Expounding

 This little guy just sent me a short note reminding me that as the elder member of the family my duty is to fill in the historical blanks of his memory...write more about our family!

This picture was taken sometime after I had entered the Navy...in short my last memory of him prior to leaving was one of my sisters changing him. History here is part of his nickname for many years included the word "stinky". Now perhaps this isn't the type of story he was anticipating, but as I have mentioned previously, my memories are disjointed.

Most of us remember things that our parents have taught us, whether it be baseball, cooking or something else. Most  of my sisters probably remember my Mother's recipe for fudge, most likely the only recipe of her's that anyone might have carried forward. I don't have it. She taught me Gin Rummy.
Not well enough to win but so that she had someone to play with. Remember, I said disjointed?

Remember leaving home for the first time? School? Service? Feeling homesick? You write all your friends and relatives...family too. Your response? My family moved. But, they sent me the address so I could continue to write unacknowledged messages.

My brother was not even two when I left home, now he's the one responding to my blog...yes I believe in the goddess of irony. Wish I knew who she is/was?

To paraphrase..."Like a toothache"

The song was "Like a Heartache', by Bonny Tyler. But the reference is to having just completed moving. I do not have any really pleasant memories of any move that I have ever made. This was the first time that I have "down-sized" and even that effort is on-going. 

Good things: New landlord is the old landlord...really a good thing.

                     Distance moved, about five blocks. That means most of the move was done after work, in my car. Only one use of friends and a truck.

                      New house really nice. I will miss the pool but sacrifices to reality have to be made.The Florida room with it's new windows will help ease my pain.

                      More economical...more reality!

Having moved so many times, the words; "I know where it used to be" are indelibly printed in my mind.To be uttered frequently...until the next move, ad nauseum! 

The walls are being left bare until my return. Rome is next on my card. A trip to set most of life in the right direction. To calm, to heal, to complete and to restore. I'm ready.

What needs to be accomplished first is...how do I use the new camera?...tablet?...and how do they interact together?

Do you remember how you were always supposed to read the manual first? And the first thing the manual did was tell you how to unpack your new toy? ...but you had to unpack the toy to get to the manual! Now, the manual, all 10, multi-lingual pages direct you to an on-line site. Good luck with that! Think I'll buy some memory cards and hope for the best.

One intention for this on-coming trip is to use my blog, facebook and skype to remain in touch. Need to master some pretty basic things first, like, will my U.S. based skype work from Rome? Will facebook and the tablet play nice together? For that matter will my blog work? Ah, it's all a work in progress, another learning experience...joy!

Time to start another work-day, so it's off to the races!

Wednesday, Feb 3rd

...ended up crossing that stupid bridge (Skyway) so we could turn around and get to the northbound rest area. Max managed to get some photos of the bridge, sunrise and some birds.

We returned to Brenda's and max made a frittata for breakfast. Brenda tried it and LIKED it! After breakfast we went over to Kim's to drop off Jake's table and chairs. Then we headed to the Aviation Museum. It was closed. All the planes were stored behind a fence out in the open. The adjoining  "Boatyard Village" was pretty much closed as well. Did get some ice cream and took a few shots before returning to Kim's house.

Max had arranged to meet up with a couple of fellow collector's so that was next. Obsessed! Bob has 6 or 7 different collections...ash trays, baseball caps, political buttons, matchbooks,T-shirts and, of course swizzle stix! The real PRETTY plastic ones. Doris had about as many collections including the real PRETTY sticks.Max chatted for a while and we left for downtown St.Pete and antique shops. I got a salt and pepper for Mom.

We took Kim, JD, Brenda and Stacy out to celebrate Brenda's birthday at Jesse's landing. The kids razzed Max into ordering  Gator tails instead of Lobster bisque. I tried it...it tasted like chicken! God, the things I'm eating these days...who would have ever guessed? Desserts and onto The Friendly Tavern at Redington Beach for karaoke. Great place, small but populated by good, well balanced mix of people. Just the kind of place Max and I enjoy. A great time. We got home at 1:45 and crashed. Max still loves me! Amazing! I'll take it!

Beh!!!

That's Italian for b------t! 

Have you ever stood in line, arrived in front only to be told that you were in the wrong line? Then redirected to another line, so you could be told which line you really belonged in? Who hasn't? Then you have met bureaucracy. The world of small minded individuals hired simply because they can't do anything else. This not a USA individually dominated field, Rome was here first and their claim pre-empts that of Washington.

By trying to make my trip to Rome easier-do the paperwork first, I almost cancelled it. My reply from the consulate informed me that I don't make sufficient income to be a viable long term visitor...unlike the thousands of "pan-handlers, musicians, pick-pockets and merchants" that dot the landscape in every city of Italy. I had forgotten our previous visit to the consulate in Boston and the joy with which we entered the building, the despair with which we left and the total feeling of unconcern that the hired guns showed us poor riff-raff trying to invade their nation. 

It is the people of Rome that make me so sad to even be writing this rant. I have never felt so accepted by so many so quickly or easily. So on to plan B...you should always have at least one plan B! Small minded, cold hearted petty despots will NOT spoil my visit or change my love for my Roman family. 

