Satellite Beach 2021: A Reality Show in Real Life
Thirty-five years is more than half of my life and yet, that’s how long my group of long-time friends have gathered once a year at the Paradise Beach Club Resort located at 975 Florida A1A on Satellite Beach, Fla.
It’s an older, but recently renovated, four-story condo building presently situated in a row of newer high-rise condos that are the true bane of most Floridians. And yet, my friends and I have returned year after year, for some all 35, to what has become a truly special place for our group. Rex Menasco, our high-school friend, first beckoned us to Satellite Beach as his mother Renate and step-dad Glenn lived in the Sea Breakers, another condo complex located down the beach from the Paradise Beach Club Resort.
The Paradise Beach Club Resort itself is comprised of privately owned condos that are rented out and filled up each year with our core group of friends along with their kids (who’ve matured throughout the years and brought their own kids), and additional friends and family members that have gathered year after year for this relaxing and fun time. We’ve had years where we have had upwards of 25 or more included in our group.
The May 23-31, 2021 gathering included core members Rex and Debi Menasco from Hammond, La.; Scott Schiltz from Safety Harbor, Fla.; and me – Mary E. Richard – from Longwood, Fla.; along with fairly recent newbies Greg Stevens, Tracy Snyder, and Nancy Calabro Stone, all from Lakeland, Fla. We also count local friends Eden Bentley (a best friend since 7th Grade) and her husband Vic Watson from Cocoa, Fla. in the core group. Over the past two years, we’ve also added local newbie Glyna Snap Rodgers from Melbourne, Fla. The “Locals” drive over whenever possible, to visit, join in the frivolity, and contribute and partake of our tasty dinners and rousing conversations and then return home each night.
Out of this years’ group, Rex, Scott, Greg, Tracy, Nancy, Eden, Glyna, and myself are all Lakeland High School Class of ’77 graduates. Eden, Scott, Nancy and I also hail from Crystal Lake Junior High School. Ironically, both Eden and I dated Rex in high school and, while we all wisely moved on to other romantic interests, remained close friends. Also, oddly enough, only the core members from LHS were in the same circle of friends during high school, but through various other gatherings, we have expanded into this particular tight-knit group of friends. We typically see each other as a group only once or, if lucky, twice a year including at high school reunions, group cruises, various social gatherings, or at the New Orlean’s JazzFest.
Day One at Satellite Beach with beautiful clear skies and plenty of sunshine. 
Pool time is a daily occurrence. 
The view from Condo 340’s balcony looking south.
The first order of business upon arrival at the Paradise Beach Club Resort is to locate a provided shopping or hotel cart to unpack your car. Because we typically stay for a week, and never go out to eat, it can take some time to unpack and haul everything up the stairs or via the old elevator to the appointed rented condos; this year being 340 and 226. Condo 340 was beautifully updated with granite countertops and dark cabinets and had nicer furniture and decorations. Condo 226 was more typical of those at the Paradise Beach Club Resort with its beach-themed furniture and décor that often hails from an earlier era and has experienced a few visitors over time. The inhabitants of the posh 340 condo were viewed as upper-class compared to those in the 260 condo (thanks Greg and Tracy for inviting me to stay in 340!). As it turned out, we all hung out more in 260 due to its layout and furnishings conducive to seating more people.
The condos all come fully furnished, however, the selection of kitchen essentials is what you’d find in a typical rental place – a collection of odd and mismatched silverware, glasses, bowls, and dishes, along with over-used pots and pans, often without available lids, along with older blenders, mixers, and the like. Therefore, throughout the years, we’ve hauled in extra wine glasses, bath and beach towels, bathroom essentials, beach chairs and umbrellas, pool toys, coolers, wines and other alcohol, themed decorations and lights, large pots and pans, special foods and spices, sharp knives, frozen or fresh local seafood, area delicacies, a special frozen drink-making machine, full bar set-ups, cleaning supplies, and so forth.
While we’ve always hugged and greeted each other fondly, this year’s embraces had more meaning due to everyone being locked down for most of 2020 and into 2021 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and pre-availability of the vaccine shots. We hugged each other much tighter and longer as we all truly missed seeing each other and needed connecting with close friends like never before. Sadly, and possibly due to the pandemic, this year’s group was the smallest gathering to date.
