Everything is Just Beachy

Jonathan Fugpucker Seagull, no relation to Jonathan Livingston Seagull, is sending sunshine and hope for warmer temperatures to Wyoming and the West. He told me so. Remember you can click on the photos for enlargement.

Slathered in Coconut oil the masses are heading for the beach. Reading, just broiling themselves, looking good or not so trim, but still enjoying, smelling the salt air, soaking up the sun, getting sand where sand usually doesn't get, and people watching. Some even swim.

This one is worth enlarging. It appears they are piloting this boat from the top of the tower- and they are moving at a pretty good clip.

Strategically placed surfboard, huh? Mr. head-on the-beach wasn't the only baldy whose head was turned. In fact, I bought a hat at a tourist trap to cover mine which was turning...red. The hat was in the $5.00 basket. The store owner here in service Hell was nowhere to be found so I left $5.50 and a note. I think I joined a motorcycle gang with this hat.

If there is a wack-o within 1000 yards they will find me. Had a lengthy conversation with a paranoiac. Moving on, I migrated down Federal Highway to a K-Mart Store where I bought socks, which I was looking for, two shirts because they were big enough, and a straw hat that is more "cane cutter" than Greg Norman but offers some protection from the Sun. Like the Old Leadbelly song: "I'm built for Comfort, not for Style."

Papa John's thin crust pizza went home with me after a brief courtship which involved money. I got off the thoroughfares and cruised a neighborhood or two-just seeing how regular people live. A person needs to do that once in awhile in the midst of all the opulence.

Sat on the grass and played with Buster for awhile after our pizza party. He loved it. He is turning into quite the snuggle pup. Lori's birthday is tomorrow. I will call her. Stumped for a great surprise. Perhaps I will do something for her if/when I babysit the dog for their getaway.

Arrivederci Ang and Ann!

Took some farewell pictures of Ang and Ann. They are out of here tomorrow. Their month in the tropics has produced great tans and memories. They have made a lot of their time. I have enjoyed my visits with Ang and I made a special trip to Publix today for a corkscrew. The gift Chablis is just right- a nice tang but no bite, and just on the verge of sweet. Very nice. This picture captures them, their Volvo and their immaculate camper. They loaded up on the citrus to take home. They will be in Ontario Friday. They live in Niagara Falls- that side.

Patsy's husband didn't make it all the way home. After Montreal, the plane had to return because of weather. Their daughter had lunch with dad and sent an email to Patsy. She is willing to go home to babysit her daughter's dog in late February (for a roundtrip ticket). She said I would think that is crazy and I said not at all. I would likely babysit Juneau this weekend. Patsy will fly from Tampa as they will move to the west coast in February. She packed me a six pack of Corona from the store on her bike- she said Joe told her to do it. She is hosting the Superbowl Party.

Had a good gab with Lori today as she tidied up her house. She had been to Pilates and had parked Juneau at Chateau du Poochie. Today I had the privilege of watching the grandpuppy on closed circuit webcam. It was a riot. There were four Labs and the attendant was interacting 100% of the time. She was on her hands and knees playing with one dog and Juneau sniffed her butt. I nearly fell on the floor. It really is pretty neat. She gives them lovies and scratches bellies between throwing balls, and supervising doggie play. Some dogs drop out and take a rest for awhile. The lady was good about spreading attention.

Harold and Julie went to the beach on this cool day. I washed screens and windows, fixed a handle on one vent flap but mostly just fooled around. I took a good nap. No guilt because I was up at 5:00 this a.m. Rode the bike a bit. Took pictures to Norm and Norma. He is mean-he flashes that camera of his and gloats. Buster and I did nearly a mile tonight on his walk. He made nice with Bella.

Memory Hook: Florida Voting today: McCain won on the R side by a slim margin. Clinton on the D side by a healthy margin but it didn't count. (we are in Florida) Giuliani will likely drop out tomorrow. The Homestead exemption/tax relief referendum passed 2 to 1. Florida leads the nation in foreclosures.

Damn, that Chablis is good. Might be early to bed

If you Cook it,They Will Come.

