Okay–I give up–what are showdolls? Do I have to look this up? Should every red-or-blueblooded American know this by heart?
OK, so don't eat the grits. And, it's Florida anyway. What do they know about True Grits?
Signed: Ignorant in Northern California,
D.
wow…that Plato Amor looks fantastic!
On Sat, Feb 14, 2009 at 7:05 PM, JuJu wrote:
> I'm a big fan of grits – but rest assured, unless you are eating them
> homemade from a true Southerner, you are not getting anything edible. Most
> folks find them inedible anyway. Jeff, my advice is to stick to your guns
> and Don't Eat the Grits!
>
> Did you go in to see the Showdolls? That must have been very exciting
> (lol).
>
> Banana and Peach ice cream? Peach yes. Banana no thankyouverymuch! Looks
> like a great homey place that would make delicious ice cream. Good for
> you!!!
>
> I had a "romantic" lunch for two with Merilynn –
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jujuhoodoo/sets/72157613799780673/. No grits.
>
> Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!
>
> Judi
>
> On Sat, Feb 14, 2009 at 7:50 PM, Jeff Gray wrote:
>
>> 14 Feb. Edgewater
>> Overcast and a bit dreary, fitting for this depressed section of
>> Daytona Beach and South Daytona. Found a buffet (shudders of horror from my
>> microbiologist readers). Could not find the desired Waffle House.
>> Fruit, not pictured, was the best item. I again passed on the grits.
>>
>> Even though I was repeatedly advised to book ahead for this evening I am
>> finding many many motels with vacancy signs lite.
>>
>> Rolled into the very full Best Western. This chain seems to be doing
>> better as other BWs have also been book, including the one I will stay in at
>> the Kennedy Space Center.
>>
>> -At the pictured ice cream place. You are doing what at your age? Shame on
>> you!
>>
>>
>
I'm a big fan of grits – but rest assured, unless you are eating them
homemade from a true Southerner, you are not getting anything edible. Most
folks find them inedible anyway. Jeff, my advice is to stick to your guns
and Don't Eat the Grits!
Did you go in to see the Showdolls? That must have been very exciting (lol).
Banana and Peach ice cream? Peach yes. Banana no thankyouverymuch! Looks
like a great homey place that would make delicious ice cream. Good for
you!!!
I had a "romantic" lunch for two with Merilynn –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jujuhoodoo/sets/72157613799780673/. No grits.
Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!
Judi
On Sat, Feb 14, 2009 at 7:50 PM, Jeff Gray wrote:
> 14 Feb. Edgewater
> Overcast and a bit dreary, fitting for this depressed section of Daytona
> Beach and South Daytona. Found a buffet (shudders of horror from my
> microbiologist readers). Could not find the desired Waffle House.
> Fruit, not pictured, was the best item. I again passed on the grits.
>
> Even though I was repeatedly advised to book ahead for this evening I am
> finding many many motels with vacancy signs lite.
>
> Rolled into the very full Best Western. This chain seems to be doing
> better as other BWs have also been book, including the one I will stay in at
> the Kennedy Space Center.
>
> -At the pictured ice cream place. You are doing what at your age? Shame on
> you!
>
>
14 Feb. Edgewater
Overcast and a bit dreary, fitting for this depressed section of Daytona
Beach and South Daytona. Found a buffet (shudders of horror from my
microbiologist readers). Could not find the desired Waffle House.
Fruit, not pictured, was the best item. I again passed on the grits.
Even though I was repeatedly advised to book ahead for this evening I am
finding many many motels with vacancy signs lite.
Rolled into the very full Best Western. This chain seems to be doing better
as other BWs have also been book, including the one I will stay in at the
Kennedy Space Center.
-At the pictured ice cream place. You are doing what at your age? Shame on
you!
13 Feb. Ormond Beach
This turns out to be the Daytona 500 race (just a few miles from here) as
well a V day weekend. Booked ahead to my displeasure as my distances are
fixed for a couple of days.
Minds-eye view early am is not capturable with a camera. Beautiful colors,
water on both sides riding along A1A, large houses on stilts like some very
very large alien tetrapod, sand dunes, palm trees etc.
Brunch was at Publix (a supermarket chain). Sat ouside with others, some
quotes:
– I am from Wash DC, things are ok. 23% of labor is gov'mt and lots of
illegals leaving which takes the pressure off.
-three guys in local construction. Quite good for us but not our buddies.
We went from 22 to 4 but plenty of work for us 4.
After St. Johns county the road became concrete with bike paths. Now in
Flagler county. The roads have been outstanding so far. Smooth with glass
only on the bridge overpasses. Naturally not as clean as Germany but roads
equal to the best of Germany.
A1A became very coastal – feet from the beach in some areas. Long stretches
for meditating.
Checked at the Cove on Crimson beach. The front desk had rules not to my
liking. " I just enforce the rules and in this economy I cannot afford to
lost my job even if the rules are stupid".
Have a one bedroom studio in what I can only guess is some sort of time
share property; far better than a NY studio as this one is over 500 sq.ft.
all ammenities that I think of for a furnished apt. And……..best of
all, outside is a 103F hot tub. Temp dropping as per Mike's good note:
should be pefect.
Nashville: builder, private finance has dried up, no private or commercial
building at all. Not too many layoffs in the area, economy tough for some.
I have not had to lay anyone off as getting VA and infrastructure projects.
12 Feb St Augustine
A hearty breakfast after about a 15 mile ride to the beach area. Wanted to
get going and build up an appetite. Those in the pics are scattered and
smothered in onions hash browns. Could not face the biscuits and gravy.
