Today is Sunday, and I just gave the apartment a good cleaning because I have company coming over in about an hour and a half. It's Jim and Patty, my neighbors to my left (north). I'm having ham/havarti rollups, Triscuits, assorted soft beverages (they don't drink alcohol), and chocolate chip cookies from the Fresh Market bakery. The main purpose is to visit and to introduce them to Abby (they have a cat also). I will also ask if they will look in on her Jan. 12-16 while Julie and I are on our cruise. They have already offered, so I don't feel like I'm holding them over a barrel by bribing them with refreshments or anything like that.
I see it's been a while since I updated the blog, on Dec. 18. Has anyone missed me? There's been a few things going on, so I'll bring you up to date.
Friday was eventful, starting with the morning bike ride to the Lakes Park farmer's market. I had a bagel sandwich, cinnamon roll, fresh strawberries, and coffee for breakfast there. Dawn, they will be open the day after Christmas, so I am going to take you there so you can try an order of "Poffers." The usual group of retired bicycle enthusiasts were there, who call themselves the "Peckerwoods." We chatted and had a few laughs. I have not been made an honorary member yet, but one can only hope.
Biked back to the apartment (the new tube on the rear tire is holding very nicely, by the way) and then drove out to Fleamasters, where I bought a Scrabble game to keep here, and also a cribbage board that was missing the pegs, but it was only $2, and including a deck of cards.
At about 1:30, I left and headed over to the Gulf Coast Humane Society. It is just down the road from Fleamasters. They don't open until 2 p.m. on Fridays, so I had a little bit of a wait, and there were quite a few people waiting to get in. The first thing I noticed is that they lack sufficient parking, so this could be an issue for staff/volunteers, unless they have an overflow lot somewhere. I skipped the front desk because they were mobbed upon opening, and headed right for the kitten/cat rooms (each has their own room, connected by a door, to keep the kittens separated from the adult cats). I stayed for about an hour, and played with mostly the adult cats and, as expected, found some that were lovers and starving for attention, and others who more or less wanted to be left alone. I spoke with a volunteer there who says it's a pretty easy gig. You don't even have to scoop litter. All they really expect you to do is socialize the cats and try to "talk them up" to prospective adopters. The nice thing about this shelter is that they don't cage any of the adoptable cats; they are free to wander the large room. They have little boxes they can climb into if they want to be alone, but are otherwise free to walk around. On the downside, my impression of the adoption part of the shelter was that it was terribly disorganized. There appeared to be only one person at the reception desk who knew what she was doing, and she was on the phone and trying to answer questions from guests and volunteers all at the same time. So we'll see how I feel about this after the first of the year. It may be that I simply visit the kitties once a week on Friday in conjunction with my flea market visit. I wish there was someone there I could talk to, but they seem to want to deal with their volunteers strictly through the Internet (that's where you fill out your volunteer application).
Back at the apartment, I showered and shaved to get ready for the big music festival downtown with my meetup dot com group. There were supposedly 16 people who RSVP'd they would be there, but when I arrived there was nobody I could identify. I had a slice of pizza and a diet Coke at a place called "Downtown Pizza" which is right in the Plaza. At $4, it was the bargain of the evening. I hooked up with a table of six people from Fort Myers by giving them the old "I'm-new-in-town" sad story and they welcomed me to their table and invited me to partake in their pitcher of beer. I must say I have found the local people here to be quite friendly for the most part.
I finally found two other guys I knew from the meetup group, and we basically spent the next hour scouring the Plaza for signs of any others, but without success. I think what happened was that the group's two leaders (Ed and Pam) had to bow out of hosting the event, and things just fell apart. The three of us guys (me, Gene, and J.T.) hung out for about an hour, listened to a Johnny Cash-style band that was playing out in front of a Mexican-style cantina establishment, and then we left. So basically, I made the best of a not-so-good situation. I did learn a few things from that group I sat with, including the location of a rooftop bar that I may take Dawn to. Beautiful view of the downtown harbor at sunset.
In contrast, Saturday was a quiet day spent reading, surfing the net, and napping. I did order a new set of pots and pans from amazon dot com after the cheap set of pans I bought at Walmart six weeks ago were literally stripped of their nonstick coating in the dishwasher. With some things, it just doesn't pay to buy cheap. Good knives and a good set of pots and pans are a must in the kitchen. I thought I could "slide by" in my little bachelor pad down here, but the immutable laws of cookery are not subject to changes in geography. Shitty pans in Wisconsin are shitty pans in Florida. There's a reason chefs travel with their own knives. Anyway, my new 15-piece set of "Cook N Home Nonstick Black Soft Handled Cookware" should arrive the day after Christmas.
OK, must pause in writing this to prepare my ham-n-havarti rollups for my company, due in about 20 minutes.
Saturday at about 4 p.m. I went back to "Buster's Sports Bar and Eatery" where I had the most excellent fried chicken Wednesday night. Tonight was their 1-pound sirloin steak special. Your slab of meat is cooked to order (mine medium rare), topped with a large onion ring and sauteed mushrooms, and served with baked potato, vegetable (tonight's was stewed tomatoes/onions/zucchini), and tossed salad. All for the bargain price of $11.99. Topped off with a 16 ounce draft Rolling Rock ($2) for the grand total of $14 plus tax and tip for this feast. I brought home half the steak and half the potato for another meal, so I don't see how a person can go wrong with a deal like this. And Busters is a fairly nice place, too. Certainly not the Four Seasons, but more than a hole in the wall also. I wanted dessert after this, so stopped at the upscale "Fresh Market" at the Bell Tower Mall up the road from me (similar to the Copps Metro Market in Madison) and got a single serving of Tiramasu at the bakery, and also picked up a batch of their bakery chocolate chips cookies for my company today.
The visit with Jim and Patty went very well. Nice folks. They enjoyed the treats, and Patty fell in love with Abby, and they are only too happy to watch her the week I am away on the cruise, and I'm sure they'll watch her in March also when I'm away for three days in Orlando/Kissimmee for the watch show.
That brings you all up to date. Tomorrow is supposed to be partly cloudy with a high of 78, so I might head over and spend the day on Sanibel Island, or possibly bike over to the beach.
Bruce
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Thursday, December 18, 2014
"Unbroken" Advance Movie Premiere Scores Hit
I have to admit, I feel a little bit like a VIP, having been given the opportunity, via my participation in meetup.com, to see an advanced screening of the movie Unbroken. And for free, no less. It opens to the general public Christmas day.
The ticket-holders started queueing up about 5:30. Our group, Southwest Florida Singles and Couples Over 40, was just one of many groups to receive free tickets. There must have been around 300 people there, and the auditorium in the movieplex was filled to capacity. They opened the auditorium doors around 6:30, and then we had an hour to wait before the movie started at 7:30. So the full wait time was nearly as long as the movie, but I had 3 or 4 people to talk with from our meetup group, so the time went quickly.
It was completely worth it. Excellent movie, in my opinion. Plane crashes. 47 days in a life raft. Sharks. Unimaginable brutality in two separate POW camps. What Zamperelli went through can scarcely be comprehended. Angelina Jolie, with all her Hollywood weirdness (whether true or manufactured) stayed in the background and let the actors (relative unknowns at that) do their jobs, and I believe she did herself proud. It is an interesting movie on many levels. Certainly one aspect is that this is one of the few movies I can remember where the people behinds the scenes (Jolie and the Cohen brothers Joel and Ethan who wrote the screenplay) are more famous than the actors! Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the Academy voters treat Jolie and the movie at Oscar time. I want to read the book now! The sad part about this movie is that the people who need to see it the most -- the Red Bull-drinking, Clash of Clans-playing 20- and 30-somethings will avoid it like the plague. It might give them a little perspective the next time their Playstations break and they view it as a hardship. But of course it will not happen.
Before the movie, I had dinner at a new (at least for me) restaurant called "Buster's Sports Bar and Eatery" on McGregor Blvd. It is a hangout for the locals, though is gaining popularity with the tourists via Yelp, Urbanspoon, TripAdvisor, etc. I heard about it from "Kaye", the lady at Fleamasters from whom I bought my kitchen table and chairs. Every day they have a special, and on Wednesday it was all-you-can-eat fried chicken served with two sides for $10. And I mean REAL fried chicken here, folks. Big plump pieces of fresh (not frozen) chicken, hand battered, and then deep fried. It takes 20 minutes to get your order, and the chicken arrives at your table at a temperature hovering somewhere around that of the earth's core. On Tuesdays, they have a 1-1/4 pound whole steamed lobster served with two sides for $13. But their big claim to fame is their 1-pound sirloin steak dinner, served with mushrooms, a large onion ring, potato and salad for $12. This is served Saturday and Sunday, and most folks tell me they eat half the steak and bring the other half home for another meal. Anyway, the chicken was delicious, and I will report on the steak and lobster later.
Today is Thursday, and I'm just kind of laying back. I did perform a little grocery shopping. First to the Publix deli for some Boar's Head Tavern Ham and Cream Havarti cheese, both of which I now consider "staples" for the fridge along with eggs, milk, and butter. When all else fails for a snack idea, a "roll-up" of ham and Havarti does the trick. Most of you know me as a frugal individual who buys shirts at the Salvation Army thrift store for a dollar, and so on. But I'm telling you this Boar's Head stuff is a shining example of value over sheer price. It simply cannot be beat. Find it in your area and give it a try. The Havarti and the ham are each $11.39 a pound, and totally worth it. Second, to the Walmart Neighborhood Market for a 5-pound bag of Florida grapefruit, diet Coke, milk, bananas, oatmeal, and a pound of ground chuck. Walmart is fine for the basics, but their deli sucks compared to Publix.
Also, I found another animal shelter here in town in addition to the Lee County Animal Services, to which I was unable to commit because of their requirement of six months minimum service period for its volunteers. This group is the Gulf Coast Humane Society, and they will take volunteers for any length of time. They are on the north end of town, very close to the Fleamasters flea market, so I know right where they are. I'm going to check them out tomorrow (Friday) in conjunction with my flea market visit, and fill out an application. I'll keep you posted.
Tomorrow is also the day of the art/music walk in downtown Fort Myers. Our meetup group organizers, Ed and Pam, had to bow out of hosting at the last minute due to relatives arriving in town, so I fear the meetup is going to fall apart. But that will not stop me from going; I'll just more or less be on my own. I'm taking my canvas foldup chair along so I will have a place to sit out on the plaza to listen to music, and I will give you a full report later.
That's all for now. I didn't send out the email notice with the last blog update, and I did see considerably fewer "hits" on the posting. So this time, I'll send out the email notice.
Bruce
The ticket-holders started queueing up about 5:30. Our group, Southwest Florida Singles and Couples Over 40, was just one of many groups to receive free tickets. There must have been around 300 people there, and the auditorium in the movieplex was filled to capacity. They opened the auditorium doors around 6:30, and then we had an hour to wait before the movie started at 7:30. So the full wait time was nearly as long as the movie, but I had 3 or 4 people to talk with from our meetup group, so the time went quickly.
It was completely worth it. Excellent movie, in my opinion. Plane crashes. 47 days in a life raft. Sharks. Unimaginable brutality in two separate POW camps. What Zamperelli went through can scarcely be comprehended. Angelina Jolie, with all her Hollywood weirdness (whether true or manufactured) stayed in the background and let the actors (relative unknowns at that) do their jobs, and I believe she did herself proud. It is an interesting movie on many levels. Certainly one aspect is that this is one of the few movies I can remember where the people behinds the scenes (Jolie and the Cohen brothers Joel and Ethan who wrote the screenplay) are more famous than the actors! Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the Academy voters treat Jolie and the movie at Oscar time. I want to read the book now! The sad part about this movie is that the people who need to see it the most -- the Red Bull-drinking, Clash of Clans-playing 20- and 30-somethings will avoid it like the plague. It might give them a little perspective the next time their Playstations break and they view it as a hardship. But of course it will not happen.
Before the movie, I had dinner at a new (at least for me) restaurant called "Buster's Sports Bar and Eatery" on McGregor Blvd. It is a hangout for the locals, though is gaining popularity with the tourists via Yelp, Urbanspoon, TripAdvisor, etc. I heard about it from "Kaye", the lady at Fleamasters from whom I bought my kitchen table and chairs. Every day they have a special, and on Wednesday it was all-you-can-eat fried chicken served with two sides for $10. And I mean REAL fried chicken here, folks. Big plump pieces of fresh (not frozen) chicken, hand battered, and then deep fried. It takes 20 minutes to get your order, and the chicken arrives at your table at a temperature hovering somewhere around that of the earth's core. On Tuesdays, they have a 1-1/4 pound whole steamed lobster served with two sides for $13. But their big claim to fame is their 1-pound sirloin steak dinner, served with mushrooms, a large onion ring, potato and salad for $12. This is served Saturday and Sunday, and most folks tell me they eat half the steak and bring the other half home for another meal. Anyway, the chicken was delicious, and I will report on the steak and lobster later.
Today is Thursday, and I'm just kind of laying back. I did perform a little grocery shopping. First to the Publix deli for some Boar's Head Tavern Ham and Cream Havarti cheese, both of which I now consider "staples" for the fridge along with eggs, milk, and butter. When all else fails for a snack idea, a "roll-up" of ham and Havarti does the trick. Most of you know me as a frugal individual who buys shirts at the Salvation Army thrift store for a dollar, and so on. But I'm telling you this Boar's Head stuff is a shining example of value over sheer price. It simply cannot be beat. Find it in your area and give it a try. The Havarti and the ham are each $11.39 a pound, and totally worth it. Second, to the Walmart Neighborhood Market for a 5-pound bag of Florida grapefruit, diet Coke, milk, bananas, oatmeal, and a pound of ground chuck. Walmart is fine for the basics, but their deli sucks compared to Publix.
Also, I found another animal shelter here in town in addition to the Lee County Animal Services, to which I was unable to commit because of their requirement of six months minimum service period for its volunteers. This group is the Gulf Coast Humane Society, and they will take volunteers for any length of time. They are on the north end of town, very close to the Fleamasters flea market, so I know right where they are. I'm going to check them out tomorrow (Friday) in conjunction with my flea market visit, and fill out an application. I'll keep you posted.
Tomorrow is also the day of the art/music walk in downtown Fort Myers. Our meetup group organizers, Ed and Pam, had to bow out of hosting at the last minute due to relatives arriving in town, so I fear the meetup is going to fall apart. But that will not stop me from going; I'll just more or less be on my own. I'm taking my canvas foldup chair along so I will have a place to sit out on the plaza to listen to music, and I will give you a full report later.
That's all for now. I didn't send out the email notice with the last blog update, and I did see considerably fewer "hits" on the posting. So this time, I'll send out the email notice.
Bruce
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Another Cruise
Tuesday 12/16. Another near achingly beautiful day.
Sunshine, not a cloud in the sky, and headed toward a high of about 72. I’m
currently on board the “Big M” floating casino, having biked here from the
apartment. Took me a little longer this time because I tried to cross the San
Carlos bridge on the opposite side, only to find there is no sidewalk on that side!
So I had to double back in order to cross busy San Carlos Blvd at a traffic light. There was a large
light pole laying across the sidewalk that I didn’t see until the last second
(the sun was in my eyes) that almost threw me over the top of my bicycle, but I
managed to stop in time and just thump it with the front tire. I was going to
move it, but some lady came running out of one the stores in the strip mall
yelling at me not to touch it because she thought it might still be “live.” Too
late. I had already touched it, but put it back down. It was too damn heavy
anyway.
