Cato's - a panama city diamond in the rough

Cato's is one of the best seafood restaurants / raw bars I have ever been to. I feel like that is saying a lot since I have lived in Florida all my life and LOVE seafood. (thankfully I am not one of those weirdo's that lives in Florida and hates seafood - I always think that is strange)

So, back to my story. Cato's used to be a Jr. store (for all the non-rednecks, that is a convenient store) and has been converted into a restaurant. Many things in Panama City used to be a Jr. store - and when I say many things, I mean about 90% of establishments. The chain restaurants tend to build their own structures. Oh yeah, back to Cato's.

You walk right into Cato's and sit down as this nice lady whirls around the place, asking what you want to drink ($1.00 drafts) and brings it to your plastic table. Whenever you feel you are ready, you walk up to the glass counter and order your supper by picking the raw fish/shrimp in front of you and deciding whether you want original or spicy. (I ALWAYS go for spicy!) The two times I have been there I ate the best shrimp I have ever had. Really. Perfectly steamed. Better than any shellfish, shrimp or lobster, I have ever had. The lady even took the heads off for me the first time I was there (she made me promise not to tell anyone and to say she was a bitch if anyone in town asked). Luckily, I didn't have to ask for another favor since the shrimp I got this time were already de-headed.

Let's see ... what else? Oh yeah, the bathroom. Hmmmm. Well, there is a unisex bathroom like I have never seen before. You see, you walk in and find your "spot" either under the "his" or "hers" sign. Yep. No divider; you can share if you like. I prefer my privacy so I politely locked the door and squatted over the "hers" toilet.

Cato's is just another Panama City gem. If you are ever in town, you should definitely stop by. Actually, I don't even think they have set hours; they are just open if you are lucky. And trust me, it is well worth it. :-)

keeping busy

i think keeping busy is an art form. especially when lonely, stressed or just overall bored. sometimes it just seems i want the day to be over. but wait ... who wants to rush life?! so we all try to enjoy the moments we have, whether they be with someone or in solitude.

keeping your mind busy can be tricky but so can turning it off when you are hoping to get those ever so precious hours of sleep. (sometimes i am grateful for even a few minutes)

it seems to be somewhat of a vicious cycle and it is not anything i have even come close to mastering at this point in my life. but then again, this point in my life seems a little more jumbled up than i would have ever hoped for.