What a difference a "D" makes

Yes, I am close. Is this fast food restaurant close to you?

Doesn't look like anyone is there...

I'm glad it is close. I wouldn't have taken the picture if it had been far.

Pinellas oak trees

We sure do love our oak trees in Clearwater. The sidewalk was re-routed to accommodate this one!

Where I live...

This post doesn't really comply with the main intent for this blog, but I felt like posting it anyway.

After an unusually cold winter, spring has finally arrived to Clearwater. The spring and summer sun has a bright orange quality missing the rest of the year. From my window, a fragrant magnolia participates in the ritual by producing large, flamboyant, singular white flowers that only last a few days—as if to say, admire me while you can. The Natchez crape myrtles are the next to put on a show with white gushes of flowers; not to be outdone by the magnolias.

Across the street, the golf course sports a few ancient, moss laden live oak and melaleuca trees, standing guard to shield fairway balls from passing cars. The dangling moss gives the trees a sleepy look; while in winter, it’s more reminiscent of Halloween. Other than these sentinels, the golf course is an open grassy view for several city blocks; with the occasional clump of live oaks or palm trees.

To add to the summer mood, the mid-day heat encourages a loud cicadae chorus all competing for a mate. All of these signs say it’s time for a lazy afternoon on the front porch swing with a glass of sweet tea.

It is not surprising that people have been drawn to Florida for its southern charm, warm coastal waters, and lack of harsh winters. Florida is well known nesting place for “snow birds” from the north and other refugees. I am one of those refugees. Fort Lauderdale was my roosting place thirty-eight years ago. Except for a recent five year "sentence" in southern California, I haven’t looked back.

When I returned, it was to central Florida’s Sun Coast. I found that it has a charm of its own. Neighborhoods consist of comingled southern pine cottages, concrete block ranches, and colonial style homes reminiscent of Gone with the Wind. Yards are fenceless, open spaces that invite visitors and the admiring eye. This is mostly true of even the usually prized waterfront properties. There are no harsh lines between the haves and the have-nots.

The South has a reputation of racial intolerance for good reason; but that is not evident in this area. I find it refreshing to see racial mixing of neighborhoods and marriages. Florida has finally grown up from the school yard bully “I’m better than you” childish mentality, into an intelligent adult. I’m not saying this is true of all parts of Florida but it is here.

I suppose those not familiar with Florida would pose the hurricane objection. The truth is southern Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina experience more destructive storms than most of Florida. In my thirty-eight (minus five) year residence, I have only experienced one widely destructive hurricane in south Florida. His name was Andrew, and he was a very bad boy. But these ‘canes are an exception, and the rule is usually a rainy blow that requires some preparation. The news media loves disasters and will replay the downing of a beloved oak tree over and over to prove how horrible it was.

The nervous excitement to stock up on can goods and water, board up the windows or head for higher ground, musters the community to battle the oncoming beast. When it is over, it’s usually more like a visit from a dreaded, drunken uncle who tears up the place.

Every area has its bad weather and environmental threats. The mid-western planes have their tornadoes, the north its blizzards, the west coast—weekly, if not daily—earthquakes, and elsewhere are spring floods. Hurricanes have a southern politeness about them. They slowly work up speed and let you know they’re coming. If you had not heard it was approaching then you really need to get out more or turn on the TV. There is no such polite warning from a tornado or blizzard. And earthquakes, well, they have no manners at all.

The white sand beaches of the Gulf are obvious attractions and are well known from travel brochures. If you love water, sunshine and small towns, then Clearwater has a lot to offer. I’m not saying you should stay but you could come sit a spell.

Time to fire the advertising agency...

I think someone made a mistake here... He spent all that money for the billboard but the photographer didn't notice the picture he took was AWFUL!

Get on the phone and tell your advertising agency that you want your money back.

Is it just me?

Attention all shoppers

There seems to be some unwritten rules around the grocery store that someone forgot to tell me about. There must be, because people do it; and get perturbed if you don't. I thought it might be important to get these rules in writing.

1. When placing your groceries on the conveyor at the check-out counter, you must place a grocery divider behind your order. Failing to do so results in (what is known in the trade) "Grocery Merge". Please be respectful of territorial claims made by the person in front of you. Failing to do so may result in dirty looks and a call for the Manager to un-scan one of your items that crossed the line.
   
2. It is not true that once you put an item in a grocery cart that the cart and the item are yours.
   
3. You must stay alert to employees when they suddenly say, "Hello" while you are trying to figure out what button to push on the payment screen. Even if your child is screaming at you for the candy that was put right next to him in the check-out line.
   
4. The decision on Paper or Plastic is not a pop quiz.
   
5. The magazines in the check-out lines are for sale.
   
6. To be more respectful, carry-out personnel are hereby referred to as "Grocery Transportation Specialist" and check-out personnel are "Scanning Technicians".
   
7. People today are busy. No chit-chat with the Scanning Technicians.
   
8. Double coupons are a privilege not a right.
   
9. When leaving your cart in the parking lot, assure that it is positioned so it will not roll downhill and crash into the Manager's car.
   
10. An opened bag of cookies at check-out is clearly an indication that you need some work on restraint. There should be classes arranged for violators called the, "It Ain't Yours Till You Pay For It" group.
    
11. Parking your cart in the middle of an isle while you decide on which coffee to buy is strictly prohibited. All cart traffic must flow to the right side of the isle.
    
12. Multiple items of the same kind are not considered one item in Express check-out.
    

There might be more that I am not aware of but these are the obvious ones. What do you think?

Hello world, I just jumped on the Blogwagon

I've found that as time marches on one can't help observing things and developing opinions. When I was younger, I listened to older people and thought them not quite bright, but as I become one of them, I see what happens. More pieces of life's puzzle show themselves and some of those pieces are downright weird. Others are mildly amusing and some appear evil.

The commentary of Andy Rooney always made me chuckle--when he pointed out a human weakness or an apparently useless gadget. The humor of George Carlin's "Lack of Blue Food" and other observers of the obvious, made us all laugh.

I created this blog to carry on the tradition of pointing out some of our behavior that most take for granted but never noticed, that in the big picture, is a bit odd. Maybe you will agree with me and maybe you won't. Maybe my posts will bore you. But I hope I'll find a few that have also noticed, Odd Behavior and Traffic Signs.