The bike is locked up in the maintenance garage at the dock,
and I’ve got a tuna salad lunch kit and two energy bars in the backpack for
later snacking. I had a grapefruit and a pretty good serving size of oatmeal
for breakfast, so that should hold me for a while, but I know the eight mile
bike ride burned up some of that energy.I went out and looked at bicycles at a couple thrift stores yesterday, but didn’t find anything interesting. I’ll start looking at craigslist, but this may have to wait until after the new year. I won’t be doing much, if any, biking anyway during the week Dawn is here. I also stopped at Love Boat Ice Cream Co. for a single dip black raspberry chocolate chip in a sugar cone. Yummy. Dacquiri, tortilla chips, and salsa for “happy hour” back at the apartment, and a ribeye steak for dinner.
I’m trying to complete another update (i.e., new watches)
for the website this week. This will consist of 11 new watches, and will be the
last update for 2014, and it may be a couple of months before I update again.
All the watches I brought along with me will be up on the website after this
update, so from here on in, my business will consist of gradually transferring the
watches that don’t sell off the website over to eBay. That should be easy work
since all the photographs are already taken, and descriptions written.
Tomorrow evening is the free movie premiere of “Unbroken.”
Ed, our group leader, has all 150 of his free tickets spoken for, and other
groups in addition to ours will be coming to the theater as well. So it promises to be a sold-out
show, and even perhaps overbooked so some folks may be turned away.
Friday is the art/music walk in downtown Fort Myers with the
meetup group, and on Sunday I’m thinking of inviting my one set of neighbors,
Jim and Patty, over to the apartment for a get-together with some snacks. Those
are the people I’m thinking of asking to watch Abby while Julie and I are on
the cruise. So it’s going to be a busy finish to the week, and next week will
be Christmas.
Well, I’m hungry now, so I’m going to beak into one of
those energy bars, along with a free cup of a dark coffee-like substance from
the spigot dispenser.Excellent cruise today. Beautiful weather and calm seas. I won $20 at the BJ table, plus read about 70 pages of Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country, which I'm enjoying immensely. Pleasant bike ride back to the apartment, where I made myself a nice large margarita, and for dinner a couple of hot dogs with some Fritos. I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight.
Bruce
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Bargains, '50s Rock n Roll
My trip to Fleamasters on Friday resulted in several bargains, including:
* a wine corkscrew for $1;
* a new deck of cards for $1;
* a new set of bicycle handlebar grips for $5; and
* a pair of "Aqua Shoes" for beach walking, shelling, etc., for $10.
Lunch in the food court consisted of a Gyro with Greek salad, fresh fruit, and diet Coke for $8.50. For dessert, a giant glazed donut still warm from the fryer and a cup of coffee. Naughty, but oh so delicious. This particular vendor usually sells out of her donuts every day because they have to raise overnight and she only brings so many to her food kiosk at the flea market for frying. You can get them plain glazed (her biggest seller) or kicked up with apple-cinnamon, praline, etc.
Here's a picture of Abby on the lanai, enjoying the sunshine:
She is really enjoying herself here, and I'm happy she has adjusted so well to the Florida life. I have been combing bales of hair from beneath her finish coat using the slicker comb I got at one of the pet supply stores at Fleamasters. Her coat is soft and beautiful, and she really likes the brushings, especially since I give her treats and/or a little bit of Petromalt at the end of the brushings.
I spent Saturday morning and early afternoon preparing for another update on the watch website. I have been getting quite a few repairs back from the three new watchmakers I am working with, so I have about 10 new watches to put on the site. I also had a nice phone chat with Dawn and got caught up on our various goings-on.
At about 1 p.m., I headed over to Planet Fitness for a workout and also to get showered/shaved for the evening outing with the meetup gang, again being held at Cadillac Jack's, and tonight's performers are "Joe Marino and All the Kings Men," originally from New Jersey, former lounge performers in Las Vegas (the Imperial Palace, among other places) and now playing south Florida for the winter.
The four-piece band was pretty good, much better than I expected from watching a couple of lo-res telephone camera youtube videos. They did a mix of early to mid '50s rock and rockabilly numbers, including numbers by Bill Haley and the Comets (Shake, Rattle and Roll, Rock Around the Clock), Carl Perkins (Blue Suede Shoes), Jerry Lee Lewis (Great Balls of Fire), Chuck Berry (Johnny B. Goode), and so forth. Joe was a stitch with his '50s pompadour haircut and all black greaser's outfit. I danced with several ladies, including a couple of "group dances" where a whole section of our table would get up and dance. For dinner, I had the chicken marsala from their abbreviated Saturday menu, and three tap beers. We had one woman at our table, extremely attractive, and waaayy too young to be with this group. I made some inquiries, and found out she was 31 years old, and was there as a guest of her mother-in-law. This woman and her husband arrived in Florida about a week ago for a winter getaway. They stepped of the plane, and her husband dropped dead of a brain aneurism. Crazy old world, ain't it?
Sunday, I awoke and had a large and leisurely breakfast of grapefruit, 2 over easy eggs, home fries, 3 strips of bacon, toast, and coffee. I completed a couple of chores, including the weekly litter changeout for Miss Abby, and sweeping the tile floor in what has become an endless battle with dust bunnies which seem to appear out of nowhere and on a daily basis. Abby and I are out on the lanai right now, just hanging out. I think it's going to be pretty laid back day; I'll continue working on my watch listings, and I may take a bike ride this afternoon over to Starbucks and check out those new handle bar grips.
Bruce
* a wine corkscrew for $1;
* a new deck of cards for $1;
* a new set of bicycle handlebar grips for $5; and
* a pair of "Aqua Shoes" for beach walking, shelling, etc., for $10.
Lunch in the food court consisted of a Gyro with Greek salad, fresh fruit, and diet Coke for $8.50. For dessert, a giant glazed donut still warm from the fryer and a cup of coffee. Naughty, but oh so delicious. This particular vendor usually sells out of her donuts every day because they have to raise overnight and she only brings so many to her food kiosk at the flea market for frying. You can get them plain glazed (her biggest seller) or kicked up with apple-cinnamon, praline, etc.
Here's a picture of Abby on the lanai, enjoying the sunshine:
 |
| "I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille." |
She is really enjoying herself here, and I'm happy she has adjusted so well to the Florida life. I have been combing bales of hair from beneath her finish coat using the slicker comb I got at one of the pet supply stores at Fleamasters. Her coat is soft and beautiful, and she really likes the brushings, especially since I give her treats and/or a little bit of Petromalt at the end of the brushings.
I spent Saturday morning and early afternoon preparing for another update on the watch website. I have been getting quite a few repairs back from the three new watchmakers I am working with, so I have about 10 new watches to put on the site. I also had a nice phone chat with Dawn and got caught up on our various goings-on.
At about 1 p.m., I headed over to Planet Fitness for a workout and also to get showered/shaved for the evening outing with the meetup gang, again being held at Cadillac Jack's, and tonight's performers are "Joe Marino and All the Kings Men," originally from New Jersey, former lounge performers in Las Vegas (the Imperial Palace, among other places) and now playing south Florida for the winter.
The four-piece band was pretty good, much better than I expected from watching a couple of lo-res telephone camera youtube videos. They did a mix of early to mid '50s rock and rockabilly numbers, including numbers by Bill Haley and the Comets (Shake, Rattle and Roll, Rock Around the Clock), Carl Perkins (Blue Suede Shoes), Jerry Lee Lewis (Great Balls of Fire), Chuck Berry (Johnny B. Goode), and so forth. Joe was a stitch with his '50s pompadour haircut and all black greaser's outfit. I danced with several ladies, including a couple of "group dances" where a whole section of our table would get up and dance. For dinner, I had the chicken marsala from their abbreviated Saturday menu, and three tap beers. We had one woman at our table, extremely attractive, and waaayy too young to be with this group. I made some inquiries, and found out she was 31 years old, and was there as a guest of her mother-in-law. This woman and her husband arrived in Florida about a week ago for a winter getaway. They stepped of the plane, and her husband dropped dead of a brain aneurism. Crazy old world, ain't it?
Sunday, I awoke and had a large and leisurely breakfast of grapefruit, 2 over easy eggs, home fries, 3 strips of bacon, toast, and coffee. I completed a couple of chores, including the weekly litter changeout for Miss Abby, and sweeping the tile floor in what has become an endless battle with dust bunnies which seem to appear out of nowhere and on a daily basis. Abby and I are out on the lanai right now, just hanging out. I think it's going to be pretty laid back day; I'll continue working on my watch listings, and I may take a bike ride this afternoon over to Starbucks and check out those new handle bar grips.
Bruce
Friday, December 12, 2014
Cruising on Captiva; Rolllin' On a River
To pick up where I left off on Wednesday, I left the Sanibel Cafe and biked over to the Casa Ybel resort, where I had lunch at "Coconuts," the tiki bar out by the pool/patio. They still offered their seared Ahi tuna crispy tacos, so I ordered those along with a Shock Top on draft. I brought a book along ("Florida Road Kill") and was watching the rich people, but the real show was going on behind the bar.
The bartender there, a man by the name of Chris, appeared to be in his mid to late 30s. Fancying himself quite the ladies' man, he was hitting on anything there female under 40, including his co-bartender, named Liz, who was having none of it. It was quite comical watching him, and in the hour and a half or so that I spent there, I had heard every line he had, including his favorite, "What can I do to facilitate your endeavor?" every time a good looking woman came up to the bar. I told (former landlord) Heather about this, and she worked with both of them back when she tended bar there. She informed me that Chris a) has a screw or two loose, and b) that Liz is gay. Which I find hilarious, not that Liz is gay, but that Chris has not figured this out. Anyway, it was kind of fun watching them, kind of like Sam Malone and Diane Chambers from the old Cheers TV series, except Sam had better lines.
The tacos, plus two drafts came to $34, including the 18% mandatory gratuity. Definitely an indulgence for me; I certainly couldn't afford to eat there (much less stay there!) every
day, but it's a nice treat to have once in a while.
From there, I biked over to the Darling nature preserve, but did not bike through it due to the extra mileage I logged biking to and from the resort. I turned around and dropped the bike off at Billy's Rentals at about 4 p.m. From there, I drove the Prius over to Captiva Island, about 8 miles from Billy's Rentals, and then about another 3.5 to 4 miles to the end of the island where the restaurants are. I parked at the "Bubble Club" and then walked over to the Key Lime Bistro and had a draft and listened to a live piano player there by the name of Sam Felker, who was very enjoyable and had a decent voice that reminded me faintly of Neil Young. Felker looked about my age, and for a moment I flashed back to 1984 when I got out of the music business, and seeing him only confirmed that I made the right move. I cannot imagine how my life would have turned out had a I continued playing and singing these last 30 years, but I doubt seriously that I would be on this island today, soaking up the sunshine and taking in the sights and sounds.
I also checked out R.C. Otter's, one of the restaurants Dawn and I plan to visit while she is here. And I also went into the Bubble Room to look at all the "crap" on their walls (picture Ella's Deli in supper club version) and also to have a beer at the bar. I ended up getting a slice of "Orange Crunch Cake" to go off their dessert menu, one of their signature items. Three layers high, covered in orange cream cheese frosting, and in between each layers is a generous filling of streusel and almonds, hence the crunch. It lasted me two desserts back at the apartment and was one of the yummiest cakes I've ever had.
Thursday after breakfast at the apartment of a grapefruit, oatmeal, and coffee, I decided to return to Manatee Park and try my luck at kayaking again. This time, I did much better and did not ram into any trees. I spotted numerous manatees and got within about 10 feet of a couple of them. One swan under me. I was out on the water for about an hour, and managed to get a couple of pictures, not of manatees, but just the river so you can see how pretty it is:
The only thing I had for lunch that day was an energy bar and a small glass of milk, so I was quite hungry by the time I was driving back to the apartment, and stopped at the grocery store and bought a ribeye steak. When I got back to the apartment, I made a delicious Dacquiri with fresh limes, and had that with tortilla chips and salsa. I sequestered Abby into the bedroom, and fired up the oven broiler, opened all the windows and doors, and broiled the steak for 4 minutes on each side to medium rare, and had that with a baked potato and a glass of Pino Noir (from Dixie Liquidators) out on the lanai (after letting Abby out, of course!) Boy, there is nothing like a day out in the fresh air to hone one's appetite to a fine edge. And for dessert, the second half of the orange crunch cake.
Today is Friday, and I have just returned from a bike ride to the Lakes Park Friday farmers market. Forgot to mention that yesterday, I took the bike into a bike shop just up the street from me and had the guy put a new tube into the rear tire. I got tired of refilling it with air almost every day. So now I have another $18 invested in the bike, and the guy at the bike shop told me I should try and find another bicycle with a little larger frame and I would have a much more comfortable ride. So we'll see what happens. I might end up investing a little better set of wheels. I am on my way to Fleamasters to see my book buddy, Chris, and see what other kind of trouble I can get into.
Bye for now,
Bruce
The bartender there, a man by the name of Chris, appeared to be in his mid to late 30s. Fancying himself quite the ladies' man, he was hitting on anything there female under 40, including his co-bartender, named Liz, who was having none of it. It was quite comical watching him, and in the hour and a half or so that I spent there, I had heard every line he had, including his favorite, "What can I do to facilitate your endeavor?" every time a good looking woman came up to the bar. I told (former landlord) Heather about this, and she worked with both of them back when she tended bar there. She informed me that Chris a) has a screw or two loose, and b) that Liz is gay. Which I find hilarious, not that Liz is gay, but that Chris has not figured this out. Anyway, it was kind of fun watching them, kind of like Sam Malone and Diane Chambers from the old Cheers TV series, except Sam had better lines.
The tacos, plus two drafts came to $34, including the 18% mandatory gratuity. Definitely an indulgence for me; I certainly couldn't afford to eat there (much less stay there!) every
day, but it's a nice treat to have once in a while.
From there, I biked over to the Darling nature preserve, but did not bike through it due to the extra mileage I logged biking to and from the resort. I turned around and dropped the bike off at Billy's Rentals at about 4 p.m. From there, I drove the Prius over to Captiva Island, about 8 miles from Billy's Rentals, and then about another 3.5 to 4 miles to the end of the island where the restaurants are. I parked at the "Bubble Club" and then walked over to the Key Lime Bistro and had a draft and listened to a live piano player there by the name of Sam Felker, who was very enjoyable and had a decent voice that reminded me faintly of Neil Young. Felker looked about my age, and for a moment I flashed back to 1984 when I got out of the music business, and seeing him only confirmed that I made the right move. I cannot imagine how my life would have turned out had a I continued playing and singing these last 30 years, but I doubt seriously that I would be on this island today, soaking up the sunshine and taking in the sights and sounds.
I also checked out R.C. Otter's, one of the restaurants Dawn and I plan to visit while she is here. And I also went into the Bubble Room to look at all the "crap" on their walls (picture Ella's Deli in supper club version) and also to have a beer at the bar. I ended up getting a slice of "Orange Crunch Cake" to go off their dessert menu, one of their signature items. Three layers high, covered in orange cream cheese frosting, and in between each layers is a generous filling of streusel and almonds, hence the crunch. It lasted me two desserts back at the apartment and was one of the yummiest cakes I've ever had.
