Saturday -- Sunday Jan. 28-29
Saturday Jan. 28 Workout and McDonalds
Not much going on today, and I’m thinking all the usual destinations (Sanibel, the beach, etc.) are going to be way crowded, so I go to Anytime Fitness and have a good workout. I have a nice chat with Dawn in the afternoon, who has gone to Evansville today to pick up my mail and send me a package of “junk” watches from the house to here because I want to give my friend (Catwoman) a dress watch or two so she can have something nice for job interviews.
I guess I feel comfortable using her real first name now, which is Carol. I think we have become good enough friends that she wouldn’t mind seeing her name here if she should check out the blog. We have been out a few times now, and I think we feel comfortable with one another. She works third shift as a security officer, and wants to get back on days because the graveyard shift is taking its toll on her health. She wears a clunky digital man’s watch for her job and would like something a little more feminine to go on job interviews, and I said I would help her out. So I have a big box of watches coming.
I take an afternoon nap, and then sit out by the pool a while reading. Phoebe is still limping and this is weighing on my mind, so I don’t really want anything fancy for dinners, and so settle for McDonalds. I get a McDouble and small fries, both on the dollar menu, and have them hold the salt on both (did you know McDonald’s salts their burgers while they’re frying on the grill … like they NEED any more salt?). And the salt-less fries assures I get an order of fries right when they come out of the fryer before they douse them with salt. So they are nice and hot. A diet “senior soda” completes my order for a grand total of $2.86 including tax. Certainly not the best food choice, but nobody can beat the price.
Expenses today: dinner, $3.
Sunday Jan. 29 The John Yarbrough Linear Bike Trail
I start the day with a Sunday paper, and a couple of donuts from the Publix. I check the coupons and prepare the rest of my breakfast of eggs, meat and toast.
Phoebe is still limping noticeably this a.m., so I make the decision to fast her tonight and take her in for X-Rays tomorrow. She is also sneezing, so has appears she has caught a cold, no doubt from all the stress. She has been at the vet more times this week (3 times) than in the past three years.
Today, I am going to bike the John Yarbrough Linear Bike Trail, which runs for six miles parallel to the “10 mile Canal” which is a manmade drainage ditch for the city of Ft. Myers to help drain off excess rain water. The bike trails ends on one side at Six Mile Cypress/Ben C. Pratt (again, dual names for the streets here) where the Sun Harvest Citrus place is. This makes a good rest stop for hydration and goodies. It ends on the north side at Colonial Blvd, another major east-west corridor in the city.
I access the trail by biking west on Cypress Lake Drive, which turns into Daniels Parkway once it crosses U.S. Highway 41. This adds about 3 miles in either direction, so my total ride for today will be about 12 miles, which is a nice ride. The trail is very nice for good stretches of length along with undeveloped parts. I see many egrets, herons, and species of ducks. But the downside is that you must cross three major roads and two minor ones in order to bike it from end to end. Still, a very nice ride, and the stop at Sun Harvest Citrus for all the orange and grapefruit juice you want for free is very nice also. (I also have a slice of key lime pie, which I’ve decided is the best in Fort Myers, along with a cup of coffee). So this is a nice bike ride, but the stretch along Cypress/Daniels to actually GET there is a bit nerve wracking. Even with riding on the sidewalk, there isn’t much between you and the cars moving at 45, 50, and even 55 mph (even though the speed limit is 45) and you have several large intersections to traverse, along with numerous driveways into businesses. So you really must keep your wits about you, and of course I had one asshole in a fast-moving SUV who yelled at me out his window as he streaked by you just for the fun of seeing me jump. But I guess you have to expect that.
Back at the condo, I relax by the pool and finish reading the rest of the Sunday paper, which proves not very interesting. The local paper here (The Ft. Myers/Cape Coral News Press) does not have much a Travel/Leisure/Books section. But I do see on the back page of the TL section that Mel’s Diner (a landmark restaurant here) is featuring Grouper on several menu items, including a complete dinner for $13.99, with your choice of the Grouper being broiled, blackened, or deep fried. So after I give Phoebe one last serving of wet food, I take away the dry food.
I head over to Mel's, and get the dinner which includes choice of salad or soup, the Grouper, rice, and a side of vegetables. It is very good, but the portion of Grouper (I had mine broiled) is quite skimpy (I estimate about 4 ounces) but I know Grouper sells for about $27/pound in the supermarkets, so it’s understandable why the portion is small. For beverage, I have an ice tea. Then order chocolate cake and decaf for dessert. Total bill comes to $24 and change including the tip.
Expenses today: Paper and donuts, $4; snack at Sun Harvest, $5; dinner at Mel’s, $24. Total: $33.
Bruce
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