Is it just me? #1

As far back as I can remember I can’t ever recall being comfortable with using public restrooms. Sure “uno” is fine but “dos” is out of the question no way, can’t do it. I have no idea where this habit formed. I can remember making sure I took care of things before going to school (my friends did to we talked about those kind of things we were disgusting belching etc but there was no way we were going #dos at school) because there was no way I was using the facilities there. Not even after practice in the evening, nope had to wait until I got home.

I doesn’t help that most men’s lavatories are some of the nastiest places on earth. One time while driving on a long trip with the Misses we stopped to gas up and use the facilities. We both walked back to the restrooms together and the ladies room was “out of order.” I went to the RR and came back out to see her discomfort. I said “there is no one in the Men’s room and it is clean.” She opened the door and her mouth dropped. She was disgusted and asked me “that’s a clean restroom?” I said it is one of the cleanest I have ever encountered. At that moment I could see the pity in her eyes she felt sorry for my gender and me.

The funny thing is I have never ventured out with a female who didn’t use the RR multiple times. I always thought how nasty for you all because you girls have to get up close and personal. Now informed that your RR world and ours is completely different I don’t worry so much about you girls.

As for me there is no number higher than one when I am not home

Port a potty is latin for suicide

The 13th Annual NE Florida Scottish games and festival

There was a Large crowd on hand for the event

It was a pretty unique event; the venue and the location were both interesting. The parking area was filling up quickly when we pulled into the last row and the cars were coming in steadily behind us. It looked as if rain may damper the festivities but the clouds blew off and we had a wonderful breeze for the event. There were a multitude of things to look at and enjoy but the best attraction at the event were the event attendees.
The venue was a cross between a 4-H convention and a bull-riding contest. The smells were purely country and it had been so long since I had experienced them that my olfactory nerves reacted with extreme prejudice. Once I was past that I was very excited to see everything the event had to offer. It was $12 at the gate to enter; we decided it was worth it. Heck we drove all the way out there so there was no turning back now.

The women got in on the action also

The amount of people dressed in the costumes of the day impressed us very much. We weren’t sure given the location that there would be many people dressing the part. As the pictures show there were plenty.

I think someone got their kilt in the wrong department

The people were all very friendly and jovial. At one point during the caber tossing event a fully dressed Scotsman remarked to me he thought lightning might shoot out his ar$e. The one thing that drew me to the event was the hopes of a fine pint but to no avail. I am not sure how a festival like this is thrown without the inclusion of Guinness. This was the only letdown of the trip other than that what a wonderful Saturday it was.

bagpipes are just plain cool....

The surprise of the day was S had a sweet tooth and purchased strawberry shortcake dessert. (I had no idea strawberry shortcake was in any way connected with the Scottish heritage) It was outstanding whoa man it was good.

"Go back to England and tell them there that Scotland's daughters and sons are yours no more"

My only regret is I didn't get a "McLovin" t-shirt to wear to the event maybe for the irish festival.

Daytona Beach 500....

We headed out on a gorgeous day this past Saturday and decided to take the advice of friends and drive 95 South to Palm Coast and then cut over to go south on A1A. This was an unexpected surprise; the highway actually runs right along the coast with amazing views for miles. This is the first time we have experienced a roadway here in Florida that does not have something obstructing the view of the ocean. There are usually homes, dunes, or even worse huge condominiums that obstructs the view of the ocean. Now we have never driven along the Pacific coast Hwy, but we would have to say that the drive down this particular stretch of A1A is as close as you can get here in Florida. There were only a handful of big developments along this drive. There were colorful little beach homes on the west side of the hwy and a beautiful beach on the east side. We drove down at a leisurely pace and dined at one of the small roadside diners. We had no idea what to expect of Daytona or the race festivities but up until this point things were going very good. Now that is not to say we hadn’t formed an image in our mind of the people we were going to be mingling with over the weekend. Our preconceived notion was that the number of people would be much higher than the number of teeth in attendance. After a wonderful brunch at “Betty’s A1A café” with some rabid NASCAR fans; who knew Budweiser was an option at 10 am, we headed south. The drive was something I would have been really sad to miss and am so happy we took this route. (Thanks all who recc’d it) We arrived in Daytona Beach and we instantly told each other that we felt the vibe was different. We hung a quick left onto the beach. It hit me first and I didn’t know what it was, but I was euphoric and instantly happy. Within a few minutes I knew what it was. The smell of Hawaiian tropic suntan oil, it absolutely makes me happy every time I smell it. I propose it smells better than perfume. We drove along the beach and took in all the sights. As everyone knows Saturday was beautiful and sunny and the people were out. I am not sure how long you can drive on Daytona Beach but it seemed that we drove for miles. You could tell this was a tourist destination, people were happy to be here. We really enjoy being around tourists for one reason. They are always happy; you don’t meet to many tourists who are in a bad mood on vacation. They worked for 50 weeks to be here for 2 weeks, I think we got the better end of the deal personally. So elated we decided to head over to the festivities at the Daytona International speedway. Miles and miles away you could see many planes pulling banners and a couple of blimps in the sky. They were circling and circling like gnats over a fruit bowl. It was a surreal scene; nothing in the sky as far as the eye could see but right there over the speedway as many aircraft as they could possibly have. Back to our expectations of the people we would encounter. What a nice bunch of people they all were. It was just your average families out having a good time. Grandparents, kids, yuppies, rednecks, you name it they were there. What a great vibe. Wow I have already written a lot sorry. Anyway we are not racing fans but we are Daytona 500 fans because it was pretty cool. Here are some pics. We plan on going back in 2 weeks for bike week woohoo
Pictures provided by MBH

News, Notes, and Thoughts….

