Darryl - 7th Generation Florida Gold

Hello friends.  It's rare that I am inspired to blog by a business telephone conversation, but it wouldn't be the first time.  To say that this phone call was about business is using the term loosely.  My business was planning my vacation in Florida for my dear friend Lauren's wedding.  All the big pieces are set: car rented, plane tickets bought, hotels booked, I just had a few holes to fill in.  Namely, spending Sunday exploring the Everglades and figuring out the best way of doing that.

On the Everglades NP website, they have links to a few tour companies and Captain Steve's Swamp Buggy Adventures really stuck out to me.  What is a swamp buggy anyway? I had been putting off calling until I had a few more pieces of the puzzle in place, and today it all came together.  So I rang up the outfit.  A fantastic deep southern accent greeted me on the other line:

"Captain Steve's Swamp Buggy Adventures, this is Darryl".

Instantly, I am excited by the prospect of sitting in an amphibious, adapted tractor for three hours with someone talking to me like this.  Darryl informs me of the reservation process, and manages to work in not a small amount of his life story while doing so.  I learn that Darryl is Captain Steve's son.  Darryl is a 7th generation Florida swamp native.  Darryl just came back to start helping his dad out with the business (didn't get a chance to find out from where, but this is for the best.  I have to save something for the buggy tour...).  Darryl LOVES NASCAR.  I find this out when I tell him my last name, which is synonymous with stock car royalty. He says he will never forget my name.  I am starting to have a crush on Darryl.  Darryl tells me his name, which is "7th generation Florida gold when it leaves your mouth" much like my own name is "All American 100%" in his kind estimation.

I tell Darryl a little bit about what I'm hoping to get out of the tour, expressing a desire to see a lot of the Everglades' different terrains.  Darryl is quick to assure me:

"We ARE the Everglades".

Well, technically, you're Big Cypress Nature Preserve, but I like where your heart is, Darryl.  Sheepishly, and apologetically, he explains after a long period of paper shuffling and a can of pens falling over that "I like to write things down first before I put 'em in the computer.  That way if I have to get up and do something in the middle of something else, I know I got 'em.  And you know I'm allllllways multi-tasting.  I'm like quadruple-tasking right now".  Impressive.  A picture of gentlemanly conduct, Darryl does not repeat my credit card number again when confirming my other information "out of consideration for your privacy, ma'am".  And not the kind of ma'am that makes me feel like a school marm, but rather like Scarlett O'Hara.  He does repeat my cell phone number, twice.  Asking me to confirm that I can be reached at this number anytime, especially while traveling.  Oh Darryl, I'm blushing.

Needless to say, I am beyond excited about meeting a man who probably uses crocodile teeth to floss and 90% of whose wardrobe would enable him to stalk a panther unnoticed in its natural habitat.


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