Bruce's Travels

Tuesday April 3 I awake about 7 a.m., and again remove the dry kitty food. This motel serves a hot breakfast, so after a shower and shave, I head off to the lobby for a heapin' helpin' of egg rounds (staple of the motel "free breakfast"), sausage rounds, and biscuit rounds. All of which are perfectly proportioned so as to create a breakfast sandwich of such uniform dimension that they could be stacked in a Pringles can. I load up the car, crating the kitties last and putting them in their positions -- Abby in back of me and to my right, and Phoebe next to me in the right front passenger seat. Today is a long drive -- about 540 miles -- and I am anxious to tear up the road and get home. We are a curious and paradoxical breed -- most of us anyway -- in that we crave variety and new experiences, but at the same time eventually tire of it and seek to return to the comfort and predictability of familiar surroundings. Rare is the person who craves the open road all th...

Monday April 2 I awake about 6:30, and the first thing I do is remove the dry kitty food in an attempt to "fast" Phoebe so she doesn't throw up the contents of her stomach while on the road. I shower and shave. There is no breakfast here, other than coffee, so I head over to a nearby Cracker Barrel. I know this is unimaginative and that there are plenty of Cracker Barrels back home. But I love their pancakes (which are served with real maple syrup) and their turkey sausage (which is not as greasy as pork sausage). I return to the room, pack up the kitties and their gear, and head out on the road again. I am bound today for Clarksville, TN, where I stopped the first night on my way to Florida four months ago. I have reservations at the same Econo-Lodge. The first hurdle is getting through Atlanta, and I make it fine with no major delays. I must say that Gretchen (my GPS unit) is doing a good job on the way back keeping me on the Interstate and off the state highways. ...

Sunday April 1 The alarm woke me at 5 a.m. I put the bedding in the washing machine, cooked and ate some breakfast, and finished loading the car. By the time Phoebe and Abby were ready to load, the bedding went into the dryer. I loaded the kitties, put the door key under the mat, and bid farewell to 8913 Somerset Boulevard. To pass the time, I listen to "How to Build a House," a book on CD, the bane of many a reader, but welcome relief to those who spend many a long hour on the road. The book, though not what I expected, was nevertheless interesting. The kitties made it OK, though Phoebe pitched a fit for about the first hour, and both barfed and pooped in her travel case. So I had to pull off the Interstate to a gas station, removing the offending effluents, and wash the fleece liner as best I could in the men's room and dry it as best as possible using the wall-mounted hand dryer. But after that, she settled down and both kitties slept for most of the remainder...

Saturday March 31 I awake, have some breakfast, and immediately clean the rest of the condo, for Heather is coming over at 10 a.m. to do the walkthrough. The vacuuming is done (as best I can), so I concentrate on the two crappers, the kitchen, and washing the hard floors with the "Swifter," which as I've mentioned before I think is a pretty worthless device, or at the very least poorly designed (unless I'm using it wrong). Heather arrives about 10:15, and we talk for a while about possible plans for next winter. She urges me to contact her if I believe I will be returning to Ft. Myers. At the very least, she can tell me areas that are "good" and areas to avoid. She does her walk-thru and says she is satisfied, but something tells me the cat hair is an issue (and it turns out that I do pay a cleaning fee that is deducted from my $500 security deposit). I thank Heather for the extra day, and tell her I hope to be on the road by 7 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday) and...

Friday March 30 I have the rather sad task of returning my rental bike today to "Randy," the bike dealer at the Fleamasters flea market. My vintage 1980s Murray "Westport" has been my trusted steed throughout my stay here, and has never let me down. I've missed having "gears" for a little faster transport on the more lengthy uninterrupted stretches of flat terrain.  However, the simplicity and durability of a coaster bike cannot be denied. I remove the custom seat I installed on the bike, and re-install the seat that came with it. Then I drive it over to the flea market, where Randy happily returns half my money -- $50 -- and says he will have no trouble reselling it. I have no use for the basket I bought to go with the bike -- $15 -- so I throw that in for free, along with the cushion handle bar grips that I bought. I return to the condo, and start packing a few things, although tomorrow will be the major packing day. I also start  cleaning the ...

