The Flat Tire, Exploding Bracelet, & Good-bye Dinner

During the pandemic from 2020-2022, a group of us gathered at the dog park daily around 2:30. It gave our dogs a chance to play with and hang out with other dogs and most of the time we had this huge park to ourselves.

Even now, we have a particular spot on the far side of the park that has three benches and a lot of shade and there’s usually a breeze. During the summer, shade and the breeze help to mitigate the scorching temperatures. During the equestrian season, the park is usually crowded during the morning and evenings, which was why we started going in the mid-afternoon during Covid.

The regular group consisted of Arlene, Estelle (during the season), Lloyd, Paula, Rob & me. We often talked politics – how much we disliked Trump and what he was doing to the country. But we also shared personal stories and were, of course, all dog lovers. We also got to be good friends. In fact, my book, White Crows, written during the pandemic, is dedicated to them. They helped keep me sane during the final years of the trump presidency. Now one of them, Paula,  is leaving.

Paula and her dog, Nala, are moving to Raleigh with Paula’s guy, Scott, whom she has been seeing for three years. So tonight the group met at Darbster’s, a vegan place that welcomes dogs, for a good-bye dinner. We also invited one of Paula’s oldest friends in town, Meryl, and her sister. We’d decided to meet at Darbster’s at 5:15. Lloyd made the reservation.

For us, the drive there takes from 30-45 minutes, depending on traffic. Around 4, Paula sent a group text that her car had had a flat tire on the way to Scott’s hotel in West Palm Beach and they were waiting for a tow truck. She suggested we change the reservation to 6.

Around the same time, Paula texted Meryl about the flat. Right around the time the text came through, Meryl was putting on a bracelet with lavender crystal beads that Paula had given her several years ago. It suddenly exploded. Then she saw Paula’s text about the flat and offered them a ride to Darbster’s.

The exploding bracelet is certainly an interesting synchro time-wise. But it also personifies how we all feel about Paula’s departure!

In spite of the flat, we met at Darbster’s with 3 dogs, around 5:30 and sat inside. It was the first time the group had met Scott. We all liked him. He and Paula are both Geminis, born the same day, two years apart. As an astrologer, I don’t see that kind of match very often.

So in spite of the flat and the exploding bracelet, it was a great celebration of friendship and camaraderie. When I hugged Scott good-bye, I told him that he was getting a very special person and he replied that he knew that. Lloyd told him to take good care of her and that he and I had awesome psychic powers! In other words, treat her well, Scott, or we’ll zap you with our psychic powers! Not quite true, but the sentiment shines through!

You’d better visit us, Paula! You and Nala will be missed!