I have a ton of things to do. I decided to do none of them and write this instead.

Well the Super Bowl is over and what a wonderful game it was. When the final seconds ticked off the clock the New York Giants became Super Bowl Champions and the fireworks lit up the sky here in New York South (Jacksonville, Fl.) It was one of the best Super Bowls I have ever witnessed. On this night the New York Giants were the better team. Congratulations to the NY Giants and their fans.

P.S. It was awesome to see Peyton Manning cheering for his brother. The Manning household has to be a great place to be these days. They finally gave their mother the accolades she deserves for raising such good men.

On another note Ryan Seacrest hosted part of the pre-game festivities. I have to say there are not many people I dislike more than Mr. Seacrest. It is amazing how disingenuous he is. Every word and emotion Mr. Seacrest tries to act out falls horribly short of believable. He would really benefit from a good beating.

The commercials during this year’s game were far more subdued and gentle than in years past. The Coke commercial with Stewie, Underdog, and Charlie Brown was a spot on ad for this game, seeing as the underdog won.

In our house the Etrade ads (with the baby) were tops along with the Will Ferrell, Bud Light ad. All of the Budweiser ads struck a warm and fuzzy chord in our house. Is there a prettier animal than a Clydesdale horse? The Justin Timberlake ad drew boos (Sorry Pepsi). The Tom Petty halftime show drew mixed reviews from the crowd. I for one am a Petty fan and thought; “I won’t back down,” was a fitting song. Good job Tom.

Did it strike anyone else as overkill that there was advertising for movies that are due out in June on Feb. 3rd?

For those of us here in NE Florida we are experiencing 80 degree temperatures today. So it seems the Super Bowl marks the end of winter. This coming week marks the beginning of the Daytona 500 festivities. So let’s stay alert on the local interstates these next 2 weeks as racecar fans will be traveling through our area looking to test their skills.

I would love to hear your cheers and boos for the best and worst from the Super bowl and anything else you want to share.

Where do you want to live?

In My family I am the question meister. It always gives me an insight into where their heads are at. There is a litany of questions I ask. The “Bucket List” question, The 5 people dead or alive that you would want to have dinner with question and so forth. Here as of late going home has been at the forefront of our minds and so I thought I would pose the question to my family. Name the top five places that you would want to call home? The only stipulation being that it has to be a place you have visited, therefore you have firsthand knowledge of the place and aren’t just dreaming it would be a place you would want to live. I posed the question first to my darling wife S.

S Name the top five places you want to live? As in call home:
1. Greyton Beach, Florida – We have all been here except R. I look forward to taking R here.The link will introduce you to this wonderful place.

2. Savannah, Ga. – We just recently visited this Charming Southern town and it would be a wonderful place to call home. The architecture alone is worth a trip.

3. Rapid City SD – S's memories of this place and surrounding areas are almost enough to make me want to brave the winters there. (But not quite enough)

Rapid city- this picture is outdoor D approved

4. Gulf Breeze, FL. – Ah our true first stomping ground on the Gulf of Mexico. This town is home through and through. We know every nook and cranny in this town and love them all. Especially a Greek restaurant called the “Aegean breeze”

5. San Diego, CA- S and N visited this wonderful place a few years ago and both loved it. The ocean, mountains, desert, and Mexico all within a day trip. They didn’t make it to the Zoo. If I ever have the opportunity I would love to see this place. N kissed a Mexican and they ate tacos out of an alley, any wonder N is so weird. The nut doesn't fall to far from the tree. Yes S I am talking about you.

Surprised me- I would have to say it is quite obvious. All of these places have one thing in common, the ocean. Rapid City, South Dakota out in the heart of the country really threw me for a loop. It must be a beautiful place for S to have put it 3rd on her list.

Next I asked N the same question.
1.New York City, NY – Both S and I were blown away. I didn’t see this coming at all. But when N describes how much she loves that city it does sound quite exciting. Plus she’s already one of those weird women who take their small dogs everywhere with them. Freak. She’s going to be one eccentric old woman; you can take that to the bank.

2. Gulf Breeze, FL.- ah the same as S’s number 4 hmm

3. New Orleans, La.- I think my whole family loves this city but the rest of us would be scared to live there but N would be right in there with her little dog, freak. Seriously though what a great town we haven’t been there since Katrina and cannot even imagine the devastation.

