Last night my best friend and motorcycle riding buddy, Major Bobby Allen and his wife Darlene, invited Angela and me out to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) Emergency Response Team (ERT) awards ceremony and Christmas party.
The event was held at the Palm Beach Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Hall, and as a prank, they let me into the PBA President’s office to take a picture at his desk — boy howdy those union fellas have some nice offices!
It was a great night to be with our everyday warriors, men and women who are willing to put it on the line for our safety and security. And so this morning during a nice 5.5 mile run around our lovely PGA National community, I thought about the people who matter daily in my life — of course my family — but those unsung heroes who just make my day a little more special.
First, I want to pay homage to the men and women at the Original Pancake House in Palm Beach Gardens on Northlake Blvd. This IS my breakfast hangout and they always greet me with a smile and we have fun conversations. It’s so nice to just relax.
Also, a nice shout out to the folks at the Cracker Barrel in Riviera Beach at the intersection of I-95 and 45th Street. Being from the South, I grew up on Cracker Barrel and the atmosphere and food are like no other. One of the reasons I work out is so that on occasion I can enjoy a nice chicken fried steak, green beans, macaroni and cheese and homemade biscuits.
Another great gang who matter in my life are the folks over at Premier Cleaners on Northlake Blvd. A friendly smile makes your day when you enter this cleaners which is efficiently run and the quality of the work is impeccable. Plus I have fun have chatting about football and speaking to the wonderful young ladies from Central America who came here for the American dream is special.
A crew I don’t see daily but they make an impact is the Service Department staff at Schumacher GMC on Northlake Blvd just east of I-95. I have a 2009 Hummer H3 — yep, those progressive environmental chuckleheads really hate that (I guess they only believe in one kind of “choice.”) I love my H3, and so do Angela and the girls who drive it incessantly when I’m not around. So thanks to the highly skilled, competent, and friendly mechanics and staff at Schumacher who keep my Hummer, humming — see y’all this week, I’m due for service.
My favorite stop to fuel up the ol’ Hummer is our neighborhood Chevron station and convenience store at the intersection of Military Trail and Northlake Blvd. Not only do I get my gas there, but I get my favorite drink, a blue slushy drink, especially welcome during those hot Florida summers. They have new management and are upgrading the store but the attitude and demeanor of the crew does not need any upgrade. They are cool.
Lastly, I travel lots now and the safety of my family is very important to me. That is why I am so thankful for the men and women of Elite Security who guard our neighborhood here at PGA National. A special hat tip to Steve K and Michelle R who stand guard at the entrance to our subdivision. To everyone who stands guard at all the access points and do the roving patrol, I so appreciate your professionalism and attention to detail in watching over us and being the first line of defense for us all in PGA National.
So there you have it. Please share with us, who are the people who matter daily in your life, those everyday heroes?