Snagged Norm and his dog "Kitty." Kitty was a rescue dog and Norm and Norma were trying to decide on a name. She said, "kitty, kitty" and he was right at her feet. So Kitty is the name. She is a sweety dog. The look Norm has says more than any of my words could. Norm turned out to be a picture and camera buff, too. We went to his coach and looked at his Sony a100 with an aftermarket telephoto lens that set me to salivating. He was very generous in letting me try it out. It is a great camera. An SLR with some amazing features. It is the product of the marriage of Konica-Minolta with Sony and the hybrid produced a dandy. I've been reading reviews and checking prices tonight because my Canon has developed a little glitch that makes it think it needs the batteries changed when they are still pretty fresh. I have been working on it but it is frustrating. Reliability is key in a camera.

Norm and Norma are going to be touring Spain, Israel and Turkey soon. These "old people" sure seem to be doing a lot of things every place I look.

I had a little pot roast I put on about 2:00 p.m. I went to the RV store for more waterproofing and was applying it when I heard somebody say "Put some muscle into that." Greg and Lew were walking their dogs. They put Tracy and Mackayla on the plane this afternoon. They invested quite a little bit in that project. Sent the baby home with new clothes. Tracy gained about ten needed pounds and they arranged long distance to get her a new place to live. Their friend Nicky did a lot of the footwork and will keep an eye on things. We will see what we will see about that. They are kind people and I hope they are not payed back in regret. We visited over some beverages and I remembered my pot roast so I finished off the potatoes and vegetables and we had dinner together in the screen rooom. Even had some dessert thanks to Jason and Lori's generosity.

Iggy and his parents stopped by. On his early walk today I gave Iggy a big (Goodie's) dog biscuit and the little guy took right off with it for home and tried to bury it but eventually ate it. So he had to look in on me this evening. Pupper and JJ were with us but the little guy did not intimidate.

Greg and Lew's new car got wrecked last night. Mackayla was whining, they were at a stop light and a teenager came across three lanes and smacked them good. Nobody hurt but the new is off the car. The teenager's chubby little brother jumped out of the car and told the cops "I don't know why my brother did that!" Case closed.

Another cool day here paradise. The Internet users were reptilian- waiting until the sun warmed things up to come out.

Memory Hook: George W. Bush delivered his last State of the Union Address tonight.

Such a "classy guy"

We had a little rain today and the places where the waterproofing took and didn't take became clear. That is the bad news. The good news is that where the application was good, the awning was watertight. A bit more work to do. Rained long enough I had to send one Internet client home with my umbrella. It came back.

The Florida kids called- they entertained the new CEO and his wife and 3 month old baby last night- 14 persons in all, in a catered event at their home. They had leftovers for me and wanted to meet for lunch at an old favorite: Macaroni Grille, for Italian food. It has been some time since illness and press of business intervened- I hadn't seen them for awhile. We had a nice lunch and visit. They were unaware that Boynton flooded so we went by the Boynton house. Things were fine there. We loaded a chest of drawers for the TV that will go into their bedroom.

Sarah and Bill had told me of a "park " with boardwalks and alligators and birds in that general area. So I said let's go try to find it. We did and soon realized it was a sewage plant outlet-settling pond, percolating, purifying arrangement. So they took me to lunch and I took them to the sewage plant. I am a classy guy.

Long-necked turtles. There was some good wildlife viewing on this cool day. The place was packed: mostly New Yorkers of a semitic bent. They ought to charge admission. Some good optics were in evidence.

I have seldom seen an alligator do anything. Conserving energy seems to be their main activity.

Much earlier, I took some yesterday pictures to Joe and Patsy-he is leaving for home and medical attention. I waited until about 9:00 a.m., not knowing their habits. Nobody answered the door so I kind of sneaked away thinking they were slugabeds. A little later I saw Patsy arrive on her bike. They had biked ( they have no tow car) to church and stopped at Walgreen's where buying three 12 packs of Pepsi for $10.00 got you a free case of 24 bottled waters. They packed these home on their bikes. The closest Walgreen's I know of is down on Hypoluxo and Congress- a good four miles away! Not exactly slugabeds.

