We slept late. I went out for a bikeride and picked up some croissants at Giorgio's Bakery. It was cool, in the 60's, but the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky, and the beach was gorgeous. We ate on the patio outside our rooms at the motel. Andy & Neal left for a two-day side trip to the Keys. Marjorie and Jonathan dropped us off at Bess's and went on to visit friends in Coral Gables. When they returned, we all went out to Hollywood to Red Thai for dinner.

The food was spotty--some of it (duck with basil and chicken-onion quesadillas) was excellent, while other dishes were weak. Service was awful, and it was noisy. One Farklempt Star and no Bess stars. The one redeeming feature of the restaurant was the urinal, which had a strainer at the bottom to suit today's patriotic mood in America. Even Josie was unhappy with the restaurant.

..

She stayed up throughout the very long meal, but was easily soothed with a stroll down Hollywood Beach Boulevard, enchanted by all the flashing Christmas lights and café music. She charms all passers-by, who proclaim her the world's most beautiful baby, and I was able to pick up $6.75 in donations for the uvula transplant that she needs.

Afterward, we  went Afterward, we dropped Bess off and went out to Jaxson's for ice cream, where we waited in an endless line outside for what I think was very ordinary ice cream. These people could learn from New England about ice cream.