I've been at the Sandestin Resort and Beach for a week, and I've written several blog posts about the daily occurrences during that stay. In looking back, and reflecting on the events of the trip, some things began to stick out, like the difference in what I see at resorts vs visits to public beaches.
Life Guards:
At the resorts, you are pretty much on your own. Occasionally the beach patrol will ride through on their four wheeler that is all decked out with rescue gear. The public beaches, for the most part, have paid lifeguard staff manning lifeguard towers during the prime beach hours of the day.
Beer:
Yep, you've got beer at both places. No beach, resort or public allow glassware or glass bottles on the beach. Rules on that are pretty clear. You can get ticketed at either place. The difference is in the container. The public beach patron has his in the easy opening pop top can that Jimmy Buffet is so famous for singing about. The resort patrons also have their beer in cans, but its the screw top variety, in the tall cans. Plus, the resort patrons occasionally will pour theirs into a drinking cup.
Coolers:
The public beach patron will bring his jumbo cooler full of iced down beer, usually requiring a buddy to heal tote the load. They are there for the day and don't plan to make any return trips to the parking lot! The resort patron either uses his small Yeti or a soft sided cooler. This guy either limits his intake for the day, or makes several trips back to the room to refill. Others like me are enjoying frozen margaritas in Ziploc bags, poured into an insulated cup. I refer to these as "Ziporitas".
Bathrooms:
With the consumption of considerable amounts of beverages, gravity will kick in. In both cases, the men tend to stroll out into the water, waist high, and pause, back to the beach. They are easily spotted looking like solitary posts in a rolling sea. In a few minutes they do an about face, and return to the shore. The women folk are cut from a different mold. The Female patrons at the public beach typically will follow their male counterparts into the sea, but with more splash, so as not to be profiled as a squatter. The female resort patrons will work their way back to the facilities near the Hotel/Condo/or street.
Shuttle Service:
The resort usually provides a shuttle service at no cost to the patrons that have accommodations that are scattered throughout the resort and not necessarily on the beach. Patrons are shuttled to the parking lot, the hotel/condos, and other destinations within the resort. The only shuttle service at the public beach is the one that takes you to the police station for public drunkenness!
Tattoos:
During my stay at the resort this week, I saw very few tattoos on the patrons. Believe me, I looked! Most of the tattoos were small and were discretely placed on the arm, shoulder, leg or back. The public beach patrons tend to have much larger tattoos, which are all over the body. Sleeve tattoos are a common site as well. I have nothing against folks with tattoos, but sometimes I look at the tattoo, then look and the person, and wonder "what the hell was he/she thinking!"
Chairs and Umbrellas:
Public beach patrons tend to bring their own, usually just a towel, or blanket, sometimes an umbrella or party tent. The resort patron will do the umbrella and chair rental, usually at a going rate between $200 to $250 for a week. Some bring their own, more often than not, a "Tommy Bahama" chair and umbrella set. They also have some type of cart to haul the chairs and umbrellas to the shoreline. They have spent about as much on their beach toys as a week rental, but they will be used enough to justify the cost as a savings.
Editorial:
Me, I love going to the beach with my spousal unit, and we usually take family or friends. I spend my time with a good book, and I always have an eye out looking for a photo opportunity or a story to re-tale on this blog. The number one unwritten rule, is "what happens under my umbrellas stay under the umbrellas". Nothing goes into the blog without prior approval from our crew. I bring my own chairs and umbrellas, I have a cart, and you better believe that I have ziporitas in my soft sided cooler. Everything I post here is meant to be funny or entertaining. If you find some postings offensive, remember you clicked through the warning prior to reading any of my posts. For those regular readers, thank you for your patronage. For the occasional reader, "ya'll come back now, ya here!".
Loving life, 'cause it is good, all the time! Come join me sometime :-)
Retired in 2012. I'm trying to out run old age and boredom. So far, I'm winning the race!
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Beach Pics
Last day. wind picked up and ran us off around 3:00. Time for some fun pics from the day. Some captioned, some not. Hope y'all enjoy them:
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| Gunfight at the O.K.Coral |
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| Covered up, nice |
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| Not covered up, not so nice |
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| Cute family pic! |
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| Brotherly love |
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| Pink flamingo invasion |
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| Sand movers |
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| Corps of Engineers |
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| Turtle man |
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| Tommy Bahama chair convention |
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| Son#1 and girly friend applying sun protection |
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| I think he missed a spot or tw |
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| Hat brother s of different mothers |
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| "Badass selfie" |
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| Spousal unit and son#1 selfie That's it for this trip. Got San Diego in July, then a return trip to Sandestin in August. Keep reading, I'll keep posting. Get out there and start enjoying life! |
Rainy Day at the Beach-Plan B!
The weather has been a threat for two days. Clouds in the distance, but nothing threatening. You knew it was coming, as the surf action was picking up.
First you could barely hold your position on the sandy bottom to do what comes natural. You either brave it, hold it, or make a dash for the pool house.
The next day the surf is pounding the coastline. The yellow flags are quickly changed to red. The beach patrol gives the unsuspecting the customary caution. Rip currents are silent threats that are real. Got word of two close calls and one tragedy at Phoenix East near Orange Beach. Listen to those waves, they are sending you a message.
During the night, Mother Nature began unleashing on Sandestin what had already occurred further west. Lots of flash flooding forecasted for the whole day. Bummer....
But, never fear, there is always Plan B! For us, it was Condo cleanup early, then a reward of brunch at "Another Broken Egg". OMG! If you have never experienced breakfast there, please put it on your list. And do try something out of your comfort zone. It is out of this world!
As we departed the restaurant, full to the gills, we stepped outside. Our dreary day was brightened by the sight of the Saintsations, the cheerleaders for the New Orleans Saints. I mentioned to one that they looked a lot bigger on TV. The one listening looked at me and said, " Ha! Yes, but as you can see, I'm right at six feet tall!". Glad she was wearing flats! Most looked like the pretty little girl next door. All that stage makeup and the outfits they wear turn these little princesses into the sideline warriors you see on TV!
Brunch done, we were off to the outlet mall. And so was everyone else! The driving was quite slow, as all that water had no where to go. In traffic I usually turn into a road warrior.
Working our way through the traffic, you would occasionally have to merge into the next lane because of all the standing water. In my mirror, I see a pickup on my right, plowing through the flooded lane. There was no way this road warrior was going to let him cut in front of me as the water deepened. Soon he was at my rear tire. Then he began inching closer. I began to close the gap with the car in front of me, still at a safe distance, traveling at the brake neck speed of 20 mph. Then all of a sudden this wall of water came crashing down on the windshield!
Holy crap! I was unprepared! No windshield wipers were running! I could not see! All I could do was apply the brakes for fear of a rearender! I quickly turned on the wipers. It was too late. I had been outfoxed by Bubba from Louisiana, he was now in front of me! Oh well, let somebody else try it, ain't gonna happen twice! Inside I had to chuckle, but I did still have my game face on :-).
The outlet mall parking lot was no different. Cars were jockeying for position. Nobody was getting cut off in this lot! Parking spaces were at a premium. Everybody and their mother had the same Plan B. Sidewalks were an obstacle course. I stepped off the curb with one foot to test the traffic in an attempt to cross the street. This mother of three in this huge Tahoe came barreling through, my foot was quickly pulled back on the curb. The NASCAR driver in the Tahoe had spotted an empty space two rows up and she wasn't about to let someone else have that spot!
I gathered up the spousal unit, and we decided to ride west, to scout out Destin, that onetime little sleepy fishing village of thirty years ago. We haven't been there in years since they put in the toll bridge over the bay. Things didn't look familiar to me. I recalled more open spaces between Sandestin and Destin. Those open spaces were now filled with all kinds of businesses. Some call this progress, I call it congestion!
Soon there were sights we remembered from years past! Fudpuckers, Joe's Crab Shack. Then the Racetrack, and finally Big Kahuna water park. Memories of my boys at much younger ages began hitting me.
I chuckled, then reminded the spousal unit of the time that son#1 was bound and determined that he was gonna drive the gocart on the big track, at the age of 14. We debated on that, and once he had his mind made up about something, good luck at changing it.
I had learned early in parenthood to just let it flow. I'd leave that fight to the track managers. The look on his face was priceless once he learned the outcome of his pursuit. Nope, too young to drive the big carts. The spousal unit wasn't gonna give up. She knew that their had to be a compromise. Yep, they had two seaters.
I have never laughed so hard! I took my position by the fence to wave as they went by. Momma was in the driver's seat, being fearless as they rounded the curve. Son#1 was in the seat next to her, with his arms folded in complete frustration! He rode that way the whole time on the track! It took hours for that frown of his to melt away.
When we met up with him and the girly friend, I reminded him of that day. He half smiled, then said "don't wanta talk about it!". Still burns him!
The rain continued through the night. The Condo complex was playing a movie in their small theater. Why not. It was Tom Hanks in " Saving Mr. Banks". Boy, that one was different.
Plan B and the day came to an end. Tomorrow is our last day here. Forecast is scattered rain possibilities all day. True bleachers, we are gonna give it one more try, to tease that mighty force called Mother Nature a bit more. There is just something about having your toes in that sand!
And, already have plans for a return visit in August. Take that! Mother Nature!
First you could barely hold your position on the sandy bottom to do what comes natural. You either brave it, hold it, or make a dash for the pool house.
The next day the surf is pounding the coastline. The yellow flags are quickly changed to red. The beach patrol gives the unsuspecting the customary caution. Rip currents are silent threats that are real. Got word of two close calls and one tragedy at Phoenix East near Orange Beach. Listen to those waves, they are sending you a message.