Thursday after breakfast at the apartment of a grapefruit, oatmeal, and coffee, I decided to return to Manatee Park and try my luck at kayaking again. This time, I did much better and did not ram into any trees. I spotted numerous manatees and got within about 10 feet of a couple of them. One swan under me. I was out on the water for about an hour, and managed to get a couple of pictures, not of manatees, but just the river so you can see how pretty it is:
 |
| Orange River, home to manatees seeking warm water. |
The only thing I had for lunch that day was an energy bar and a small glass of milk, so I was quite hungry by the time I was driving back to the apartment, and stopped at the grocery store and bought a ribeye steak. When I got back to the apartment, I made a delicious Dacquiri with fresh limes, and had that with tortilla chips and salsa. I sequestered Abby into the bedroom, and fired up the oven broiler, opened all the windows and doors, and broiled the steak for 4 minutes on each side to medium rare, and had that with a baked potato and a glass of Pino Noir (from Dixie Liquidators) out on the lanai (after letting Abby out, of course!) Boy, there is nothing like a day out in the fresh air to hone one's appetite to a fine edge. And for dessert, the second half of the orange crunch cake.
Today is Friday, and I have just returned from a bike ride to the Lakes Park Friday farmers market. Forgot to mention that yesterday, I took the bike into a bike shop just up the street from me and had the guy put a new tube into the rear tire. I got tired of refilling it with air almost every day. So now I have another $18 invested in the bike, and the guy at the bike shop told me I should try and find another bicycle with a little larger frame and I would have a much more comfortable ride. So we'll see what happens. I might end up investing a little better set of wheels. I am on my way to Fleamasters to see my book buddy, Chris, and see what other kind of trouble I can get into.
Bye for now,
Bruce
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Haircut, New Duds, More Dancing
It's Wednesday, and I'm on Sanibel Island, surely the jewel in the crown of Fort Myers. It is a bit chilly by local standards (currently about 65 degrees) but one of those sunny days with just the wispiest of clouds and clear air, so beautiful it damn near brings a tear to your eye. I have a nice bright yellow beach cruiser from Billy's Rentals, and I'm at the Sanibel Cafe using their free Internet.
Backing up to Tuesday (yesterday), I awoke and made a pot of coffee using that Starbucks "Estima" blend I got from Dixie Liquidators, and it is delicious, and had that with a strawberry/banana smoothie.
I was in need of a haircut, and so consulted the Internet to find out if there were any old-fashioned barber shops left around here (they are an endangered species everywhere). I am so tired of those franchised barber chains, ala Supercuts, Great Clips, etc. It's not that I have anything against the concept of a barber (excuse me, styling salon) franchise. It's just I'm kind of fed up with the quality of help they attract. They must pay shit wages, because they seem to go through stylists like McDonald's goes through fry cooks. The quality of the cuts varies greatly, and the minute you do manage to form a "relationship" with one of the barbers/stylists, he or she is gone the next time you go there, presumably to greener pastures or back to tech school to learn a new, hopefully more lucrative, craft. So I found an old-fashioned barber shop, called "Doug's Barber Shop," located in a rather anemic strip mall along Cleveland Avenue. But to my delight, the barber there that day ("Dawn") was an expert with the clippers/scissors, and did an excellent job with what little hair I have left. The charge was $11, plus a $2 tip, and she didn't try to sell me any hair-care product, or ask for my phone number and/or email for their "records." She rang me up on a vintage 1960s mechanical cash register, which was about the same vintage as the three oversized Kocher barber chairs in the place. Job accomplished, and I hope "Dawn" is still employed there when I return for a touchup in about a month.
Next, I was hungry for lunch, and Doug's Barber Shop is close to Mel's Diner, so I went to Mel's for an encore on the baby back ribs. Once again, excellent. I also found out they will be closed Christmas day, so (sister) Dawn I am working to find a place that you and I can have a meal out that day. It will likely be a buffet situation; there's two places I'm looking at on Fort Myers Beach, as I thought it might be fun to spend Xmas on the beach for something different!
I was in need of a second "good outfit" to wear on social occasions, so I found a really neat and colorful "Florida Shirt" at the Salvation Army thrift store for a dollar, and a nice pair of light tan dress slacks at the Community Thrift Store for two dollars. Both were in near-new condition. The Community Thrift Store is just a couple doors down from the Love Boat Ice Cream company on San Carlos Blvd., so I stopped in for a cone and got more than I bargained for. I wanted to try one of their "drumstick" cones, which is a waffle cone dipped half way down in dark chocolate and covered in crushed peanuts. Thus, the "drumstick" part of the concoction is on the cone and not on the ice cream, as found in the freezer department of your local supermarket. Anyway, their standard serving on a drumstick cone is FOUR scoops of ice cream. You can get two scoops, but they charge you the same price ($5) anyway, so of course I made the sacrifice and got the four scoops -- two of banana and two of cookies-n-cream. Sounds weird, I know, but it was really good. The irony of the ice cream cone costing me more than the outfit I just bought was not lost on me!
Back at the apartment, I took a short chair nap, and then dressed in my new outfit for the meetup gathering at Cadillac Jacks, music provided by the duo of "Pearl and Sasy." I arrived at CJ's around 5:30, and was the first meetup person there. I ordered a Pinot Grigo, and waited for others to start arriving. OK, there was good and bad in the evening, and let me do the bad first so that I can finish this blog entry on a positive note.
Every meetup group surely must have at least one asshole, under the general rule that in any group of 12 or more people, there must be at least one asshole. And tonight I met him, and not surprisingly it was the same person who made an ass of himself on the meetup website with his commentary on "snowbirds." For purposes of this blog, I'll just call him "Z" on the one-in-a-million chance he would stumble onto this blog (although he would no doubt recognize himself by the story I'm about to tell). Anyway, the guy was loud and obnoxious, very sexist, and racist/bigoted in that way that while he never says the "n" word, you just know the guy would park his own car at a restaurant if he drove by and saw that the valet was black. To give you an idea of this guy's level of douche-baggery, he referred to a table-mate's Jaguar automobile as a "pussy-mobile" in full voice, which would be offensive enough under most any situation, but exponentially so with a woman seated at our table.
OK, now the good. The music was delightful, and yours truly danced with four different females! Neither member of the duo of Pearl and Sasy played an instrument, and were completely dependent on musical backtracks, basically a glorified Karaoke machine aided in their particular case with two laptop computers and a large sound system. Backtracks are the bane of most professional musicians (and I'm sure the musician's union would like them banned) but your average bar patron is clueless as to what's going on, and thinks that all this musical background is coming from the singers themselves rather than digital 0s and 1s synthesized into muscial notes. But the bottom line was that Pearl and Sasy both had EXCELLENT voices and did some nice two-part harmonies, and their choice of songs was very danceable. I was impressed by how current their playlist was, including Pharrell Williams' Happy and John Legend's All of Me (not to be confused with the 1930s jazz standard by the same name). Maybe the upside of "Z's" obnoxiousness that I was up and dancing with multiple dance partners if nothing else just to get away from the guy. I had very much fun in my new outfit and haircut. One of our group leaders again took pictures, and if mine get's posted, I'll send it along.
Also, our group leader, Ed, scored 150 free tickets to a prescreening of the movie, Unbroken, and our group is invited to view it Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 6:15 p.m. I believe this is several days before it opens to the general public, so I kind of feel like a VIP! And for free no less. So I will be there with the group at the Bell Tower Cinemas, which is only a couple miles from the apartment.
Well, that's it for now. Time to bike around the island, and I plan to have lunch at the Casa Ybel resort, and am hoping they still have the seared Ani tuna tacos!
Bruce
Backing up to Tuesday (yesterday), I awoke and made a pot of coffee using that Starbucks "Estima" blend I got from Dixie Liquidators, and it is delicious, and had that with a strawberry/banana smoothie.
I was in need of a haircut, and so consulted the Internet to find out if there were any old-fashioned barber shops left around here (they are an endangered species everywhere). I am so tired of those franchised barber chains, ala Supercuts, Great Clips, etc. It's not that I have anything against the concept of a barber (excuse me, styling salon) franchise. It's just I'm kind of fed up with the quality of help they attract. They must pay shit wages, because they seem to go through stylists like McDonald's goes through fry cooks. The quality of the cuts varies greatly, and the minute you do manage to form a "relationship" with one of the barbers/stylists, he or she is gone the next time you go there, presumably to greener pastures or back to tech school to learn a new, hopefully more lucrative, craft. So I found an old-fashioned barber shop, called "Doug's Barber Shop," located in a rather anemic strip mall along Cleveland Avenue. But to my delight, the barber there that day ("Dawn") was an expert with the clippers/scissors, and did an excellent job with what little hair I have left. The charge was $11, plus a $2 tip, and she didn't try to sell me any hair-care product, or ask for my phone number and/or email for their "records." She rang me up on a vintage 1960s mechanical cash register, which was about the same vintage as the three oversized Kocher barber chairs in the place. Job accomplished, and I hope "Dawn" is still employed there when I return for a touchup in about a month.
Next, I was hungry for lunch, and Doug's Barber Shop is close to Mel's Diner, so I went to Mel's for an encore on the baby back ribs. Once again, excellent. I also found out they will be closed Christmas day, so (sister) Dawn I am working to find a place that you and I can have a meal out that day. It will likely be a buffet situation; there's two places I'm looking at on Fort Myers Beach, as I thought it might be fun to spend Xmas on the beach for something different!
I was in need of a second "good outfit" to wear on social occasions, so I found a really neat and colorful "Florida Shirt" at the Salvation Army thrift store for a dollar, and a nice pair of light tan dress slacks at the Community Thrift Store for two dollars. Both were in near-new condition. The Community Thrift Store is just a couple doors down from the Love Boat Ice Cream company on San Carlos Blvd., so I stopped in for a cone and got more than I bargained for. I wanted to try one of their "drumstick" cones, which is a waffle cone dipped half way down in dark chocolate and covered in crushed peanuts. Thus, the "drumstick" part of the concoction is on the cone and not on the ice cream, as found in the freezer department of your local supermarket. Anyway, their standard serving on a drumstick cone is FOUR scoops of ice cream. You can get two scoops, but they charge you the same price ($5) anyway, so of course I made the sacrifice and got the four scoops -- two of banana and two of cookies-n-cream. Sounds weird, I know, but it was really good. The irony of the ice cream cone costing me more than the outfit I just bought was not lost on me!
Back at the apartment, I took a short chair nap, and then dressed in my new outfit for the meetup gathering at Cadillac Jacks, music provided by the duo of "Pearl and Sasy." I arrived at CJ's around 5:30, and was the first meetup person there. I ordered a Pinot Grigo, and waited for others to start arriving. OK, there was good and bad in the evening, and let me do the bad first so that I can finish this blog entry on a positive note.
Every meetup group surely must have at least one asshole, under the general rule that in any group of 12 or more people, there must be at least one asshole. And tonight I met him, and not surprisingly it was the same person who made an ass of himself on the meetup website with his commentary on "snowbirds." For purposes of this blog, I'll just call him "Z" on the one-in-a-million chance he would stumble onto this blog (although he would no doubt recognize himself by the story I'm about to tell). Anyway, the guy was loud and obnoxious, very sexist, and racist/bigoted in that way that while he never says the "n" word, you just know the guy would park his own car at a restaurant if he drove by and saw that the valet was black. To give you an idea of this guy's level of douche-baggery, he referred to a table-mate's Jaguar automobile as a "pussy-mobile" in full voice, which would be offensive enough under most any situation, but exponentially so with a woman seated at our table.
OK, now the good. The music was delightful, and yours truly danced with four different females! Neither member of the duo of Pearl and Sasy played an instrument, and were completely dependent on musical backtracks, basically a glorified Karaoke machine aided in their particular case with two laptop computers and a large sound system. Backtracks are the bane of most professional musicians (and I'm sure the musician's union would like them banned) but your average bar patron is clueless as to what's going on, and thinks that all this musical background is coming from the singers themselves rather than digital 0s and 1s synthesized into muscial notes. But the bottom line was that Pearl and Sasy both had EXCELLENT voices and did some nice two-part harmonies, and their choice of songs was very danceable. I was impressed by how current their playlist was, including Pharrell Williams' Happy and John Legend's All of Me (not to be confused with the 1930s jazz standard by the same name). Maybe the upside of "Z's" obnoxiousness that I was up and dancing with multiple dance partners if nothing else just to get away from the guy. I had very much fun in my new outfit and haircut. One of our group leaders again took pictures, and if mine get's posted, I'll send it along.
Also, our group leader, Ed, scored 150 free tickets to a prescreening of the movie, Unbroken, and our group is invited to view it Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 6:15 p.m. I believe this is several days before it opens to the general public, so I kind of feel like a VIP! And for free no less. So I will be there with the group at the Bell Tower Cinemas, which is only a couple miles from the apartment.
Well, that's it for now. Time to bike around the island, and I plan to have lunch at the Casa Ybel resort, and am hoping they still have the seared Ani tuna tacos!
Bruce
Monday, December 8, 2014
Bargains at Dixie Grocery Liquidators
Finishing where I left off Sunday, I took a short bike ride over to Starbucks just to get out of the apartment and hang out with the other "barnacles" there. Used my Starbucks smartphone app to pay for my coffee and brownie ... pretty cool, you just bring up this barcode on your phone, they scan it at the register with their gun, and you're done quicker than cash or even a debit/credit card.
I stopped at the Walmart Market on my way back for a little sharp cheddar because tonight I am making quesadillas, what with my salsa surplus and all. They turned out so nice, I took a picture of them -- along with my margarita -- out on the lanai:
Today is Monday, and I decided to check out the bargains at Dixie Liquidation Groceries in Bonita Springs, just a short 15 miles south of here on the way to Naples. This is no doubt southwest Florida's largest "dent and bent" grocers, and probably one of the largest of its kind in the whole state. I shopped there a few times when I was here a couple years ago, so have been meaning to revisit them. Turns out they are in the process of closing their old store and moving to a newer, larger space about 3 miles to the north. One of the manager guys at the old store said they had a lot more stuff at the new location, so of course I had to go check that one out as well. I spent about $47 between the two locations, but scored some significant bargains, including:
* five pounds of Starbucks whole bean coffee, their "Estima Blend" which is still available on their ordering website (but I don't think it's offered by the cup in their stores) and is advertised as one of their "certified fair trade" coffees and sells for $13.95/pound. I got a 5-pound vacuum sealed mylar bag (not labeled for individual sale) for $13, which comes to $2.60 per pound. As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with it; just must be overstock inventory or something. The store had cases of it. I'll let you know how it is when I make a pot of it tomorrow for breakfast. These beans should last me the whole time I'm here.
* three bottles of wine, including a Berringer white zinfandel for you, Dawn, when you arrive in case you want to splurge and have a little wine while you're here. I also got a bottle of Pinot Noir, and Pinot Grigio. The bottles look perfectly fine and do not look as though they fell off a truck or anything; even the labels are straight. These were $5/bottle.
* two boxes of energy/meal bars to take on the gambling cruises with me.
* a big Frito-Lay variety pack containing 20 individual bags of Lays potato chips and various members of the "Eeto" family, including Cheetos, Doritos, Fritos, etc. This was just $3.99.
* a liter of Margarita mix for just 50 cents.
* a boxed rice pilaf mix for 99 cents.
* a couple packages of Pepperidge Farm weird flavor seasonal cookies that apparently didn't sell with the general public.
* a package of "Tangerine Cream Swirl" shortbread cookies from the Dancing Deer Baking Co. of Boston, Mass., for 99 cents. They are actually quite delicious, and made with real butter.
This was great fun because, as most of you know, few people love a good bargain more than I do. I stopped on the way back at DJ's Chinese Restaurant where I got the great dim sum a while back. This time, I had one of their lunch specials, Moo Goo Gai Pan (chicken), which came with pork fried rice and an egg roll for $6.49. Very reasonable, and very delicious.
