Existing In BFE

In upcoming days I will be posting some pictures from my trip to Northlandia.  I will let them speak for themselves.  If there is any comment at all it will be short and informationl only.  Some will appeal only to me, I'm sure.  Some will be in black and white.   Fresh snow in Seaton. 

The Blythe Boys had a chance to meet while I was back in Northlandia.   ++++++++++ The Pope seems pretty cool as Popes go.  Usually they aren't the type to buy a round at Beer Bellies,  but the latest one is a down-to-earth type who seems more in touch with the common person than others of the ilk.   I saw that during a recent homily a small girl with Down's Syndrome walked up toward where he was speaking.  When the security guys started to block her he said it was OK and bounded up to where he offered her a seat.  He held her hand while he finished the service.  That's pretty neat. ++++++++++ ++++++++++ I got a call from some Middle-Eastern accented fellow who said he was with the Internal Revenue service and I was in real big trouble.  Sample conversation: Scammer:  "What age is you?" Me: "I is 43." Yeah, OK.  He lied about being an IRS agent and I lied about my age. I had a friend who was sc

Welcome to Existing In BFE this morning.  From Florida, to Arizona to Georgia and Illinois, I'm pleased you have stopped by.  Today is one of those quiet, contemplative posts.  Nothing that is terribly extraordinary, unless you think a vision from the heavens that hasn't been seen here since 1866.  It was a total eclipse of the second full moon of the month which is called a blue moon.      I was stuck in Florida on January 31st so this is the best I could get.  Those of you in the Midwest got a little better view, and those in Arizona and the West coast got the best in America that morning.  Of course, if you were in New Zealand or Australia you would have seen an even better look at it.  I didn't have to go anywhere especial for these shots - right outside on my driveway. The next time we will have a similar heavenly situation will be on December 31, 2028.  After that it will occur on January 31, 2038.  See you then!     And by the way, have

I wonder why this picture was taken.  It's not one of those posed Christmas pics other wise the older bro would be in it, too.  And with short sleeves, the Wombie and I are unseasonably dressed for the Holidays.  Marj didn't usually pose for those, so I just don't have a clue.   But then again the stamp on the side states "Dec".  I guess it will remain a mystery.  There is another posed pic that is similar and was obviously taken at the same time which I will post in a few weeks.  What was over to my right that I needed to heed at that moment?  O was I just giving my best side? Or am I doing the Napoleonic look?  Were we twins still matching our wardrobes at this late date?  Holy smokes.   I barely remember the coffee table over there in front of the picture window.  It didn't stay there long, however - it kind of defeated having that big window when you couldn't get close to look out.    

Written by an American teacher Yesterday, after 17 people died at a school shooting in Florida, I stood in front of my middle school classrooms, hour after hour, reteaching the intruder drill procedures for my room. I wanted to reassure my kids that there was a plan in place if this thing that should be unthinkable, but which is now perfectly thinkable, should happen to them. In my classroom, there are two doors to the hallway. One of them remains locked from the outside at all times. The other is the door students use to enter and leave class. It’s the only door I need to secure in the event of a lockdown. Both of these hallway doors have floor-to-ceiling windows to one side of them. That effectively means that I do not have a safe corner opposite a door anywhere in my room. All four corners are exposed. What I do have, though, is a huge storage area with a locked door. It only locks from the outside. Let me repeat: IT ONLY LOCKS FROM THE OUTSIDE.

Well, another trip to Northlandia ends.  By 8:30 pm I'll be back in the sultry and stultifying embrace of the South.  Let's review, shall we? Within 48 hours of landing I was playing in a new snowfall. Wondered initially if this was a fan expressing his love of a certain team, or a statement for this year's flu season.   On Sunday I got a text from Danny saying they were having a beer at the Club.  From left to right, Ed, Steve, Danny, Mike and John.  Nice group to while away an afternoon. Someone bought me shot with what was inside this bottle.  It had a distinct tastes similar to an old favorite, a Slippery Nipple.  Wonder if they have any of that in Kitschland?   A little Bloody Mary, a little beer, a little pool and a lot of good ole conversation at the North Henderson Community Center.  By the way, the big honking thing in the Bloody Mary is a pepper jack deer stick

