W-a-a-ay Over the Top in Florida

One of the reasons that I love South Florida is that it is very different from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where I live most of the year. Florida is more exotic, more urban, more international, and more sophisticated. In many ways, its customs and attitudes are over the top of what I consider to be the norm. But it makes life interesting and is not a bad thing.

Here are some random items I noticed this season:

 An enormous bottle of Chivas Regal on a tipping frame at the pro shop of a golf course. When you pay to play, you are offered a free shot.

 My neighbor wearing an animal print outfit getting into her little black sports car with her Yorkie and Chihuahua. When I asked if she was going to the dog park, she said, “Oh, no, hon. I’m still in my pajamas. I’m just taking the boys for a ride. Then I’m going to Dunkin’ Donuts drive thru for coffee.” It was 11:30am.

 Sparkles and sequins on every top for sale at Anthony’s Women’s Apparel.

 My beauty parlor, Salon de Soleil, the size of a supermarket.

 No gray hair on women in my over-55 community.

 Dogs in strollers. Five-foot tall pink birds.

 Constant beeping on the six-lane roads. Just this week a power outage blackened the traffic lights. Very scary! This caused even more beeping.

 Thirty-six restaurants in one mile of Atlantic Avenue in Downtown Delray.

 Live entertainment for every event. I believe that Florida is where old entertainers go to work. Joey and the Gigilos and Neil Zirconia among them. We saw an excellent show by a Platters tribute band.

 Grand entrances to communities that are gated, lighted, landscaped, fountained, and bedazzled.