Ed, the meetup dot com leader, has decided to move the group's music/dance venues to Tuesday nights instead of Saturday to ease the crowd situation now that all the snowbirds are arriving. So I've RSVP'd to attend tomorrow's meetup at Cadillac Jack's to see/hear the duo "Pearl and Sase" which I guess is pronounced like "Sassy." So I'll let you know how that goes. In the meantime, here's a picture of me that was posted on the meetup website. The woman in the photo with me is "Karen," who I danced with Saturday night at CJ's.
Do not adjust the color on your monitor. Between being sunburned and flushed from the three beers I had, I was indeed that red-faced! I guess it kind of compliments Karen's hair!
That's all for now.
Bruce
I stopped at the Walmart Market on my way back for a little sharp cheddar because tonight I am making quesadillas, what with my salsa surplus and all. They turned out so nice, I took a picture of them -- along with my margarita -- out on the lanai:
Today is Monday, and I decided to check out the bargains at Dixie Liquidation Groceries in Bonita Springs, just a short 15 miles south of here on the way to Naples. This is no doubt southwest Florida's largest "dent and bent" grocers, and probably one of the largest of its kind in the whole state. I shopped there a few times when I was here a couple years ago, so have been meaning to revisit them. Turns out they are in the process of closing their old store and moving to a newer, larger space about 3 miles to the north. One of the manager guys at the old store said they had a lot more stuff at the new location, so of course I had to go check that one out as well. I spent about $47 between the two locations, but scored some significant bargains, including:
* five pounds of Starbucks whole bean coffee, their "Estima Blend" which is still available on their ordering website (but I don't think it's offered by the cup in their stores) and is advertised as one of their "certified fair trade" coffees and sells for $13.95/pound. I got a 5-pound vacuum sealed mylar bag (not labeled for individual sale) for $13, which comes to $2.60 per pound. As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with it; just must be overstock inventory or something. The store had cases of it. I'll let you know how it is when I make a pot of it tomorrow for breakfast. These beans should last me the whole time I'm here.
* three bottles of wine, including a Berringer white zinfandel for you, Dawn, when you arrive in case you want to splurge and have a little wine while you're here. I also got a bottle of Pinot Noir, and Pinot Grigio. The bottles look perfectly fine and do not look as though they fell off a truck or anything; even the labels are straight. These were $5/bottle.
* two boxes of energy/meal bars to take on the gambling cruises with me.
* a big Frito-Lay variety pack containing 20 individual bags of Lays potato chips and various members of the "Eeto" family, including Cheetos, Doritos, Fritos, etc. This was just $3.99.
* a liter of Margarita mix for just 50 cents.
* a boxed rice pilaf mix for 99 cents.
* a couple packages of Pepperidge Farm weird flavor seasonal cookies that apparently didn't sell with the general public.
* a package of "Tangerine Cream Swirl" shortbread cookies from the Dancing Deer Baking Co. of Boston, Mass., for 99 cents. They are actually quite delicious, and made with real butter.
This was great fun because, as most of you know, few people love a good bargain more than I do. I stopped on the way back at DJ's Chinese Restaurant where I got the great dim sum a while back. This time, I had one of their lunch specials, Moo Goo Gai Pan (chicken), which came with pork fried rice and an egg roll for $6.49. Very reasonable, and very delicious.
Ed, the meetup dot com leader, has decided to move the group's music/dance venues to Tuesday nights instead of Saturday to ease the crowd situation now that all the snowbirds are arriving. So I've RSVP'd to attend tomorrow's meetup at Cadillac Jack's to see/hear the duo "Pearl and Sase" which I guess is pronounced like "Sassy." So I'll let you know how that goes. In the meantime, here's a picture of me that was posted on the meetup website. The woman in the photo with me is "Karen," who I danced with Saturday night at CJ's.
Do not adjust the color on your monitor. Between being sunburned and flushed from the three beers I had, I was indeed that red-faced! I guess it kind of compliments Karen's hair!
That's all for now.
Bruce
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Ice Cream and Dancing
Saturday turned into a fairly busy day in a good way. I awoke and made a pot of coffee and a strawberry/banana smoothie (love that I brought along my Vitamix blender!). Then, some housework: I stripped the bed and washed/dried the sheets. I swept and then wet mopped the kitchen floor (really like that Swifter product!).
I then packed the gym bag and headed over to Planet Fitness. I was in good need a shower/shave anyway, so this way I figured I could get in a nice workout and cleaned up at the same time.
Back at the apartment, I made myself a BLT on the excellent homemade bread I got at the farmers market on Friday, and had that with a little potato salad. Threw another load of laundry into the washer, including the workout stuff. Took a little chair nap, and then awoke feeling like I could use a little treat, so drove out to the Love Boat Ice Cream shop mentioned earlier to check out their flavors. Oh my gosh. So much ice cream goodness packed into a business establishment so small, that you would drive right past it if you didn't know it was there. Really good ice cream, like Ice Cream Shoppe ice cream in Wisconsin. And strictly ice cream, shakes/malts, sundaes, and cones. No hot food of any kind. I settled on a double scoop in a bowl ... coffee/toffee crunch on the bottom and caramel swirl on top. I then bought a two-scooper to go of watermelon sorbet and classic vanilla ice cream for a "dreamsicle" type concoction that I ate back at the apartment. Mmmm.
Niece/nephew Kris and Jim got sister Dawn's new computer hooked up today, and this afternoon we had a short video Skype session from my apartment and Dawn's condo. It was very much fun seeing Dawn and chatting with her!
At this point, I had to get ready for my evening out at Cadillac Jacks with the meetup dot com crew. I changed into my one good outfit, then headed to CJ's and met up with the crew and settled next to a group of ladies who promptly informed me that I had better have my dancing shoes on, because they were expecting to dance. We had about an hour before the band started, so this was the opportunity to socialize and order off the abbreviated menu to meet the obligatory $10 per person spending minimum to help pay for the band since there was no cover charge. I ordered an appetizer called the "Zing Zang Shrimp," which is a platter of eight crunchy fried shrimp drizzled with a moderately spicy remoulade sauce, and I ordered a Miller Lite as my beverage. I chatted with my table mates, all them interesting in some way except for one fellow I didn't particularly care for, but still tolerable. The fellow to my right introduced himself as Bill Brower, a professor emeritus from Marquette University in Milwaukee (College of Engineering), and who now lives in a condo on Fort Myers Beach. I quickly realized that I was the youngster (at 58 years of age) among the group of about 26 that were there.
The 11-piece band, Alter Ego, started promptly at 6:30, opening with Ain't Too Proud, and they played a nice mix of classic R&B, Motown, and rock. Vocals were good and on key, and the 3-piece horn section (two trumpets, one alto sax) added some great punch. They did many bar-band classics including Shining Star, Dancing in the Streets, Old Time Rock 'n' Roll, and many more. But they also did a couple of more unconventional numbers, like Vehicle, the great tune from the one-hit-wonder band, Ides of March. You don't hear it played by bar bands very often, and you absolutely MUST have a horn section to make it sound good. They pulled it off very nicely.
Yours truly made it out to the dance floor on three occasions with a very nice lady seated to my left, named Karen (from New Jersey), who was a good 10 years my senior, but nevertheless had some great moves. One of the group leaders took my picture with "Karen" and if it gets posted to the meetups page, I'll put it here on the blog. My god, I haven't been out on a dance floor in over 25 years. My dear Gwen, with all of her many gifts and charms, was completely self-conscious about being seen on a dance floor, and hence we never danced once. So this was great fun.
The band did a 90-minute set, and then took a break. I saw that several group members were taking their leave, and decided it was time to head out myself. I got back to the apartment at 9 p.m. As Dawn pointed out in a phone conversation Sunday morning, you can tell you're in a retirement state when you get home from a night out when most bands are just starting to play in the clubs that cater to the younger crowds! My entire food/bar tab, including the 18% built-in gratuity, came to just $20.11, and this included the shrimp dish, and three Miller Lites (16 ouncers). so this was a fantastic bargain for such a good time.
Anyway, my "take" on the singles/couples group thus far is that it will be an outlet for me to have some fun and socialize, but I'm keeping expectations low as far as pairing up with anyone. Next Friday is the art/music walk in downtown Fort Myers, so the atmosphere may be more conducive to socializing and may draw a completely different group of people, so we'll see what happens.
Today is Sunday, and I'm just kind of kicking back so far. Had a nice leisurely breakfast at the apartment, changed out Abby's litter, and watched CBS Sunday morning. I diced the rest of the tomatoes from the farmers market (that got bruised on the way home) and made them into salsa so they wouldn't go bad sitting on the counter. Catching up on emails and the blog. Several eBay lots end this evening, so there will be packages going out tomorrow. Abby is working on her 20 hours of daily sleep, sacked out on the bed. The weather here looks good for the next couple of days, so I may head over to Sanibel tomorrow or Tuesday for a day on the island.
Take care everyone,
Bruce
I then packed the gym bag and headed over to Planet Fitness. I was in good need a shower/shave anyway, so this way I figured I could get in a nice workout and cleaned up at the same time.
Back at the apartment, I made myself a BLT on the excellent homemade bread I got at the farmers market on Friday, and had that with a little potato salad. Threw another load of laundry into the washer, including the workout stuff. Took a little chair nap, and then awoke feeling like I could use a little treat, so drove out to the Love Boat Ice Cream shop mentioned earlier to check out their flavors. Oh my gosh. So much ice cream goodness packed into a business establishment so small, that you would drive right past it if you didn't know it was there. Really good ice cream, like Ice Cream Shoppe ice cream in Wisconsin. And strictly ice cream, shakes/malts, sundaes, and cones. No hot food of any kind. I settled on a double scoop in a bowl ... coffee/toffee crunch on the bottom and caramel swirl on top. I then bought a two-scooper to go of watermelon sorbet and classic vanilla ice cream for a "dreamsicle" type concoction that I ate back at the apartment. Mmmm.
Niece/nephew Kris and Jim got sister Dawn's new computer hooked up today, and this afternoon we had a short video Skype session from my apartment and Dawn's condo. It was very much fun seeing Dawn and chatting with her!
At this point, I had to get ready for my evening out at Cadillac Jacks with the meetup dot com crew. I changed into my one good outfit, then headed to CJ's and met up with the crew and settled next to a group of ladies who promptly informed me that I had better have my dancing shoes on, because they were expecting to dance. We had about an hour before the band started, so this was the opportunity to socialize and order off the abbreviated menu to meet the obligatory $10 per person spending minimum to help pay for the band since there was no cover charge. I ordered an appetizer called the "Zing Zang Shrimp," which is a platter of eight crunchy fried shrimp drizzled with a moderately spicy remoulade sauce, and I ordered a Miller Lite as my beverage. I chatted with my table mates, all them interesting in some way except for one fellow I didn't particularly care for, but still tolerable. The fellow to my right introduced himself as Bill Brower, a professor emeritus from Marquette University in Milwaukee (College of Engineering), and who now lives in a condo on Fort Myers Beach. I quickly realized that I was the youngster (at 58 years of age) among the group of about 26 that were there.
The 11-piece band, Alter Ego, started promptly at 6:30, opening with Ain't Too Proud, and they played a nice mix of classic R&B, Motown, and rock. Vocals were good and on key, and the 3-piece horn section (two trumpets, one alto sax) added some great punch. They did many bar-band classics including Shining Star, Dancing in the Streets, Old Time Rock 'n' Roll, and many more. But they also did a couple of more unconventional numbers, like Vehicle, the great tune from the one-hit-wonder band, Ides of March. You don't hear it played by bar bands very often, and you absolutely MUST have a horn section to make it sound good. They pulled it off very nicely.
Yours truly made it out to the dance floor on three occasions with a very nice lady seated to my left, named Karen (from New Jersey), who was a good 10 years my senior, but nevertheless had some great moves. One of the group leaders took my picture with "Karen" and if it gets posted to the meetups page, I'll put it here on the blog. My god, I haven't been out on a dance floor in over 25 years. My dear Gwen, with all of her many gifts and charms, was completely self-conscious about being seen on a dance floor, and hence we never danced once. So this was great fun.
The band did a 90-minute set, and then took a break. I saw that several group members were taking their leave, and decided it was time to head out myself. I got back to the apartment at 9 p.m. As Dawn pointed out in a phone conversation Sunday morning, you can tell you're in a retirement state when you get home from a night out when most bands are just starting to play in the clubs that cater to the younger crowds! My entire food/bar tab, including the 18% built-in gratuity, came to just $20.11, and this included the shrimp dish, and three Miller Lites (16 ouncers). so this was a fantastic bargain for such a good time.
Anyway, my "take" on the singles/couples group thus far is that it will be an outlet for me to have some fun and socialize, but I'm keeping expectations low as far as pairing up with anyone. Next Friday is the art/music walk in downtown Fort Myers, so the atmosphere may be more conducive to socializing and may draw a completely different group of people, so we'll see what happens.
Today is Sunday, and I'm just kind of kicking back so far. Had a nice leisurely breakfast at the apartment, changed out Abby's litter, and watched CBS Sunday morning. I diced the rest of the tomatoes from the farmers market (that got bruised on the way home) and made them into salsa so they wouldn't go bad sitting on the counter. Catching up on emails and the blog. Several eBay lots end this evening, so there will be packages going out tomorrow. Abby is working on her 20 hours of daily sleep, sacked out on the bed. The weather here looks good for the next couple of days, so I may head over to Sanibel tomorrow or Tuesday for a day on the island.
Take care everyone,
Bruce
Friday, December 5, 2014
A Bounty at the Farmers Market
After topping off the tires on the bicycle, I rode over to the Lakes Park Friday farmer's market, about four miles each way, a nice little ride to get the blood flowing and the appetite stoked. I left about 8:30 and got their at 9. For breakfast I had a cheese Danish, a pint of fresh strawberries, and coffee. I met up with the bicycle group, whose members hail from Wisconsin (Kenosha, no less), Iowa, and Canada among other places. We shared a few stories and laughs.
At the market, I picked up:
1/2 pound fresh cod, for making fish tacos this evening;
a loaf of homemade honey wheat bread; and
a pound of fresh tomatoes.
Unfortunately, the tomatoes didn't do so well on the trip back to the apartment because they kept bouncing up and down in the bike basket and got a little bruised. I'll have to rethink the tomatoes, perhaps bring a box with some bubble wrap in it. Fresh vine ripened tomatoes are so fragile compared to the ones you get in the store.
I put away the perishables, then headed over to the Fleamasters flea market to hunt for bargains. I picked up a copy of Bill Bryson's A Sunburned Country, chronicling his travels in Australia. I bought a sticky lint roller to clean my comforter and furniture of cat hair. Abby is shedding like crazy, because she started getting her winter coat in Wisconsin, and is now shedding it in this warmer climate. I also invested in a good slicker brush to pull out Abby's loose undercoat. I also scored a whole bag of limes for $2 from a produce dealer who wanted to get rid of them. I had a lunch at one of the food court vendors of a Philly Steak sandwich, fries, and a Dr. Pepper for $8.50.
On the way home, I stopped at CVS Pharmacy to pick up some meds, and scored $5 in CVS scrip via their loyalty club. So I scoured their sale flyer and picked up a pint of Haagen Dazs coffee ice cream, a dozen eggs, and a small pouch of cashews.
Back at the apartment, I made myself a Dacquiri with two of the fresh limes and some of my Wicked Dolphin rum. Delicious. Took a small chair nap in the La-Z-Boy, and awoke to prepare my fish tacos for dinner, and topped it off with some coffee Haagen Dazs for dessert. All very yummy. Can't wait to try some of that honey wheat bread tomorrow.
