Luckily Florida is mostly a rectangle, so if you drive in one direction long enough you will either be driving towards or away from water, and I knew this was on the ocean side. I got us to the town in question, but at a major intersection I could go north or south. I decided to bet on north, and luckily, after about ten or twelve intersections I was rewarded. Both my mom and my daughter in the back seat started to say that things looked familiar. At the next traffic light we all were sure. I found a parking spot after driving a few blocks and we got out and started to check out the shops. It's a great place for window shopping.
There was a puppy store, plenty of nice restaurants, a cool-looking art supply store. We got to a corner and I was ready to cross the street when my mom said, "Well, that's that." "That's what?" "That was it." It was the art supply store, which was closed on Sunday. I was floored, because this wasn't what I was expecting, but I quickly shifted gears and we turned around and picked one of the restaurants for a late lunch.

After lunch we checked out the puppy store, which was open, and I escaped without an overpriced tiny dog, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out against the combined puppy love exhibited by my mom and daughter. We got in the car and I headed for home. I was feeling pretty happy with how things worked out. The store wasn't open, but we managed to find it and now we could go back when it was. I know the location and a way to make my mom happy.
As I drove out of the shopping district I heard from the back seat, "Oh!" "What?" "I thought you were going to stop." "Where?" At one of those things that I did." Wait a minute ... "You mean a historical marker?" "Yes." I was floored. Again. Had I been right all along? Was that her original objective? Or were there two? Is this just proof that as "right" as I may get what she is trying to say, I will always miss something? But I just smiled and enjoyed the irony. After all, we'll be going back.






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