(Note: I am composing these closing entries to my blog from Wisconsin, where I have been for the last couple of months. I need to get these events down on paper before they escape my ever increasing feeble mind. Details might be a little sketchy at this point, but the main events are there, and will provide closure for this winter journey.) Thursday March 29. Today is shopping day, and I have two places I want to visit: The Miromar Outlet Mall, in nearby Estero (just south of Fort Myers); and Dixie Liquidation Groceries, just a bit further south in Bonita Springs. Miromar Outlet -- This is a very nice outlet mall, done in the newest sytle of "indoor/outdoor" style of architecture, with plazas and fountains scattered every so often to provide places to pause and rest or chat or whatever. Most of the restaurants (at least the sit-down venues) are conveniently clustered together in a central part of the mall. I buy a pair of jeans at the Eddie Bauer outlet store. And to my d...

Saturday March 24 - Wednesday March 28 Saturday-Sunday As is my custom, I lay low on the weekend, reading, answering emails, and catching up on the blog. I start planning a "final week" here, filled with activities, some new, some old favorites. I continue my emailing and researching the "Long Island Sound" of rock music via my musician buddy, Grant Werner, and music historian Richard Arfin. Thanks to Youtube, there is a generous amount of clips showing the various bands: The Rascals; Vanilla Fudge; The Hassles (with a very young Billy Joel playing the Hammond B3 organ); The Vagrants (with Leslie West on keys); The Rich Kids (with Richard Supa); The Illusion; and others. This sound became what was known as "The Long Island Sound" when these bands finally "hit" and promoters and agents started putting them on tour, and recording them and so forth. The early videos are grainy and kind of "raw," but you can see the early influence of...

Friday March 23 I rise and pedal my bike to what will be my last Farmers market at Lake Park. I have a bran muffin, coffee, and a pint container of strawberries. All very delicious. I hook up on last time with my musician buddy, Grant, for whom this is his final performance, and he and wife (who sells soap at the market) will be heading back to the Hamptons on Long Island. I don't buy any produce at the market today, because I don't think I will finish it in time for my departure. I bike back to the condo, then set out for the Fleamasters Flea Market. Mostly to give Randy, the bike dealer, a "heads up" that I'll be bringing my bicycle back next Friday, so that he will be sure to have $50 with him to pay me back half the purchase price of the bike. He remembers the bike, the Murray "Westport," and says it will be no problem, in fact he will be happy to have the bike back, as he has a particular fondness for vintage Murray bikes. I also check with Chri...

Thursday March 22 Not too much to report today, other than I finished the Steve Jobs biography, by Walter Isaacson. The sons of bitches (both Jobs and Isaacson) had me tearing up at the end. It really is an amazing story, both Jobs’s own life, and the evolution of Apple and its products. I’m by no means ready to convert from the PC world, but I surely have an appreciation for what Jobs and Apple were/are trying to do. I certainly have a better understanding of some basic computer concepts. And I think it settled once and for all whether I “need” an I-Pad (or tablet in the PC world) and the answer is no, at least not at this time. The issue for the me is that a tablet seems mostly to be a "passive" device. You browse content, or watch TV, or read books. And that's all fine. But there is no keyboard (or at best a very rudimentary that you can use to type in passwords and so forth) and thus no (or very limited) outlet for creating things. Which, as Isaacson points out, is ...

Wednesday March 21 Today is gambling cruise day, and I'm looking forward to a "win" after last week's $50 loss. I leave the condo about 7:45 on my bike and arrive at Marti's Family Restaurant and have their #1 special and coffee. That comes to $6.50 plus a dollar tip. I cross over the bridge to Fort Myers Beach and arrive at the dock about 9:30. I pull out my "coopen" and get the cruise for five bucks. I go through security, and I am up on deck 3 by about 9:45. I pass the time by reading and typing out blog entries, while the deck fills up with fellow gamblers. We're off at 10:30, and the casino opens are around 11:45 once we reach international water. I play blackjack, and decide to quit when I am $32.50 ahead. I had it in my head to try and double my stake of $50, but I think this is about the best I am going to do. As before, we have a nice table of players, and a congenial dealer by the name of "Joshua" who dealt blackjack in Vegas ...

Tuesday March 20 I spend a little bit of time today on the "match" dating website in preparation to end my one-year experience with them, including my little "experiment" down here in Florida these last four months, which I would have to characterize as a “qualified failure.” Maybe that’s a bit too harsh. Perhaps “another chapter in the continuing education of Bruce.” My time with Carol certainly has had its highlights, but a serious relationship between us is out of the question. I did have one face-to-face meeting with a woman from Naples, but I would say that was more of a meeting to compare notes than anything else. And I had a nice email exchange with a couple of other women down here, but they fizzled ... fell off the face of the earth is more like it. The simple fact is that I have a rather unique situation in that I am extremely mobile, and not tied down with job, kids, or grandkids. Most people I've met have at least one of those, and the thought ...

