al Green 3:03
15 Sukiyaki A Taste of Honey 3:43
Disc 9 (Duets)
1 Put It On Paper Ann Nesby featuring Al Green 05:07
2 Don’t Look Any Further Dennis Edwards featuring Siedah Garrett 04:06
3 Hope That We Can Be Together Soon Sharon Paige and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes 03:43
4 Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell 02:16
5 I’m Gonna Make You Love Me Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations 03:10
6 Ain’t Understanding Mellow Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager 04:24
7 Endless Love Diana Ross and Lionel Richie 04:31
8 You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show) Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. 03:54
9 Reunited Peaches and Herb 04:02
10 Solid Ashford and Simpson 03:47
11 Tonight, I Celebrate My Love Peabo Bryson with Roberta Flack 03:33
12 Two Hearts Stephanie Mills featuring Teddy Pendergrass 04:42
Disc 10 (Duets)
1 It Takes Two Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston 02:59
2 Love Power Dionne Warwick and Jeffrey Osborne 04:36
3 A Little Bit More Melba Moore (Duet with Freddie Jackson) 04:57
4 Never Knew Love Like This Alexander O’Neal featuring Cherrelle 05:12
5 If This World Were Mine Cheryl Lynn with Luther Vandross 05:25
6 The Last Time I Made Love Jeffrey Osborne featuring Joyce Kennedy 03:08
7 Your Smile Rene and Angela 04:03
8 How Do You Keep The Music Playing James Ingram and Patti Austin 04:19
9 I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) Aretha Franklin and George Michael 04:03
10 Fire And Desire Rick James and Teena Marie 07:21
11 Where Do We Go From Here Stacy Lattisaw with Johnny Gill 04:19
12 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell 02:29
Back in Raleigh, after showering, Joe and I met at Lily’s to have pizza. When we got there, the line was out the door, there seemed to be no air-conditioning in the place, and I said to Joe, “It’s going to take at least an hour if we eat here. I’m not really up for that.”
We decided on Hibernian for their Fish & Chips. We had their Spinach & Artichoke Dip for an appetizer, and it, too, was out of this world. Yum. Yum. Yum.
We stopped at Helios, and Joe had a quick Cup O’ Joe. I had a Lindt Chocolate Ball, settling for a milk chocolate one, as they didn’t have the white chocolate ones.
Flex was just okay tonight. I wasn’t into it very much. We never got a pool table, which didn’t help things. The highlight of the evening was watching Happy Skyscraper trying to set up the ironing board that is used as a table to hold the CDs and such, and just breaking the hell out of it. She ended up jamming the legs up, and throwing it in the corner. I thought, “Uh-oh, there will be hell to pay when Tula Box arrives.” Drag drama!
I ended up leaving at about 10:30, and actually got to bed by 11:30. Yay, me.