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