Buster made me laugh tonight. He wanted his walk. So we went. He seemed on a mission. He went to the residence of Choupette, found a tiny rawhide bone and led me at a gallop back to his couch to enjoy his stolen treat. He has always been a little thief- a street kid. When I gathered eggs from my chickens I would sometimes think I was losing my mind because they seemed to disappear from the bucket. Then I caught him. He would take them one-by-one and stash them, unbroken, for later. He still gets a raw egg for part of his breakfast two or three times a week. Makes his coat shiny. I will replace the rawhide bone.

Duplicated a homemade CD for Harold. He wanted three copies. Made one for me- vintage music from our generation.

Now I had better take Buster for his constitutional.

A Few Yuks with the Canucks

Harold invited me to a Saturday party with his circle of Canadian friends. They seem to value playing-it doesn't need to be gaudy-hot dogs, hamburgers, brats, chips and each household brings something to share. Beer and wine welcome. Several of these folks are Acadian-a group that produced U.S. Cajuns. They play games and razz each other and cheer. Losers have to pay into a pot but the winners don't win it. There is a complicated drawing for the loot-usually $3- $6.00. Even that generates a lot of kibitzing and kidding. Harold brought real charcoal and everybody is expected to cook their own. The common dishes are shared all around and are tasty staples: baked beans, macaroni salads, etc. Then we had a campfire. All the while Harold's JVC boombox plays music, some French, but mostly music we all share: The Eagles, Bill Haley. Country -Western songs in French? Why not? Eight post-menopausal women singing or humming along to Anne Murray is a little bit hilarious and a lot touching. Patsy knew Anne when they were kids through college. These people remember how to laugh.

Bob hams it up cheering on his partner in backyard bolo. I could swear I heard the word "shithead" several times, followed by wild
laughter. But with those French accents...hard to be sure. New Brunswick is officially bi-lingual.

Fourteen for yellow bean bags, Fifteen for the purple team. The guy on the right was a little lit up, threw some wild ones, then "got pissed off" and scored some holes in one. He was a stitch.

Posing after divvying up the prize money. Some Saturday golfers showed up later.

Enjoying a campfire., after playing, drinking and eating, laughing and toe-tapping. I will try to duplicate Harold's homemade CD tomorrow. It is pretty good. I left about 8:00. They are partying on. Harold shuts it down at 10:00 out of consideration for other campers.

Grumpy Old Man

Spent the day mending and fixing, nesting and visiting. One neighbor couple came this way to visit relatives. They usually leave rural Ohio and go to Quartzite, AZ. They love the desert. I enjoyed hearing about that- perhaps I might winter there sometime. They are short people so I have helped with some tall tasks.

Patsy's husband Joe has a growth on his arm which is alarming so they used the terminal to book a flight home as Canadian Insurance will pay for an emergency here but dermatology is not considered an emergency. The Rosenbergs will take him to the airport at Ft. Lauderdale on Monday.

I haven't seen much of Greg and Lew. I probably insulted Greg. I couldn't dissemble any longer. When a small child is your spawn or spawn of your spawn, there is an ego involvement that boosts tolerance. When that connection is not there, a creature that demands a soda, demands the television be turned on, the channel changed, wants to explore your home, harass your dog, and control the conversation, feels like an affliction rather than a pleasure.

Parent figures today seem to find this behavior acceptable. In my nearly 65 years on the planet, I can recall a time when parents were concerned with raising agreeable children and children were nice(r) to be around. As a former educator I saw thousands of them and know they can be that way (or not- consequences swiftly followed). Allowing or encouraging them to be the center of the universe does the world and them no favor. Childhood is a (loving) boot camp for later life. Self-restraint, nice manners, and a self concept based on earned achievement, cannot be learned too early. Adoration based on "cute" is destructive of character. "Pretty is as Pretty does." Of course, it takes effort, consistency, and the ability to withstand temporary rage to achieve this with a child. Better to establish the ground rules before they can run away with the first juvenile delinquent that expresses an interest.

There: I just gave you a "happily ever after," recipe.

Gone completely to the Dogs

Vivianne in her gussied up picture with Bella. Vivianne is a musician of the serious sort in Quebec. Her daughter and sixish grandson are visiting for a feww weeks. The daughter has that "just arrived in Florida" look. It is fun to watch people respond to the (relative) warmth.

