My mom lost her battle with Parkinson’s Disease in February. After being her caretaker for five years, honestly, I don’t know what to do with myself anymore. All my weekends and free time used to revolve around my mom. What do I do now?
Through hospice, I got access to a grief counselor and had my first session last week. (Nearly two months after my mom died. I get it — it’s a free session so beggars can’t be choosers. but two months later? Could have really used some help sooner.)
Honestly, the session was a little bizarre. But my main takeaway was that I have to get out more. I can’t sit home in front of my computer all the time, planning luxury vacations for other people. (Back in 2022, I started selling travel to pay my mom’s nursing home bills. Turns out, after traveling to over 75 countries myself, I’m pretty good at this luxury travel stuff. Who wants to go on a cruise? Hit me up.)
I’ll admit it: I have been in the house a lot lately. Except for my trip to Spain at the beginning of March. And my trip to France at the end of March.
But apparently international travel isn’t enough of a hobby for my grief counselor. Hah! I need to get back to my old hobbies…like blogging.
So today, I decided to get out of the house and have an adventure. First, I went to the West Palm Beach Greenmarket, which I haven’t been to in forever. It was packed and hot and uncomfortable. And the line for coffee at Pumphouse was too long. I wish they’d add another register. So I went to Le Maison de Paris on Olive for an iced coffee instead. The last time I was there, the cafe was packed and three people were actually debating Millard Filmore, the 13th President of the United States. It was so bizarre. (But at least they knew some history.) This time, the cafe was empty. The barista told me that business had been pretty slow. While I really hate crowds, I really want every business in Downtown West Palm Beach to succeed. With so much money downtown and across the bridge, WHERE IS EVERYONE when they are not at the greenmarket??
I got an iced coffee and was practically held hostage for a minimum 18% tip on a to go coffee. Sigh. I then meandered around downtown, passing the new Sour Seed Bagel, where there was a huge line. I watched a woman get out of a Bentley in a blindingly white matching set and mini red Kelly bag. Cuz that’s what people here like to do — take their Hermes to Pilates. She joined the end of the line but seemed to immediately change her mind.
As a caretaker for someone with Parkinson’s, every time I see Bentleys and Kelly bags, I think entirely in monthly long-term care facility costs. A 2023 Bentley Continental costs about $210,000. That’s about 17.5 months in a very average long-term care facility. Or about one year with round-the-clock home healthcare.
A mini Kelly alone would pay about one month of long-term care.
They say comparison is the thief of joy. But when long-term care costs have left you financially bankrupt and emotionally a wreck, it is hard not to do this kind of math with every Bentley and Hermes bag you see. And I live in the worst possible place for this: Palm Beach County. (Don’t even get me started on the Range Rovers.)
I do a lot of healthcare math in my head. And wonder where I went wrong.
I continued my walk through downtown, stopping for a rest in front of Harry’s on Rosemary. They open at 4 pm on Saturdays. I’ve only been to Harry’s once. I felt out of place at Harry’s, which is not a feeling I generally experience. But I haven’t had my boobs done or my lips done, and while I did get my nose done many years ago, I was hit in the face with a lacrosse ball so I think I get a pass there.
Sometimes I consider Botox but injectables just seem so…plastic.
Felice is back open on Rosemary. I was worried they were going to disappear after the grease fire a while ago. But there were people inside, which made me happy. I like Felice. They have their own wines which are quite decent. And their happy hour menu is nice. They also have comfortable bar stools.
I made my way home to pick up my car, low tire pressure and all. I would continue my adventure with a drive down to Mr. B’s Tavern for lunch.
A random Reddit post put Mr. B’s Tavern on my radar. Apparently Tiger Woods’ former chef runs two restaurants in West Palm Beach: Kitchen and Mr. B’s. Because I have been living under a rock these last five years, I hadn’t heard of either.
BUT! I’ve been to this stretch of Georgia Avenue before. My dad came to visit around the time I was getting taken advantage of by a certain local interior designer and her scammy contractor friends (a story that ends in Indiana with an elderly couple being defrauded out of their life savings) and he took me to the Moose Lodge down here. The Moose Lodge wasn’t really my scene — my dad really wanted me to join — but I get the appeal for people who are lonely and need a bar where everybody knows your name.
Mr. B’s is in an odd location — this end of Georgia is a very industrial street. But Independent Seafood is next door and hey, they have a food truck that I didn’t know about either.
Street parking was easy on a Saturday afternoon. I meant to take a picture of the outside of Mr. B’s but I forgot. I wonder what this was before. Not sure.
It was really just me and an old guy at the bar inside Mr. B’s at 12:30 pm on a Saturday. (Again, WHERE IS EVERYONE?) There was a couple further down the bar but they had a laptop with them and may have been related to Mr. B’s in some way.
The decor is simple. The menu is simple. The bar stools are ridiculously comfortable — and have backs! It’s all red leather old school inside. Not surprisingly, golf is on every single one of the TVs.
I got the chicken schnitzel sandwich and it was good, but I wanted it to be better. Hey, I’m no chef but I would have pounded the chicken a bit to make it thinner and fried it a bit longer to make the schnitzel crispier.
But do you know what was really good? The fries! I thought maybe they made their own fries but they don’t. HOWEVER, I wasn’t too wrong — apparently they spent a lot of time selecting the best frozen french fries they could find. They did well.
It’s very dark inside Mr. B’s, so it’s weird to come out into the blinding white South Florida sunlight at this time of the year. Tip: Put your sunglasses on before you open the door.
$36 poorer, I got back in my car and drove home to face my “Bag of Responsibilities,” the bag of paperwork I’ve been carrying around with me since before my mom died. I’ve been studiously avoiding this LITERAL BAGGAGE but hopefully I can get through some of it today.
Verdict on Mr. B’s: It’s good. I’ll go again. But I won’t get the chicken schnitzel sandwich.
About Krista
I’m a Virtuoso luxury travel advisor based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Prior to moving to Florida to take care of my elderly mom with Parkinson’s Disease, I spent over 11 years living and working in London, England. My career and personal travel have taken me all over the world. To date, I’ve been to 78 countries. Now I bring the joy of travel to others as a Virtuoso travel advisor. I offer a 30 minute complimentary vacation consultation for anyone looking to plan their next trip.
- Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.
- Like my page on Facebook for more travel inspiration.
- Shop some of my favorite travel products.
Ways I Can Help You
- Knowledge and experience. I’ve been to 78 countries.
- I can offer VIP perks and amenities at thousands of hotels around the world. Virtuoso perks are just the start. I can also VIP you at Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Four Seasons, and Rosewood properties…among others! What does VIP mean? Free breakfast, priority for upgrade, a hotel credit, and more! (See my website footer for all the brands I work with And yes, you can double dip between your hotel status and mine, supercharging your stay and potential for upgrade!)
- I have a huge storehouse of luxury cruises: I partner with all the major cruise lines…Royal Caribbean, Silversea, Viking, Ama Waterways, Tauck and more. I can add onboard credits and other perks that you cannot get by booking direct.
- I have vetted villa rentals with concierge service all around the world
- Private jets!
- Yacht charters.
- Small group and private touring.
- Airport transfers.
- VIP on arrival and VIP on departure airport services. (Get met at the plane door!)
- Travel insurance. Don’t leave home without it!