During the night, Mother Nature began unleashing on Sandestin what had already occurred further west. Lots of flash flooding forecasted for the whole day. Bummer....
But, never fear, there is always Plan B! For us, it was Condo cleanup early, then a reward of brunch at "Another Broken Egg". OMG! If you have never experienced breakfast there, please put it on your list. And do try something out of your comfort zone. It is out of this world!
As we departed the restaurant, full to the gills, we stepped outside. Our dreary day was brightened by the sight of the Saintsations, the cheerleaders for the New Orleans Saints. I mentioned to one that they looked a lot bigger on TV. The one listening looked at me and said, " Ha! Yes, but as you can see, I'm right at six feet tall!". Glad she was wearing flats! Most looked like the pretty little girl next door. All that stage makeup and the outfits they wear turn these little princesses into the sideline warriors you see on TV!
Brunch done, we were off to the outlet mall. And so was everyone else! The driving was quite slow, as all that water had no where to go. In traffic I usually turn into a road warrior.
Working our way through the traffic, you would occasionally have to merge into the next lane because of all the standing water. In my mirror, I see a pickup on my right, plowing through the flooded lane. There was no way this road warrior was going to let him cut in front of me as the water deepened. Soon he was at my rear tire. Then he began inching closer. I began to close the gap with the car in front of me, still at a safe distance, traveling at the brake neck speed of 20 mph. Then all of a sudden this wall of water came crashing down on the windshield!
Holy crap! I was unprepared! No windshield wipers were running! I could not see! All I could do was apply the brakes for fear of a rearender! I quickly turned on the wipers. It was too late. I had been outfoxed by Bubba from Louisiana, he was now in front of me! Oh well, let somebody else try it, ain't gonna happen twice! Inside I had to chuckle, but I did still have my game face on :-).
The outlet mall parking lot was no different. Cars were jockeying for position. Nobody was getting cut off in this lot! Parking spaces were at a premium. Everybody and their mother had the same Plan B. Sidewalks were an obstacle course. I stepped off the curb with one foot to test the traffic in an attempt to cross the street. This mother of three in this huge Tahoe came barreling through, my foot was quickly pulled back on the curb. The NASCAR driver in the Tahoe had spotted an empty space two rows up and she wasn't about to let someone else have that spot!
I gathered up the spousal unit, and we decided to ride west, to scout out Destin, that onetime little sleepy fishing village of thirty years ago. We haven't been there in years since they put in the toll bridge over the bay. Things didn't look familiar to me. I recalled more open spaces between Sandestin and Destin. Those open spaces were now filled with all kinds of businesses. Some call this progress, I call it congestion!
Soon there were sights we remembered from years past! Fudpuckers, Joe's Crab Shack. Then the Racetrack, and finally Big Kahuna water park. Memories of my boys at much younger ages began hitting me.
I chuckled, then reminded the spousal unit of the time that son#1 was bound and determined that he was gonna drive the gocart on the big track, at the age of 14. We debated on that, and once he had his mind made up about something, good luck at changing it.
I had learned early in parenthood to just let it flow. I'd leave that fight to the track managers. The look on his face was priceless once he learned the outcome of his pursuit. Nope, too young to drive the big carts. The spousal unit wasn't gonna give up. She knew that their had to be a compromise. Yep, they had two seaters.
I have never laughed so hard! I took my position by the fence to wave as they went by. Momma was in the driver's seat, being fearless as they rounded the curve. Son#1 was in the seat next to her, with his arms folded in complete frustration! He rode that way the whole time on the track! It took hours for that frown of his to melt away.
When we met up with him and the girly friend, I reminded him of that day. He half smiled, then said "don't wanta talk about it!". Still burns him!
The rain continued through the night. The Condo complex was playing a movie in their small theater. Why not. It was Tom Hanks in " Saving Mr. Banks". Boy, that one was different.
Plan B and the day came to an end. Tomorrow is our last day here. Forecast is scattered rain possibilities all day. True bleachers, we are gonna give it one more try, to tease that mighty force called Mother Nature a bit more. There is just something about having your toes in that sand!
And, already have plans for a return visit in August. Take that! Mother Nature!
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Beach Hints and Helpful Notes
Here are some helpful hints, FAQ's and suggestions I've picked up or learned the hard way on Beaching:
1. Arrive early. Chair rentals get set up pretty early, then the tide pulls back. The spots in front of the chair rentals get taken up pretty quick.
2. A setup of two chairs and a beach umbrella run $40 to $50 per day and $190 to $250 per week. You can buy some good chairs and umbrellas for less to be used over and over.
3. Beach carts are great. Be sure to get one with wide wheels. The are fantastic in the parking lot and sidewalks. But, you will be dragging it in the sand. The more you put in it the heavier the load.
4. Sun protection. The sun will find those unprotected areas of your body. Use a minimum of SPF 30. The higher the better. Don't forget a hat, because the top of your head can burn as well. Umbrellas are great, but remember, the sun also reflects off that pretty white sand and will sneak up on you.
5. Sand walking. Its best to just take those shoes off once your toes hit the sand. Better traction. As the summer wears on the sand will heat up, may be too hot for the bottoms of your feet, then its time to put the flippers on again.
6. Parents with young children: keep your eyes on them. Those waves will push your kids 50+ yards down the beach before you know it.
7. I use soft sided coolers. These are not as bulky and much easier to carry back and forth. I make up frozen margaritas the night before and put them in ziploc bags, laying them flat in the freezer. They work fantastic as ice packs for sandwiches and other perishables. Once they slush up, pour them into an insulated cup for a refreshing treat.
8. Bring plenty of water. Too much beer can get you in trouble. If you bring soft drinks, brink those in plastic bottles. You can reseal the water and soda bottle to keep out sand. Also bring a trash bag, plenty of canisters for drop off on your way out.
9. Don't get too fancy on food items. If using mayo, ice it down! I put sandwiches in ziploc bags then put those in plastic sandwich boxes so they keep their shape and stay dry. Fruit cups are and awesome cold treat for kids and adults alike.
10. Don't feed the birds. Literally. You feed one, you will be invaded by many. They will appear out of nowhere and be everywhere. Just like the Hitchcock movie!
11. Noseeum bugs. When the sun sets you will discover these little bugs the size of a pinhead. Worse than mosquitoes, harder to spot and boy do they bite.
12. Budget dining. No such thing at the beach. If you have a kitchen and grilling area, use them. Good family time, take turns, and enjoy your favorite summertime foods. This will save you a lot over dining out every meal, which run us $50 to $100+ depending on the meal and number in the party.
13. Beach towels. More the better. Most Condos provide, but you can never have enough clean, sandless ones.
14. Umbrella spikes. They do work. The metal ones will hold up a lot longer. Cup spikes are the latest beach craze. Great for your cup, phone, keys, etc.... But sand will get into the smallest of spaces.
There are tons more things to learn and remember. Most important, leave work and your troubles behind and have a good time. And you can always invite me along for the ride!
1. Arrive early. Chair rentals get set up pretty early, then the tide pulls back. The spots in front of the chair rentals get taken up pretty quick.
2. A setup of two chairs and a beach umbrella run $40 to $50 per day and $190 to $250 per week. You can buy some good chairs and umbrellas for less to be used over and over.
3. Beach carts are great. Be sure to get one with wide wheels. The are fantastic in the parking lot and sidewalks. But, you will be dragging it in the sand. The more you put in it the heavier the load.
4. Sun protection. The sun will find those unprotected areas of your body. Use a minimum of SPF 30. The higher the better. Don't forget a hat, because the top of your head can burn as well. Umbrellas are great, but remember, the sun also reflects off that pretty white sand and will sneak up on you.
5. Sand walking. Its best to just take those shoes off once your toes hit the sand. Better traction. As the summer wears on the sand will heat up, may be too hot for the bottoms of your feet, then its time to put the flippers on again.
6. Parents with young children: keep your eyes on them. Those waves will push your kids 50+ yards down the beach before you know it.
7. I use soft sided coolers. These are not as bulky and much easier to carry back and forth. I make up frozen margaritas the night before and put them in ziploc bags, laying them flat in the freezer. They work fantastic as ice packs for sandwiches and other perishables. Once they slush up, pour them into an insulated cup for a refreshing treat.
8. Bring plenty of water. Too much beer can get you in trouble. If you bring soft drinks, brink those in plastic bottles. You can reseal the water and soda bottle to keep out sand. Also bring a trash bag, plenty of canisters for drop off on your way out.
9. Don't get too fancy on food items. If using mayo, ice it down! I put sandwiches in ziploc bags then put those in plastic sandwich boxes so they keep their shape and stay dry. Fruit cups are and awesome cold treat for kids and adults alike.
10. Don't feed the birds. Literally. You feed one, you will be invaded by many. They will appear out of nowhere and be everywhere. Just like the Hitchcock movie!
11. Noseeum bugs. When the sun sets you will discover these little bugs the size of a pinhead. Worse than mosquitoes, harder to spot and boy do they bite.
12. Budget dining. No such thing at the beach. If you have a kitchen and grilling area, use them. Good family time, take turns, and enjoy your favorite summertime foods. This will save you a lot over dining out every meal, which run us $50 to $100+ depending on the meal and number in the party.
13. Beach towels. More the better. Most Condos provide, but you can never have enough clean, sandless ones.
14. Umbrella spikes. They do work. The metal ones will hold up a lot longer. Cup spikes are the latest beach craze. Great for your cup, phone, keys, etc.... But sand will get into the smallest of spaces.