This man is a judge in New York state. He lost his wife in the last year and has an enviable camper: MercedesBenz Roadtrek which is a one or two person camper van of the highest order- on sale for $85,00 in Titusville he says. He has some friends down here but seems a little bit at a loss. I think we will drink together one of these first days.

The pomeranian gets too much junk food so he has to have his butt wiped which led his mom to discover FLEAS. They are really common down here. But he got a good bath- dad and mom took turns drying him.

This dog has a French name which translates to "beetle." He is a Yorkie and is a perky little guy-not that he gets to walk much.

Buster is doing so well. He will stay in the screen room with me (pretty well- he gets excited sometimes.) He now asks for his walk and gives a little wag when the leash goes on. I don't punish him by taking him right home after he goes. He gets to choose the route and is taking me further and further each night-really enjoying himself and getting a little workout for us both. He does tend to want to get away from the scene of "the crime" after he goes so we are working on sitting so dad can be a responsible companion animal and bag the by-product without getting pulled over. He is a good doggie.

I blew a chance to go out to dinner with the kids, today. I hit the ground running and devoted the day to RV maintenance. Waterproofing the awning is a pretty good chore and now we await a test. Having done it, skies are blue. I didn't check my email until after dinner at 8:00 p.m. so I missed Jason's invitation. I think they are booked this weekend. I am not at a loss for things to do but I hate to miss an opportunity. The Internet Terminal is back in business with a cheapie keyboard.

Ang M. and I have been visiting when he comes down- he gave me a bottle of wine so rare it has the wrong label (private stock-he is connected). I'm going to be a wino before the season ends if I ever start drinking it. Wine is a nice gift- just the right size. While Ang has some aspects of the facade of a professional salesman he is also sincere and open. He was/is a musician before he started his Insurance and Pension business-his first job was playing piano in a strip bar when he was in high school. HIS Italian daddy wasn't so sure about this so he came to check it out and Ang made sure he got a face full of boobies. On the drive home his dad allowed as it might be alright for Ang to keep the gig but said "Don't tell your mother-she'll kill you." Ang met his wife in "Grade 10." It was love at first sight and they have been together ever since - likely 42 years. They seem to enjoy each other's company. He is a "car guy." He built a huge garage- 38' X 60' feet as an attachment to his home. It is carpeted and he keeps his vehicles maintained there including his 1999 Class C camper, which is in mint condition. His older Volvo gleams and he and Ann go to the Palm Beach Country Club to golf. I'm glad I met him.

Different Day

This is a photograph of the windshield of the fair Elante' about 3:00 p.m. this afternoon. So far the weather service is batting zero and the comments in the Sun-Sentinel are scathing. I kept checking the weather forecast during the big storm yesterday and saw "60 percent chance of rain" and "light rain." "Light Rain" turned out to be 10 inches in 5 hours in Boynton Beach, washing out the Interstate ramp and stranding motorists, flooding stores, etc. We had a least least 5 inches according to a piece of tupperware I left outside. It was what we used to call a "double c'er" at the Double Four, and I won't tell what that meant even if you ask.

But the day broke fair and warm. The keyboard for the Internet Terminal got soggy so adjustments had to be made and I decided my awning needed to be waterproofed. Called the RV store-yes, there is a good product and it really works and it is in stock. Ended up there about noon. The clerk said the best way to apply the waterproofer was to use a sponge mop. So I wheeled into Winn-Dixie to get one. Noonish-Peckish, Leoric's Sports Bar and Cafe beckoned. It turned out to be Jamaican and feeling adventurous, I ordered the Curried Goat and a Corona. The already cold Corona was served with a mug of ice which I found very nice. The Curried goat was served with white rice and cut lettuce both of which served to balance the spicy goat stew. It was very enjoyable sitting on the patio eating and reading my New Yorker. Old goat enjoys young goat, I kid you not. (nyuk, nyuk)

It was still sunshiny when I disassembled the screen room and set the awning down for step one which was a good wash with Dawn dish soap. It was drying when Harold came by. They were going to take another run at a Bean Bag Toss tournament. I should have given up then. Came the rain- in the quantity illustrated above. The Canadians gathered under Harold's awning and visited. I entertained them by donning my (carefully preserved disposable) yellow plastic rain cape and hood and proceeding to take advantage of the copious water to wash my RV. (Picture a giant plump lemon with a long-handled scrub brush) I moved right along with their encouragement. My awning is still at half mast- I had to raise it some to get into the coach. I am hoping for good sun tomorrow.

