Inane Ramblings

1. Nancy was right, there are no flies in Florida.

2. At the DMV an old lady came and sat two seats from me waiting to get her license renewed. She said she hoped her business wouldn't cost more than $20, since she only had $22 until she got her Social Security and she used $2 on gas to get here. She was called to a desk close by and I heard that it would cost her $25.00. She told the guy she didn't have it and so I walked over and gave her the five. She was very thankful and when she left she stopped by to give me her name and phone on a piece of paper and it had IOU $5.00 on it. She said she could give it to me on the 3rd of August and that there are angels. Well, I say this not to get any attention for my good deed, but that there are people who mightily struggle month to month to survive. We should be thankful for every thing we have.

3. Speaking of DMV, they didn't accept my duly authorized birth certificate. Travis, the bastard, said it didn't have the "feel" of a certificate, nor the watermarking, nor the design on both sides. I told him that I got it from a courthouse county clerk's office and it had the stamp of the clerk on it. That wasn't good enough for him, and I said that I got it to get a passport, and it ought to be good enough to get a Florida driver's license. He didn't agree and sent me packing.

I walked home and called the Warren County Clerks office and they said to go back and give them their phone number, that they would surely like to talk to this guy. Armed with my number back I go and a lady went to two people cleeeaaaar in the back and returned saying Lori Richards said it was OK, and if I had any further trouble, just drop that name on them. I then went to the person who would do this (right next to Travis) and I got my license. Oh, by the way, Travis saw I was back and just walked over, looked at Richard doing his thing and then sauntered off without apology or further comment.

4. Still haven't been to the beach: looks like Sunday morning after breakfast at Gayle's Restaurant. Circumstances and schedules. Pictures soon, neighbor Tim.

5. I hear it has been chilly in Illinois. You're welcome to this heat. If you walk at all you lose your freshness in no time and end up being sweaty, or worse get crotch rot.

6. Took my second bicycle ride on the Pinellas Trail. A few more trips and I'll be ready for the Tour de St. Pete.

7. Turner Classic Movies is on basic down here. I love it.

8. Another funny thing happened at the DMV. My Illinois license had a glasses restriction. I had to take a vision test here and evidently passed it with flying colors. Thing is, I didn't have my glasses. So I guess I have found what Ponce de Leon couldn't. So, no glasses restriction. Wow. Another oddity, Illinois renews, what, every three or four years. I don't have to renew my Florida drivers license until 2017.

9. Stewart, my friend from Galesburg, offered me one of these beers when I stopped by to see him a couple of weeks ago. It is the absolute worst swill I have ever tried to force down. I can't believe he even offered this stuff to me rather than putting it in his new bike for fuel. I almost gagged with the first swallow and decided if I ever needed ipecac I'd buy a bottle of this stuff.

10. Call me old fashioned but I find this t-shirt kinda scary. I know I'd not likely want to date her.

11. The Chicago stations are blaring about how Mark Buehrle's perfect game is only the White Sox 2nd in history. Well, the Mets have never had a no-hitter let alone a perfect game. Speaking of the Mets, we are toast. Time to start focusing on football.

12. Is that report true? Morgan Freeman, God in movies, is dating his step-grandaughter, 27, and he is, well, 146. Eeewww.

13. Besides the obvious Freudian implications of this picture is the fact that it was a woman driver who drove the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile into this building.

14. This was posted on my severe weather page on Friday afternoon: a tornado watch in Mercer County. Sure wish I was at the NHCC as a spotter. A cigar in one hand, a beer in the other.