The week typically evolves with migrating between the condos to individually reconnect with one another as we fill every bar stool, chair, and couch in the living areas, relax together on the ocean-view balconies, hang out in lounge chairs by the pool, or camp down on the beach with everyone gathered around. Rex is truly “The Man” when it comes to setting up camp on the beach (and also during NOLA’s JazzFest). He is beyond insistent on hauling the vast majority of chairs, umbrellas, beach bags, and coolers, and staking out our locations. For this, we are all most grateful.
Throughout the week, the individual days lazily unfold with coffee or tea enjoyed on the balcony and breakfasts/brunch (depending upon what time everyone individually arises) that often includes fruit salads, yogurt, bread with cheese and sliced meats, bagels with cream cheese, lox and capers; cooked eggs, and even leftover pizza. Lunch is a casual affair with Rex’s shrimp salad and my chicken salad as traditional staples to make and eat throughout the week. There’s also sandwiches with fresh Publix bread, cheese and deli meats along with a variety of bagged chips; Debi’s homemade pickles, sliced watermelon, trays of veggies, bowls of fruit, or leftovers up for grabs.
Throughout the day, we slather ourselves with copious amounts of sunscreen and lie in the sun as we chat and often reminisce and tell stories from our junior high, high school, and college days, or mutually attended gatherings or other events. Our flow of conversation, crazy stories, and unending laughter often leaves me remarking how we would make a great reality show. Even strangers that we meet at the pool all marvel and seem envious when we tell them we went to high school together and that this is a yearly event. We also tend to naturally discuss and contemplate the day’s “Main Event” being that evening’s feast to be prepared by our cadre of amazing cooks. With a Publix Supermarket located directly across the street from the condos, a daily trip (who am I kidding??! multiple trips by multiple people) is quite commonplace.
By early evening, we are all freshly showered after hours spent in the sun at the pool or on the beach and gather in one condo to feast on a bevy of appetizers while dinner is being prepped and cooked by that evening’s chefs. This year’s appetizers included raw oysters (direct from Louisiana!), artisanal cheeses and crackers, conch salad, fresh chicharrones, chips and salsa, veggies and dip, and the like. Our dinners included Louisiana Creole Washday red beans and rice, paella, Mexican lasagna, shrimp fajitas, grilled steaks and chicken, roasted veggies, baked potatoes with all the fixings, rock shrimp, and expansive salads. Desserts included Debi’s just-made cobbler featuring fresh blueberries, my homemade passion fruit mousse, Tres Leche Cake, decadent and delicious Blue Bell ice creams including Moo-llennium Crunch, Southern Blackberry Cobbler, and Homemade Vanilla and even a box of Lindt mini-praline chocolates. To say we ate well throughout the week and had a ton of leftovers is an understatement!
Another tradition is taking one night off from cooking to eat a local treat – Bizzarro Pizza. Their large pizza is the size of a standard car tire and one pizza comes in two very large boxes that won’t even fit into a standard refrigerator. This year, we teamed our traditional visit to Ron Jon’s Surf Shop with a stop at Bizzarro’s for two large take-out pizzas – one with everything and the other with pepperoni. Rex went in to pick up the order as the remaining crew sat in the vehicle. We all laughingly took note that right next door to Bizzarro’s is The Red Leopard. Tracy Googled it and noted that it’s “a premier gentlemen’s club with the hottest women, the coldest beer and the best drinks in town.”
When, after some time and much joking, Rex finally returned with the four really huge pizza boxes that barely contained the two large pizzas, we, of course, accused him of “accidentally” entering the wrong establishment to pick up the order. After heading back and having our fill of pizza (and then some), it took three of us to cut up and stuff the leftovers into seven large Ziploc baggies which eventually got frozen. Greg feasted on it throughout the rest of our stay and there were even leftovers at the end of the week. Rex also made a special trip the night before his departure to pick up and freeze even more Bizzarro pizza to take back to their kids, Courtney and Andrew, who love this pizza and unfortunately, couldn’t make the trip to Satellite Beach this year. At least that’s what Rex told us as he may have once again mistakenly paid a visit to The Red Leopard. Who really knows? He’s always got a sly grin on his face like he’s been up to something for sure.
Throughout the week, we had amazing weather that was actually cooler and less humid than normal and an off-shore disturbance during the first days of the week left heaping mounds of seaweed on the shore and also attracted about a 100 surfers riding the unusually high waves. As most vacations go, many bottles of wine and beer along with White Claws (hard seltzer), Mezcal, rum, vodka, and Margaritas were consumed along the way. The Mezcal was featured on our Mexican-themed night topped with salts flavored with crickets and worms (gag worthy on my part), but consumed by the braver among us. Additionally, Scott proffered a large and pricier bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Caymus Vineyards which he saved for one of our last dinners. Also among the many bottles of consumed wine was a Zinfandel from the Quakenbush Mountain Vineyards. Only those in our core group smile when this wine is consumed remembering a welcome mat displayed for many years outside one of the condos that bore the owners’ name and read: “Welcome! The Quakenbushes.”