We have had a quiet evening. Buster is out of sorts- very quiet in spite of a couple of lovies. Mozart on WXEL, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. It must be dismal in Wyoming- my fair weather blogger-friends are blogging! They all have interesting things to say.

Buster Revolts

The day started early with me and two neighbors vacating our sites for the tree crew. Buster assumed his cross country seat in the RV but we only drove about 30 yards. He got a tinkle break but was unsettled by the break in routine.

The county tree removal crew was well equipped and staffed. The tree cutter was like a surgeon, selecting saws of a special size for function. They ALL started on the first pull. I was agog. The rubberneckers gathered and one spectator noted it didn't take much to entertain us.

As some of the top branches hit the ground, it was apparent that they had made a good judgement call on the health of the tree. The big winds could have dropped a branch on any of us easily. (Pick me!)

From start to stump removal it took about two hours to eradicate the tree leaving only a piney smell from the stumpers chipping.

Buster's benign neglect continued as I labored to re-construct the internet terminal, and my screen room. Harold helped me move the refrigerator and Patsy came over after her bike ride to the library to help with the smaller stuff.

It was about 4:00 p.m. and I realized I hadn't eaten all day and was fading. I grabbed my car keys and Buster was right out the door with me. I chose McDonalds. A quarter pounder was in my head. McNuggets for the hound. I was finishing a Raymond Carver short story in the van after the burger disappeared. The pitter patter of raindrops became a torrent in a few minutes. We scooted for home-I thought everything was safe from rain but I wasn't sure. Thunder in the distance.

Buster wasn't about to let a rain drop touch him so he stayed in the van. Suited me but the thunder got closer and louder so I unfurled the umbrella and tried to coax him out. Tried to order him out. No luck.
I went inside and cooked some calves liver that had thawed in the refrigerator. His favorite home-cooked dish awaited. We were in hour four of heavy rain at this point. I made a raid on the van and carried him in -he whimpered all the way. The liver bought me quick forgiveness but it took him an hour to calm down from the storms.

Got three dog portraits today from looky-lous. Vivienne came by with her hair done and a DRESS! She wanted a gussied up portrait with her little Bella. She looked nice and I was glad to oblige. Good for her.

I am pooped tonight and will take an aspirin to ameliorate the stiffness that is already making itself evident.

Memory Hook: Actor Heath Ledger was found dead today at the tender age of 28. How sad. Whether accident or on purpose, unobserved demons overcame him.

Breaking Camp

I opened the Internet Terminal this morning and informed most of my users that I had to move out for awhile and would be closed tomorrow while they took the pine tree out. It was pretty blustery and I started worrying about how the awning would handle the wind without the side curtains. The cavalry arrived. Two ladies from New Brunswick just showed up and pitched right in. We were moving and grooving. Most of the contents of the screen room are under plastic tablecloths under the banyan tree. The electronics are in the coach. I pitched the old box that housed the computer terminal because it was soggy.

I probably will get to move back in tomorrow so I went in search of a new box for the terminal. Marilu Walker called-they were on their way from Weeki Wachee to Sarasota. She asked what I was doing and I told her I was dumpster diving. Since she is the queen of secondhand shopping, she was excited for me. I found a box that will do- a little too large and filled with discarded Christmas Candy! It previously held big plastic bins. Seemed to me that one of those might work better for my purposes so I bought one after measuring. I will be "new and improved." I have a lot of peppermint candy in the bargain.

Marilu has a line on a park on the west coast of Florida- Holiday Springs RV Resort, that sounds nice and is reasonable. She foresees a colony of friends. Of course my kids are the anchor for me to be on this coast but a possibility for extending my stay south is always intriguing. I guess it is bitter at home. Minus 4 tonight with windchill to 29 below. I don't care if I never experience that again.

