Scannin'

So....... big box of pictures from 88 Coolidge. 1920's to 2011. What to do? Buy scanner. Cheap wine and warm fire in Maine. Errol Morris wrote long and hard about photographers and composition and a road with cannon balls in Crimea to wreckage in Gaza. I'm left with two pictures taken in same room. I have the lamp on table and I think one of the women is my stepmother grandmother Min. The baby is my sister, Manya, but she doesn't remember much about the picture. My Aunt Kay just died and was the last link to this generation. She already gave me info into the identity of Dodo Germaine who died in WWII. The lesson from all this is to label all pictures and question the remaining members of our parent's generation as to the identities of all those memories. Otherwise, Dodo Germaine would be lost to some cemetery in Western New York and people like me and I will ponder over the identity of these ladies. Thus, the lesson endeth.

Paintin'

So...............your intrepid explorers realized there were places in Western NY that hadn't been visited in some time. This is not Upstate NY. That is north of Albany. WNY is west of Rochester. Driving there to visit friends and see long lost family we wandered along the roads of Erie County where I once toiled as an employee of the Erie County Water Authority. One can easily tell when one is in Erie County by the color of the fire hydrants. They are usually painted Erie County Water Authority Yellow.

I was the experienced summer help when my good friend Gary joined the crew. I drove the truck and he would get out and paint the hydrant. He quickly developed the Erie County Water Authority Pour. By pouring the paint on the the top and spreading it as it ran down the sides Gary was proving the Law of Gravity. As an aside, if we used the term Law of Evolution would we avoid the stupid conversation taking place? Anyway, it worked and gave us extra time to get to the beach so Gary could see his girlfriend. They eventually married, had three kids and six grandkids. Thus proving the time saving benefits of the ECWAP.

Windin'

 So.......after spending a glorious week with the girls and friends in London we took plane to RAF Gibraltar. The airport there goes by that name despite the absence of the RAF. The runway crosses the only road on to the peninsula and traffic stops whenever a plane lands. Anyway, stayed in a really nice hotel in la Linea and walked into Gib.

I digress momentarily to offer some insights into my hotel/motel rankings developed over years of watching our daughters row. They always stayed in the nice places while we stayed in what were once called "no tell motels". My ranking system is based on whether one can read a newspaper through a bath towel. The Bellair and Track and Turf in Camden NJ offer towels that are almost as opaque as a windshield. The places we stayed in Europe included towels that actually absorbed water and light. Maybe it's a European thing.

Anyway, we had wintered in Gib in '92/'93 when we realized that plans to do so in Marseille included the possibility of snow. The prevailing wind there is westerly blowing out of the Med. The current through the strait is easterly so coming and going by sailboat is often a problem. When the wind turns easterly it is called a Levanter and the result is shown here. Results in a dark and gloomy day there and bright sun a couple hundred yards away across the airport. A windrose painted on the wall of a ferry terminal shows the various winds and their names. Thus endeth the lesson for today.

Europin'

So, as most of you are aware, Animal House is really a creation myth not just the best movie ever. I followed its lead in mid April when confronted by a dwindling bank account, a desire to no longer work [nothing new there] and the fact that Lesley was living in London for the semester and Emily was planning on a visit, I decided to hit the VISA card hard and go visit the "old" Europe.

Left for London where on the first morning met a good friend name Simon. He was from Africa [country began with a "Z"] and wanted his picture taken next to a brand new Audi. I suggested the new Jaguar a few rows over and we became fast friends. Was going to use the picture to promote his micro lending scheme whereby he promised to make 300% profit per month. First time I have ever met one of those e mail writers in person. They do exist so maybe the rest of their stories are true.

Spent a wonderful week in London visiting many new places and some of the old we had seen together in 1993. This is taken in the exact same spot outside Buckingham Palace where we witnessed the changing of the guard back then. We were there this time to return our tickets to the wedding the next week as we thought the crowds would be a bit much. Didn't miss much as our seats were right behind the Beckhams and not in a particularly good location.

I did see that the Queen does not have WIFI in the palace. But did notice that many of the people attending the wedding brought their own in the form of satellite dishes disguised as hats.

Workin'

So, my time in FL came to and end followed by an intensive four weeks of work in an effort to pay for the last five. Don't have any pictures of my labor but an interesting conversation to recount.

