I got yelled at by a guy with a toy bullhorn

It was Halloween night, and I didn’t have any plans (nor anything remotely resembling a costume), so I decided to head to Clearwater Beach for dinner. I brought along my book manuscript and figured I’d read/proof while eating by the sea.

My friend Rachel Mazza recommended this place, Frenchy’s… and told me to get the crab fries. That was a good recommendation. I added in Cuban egg rolls and a deep fried PBJ for good measure.

The server was a wonderful young man who kept calling me “my love” when he’d top off my drink or bring me silverware.

At one point he got curious as he saw me poring over my spiral bound manuscript, red pen and flag tabs in hand.

“What are you working on?” he asked. I told him it was my book and he was suddenly very curious. “Oooh, what’s it about?”

I told him how it was a non-fiction business book and that I really wanted to help creative entrepreneurs. The more we chatted the bigger his eyes got. Eventually he handed me his pen (even though I was already holding one) and asked me to write down the name of the podcast so he could check it out.

I left the place full of fried food and gratitude.

As I was walking back to my car, I got stuck at an intersection where a seemingly endless parade of cars refused to stop despite all the “state law” signs and “yield to pedestrians” proclamations posted nearby.

I think I counted about a dozen before one rolled to a stop on the opposite side of the street. Then I heard a tinny voice yell, “It is now safe to cross the road!”

I was a little baffled but walked into the crosswalk.

When I got to the other side I glanced over my shoulder and saw a dude hanging out of the passenger window with a toy bullhorn.

I grinned as he yelled, “Hey do you like my bullhorn?”

“That’s pretty badass,” I told him.

“Thank you,” he said. “Happy Halloween!”

And then my knights in shining shitty Honda Civic drove off into the night.