I'm listening to Pandora radio right now (the piano solo channel) and Abby is asleep on the bed. Very peaceful.
Lest you think I'm a g rouch, ala my catty review of the Rockefeller Christmas Special in my last blog entry, I want you all to know that I watched Peter Pan last night on NBC and loved it. I thought Allison Williams was thoroughly likeable, and Christopher Walkin's inimitable stop-start diction brought a new dimension to Captain Hook. It was great fun,.
Well, there are 24 people scheduled thus far indicating their intention to attend the meetup dot com gathering tomorrow night at Cadillac Jacks to listen to Alter Ego, an 11 piece R&B band. I'm looking forward to attending and hopefully meeting some new people.
Bruce
At the market, I picked up:
1/2 pound fresh cod, for making fish tacos this evening;
a loaf of homemade honey wheat bread; and
a pound of fresh tomatoes.
Unfortunately, the tomatoes didn't do so well on the trip back to the apartment because they kept bouncing up and down in the bike basket and got a little bruised. I'll have to rethink the tomatoes, perhaps bring a box with some bubble wrap in it. Fresh vine ripened tomatoes are so fragile compared to the ones you get in the store.
I put away the perishables, then headed over to the Fleamasters flea market to hunt for bargains. I picked up a copy of Bill Bryson's A Sunburned Country, chronicling his travels in Australia. I bought a sticky lint roller to clean my comforter and furniture of cat hair. Abby is shedding like crazy, because she started getting her winter coat in Wisconsin, and is now shedding it in this warmer climate. I also invested in a good slicker brush to pull out Abby's loose undercoat. I also scored a whole bag of limes for $2 from a produce dealer who wanted to get rid of them. I had a lunch at one of the food court vendors of a Philly Steak sandwich, fries, and a Dr. Pepper for $8.50.
On the way home, I stopped at CVS Pharmacy to pick up some meds, and scored $5 in CVS scrip via their loyalty club. So I scoured their sale flyer and picked up a pint of Haagen Dazs coffee ice cream, a dozen eggs, and a small pouch of cashews.
Back at the apartment, I made myself a Dacquiri with two of the fresh limes and some of my Wicked Dolphin rum. Delicious. Took a small chair nap in the La-Z-Boy, and awoke to prepare my fish tacos for dinner, and topped it off with some coffee Haagen Dazs for dessert. All very yummy. Can't wait to try some of that honey wheat bread tomorrow.
I'm listening to Pandora radio right now (the piano solo channel) and Abby is asleep on the bed. Very peaceful.
Lest you think I'm a g rouch, ala my catty review of the Rockefeller Christmas Special in my last blog entry, I want you all to know that I watched Peter Pan last night on NBC and loved it. I thought Allison Williams was thoroughly likeable, and Christopher Walkin's inimitable stop-start diction brought a new dimension to Captain Hook. It was great fun,.
Well, there are 24 people scheduled thus far indicating their intention to attend the meetup dot com gathering tomorrow night at Cadillac Jacks to listen to Alter Ego, an 11 piece R&B band. I'm looking forward to attending and hopefully meeting some new people.
Bruce
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Exploring Downtown
Spent part of this morning packing eBay boxes and took them over to the post office on the bike.
I then visited downtown (aka Old Downtown or Historic Downtown) for the first time. I have wanted to do this for a while, but now with the upcoming "meetup" get together there on the 19th, I had a new incentive to go there and check things out, including the parking situation. Downtown is about 6 miles from the apartment. I currently don't know a good bike route there. The main way to get there is McGregor Blvd., and there are stretches where there is no sidewalk on either side, so for the time being the Prius is going to be the vehicle of choice.
It took about 15 minutes to get there, and I found a nice parking spot on the street for free, but I also found out how to access one of the parking ramps for the night of the 19th. ($5 for all day parking). The big gathering place here is called "Plaza de Leon" and it's a big square surrounded on all sides by clubs and restaurants, strictly pedestrian with no vehicles allowed. I went to a place called "The Deli" for lunch and had a hot pastrami sandwich on ciabatta bread with an Orange Crush for $10 and change. It was very delicious. I walked the perimeter of the plaza, checking out a couple of the stores. Then I wanted some dessert, so went to another place called "Ford's Garage" (indeed an old repair garage rehabbed for the restaurant/bar) and had apple pie with a scoop of ice cream and a coffee for $11 plus $2 tip, which I thought a bit expensive, but the pie (actually more like a dumpling) was delicious. And I found out the ice cream they use is made here in Fort Myers at a place called "Love Boat Ice Cream Co." located on San Carlos Blvd., so now I have another place to visit (probably have passed it a dozen times on my way to the beach). They advertise an ice cream parlor on premises and claim to have 50 flavors.
I left downtown at about 3 p.m., and stopped at the Walmart Neighborhood Market for needed supplies, including cat food and cat litter. An eight-pack of Diet Coke rang up twice on the scanner on one of those damnable "self-check-out" aisles, so I ended up standing in line anyway at the customer service window to get the $3 back for the one six pack. I really hate the idea that Walmart (and others) effectively put me to work when I check out of their store. But damnit, this particular store usually has only two checkouts that are manned, and they are always packed. So with usually 10 items or less, I invariably go for the self-check out to try and save some time and get out of store as quickly as possible. (It's not a particularly pleasant place to be. Picture your average Walmart but in grocery store version. But the prices can't be beat.) It usually works, but this time I got tripped up by a mischievous scanner and spent 15 minutes in the "customer service" line.
Hey, while I'm griping, did anyone else watch the Rockefeller Christmas show on NBC Wednesday night? I caught a little bit of it, but was so horrified by the whole Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga debacle that I turned it off. Tony, I know you're trying to preserve your image as "hip," but you are truly backing the wrong horse at this particular moment in your career. I won't be buying the album. Anyway, I guess I missed the main disaster of the evening when Mariah Carey jiggled her way on stage and slaughtered All I Want for Christmas by trying to do it live. I watched it on Youtube today, and someone had managed to filter out everything except her mic feed, and I was absolutely aghast. Most spectacular screwup since Christina Aguilera botched the Star Spangled Banner at the 2011 Super Bowl. Mariah, honey, what were you smokin' in the limo on your way over to Rockefeller Center?
Anyway, that's enough griping from sunny Florida (I know, I have it rough down here). All in all, a fun day with new adventures. Tomorrow is the farmer's and flea market double header.
Bruce
I then visited downtown (aka Old Downtown or Historic Downtown) for the first time. I have wanted to do this for a while, but now with the upcoming "meetup" get together there on the 19th, I had a new incentive to go there and check things out, including the parking situation. Downtown is about 6 miles from the apartment. I currently don't know a good bike route there. The main way to get there is McGregor Blvd., and there are stretches where there is no sidewalk on either side, so for the time being the Prius is going to be the vehicle of choice.
It took about 15 minutes to get there, and I found a nice parking spot on the street for free, but I also found out how to access one of the parking ramps for the night of the 19th. ($5 for all day parking). The big gathering place here is called "Plaza de Leon" and it's a big square surrounded on all sides by clubs and restaurants, strictly pedestrian with no vehicles allowed. I went to a place called "The Deli" for lunch and had a hot pastrami sandwich on ciabatta bread with an Orange Crush for $10 and change. It was very delicious. I walked the perimeter of the plaza, checking out a couple of the stores. Then I wanted some dessert, so went to another place called "Ford's Garage" (indeed an old repair garage rehabbed for the restaurant/bar) and had apple pie with a scoop of ice cream and a coffee for $11 plus $2 tip, which I thought a bit expensive, but the pie (actually more like a dumpling) was delicious. And I found out the ice cream they use is made here in Fort Myers at a place called "Love Boat Ice Cream Co." located on San Carlos Blvd., so now I have another place to visit (probably have passed it a dozen times on my way to the beach). They advertise an ice cream parlor on premises and claim to have 50 flavors.
I left downtown at about 3 p.m., and stopped at the Walmart Neighborhood Market for needed supplies, including cat food and cat litter. An eight-pack of Diet Coke rang up twice on the scanner on one of those damnable "self-check-out" aisles, so I ended up standing in line anyway at the customer service window to get the $3 back for the one six pack. I really hate the idea that Walmart (and others) effectively put me to work when I check out of their store. But damnit, this particular store usually has only two checkouts that are manned, and they are always packed. So with usually 10 items or less, I invariably go for the self-check out to try and save some time and get out of store as quickly as possible. (It's not a particularly pleasant place to be. Picture your average Walmart but in grocery store version. But the prices can't be beat.) It usually works, but this time I got tripped up by a mischievous scanner and spent 15 minutes in the "customer service" line.
Hey, while I'm griping, did anyone else watch the Rockefeller Christmas show on NBC Wednesday night? I caught a little bit of it, but was so horrified by the whole Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga debacle that I turned it off. Tony, I know you're trying to preserve your image as "hip," but you are truly backing the wrong horse at this particular moment in your career. I won't be buying the album. Anyway, I guess I missed the main disaster of the evening when Mariah Carey jiggled her way on stage and slaughtered All I Want for Christmas by trying to do it live. I watched it on Youtube today, and someone had managed to filter out everything except her mic feed, and I was absolutely aghast. Most spectacular screwup since Christina Aguilera botched the Star Spangled Banner at the 2011 Super Bowl. Mariah, honey, what were you smokin' in the limo on your way over to Rockefeller Center?
Anyway, that's enough griping from sunny Florida (I know, I have it rough down here). All in all, a fun day with new adventures. Tomorrow is the farmer's and flea market double header.
Bruce
Another Gambling Cruise, This Time with 16-mile Bike Ride
Another lovely day in Fort Myers. Currently 71 degrees and sunny at 10 a.m. I’m on
board the “Big M” casino boat for the second of what I’m sure will be many $5
ocean cruises. I gave the tires on the bike a full pump of air,
and rode over to Fort Myers Beach for the first time. It takes about an hour,
including walking the last quarter mile over the San Carlos bridge because at
present I’m not in good enough shape to bike the incline! McGregor and San
Carlos Blvd. are still relatively uncrowded with vehicular traffic, so cars
were whizzing by me at 45+ mph (I was up on the sidewalk). I locked my bike to
one of the support poles inside the maintenance building, bought my $5 ticket,
and boarded. I’m sitting at a table up on the open canopy deck as other
gamblers and frugal travelers are boarding.
I meant to mention, on Monday, I received sister-in-law
Julie’s check in the mail for her portion of the Caribbean cruise expense and her airfare
to Fort Myers. I decided to try my new Chase mobile app, and was able to
electronically deposit the check simply by taking a photo of the front and rear
of the check with my phone camera, and then transmitting the images to Chase
via the phone. The funds appeared in my account the same day. Wow, is that ever
cool! I deposited the check without ever having to stand in line or queue up at
the motor lanes! The paper check I can now simply toss.
When the ship returns to dock at 3:30, I doubt I’ll be able
to eat out at Pincher’s (or anywhere else) on the bike ride back to the
apartment, because it gets dark here at around 5 p.m. just like Wisconsin. If I
eat out tonight, I’ll have to take the car once I get back to the apartment. We’ll
see what develops.
OK, I won $22.50 at the $5 blackjack table, and so I decided
to have the buffet aboard the ship. It was more “breakfasty” than “brunchy,”
and about all I can say about it is that it filled me up. Dawn, I suggest we
pack a few snack items when we go. Coffee and water are free. The coffee is that Nescafe crap that comes out of a dispenser, but it's passable. And sodas are $1
at the bar. If you decide to get a rum and Diet Coke, yes they have limes! (A little private joke between Dawn and me.)
The cruise was very pleasant with calm waters, balmy temps,
and a nice breeze. I got about 100 pages into this new book I’m reading,
Florida Roadkill, by Tim Dorsey, who’s a little bit like Carl Hiaason, only
more gritty. We docked back at Fort Myers Beach at 3:30, and I retrieved my
bicycle from the machinery building, tires still well inflated. Took me about
an hour and 15 to get back to the apartment because I was biking into a
headwind the whole time, and neither myself nor my bike are aerodynamic! Had to stop several times to swig some water from a bottle I bought at the dock before I left because it was considerably warmer than when I biked to the beach in the morning. I was
a giant sweatball by the time I got back, and after a long warm shower spent
the evening drinking about a gallon of water to rehydrate.
I fell asleep right away, and this morning am enjoying coffee
and grapefruit on the lanai. Thinking about a drive to old downtown Fort Myers
today, but first have to get some eBay packages out.Bruce
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Kayaking With the Manatees
I went to Manatee Park today and took a kayak out onto the Orange River, where the discharge from the power plant flow into it, to get up close and personal with the manatees. I saw several, heard several more, and got within about 20 feet of one, but none would come up alongside the kayak, as they sometimes do if you are lucky. I asked at the kayak rental place if you are allowed to pet them if they come along side you, but they said it is not permitted ... damn!
Anyway, it was great fun. I was out on the water for about an hour. Amy, those couple of times we went kayaking really helped, for I don't know if I would have had the nerve to try this otherwise. As it was, I still managed to ram into a cypress tree along the bank, which knocked my ball cap into the water (I was able to retrieve it).
The manatees should be there in good numbers for another month, so Dawn I can take you there while you are here, and you should be able to see them, but unfortunately the only way to see them up close is in a kayak canoe. It's not a like a zoo where you can see them in an underwater tank or anything. But it's a pleasant enough walk through the 17-acre park.
I'm back at the apartment now, enjoying a Margarita out on the lanai. It's 77 degrees and partly cloudy. There were a couple of isolated showers on the way back from the park, as is usual around these parts; it's like someone turns on and off a switch.
Completely awesome day!
Bruce
 |
| Back after an hour on the water! |
Anyway, it was great fun. I was out on the water for about an hour. Amy, those couple of times we went kayaking really helped, for I don't know if I would have had the nerve to try this otherwise. As it was, I still managed to ram into a cypress tree along the bank, which knocked my ball cap into the water (I was able to retrieve it).
The manatees should be there in good numbers for another month, so Dawn I can take you there while you are here, and you should be able to see them, but unfortunately the only way to see them up close is in a kayak canoe. It's not a like a zoo where you can see them in an underwater tank or anything. But it's a pleasant enough walk through the 17-acre park.
I'm back at the apartment now, enjoying a Margarita out on the lanai. It's 77 degrees and partly cloudy. There were a couple of isolated showers on the way back from the park, as is usual around these parts; it's like someone turns on and off a switch.
Completely awesome day!
Bruce
New Video of Fully Furnished Apartment
Monday Dec. 1, awoke to breakfast of a grapefruit, oatmeal, and coffee. Scott, the maintenance man, arrived about 8:30 and worked on the toilet, although I still don't think it's completely fixed. At least the inlet valve comes on less often now. More importantly, he replaced the two torn screen panels on the lanai, so no more duct tape and I can relax about letting Abby out there to enjoy the outside, which she does ... very much!
At about 9 a.m. Wallace and his dad arrived to deliver the furniture I bought Sunday, which included the coffee table, nightstand, and table/chairs for the lanai. Here is the "after" video of the apartment:
Sorry if you are not able to play it. You need a fairly new version of both your browser software and Flashplayer. I'm not putting the link to "A-Drive" this time, because a couple people said they experienced unwanted software being downloaded to their computer when they clicked on the link. So if you can play the video, fine. If not, I apologize.
I went outside this morning to find both of my bike tires fairly flat, so it appears they were not sealed properly. I went to Harbor Freight and invested in a cheap tire pump and will just have to remember to inflate the tires once per week. There is a bike shop just around the corner on McGregor, but I don't know that I want to invest the money. We'll see how it goes.