I saw these somewhere and wanted to post them rather than wait for one of my award winning GIF posts.  See? Always thinking about you. ++++++++++ ++++++++++ My Girls ++++++++++ I went up to Beer Bellies on Wednesday and Kate gave me her heart. Then I went home and ate it. ++++++++++   The Wombie's washing machine is more complicated than setting up this blog. ++++++++++ Nice couple inches of snow on Saturday.  It was the North's goodbye gift to me.  It was short but beautiful.  It also gave me a chance to head out the next morning and take some last shots. ++++++++++     ++++++++++  Spring training time isn't my favorite:  it should be shortened by two weeks and all those silly fluff pieces on the players are obnoxious.  Yeah, everyone is eyeing a Cy Young.  Blah, blah. Actual headline in the New York Post: Mets manager has strong feelings on ‘dry humping’ By Mike Puma February 15, 2018 |

One of my favorite spots - Vinoy Park in St. Pete.  Lazy Monday morning.  I think I'll just let the pics speak for themselves. 

Cathy Spinks strikes again!  You thought it was all over with her homemade Valentines Day cards, but, here is another.  Presumably in a different year, probably around 1980, Cathy made another one for me.  I think she liked me.   If I remember correctly Cathy had married a fellow who was some relation to the Spinks of St. Louis, most noticably Leon and Michael who were boxers back in the day.   As I mentioned on Wednesday Cathy returned to Mary Davis a couple years before we all took early retirement.  We chatted out in the parking lot as she was leaving.  She was happy with her new marriage, loved where she was, Washington or Oregon, I think, and just as funny and personable as ever.  Everyone should have someone in the workplace like her.  They say people remember how you treat them.  She treated me well.   

Timing is everything.  I happen to have timed this trip perfectly.  Or rather, I should say the Wombie's timed their cruise perfectly.  Those of you who live up North will not find this post particularly enjoyable.  All others may or may not be entertained.  As for me, this trip to Seaton a few days ago may be the highlight of the time spent here, good friends notwithstanding. The mission: photograph various scenes while snowing and dark.  Mission accomplished.  Sadly, the forecast calls for much warmer temps today and tomorrow.   All this will be gone soon.  February is the gateway for Spring.  Damn it, though, my timing was perfect for this.

When I first became employed at the Mary Davis Home, the secretary was a lady named Cathy Spinks.   Not only was she a great worker but she was also loads of fun.  This would have been  the early 80's more or less when she made this Valentine's Day card for me.  By the way we had been introduced to Backgammon and we'd all find time throughout the shifts to play it.     She later left G-Burg and her husband and went out west.  If I had to guess it would be the Portland area.  I saw her years later when she made a return visit to town and she stopped in at the Mary.  This was a few years before our retirement so it was fun to see her again after all those years.  She had remarried and was happy.  I hope she has had a good life.  Cathy was kind, open, funny as Hell and made a nervous new employee feel welcomed. People come in and out of our lives. I wish she had stayed in mine.  Happy Valentines Day, Cathy, wherever you are.

Under "History Is Fun",  this is the Turks and Caicos flag from the 1860's until the 1990's.  Turks and Caicos are southeast of the Bahamas in the Caribbean.  The main industry of the islands is salt, as depicted on the mounds of salt waiting to be placed on board ship.  Oh, wait.  Is that an igloo?   Some 19th century English bureaucrat, who has no idea where the islands were, thought one of the mounds was an igloo so he drew a door on one of the salt mounds.  It stayed that way until a royal visit by the queen in 1966. ++++++++++    ++++++++++ Adventures In Babysitting  It started so harmlessly.   It always starts that way.  I knew Norah wanted to do my nails after school as is the custom whenever I go to Northlandia.  I had the bottle of Moonlight Blue on the table.  Miss Alfred wanted to check it out so I decided to do her nails.  After the application, superbly done I might add on such small targets, she was excited and modeled for