Monday March 19 I make reservations today for another Big M Gambling Cruise, and secure a spot on their Wednesday day cruise (10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) I want to do a total "hack" of the cruise this time to see how low I can cut the expenses. So first order of business is to find the "coopen" everyone else seems to have, and I find it in a flyer at a Hilton Garden Inn close to the condo on College Parkway. I get the $10 cruise for $5. I also find a couple of other coopens at places I frequent. So nice score there. I also snag a couple of chocolate chip cookies on my way out of the hotel. I figure, what the hell, I am a good Hilton customer and have given these folks plenty of money over the years (and am a member of their loyalty club), so isn't that worth a couple of cookies? Tonight is $10.99 dinner night at Big Al's City Sports Bar, so I head over there for an early dinner, and also make a couple of stops at stores that are in same "Market Square...

Saturday March 17 - Sunday March 18 Saturday -- Today is St. Paddy's Day, the second most worthless holiday after Columbus Day. Like the Irish need another excuse to get drunk. Oh well, one more reason I'm glad that I more or less "cool my heels" on the weekends and just chill out, while everyone else is out and about clogging up the roads, shopping malls, and attractions. I hang out at McDonalds and read and soak up their air conditioning and free wi-fi, and keep chipping away at the Steve Jobs biography. I relist a watch on eBay, an early wire lug watch that did not reach my desired minimum the first time around, so I am trying it again. And also do a workout. Sunday -- More or less a carbon copy of yesterday, except I do go to Match dot com and go to my account settings and end my subscription to be sure I am not automatically charged another $116 when my subscription is up on April 5. I would have to characterize my Match efforts in Florida as a qualified fail...

Wednesday March 14 - Friday March 16 Wed. March 14 -- After the big day on Sanibel yesterday, I more or less take it easy today, reading Steve Jobs, and catching up on the blog and Internet surfing. I note on the one of the news pages that Michael Hossack, original drummer for the Doobie Brothers, has passed away at age 65 of cancer. I check the news story and read that Hossack did the drumming on several of the Doobies' early classics, including "Listen to the Music" (which in my opinion is one of great classic rock tunes of all times and my "anthem" of the 1970s), and "China Grove." He played with original band from its inception in 1971 to 1973, then left the band to pursue other musical interests. He came back again in 1987 when a watered-down version of the band reunited and went on tour. He stayed with the group until 2010 until the cancer finally forced him to take a medical leave, and of course he never returned. It's yet another reminde...

Tuesday March 13 I think of all the places and things to do in this area, Sanibel Island has charmed me the most, and I will miss this when I go home.   I start the day at a new breakfast placed called the Island Cow, and it is just about as perfect a breakfast place as you can get (by my standards anyway). Great food, great cup of coffee (Starbucks) and great service. The place has that "Ben and Jerry's hippie" kind of feel to it. I order the open-face fritata, and have that served with home fries and toast.   I also notice something on the menu called the "Juan-Bo Special," named in honor of a couple of the restaurant's employees. This is 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, and choice or 2 sausage or bacon. In any other restaurant, this would simply be called the "2/2/2 Special" or "Two for You" for something like this. But here, menu items are named in honor of employees in lieu of pay, in the spirit of the Ben & Jerry egalitarian philosophy. Ma...

Monday March 12 I set the alarm for 6:45 a.m. because today is Busch Gardens day with my friend, Carol. I make a quick pot of coffee, scarf down an energy bar, and I head out the door a little after 7 a.m. toward Carol's house in North Fort Myers. We are on the road by 7:45 and make it into Busch Gardens about 10:00 a.m. We park ($14) and ride the tram to the entrance. At one of the self-serve kiosks, Carol exchanges he e-ticket for a day pass ($80), and I buy my day pass along with an all-you-can-eat (AYCE) food pass for an additional $30. It's called the "All Day Dining Deal." With each pass through the food line, you can get one entree, one side item (or dessert) and one soft beverage (no beer, which is served as most food venues -- Anheuser-Busch products, of course!). You can go through the line as many times as you want, but each time you get 1/1/1 on the food items. My Chase Visa card is rejected (more on this later), so I use my Union Bank and Trust deb...