There are tons more things to learn and remember. Most important, leave work and your troubles behind and have a good time. And you can always invite me along for the ride!
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Flag Day
Most trips to the beach are laid back as far as beach conditions go. The Beach workers have already set up the chair and umbrella rentals. The tide has cleared the shoreline of anything that resembled the previous day.
Today was very windy with a threat of afternoon showers. As soon as we reached the sand we saw the yellow flag. Yellow means caution. Red is the color to really be concerned about if folks on your party are water worshipers.
It wasn't long before the yellow was upgraded to red. We even had a visit from the shore patrol, wondering if we would be heading into the water. We assured him our butts would be in our chairs under the umbrella!
Notice his flotation matched his suit. Not sure if these are coast guard approved, but the mommas love them.
The guy next to us gets the Daddy award for the day. It took him over an hour to get his son's kite assembled and airborne. Once it took flight, it was there to stay:
The guy in yellow almost spilled the mustard when he tripped over the little guy. And yes, they were dressed as mustard and ketchup!
Life at the beach would not be complete without drink and snacks:
Today was very windy with a threat of afternoon showers. As soon as we reached the sand we saw the yellow flag. Yellow means caution. Red is the color to really be concerned about if folks on your party are water worshipers.
A lot of the kids were wearing the very latest in drowning protection. This little kid reminded me of the Green Incredible Hulk!
The guy next to us gets the Daddy award for the day. It took him over an hour to get his son's kite assembled and airborne. Once it took flight, it was there to stay:
His wife said that they have hat it for two years. She threatened him of he didn't bring it this year.
We had a surfer dude riding a few waves early. The wave action must have worn him out, because he disappeared before we knew it. With the surf being so rough, all there was to do was soak up the sun, wipe off sand, or dig like this little guy:
We had a little comedy during the day. Two guys in costume came romping down the beach:
Life at the beach would not be complete without drink and snacks:
Turkey legs and margarita filled Room cups were the hit of the day. Brought some of those Del Monte individual fruit cups and they were very refreshing on this hot day!
Sun burns have started to appear, some in the weirdest places. Son#1 and girly friend got burnt around the arm pits, of all places. I've stayed put under the umbrella for most of the day. Now I have a tan outline on my shoulders from sitting in the chair. The sun reflecting off that sand will get you every time!
Folks commented on my beach cart. Does it do well in the sand? Well it would if it wasn't loaded down with three umbrellas, two chairs, and all the other stuff I just had to bring! Works great in the parking lot and sidewalk, but you end up dragging it across the sand. Still beats toting it all.
Two days left with a threat of rain tomorrow. Always got a plan B!
A New Day
After a long day at the beach its time to pack up. The umbrella and chair rental guy is already at work breaking everything down. Some young adults have had a bit too much of everything and are now passed out and sleeping it off.
The babies are done. No more sand castles, no more running away from those constant incoming waves. They have crashed too, but in the comfort of Mom and Dad's arms or the safety of their stroller.
Its time to pick up all the beach toys and give them a good rinse at the water station. Its time to give the towels a good shake so that most of the sand is left for another day of play. Umbrellas and the stakes are now pulled and packed to go. Chairs that have settled into sand like concrete are forced up with what little strength remains. You sort out all your trash to drop off for recycling as your last act.
As you make your way off the beach, you look back. You see all the footprints. You see all the holes that were dug for building and the castles that took all day to erect. What a mess you and others are leaving behind.
But fear not. Mother nature will take over once you have left. The birds will pick the place clean of all remaining crumbs. The beach crew will pick up anything that is left behind. The tide will return, washing away all those footsteps, all those holes and sandcastles, making way for a new day at the beach.
See you there!
The babies are done. No more sand castles, no more running away from those constant incoming waves. They have crashed too, but in the comfort of Mom and Dad's arms or the safety of their stroller.
Its time to pick up all the beach toys and give them a good rinse at the water station. Its time to give the towels a good shake so that most of the sand is left for another day of play. Umbrellas and the stakes are now pulled and packed to go. Chairs that have settled into sand like concrete are forced up with what little strength remains. You sort out all your trash to drop off for recycling as your last act.
As you make your way off the beach, you look back. You see all the footprints. You see all the holes that were dug for building and the castles that took all day to erect. What a mess you and others are leaving behind.
But fear not. Mother nature will take over once you have left. The birds will pick the place clean of all remaining crumbs. The beach crew will pick up anything that is left behind. The tide will return, washing away all those footsteps, all those holes and sandcastles, making way for a new day at the beach.
See you there!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Beach Sightings
Yesterday was Memorial Day and the beach was overflowing with sunbathers and all the stuff they bring with them. My first thought was. "Oh crap, hope the resr of the week isn't going to be like this!
Thank goodness it wasn't. Yes! For a typical beach afternoon. Got everything all set up, adding one more umbrella and two more chairs for son#1 and his girly friend.
Headed back to pick up the rest of the crew and ran by the bank to deposit a check son#1 brought me. Was gonna do an electronic deposit but there is a daily limit of $10,000 on e-deposits and this aluminum can recycling check was over the limit. Usually they will put a deposit hold on large check from out of State, but somehow this one made it through. The teller noticed that on June 1st I will have been a customer for 32 years. D a m n! That's a long time. My young buck preacher friend commented on FB that he was two when I opened my account.
While I was waiting for the bank to open, I struck up a chat with a local customer. While in the teller line I learned that she was a teacher, making her last deposit of the school year. Turns our Florida only issues nine month pay rates. Takes a lot of discipline to make it on teacher income and especially over nine months!
Once we all got back to the beach, we got back into our beach mode: spousal unit soaking up the rays, son#1 soaking up the beer, and me soaking up the bird watching! Son's girly friend was being soaked up by the book she brought.
Lots of beach toys today. Several kites were sighted in the sky. They fly really good with a nice breeze coming off the gulf. Balls of every kind were skipping off the water. Footballs and Frisbees were landing everywhere but in people's hands. There were several games of paddle ball going on. Strange that you never see this particular game anywhere but at the beach.
Yesterday was lots of sightings of burly hairy sunburnt men. Today it was all about man boobs. Good lord fellas, cover them up! It reminded me of a Seinfeld episode where Kramer invented the man bra that he called "the bro"! If women ever give up their milk glands for good, I saw several candidates for replacements.
Got to see our first thing of the trip. I must say she wore that thank quite nicely! Even son#1 agreed. Then there was the pregnant lady in the bikini. She already had two children, but I wasn't looking for stretch marks, I was looking for her to cover it up! (Sorry, ain't posting no picture of no pregnant woman).
Then there were the beauty queen wantabees. They all had my vote. They all wanted their picture taken. Finally son#1 volunteered to snap a group photo of them. Several of the young lasses even called him " Sir", at the ripe old age of 27. That really got to him, especially after being carded at the restaurant.
A gust of wind came up, and an umbrella went flying. Yep, one of mine. No harm, no foul. The top came loose from the pole. Ain't figured that one out yet!.
As you gaze the waterline you can always pick out the wheezers. They are the ones that are standing in the same spot for far too long, usually with their backs to the beach. Stay away from yellow slicks omn the water.
The spousal unit made the remark that she had not seen any gulls all day. Son#1 said watch this. He stood up, with his arm stretched out high, with a potato chip between his fingers. Within a minute the sky had ten gulls in persuit of that tater chip.
4:00 came awlful early today. We packed up and headed to the condo pool. A pork shoulder has been warming all day after an overnight cooking. We will be eating fine in a few hours. No restaurant will get my money on this night!
Be good, good night, and God bless y'all for reading my ramblings. Life is good, all the time!
Thank goodness it wasn't. Yes! For a typical beach afternoon. Got everything all set up, adding one more umbrella and two more chairs for son#1 and his girly friend.
Headed back to pick up the rest of the crew and ran by the bank to deposit a check son#1 brought me. Was gonna do an electronic deposit but there is a daily limit of $10,000 on e-deposits and this aluminum can recycling check was over the limit. Usually they will put a deposit hold on large check from out of State, but somehow this one made it through. The teller noticed that on June 1st I will have been a customer for 32 years. D a m n! That's a long time. My young buck preacher friend commented on FB that he was two when I opened my account.
While I was waiting for the bank to open, I struck up a chat with a local customer. While in the teller line I learned that she was a teacher, making her last deposit of the school year. Turns our Florida only issues nine month pay rates. Takes a lot of discipline to make it on teacher income and especially over nine months!
Once we all got back to the beach, we got back into our beach mode: spousal unit soaking up the rays, son#1 soaking up the beer, and me soaking up the bird watching! Son's girly friend was being soaked up by the book she brought.
Lots of beach toys today. Several kites were sighted in the sky. They fly really good with a nice breeze coming off the gulf. Balls of every kind were skipping off the water. Footballs and Frisbees were landing everywhere but in people's hands. There were several games of paddle ball going on. Strange that you never see this particular game anywhere but at the beach.
Yesterday was lots of sightings of burly hairy sunburnt men. Today it was all about man boobs. Good lord fellas, cover them up! It reminded me of a Seinfeld episode where Kramer invented the man bra that he called "the bro"! If women ever give up their milk glands for good, I saw several candidates for replacements.
Got to see our first thing of the trip. I must say she wore that thank quite nicely! Even son#1 agreed. Then there was the pregnant lady in the bikini. She already had two children, but I wasn't looking for stretch marks, I was looking for her to cover it up! (Sorry, ain't posting no picture of no pregnant woman).
Then there were the beauty queen wantabees. They all had my vote. They all wanted their picture taken. Finally son#1 volunteered to snap a group photo of them. Several of the young lasses even called him " Sir", at the ripe old age of 27. That really got to him, especially after being carded at the restaurant.
