Life and Island Times April 9 2016

Marlow’s pal, Vic, and his brother Spike are leisurely heading westward on long forgotten blue highways between the Imperial City and Kokomo. They are on a Mission From God. Their assignment is to ferry a 67 year old car, Rambling Rosie, of their father Raven’s design to an American Motors Museum. At a top speed of 60 MPH downhill, they figure this pilgrimage will take two or more days.

Rambling Rosie at the Good To Go Marathon in Friendsville MD (l) and
covered with April snow somewhere in West By God Virginia (r) Copyright 2016 Vic Socotra

W and Marlow had no such lofty mission assignment other than to feed themselves last night. They chose to eat at a place they hadn’t supped at in years – La Te Da. This combo lounge, restaurant and boutique inn had undergone an ownership change several years ago. Its restaurant and lounge operations suffered as the new owners found and fixed the many underlying staff and building issues that had gone unaddressed while LTD’s original owner’s health failed.

LTD poolside view (l); “best crab cakes ever” (r)

OMG! OMG! W had the best crabcakes ever in her life, while Marlow’s Lacquered Duck was superb. All served with aplomb by Matthew at a poolside table. They tarried over coffee while a new singing trio played to a SRO packed crowd inside the LTD’s newly renovated lounge. Ever seen a mosh pit of aging boomers gyrating to disco and soul music? Fortunately there was no crowd surfing.

As they exited the place, they came upon this one of a kind voiture – a 1934 Auburn Speedster.

W and Marlow, car fiends that they are stopped to walk around it to assure themselves they weren’t dreaming. They both recognized the shiny creased tubes, which Deisenberg Company’s owner Cord registered as a trademark. Neither of them had ever seen this model in person – only in magazines.

Marlow admitted later that he snuck touches on the tubes and the old original leather seats.

What brought this whole karmic car thing full circle this morning was during their meal delivery route in Bahama Village in the Old Town section of town. The homes and government owned apartments are humble in comparison to places like LTD. Almost all of their clients were hungrily waiting to dig into today’s pork roast, dressing, gravy, peas, homemade apple betty and cookie meal.

Typical dilapidation in Bahama Village; today’s Cooking With Love meal

They were passing the above boarded up house when they spied this “car.” Fred, Barney, Wilma and Betty were nowhere to be seen.

Copyright © 2016 From My Isle Seat & Vic Socotra – somewhere out in carland