4. Saint Augustine, FL.- the historical part of this town is so funky and fun. It is really a unique little town with a thriving historical district. The lighthouse here is magnificent also. The one major flaw is that is is on the Atlantic and everybody knows we are Gulf of Mexico people.
5. Greyton beach/ undecided

Surprised me- NYC I didn’t see that one coming. I have never visited the place but have concerns about the livability of the city. If I could afford a view of something green (central park) then maybe, but otherwise NO. N would be happy looking at a brick wall above a smelly Chinese restaurant with that damn dog.

I then posed the question to R. Well not really, N asked R for me. R and myself do not have the kind of relationship where we talk to one another, we just communicate through N. We try don’t get us wrong but alas no speaky, speaky with R. R is very judicious with his words and his answer was also judicious.

1. Gulf Breeze, FL.- Is that the right answer? Yes R it is, thank you very much for your time

2 – 5 undetermined at the time of this post
Surprises- Yes the omission of Cape Breton, NS, one of the prettiest places on the face of this earth. I really thought this place would have made his list.

Then there was myself. Here are my answers.

1. Greyton Beach, FL.- A slice of heaven that we have fallen in love with along one of the most beautiful stretches of beach you will ever find.

2. Gulf breeze, FL. – Made all of the lists hmmm, makes me wonder

3. Nashville, TN- this city is the bomb. I love this town and some of our best friends live there. Where else could you run into Garth Brooks picking up a chain saw and bump into Faith Hill grocery shopping? A town is only as good as its people and this town is the best. If you put the ocean next to this city I would have never left it.

The Ville.

4. Savannah, Ga.- This place is alive with history. The homes seem to be alive, there seems to be more there than meets the eye. The live oaks and Spanish moss are everywhere and it may be one of the most beautiful downtowns in the Southeast. The lifestyle here is definitly genteel.

5. I thought about it and if I am living in the 5th place city then I will be unhappy. To be honest if We don’t live in the top 2 I will continue writing these lists until we do.
Thank you everyone for your insights…

A couple of things I love about the South

In Louisiana you can go through a drive through and pick up mixed drinks (hurricanes being a favorite). Many of them have two for one happy hours. We always wondered how they did this and we figured it was because they gave it to you in a sealed container and it is probably illegal to put the straw in it while driving.

Approximately 600 miles from Dsnylnd (misspelled on purpose) you begin seeing signs along interstates advertising how to get cheaper tickets and even cheaper T-shirts. Come on, how can anyone pass up 5 T-shirts for 10 dollars? So being 600 miles from said destination you have approximately 9 hours to look forward to the cheap T-shirts and mouse.

Nowhere else have I ever been that had more interesting side orders at restaurants. You want a stack of pancakes honey? They come with 2 biscuits and jelly. Well Duh! Everybody knows that after you have pancakes, you want biscuits.

To enjoy a great glass of iced tea in the South is to enjoy sweet tea and here is how you know the person you are dining with is truly Southern. If they can drink this very sweet concoction and eat a piece of pecan pie at the same time without wincing. My friend you are dining with a true Southerner.

My favorite thing about the South is the phone calls from our Northern neighbors. Discussing the weather is always a great time.

Hard reset for self-preservation?

When you hear the term hard reset in our household it is in reference to all of our electronic gadgets. When you do a hard reset the item loses all memory and information that it once held. I contend that when people become parents they go through a hard reset. We have many friends who have children and are completely in the dark about what their children do. One close friend contends that a piece of jewelry they gave their daughter represents the daughters promise to not have sex before marriage. They are a good Christian family. I really like this family but what the heck are they thinking? First things first their daughter has gone away on many trips with her boyfriend. Second the child confided in us she has been having sex for a while. Did our friends forget what its like to be late teens or early twenties. Sex is at the forefront of their thoughts. We have a unique perspective with most of our friend’s children. They tend to confide in us what they are actually doing. Which leaves us to tell or not tell our friends. I will say we pass along the information if one of the kids is in danger but even when we do this the parent is in denial. What they are doing in reality and what their parents think they are doing are at different ends of the spectrum. Not my little Bobby or Betsey they wouldn’t do this. We have had friends actually ask their children in front of us what they were doing just minutes after the kid told us. The child knows to never tell the truth because this idiot in front of them doesn’t want to hear it. Sure enough every time it has happened the parent is happy and relieved that their kid said they are not drinking, having sex, or going to parties with no adult supervision. Has it been so long since they were a teen that they have forgotten what it is like to be a walking hormone or have they decided to choose ignorance? Face it if your child is going out socializing then they are facing all of these situations regularly. Don’t think they are not doing any of them. Do them a favor wake up and remember what is was like when you were their age. Choosing to believe that your child doesn’t face these challenges usually means they are facing them on their own with no input from you. Parents need a big dose of reality. Or my earlier hypothesis holds true that the parents were hard reset.
Be kind and love one another….