A gust of wind came up, and an umbrella went flying. Yep, one of mine. No harm, no foul. The top came loose from the pole. Ain't figured that one out yet!.
As you gaze the waterline you can always pick out the wheezers. They are the ones that are standing in the same spot for far too long, usually with their backs to the beach. Stay away from yellow slicks omn the water.
The spousal unit made the remark that she had not seen any gulls all day. Son#1 said watch this. He stood up, with his arm stretched out high, with a potato chip between his fingers. Within a minute the sky had ten gulls in persuit of that tater chip.
4:00 came awlful early today. We packed up and headed to the condo pool. A pork shoulder has been warming all day after an overnight cooking. We will be eating fine in a few hours. No restaurant will get my money on this night!
Be good, good night, and God bless y'all for reading my ramblings. Life is good, all the time!
Monday, May 26, 2014
Beaching!
Today was the first official day of beaching! I got up early to go get our spot of sand. As luck would have it, the parking lot was practically empty. When one goes to the beach, one must be prepared, and as a former Boy Scout, I am generally always prepared. This trip is full of overkill: four umbrellas, five beach umbrellas, umbrella holders, cooler bags, sand spikes for cups, towels, a battery backup, and of course frozen margaritas! The cart you see is a life saver in the parking lot, but a dead weight in the sand on the beach.
The beach is a great place for family quality time. You have to be quick with the shot to get the pictures, and not
a lot of mine captured what I wanted.
WeHere is a kid riding the biggest float I have ever seen at the beach. Shortly after this picture the girl and the float went flying when a rogue wave caught them dead center.
Here, some grandparents were doing their best attempt at making their granddaughter a mermaid.
Granddad was just one example of the latest fad at the beach, back hair! Chest hair was abundant as well. Somebody please tell these people to either wax or shave, please. Apparently, a lot of these guys must have thought that the hair had some type of UV protection at the beach. Not!
This poor little girl almost lost her bucket. Good old Dad got there just in the nick of time:
One little boy finally mastered catching a wave on his biggie board. He would get in a rythym, then his sister would take command of the board. Little not later, he was back at it again!
I was constantly having to clean my sunglasses to remove the blurry too that was accumulating on the lenses. I'll net it was from all of the aerosol suntan lotion being sprayed into the air. There was also a bit of an oil slick on the waters. It wasn't from an oil spill. Nope, it was from beach goers overdoing the sunscreen like this woman:
Everybody brought a variety of beach toys. Plenty of buckets, shovels, and sand castle building tools. The latest craze is a ball that you toss like you are skipping a rock. Those balls hit the water just right and off the go! Underwater and head cameras were also abundant.
The oddest thing to me was the number of miss matched two piece swim suits! In a lot of cases there was no rhyme or reason for the pairing. Must a been odd lot leftovers from last year. The Fashionista police would have had a field day!
All this on day one at the beach. Can't wait till tomorrow!
As you approach the beach you have an opportunity to coat yourself with spray on 30 suntan screen, 45 seconds for a dollar. There were quite a few at the beach that should have spent the dollar!
After dragging that beach cart to the waters edge, I find that while the parking lot was empty, the front sand was quickly being taken up almost like the gold rush of 1849!
As you can see, you must be a professional beacher to get it right!
First you screw in your umbrella spikes, then insert the umbrella. Next you position the chairs so that the spousal unit will have full shade upon her arrival. You must also have the cup spike located near the chair so that the cup or phone doesn't get sand on them. Once positioned, you must take the traditional "toes in the sand" picture:The beach is a great place for family quality time. You have to be quick with the shot to get the pictures, and not
a lot of mine captured what I wanted.
WeHere is a kid riding the biggest float I have ever seen at the beach. Shortly after this picture the girl and the float went flying when a rogue wave caught them dead center.
Here, some grandparents were doing their best attempt at making their granddaughter a mermaid.
Granddad was just one example of the latest fad at the beach, back hair! Chest hair was abundant as well. Somebody please tell these people to either wax or shave, please. Apparently, a lot of these guys must have thought that the hair had some type of UV protection at the beach. Not!
This poor little girl almost lost her bucket. Good old Dad got there just in the nick of time:
I was constantly having to clean my sunglasses to remove the blurry too that was accumulating on the lenses. I'll net it was from all of the aerosol suntan lotion being sprayed into the air. There was also a bit of an oil slick on the waters. It wasn't from an oil spill. Nope, it was from beach goers overdoing the sunscreen like this woman:
Everybody brought a variety of beach toys. Plenty of buckets, shovels, and sand castle building tools. The latest craze is a ball that you toss like you are skipping a rock. Those balls hit the water just right and off the go! Underwater and head cameras were also abundant.
The oddest thing to me was the number of miss matched two piece swim suits! In a lot of cases there was no rhyme or reason for the pairing. Must a been odd lot leftovers from last year. The Fashionista police would have had a field day!
Here are pics of two of my sponsors. Love my insulated mug and new flippers!
All this on day one at the beach. Can't wait till tomorrow!
Pool Time
Yesterday was a time for family gatherings at the pools.
Early in the day, I noticed a guy walk up with what looked like a guitar amp. He set it down, flipped a switch, then reached into his pocket. Out comes his cell phone. He switched it to Bluetooth mode, and before you knew it, the silence was broken on this Sunday morning by the sound of country music blaring away. Nothing like listening to songs about drinking beer, chasing women, and raising a little hell, all on a Sunday morning. And the dude's name was Bubba. His southern drawl told me he was from the neighboring state of Alabama!
Later in the day, it was time for the babies to shine. The little ones were all big enough to not have to those "swimmy britches". Most, were not afraid of the water. Some went charging right in, while others had to be coaxed to enter the deep (only 4.5 feet).
The momma's could lay back and relax because Grandma was ever present, barking orders, with towels at the ready, and filling the air with the smell of suntan oil spray. What ever happened to the days of rub a dub dub?
The Dad's were the proudest, taking their positions as life guards and play directors where no grandmother would dare enter. No beer drinking here, it was all about quality baby time.
Dive sticks were being scattered for the young ones to go collect as treasure. One stick was a bit too deep. The youngster wanted it so bad. You could tell from the facial expressions that he was bound and determined to get it, but his fear of going under made that dive stick that bridge too far.
The spousal unit had her eyes on this situation too and she was Johnny on the spot! She helped him into the deep, held him, and suggested that he use his feet to grab that last dive stick without having to go under. (She is an old swim instructor that still has her bag of tricks!). The smile on that boy's face was priceless when he pulled that last dive stick out of the water. Success!
It was really nice to see some of these families interact on this prememorial day. Some groups had four generations, others three, some two, and in our case, just the two of us. Our turn comes today, as son #1 and his girly friend arrive late today.
The largest family group included a group of five alpha males. Each one, trying to influence the others with his dominance. The were all in the pool, all trying to decide what game to play. Once that had been decided, then there were the rules. They literally spent more time deciding on what the rules would be than actually playing their game, which I never did figure out!
The complex had a picnic of ribs and all the fixings for all the owners and guests. The Hostess said that they sponsor a pool party on each holiday, usually the day before, like today. They had a band playing, and later, a watermelon eating contest for both young and old. The funniest thing was the "adult bunch guard". The table had two drink dispensers, one with water, and the other full of an adult beverage. The kids punch pitcher was temporarily empty. The adult punch looked so tempting to those kids, and believe me, they tried every trick in the book to get by the guard! Finally a fresh pitcher arrived and the tension settled down. The punch guard, was able to relax, took a deep breath, wiped his forehead, and let out a whew!
As the sun began to set, Florida's version of miniature mosquitoes began to arrive. Those little bitty dots sure knew how to bite!
The day was done, time to rest up for another day in paradise!
Early in the day, I noticed a guy walk up with what looked like a guitar amp. He set it down, flipped a switch, then reached into his pocket. Out comes his cell phone. He switched it to Bluetooth mode, and before you knew it, the silence was broken on this Sunday morning by the sound of country music blaring away. Nothing like listening to songs about drinking beer, chasing women, and raising a little hell, all on a Sunday morning. And the dude's name was Bubba. His southern drawl told me he was from the neighboring state of Alabama!
Later in the day, it was time for the babies to shine. The little ones were all big enough to not have to those "swimmy britches". Most, were not afraid of the water. Some went charging right in, while others had to be coaxed to enter the deep (only 4.5 feet).
The momma's could lay back and relax because Grandma was ever present, barking orders, with towels at the ready, and filling the air with the smell of suntan oil spray. What ever happened to the days of rub a dub dub?
The Dad's were the proudest, taking their positions as life guards and play directors where no grandmother would dare enter. No beer drinking here, it was all about quality baby time.
Dive sticks were being scattered for the young ones to go collect as treasure. One stick was a bit too deep. The youngster wanted it so bad. You could tell from the facial expressions that he was bound and determined to get it, but his fear of going under made that dive stick that bridge too far.
The spousal unit had her eyes on this situation too and she was Johnny on the spot! She helped him into the deep, held him, and suggested that he use his feet to grab that last dive stick without having to go under. (She is an old swim instructor that still has her bag of tricks!). The smile on that boy's face was priceless when he pulled that last dive stick out of the water. Success!
It was really nice to see some of these families interact on this prememorial day. Some groups had four generations, others three, some two, and in our case, just the two of us. Our turn comes today, as son #1 and his girly friend arrive late today.
The largest family group included a group of five alpha males. Each one, trying to influence the others with his dominance. The were all in the pool, all trying to decide what game to play. Once that had been decided, then there were the rules. They literally spent more time deciding on what the rules would be than actually playing their game, which I never did figure out!
