Nantucket Nectar

(How it all started in the kitchen)

For the past week I have been stuck in a mood I call “off season.” For some reason, leaving Nantucket – even in high summer – always feels like the end, like you may as well put on some fleece socks and call it a day. Spending time on the island is always a healing nectar (better than saying balm or salve, LPD) for the haggish and restless, but this time around the serenity faded faster than WMVY-FM on the Sagamore Bridge -- smack dab in the middle of a perfect playlist, no less. But enough bellyaching. Thirty six hours** does not a vacation make but we made the most of every hour -- because that's just the way we roll. (Even during July 4th weekend when it's a total CF down there.)

Jimmy’s toast on the fast ferry over summed it up perfectly: “Hour one of vacation: Better than hour 35.” At the time, I thought I heard a curmudgeonly old gent in the row behind us grumble, “I’ll drink to THAT.” However, when I turned to raise my plastic cup of Pinot Grigio, I realized there was a golden retriever sitting behind us -- not an old man. After some careful soul searching, I now believe I was hearing the voice of Duke, the talking mutt in those Bush’s Baked Beans commercials – entirely in my head. I've definitely got a few wires crossed upstairs.



Nevertheless, let's roll that beautiful bean footage from last week:

Coronas on the beach * Lover’s Lane family dinner with flavah that was decidedly Dell'Olio * Cambridge Street victuals * Wiffle Ball out front, Shoes out back * Cameo’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party that bore an uncanny resemblance to this one * T-Bag’s sublime acoustic set * The Dirtfarmer’s shiny new tractor * Annie, me and the hair of the dog at the Tiki * Hanging out with Colleen again after two long years * Astro-lunch at the Rope Walk where there was no sign of Phil Donahue behaving like a complete jackass * The Straight Wharf warm up * Jimmy's & Kathy's dinner at Cinco * Auntie & Bags staying out late * "I’m gonna stick your face in some dough and make some gorilla cookies" * "Enjoy the beaver hats,….shithead" * Dreama recanting David Sedaris' tale of Mrs. Peacock and the monkey paw backscratcher * Coerced trips to the "wine cellar" -- "Dooo it! Why won’t you dooo it!"

** Clearly this footage is abridged as we were only on island for 36 hours. Please feel free to add anything I missed or have since forgotten.

More photos and inane captions:


(Thrilled to be in the same postcode as you, Cameo)


(What happens on Nantucket stays on Nantucket)


(Girls with curls and big long locks, and beatnik chicks just wearing their smocks)


(Ringers and leaners, but no rimmers)


(Crazy Mama & Cols)


(Ladies of the evening drinking booze and mingling)


(Lovely Essers)


(Jacksons on acid)


(Ebony and Ivory)


(Code Red is Red Hot)


(Sagittarius sisters)


("I'm not naked in this photo...no, no, really -- I'm not," says Peetah)


(A million thank yous to Tom & Dawn for putting the whole damn thing together)

NOTE: Sorry this post took f o r e v e r. Blogger is still having problems with photo uploading so I had to enter code for each picture manually. Really not my thing, hence the completely porked format. I hope my sentiment transferred OK. Good times, all. Looking forward to '07