BASKETBALLS, GRAPEFRUITS AND HAND GRENADES

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Home in Port Charlotte, high of 73

Merry Christmas to all of my blog readers!  This is my third Christmas in Florida, having arrived here December 3, 2007.  For the second year in a row I completed a do it yourself project to shore up the canal seawall with rip-rap.  Last year I placed 3 cubic yards, just where it appeared to be needed.  This past summer we found a great deal of new erosion.  We elected to wait until the summer humidity passed and planned the job for December.  I used 15 more cubic yards this time but also enlisted the aid of a helping hand.  I hired a local laborer and mostly used him to wheel barrel the rock from the front yard, where it was dumped, to the backyard, where he dumped it down the hill to me awaiting on the beach below.

There, I separated the rocks into three sizes:  Basketballs, grapefruits and hand grenades.  The rip-rap comes 6"-12" in diameter but we had our share of 3" - 16"ers too (baseballs and watermelons?).  We started by laying a weed mat filter fabric, then the rock, followed by fill dirt and sand.  It was quite physical project and I can't imagine having done it all alone.

We were very lucky to have not had any hurricanes, tropical storms or storm surge in 2010.  We're not taking any chances in 2011.

For Christmas, we are staying home...just the two of us.  We will do a nice baked ham dinner and perhaps go see a movie.  We've had very nice weather so far, with just a passing cold front here and there.  There's no change in the status of our boat.  I had it advertised on craigslist for a few weekends.  It drew lots of interest online and we had two prospects come see it but received no offers.  I will resume advertising it after the New Year but there's really no urgency to sell it.  It's running great and we've got visitors schedule to come in January and February who will want to go out.  Let's hope the weather hold up nice for them too.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE PARROT HEADS

Home in Port Charlotte
High of 67*

Last night we attended the Charlotte Harbor Parrot Head Club Christmas party.  There was a very good live band, great food/drink and about 250 people.  The party was held at Visani Restaurant in Port Charlotte.  We had never been there before but will certainly return.  Visani is also on the comedy club circuit.  Gallagher is playing there this week.  I didn't even know he was still touring.

We even got drawn for one of the raffle prizes.  We won two gift baskets with booze, music, a parrot head bathrobe and some party favors.  We would have rather won the 50/50 drawing, which split nearly $800, but we were thrilled to win the baskets.

My seawall repair project, phase II, also got underway yesterday.  I hired a laborer to help me and wow, was he a great worker?  Oh yeah.  In three and half hours, he moved 10 tons of rip rap from my front yard to the canal beach.  We spent a couple of more hours placing a 6' x 20' section of rock beneath our dock.  It was a great start.  My helper has to work during the week so I'm on my own again.  Most of the heavy lifting was done in staging the rock on the beach.  I will have the benefit of ultra low tides on Tuesday and Wednesday so I can work beneath the dock for a couple of hours each day.

BASS ACKWARDS

Hampton Inn, Key Largo, FL
55* at sundown

Last Sunday I had a unique day of fishing my saltwater canal.  Not only did my new "Badonk-a donk" fishing lure produce more hookups than I've ever had before, I landed a a nice large mouth Bass.  (photo above)  A freshwater fish in a salt water canal.  Clearly he must have fallen through some sort of upstream water release but I was pleasantly surprised.  So much so, I photographed the little fella and released him to fight another day.  If this bass wants to live in a backwards environment, far be it from me to deny him.  I also landed a small but strong ladyfish.  They are fun because when hooked they come flying out of the water and do flips and spins to try and get away.  My old snowbird friend from Buffalo, Pete, calls them a "poor mans Tarpon."

Two Saturdays ago, Kathy and I started the day at the St. Pete boat show and ended the day at the Punta Gorda Christmas Lighted Boat Parade.  I picked up the above photographed "Old Salt" jacket at the boat show and put it to good use in the 62* weather at the boat parade.

I returned from my Washington DC trip to find Kathy found a water leak inside the foundation of our home.  Not good.  We got some help troubleshooting the leak from our friend, Nolan, in Phoenix.  After pinpointing the location we called out a local plumber and determined the best course was to re-pipe the entire house.  OUCH!  Merry Christmas to us.

This week finds me working Homestead and lodging in Key Largo.  We've had a real cold snap throughout Florida but it's expected to pass after just a few days and we'll be back to highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s.  That's a normal winter in SW Florida.  Last winter we endured 100 year record lows for 10 days.  We don't need anymore backwards weather.  I have my son coming in January and my buddy and his wife coming in February.

No news to report on the boat.  It's running fine on the lift but I haven't launched it in a while.  I am marketing it online but no offers have come in.  I'm happy to continue enjoying it when time/gas money allow.  If I sell it, that'll be fine too.

Sunday we will attend the Charlotte Harbor Parrot Head Club Christmas party to benefit Toys for Tots.  We are officially card carrying members of the Jimmy Buffett fan club.  In 2011 we intend to attend our first Buffett concert.

I'm officially kicked off of Facebook mobile for Blackberry.  My company nixed us from using it so I will comply.  Maybe in January, if Verizon gets the iPhone like they are rumored to, and it's not too much money...perhaps I can go mobile again.  I really enjoyed posting my travels and pictures there.  In the meantime, blogger fans...I committ to more blog chapters for you!

Tonight I enjoyed a few golden beverages on the beach at my hotel, looking longingly at the lucky sailors anchored down in the bay, living the life at sea.  "If you're living to love by the ocean and loving to live by the sea.  If you're lucky enough to live on blue water, you're lucky enough by me."  (Scott Kirby:  Lucky Enough).

TIME AND I FLY

Hampton Inn, Norfolk VA Airport
low of 32, high of 47

I had dinner tonight at a new restaurant for me.  One of my colleagues in Virginia Beach recommended I eat at Logan's Roadhouse.  I've seen their signs around but never stopped at one.  I must say it was terrific.  They have a really diverse menu with many steaks to chose from but also seafood, sandwiches, salads and even meatloaf made of a mix of beef and pork.  I have to try that next time.  Tonight I had grilled Talapia, topped with a roasted corn/blackbean/cilantro salsa.  Coupled with steamed broccoli and lead by a cesar salad...it was first rate.  They have locations in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Central Florida to name a few.

My day in VA Beach was chilly but uneventful.  I finished by 1PM and got to the next hotel by 2.  I then spent the next four hours booking travel for the rest of December and all of January.  Even though I will be in my home office for the 2 weeks of Christmas and New Years, and have a 4 day weekend planned in January for the visit of my 26 year old son, Ryan, I booked 8 flights and 23 hotel nights for work in Florida, Washington DC, Philly, Pittsburgh and Boston.

Our company just announced two more corporate acquisitions in Florida.  We just added about 1,400 new employees from the other companies.  The best new is that neither of them are in my area of South Florida.  The last four acquisitions were in my jurisdiction so I'm happy to share the responsibility with my fine colleague in Central/North Florida.

Tomorrow morning finds me flying home for the weekend, only to depart again Monday for our nation's capitol.  With my schedule through January completely booked and 1/3 of February planned for a well deserved vacation with my oldest childhood friend...I feel like I can already see Spring time.  Until I go outside to the frigid 32* morning temp on Chesapeake Bay.