The complex had a picnic of ribs and all the fixings for all the owners and guests. The Hostess said that they sponsor a pool party on each holiday, usually the day before, like today. They had a band playing, and later, a watermelon eating contest for both young and old. The funniest thing was the "adult bunch guard". The table had two drink dispensers, one with water, and the other full of an adult beverage. The kids punch pitcher was temporarily empty. The adult punch looked so tempting to those kids, and believe me, they tried every trick in the book to get by the guard! Finally a fresh pitcher arrived and the tension settled down. The punch guard, was able to relax, took a deep breath, wiped his forehead, and let out a whew!
As the sun began to set, Florida's version of miniature mosquitoes began to arrive. Those little bitty dots sure knew how to bite!
The day was done, time to rest up for another day in paradise!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Beach Prep Day
Last leg of our journey. Its a short ride from Pensacola, if you take the Niceville exit off I10, then take the toll road to the bay bridge. Nice sunny day with no clouds in sight. Pulled up to the toll station, and as I was paying my $3, I reminded the lady that I did indeed have my windshield wipers I'm the off position. We both got a chuckle aou of that!
Finally arrived at our destination of Sandestin for our seven day stay! Now we gotta wait til 4:00 for check in. What to do, what to do..... Why outlet mall of course! Memorial weekend sales! 3 days only! Guess what, parking lot was packed!. Decided to take a lunch break instead at our friend Marian's favorite spot on the Emerald Coast. Its a place called Kenny D's.
Parking is always a challenge on this section of the strip. Its the biggest stretch of public access to the beach. I mentioned to the waitress that this is one of the hardest places to find. She laughed, saying, " I hear that all the time. Everybody is too busy looking beach side!
Great appetizers! Saw this sign in Kenny D's and had to take a picture. It so reminded me of our neighbors and their weekend beer drinking:
Back to the outlet center we go. Got my t-shirts at the Nautica Outlet. Now to have them monogramed with my slogan "its a flip flop kinda day"! Walked by a bench loaded down with a family of four. Everyone of them were texting away! I mentioned, " a family that texts together, stays together!". The eldest child commented that "they were not all from the same family"! Momma hit him in the head with her purse.
While the spousal unit was grabbing bargains in the North Polo, I began my people watching. Forma minute there, I thought I was in Orlando, not hearing much Southern English, but a lot of other dialects. I'm sure its all translated to " I'm hungry, I'm tired of shopping, I want to go swimming, and its beach time!"
Felt sorry for one young gal. This is Saturday, usually day one for everybody. She was as white as a virgin snow. Accept for her shins, a bright shiny red glow. Darling, if it ain't hurting now, it will be tonight!
Got all checked in to Club Intrawest, one of our timeshare condo deals. I took the cart back to its resting place, only to have it quickly taken by a young girl waiting. I look up, and she is riding it down to the parking lot like a surf board! Why didn't I think of that!
We went to the pool area to soak our feet. Soon a family of five, including three young boys showed up. The momma was a knockout southern peach from Georgia. Small talk led us to find out that the guy married her along with her three boys. You could tell that there were still some insecurities with the boys as stepdad was working with the youngest on learning to swim. Little one was pretty quick to go clinging back to momma. It takes a special kinda guy to fall for a ready made family of four. I don't know anything about this guy, but in ten minutes I could tell he was special!
Made the grocery run. Publix is right next door, but we opted to go down the road a bit to Wally World. This was one of those small stores, brown brick on the outside, and full of goods and customers on the inside. Almost needed a traffic cop on the aisles!
At checkout, the clerk was not having a good day. I asked her was this the beginning or the end of her shift, as she looked more tired than a maypop tire! She grinned and said two hours into her shift. After a giggle or two between us, she looked at my spousal unit's shirt and said "you Ole Miss? I know Ole Miss!". Spousal unit said, " well yes I am" in her usual southern drawl way! The clerk said " yep, I know Ole Miss. Michael Orr, that crazy white woman and the movie Blind Side. Saw it two times. I live Ole Miss". She looked up at me and said "you Ole Miss too?". Me, " nope, pure bulldog, married that Rebel, and our first born went to Southern!
Back to the condo to rest up for a laid back day at the beach. Frozen margaritas are already made up, bagged up, and ready to go! Now to charge my batteries so I will be too!
God bless, life is good. All the time. Come join us!
Finally arrived at our destination of Sandestin for our seven day stay! Now we gotta wait til 4:00 for check in. What to do, what to do..... Why outlet mall of course! Memorial weekend sales! 3 days only! Guess what, parking lot was packed!. Decided to take a lunch break instead at our friend Marian's favorite spot on the Emerald Coast. Its a place called Kenny D's.
Parking is always a challenge on this section of the strip. Its the biggest stretch of public access to the beach. I mentioned to the waitress that this is one of the hardest places to find. She laughed, saying, " I hear that all the time. Everybody is too busy looking beach side!
 |
| See what I mean. Nobody notices the other side of the road with this view! |
Great appetizers! Saw this sign in Kenny D's and had to take a picture. It so reminded me of our neighbors and their weekend beer drinking:
Back to the outlet center we go. Got my t-shirts at the Nautica Outlet. Now to have them monogramed with my slogan "its a flip flop kinda day"! Walked by a bench loaded down with a family of four. Everyone of them were texting away! I mentioned, " a family that texts together, stays together!". The eldest child commented that "they were not all from the same family"! Momma hit him in the head with her purse.
While the spousal unit was grabbing bargains in the North Polo, I began my people watching. Forma minute there, I thought I was in Orlando, not hearing much Southern English, but a lot of other dialects. I'm sure its all translated to " I'm hungry, I'm tired of shopping, I want to go swimming, and its beach time!"
Felt sorry for one young gal. This is Saturday, usually day one for everybody. She was as white as a virgin snow. Accept for her shins, a bright shiny red glow. Darling, if it ain't hurting now, it will be tonight!
Got all checked in to Club Intrawest, one of our timeshare condo deals. I took the cart back to its resting place, only to have it quickly taken by a young girl waiting. I look up, and she is riding it down to the parking lot like a surf board! Why didn't I think of that!
We went to the pool area to soak our feet. Soon a family of five, including three young boys showed up. The momma was a knockout southern peach from Georgia. Small talk led us to find out that the guy married her along with her three boys. You could tell that there were still some insecurities with the boys as stepdad was working with the youngest on learning to swim. Little one was pretty quick to go clinging back to momma. It takes a special kinda guy to fall for a ready made family of four. I don't know anything about this guy, but in ten minutes I could tell he was special!
Made the grocery run. Publix is right next door, but we opted to go down the road a bit to Wally World. This was one of those small stores, brown brick on the outside, and full of goods and customers on the inside. Almost needed a traffic cop on the aisles!
At checkout, the clerk was not having a good day. I asked her was this the beginning or the end of her shift, as she looked more tired than a maypop tire! She grinned and said two hours into her shift. After a giggle or two between us, she looked at my spousal unit's shirt and said "you Ole Miss? I know Ole Miss!". Spousal unit said, " well yes I am" in her usual southern drawl way! The clerk said " yep, I know Ole Miss. Michael Orr, that crazy white woman and the movie Blind Side. Saw it two times. I live Ole Miss". She looked up at me and said "you Ole Miss too?". Me, " nope, pure bulldog, married that Rebel, and our first born went to Southern!
Back to the condo to rest up for a laid back day at the beach. Frozen margaritas are already made up, bagged up, and ready to go! Now to charge my batteries so I will be too!
 |
| Our sunset! |
God bless, life is good. All the time. Come join us!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Pensacola's Hidden Gems
Our condo vacation doesn't start until Saturday, so we planned a "layover" in Pensacola for one night. Since we were a
Most in Florida, we decided to follow the beach east. Glad we did.
A friend recommended a restaurant called Fisherman's Corner. The road eventually crossed a huge Canal with working tugs going back and forth. The restaurant is located under the bridge. It is literally a hole in the wall. An air vent on the wall of the kitchen was held open with a plastic fork! They have their own seafood company next door, so all the fish is as fresh as the last catch.
Next time you are in Orange Beach, put it on your visit list. Reservations are recommended at night, and ask for Rachael, awesome waitress! And the bread pudding is to die for!
After pigging out, we left for our next stop, Pensacola. For the last 25 years, I have been wanting to stop by and revisit the Naval Air Museum. I now had my chance!
The admission is totally free, but they do accept donations. It is staffed by retired navy personnel, and they do walking tours. Most of the exhibits are aircraft from WWII and prior. There is also some astronaut exhibits and some from the Vietnam conflict. The walking tours are excellent and full of insight.
They have an IMAX theater and several simulator rides. If you are not in a hurry in your travels through Pensacola, I highly recommend stopping. Its quite a history lesson. Here are a few pictures from our visit:
The museum is a favorite place for retirement ceremonies of navy personnel. The second picture is a retirement ceremony that was in progress upon our arrival.
This navy base is the home to the Blue Angels flying team. Many of their practices do "flyby's" on the beach. A definite must see.
Tomorrow is the beginning of a week long beach stay at Sandestin. Stay tuned, blogging should be in full swing!
Most in Florida, we decided to follow the beach east. Glad we did.
A friend recommended a restaurant called Fisherman's Corner. The road eventually crossed a huge Canal with working tugs going back and forth. The restaurant is located under the bridge. It is literally a hole in the wall. An air vent on the wall of the kitchen was held open with a plastic fork! They have their own seafood company next door, so all the fish is as fresh as the last catch.