I'm sampling a new wine: Obsession by Ironstone Vineyards. It was in a specials bin at Publix. Price tag said $2.99 so I thought why not get a couple of bottles? When I checked out it was two bottles for $2.99- or a buck and a half per each. And it is pretty tasty. The aftertaste is very pleasant. I may go get more tomorrow.

Bought a $2.00 Lotto ticket and within five minutes a huge bird (must have been) whitewashed the van windshield. I take it as an omen. Time will tell what kind of omen.

D'oh

A grey, blustery day in the 60's. The Internet in the box was soggy as was almost everything in the screen house. It stayed closed. Parkas or 'hoodies" were omnipresent today among the dog walkers. The dogs who were hardy enough to not need coats were frisky. A Scout group was uncharacteristically quiet today and packed up at sundown. I set out to have a "Homer Simpson day." I made a grocery run and subsequently concocted a pot of chili and ate Fritos in, under, over, and next to chili, between football game marathons. I did remake the beds on the couch and in the bedroom. Since there are televisions in both places, I didn't miss a kick except for the brief spell I was trying out my handiwork on the bed and drifted off. Buster jumped on the bed and woke me up but we stayed "in-situ." We enjoyed each other's warmth.

Memory Hook: The Patriots have had a perfect season-18 victories and will advance to the Superbowl. They beat the San Diego Chargers in a pretty good contest. The Green Bay/NY Giants game is tied with five minutes to go.... Eli Manning just got sacked and said the F word. (Flag?) Overtime...Giants won! Kind of a surprise. No turnovers for Manning all season.

Loved Ones

Cheryl has an older puppy who is so mellow. Last year after Goodie passed, she let Buster gentle down with strange dogs using her calm dog. Nice critters both. Warm hearts. We visited for awhile.

Snagged this lady off the street. She speaks little English- I think German is her native tongue. We did communicate enough and she was pleased with the pictures and a little befuddled (in a nice way) at being accosted and photographed. Cute puppy.

Otherwise a slow day- a little bike riding, a little visiting around. I am saving up energy for a move Tuesday morning. Somebody decided the giant pine tree behind me had to come down before the wind blew it down. Two of my neighbors and I have to move while the tree comes down. I am the most "settled in" and I am not looking forward to deconstructing the Internet Screen room, etc. I have some ideas to put it back together better but it was a several day construction project the first time.

Vivienne was giving her Shih-Tzu a ride on her bike and though I have done their portrait, I told her I wanted that shot. In the course of visiting she identified the dog that got run over as one I had photographed. I had a great picture I hadn't printed because it wasn't her dog. So I did some work on it and made an 8X10 for the bereaved parents. Gave it to Vivienne to get framed.

Campus Management Corp. Agrees to be Acquired by Leeds Equity Partners, LLC - Forbes.com

Campus Management Corp. Agrees to be Acquired by Leeds Equity Partners, LLC - Forbes.com

This link goes to the news story about the company son Jason works for and holds stock in. The boy has done well and has "golden handcuffs" being regarded as so vital to the company that he is locked in by a future payout. That is job security though he has no need to work another day.

So Lori and I headed to Sunrise mega mall of Outlet stores and shopped our little tootsies off. Lori is a smart shopper and had specific objectives in mind. I enjoyed her company and treated to Starbucks, to get the sugar up, and lunch because we were both fading (Salmon at the Grand Lux Cafe- pretty fancy) and I bought her a pair of shorts that cost $78.00 ( marked down to $4.50- told the clerk I was Lori's sugar daddy and gave her the giggles. (Whipped out a ten-spot and plunked it right down.) Enjoyed window shopping at Victoria's Secret. Sat in the lobby in front of Lucky Brand Jeans and texted a message that got Lori a 20% discount on one item in the store, asked the tattooed clerk where he goes to smoke and went there.

The world is divided into people who make me feel good about myself (as ugly, or uglier) and those who make me feel bad about myself (prettier). Sitting in the window looking out, at Starbucks, (while Lori bought bras) made me feel pretty damn good about myself. Made me think buying brand-name merchandise is a lot like putting lipstick on a pig. Played the Underwear? or no Underwear? guessing game and "Hope to God there is underwear under there."