For dinner, I was hungry for a steak, so I returned to "Stillwater," where Heather (former landlord) and I had met for snacks and drinks earlier. They have a nice steak section on their menu, so I got a 16 ounce ribeye prepared medium rare with garlic mashed potatoes, and a cold draft. All very yummy.
I have signed up for an outing this Saturday with the "Over 40 Singles and Couples" group within meetup dot com. This Saturday, it's an 11-piece R&B band called "Alter Ego" and again the venue is Cadillac Jacks. I listened to some sample tracks, and they sound great. I guess I created quite a stir on the group's discussion board when I asked whether "snowbirds" were welcome to join the group, or if it was for locals only. I did this because one of the members made a rather snide remark that the "snowbirds were back" and crowding up the joint last Saturday night, and he made the suggestion that the group should put these club outings on hold until April, when hopefully the snowbirds would go away. So I made the inquiry and basically said that I didn't want to intrude if snowbirds weren't welcome in the group. Well, you should have seen the ruckus that ensued. Basically, the group told this malcontent to shut the hell up, and that snowbirds were welcome and in fact most of the group members were snowbirds themselves once upon a time! So anyway, it appears I am welcome, and come Saturday night I will once again don my one good outfit and head out to the club! (Amy, yes, I hear you. I will have to go shopping for at least one other nice outfit!)
It's Tuesday and my plan is head over to Manatee Park and see if the manatees are congregating today. It's kind of hit or miss, and I'm told the major factor is weather. The manatees seem to gather more in this small inlet when the weather/water is colder, because the discharge from the nearby power plant warms the water in the inlet. As the weather and water get warmer, there really is no incentive for the manatees to congregate, and they're just as likely to head into open water. So we'll see.
Later,
Bruce
At about 9 a.m. Wallace and his dad arrived to deliver the furniture I bought Sunday, which included the coffee table, nightstand, and table/chairs for the lanai. Here is the "after" video of the apartment:
Sorry if you are not able to play it. You need a fairly new version of both your browser software and Flashplayer. I'm not putting the link to "A-Drive" this time, because a couple people said they experienced unwanted software being downloaded to their computer when they clicked on the link. So if you can play the video, fine. If not, I apologize.
I went outside this morning to find both of my bike tires fairly flat, so it appears they were not sealed properly. I went to Harbor Freight and invested in a cheap tire pump and will just have to remember to inflate the tires once per week. There is a bike shop just around the corner on McGregor, but I don't know that I want to invest the money. We'll see how it goes.
For dinner, I was hungry for a steak, so I returned to "Stillwater," where Heather (former landlord) and I had met for snacks and drinks earlier. They have a nice steak section on their menu, so I got a 16 ounce ribeye prepared medium rare with garlic mashed potatoes, and a cold draft. All very yummy.
I have signed up for an outing this Saturday with the "Over 40 Singles and Couples" group within meetup dot com. This Saturday, it's an 11-piece R&B band called "Alter Ego" and again the venue is Cadillac Jacks. I listened to some sample tracks, and they sound great. I guess I created quite a stir on the group's discussion board when I asked whether "snowbirds" were welcome to join the group, or if it was for locals only. I did this because one of the members made a rather snide remark that the "snowbirds were back" and crowding up the joint last Saturday night, and he made the suggestion that the group should put these club outings on hold until April, when hopefully the snowbirds would go away. So I made the inquiry and basically said that I didn't want to intrude if snowbirds weren't welcome in the group. Well, you should have seen the ruckus that ensued. Basically, the group told this malcontent to shut the hell up, and that snowbirds were welcome and in fact most of the group members were snowbirds themselves once upon a time! So anyway, it appears I am welcome, and come Saturday night I will once again don my one good outfit and head out to the club! (Amy, yes, I hear you. I will have to go shopping for at least one other nice outfit!)
It's Tuesday and my plan is head over to Manatee Park and see if the manatees are congregating today. It's kind of hit or miss, and I'm told the major factor is weather. The manatees seem to gather more in this small inlet when the weather/water is colder, because the discharge from the nearby power plant warms the water in the inlet. As the weather and water get warmer, there really is no incentive for the manatees to congregate, and they're just as likely to head into open water. So we'll see.
Later,
Bruce
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Cadillac Jacks and the Dazzling Del-Rays
I went to a bar/grill last night (Cadillac Jacks) to introduce myself to the leader of the "Singles and Couples 40 and over in Southwest Florida" group, and ended up had a very nice time. I arrived early and had dinner at the bar of something they call the "Italian burger" which is one of their most popular sandwiches. It's a half-pound hamburger on a bun, and they top it with about 1/4 pound of their sliced Italian beef, and then finished off with Mozzarella cheese. Downed with a rum and coke, and Diet Coke after that. Yum!
I introduced myself to "Ed" the group leader, and showed the required ID to join the group. The group had 36 reserved seats for the band's performance, and all were full though Ed put me on standby in case there were no-shows, but everyone made it. So I ended up sitting at the bar, but found some company there to talk with, including a lovely gal about 10 years my senior, who I think was out trolling on her own. The place was, in fact, packed and if I heard the hostess correctly there were three and possibly four singles/couples groups taking up most of the room in the joint.
The 3-piece band used to be called the "Del-Rays" and then they changed it to the "Dazzling Del-Rays," and while they were certainly adequate, I think the "dazzling" part was a bit of a stretch. Their style was doo-wop, and their harmonies were a bit off. They opened with "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday," and then did a Neil Sedaka medley that included "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Sweet Sixteen," and "Calendar Girl." I left after that, and got back to the apartment about 8:30. I am RSVP's for this group's outing to the art and music walk in downtown Fort Myers on Dec. 19.
Today is Sunday, and I returned to Fleamasters and finished my furniture shopping, buying a cafe table and chairs for the lanai, a coffee table, and a nightstand. I got my buddy, Wallace, to deliver all three pieces for $25, so the breakdown is as follows:
table and chairs: $50
coffee table: $25
nightstand: $40 (Thomasville, made of real wood)
delivery: $25
total: $140
Added to the previous total of $1,145, the total cost of furnishing/outfitting the apartment comes to $1,285.
I'll post pictures and/or a video once I have everything in place tomorrow. Feels good to have this chore out of the way, and I'm looking forward to enjoying the lanai now that I have a table/chairs out there.
Maintenance man is also coming tomorrow a.m. (along with the furniture delivery) to fix the toilet (needs a new flapper valve) and look at screens in the lanai to see if a more elegant solution can be found to the rips that I repaired with the duct tape. So we'll see what happens.
I'm currently watching the Packer/New England game on TV, and am planning a grocery store run at half time to get some Doritos.
That's all for now.
Bruce
I introduced myself to "Ed" the group leader, and showed the required ID to join the group. The group had 36 reserved seats for the band's performance, and all were full though Ed put me on standby in case there were no-shows, but everyone made it. So I ended up sitting at the bar, but found some company there to talk with, including a lovely gal about 10 years my senior, who I think was out trolling on her own. The place was, in fact, packed and if I heard the hostess correctly there were three and possibly four singles/couples groups taking up most of the room in the joint.
The 3-piece band used to be called the "Del-Rays" and then they changed it to the "Dazzling Del-Rays," and while they were certainly adequate, I think the "dazzling" part was a bit of a stretch. Their style was doo-wop, and their harmonies were a bit off. They opened with "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday," and then did a Neil Sedaka medley that included "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Sweet Sixteen," and "Calendar Girl." I left after that, and got back to the apartment about 8:30. I am RSVP's for this group's outing to the art and music walk in downtown Fort Myers on Dec. 19.
Today is Sunday, and I returned to Fleamasters and finished my furniture shopping, buying a cafe table and chairs for the lanai, a coffee table, and a nightstand. I got my buddy, Wallace, to deliver all three pieces for $25, so the breakdown is as follows:
table and chairs: $50
coffee table: $25
nightstand: $40 (Thomasville, made of real wood)
delivery: $25
total: $140
Added to the previous total of $1,145, the total cost of furnishing/outfitting the apartment comes to $1,285.
I'll post pictures and/or a video once I have everything in place tomorrow. Feels good to have this chore out of the way, and I'm looking forward to enjoying the lanai now that I have a table/chairs out there.
Maintenance man is also coming tomorrow a.m. (along with the furniture delivery) to fix the toilet (needs a new flapper valve) and look at screens in the lanai to see if a more elegant solution can be found to the rips that I repaired with the duct tape. So we'll see what happens.
I'm currently watching the Packer/New England game on TV, and am planning a grocery store run at half time to get some Doritos.
That's all for now.
Bruce
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Avoiding the Black Friday Mayhem
Friday: I started the day with a bike ride to Lakes Park (my first major bike ride since arriving here) for the Friday farmer's market, and was greeted with the first strawberries of the season. I bought a pint for $2.50 and ate them along with a raspberry danish and a good strong cup of Joe from the coffee vendor there. All very delicious. Faced a helluva head wind on the ride back to the apartment, but made it, and now I have my workout done for the day!
I sent out my "email blast" to my customers announcing 10 new watches on the website, wired in three prescriptions via computer to the CVS pharmacy, then headed over to the Fleamasters flea market to see what I could find. I talked with a couple of the watch vendors there, and bought a watchband from one of the guys for $12, and got him to loosen the back of one of my vintage watches at no extra charge. A nice fellow, but no vintage watches for sale. I had lunch at the one of the food vendors called "A Taste of Maine" and had fried Grouper fingers with fries and slaw, and a diet Coke, all for under $10, and it was very tasty. For dessert, I went a crepe place and had a strawberry crepe, but it wasn't very good because they use a strawberry pie filling and not fresh strawberries. Yuck! So I took half of it home along with some fresh strawberries from one of the produce vendors, and made it into a proper crepe for dessert later along with my dinner of a sloppy Joe and potato salad. Other than the strawberries, I didn't buy too much. Saw a patio set I might go back and look at, but just wasn't in the mood for hauling today!
Stopped at the CVS pharmacy on the way back and picked up my meds ... nice to have that web feature, they even send me a text when my meds are ready. Back at the house, I duct-taped the shit out of those rips in the screen so Abby can go out there and hopefully not escape into the back yard. Plus keeps the insects and those little lizards from getting in (Abby has captured and killed one of those already!).
I checked my email inbox, and found that I only sold one of the 10 watches that I posted on the website this morning. This was a disappointment because I put a lot of time and effort into this. Might try some price reductions next week, and of course there is always eBay, though I prefer to sell on my own website.
I signed up with a website called meetup, which lists all sorts of clubs and organizations that meet in cities all across the U.S. I found a group called "Singles and Couples 40 and over in Southwest Florida." They hold social activities for people who simply want to get out and have fun. They meet at clubs, restaurants, comedy clubs, and even organize cruises! It is not a dating club, but there have been couples who have gotten together as a result of the club's activities. I signed up for an "art and music walk" in downtown Ft. Myers on Dec. 19. I will also try to meet the group organizer before then and introduce myself. They are meeting tonight (Saturday) at a club called "Cadillac Jack's" for a performance by a doo-wop band. This particular "meet up" is already full, but I may go and introduce myself to "Ed" (the leader of this group) and show ID (required to finalize membership).
OK, today is Saturday, and I started with a nice breakfast of a ham and Havarti cheese omelet, home fries, toast, fresh grapefruit, and coffee. Dropped a couple packages at the pack-n-mail place and picked up my mail which consisted of two bills (car insurance, car loan) which I paid online. Need to list a couple of eBay items, then I'm off on a bike ride on the canal trail, that includes a stop at Sun Harvest Citrus, home of free orange and grapefruit juice samples, and some of the best key lime pie slices around. I'd better get going!
Bruce
I sent out my "email blast" to my customers announcing 10 new watches on the website, wired in three prescriptions via computer to the CVS pharmacy, then headed over to the Fleamasters flea market to see what I could find. I talked with a couple of the watch vendors there, and bought a watchband from one of the guys for $12, and got him to loosen the back of one of my vintage watches at no extra charge. A nice fellow, but no vintage watches for sale. I had lunch at the one of the food vendors called "A Taste of Maine" and had fried Grouper fingers with fries and slaw, and a diet Coke, all for under $10, and it was very tasty. For dessert, I went a crepe place and had a strawberry crepe, but it wasn't very good because they use a strawberry pie filling and not fresh strawberries. Yuck! So I took half of it home along with some fresh strawberries from one of the produce vendors, and made it into a proper crepe for dessert later along with my dinner of a sloppy Joe and potato salad. Other than the strawberries, I didn't buy too much. Saw a patio set I might go back and look at, but just wasn't in the mood for hauling today!
Stopped at the CVS pharmacy on the way back and picked up my meds ... nice to have that web feature, they even send me a text when my meds are ready. Back at the house, I duct-taped the shit out of those rips in the screen so Abby can go out there and hopefully not escape into the back yard. Plus keeps the insects and those little lizards from getting in (Abby has captured and killed one of those already!).
I checked my email inbox, and found that I only sold one of the 10 watches that I posted on the website this morning. This was a disappointment because I put a lot of time and effort into this. Might try some price reductions next week, and of course there is always eBay, though I prefer to sell on my own website.
I signed up with a website called meetup, which lists all sorts of clubs and organizations that meet in cities all across the U.S. I found a group called "Singles and Couples 40 and over in Southwest Florida." They hold social activities for people who simply want to get out and have fun. They meet at clubs, restaurants, comedy clubs, and even organize cruises! It is not a dating club, but there have been couples who have gotten together as a result of the club's activities. I signed up for an "art and music walk" in downtown Ft. Myers on Dec. 19. I will also try to meet the group organizer before then and introduce myself. They are meeting tonight (Saturday) at a club called "Cadillac Jack's" for a performance by a doo-wop band. This particular "meet up" is already full, but I may go and introduce myself to "Ed" (the leader of this group) and show ID (required to finalize membership).
OK, today is Saturday, and I started with a nice breakfast of a ham and Havarti cheese omelet, home fries, toast, fresh grapefruit, and coffee. Dropped a couple packages at the pack-n-mail place and picked up my mail which consisted of two bills (car insurance, car loan) which I paid online. Need to list a couple of eBay items, then I'm off on a bike ride on the canal trail, that includes a stop at Sun Harvest Citrus, home of free orange and grapefruit juice samples, and some of the best key lime pie slices around. I'd better get going!
Bruce
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thanksgiving on the Beach
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I started out the morning with a fresh grapefruit (peeled and sectioned) and a strawberry banana smoothie. I then photographed some eBay lots, and then tuned into the Macy's parade on NBC. It got off to a bit of a slow start for me, with that song and dance number by Tony Danza from the Broadway musical Honeymoon in Vegas. My god, who told that guy he could sing? Or act, for that matter? But after that, it was most enjoyable, and I certainly thought the Madison Scouts hit it out of the park with their rendition of Happy just before Santa Claus' arrival.
By the way, I have to say Abby enjoys the new recliner, so much so that I have to boot her out occasionally. Also, she made it outside the confines of the lanai today, wedging her considerable bulk through a tear in the screen. So the lanai is now off limits until I can find a way to mend the tear ... probably a combination of duct tape and a few bricks lined up along the outside edge of the screen. She is quite the little Houdini if she puts her mind to it.
I finished my eBay listings for triggering later tonight. Then, Dawn called to let me know she had arrived safely at the Comfort Inn in Little Rock. Flight and connection at O'Hare all went smoothly. They have a kitchen on premises at the Inn and will do a limited room service, so she thought that's what she would do, given that she was tired from the day's travel. Tomorrow is her big day at the Clinton Presidential Library, and deluxe steak dinner at a nice restaurant that she booked ahead of time. I hope all goes well for her during this much-needed retreat.