Next time you are in Orange Beach, put it on your visit list. Reservations are recommended at night, and ask for Rachael, awesome waitress! And the bread pudding is to die for!
After pigging out, we left for our next stop, Pensacola. For the last 25 years, I have been wanting to stop by and revisit the Naval Air Museum. I now had my chance!
The admission is totally free, but they do accept donations. It is staffed by retired navy personnel, and they do walking tours. Most of the exhibits are aircraft from WWII and prior. There is also some astronaut exhibits and some from the Vietnam conflict. The walking tours are excellent and full of insight.
They have an IMAX theater and several simulator rides. If you are not in a hurry in your travels through Pensacola, I highly recommend stopping. Its quite a history lesson. Here are a few pictures from our visit:
This navy base is the home to the Blue Angels flying team. Many of their practices do "flyby's" on the beach. A definite must see.
Tomorrow is the beginning of a week long beach stay at Sandestin. Stay tuned, blogging should be in full swing!
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Another Day in Paradise
The spousal unit had her medical conference today. I made arrangements to do some "assembly technician" work at the local Home Depot. With the Memorial Day holiday this Monday, I figured the local guy could use the help. Turned out the store was mine all day.
An hour into my visit the forklift guys got busy and dropped 30 grills on me! They must a thought I was some kinda specialist or something. Before long I was knee deep in cardboard, Styrofoam, and fully assembled grills! I was done, had disposed all the trash and had my completed paperwork in hand. I had all my stuff loaded up ready when the late shift supervisor walked up. She took a look at all the uncompleted grills, said to herself " what a mess" then turned to me and asked " are you just now getting Here"??? I took great pleasure in telling her "actually I'm on my way out the door, but I'll be back tomorrow". The look on her face was priceless.
On my way back to the conference center, the spousal unit informed me that she was done at the conference and was headed to the beach. Then she informed me what I needed to bring her: sunglasses, beach chair and sunscreen. Since she is paying for this leg of our trip, I of course said " yes ma'am".
As I made my way to the beach, I had to walk through the pool area. I spotted this BIG OLE DUDE reclining near the pool. It was obvious that he had been working on his tan for quite so me time. For a minute I thought this guy had on a speedo. Oh dear! As I got closer, it was a "regular" jumbo sized set of trunks. He was so big it LOOKED like a speedo! Kid you not!
Beach was wonderful, water a bit rough. The Spousal unit's coworker brought her twin grandsons. They met two other boys and they went about playing body surfer dude. The next thing you know, they have found a truck tire. That tire has lived a tough life as they found 3 holes in the tread section. We all went over all the possibilities of where it came from.
We made our dinner plans and picked Tacky Jacks. GPS said it was .4 miles away. That would be .4 miles across the Bay,and four miles to get there. The waitress was a cute bleach blonde who, when asked, said she was from South Louisiana. She was definitely not speaking coonass or Cajun! Turns out she was from "southern Romania". I've always said I love any women from the South, country don't matter.
Spousal unit wanted to " pass thru" the gift shop. As we began making our way through the aisles, and older gentleman asks "are they taking care of you old man"? I looked around to discover I was the only guy in there besides him. We was talking to me! He looked like he had at least 20 years on me and he was calling ME old! That was my second insult of the day!
But hey, any day in paradise is a day in heaven for me! Tomorrow we move on to Pensacola to see the Air Museum. Been over 25 years since my last visit. Can't wait!
Life is good, all the time. Don't waste your life doing something you hate. Show your appreciation to your spouse. Spend time with your kids, they will appreciate it later. And get off you ass and do something! I've lost 15 pounds doing something that's fun and I get paid!
An hour into my visit the forklift guys got busy and dropped 30 grills on me! They must a thought I was some kinda specialist or something. Before long I was knee deep in cardboard, Styrofoam, and fully assembled grills! I was done, had disposed all the trash and had my completed paperwork in hand. I had all my stuff loaded up ready when the late shift supervisor walked up. She took a look at all the uncompleted grills, said to herself " what a mess" then turned to me and asked " are you just now getting Here"??? I took great pleasure in telling her "actually I'm on my way out the door, but I'll be back tomorrow". The look on her face was priceless.
On my way back to the conference center, the spousal unit informed me that she was done at the conference and was headed to the beach. Then she informed me what I needed to bring her: sunglasses, beach chair and sunscreen. Since she is paying for this leg of our trip, I of course said " yes ma'am".
As I made my way to the beach, I had to walk through the pool area. I spotted this BIG OLE DUDE reclining near the pool. It was obvious that he had been working on his tan for quite so me time. For a minute I thought this guy had on a speedo. Oh dear! As I got closer, it was a "regular" jumbo sized set of trunks. He was so big it LOOKED like a speedo! Kid you not!
Beach was wonderful, water a bit rough. The Spousal unit's coworker brought her twin grandsons. They met two other boys and they went about playing body surfer dude. The next thing you know, they have found a truck tire. That tire has lived a tough life as they found 3 holes in the tread section. We all went over all the possibilities of where it came from.
We made our dinner plans and picked Tacky Jacks. GPS said it was .4 miles away. That would be .4 miles across the Bay,and four miles to get there. The waitress was a cute bleach blonde who, when asked, said she was from South Louisiana. She was definitely not speaking coonass or Cajun! Turns out she was from "southern Romania". I've always said I love any women from the South, country don't matter.
Spousal unit wanted to " pass thru" the gift shop. As we began making our way through the aisles, and older gentleman asks "are they taking care of you old man"? I looked around to discover I was the only guy in there besides him. We was talking to me! He looked like he had at least 20 years on me and he was calling ME old! That was my second insult of the day!
But hey, any day in paradise is a day in heaven for me! Tomorrow we move on to Pensacola to see the Air Museum. Been over 25 years since my last visit. Can't wait!
Life is good, all the time. Don't waste your life doing something you hate. Show your appreciation to your spouse. Spend time with your kids, they will appreciate it later. And get off you ass and do something! I've lost 15 pounds doing something that's fun and I get paid!
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
2014 Beach Vaca Begins!
We're not as young as we used to be. I had chores to do, even made some party cheese straws for a friend. Spousal unit had to get her ears lowered. It was 1:30 before we hit the road. And yes, the car was loaded!
First stop was the local Kangaroo Store for our Roo Cup fill up. A quick stop at Walleyworld and we were off. As much stuff as we packed, we still managed to overlook some items, but never fear, son #1 and da girly friend will be here on Monday. (She is the one without all the tatt's).
We made plans to stop in Hattiesburg for a mid afternoon lunch. Last time I was there, I found that the Shrimp Basket has a location across the street from USM on hwy 49. Food was good, waitress was good, and she even appreciated my humor! She is a nursing student that worked in Destin last summer and offered to ride on the top of the car is we would take her, since the back and the rack were full. The other waitress left shortly after our arrival. She had bright neon red hair and a tattoo of something on her shin. Thinking she went to the local car body shop to get her roots touched up!
We usually take hwy 98 south from the Burg, then turn off on hwy 63 that ends up at I10 at Moss Point. This way we miss all the late going home traffic. We got our second pic.. Cup refill for $.25 before heading into Bamer.
We are staying at the Perdido Beach Resort, but I managed to tag us at the Beech camper and trailer park. The Valet was some kid from Fort Lauderdale who didn't know the area, and had never been to Destin. Never gets off I10 til he gets to I75. Gave him a taste of cheese straw, and the pepper kick brought a smile to his face.
Made it to the beach for our customary "toes in the sand" pic. Since it was dark, we did not venture too far with all our bad joints. Noticed nobody brings a flashlight anymore. Kinda like the concert scene these days, everybody has the flashlight app on their phones!
Tomorrow is another day!
First stop was the local Kangaroo Store for our Roo Cup fill up. A quick stop at Walleyworld and we were off. As much stuff as we packed, we still managed to overlook some items, but never fear, son #1 and da girly friend will be here on Monday. (She is the one without all the tatt's).
We made plans to stop in Hattiesburg for a mid afternoon lunch. Last time I was there, I found that the Shrimp Basket has a location across the street from USM on hwy 49. Food was good, waitress was good, and she even appreciated my humor! She is a nursing student that worked in Destin last summer and offered to ride on the top of the car is we would take her, since the back and the rack were full. The other waitress left shortly after our arrival. She had bright neon red hair and a tattoo of something on her shin. Thinking she went to the local car body shop to get her roots touched up!
We usually take hwy 98 south from the Burg, then turn off on hwy 63 that ends up at I10 at Moss Point. This way we miss all the late going home traffic. We got our second pic.. Cup refill for $.25 before heading into Bamer.
We are staying at the Perdido Beach Resort, but I managed to tag us at the Beech camper and trailer park. The Valet was some kid from Fort Lauderdale who didn't know the area, and had never been to Destin. Never gets off I10 til he gets to I75. Gave him a taste of cheese straw, and the pepper kick brought a smile to his face.
Made it to the beach for our customary "toes in the sand" pic. Since it was dark, we did not venture too far with all our bad joints. Noticed nobody brings a flashlight anymore. Kinda like the concert scene these days, everybody has the flashlight app on their phones!
Tomorrow is another day!
Monday, May 19, 2014
I must be getting old!
This aging process is starting to get to me. Used to be I was less tolerant of people that don't take care of business, and my looks and growls could intimidate a the best of them. I think that is what got me retired early.
