Friday Unwind #1: Top Gun, Shrimp Cocktail, Holiday Flying
And a Summer Read Recommendation
This is where Friday meets you on the way to life’s little pleasures. Reviews, recommendations, thoughts, and your comments to share with multiple generations.
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🏍TOP GUN
In 1888 Henry Graves’ completed his Victorian style home on Pacific Street in Oceanside, CA….just five years after Oceanside became an actual ‘place’. It was painted brown and remained that way for nearly 90 years.
It has changed hands more times than I have fingers.
In June,1985, Paramount Pictures found and rented the little (now blue) cottage for two weeks. The film? Top Gun.
Fame is Fleeting…
By 2001, the Top Gun house was listed on “The Most Endangered List of Historic Resources”. Nearly demolished, the house was saved by an agreement between the Oceanside Historic Society and a new resort development company. The house was restored and on May 20, 2022, the Top Gun house reopened its door as a little retro restaurant, the High Pie shop.
“Top Gun” is a lovely beach walk from where I live. Climbing on the replica motorcycle brought back memories of Tom Cruise riding up to the porch to see his love interest, ‘Charlie’.
Here are a few more pictures…clockwise from top left: The Henry Graves home, completed in 1888; The Top Gun House, restored, 2022; Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis in a scene at the house; Your author on the replica motorcycle.
💬 Have you seen the Top Gun movies? I loved the first Top Gun, but I must admit Top Gun: Maverick was an adrenaline rush.
🐟SHRIMP FRESH FROM THE BOAT
Harbor Pelican (my favorite fish place) perches atop the rock lined harbor in Oceanside, CA. Their fishing boat bobs below. Call there around 8am and they’ll tell you what they caught the previous night.
Shrimp. Hooray! Fifteen minutes later I had my catch, packed in ice for the walk home. Shrimp cocktail sounded about right. Here’s how I make mine:
Boil salted water. Add a little fresh lemon juice if you like.
Drop in the shrimp. Cook, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes. No more.
Have a bowl ready with ice covering the bottom. Put the shrimp on the ice, then cover with more ice. Let them chill for about 20 minutes.
Using scissors, snip each shell along the top ridge and remove it. Some people like to leave the tail on. I don’t.
Remove the brown vein. (ok, not really a vein, but I’ll leave that to you to google) Gently make a slice along the top of each shrimp, then hold it under cool, running water and scrape it out.
Make your cocktail sauce. About 1/4 to 1/3 cup ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon cream horseradish, 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce. More or less of each, to taste.
Dip and Repeat!
💬 How do you like your shrimp? Do you have a recipe or idea to share?
✈FLYING ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND
Last week a good friend watched her plans to visit her son and grandkids evaporate. She got the dreaded 11:18pm text telling her that her United flight had been cancelled. Her only option offered by the airline? Rebook 6 days later. Not an option for her. ✈
Four days ago my son and his family got a similar text. Cancelled. His option? Travel 5 days later. He got it down to 4 days. Not sure that helped. They got stuck in Dallas. Hello Airlines…..these people have jobs and scheduled vacations. Please be kind.
My little 50 minute flight from Phoenix to San Diego hit a 5 hour speedbump. I caught the last train 🚅 up the coast and walked the mile to my condo in the dark. But at least I got there the same day.
AP Reporter, David Koenig, reported that United CEO, Scott Kirby flew on a private jet from New York to Denver on June 28th while United cancelled 750 flights that day. He did apologize.
💬 I just have the experiences of those I know. What have your experiences been with travel recently? We’re off to Indiana later this summer, so I’d love to get your thoughts!
📕A SUMMER READ RECOMMENDATION
I’ve been at the beach for two weeks, so a summer beach⛱ read seemed like just the thing for me and my Kindle. Thanks to a recommendation by Alisha Ramos on Downtime, I devoured A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan.
Lea Mortimer is an experienced consultant who transforms dilapidated French country estates into boutique hotels. She is single and outwardly successful.
Her cousin, Stephanie is in the throws of a wicked divorce, so Lea takes Stephanie and her college age daughter with her to the Loire Valley to finish her latest assignment. Life becomes complicated as Stephanie falls for the estate owner, Alain, and Lea secretly falls for the owners son, who is twelve years her junior.
An inheritance war and secret betrayal complicate the story, as Lea realizes that she may be jeopardizing her entire life in addition to a broken heart.
I love reading all kinds of books and sometimes, a romantic summer read is just the thing. I stayed up until 1am finishing A Perfect Vintage. For you Kindle users, you know how the bottom right corner of the screen shows you the percentage you have completed? Well, when you get to something like 82%, you just have to keep reading to the end! I blame my late night on that wicked Kindle feature!
I hope you enjoy this fun summer read. You can pick it up here on Amazon. ( I do not receive a commission 😁). There’s also some French Music to listen to while you read, courtesy of the book launch.
Wherever you are, I hope life is sunny. 🌞 ❤ Heather
Whatever your generation, if you’d like a little sweet retreat where Friday meets you on the way to little pleasures…..I hope you will Subscribe to After 21 Club. You’ll get a little treat in your Inbox each Friday.
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