A long time friend announced his retirement. Sitting with him one day before the morning session began we discussed his future plans. After awhile I told him that every once in awhile I felt jealous of my friends retiring with safe and secure pensions. He sort of smiled and said that as far as he was concerned I had been retired from the moment we first met 35 years ago. On reflection, I would have to agree. Retirement is only a state of mind. Careers have it ass backwards allowing people freedom from the work routine when their health is in decline and their kids have moved away. Next up will be a series of discussions on travels in foreign countries spending my children's inheritance.

I'd also like to thank all my many fans who inquired as to my next post. Both of you have way too much free time.

Remembrin'

Remembrin'

Remembrin'

Homin'

So, I don't know why all good things must come to an end but my time on the beach did. Saw the biggest moon in the world on the drive home as a form of consolation although it would have been better over the Atlantic than Alexandria.

Seems a good friend wanted to sell her rowing shell. It was in our back yard so I offered to do it for her. She and her partner are expecting a baby soon. Ended up selling it to a guy from CT with the same last name as that of a guy I called Dirtball who played basketball in college with another good friend. Kelly and I drove the boat to the CRI boathouse. CRI is where our daughters learned to row awhile back.  They got interested in in when Kelly read an article in the Boston Globe mentioning a learn to row program for high school kids and our older daughter was at that age. The article mentioned a coach who had gone to high school and rowed in Buffalo. Em signed up, Les followed and we met a lot of really good, lifelong friends along the way while enjoying their success.

Anyway, the buyer, when asked about his name said he was from Buffalo and had coached at CRI in 1995, the correct year. He didn't know Dirtball. So it had to be the guy Kelly read about and is partially responsible for our ladies involvement and success in the sport.  It did not provide him a discount, however.

Blabbin'

Mooseonaplatter

Shariahthehreat.com

So, the mooseonaplatter arose on a bike ride this morning while the billboard is on A1A near the Publix supermarket. Mooseonaplatter has no dedicated website and neither does Shariahthethreat.com despite what the sign says. Don't understand why someone would pay to put a mooseonaplatter or a sign urging us to look on line where there is nothing.

Bread ties make good substitutes for the little screws that fall out of my glasses all the time. Why not make the glasses with the screws going down so they don't drop out when unscrewed? Also, one needs one's glasses in order the replace the screw or thread a bread tie through the hole. If you have another set of glasses, no need to fix the first pair.

Just read today that sand is one of North Korea's prime exports. It was in an article about what milk container was the least environmentally sound. In 1969 Boom Boom Sullivan made the observation that the South Korean Army was driving truckloads of sand all over the place. He thought it might be strategic sand constantly moving so that North Korea would not know where it was. I accept this as gospel, like the bread ties.

Rantin'

I know everyone is eagerly awaiting my latest musings but we haven't done anything but bike ride and hang out on the porch. I was heartened however by a TV commercial I saw last weekend while watching the Duke v Notre Dame lacrosse game. Not many make TV so I was drawn to it. Fast food place called Moe's was the main sponsor and the game was played just up the road in Jacksonville.

So this guy wearing a suit is washing his hands in a public restroom presumably Moe's. He turns away from the sink to show that his pants are soaked. I wasn't listening to this point but this kind of humor is right up my alley. He looks around and finds a hand drier on the wall and takes off his pants, holds them over the outlet causing the pants to fly out horizontal. Just the a friend walks in and the announcer says something like " And then was born the immortal nickname of Wind Sock Jimmy".  The reason this struck me as interesting is that for years Kelly and I have discussed whether it is proper for parents to name a child and then decree that they will call her by something else. I have always maintained that a nickname must be the result of some spontaneous happenstance usually alcohol fueled. Some names are automatic nick names. Anyone with a "Fitz" is a Fitz. Mc and Mac are also Macks. Anyone named Lawlor is a "Red Dog", etc. The commercial proves my point!

Rantin'

I know everyone is eagerly awaiting my latest musings but we haven't done anything but bike ride and hang out on the porch. I was heartened however by a TV commercial I saw last weekend while watching the Duke v Notre Dame lacrosse game. Not many make TV so I was drawn to it. Fast food place called Moe's was the main sponsor and the game was played just up the road in Jacksonville.

