FINISHING TOUCH

Before is below, after is above

Kathy caught Penny and Patty napping in the lanai today. Penny, top, had her head laying across Patty's back just before the picture was snapped.

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Home in Port Charlotte

High today of 72, getting cold tonight
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Above are the photos of the finished driveway refinishing project. We all agree it turned out great. We will have to keep the vehicles off of it for a week. Today was a beautiful day, with warm air and plenty of sunshine. By 3PM it started getting noticeably cooler, quickly. We found out a cold front was moving in. Our overnight low will get down to 41 and Tuesday will be a high of 63. By Thursday it will be back up to 80. That's more like it.

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I spent the day doing paperwork in my home office. More of the same tomorrow, as I draft my January travel calendar. Our New Years Eve plans call for dinner and drinks next door with Rolando and Kathy.

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We saw some of the real estate listings in our neighborhood today. A foreclosure down the street from us, on the canal, is asking 119k on a short sale. It's not nearly the house or dock we have but it's a pretty good deal. I'm pretty sure we're still near equity with the 199k we gave. There are only two foreclosures on the canal. When they sell, our value should stabilize. Non-waterfront homes in the neighborhood can be had from 50k for short sale fixer uppers to 100k for decent homes with pools, but again not boat lots. The vacant waterfront lot next to Rolando is listed at 55k without a dock or seawall. It sold a few months ago for 45k but a few years ago for 265k! Somebody lost, big time.

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STILL A TEAM

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Home in Port Charlotte

Morning low of 48, high of 70

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Last winter my Dad and I teamed up to bring light to our backyard boat dock and run a fresh waterline dockside. Kathy and Dad worked together to repaint the inside of our house. This season the projects continue. Yesterday we installed a new electrical breaker box above the hot tub. Today we prepared the driveway for a new coat of epoxy paint. Still to come, Dad and Kathy will re-caulk our exterior window frames. Stay tuned for the finished product pictures.

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This morning we drove to Burnt Store Marina for Sunday brunch. We posed for some pictures, above, outside the harbormaster's office. We were going to travel by boat but Penny and Patty left their life jackets in Strawberry.

COLD FRONT

On a recent trip to Miami, I discovered Scully's Tavern

Home in Port Charlotte

High today of 76

After a brief, two day, road trip I returned home last night. I spent the day today writing reports of my recent work. I now get to enjoy a few days at home, but on call. Dad cooked bbq ribs on the grill tonight and they were deeeeeeelicious. The weather has been cool this week, jacket weather for SWFL. It warmed up nicely today and will again tomorrow but by the weekend we will be back to highs around 70. Brrrrrrrrr. Merry Christmas everyone!

THE LIONS IN WINTER

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On the road, Boca Raton, FL

Hilton Garden Inn 53*
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I made it out of Virginia last week, a few days before the blizzard hit the area. I was gone for 5 days, home for 2 and now I'm out again for 2 days. Tomorrow I am working in Delray Beach and should be able to head home until after Christmas.

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My Cardinals won their 9th game of the season, beating the Detroit Lions, and winning the NFC West division again. They will start the NFL playoffs at home in a few weeks. I'm not sure how far they'll go but one thing is for sure. This is an even better team than the one I saw in Superbowl XLIII in Tampa last February.

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I spent some time cleaning the boat last weekend but there's much more work to do. I will spend some of my holiday time waxing the hull to a shine. I also would like to launch the boat and do a little fishing. I haven't been on the water since before Thanksgiving.

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There's been a nasty cold front that entered our area. Today's temps never got above 60 and I wore a coat all day outside. By Thursday we should see 80 again. I love Florida in the winter. Speaking of winter, today is the winter solstice. The days will now begin getting longer by a minute every few days. Summer will be back before we know it. Wow, time just flies by, doesn't it?

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Above is a photo I shot in Newport News, Virginia in November.

CHECKING IN

Home in Port Charlotte
68* at wake up, going to a high of 82*

My Dad arrived safely from Arizona, last Friday. We are enjoying his company, of course. I have gotten very consistent in my walking exercise, going 5-6 days weekly. I'm up to 5.1 miles at a time now and feel good about it. When I was running, before taking the summer off, I had dropped my weight from 280 to 238. After 3 months of inactivity I went back up to 263. I am now sitting at 252 and ready to continue dropping.

There's been no time on the boat lately but I have found evidence of a small hydraulic fluid leak. I need to find the time to search for the source. I am leaving on a short 2 day trip to VA today but will be gone to Homestead, FL the rest of the week so it will have to wait.

My Cardinals play on Monday Night Football tonight. When they win, they will clinch a trip to the NFL Playoffs for the second straight year, with a guaranteed home game.

WHERE TO?

Home in Port Charlotte

High of 70, rain last 2 days

I travelled all of last week, departing home Monday and returning Friday. It's Saturday night and I leave again tomorrow at noon. The travel is really crazy now but I try to keep a positive outlook. Kathy has been very supportive. I have been very tired.

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Above is our latest home project. I envisioned creating this "where to" sign from the moment we bought our home. I cut the arrows, Kathy stained the wood and we collaborated on the lettering and milage. It's quite befitting, actually, because some days I don't know where I going next. I do know that I would like to visit these other ports, as Captain of my own ship.

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Kathy has already started her next project. We bought a very detailed concrete lighthouse, with a captain, a pelican, coconut trees, etc. At this stage it is plain concrete and she is painting in all the colors. Before and after photos will come when she is finished.

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Last year we didn't put up a Christmas tree but we bought one after the holiday ended. This year we really enjoyed putting it up when my daughters were visiting for Thanksgiving. Today I put up our moving reindeer, complete with simulated water pond.

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We're shopping for a canvas mooring cover for the boat. I had a local guy come give a bid for a custom fit, snap on cover, and it was for $1370. Really high, I thought. I priced out "semi-custom" covers online but they are designed to be trailer covers ($695) that strap down to your trailer frame (and not the best quality material either), not mooring covers to snap onto the boat like we had on our Sea Ray. I have priced out high quality Sunbrella fabrics and am contemplating going the DIY route, except having the fabric provider do the sewing while I do the measuring, marking and install all the hardware. So far it appears I can purchase everything for about $500. I'll keep thinking it over.

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My thumb is still a little sore but getting better. My sinus infection is all cleared up.

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My Dad is on his way to stay with us. He is driving his RV across the country for the second year in a row. Tonight he is in Texas. His estimated day of arrival is next Friday, the 11th. Something tells me he may spend more time at my house, this winter, than I will.