See you soon, as soon as I can!

He'll never learn to read

 Oh how I delight in that one. My first grade teacher actually told my Mother that. A year later, my second grade teacher made me stand in front of the other teacher and read from a fourth grade primer. Vengeance is mine!

Baseball may have been my first love, but I can still read even if baseball is well beyond my skill level. And, because reading engenders imagination, I can imagine playing baseball...not that well, even imagination can't hit a curve ball.

Libraries are the best thing our government has ever done for its citizens, I think the National Park System is right beside them on the list. Both provide a free service that helps everyone learn, be informed and to use ones imagination.

Library cards are now part of a computer system. When I was young there was a slip of paper glued into each book that was stamped when the book moved in or out of the system. for this to happen the librarian had to write and stamp the same info on your card. After both sides filled up you needed to replace it. Seems cumbersome, but it worked. I was a member of the 3 card club (non-existent), that is I went through at least three cards a year. I learned to read, write and to spell. Wish more of us could say the same thing.

Question, if you can't spell, how do you make your thoughts clear to others? If you can't spell, it's not possible to use spell-check, because you would have to know which solution offered is correct!

Thanks Dominic for the chance to climb on my soapbox one more time!

Revisionary History

"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it".-Winston Churchill.

I was 15, Churchill had written his history and he had been kind to himself.  My American History teacher, Mr. Leach explained the reason for his course to us- you study history so that you do not make the same mistakes as your ancestors.

It is more than fifty years since Mr Leach told us that and I find myself in somewhat the same situation as I was then...living somewhere I didn't want to be. It was less than ten years since we had moved north and I still felt southern. At that age there are no simple solutions. You have to let time and experience guide you. Now, there are choices and I will allow history and pragmatism  aid  in my decision making. I think that I'm close.

My problem with Mr. Leach's explanation is that over the past fifty-something years history has evolved. What were the facts that we learning in the late '50's are not so true now. Some of our most prominent leaders have become less great. Devolving from great to flawed humans. Perhaps because they are being judged by today's PC dogma, not those of when they lived. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Lincoln...they weren't perfect. Who is?

Perhaps the best history is the type Sci-fi author Robert Heinlein wrote of. His character was placed in a distant future looking back on the only remaining artifacts of a great culture...Earth!

I am trying to blend history with sci-fi and come up with  a life solution. Good enough for L. Ron Hubbard good enough for me! Even though I preferred Jules Verne to Hubbard. Dick Tracy, a fictional comic strip cop is now history. However, he was the first to have a "Cel" phone, on his wrist yet! He and his department were using these sci-fi gadgets long before history relegated him to the ash-can. And, here I am in the present putting this before you with a gadget and medium that Dick Tracy, Jules Verne and Churchill never envisioned. Think of this, regardless of its improbability, what I am writing could actually be seen by more people than ever read Churchill's history.

History evolves as more data, more facts and more truths are unearthed. I hope that the fifty plus years since I had American history will have helped me gather enough of those facts to help me make my choice...if not I'll gather more and try again!

Tuesday, Feb 2

Today we are going to meet Max's friend Frank and his wife Pat. They live on the east coast and are driving over to Naples while we drive down. Frank came  from Peabody and met Pat (English) down here. . 
Half way there and we hit a speed trap. Ten miles over limit...$109.00! We got nailed by an airplane. Max was cool - didn't let it spoil the day.Thank god Brenda had told us about the seat belt laws, we were both buckled up. Way to go Brenda!

At first Frank didn't recognize Max...had never seen him with a beard. After introductions we crossed the street to "Tin alley Market" where Pat spotted a shoe store having a sale. Pat told me "she loves  shoes". I told her that we might come back after lunch. 

Lunch at "Merchants Row" on the Inter-coastal waterway. We got a table overlooking the waterway. Seafood all around. 

Since Max seemed intrigued by the pelicans I suggested that he go back and get his camera while Pat and I hit the shoe shop. No luck for Pat but I found some flats, a pair of sandals and a HAT. In the next shop pat "convinced" me that I needed a cotton blazer because it would look good with the outfit I was wearing. It fit and it cost $10.00, mine! Found the guys and hit a couple more places. One was hats, where Max had to try every one...no sale! But fun. Max does have a way of making the simplest things fun (I guess I'll always be a kid...Max).

Frank and Pat are really good people. I'm constantly amazed by the quality and friendliness of the people Max has known and maintained friendships with over the years. They all seem happy to see him and accept me into their space warmly.

We ended the day with Frank and Max playing pool in an English Pub. I invited Pat and Frank to visit us when they came north in the spring. I will prepare an Italian feast. Hugs and we are headed home.

Max stops for gas and comes back with a couple of CD's and an energy bar...ice cream. Three hours and we are back to a kitchen in shambles. (OK everyone, Grace called this one, can you imagine?). Seems Stacy and a friend had been doing something but the TV got in the way. Chicken over rice, bed at midnight as Stacy attacks the kitchen.

I can't believe how fast this week is going- we'll be heading home soon. 

BUMMER!