Willie's Song

Until this morning, what I was planning was just a vague blur on the horizon. But this morning I didn't need to get up, go somewhere, see someone, take the cat to the vet, talk with a utility company, load  clothes into the RV...I slept in...late...7:00! To much change isn't good for me. 

The world did not twist on it's axis, it only seemed that way. For the past several weeks my time has gone either extremely fast or excruciatingly slow. But, I finally got Humpty Dumpty together and we hit the roar yesterday. The ride here helped settle everything into place. It's a shame that "the place" happened to be on the floor. There was no band when I arrived mid afternoon, but people were waving at me...something they didn't want me to hit, I think. After backing into my slot on the lake, making all the connections and getting some directions, I drove to a Roadhouse and had some really good steak tips. They call them something else, but the main thing was they tasted great. And, I did not have to cook! Ran the antenna up , turned on the tv and watched something while my "eyes rested" and went to bed. 


Another error on my part took me to the Twins ballparks instead of the Sox. Fortuitous mistake, the Twins were down the street playing the Red Sox so getting to the park was impossible anyway. I'll try the Sox tomorrow as the will down the road at the Twins park. I will be seeing at least 6 games over the next month, as I purchased two more today. Perhaps there will be something more at Fenway South as well. On the way back I stopped at a Publix to get a few things and instantly remembered that affluent community stores are better stocked, manned and inventoried. I'll be doing my shopping after the games!


There were a few reasons that I chose this as a primary destination. One, Spring Training. Not sure it was on my bucket list, but it isn't now. Ft. Myers is about half way to Miami. I have friends to visit and places there that I want to see. Finally it will allow me to get back to Clearwater to finalize unfinished business before final departure.


Now, I have to find where I packed everything. I KNOW where everything was...trouble is, we aren't anywhere near WAS! I did find the power cords so at least all the communication stuff can get a charge. 


Eighty something posts were waiting for me on Facebook, thanks Ken! Caught up there, catching up here, photos to follow, what's next? Ah, email. 


Why am I doing this? The trek, the blog, etc., because it's a positive approach to the rest of my life. I can meet new people, visit new places, return to favorites and review them online so that I can express new delight in life to all that will hear. While this is happening I will get to renew/rehash my brotherly sibling obligations...yes, I am going to bug them! Why else would you have them? It will be fun to watch my nieces and nephew getting to see how "alike" and "loving" we are! I am glad that spell-check can handle facetious, so I only have to guess at it!


If ho-hum, hum-drum or boring were all that any of us had to look forward to, what would the point be? So, lead forth, MacDuff! 

Screwball stuff

I see this: He stands at the counter, "Smart" phone at his ear, sneakers unlaced and his pants approaching his knees. Conversation over, he hangs the phone on his BVD's...while we eat.

I think this: "Stupid is, as stupid does!"


If you buy cigarettes, there will be a warning on the side. Should your child require a new toy, most likely these words will be on the package, "some assembly required." When you arrive at home you will find another customer warning on the package as well, "Batteries not included!" So, why is it that when you purchase something electronic the following words aren't on the package, "Teenager required?"


Greeting: "Good morning."

Reply: "Restroom?"

Kind of sets the tone for the day...don't you think?


This is an example of a communication breakdown...

Mother screaming, Father screaming...

Child, ignoring! Yelling is NOT a communications skill!


Two people in love...then they're not. Oops, missed a line, a couple of kids later...Sorry all.


I use a "fountain pen" most of the time. It requires filling which means you must pay attention. Scene is set.

Am I seeing into  the future? There I sit, pen, ink, carefully refilling the pen. Spot takes this as an invitation...her new name? Blotch!


As I walk towards the entrance there she is in front of me. A vision. It's near the mid 60's and she has on "flip-flops", wrinkled shorts and a parka. As her cigarette bobbles from her complaining lips she opens the door, flips the butt and enters. Another glorious day begins.