We picked up Juneau at Chateau du Poochie where he had been parked for day care. Got the grand tour: $108 per night in a glassed in carpeted room with elevated monogrammed bed, individual flat screen TV, glass walls so other dogs can be seen, bottled water, filtered air conditioning, a masseuse if necessary, and a doggie chef for food preparation. A closed circuit TV allows you to check on your dog via internet and there is a telephone room where you can call your dog on a speakerphone and see its reaction on a webcam. The play areas all have webcams too. I was outside (having a smoke) after the tour and a woman came out and got into a waiting BMW convertible and told her husband ( a fogey with a stogie)-"You aren't going to believe this..."

Poor old Buster was stuck at home in an air-conditioned motorhome, with tap water in his dish and no TV. I felt like a dog abuser. Bought him Chinese take-out tonight to make up.

Be nice to gay people and people of color- South Florida retail and dog care depends on them. And they are fun.

A Day-Dreamy Day

This houseboat caught my eye and my fancy. Blustery day in the mid-60's sent me out for an awning strap but after pricing them and seeing them, I opted for a good strong length of nylon rope and a bungie cord. Awnings are rolling up all around me but I am fairly well protected here and tied down even more securely.

A lady came by escorted by her husband. She had a nifty little Acer notebook computer, gift from her son in law, that had her completely frustrated. She was a French speaker but facile in English and we spent about an hour figuring things out. I told her if it didn't work to come back and we would go to the WiFi spot at the library together. She and her hubby came back with a gift bottle of good wine and a happy smile. She had success and was emailing and quite pleased with herself and me. Very nice.

I made spaghetti sauce and spaghetti, salad, and drank wine all the while- finishing a nice Oregon Syrah, not the gift Cotes du Rhone Villages 2005, plugged the iPod into the speakers in the the screen house, and started out in the Disco era and ended up with Carly Simon in the dark. Though my romancing days are over, I have some dandy memories. No sense of regret and fully cognizant that delight in the night comes at great expense in the daylight. Back in the day, it was completely worth it-these are the days of diminishing returns. Took a long hot shower. Walked the dog. Life is good.

Choupette

Three month old Choupette is a replacement dog. I had heard that an unleashed Shih-Tzu had been run over and killed last week. This Shih-Tzu puppy is his replacement, not that there weren't tears in the telling, the smile is testament to the joy of a puppy. Pet portraiture is dangerous work. I had a cat lady come completely undone over the December first death of her older kitty about ten days ago. I hope I offer a sympathetic and healing ear.

Yesterday was a heal-up day: lots of naps and supplements to get the minerals in order. I may be fighting a bug-swollen neck glands in the mornings. Hanging out at the park has its joys. Steve, one of the volunteers, borrows my hose to water some nearby trees so we chatted this morning. I like to ask people what spots they have found to enjoy around here. Steve started talking oysters and how many he ate in South Padre Island, Texas. They had a neighbor lady who was always asking what they were going to do. Steve's wife was getting a little tired of the nosiness so she said "Well all those oysters Steve has been eating are starting to work so we are just going to stay in today." The woman whacked her husband and said, "Why don't YOU eat oysters?"

Long story short, I ended up at the Grumpy Grouper for dinner, including a dozen oysters on the half shell tonight. The place is "old Florida" which means it is one lava lamp away from completely tacky. But the food and service are great. Next time I will go for the early bird specials. God, I am becoming one of THEM!

In search of a better platform for my beverage refrigerator, I hit the Salvation Army again. I found a great little table for $9.99 plus it was 25% off day. They'll probably get it back at the end of the season but it is just the ticket-sturdy. Nearly naked Harold stopped on his way to the showers to help me put the fridge on it. The Canadians watched the televised funeral of the high school students and were clearly affected by it. They are not as jaded as we are. It was a national tragedy- Pope Benedict sent condolences, the stadium overflowed. Lots of tears. The locals gathered this evening. Nary a mention in the U.S.A. press.