Our Mexican-themed dinner, decorations, and attire including sombreros for everyone proved a huge hit. Dinner included shrimp fajitas, Mexican lasagna, Margaritas, salsa & chips, and shots of Mezcal along with flavored bug salt for those brave enough to partake. It looks like it wasn’t a smooth shot for Scott!
What lies between the lines that I’ve written about the place, the friends, the food, and daily routine is everything that makes this group and yearly gathering so special. It’s about Tracy being the ultimate mother bringing a huge bag of homey essentials such as boxes of tissues, hand soaps, cleaning products, air spray, and extra toilet paper and paper towels and constantly cleaning behind everyone. It’s about Rex and Debi, the ultimate hosts, sneaking off to buy extra wine, special foods, and decorations right after they’ve discussed not buying anything more as we already have too much and our refrigerators and coolers can’t possibly hold anymore.
It’s about Scott pulling out fun sombreros, chili lights, decorations, and Mezcal to kick up our Mexican-themed night and everyone dressing in Mexican attire for the evening. It’s also about the constant discussion among the guys as to which White Claw flavor was the best…I’m thinking Raspberry won out…or was it Mango? It’s about Greg proudly announcing that he’s discovered there’s a White Claw Profile #3 featuring “Pineapple!” and later hysterically twerking after he’s done his best to taste all the flavors. It’s also about the excitement over a tower of White Claw getting stacked in a display at the front of Publix indicating it was probably going on sale for Memorial Day. It’s about seeing a bunny at the beach. It’s about everyone complaining about me insisting on taking photos around the dinner table each night and then raving about those very photos. It’s about marveling at the skills of the window washer amazed at his meticulousness in cleaning the condo windows utilizing an extension pole from the ground.
Furthermore, it’s about Debi racing to the upstairs 340 condo where I was prepping food to alert me that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket had just launched knowing full well that she was missing seeing a part of it herself. It’s about me making decorations to celebrate Nancy joining us after recently undergoing hip replacement surgery. It’s about watching turtles play in the surf and dolphins swimming by from our balconies. It’s about refusing the most gracious and pushy offer of mayonnaise by our “new friend” Paulette whom we met at the pool. It’s about laughing hysterically at a phone app that Scott uses to make himself look young and age others multiple times over in photos. It’s about some of us wrapped with beach towels in the seemingly sub-zero AC temps that the others can’t live without. It’s about witnessing the brilliant moon and starry skies over the ocean. It’s about me collecting bags and bags of sea shells every year to take home. It’s about worrying that the observed survey stakes meant the complex would be sold, torn down, and replaced by a new high-rise building and later learning they were due to core samples needed prior to replacing the aging seawall.
Additionally, it’s about the retelling of silly escapades from throughout our lives, even if we’ve all heard them before, as the latest enhanced versions may be better. It’s about Scott and Rex teasing me unmercifully like a brother would do, especially over my Kooky Spooks Halloween costume. It’s about discussing and exchanging the latest books we’ve all read. It’s about Eden and Vic driving 40 minutes to join in the fun and purchasing a ton of fresh rock shrimp for dinner. It’s about Glyna who openly admitted she required “Me Time” to mentally and physically de-stress from work before joining us. It’s about a yearly visit to the Longboard Surf Shop to purchase clothing and gifts to take back home. It’s about marveling at the kite surfers racing through the ocean and watching a paddle boarder go out so far that he was virtually lost on the horizon, even with using binoculars. It’s about a poster board we filled with encouraging words for Nancy following her hip replacement surgery.
Also, it’s about catching up and sharing confidences as we sit one-on-one on the balconies. It’s about trekking down the beach at night in years’ past to witness sea turtles laying their eggs and seeing the hatchlings emerge from their nest and race into the ocean. It’s about sitting on the balcony late at night watching lightning storms off in the distance. It’s about Scott always bringing a ton of colorful shirts covered with plastic bags on hangers from the cleaners and always sleeping in late. It’s about beautiful beach vistas along with spectacular sunrises and sunsets. It’s about wondering what the strange bone-like item is that Scott found on the beach (we believe it may possibly be from a rabbit).