At about 4 p.m., I headed over to the beach to have dinner at the Pincher's Tiki Hut restaurant inside the Wyndham resort. I dined on stone crab on the patio, while they served a more traditional Thanksgiving buffet inside the covered restaurant. The place was hopping, and there were many people out walking the street barhopping and catching the live music at many places. So there are certainly many people who do not celebrate a "traditional" thanksgiving. I had the waiter snap a picture of me:
I'm back at the apartment now, writing this blog entry, and will watch some TV, then head to bed. Tomorrow should be interesting. I'm doing an email blast to all my customers to notify them of 10 new watches I am adding to my website. I did this totally from here, using my Surface tablet computer versus the big desktop system back in Janesville. Hope it goes well, and that I sell out! I'll send out the blast just before departing for the Friday farmer's market at Lakes Park, and I am looking forward to riding my bicycle over there. It's going to be a relatively cool day (high of 65 degrees) but mostly sunny.
That's all for now.
Bruce
By the way, I have to say Abby enjoys the new recliner, so much so that I have to boot her out occasionally. Also, she made it outside the confines of the lanai today, wedging her considerable bulk through a tear in the screen. So the lanai is now off limits until I can find a way to mend the tear ... probably a combination of duct tape and a few bricks lined up along the outside edge of the screen. She is quite the little Houdini if she puts her mind to it.
 |
| "I love my new chair. You can sit on the sofa, fuzzy guy." |
After the parade, I had a light lunch of a chicken burrito prepared here at the apartment, along with a fruit fizz that I make with fruit juice concentrate and charged soda water that I make with my "Soda Stream" machine that I brought with me. The flavor for lunch was orange-pineapple.
I finished my eBay listings for triggering later tonight. Then, Dawn called to let me know she had arrived safely at the Comfort Inn in Little Rock. Flight and connection at O'Hare all went smoothly. They have a kitchen on premises at the Inn and will do a limited room service, so she thought that's what she would do, given that she was tired from the day's travel. Tomorrow is her big day at the Clinton Presidential Library, and deluxe steak dinner at a nice restaurant that she booked ahead of time. I hope all goes well for her during this much-needed retreat.
At about 4 p.m., I headed over to the beach to have dinner at the Pincher's Tiki Hut restaurant inside the Wyndham resort. I dined on stone crab on the patio, while they served a more traditional Thanksgiving buffet inside the covered restaurant. The place was hopping, and there were many people out walking the street barhopping and catching the live music at many places. So there are certainly many people who do not celebrate a "traditional" thanksgiving. I had the waiter snap a picture of me:
 |
| Nothing says Thanksgiving like a plate of stone crab! |
I'm back at the apartment now, writing this blog entry, and will watch some TV, then head to bed. Tomorrow should be interesting. I'm doing an email blast to all my customers to notify them of 10 new watches I am adding to my website. I did this totally from here, using my Surface tablet computer versus the big desktop system back in Janesville. Hope it goes well, and that I sell out! I'll send out the blast just before departing for the Friday farmer's market at Lakes Park, and I am looking forward to riding my bicycle over there. It's going to be a relatively cool day (high of 65 degrees) but mostly sunny.
That's all for now.
Bruce
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Watching the Macy's Parade in Style
I returned to the Community Thrift Store today to pick up my dresser, and got it back to the apartment safely, but the bigger news is that I found and bought a La-Z-Boy recliner through an ad on Craigslist. The sellers were a retired couple in Cape Coral who are refurnishing their home, and they simply need to get rid of the existing furniture. The chair is a rocker/recliner combination and, get this, it has a back massage feature built in. The chair plugs in, and then you have this remote control to activate an inflatable air pillow that rolls up and down your lumbar area. I wasn't really looking for a recliner with any "extras," but it is a very comfortable recliner if you just sit it in unplugged, and besides the guy only asked $100 for it. So I didn't even haggle with the price. The chair is in such nice condition ... even has the original arm and head covers came with it, and it looks like they took really good care of it. So here are photos of my new dresser and recliner, and also the TV/entertainment stand I bought yesterday:
So the apartment is just about completely furnished and outfitted now with everything I need, and I will be able to watch the Macy's parade tomorrow in comfort, and even have my back massaged if I want! All I really need now is a coffee table, a night stand, and a small table with two chairs for the lanai.
I've come quite a way since the day I arrived and all I had was an air mattress and folding canvas chair. I thought I would have the place furnished in two weeks, but it took a little longer, probably because November is perhaps not the best time to be used furniture shopping here with all the "snowbirds" (like me!) arriving and wanting to set up house.
I was hoping to keep expenses at around $1,000 for everything, so let's see how I am doing:
Microwave oven: $70
Coffee maker, toaster: $40
Dust Buster: $15
Shark floor sweeper: $30
Swifter mop and wet mopping cloths: $15
Pots and pans set: $15
Misc. kitchen hardware: $20
Bed/sheets/pillow: $370
Comforter: $70
Folding table/chair for work area: $45
Sofa sleeper: $100
Kitchen table/chairs: $90
Delivery of sofa/table: $30
Floor lamp: $10
Table lamp: $5
TV stand: $20
Recliner: $100
Dresser: $40
Total: $1,145
So I am already over my target, with a few items to go. But all in all, I am happy with my purchases. I could have scrimped on the bed and bought a used one, but I really wanted a nice bed and bedding because I love my sleep and didn't want to get something with bedbugs and/or funky odor to it!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I hope everyone has a good one, in whatever way you choose to spend it. Dawn and I were having a discussion on the phone this evening about how this holiday tends to bring longings for the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving, with the large family gathered around the table, loaded down with the traditional feast. For many, this is still possible. But with today's split-up families, mixed families from multiple marriages, alternate lifestyles, and on and on, Thanksgiving now takes on many faces. There was a woman ahead of me in in the checkout today at the Walmart Neighborhood Market, and all she was buying was four Marie Callender frozen turkey dinners. And it made me kind of sad for a moment, but then I thought, maybe her family believes this is wonderful, and that is fine. Is it any less "weird" than me driving over to Fort Myers Beach tomorrow and having stone crab at the Pincher's Crab House Tiki Hut inside the Wyndham resort? The important thing is that we have a good time and, yes, corny as it sounds, take a moment to count our blessings. Which, in my case anyway, have been many. May you all find a day filled with happiness wherever you are, and in whatever manner you choose to celebrate.
Bruce
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
More Furniture; Hunger Games
My return trip to the Community Thrift Store (next to Planet Fitness) today paid off, as I found a cute little dresser for the bedroom. Actually, I think it's a nightstand to a really large dresser/nightstand pair, because the actual dresser was at the thrift store also, but they had each priced individually, so I think for $40, this "nightstand" will serve just fine as my dresser. I'm trying to keep things on the small side for easier moving/storage, or whatever. Anyway, the TV is now off the upside-down Rubbermaid tub, and the cable box and modem are off the floor. The Rubbermaid tub is now serving as a temporary nightstand, and I bought a lamp to go on top so I can now do some bedside reading.
Also scored a TV/entertainment stand from a craigslist seller in Estero (just south of the Fort Myers) which I picked up for $20 and have all set up in the living room. The scale is just right for the space I have. I'll post photos of both pieces on the next blog entry, because I don't have the dresser yet. I couldn't fit both pieces into the Prius, so the dresser is still at the thrift shop and I'll pick it up tomorrow.
Still looking for a recliner, but I contacted another craigslist seller tonight on a Lazy Boy, and am waiting to hear back. Things are coming along.
I also went to see the first installment of Mockingjay, the finale to The Hunger Games. The forecast called for T-storms today, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to see it. The storms have not materialized (yet), but it was still enjoyable, plus another ungodly hot/humid day (90 degrees) would have precluded a bike ride anyway. I scored a senior citizen ticket at $8.50 (the ticket lady never questioned me as to whether or not I was the required 60 years of age) and this time I smuggled in my own snacks --- a Caprisun juice pouch in one pocket, and a zip bag of Snyder's peanut butter pretzel sandwiches in the other. It felt a lot better than spending the $21.25 last time to see Interstellar. I thought the movie was quite good, although it was a bit weird to see Philip Seymour Hoffman. Now that the movie has gained quite a bit of "cred," I see they scored another big-name actor with Julianne Moore.
I phoned Pincher's Crab House to see about their hours on Thanksgiving day, and their location downtown by the Edison/Ford estate is going to be open, so I think that's where I'm going Thursday for a special meal ... most likely stone crab.
Dawn, I would imagine you're getting excited about your departure to Little Rock. Looks like the entire Northeast coast is going to be messed up with a Nor'easter, so glad you are not heading there. I hope there is no "domino effect" that will mess up your air travel.
That's all for now.
Bruce
Also scored a TV/entertainment stand from a craigslist seller in Estero (just south of the Fort Myers) which I picked up for $20 and have all set up in the living room. The scale is just right for the space I have. I'll post photos of both pieces on the next blog entry, because I don't have the dresser yet. I couldn't fit both pieces into the Prius, so the dresser is still at the thrift shop and I'll pick it up tomorrow.
Still looking for a recliner, but I contacted another craigslist seller tonight on a Lazy Boy, and am waiting to hear back. Things are coming along.
I also went to see the first installment of Mockingjay, the finale to The Hunger Games. The forecast called for T-storms today, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to see it. The storms have not materialized (yet), but it was still enjoyable, plus another ungodly hot/humid day (90 degrees) would have precluded a bike ride anyway. I scored a senior citizen ticket at $8.50 (the ticket lady never questioned me as to whether or not I was the required 60 years of age) and this time I smuggled in my own snacks --- a Caprisun juice pouch in one pocket, and a zip bag of Snyder's peanut butter pretzel sandwiches in the other. It felt a lot better than spending the $21.25 last time to see Interstellar. I thought the movie was quite good, although it was a bit weird to see Philip Seymour Hoffman. Now that the movie has gained quite a bit of "cred," I see they scored another big-name actor with Julianne Moore.
I phoned Pincher's Crab House to see about their hours on Thanksgiving day, and their location downtown by the Edison/Ford estate is going to be open, so I think that's where I'm going Thursday for a special meal ... most likely stone crab.
Dawn, I would imagine you're getting excited about your departure to Little Rock. Looks like the entire Northeast coast is going to be messed up with a Nor'easter, so glad you are not heading there. I hope there is no "domino effect" that will mess up your air travel.
That's all for now.
Bruce
Monday, November 24, 2014
Thrift Shop Marathon
Sunday Nov. 23
Kind of a hot humid day today, so I pretty much stayed inside. I did manage to put the new seat on the bicycle, so here is a photo of that:
Monday Nov. 24
Another hot and humid one today. I googled a list of thrift stores within a 10-mile radius of me, and figured out the most efficient route and drove to all five of them in the hopes of finding some furniture, but came up empty. One place, the Blessed Pope John XXIII Thrift Store, was like a boutique with prices to match, which I found ironic in that sort of "poor-people-can't-afford-to-shop-here" way. Another had a nice overstuffed chair with ottoman, but it was $125 which I thought was a bit pricey, and I really want a recliner. One store was closed, so I will return to that one tomorrow, which according to plan was right next door to Planet Fitness. So I got a nice workout for the day, and afterward I was hungry for Dim Sum. There is this place rated highly on Yelp called DJ's Chinese Restaurant. It's in a rather inauspicious location, in a strip mall on Tamiami Trail, but the food was delicious. I was a little dubious arriving at 3 p.m., thinking they might slip me some leftover dim sum from the lunch hour, but everything was fresh and hot. I selected three dishes: pork dumplings, teriyaki beef on skewers, and shrimp spring rolls. I was so thirsty from the workout that it took two 12-ounce cans of Diet Coke to wash it all down. But the whole bill came to $17 and change, which I thought was very reasonable, and I left the restaurant truly full, and it's five hours later as I write this, and I'm still full.
So no furniture today, but my big accomplishment for the day was enrolling in a health plan for 2015 via the healthcare dot gov website. I'm sticking with Dean Care, the same company I'm with now, but with a few minor changes in the plan. My premium costs $542 a month, but with a federal tax credit of $420 a month, my out of pocket for premiums will be $122 a month. I'm pleased and relieved that I will be covered.
I understand the Madison area got some significant snowfall today, so I hope everyone is doing OK.
Bruce
Kind of a hot humid day today, so I pretty much stayed inside. I did manage to put the new seat on the bicycle, so here is a photo of that:
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| Upland Beach Cruiser with comfort seat and removable basket |
Monday Nov. 24
Another hot and humid one today. I googled a list of thrift stores within a 10-mile radius of me, and figured out the most efficient route and drove to all five of them in the hopes of finding some furniture, but came up empty. One place, the Blessed Pope John XXIII Thrift Store, was like a boutique with prices to match, which I found ironic in that sort of "poor-people-can't-afford-to-shop-here" way. Another had a nice overstuffed chair with ottoman, but it was $125 which I thought was a bit pricey, and I really want a recliner. One store was closed, so I will return to that one tomorrow, which according to plan was right next door to Planet Fitness. So I got a nice workout for the day, and afterward I was hungry for Dim Sum. There is this place rated highly on Yelp called DJ's Chinese Restaurant. It's in a rather inauspicious location, in a strip mall on Tamiami Trail, but the food was delicious. I was a little dubious arriving at 3 p.m., thinking they might slip me some leftover dim sum from the lunch hour, but everything was fresh and hot. I selected three dishes: pork dumplings, teriyaki beef on skewers, and shrimp spring rolls. I was so thirsty from the workout that it took two 12-ounce cans of Diet Coke to wash it all down. But the whole bill came to $17 and change, which I thought was very reasonable, and I left the restaurant truly full, and it's five hours later as I write this, and I'm still full.
So no furniture today, but my big accomplishment for the day was enrolling in a health plan for 2015 via the healthcare dot gov website. I'm sticking with Dean Care, the same company I'm with now, but with a few minor changes in the plan. My premium costs $542 a month, but with a federal tax credit of $420 a month, my out of pocket for premiums will be $122 a month. I'm pleased and relieved that I will be covered.
I understand the Madison area got some significant snowfall today, so I hope everyone is doing OK.
Bruce
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Wicked Dolphin Rum
Thursday, I made good on my threat to buy a printer. I have four eBay lots ending tomorrow, and I just can't bear the thought of standing at the print desk at Office Depot any more. I bought a Samsung bare bones laser printer and hooked it up to tablet that night. I can only print with the cable connected between the printer and the computer; I cannot print wirelessly due to the operating system of this tablet computer. But that's OK. For the small (but vital) amount printing I need to do,, this will work fine. For $84, it has saved me a $1,000 worth of headaches for the time I will be here. Best of all, the dry toner powder will last indefinitely, so I can leave the printer here for next season.
I contacted Cape Spirits in Cape Coral via email to tour their rum distillery at 1 p.m. This is the place Heather (my former landlord here) told me about and said that her boyfriend, Danny, is the head distiller. Their main products are "Wicked Dolphin Rum" and "Rumshine." The WD comes in three varieties, Silver (plain); Spiced; and Coconut. Their Rumshine is a takeoff on moonshine and comes in three flavors: apple pie, blueberry, and strawberry. It is packed in jars resembling Mason jars to complete the "moonshine" effect.
