The "So Glad I'm at the Top of the Food Chain!" Story

Carol with her bib.

It was an ordinary day.  On our way back from Cape May to our vacation condo in Ocean City where the rest of the family is probably still on the beach.  Carol and I spend a day in Cape May every vacation to enjoy the day "off" by ourselves, without the noise and commotion of  the kids and grandkids.  Cape May is a 20 minute ride from Ocean City heading south on the Garden State Parkway to Exit "0".  The town is row after row of Victorian houses with ornamental mouldings around the porches and roofs. Houses of Williamsburg colors with shutters that actually were used at one time, line the narrow streets.  Close to the center of town is a shopping area that at one time had beautiful large trees down the center of the mall.  Tree roots eventually started to destroy the water and sewer lines under them and had to be destroyed, replaced with seating, fountains and a few new trees.  Antique stores, art galleries, restaurants and a variety of clothing and gift stores line both sides of the mall.  Carol and I park, pay for the parking ticket and head to the street for browsing.  One of our all-time favorite streets to shop anywhere.   Purchased a new flag for the front of the house, a new glass sun-catcher and a glass flower holder that you can stick on a window with a suction cup.  Neat purchases that we found in a few of our favorite stores.  Then, after two hours ....... it's off for lunch at the Lobster House.  The restaurant is one of the most famous in Cape May and we managed to get a seat right along the water where we could watch the fishing and leisure boats pass by as they enter and exit the harbor.  Any guess as to what we had for lunch?  Yep, we each chose the 1 1/2 pound lobster, broiled with melted butter, baked potato with sour cream and more butter and home-made cole slaw.  The salad and freshly baked loaf of warm bread arrived soon after our glasses of freshly brewed ice-tea.  Then Sally, our waitress, arrived with the lobster bib for Carol.  I chose not to have a bib, since it makes me look silly.  Makes Carol look silly also, but she  wears one because she claims she needs it to protect her from the mess I make.  Then the main meal arrives!  Somewhat sorry to know that only minutes ago our lunch was swimming around in a big tank in another room of the restaurant.  So glad that I'm at the top of the food chain!  I needn't tell you if we enjoyed lunch or not, do I?  I will tell you that we do this only one time a year.  Not sure my system could stand the pound of butter and sour cream more than one time a year.  Left with a full belly as we passed the 37 1/2 pound lobster caught in 1987 that is mounted and hangs on the wall of the lobby.  We have looked forward to this day for a year, and just as quick as that it is gone.  Oh well, there is next year and we will enjoy it as much next year as we did this year.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.