Among the tasks that must be completed prior to my escape is the usual springtime slice of joy called taxes. Let us begin. Ring...ring, etc., voice over "this number no longer in service." Off at a gallop to the accountant's office. Light's are on and a voice comes from the back, a moment. Not the CPA. It seems that shortly after he did my taxes last year, he fell ill and succumbed. The letter explaining this got lost in the amassed mail while I was in Rome. Back into "Old Betsy" and down the road to the new CPA. Appointment made and kept. All is well, until the phone rings with the need of followup info. Did I mention I am leaving town...soon? Spot's ear infection is back, just to add another twist. Appointment tomorrow, sure hope the high winds don't take my "money tree" down. Oh well, pitchers and catchers report Friday. See, there is always a silver lining!

A time and space continuem...

There are moments when I feel like I am on the bridge of the Enterprise, everything is at warp-speed. With only 28 days in this month, to begin, with the last thing I needed was for the auctioneer to tell me that they were coming on the 24th, thus taking four more days away of the already terribly short month. Beh! Basta!

The expectation everyone most likely has, is that I will flee west the moment the house is empty. Not so. There are still loose ends, like taxes, that must be finalized. So, as my perverse nature would dictate, the long and winding road will start with me going south...not north. I  have purchased seats for preseason games of both the Sox and the Twins. While you shovel, I cheer. It will be the first time that I will go to Spring Training. Maybe next year the Arizona League. Continuity on this as baseball was a first love, back when there were only 16 teams and two of them were in Boston. Pictures to follow!

South Beach, because it's there, I've never been and art deco is an art style I like, plus there are friends there. Then north. Where? Depends on the loose ends. If they still dangle, that will need completion. If no "dangling chads", perhaps St. Augustine or possibly some state parks in the panhandle. Pictures to follow. Final Florida destination? Pensacola! Air museum, that says it all...pictures to follow.

San Antonio. 

Dates? TBD! The only one that is even close to definite is the 24th, and that, is written in easily erased pencil. For now the phone. If I can trick the damned thing into working for me. I want a dumb phone...with a crank, ok, another crank. Cancellations and appointments, that's next .No pix to follow!

Ciao!

Out with the old...

...guess that means me! Just about one month from now my next phase of life will start. The first step (trip) has been taken and like water under the bridge, life keeps moving on. Photos and report already posted.

Over the past several months I have attempted to apply logic, sense and reason to what has become my "plan B." The basic logic seems to be, get out in the world, do something. Sitting on a sofa watching old homes being beautified doesn't cut it. As a "couch potato", I am a failure. V should be for victory, not vegetating. 

This next month is going to be hectic. Accounts to close, address changes, Doctors to visit, new prescriptions, auctioneers, ad nauseum. I must visit everyone except..."Indian chiefs!" They will be in the future. This house must be cleared. I must divest myself of all the superfluous in my life. The RV seems to be imposing a monastic style of life...notice any irony there?

March 1st will arrive, without fanfare, much more quickly than I can anticipate. The pure beauty of this trek is that I only need to plan the first day. There are many places along the way to park the RV, some expensive, some not and a few free. Since you are required to wear the same cheap shower shoes regardless of the grandeur of the location, this is where basic economics will win. 

The first stop will most likely be south of here. Some point between here and there (Miami), perhaps for a game or two of Red Sox pre-season baseball. Or, maybe a couple of state parks...we'll see. "Spot?" She gets to adjust on the fly. Her plan B is in San Antonio with Karen and Bryan. Again, we'll see. I won't kick her to the curb.

The initial loosely assembled "grand plan" has no attached time frame, no written in stone set of stops, sites or places. It's extremely loose! South, north, west, San Antonio, west, north...a squirrel could do better. About the only immutable point is to be back in warm weather before snow hits. Open house at Karen's...date tbd! Then I'll consider the next aspect.

You that know me, know what I feel about phones...a necessary evil, and that's about all. Where I am headed the service will be spotty, I won't be calling from roadside very often. The official recorded version of this trek will be on my blog and from there onto Facebook. This, I will try and keep as up to date as service permits. It could be sporadic, but I'll try. Hope that works for all and hope you will pass it forward.

Some have mentioned that I can be compulsive, obsessed, perhaps passionately obsessed, so, to not state definitive objectives is a strange and rare moment for me. There are many stops along the route, but in this instance the route is what remains undefined. So be it.

Now, back to the chaos. There is a timeline for it and its March 1st, so as Bryan might say, I had better "Be Prepared!"