Author Archives: Sparky
Four nights in Kissimmee
In case you don’t know Kissimmee is a town very close to Orlando. You might consider it a suburb of Orlando. And it is very close to Disney World and Universal Studios. We spent four nights there. Why? Because we got a “free” stay in a timeshare resort. Yes, we had to sit through a … Continue reading
Three festivals
There are two big annual festivals in south central Florida: the Swamp Cabbage Festival in Labelle in February and the Sugar Festival in Clewiston in March. They are similar in that they have a lot of food trucks and vendors of a variety of goods and trinkets and they both have some really fine live … Continue reading
“Separation of Power” by Vince Flynn
Copyright 2001 by Vince Flynn. Published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc, New York. This is the 5th in the series of books by Vince Flynn that features Mitch Rapp, a CIA assassin. Yes, a CIA assassin. I am not so naive to believe that our government never kills anyone, but, … Continue reading
Replacing the toilet. Again.
If you have been following my adventures long enough you will remember that the extensive repairs to the RV in 2018 included replacement of the half-bath toilet. This was a $500 repair item. That toilet started dripping from the water connection, occasionally, almost immediately, prompting me to put a cup under the connection to catch … Continue reading
2023 blog booklet
2023 was a year of extensive travel, though none of the travel was by RV. The amount of travel and the large number of photos posted in the blog necessitated breaking the booklet into two sections: 2023-1: Includes the transatlantic cruise (TC2) and the auto trip north (TN9) 2023-2: Includes the auto trip south (TS9), … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest wrapup
I have been very busy since the end of the Carnival Conquest journey so I am a bit tardy in my wrapup. I know you were on the edge of your seat… Highlights: Robbie, the Cruise Director. He was fun, always upbeat and the guy can dance. A very good cruise director. The Conquest Rockband. … Continue reading
“Twisted” by Jonathan Kellerman
Copyright 2004 by Jonathan Kellerman. Published by Ballantine Books, New York. I was expecting this to be a mystery featuring Alex Delaware, Kellerman’s most popular protagonist. But it is actually his second novel featuring Petra Connor, a female detective in Hollywood CA. Delaware is mentioned several times but does not appear as a character in … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 15 – Disembarkation in Miami
Getting off the Conquest was considerably easier than getting off the Vista. We rose at 6am, packed and took our luggage up to the Lido Deck to grab a bite. It was a very light breakfast as neither of us was very hungry. Marlene’s brother met us when we got off and we were on … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 14 – At sea
Our last day of the cruise. We slept in. The big event was the “Platinum and Diamond Reunion”, an event only for Carnival’s most ardent cruisers. For the first time, I qualified to attend on my own merits. It isn’t much of a party – some music and a promo video from Carnival, then they … Continue reading
I am not a loser!
That sounds like a mantra and I should probably say that to myself every day while I shave. I believe that am not a loser and two recent events reinforce that belief. First, the 2024 senior softball season ended with my team having a 9-9 record. Not a winning record, but not a losing record … Continue reading »