Julie Arrives

Sunday July 9

Today is the day Julie arrives from Stevens Point, and I'm looking forward to this because tomorrow is our cruise. I spend an hour trying to dispose of prepaid priority mail box that I've prepared for a customer, and damnit if I don't stop at four different places asking if anyone knows where there is a mailbox (I don't even need a post office) and NOBODY knows where there is a regular old fashion blue mailvbox. I'm beginning to feel a little like Aunt Pat and what she is going through … that feeling that I’m getting old and nobody knows what I’m talking about when I ask about a mailbox or where I can buy a Sunday New York Times, or if there is a drinking fountain around somewhere. I mean, I'm not looking for the entrance to Atlantis, for God's sake. I'm looking for a frickin' mail box --- of the type that used to be on practically every corner of every city. I guess I can partially blame the post office for this ... they have removed many of the collection boxes. So anyway, I finally drive about 6 miles to the nearest post office and drop my package in one of their collection boxes there. (The collection boxes there, by the way, are about the size of Volkswagen Beetle (anybody remember those, by the way?) and it doesn’t surprise me because there apparently aren’t any “regular size” collection boxes in the entire city of Fort Myers! Whew, I am glad to rid of that 4 ounce package ... it was beginning to feel like a one-ton stone around my neck!

I gas up the car in the afternoon so we’ll have a full tank tomorrow for the drive to Miami.  Julie's plane is due in at 5:30. I take off for the airport at around 5 p.m. for the 20 minute drive to the SW Regional Florida International Airport. Julie's flight is late (Big surprise there, right?) but the REASON the flight is late is pretty interesting ... the plane blew a tire upon landing in Ft. Myers ... what a freaky thing. The plane had to towed in with one of those "push trucks" and I think the whole thing delayed us by about an hour, so we didn't get to the condo until almost 8 p.m.

The kitties were glad to see Julie, and I cooked us a homemade dinner of chicken parmigan along with seasoned rice, a salad, and more of the orange cake which I swear was even better the second time around because the flavors had a chance to mingle.

We chatted a while, but then headed off to bed kind of early because we have a big day tomorrow .... cruise day!

Expenses: $25 gas.

Bruce