The AirBnB flat we are staying in is very nice. Perfect for us. The room has a painting of a house that is reminiscent of Southernwood as well as a painting of a toy poodle, a teddy bear and a golliwog. The poodle looks like Jiffy Pop and the Golliwog reminds me of one I had as a kid. Golliwogs are probably considered racist artifacts now but when I was growing up didn't see it like that. Our Sea Scout ship was named The Golliwog and we never thought about it. We were an all white ship to be sure but we would never have excluded anybody who was black had they wanted to join. It's just that our black friends were in a different realm, musical, mostly. I don't know. It's a very difficult concept for me.

Poodle and Golliwog

Dinner with the Freds and Desmonds

We ate dinner at the Burger and Lobster which has three dishes: Burger, Lobster, and Lobster Roll, each coming with chips and a small salad. We sat at the bar and found the bartenders fun and entertaining. We will probably go back despite its chain status.

We then went and met Des and Fred and families at an Italian place for dessert and then we all walked down to another restaurant where Chris and John and co. were eating. It was explained to me that there would be a difference between these two families since Fred and Desmond's were drinking age and the others were not.

We had Pam along with us and she walked along with the rest of us sometimes leading the pack. She seemed to be thrilled to be able to spend the time with all this family, young and old. She is very forthright and let's us know exactly what she needs. However, I still admonished the others not to break her because I had assured her community we would bring her back in one piece.

It was great seeing the whole family together. Tami and I sat down with Carly and Tracy and caught up with them. Chris and John had a kids table set up and the kids were having a great time. Pete loved seeing Will and was hanging on his every word. Jane greeted us all with her great big smile. And Fred sat down at their table next to Ben and picked off of his plate. I played my new one string guitar cane for them and they were thrilled.

Max, the oldest boy in his generation (like me), is on leave from his post in the Marines in San Diego. He had gone to Shoreditch the other night and suggested we go back because there were good pubs there. So Desmond, Freddy, Tami, Max and I took a cab over there and went to this place called The Blues Kitchen. This place was essentially a bourbon bar and had a vast selection. They had a vintage bottle of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel from the sixties. I ordered a shot. There wasn't a shot left so she gave me the remainder as a sampler while they went downstairs to look for another bottle. They couldn't find one, so I may have finished off the last of the 1960s bourbon. It was worth it, rich and smooth. I wound up getting an Alberta Dark Rye and Tami got a martini. I have never seen someone take so long to make a martini.

The blues band that was playing was called Soul Sacrifice and they were really good. While I was ordering my Rye they played Billy Cobham's Stratus, one of my favorites. It was an amazing version. They ended the night with Santana's Soul Sacrifice and it really was all that. The drum solo was sublime and the keys and guitar following it shredded. Max kept trying to get me to ask them to let me accompany them on my one string cane guitar but it really wouldn't have added anything.

Soul Sacrifice at the Blues Kitchen