Last week I was approached by a young gal soliciting a monetary hand out. In the old days I would a told her to get a job or two, don't you see that you interrupted me working (at Home Depot). In stead this is what transpired:
The other day, this car stopped dead in its tracks in front on my on hwy 80 on Pearl. The old me would have whipped around that car and sped up to make up for lost time. Instead, this transpired:
Right place right time: traveling down hwy 80 in Pearl. Car in front of me comes to a complete stop. WTH??? Passenger jumps out and flags down a very older driver coming down the wrong way! Passenger was an off duty Pearl Policewoman on her way to work. Cudoos to her!
Last Friday, I filled in for a coworker over in Vicksburg. I worked hard to complete all that could in an afternoon so that the coworker would not be overloaded on Monday. The old me would have stopped in time to get the paperwork taken care of. But, no, I just had to do a bit more. The result:
"Co-worker in Vicksburg went to the Doctor with blood pressure issues. I went over to fill in. Put in over five hours to cover for him. My reward: 1 hour, 45 minutes to get paperwork approved. Coworker's blood pressure is back to normal after a medication adjustment. My blood pressure is now up! Fair trade, NOT!:"
This old body of mine doesn't rebound as quickly either. My bones and muscles ache every day. No complaints here though, as I have lost 15 pounds and the tendonitis in my knees is almost gone.
We decided to put in a parking slab beside our driveway since the Rankin Overlay District had given me a citation for parking my truck on the grass, on top of some parking grids that grass had overgrown. To keep the cost down, somebody had to bust up the four bags of concrete the were used to anchor a basketball pole 19 years ago. One hickory sledge hammer handle and four blisters later, and done! I didn't mention how long it has been since I have slung and Axe or sledge for that long. Yep, muscles I forgot I had, started to talk to me, "hey fool, what the hell are you doing? We are retired!"
Yesterday we went to the First Annual Pocahontas Crawfish Festival. My son number 1 proceeded to tell me "my God this music is old and out of date. I didn't care because DeAnna Hoer Lively was singing and I loved her music back in the day. Then son #1 proceeded to tell me that he could out drink me. I got tickled on that one and I knew how to handle it. Since I was paying the the tab, I just cut it off and paid the bill!
Today our crews were two men short. I got to my assignment, and the store manager said "we are gonna need more than just you". Later my boss told me to quit early and go to another store without telling the first store. I worked till I had put a pretty good dent in the items pulled. Nine hours later I was off to the second location. Four hours later I drove up into my drive way. My body was yelling " hot water and bubbles"!
Thankfully, come Wednesday we will be road tripping it too the beach with Roo Cup in hand and the margarita machine in the back, headed for some fully deserved R&R, and blogging, of course!
Live is good, all the to!e, even when your muscles hurt from a day of work!
Last week I was approached by a young gal soliciting a monetary hand out. In the old days I would a told her to get a job or two, don't you see that you interrupted me working (at Home Depot). In stead this is what transpired:
While working at the Home Depot in Hattiesburg yesterday, I was approached by a young lady who looked like she had something on her mind. She was wearing a "Wards Hamburger" tshirt so I figured she was from the area. She began by apologizing for asking, but she had issues with her sister, admitted to the hospital, etc... I interrupted her before she got to the "M" word. I told her I was not an... employee, just a contractor. I carry no money with me because I meet so many people just like her. Told her I would listen to the rest of her story now. She, now in tears, thanked me for listening. She talked a bit, I told her I would pray for her, then she went on her way. Don't know it it helped her or not, but it sure felt better to me than just saying "beat it".
The other day, this car stopped dead in its tracks in front on my on hwy 80 on Pearl. The old me would have whipped around that car and sped up to make up for lost time. Instead, this transpired:
Right place right time: traveling down hwy 80 in Pearl. Car in front of me comes to a complete stop. WTH??? Passenger jumps out and flags down a very older driver coming down the wrong way! Passenger was an off duty Pearl Policewoman on her way to work. Cudoos to her!
Last Friday, I filled in for a coworker over in Vicksburg. I worked hard to complete all that could in an afternoon so that the coworker would not be overloaded on Monday. The old me would have stopped in time to get the paperwork taken care of. But, no, I just had to do a bit more. The result:
"Co-worker in Vicksburg went to the Doctor with blood pressure issues. I went over to fill in. Put in over five hours to cover for him. My reward: 1 hour, 45 minutes to get paperwork approved. Coworker's blood pressure is back to normal after a medication adjustment. My blood pressure is now up! Fair trade, NOT!:"
This old body of mine doesn't rebound as quickly either. My bones and muscles ache every day. No complaints here though, as I have lost 15 pounds and the tendonitis in my knees is almost gone.
We decided to put in a parking slab beside our driveway since the Rankin Overlay District had given me a citation for parking my truck on the grass, on top of some parking grids that grass had overgrown. To keep the cost down, somebody had to bust up the four bags of concrete the were used to anchor a basketball pole 19 years ago. One hickory sledge hammer handle and four blisters later, and done! I didn't mention how long it has been since I have slung and Axe or sledge for that long. Yep, muscles I forgot I had, started to talk to me, "hey fool, what the hell are you doing? We are retired!"
 |
| The concrete almost won! |
Yesterday we went to the First Annual Pocahontas Crawfish Festival. My son number 1 proceeded to tell me "my God this music is old and out of date. I didn't care because DeAnna Hoer Lively was singing and I loved her music back in the day. Then son #1 proceeded to tell me that he could out drink me. I got tickled on that one and I knew how to handle it. Since I was paying the the tab, I just cut it off and paid the bill!
 |
| Mudbugs, of yeah! |
 |
| DeAnna Hooper Lively still "has it" as far as I'm concerned! |
 |
| Son #1 and Girly friend |
Today our crews were two men short. I got to my assignment, and the store manager said "we are gonna need more than just you". Later my boss told me to quit early and go to another store without telling the first store. I worked till I had put a pretty good dent in the items pulled. Nine hours later I was off to the second location. Four hours later I drove up into my drive way. My body was yelling " hot water and bubbles"!
Thankfully, come Wednesday we will be road tripping it too the beach with Roo Cup in hand and the margarita machine in the back, headed for some fully deserved R&R, and blogging, of course!
Live is good, all the to!e, even when your muscles hurt from a day of work!
Friday, May 9, 2014
Granddogs!
We have had a family pet for seems life forever. Started off with Casper, the wonder dog toy poodle. As a puppy, he started off with issues, and we were not sure his organs could survive the treatment. Survive he did!
Casper was famous for his escapades. He was continually getting into fights with the neighborhood cats. The cats would naturally get in the last blow, usually cutting him on one of his ears. We would try everything to keep him from scratching off the bandage. Even tried a cutoff sock to no avail. We didn't know about these fancy cone shaped doodads back then. What did work was of all things, duct tape! We would bandage his ear up, then cover it all with duct tape, and as hard as he tried it would not come off! We would get the biggest laugh watching him trot as he could come down the street, head leaning slightly to the left with all the tape!
We have a easement drainage pipe in the backyard that is always causing a sink hole. One day I came home to find a big hole that had been dug out by the maintenance crew, and it was surrounded by yellow warning tape. I looked down in the hole with my flashlight and there was ole Casper, down in the bottom of the hole. That dog never was good at reading signs in English. We tied a rope around Matthew, and lowered him into the hole to retrieve the wonder dog.
During the construction phase of building the neighborhood, the work crews would leave their lunch trash everywhere. I was on the back porch swing visiting with a friend, when we heard a guy come from around the front of the house being built behind us. The guy said, "y'all not gonna believe this, but a toy poodle just jumped out of the 2nd story window of this house" It would be Casper, the wonder dog! He had gone next door in search of lunches, found one, and was enjoying himself. He heard the car drive up, got excited, and decided to chase it. Out the window he went!
Casper is no longer with us. He was followed by Freddie, the one nut dachshund, and now we have his son, Oscar! Freddie trick was to stand on his hind legs for his treat. Took him to meet the new neighbor and his dog in their back yard, which had a swimming pool. Freddie got cornered between me and the pool by the neighbors boxer. Freddie took one look at K.C. and one look at the pool. He took the lesser of the two evils and jumped into the pool. Glad he already knew how to swim!
Oscar was Morgan's nemesis in the ninth grade. At two in the morning, Oscar sniffed out not one, but two girls hiding out in Morgan's closet! This story will never fade away as long as I get to meet more of his friends!
Along with Oscar, we now have a permanent resident in Henry, the Boston Terrier. It is truly entertaining to watch him in the back yard chasing the birds and squirrels. He makes his presence know each morning as he goes to each section of the fence to have his "bark off" with the neighborhood dogs. When he gets himself overheated, he takes a dip in my ponds to cool off. When the physical therapists came in for his first visit with the spousal unit, both Oscar and Henry were in "protect Momma" mode. Oscar began to bark his head off, and Ole Henry took it upon himself to get in the first bite, right in the Guy's private area! Thank goodness no blood was drawn. A little shrinkage may have occurred.
Our Saturday morning ritual has always been waffles and syrup. I make them up, put them on separate plates and the eating frenzy begins. On Bruno's first visit, Morgan said, "you are not feeding my dog waffles". Well, that boy over slept, a extra plate was added, and guess who finished theirs first. Yep, Bruno! Come dog treat time, Bruno even learned to catch his treats in the air, just like Ole Henry. Oscar lets them hit him in the nose, then he picks them up for his snack.
Bruno is here for a Mother's Day weekend visit. No telling what new experience he will have this trip. He is already had his share of dog treats, all snatched out of the air!
Casper was famous for his escapades. He was continually getting into fights with the neighborhood cats. The cats would naturally get in the last blow, usually cutting him on one of his ears. We would try everything to keep him from scratching off the bandage. Even tried a cutoff sock to no avail. We didn't know about these fancy cone shaped doodads back then. What did work was of all things, duct tape! We would bandage his ear up, then cover it all with duct tape, and as hard as he tried it would not come off! We would get the biggest laugh watching him trot as he could come down the street, head leaning slightly to the left with all the tape!
