Labor Day Weekend

I’ve had the opportunity to travel a lot, and I love food...for the most part. A shining exception is sea food. While I love almost everything about the coast, I never get excited about going to a nice seafood restaurant. Because my parents love seafood, I've spent a lot of time in them-eating whatever chicken or steak dish they have as a non-salty option. Don't get me wrong, I've tried the fish, I just don't like it. Occasionally I allow myself to be talked into a bite by some well-intentioned friend who thinks they can prove how wrong I am in not liking the stuff. Sometimes I'm not in the mood, so I don't try what they offer. I confess, I passed up a chance at caviar because I didn't think I could keep it down. My roommate at the time ate it, and from her face, I was glad I'd passed.

That being said, I have nothing against others eating whatever of the sea's bounty they fancy. On our way out of Rockport last weekend, we stopped at the Boiling Pot-a Cajun style sea food joint. I ordered a PB&J, and watched in awe at what the others were served:

The waitress brought a huge stainless bowl out and dumped the contents on our table. I thought it made a rather nice still-life. I wish I had captured the faces of some of my companions. I am not squeamish about food that still looks like it's alive. Some in our group certainly were. Others went straight for the mallets and dug into the crab, or started peeling shrimp. As I downed the sandwich and chips in front of me, the picture above turned into the one below:

I think everyone left the meal satisfied, though some more than others. Personally, I was much more satisfied having spent most of the day playing soccer, volleyball, and as follows...

Oh how I love the beach! If only I weren't peeling...