So this guy wearing a suit is washing his hands in a public restroom presumably Moe's. He turns away from the sink to show that his pants are soaked. I wasn't listening to this point but this kind of humor is right up my alley. He looks around and finds a hand drier on the wall and takes off his pants, holds them over the outlet causing the pants to fly out horizontal. Just the a friend walks in and the announcer says something like " And then was born the immortal nickname of Wind Sock Jimmy".  The reason this struck me as interesting is that for years Kelly and I have discussed whether it is proper for parents to name a child and then decree that they will call her by something else. I have always maintained that a nickname must be the result of some spontaneous happenstance usually alcohol fueled. Some names are automatic nick names. Anyone with a "Fitz" is a Fitz. Mc and Mac are also Macks. Anyone named Lawlor is a "Red Dog", etc. The commercial proves my point!

Launchin'

 Yesterday we drove about 100 miles down the coast to Titusville to watch the last launch of DISCOVERY. There will be 2 more shuttle launches later this summer. I guess this is always a big deal as far as spectators are concerned and this was a close as we could reasonably get. Parked in a boat yard so missed the crush. Sat around in the shade for 4 hours with people asking us in what direction to look. We were pretty close although I have to say it was not launched from that grove of trees but about 5 miles away. Really an amazing sight the pictures cannot really show. A local guy in St Augustine told us that it could be seen from the beach just outside our condo but this was way better.

We could follow it all the way to the separation of the solid fuel boosters as it flew due west heading for orbit. Interestingly, we anchored island of Sal in the Cape Verdes where there is a huge runway that was the shuttle bail out point if it failed to reach orbit. We couldn't see Sal from Titusville.

Interestingly, the only thing that diminished the very long line to the ladie's room was the launch itself. There must be a link.

Business

Arrived in St Augustine on he 19th to find a really nice condo 10 feet from the pool and 100 yards from the ocean. Much better setup than last year being in a much smaller development and on the ground floor. Sun all day as well. One drawback was that I discovered a flat tire on one of the bikes so had to walk on the beach with everyone else. It was a Sunday of a long weekend so it seemed crowded. The beach gets much wider as one goes south. Walked about a mile and saw this guy flying a model plane amongst the huge kits. Last year I discovered that flying a kite, while satisfying, is a bit like fishing without a hook. Not much to do. The guy's plane had about a 39 inch wing span and was made of foam. Very small electric motor [about the size of a AA battery] and a rechargeable battery [about the size of an old school pack of gum] that gave him more than 15 minutes of flying time. They are called "foamies" and here is his.

Here is a babe on met on my walk.

Can't wait to try the bike but the pool beckons.

Idling

We have been in Belleaire since Monday afternoon and have done nothing. Just back from the pool and reading. Yesterday we went to the Yankee's spring training facility but all we saw were NY fans and a couple of fat guys trying to work up a sweat. $3/$4/$5 hotdogs from the same stand so figure the price was based on the amount of team gear one was wearing. Kelly and I were the only ones not wearing something Yankee but I told the security guy I had Yankee underwear and he let us in.

Here is the leader of the Evil Empire immortalized in bronze outside the stadium.

And here is the scoreboard. As I mentioned, there was no one there so the price was right.

And here is a view from Mary Laughlin's deck. It was important that I was 5 stories up when I took off my shirt as even Ahab couldn't throw a harpoon that far. I spent many waking hours here during the past week planning my future. To St Augustine on Saturday

The First Step

As with any well planned adventure the first step begins with Kelly packing everything we could possibly use in the next year or so. My packing consisted of  unwrapping a new toothbrush. We are taking 2 folding bikes from sailing days and hope to use them as last year on the beach.  My contribution was to suggest the placement of all the things we were likely to forget in the same place.

Left in 2 degree weather and arrived in NC in early evening having driven down the eastern shore of the Delmarva peninsula. Observations while driving include many more Methodist churches than any other and Mexican restaurants and stores.

Saw our last snow at Kill Devil Hill where the Wrights first flew. Hard to take a picture of the last of anything without taking a whole lot of pictures but this was a pile of snow about the size of the mashed potatoes in John Belushi's mouth in Animal House. Looked at a boat there but it needed so much more work than I have years left. Here is a picture of the monument on the hill. It is shaped like a pylon used in air racing. On to Belleaire FL and a couple days at Mary Laughlin's place. Going strong at 95.