The free tour was very interesting, and I had an idea of what I would see based on my tour of the Bacardi rum distillery in San Juan, Puerto Rico (remember that, Julie?), only this was on a much smaller scale of course. Also, Cape Distillery uses bags of raw sugar instead of sugar cane because they don't have access (at least cheap access) to sugar cane here, although I understand it does grow in Florida and was a cash crop once upon a time. We got to taste some raw rum right out of the distiller, which was interesting, as well as some from the second evaporation which is about 180 proof. At the end, we got to try up to three samples of our choice, and I tasted the silver, the spiced, and the blueberry rumshine. I bought a bottle of the Silver (above) because I like my rum straight. Their flavorings are all natural, and that's fine, but flavored spirits just aren't my thing. The bottle was $27, and the interesting thing is that the owner of the company had to fight to change some state laws (on the books since Prohibition) to allow Cape Distillery to sell their product and even allow people inside to take tours. I introduced myself to Danny, and he seemed like a fine, industrious young man. As head distiller, he is trying all sorts of new stuff, including a gold-standard rum which is still in the aging process, and a batch of rum that is aging in wine barrels (instead of bourbon) that should impart an interesting flavor (brandy or cognac tones, hopefully?) to the rum. I learned that the used whiskey/wine barrels cost the distillery $800 apiece.
By tour's end, I was hungry as balls, and had a hankering for Mexican because Mario had put it into my head during a phone conversation talking about Mexican food. So I crossed the bridge back over to Fort Myers and went to a locally owned place called "La Casita" ("the cottage") on McGregor Blvd. A mixture of reviews on Yelp as far as now "authentic" it is had me a little nervous, but I have passed it a number of times, and it looks cute and clean on the outside. Well, it was delicious. I had a margarita (on happy hour price of $4) and a carnitas platter containing a mound of slow roasted pork (must have been half a pound), a pile of rice, and beans (your choice of black or refried; I got the refried). You also get a side guacamole, sour cream, and three warm flour tortillas wrapped in foil. Essentially, you make your own "wraps" using the ingredients on your platter. For appetizers, my server brought tortilla chips and homemade salsa done pico de gayo style with all fresh ingredients. Delicious, and all under $20 including tip. I don't understand some of these reviewers who go to a Mexican restaurant and knock it for not being "authentic." OK, yes they do have a chimichanga on the menu (purely an American invention), but they also have chile rellenos and homemade tamales wrapped in corn husks (they make these only once per week), neither of which you will find at your average Taco Bell or Chi-Chi's (I don't even think they are in business any more), so how damn authentic does it have to be? Anyway, I thought it was delicious, and the generous portion kept me full through the evening.
Friday: farmer's and flea markets
I woke up Friday and headed over to Lakes Park for the Friday farmer's market. I had breakfast there of a fresh orange, berry muffin, and another order of those bacon and egg "Poffins" from a cart vendor, all washed down with a Starbucks coffee I had purchased on the way to the market in order to get some small bills. I talked with a group of four retirees who I had seen the Friday before, and they all bicycle in and have breakfast and chat about stuff and laugh and have a good time. They invited to sit with them at a picnic table after I introduced myself. One of the guys is from Kenosha. Small world. Two of the others were from Iowa. I bought an 8-ounce container of homemade guacamole to enjoy later.
Back at the apartment, I put the gauc in the fridge, and then prepared my shipments. The printer worked like a charm, and all I had to do was drop off my packages at the post office on my way to the flea market. Sweet.
At the flea market, I didn't have any further luck with furniture. I looked at a TV/media stand from "Wallace," the guy I bought the sofa from the previous week, but I didn't like the style of it. It was heavy wrought iron, and I don't think the glass top was the original. But what I DID buy was a bicycle. Randy, the bike guy, was in a much better humor this week than last. The brand is "Upland," (pretty sure it's made in China) and it is your basic beach cruiser with coaster brakes. What I like about it is the brand new wide tires and a sturdy looking frame, including a heavy duty fork at the front end. I'll send a photo of that in a while; I want to put a different seat on it, one that is more cushiony for my bony ass. I also bought a citrus juicer, and four Florida limes to make Daiquiris later with the Wicked Dolphin rum. I also had lunch at the flea market in the food court at a place that makes a really fine Italian sausage on a hard roll with steamed peppers and onions. I also stopped to see "Chris, the Book Guy," to inquire whether he had any first editions of Randy Wayne White's first novel, Sanibel Flats. He had a couple, but they were at home, but he said he could bring them tomorrow. So it looks like I'll be going back to the flea market Saturday.
The bike almost fit into the Prius, but hung out the hatchback a little bit, so I had to bungee cord it and listen to the car's warning beeper all the way back to the apartment. But made it back, hooked the basket that I bought to the front handle bars, and took her on her maiden voyage over to the Walmart Neighborhood Market for some needed provisions, including some tortilla chips to enjoy with the guacamole. Back at the apartment, I juiced two of the limes and made myself a nice, large Daiquiri with the Wicked Dolphin Rum. Abby and I watched Family Guy while I munched on chips-n-guac and sipped on a mighty fine beverage.
Saturday
I awoke, showered and shaved, and did a basic cleaning of the apartment, which included running the floor sweeper, changing out the cat litter, and scrubbing down the toilet. For breakfast, a peeled and sectioned grapefruit, oatmeal with walnuts and raisins, and coffee. Headed back over to Fleamasters (about a 12 mile trip each way), and gassed up the Prius on the way. I'm not using a whole lot of gas here; the previous tank lasted me about two weeks. Chris (the book guy) had three copies of Sanibel Flats for me to look at. On one, the dust jacket was torn on one of the folds. A second copy was signed, but was a second printing of the first edition. I wanted a true first edition. So the one I picked was in solid good condition, and I gave him the $100 he was asking for it. He threw in a copy of Rich Dad, Poor Dad for free so I could get a better idea of what Heather is doing for a living these days, selling seats to Kiyosaki's seminars at $300 a pop.
OK, so the book is a bit of an extravagance, but it's something I've wanted for a while (I missed a chance to buy one when I was here two years ago) and it's the book that started my journey with Doc Ford, and my romance/intrigue (thus far) with southwest Florida. Now, I need to find where/when Randy Wayne White is appearing for a book signing, and ask him to sign it for me. (I'm sure he'll oblige, especially if I buy a copy of his most current book.)
Next, I paid a visit to Walmart. I wouldn't normally venture there on a Saturday, but it is right on the way to the flea market anyway, so I decided to damn the torpedoes, especially given that I had a $50 gift card there, courtesy of sister Dawn. (Thanks again, Dawner!) My worst fears were confirmed: Walmart was a bustling hive from hell, teaming with some of the freakiest folk that Fort Myers has to offer. The streets of Calcutta had nothing on this place. I bought a Swifter push mop with a whole bunch of wet cloth heads to mop the apartment floor, a third pillow for my bed, and a big, cushiony bicycle seat. The items came to $46, leaving me $4 which I'm sure I can spend at the Neighborhood Market. More importantly, I lived to tell the tale.
I had three packages waiting for me at my personal mail box, including the packet containing the "Dr. Noze" nosebleed swabs from Kris. Thank you very much for that. As I told her, I seldom get nosebleeds any more, but this is nice to have just in case. Kudos to Jim Dockter's brother for inventing and marketing this!
So now, I'm just hanging out at the apartment, reading, listening to music, and catching up on the blog. I would like to take the bike out for a spin, but it is very windy here today. Showers are expected for the next couple of days, so it may be a while before I take the bike out for a serious spin. Quick rides over to the market and my mailbox will of course be fine. I think my next door neighbor, Randy, will have a wrench I can use to install the new bicycle seat.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend.
Bruce
I contacted Cape Spirits in Cape Coral via email to tour their rum distillery at 1 p.m. This is the place Heather (my former landlord here) told me about and said that her boyfriend, Danny, is the head distiller. Their main products are "Wicked Dolphin Rum" and "Rumshine." The WD comes in three varieties, Silver (plain); Spiced; and Coconut. Their Rumshine is a takeoff on moonshine and comes in three flavors: apple pie, blueberry, and strawberry. It is packed in jars resembling Mason jars to complete the "moonshine" effect.
 |
| Me in the aging room with the rum barrels |
The free tour was very interesting, and I had an idea of what I would see based on my tour of the Bacardi rum distillery in San Juan, Puerto Rico (remember that, Julie?), only this was on a much smaller scale of course. Also, Cape Distillery uses bags of raw sugar instead of sugar cane because they don't have access (at least cheap access) to sugar cane here, although I understand it does grow in Florida and was a cash crop once upon a time. We got to taste some raw rum right out of the distiller, which was interesting, as well as some from the second evaporation which is about 180 proof. At the end, we got to try up to three samples of our choice, and I tasted the silver, the spiced, and the blueberry rumshine. I bought a bottle of the Silver (above) because I like my rum straight. Their flavorings are all natural, and that's fine, but flavored spirits just aren't my thing. The bottle was $27, and the interesting thing is that the owner of the company had to fight to change some state laws (on the books since Prohibition) to allow Cape Distillery to sell their product and even allow people inside to take tours. I introduced myself to Danny, and he seemed like a fine, industrious young man. As head distiller, he is trying all sorts of new stuff, including a gold-standard rum which is still in the aging process, and a batch of rum that is aging in wine barrels (instead of bourbon) that should impart an interesting flavor (brandy or cognac tones, hopefully?) to the rum. I learned that the used whiskey/wine barrels cost the distillery $800 apiece.
By tour's end, I was hungry as balls, and had a hankering for Mexican because Mario had put it into my head during a phone conversation talking about Mexican food. So I crossed the bridge back over to Fort Myers and went to a locally owned place called "La Casita" ("the cottage") on McGregor Blvd. A mixture of reviews on Yelp as far as now "authentic" it is had me a little nervous, but I have passed it a number of times, and it looks cute and clean on the outside. Well, it was delicious. I had a margarita (on happy hour price of $4) and a carnitas platter containing a mound of slow roasted pork (must have been half a pound), a pile of rice, and beans (your choice of black or refried; I got the refried). You also get a side guacamole, sour cream, and three warm flour tortillas wrapped in foil. Essentially, you make your own "wraps" using the ingredients on your platter. For appetizers, my server brought tortilla chips and homemade salsa done pico de gayo style with all fresh ingredients. Delicious, and all under $20 including tip. I don't understand some of these reviewers who go to a Mexican restaurant and knock it for not being "authentic." OK, yes they do have a chimichanga on the menu (purely an American invention), but they also have chile rellenos and homemade tamales wrapped in corn husks (they make these only once per week), neither of which you will find at your average Taco Bell or Chi-Chi's (I don't even think they are in business any more), so how damn authentic does it have to be? Anyway, I thought it was delicious, and the generous portion kept me full through the evening.
Friday: farmer's and flea markets
I woke up Friday and headed over to Lakes Park for the Friday farmer's market. I had breakfast there of a fresh orange, berry muffin, and another order of those bacon and egg "Poffins" from a cart vendor, all washed down with a Starbucks coffee I had purchased on the way to the market in order to get some small bills. I talked with a group of four retirees who I had seen the Friday before, and they all bicycle in and have breakfast and chat about stuff and laugh and have a good time. They invited to sit with them at a picnic table after I introduced myself. One of the guys is from Kenosha. Small world. Two of the others were from Iowa. I bought an 8-ounce container of homemade guacamole to enjoy later.
Back at the apartment, I put the gauc in the fridge, and then prepared my shipments. The printer worked like a charm, and all I had to do was drop off my packages at the post office on my way to the flea market. Sweet.
At the flea market, I didn't have any further luck with furniture. I looked at a TV/media stand from "Wallace," the guy I bought the sofa from the previous week, but I didn't like the style of it. It was heavy wrought iron, and I don't think the glass top was the original. But what I DID buy was a bicycle. Randy, the bike guy, was in a much better humor this week than last. The brand is "Upland," (pretty sure it's made in China) and it is your basic beach cruiser with coaster brakes. What I like about it is the brand new wide tires and a sturdy looking frame, including a heavy duty fork at the front end. I'll send a photo of that in a while; I want to put a different seat on it, one that is more cushiony for my bony ass. I also bought a citrus juicer, and four Florida limes to make Daiquiris later with the Wicked Dolphin rum. I also had lunch at the flea market in the food court at a place that makes a really fine Italian sausage on a hard roll with steamed peppers and onions. I also stopped to see "Chris, the Book Guy," to inquire whether he had any first editions of Randy Wayne White's first novel, Sanibel Flats. He had a couple, but they were at home, but he said he could bring them tomorrow. So it looks like I'll be going back to the flea market Saturday.
The bike almost fit into the Prius, but hung out the hatchback a little bit, so I had to bungee cord it and listen to the car's warning beeper all the way back to the apartment. But made it back, hooked the basket that I bought to the front handle bars, and took her on her maiden voyage over to the Walmart Neighborhood Market for some needed provisions, including some tortilla chips to enjoy with the guacamole. Back at the apartment, I juiced two of the limes and made myself a nice, large Daiquiri with the Wicked Dolphin Rum. Abby and I watched Family Guy while I munched on chips-n-guac and sipped on a mighty fine beverage.
Saturday
I awoke, showered and shaved, and did a basic cleaning of the apartment, which included running the floor sweeper, changing out the cat litter, and scrubbing down the toilet. For breakfast, a peeled and sectioned grapefruit, oatmeal with walnuts and raisins, and coffee. Headed back over to Fleamasters (about a 12 mile trip each way), and gassed up the Prius on the way. I'm not using a whole lot of gas here; the previous tank lasted me about two weeks. Chris (the book guy) had three copies of Sanibel Flats for me to look at. On one, the dust jacket was torn on one of the folds. A second copy was signed, but was a second printing of the first edition. I wanted a true first edition. So the one I picked was in solid good condition, and I gave him the $100 he was asking for it. He threw in a copy of Rich Dad, Poor Dad for free so I could get a better idea of what Heather is doing for a living these days, selling seats to Kiyosaki's seminars at $300 a pop.
OK, so the book is a bit of an extravagance, but it's something I've wanted for a while (I missed a chance to buy one when I was here two years ago) and it's the book that started my journey with Doc Ford, and my romance/intrigue (thus far) with southwest Florida. Now, I need to find where/when Randy Wayne White is appearing for a book signing, and ask him to sign it for me. (I'm sure he'll oblige, especially if I buy a copy of his most current book.)
Next, I paid a visit to Walmart. I wouldn't normally venture there on a Saturday, but it is right on the way to the flea market anyway, so I decided to damn the torpedoes, especially given that I had a $50 gift card there, courtesy of sister Dawn. (Thanks again, Dawner!) My worst fears were confirmed: Walmart was a bustling hive from hell, teaming with some of the freakiest folk that Fort Myers has to offer. The streets of Calcutta had nothing on this place. I bought a Swifter push mop with a whole bunch of wet cloth heads to mop the apartment floor, a third pillow for my bed, and a big, cushiony bicycle seat. The items came to $46, leaving me $4 which I'm sure I can spend at the Neighborhood Market. More importantly, I lived to tell the tale.
I had three packages waiting for me at my personal mail box, including the packet containing the "Dr. Noze" nosebleed swabs from Kris. Thank you very much for that. As I told her, I seldom get nosebleeds any more, but this is nice to have just in case. Kudos to Jim Dockter's brother for inventing and marketing this!
So now, I'm just hanging out at the apartment, reading, listening to music, and catching up on the blog. I would like to take the bike out for a spin, but it is very windy here today. Showers are expected for the next couple of days, so it may be a while before I take the bike out for a serious spin. Quick rides over to the market and my mailbox will of course be fine. I think my next door neighbor, Randy, will have a wrench I can use to install the new bicycle seat.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend.
Bruce
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