The Waffle House is a chain Sharon will remember from our other trips along
the Southern East coast; franchise headquarters in Georgia.
12 of the 15 miles were lined with almost continuous strip malls. Road
quality far far better than Palo Alto. Decent but narrow (3 ft) shoulder.
Sam's note to me came too late to modify my long around but scenic route to
St.Aug. Alfi told me to take A1A and it was good advice. Good shoulders, a
few too many lights at the start, then a mellow ride along monster homes
sitting between the beach and A1A (100 foot wide strip of sand ).
Roadside quotes, not Verbatim-
– business has been generally good, worriedof course.
– no drop in sales as yet
– selling too many tee-shirts as it is hot. Wish it were cooler so higher
priced sweatshirts would sell.
– I am a conservative from Western Minn. On the border with North Dakota.
No, do not like the far too liberal Garrison Keiler. Al Frankin is a joke.
The real joke is Norm Colman; he is so bad a joke could beat him.
-tourism is holding up well in St. Aug. But then we are St. Aug.
-is that the Google phone you have?
– stimulous is a waste of money. They are all crooks.
– I am a libitarian and home school.
St.Aug has Wiki pages so I will skip the local stuff except to say that if
one is interested in touring the insides of churches, hotels, museums,
wonderful landmarks etc. Then this place is a treasure. I took a 90 minute
guided tour, did some walking and will do more before leaving tomorrow.
Some nice shopping and tourist areas with stuff of local interest.
Unfortunately I have had to book ahead this being Valentine's weekend and
many others have booked.
Dinner: boiled shrimp, one pound, chowder, key lime pie.
11 Feb Jacksonville II
Reserved today for bike setup, tuning, getting a bike helmet, exploring
this area a bit.
Packed for the cold wave. Now it is 75 degrees with 15mph winds from the
South. Weather.com has a wind alert for the area.
The Florida oranges I had for breakfast were outstanding; better than our
good front yard ones. Ate at Mimi's in one of the largest shopping malls
I have seen. Four malls strung together, still building more. High (LV and
up) end to Target. Link only for those who are interested in shopping.
http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?id=857
Spent the day bumming and comparing Android to iPhone camera and to Garmin
gps as well as hot spot logins. Bike has been packed for riding. I am so
ready.
10 Feb. Jacksonville
Arrival, travels and talking.
The flights and hotels are empty as any domestic traveler must know. Read
about but much.more stark when boarding and seating is so easy.
The taxi driver was from Croatia. Struck up a conversation (moi?); Split
and Jacksonville compared. Here everyone knows your business and you must
conform. This from a person of mixed religion marriage in a region that was
at a war he escaped.
We discused the economy. "Every bad thing is good for someone else" maybe
translated from his native tongue. Lived through the wars and pointed out
how well, that is how much money, others made. His metaphor was that I
could stretch out with all the seats empty even though he could not make a
living. He was not bitter. Has settled for Jacksonville and gave me good
advice about which local roads were under too much construction and how to
ride around these areas.
Thanks to KQED we now get the New Yorker. Has been years since reading it
but thought it might make a companion on two plane flights. Yes, a very good
one. While several of the pieces were informative and, of course well
written, a piece on African entepreneurs in China stands out. I have just
read "Factory Girls" and been reminded of the incredible energy, life risks,
and joys of the adventure and independence of the young migrants. Now this
piece discusses the Nigerian and other African communities. The story is
similar. While not said so directly this is what MUST have been the
immigrant experience (see also Triangle Fire) of the late 19th to pre-war
20th in America. A continual story of opportunity, cons, life on the edge,
fotunes gained and lost and picking oneself up again and again: you in
control.
Bike assembled, possible valve leak -will know in the am.
In a fine Sheraton, thank Michelle. Dinner not worth a photo – salad and a
club sandwich.
Greetings all,
Here begins the start of the Boog Sacks Florida thread; Tuesday departure.
Several purposes served.
1. Trying a new technical approach, using a group contact list in Google.
This has the advantage and obvious disadvantage of each seeing the full list
and having email addresses revealed. If you prefer to be off this list
for any reason (privacy, do not wish to see the blogs from the trip, tired
or hearing from me) let me know and with no ill feeling the contact list
will be modified.
If you see anyone not on the list that you would like added please let me
know. With the contact group in Google it is just as easy to add as to
subtract.
2. The blog will be updated via this list. Their will be no
announcements, no weekly reminders of the URL. The material going onto the
blog will generally be the same; generally.
If you wish to visit the blog here is the URL
http://boogkb.vox.com
3. To acquire a suggested reading list.
Instead of taking books with me I intend to try to read public
domain books using the new http://books.google.com/m and Stanza on
the iPhone. Curious to see how the experience works out.
Where do you come in? Recommendations. As many of you know my
reading list is almost exclusively non-fiction (Neal Stephenson was an
exception).
A recommendation for one two public domain books would be
appreciated. Some others might also like to see the suggestions.
Moin Moin
18 Sept.
The biking portion is now completed. QB biked 32 miles on a rented bike, at high speed. Easier without the loaded panniers. Picture included.
Visits to many parks, rode the trail of the French and Indian wars, visited the battlefields of the Civil War, some Révolutionary War exhibits, Fallingwater, walks along the canal and great passage as well a some excellent biking. All in all a good trip. A lot nicer with a sag wagon.
Finished the trail and drove back East to Silver Spring. Nice Whole Foods right across from our Courtyard by Mariott hotel.
Moin
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