On Thursday I spent time on the RVillage website and doing e-mail related to the public launch that occurred on Wednesday. I also did some last minute housekeeping chores in preparation for Linda’s return from the great white frozen north.
The back parking lot at Satchel’s in Gainesville, FL.
At 4 PM John, Ali, and I went to Satchel’s in Gainesville, Florida for dinner. The word “funky” was probably invented to describe this place; it was unique, charming, and very bohemian. The service was excellent and the pizza was the best I have had at a restaurant since we went vegan in 2011. The crust was thin and cooked to a nice crisp. They had a pesto sauce option, a first for me, and a choice of three vegan cheeses! I selected the Daiya cheese because Linda has used it in her cooking and I knew it would melt well and taste good. Mushrooms, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes topped it off. The vegan pizza only came in a “medium” size, and it would have been pricey at $20 if it had not been so large. Two pieces made a meal and I took the other four slices back to the coach.
Satchel’s twin-engine fuselage. Most restaurants do not have one of these.
Satchel’s also makes their soda beverages from scratch. I had their ginger soda and it was outstanding. Made with real ginger, it reminded me very much of a “ginger beer” I had many years ago at an Ethiopian restaurant in Detroit, Michigan. I have wanted a repeat of that experience ever since but never found it until now. They also had a choice of two vegan cookies. I had the oatmeal raisin cookie. It was huge and very tasty. I saved half for Linda to have on the drive back from the airport.
The back entrance to the bar at Satchel’s in Gainesville, FL.
Linda sent a text message at 8:15 PM that they were shutting the doors on her plane and by 8:30 PM I was headed for the Orlando International Airport. The drive took two hours and I had just pulled into the cell phone parking lot when she called to let me know that she had just de-planed (15 minutes ahead of schedule). Ten minutes later she was in the car and we were headed back to Williston. We arrived back at the RV resort just after 12:30 AM (Friday).
The main bar entrance at Satchel’s in Gainesville FL.
We slept in Friday morning and when we finally arose decided to have an easy day and stick around the RV resort. The weather was picture perfect but I did not make any pictures. We went for a couple of walks, something we have both missed these last few weeks. We went to the fire pit that evening, as we usually do if we are here on a Friday or Saturday night. There was a big crowd initially, but it thinned out between 8 and 9 PM leaving us to chat with a core group of friends who tend to stick around.
Ali and John headed for the restraurant entrance at Satchel’s.
Saturday we stayed “local” as well. We did some grocery shopping at the local fruit and veggie stand and then went to the Winn-Dixie. W-D had several things on sale or BOGO, so we finally got our own W-D card. Up until now we have used the card of whoever was in line in front of or behind us. I spent much of the afternoon working on the roster and dues records for our FMCA Freethinkers chapter, of which I am the VP and Secretary. The positions do not take a lot time over the course of a year, but when they need my attention they can take up all or part of a day or two.
Now that Linda is back we are both eating better. She made a green bean quinoa salad and a lemony kale salad; both served cold and very refreshing on a lovely, slightly warm, late-winter evening.
John capturing some information about an upcoming live performance at Satchel’s.
With the change to Daylight Savings Time and the advancing season it does not get dark here until closer to 8 PM. The resort still has the fire pit scheduled from 6:30 – 10:00 PM, however, and there is a full group by 6:45 PM. We prefer our campfires in the dark and delayed going over for a while. We met a very charming couple from Quebec and another very nice couple with whom we shared mutual friends in Ed and Janet Roelle, the GLCC members who recommended Williston Crossings RV Resort to us in the first place.
By 8:00 PM the early arrivals start to leave the fire pit and a smaller group settled in for the duration of the evening. One of the friends we have made here, Meg, is getting ready to leave on Monday and head to Flint, Michigan to visit her grand-daughter who will be home from school on break. Meg stayed longer at the fire pit than usual and she and Ali spent time catching up with Linda. Meg got involved in rescuing dogs from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and taking them back to Canada for veterinary care and adoption. A whole network grew up around her and she was interviewed by CNN. One of the things we like about RVing is that everyone has a story, and some of them are very different from our own, and truly fascinating.