Moreover, it’s about making the yearly two-mile, round-trip hike down the beach to visit the Sea Breakers Condo where Rex’s mom used to live. It’s about seeing cruise ships parked off-shore and wondering when they’ll set sail again. It’s about me creating special decorations and presenting a cake to celebrate Eden’s upcoming Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented by the local bar association. It’s about an annual trek to Clayton’s Crab Company to purchase fresh seafood and fish (if no one’s been out deep-sea fishing and caught some). It’s about driving by the Cape Canaveral Port on the way home just to see the booster sitting on the recovery platform from that week’s rocket launch. It also quite simply about loving and supporting one another through all that life throws at us, determined to make memories through it all, and keep up familiar traditions and amazing friendships.
A major highlight of the week was experiencing the “Super Flower Blood Moon,” touted as the “most
spectacular full moon of 2021.” According to sources, the blood moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse, when the Earth is positioned directly between the moon and the sun, hiding the moon from sunlight and is so named for its red glow. We all excitedly squeezed together on one balcony on the appointed night and were all equally awe struck as the night sky first glowed orange and then a red sliver appeared on the horizon signaling the rising moon. It was a mesmerizing display that none of us had previously witnessed. As the moon rose in the sky, it turned from red to orange and then to a brilliant and familiar white glow gleaming magically on the surrounding clouds and reflecting back on the ocean waters below. We likened it to a sunset in reverse and all unsuccessfully attempted to capture the spectacle on our cell phones. It was definitely a sight we won’t long forget. So much so, that for the next several days, we dutifully checked to see what time the moon would rise and gathered together to watch the event; sad that, while each rising was beautiful, we possessed the knowledge that they wouldn’t compare to the Super Flower Blood Moon we had witnessed.
A smattering of the beautiful sunrises, sunsets, moons and vistas we enjoyed throughout the week.
As the week played out, sadly Tracy had to return to work and was forced to head home after only a few days spent with us. Tracy works at night and I always marvel at how she manages to stay awake and join in the fun while she’s with us; but she does, and was greatly missed after her departure. Next to depart on Friday, was Greg, who was desperately missing Tracy and always seems a bit lost without her. By Sunday, Rex and Debi decided to leave in the afternoon, one day earlier than anticipated, to avoid the Memorial Day traffic and to rest up before starting back to work. Scott who had spent a part of the previous week partying with other friends in Key West, decided to head back the same day, as well as Nancy who wanted to get back home for a lunch date with a friend. As Eden, Vic, and I were in the parking lot seeing Scott off, the last to depart that afternoon, we noted he had a flat rear tire. Not exactly how anyone would want to end an amazing week, but that’s life. He called AAA and a guy appeared in less than 10 minutes to expertly change out his tire and send him on his way to purchase a new one. Later, Scott texted saying he had coerced the shop into quickly changing his tire and had located a Mexican restaurant nearby to wait out the time. All of us thankful it happened in the parking lot and not on his drive home.
Who else but Scott has AAA show up in under 10 minutes? 
Late that same day and on the last night, Glyna finally appeared and stayed through dinner with Eden,Vic, and me and lamented that she had not been able to visit with everyone else. Not too long after dinner, Eden and Vic departed and Glyna stayed late to further catch up prior to heading back home to Melbourne. Her departure left me alone in the condo where I decided to sit on the porch, soak in the roar of the ocean, and gratefully reminisce on the much-needed past week with unbelievable friends and thoughts of those that couldn’t make it this year.
If I were to pick one moment that stands out, it would be the night I stayed up late with Scott and Greg. Everyone else had their fill of the night’s food, drink, laughter, and stories and had much earlier departed for bed or for home. The ongoing sampling of White Claws was prevalent as we laughed and often sang along as Scott played the entire album of “The Complete Hit Singles of Three Dog Night.” The songs from our younger days evoked and prompted much sharing and memories of days gone by. Towards the end of the evening, Scott, sitting beside me on the couch as Greg danced and swayed nearby to the music, grew pensive and commented to me: “We’re lucky we get to do this and really need to soak this up. Gathering together like this is really special. And we don’t know how many more years we can all do this.”
And Scott was right. When we collectively grow old and this yearly event is but a distant memory, hopefully, we can all look back fondly and recall all the support, warmth, laughter, and love we shared for so many years. We honestly know that we are truly blessed to not only experience this yearly reunion on Satellite Beach at the Paradise Beach Club Resort, but to be a part of this truly amazing group of friends.
The Wonder and Wanderings of Everyday Life 