We have a easement drainage pipe in the backyard that is always causing a sink hole. One day I came home to find a big hole that had been dug out by the maintenance crew, and it was surrounded by yellow warning tape. I looked down in the hole with my flashlight and there was ole Casper, down in the bottom of the hole. That dog never was good at reading signs in English. We tied a rope around Matthew, and lowered him into the hole to retrieve the wonder dog.
During the construction phase of building the neighborhood, the work crews would leave their lunch trash everywhere. I was on the back porch swing visiting with a friend, when we heard a guy come from around the front of the house being built behind us. The guy said, "y'all not gonna believe this, but a toy poodle just jumped out of the 2nd story window of this house" It would be Casper, the wonder dog! He had gone next door in search of lunches, found one, and was enjoying himself. He heard the car drive up, got excited, and decided to chase it. Out the window he went!
Casper is no longer with us. He was followed by Freddie, the one nut dachshund, and now we have his son, Oscar! Freddie trick was to stand on his hind legs for his treat. Took him to meet the new neighbor and his dog in their back yard, which had a swimming pool. Freddie got cornered between me and the pool by the neighbors boxer. Freddie took one look at K.C. and one look at the pool. He took the lesser of the two evils and jumped into the pool. Glad he already knew how to swim!
Oscar was Morgan's nemesis in the ninth grade. At two in the morning, Oscar sniffed out not one, but two girls hiding out in Morgan's closet! This story will never fade away as long as I get to meet more of his friends!
Along with Oscar, we now have a permanent resident in Henry, the Boston Terrier. It is truly entertaining to watch him in the back yard chasing the birds and squirrels. He makes his presence know each morning as he goes to each section of the fence to have his "bark off" with the neighborhood dogs. When he gets himself overheated, he takes a dip in my ponds to cool off. When the physical therapists came in for his first visit with the spousal unit, both Oscar and Henry were in "protect Momma" mode. Oscar began to bark his head off, and Ole Henry took it upon himself to get in the first bite, right in the Guy's private area! Thank goodness no blood was drawn. A little shrinkage may have occurred.
Our Saturday morning ritual has always been waffles and syrup. I make them up, put them on separate plates and the eating frenzy begins. On Bruno's first visit, Morgan said, "you are not feeding my dog waffles". Well, that boy over slept, a extra plate was added, and guess who finished theirs first. Yep, Bruno! Come dog treat time, Bruno even learned to catch his treats in the air, just like Ole Henry. Oscar lets them hit him in the nose, then he picks them up for his snack.
Bruno is here for a Mother's Day weekend visit. No telling what new experience he will have this trip. He is already had his share of dog treats, all snatched out of the air!
Monday, May 5, 2014
Beach Inventory
Now that my first beach trip is fast approaching, it's time to take an inventory of the beach supplies:
1. Umbrellas. Check, got 4 in case the boys do actually show up.
2. Chairs. check, got 4, same reason and #1.
3. Sand spike cup holders. Check. No reason for my cup to get sand on it.
4. Margarita machine. Check. What's a beach trip without margaritas.
5. Extra flip flops. Check. Never know when you might have a blowout!
6. Sunscreen. The higher the better.
7. Battery booster box. Check. No way I'm letting my phone run dry this trip.
8. Extra Beach towels. Check. For some reason the boys think they are only responsible for part of the beer!
9. Quart freezer bags. Check. For the margaritas, of course.
10. Umbrella spikes. Check. No surprise breeze is going to spoil my day.
11. Flotation devices. Check. Spousal unit likes to float her cares away.
12. Straw hat and shades. Check.
Needed for "bird watching".
13. Insulated mugs and straws. Check. For the margaritas!
14. Food frozen and marked. Check. Man does not live by restaurant alone!
15. Roll of charmin. Check. Secret supply in case there is only two-ply.
The list will grow as the departure date gets near. Forget something? Never fear, the is always a Walmart nearby.
1. Umbrellas. Check, got 4 in case the boys do actually show up.
2. Chairs. check, got 4, same reason and #1.
3. Sand spike cup holders. Check. No reason for my cup to get sand on it.
4. Margarita machine. Check. What's a beach trip without margaritas.
5. Extra flip flops. Check. Never know when you might have a blowout!
6. Sunscreen. The higher the better.
7. Battery booster box. Check. No way I'm letting my phone run dry this trip.
8. Extra Beach towels. Check. For some reason the boys think they are only responsible for part of the beer!
9. Quart freezer bags. Check. For the margaritas, of course.
10. Umbrella spikes. Check. No surprise breeze is going to spoil my day.
11. Flotation devices. Check. Spousal unit likes to float her cares away.
12. Straw hat and shades. Check.
Needed for "bird watching".
13. Insulated mugs and straws. Check. For the margaritas!
14. Food frozen and marked. Check. Man does not live by restaurant alone!
15. Roll of charmin. Check. Secret supply in case there is only two-ply.
The list will grow as the departure date gets near. Forget something? Never fear, the is always a Walmart nearby.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Life as an Assembly Technician
My new found occupation as an assembly technician has me working mostly at the various Home Depot locations in the Jackson metro area.
So far, its been an answer to a prayer for something to do with my idle time between gigs as a chauffeur for the spousal unit. Not a lot of money, but I am outside, in the shade, working my choice of hours, with minimal supervision.
Guys may think that they have "all the tools of the trade" in their tool box, but not for this job! An absolute list of necessities include: impact drill, deep well metric sockets, rubber mallet, good supply of Phillips head bits, work table, and magnetic extensions. Company requires the use of a safety blade box cutter.
We wear company t-shirts that have ”assembly technician” written across the back in bold letters. Every day I'm asked "where is this, and where is that". Usually I refer them to the fellers in the orange aprons.
Its funny watching people pick out a wheel barrow. The young first time home owners go for the cheapest one. Middle aged lookers scratch their heads, trying to decide which one, since the last one didn't hold up. Occasionally I will recommend one to them. The older guys buy in the middle of the pack, since they don't want one that will out live them by 20 years. The professional contractors know exactly what they want.
We are usually set up kinda out of the way of the traffic flow. But, it never fails the people pushing a shopping cart think of it as a snow plow, and try to push their way through! Some times we set out an obstacle course for them. Those that don't hit anything get bonus points!
The commenter's crack me up. " This must be wheel barrow day". "You putting together a grill?". " You just confirmed why I but it already assembled", and my favorite one "when's the food gonna be ready?"
People joke about how long it takes a woman to get ready to go shopping. Well, not at Home Depot! I've seen all kinds of outfits! And believe it or not, but even the women of "Madison" don't wear a bit of makeup on their trips to the garden center!
Last two weeks have been great. I have not cut myself, or bruised any part of my body. Big toenail is still black from dropping a picnic table on it.
The best and worst part is my old bones ache everyday. Nothing more soothing than a spa tub full of bubble bath and hot water for sore muscles. I have lost a few pounds, but I'm seeing fat going away and being replaced with muscle. A pretty good trade off.
This job is not for everyone, but it is for me. There is always the challenge of putting together something new, and I get to use all my new toys, especially the impact screw driver, its the bomb!
Life is good, but it is not all work and no play. Heading to the beach in a couple of weeks, with umbrella, chair, and margarita machine in hand. Toes in the sand here I come!
So far, its been an answer to a prayer for something to do with my idle time between gigs as a chauffeur for the spousal unit. Not a lot of money, but I am outside, in the shade, working my choice of hours, with minimal supervision.
Guys may think that they have "all the tools of the trade" in their tool box, but not for this job! An absolute list of necessities include: impact drill, deep well metric sockets, rubber mallet, good supply of Phillips head bits, work table, and magnetic extensions. Company requires the use of a safety blade box cutter.
We wear company t-shirts that have ”assembly technician” written across the back in bold letters. Every day I'm asked "where is this, and where is that". Usually I refer them to the fellers in the orange aprons.
Its funny watching people pick out a wheel barrow. The young first time home owners go for the cheapest one. Middle aged lookers scratch their heads, trying to decide which one, since the last one didn't hold up. Occasionally I will recommend one to them. The older guys buy in the middle of the pack, since they don't want one that will out live them by 20 years. The professional contractors know exactly what they want.
We are usually set up kinda out of the way of the traffic flow. But, it never fails the people pushing a shopping cart think of it as a snow plow, and try to push their way through! Some times we set out an obstacle course for them. Those that don't hit anything get bonus points!
The commenter's crack me up. " This must be wheel barrow day". "You putting together a grill?". " You just confirmed why I but it already assembled", and my favorite one "when's the food gonna be ready?"
People joke about how long it takes a woman to get ready to go shopping. Well, not at Home Depot! I've seen all kinds of outfits! And believe it or not, but even the women of "Madison" don't wear a bit of makeup on their trips to the garden center!
Last two weeks have been great. I have not cut myself, or bruised any part of my body. Big toenail is still black from dropping a picnic table on it.
The best and worst part is my old bones ache everyday. Nothing more soothing than a spa tub full of bubble bath and hot water for sore muscles. I have lost a few pounds, but I'm seeing fat going away and being replaced with muscle. A pretty good trade off.
This job is not for everyone, but it is for me. There is always the challenge of putting together something new, and I get to use all my new toys, especially the impact screw driver, its the bomb!
Life is good, but it is not all work and no play. Heading to the beach in a couple of weeks, with umbrella, chair, and margarita machine in hand. Toes in the sand here I come!
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