ME AND TRAVIS MCGEE

Newport News, VA
Low 36, high hit 50

My week in the Mid-Atlantic is going fairly well. The weather has been cold but cooperative. The fact that I'm working indoors this trip helps a lot. My drive from Philly to Richmond was nearly 6 hours but I encountered only light rain. The classes I'm teaching are going good and it's nice to be appreciated by my "students."

Since moving to Florida I have started reading a little more (especially on planes). A friend from Lake Pleasant (AZ) introduced me to the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald. McGee is a fictional P.I. who lives in Ft Lauderdale on a boat, he won in a poker game, called the Busted Flush. On my flight from Tampa to Philly I finished my second novel in the series of 22 when the passenger across the aisle from me asked, "Are you a Parrot Head?", referencing the nickname for diehard fans of Jimmy Buffett. Since my new Florida roots have also sprung a huge appreciation for island music and songs of the sea, I answered him "yes.". "What chapter?," he asked. Well I'm not exactly a card carrying member so I had to fess up. He said he spotted me reading Travis McGee while wearing a Landshark Beer shirt and figured I was in the club. Jimmy sings, "Travis McGee's still on Cedar Key," in his song Incommunicado.

The guy asked where I was from. After 42 years of saying Arizona, it's weird to say Port Charlotte, FL. But he told me there's a great Parrot Head club in my town and he told me the bar they meet at. He also told me about several local bands who play "Trop Rock," the code name for tropical or island music. If I'm ever at home maybe I'll check it out.