Went photographing to the windy beach today, and to the Lake Worth Park. I think some nefarious things go on there in addition to horseshoes, bike riding, fishing and walking. I'll let you know later.

Pretty breezy but 68 degrees, today. Brother Rich called with a Casper Weather Report- breezy there too but only 6 degrees. Home is 14 below.

Memory Hook: Citibank wrote off 24 BILLION dollars in bad mortgages today. This is the same outfit that lobbied for tougher laws to keep regular people from escaping credit card debt when declaring bankruptcy. Alan Greenspan joined a Hedge Fund today.

Seaquarium at last

My Monday began with a bittersweet surprise. Jean -Yves and Pauline came to the end of their two-week waterfront stay at John Prince Park. They were the most regular Internet users, nice people, and they were not quite ready to go but they brought me nice thank-you gifts: a 12 pack of Corona beer and home canned mussels from New Brunswick. Completely unexpected and the sweeter for that.
After checking the health of everyone via cell phone ( Jason was NOT well), I motored to Deerfield where we changed to the Lexus and Matt, Audrey and I finally made it to Seaquarium in good time to catch all of the shows.

A fanny patting sea lion. Matt was glad to see sea lions in this context. The Oregon sea lions are gargantuan, and aggressive. They will climb into boats and sink them and gather at dams and eat the lion's share of the running salmon.

A sweet kiss

The Killer whale is a crowd pleaser. Pleases me too.

Audrey. Grampie was having a sit-down. He ran out of magnesium and his engine was missing on one cylinder. Very disconcerting to him. A coffee helped some but he didn't get to his pills until much later.

Jason was on a conference call when I called him to see if Starbuck's was wanted. They had been to a doctor and the doctor said no fruit, he had a highly contagious virus and 24-48 hours of bed-rest was necessary. He felt lousy on what should have been his most triumphant day. The company sold. The boy is wealthy and he has "golden handcuffs-" more money in reserve for him to remain with the company. He was offered the presidency but he knows his present position is key and taking on two jobs would not do for him. He worked hard to negotiate favorable buyout terms for most of the staff. He wasn't able to be at the office to enjoy the moment. That is sad.

He wasn't even able to enjoy the Outback Steakhouse dinners Lori brought home for Matt and Audrey's farewell dinner. Audrey was being her bossy best and I gave her back a little bit of her own medicine and got "the tongue." Her dad had a little chat with her. I wish I could let it go but I feel like I saw her reality. "Give Grampie a hug," seems like performance art now. But I am told she ran to window when my headlights came on and said "I love you Grampie." She also told Lori not to cry when she left Florida.

I am intending to do: not much.

Playday in the Park

Matt called and wanted to bring Popeye's Chicken to the park and have a play day for Audrey. Popeye's was a treat I was unfamiliar with-it includes southern treats such as beans and rice, delightfully smoky in flavor. It was fun to watch him with his darling daughter- working on the monkey bars, pushing her higher in the swings, and going down the slide, finding shells to throw back in the lake, walking, riding on his shoulders.

They headed back for Audrey's nap and I rode my bike before two impressive cloudbursts dumped on us.

A church sponsored scout troop about 100 strong-all black, camped in the park this weekend. This group comes annually and seems to grow each year. Boys and girls, men and women with quasi-military organization except for free time which is mayhem like all the scout troops at free time. The Canadian on my left was open-mouthed as they paraded by with military cadence chants. They "policed the area," before leaving- couldn't even tell they had been there.


I folded early last night-woke up at 1:30 a.m. the first time feeling like I was going to barf. I didn't, but I also noticed the power was off in the park- I was still fine on battery power. My legs are trying to swell toward evening but so far so good-even on the BP med.

Buster is such a good dog. He is going to get left home while we take another run at Seaquarium tomorrow. He will be cooler even if it will be a pretty long time for us both.

Memory Hook: The San Diego Chargers beat the Indianapolis Colts- an exciting game with an unexpected ending. Talked to Delores. Talked to Rich. The date for his and Valerie's nuptials is July 5. Since Val's daughters will comprise her attendants Rich needs 4 also. Tune in for the the march of the penguins as tuxedos are in the plans.