Author Archives: Sparky
MSC2 Day 3: Ocean Cay, Bahamas
I visited Ocean Cay back in 2020, with Jett and her sisters – her last cruise. I was impressed with it. Nice beaches, a scenic lighthouse. So when I saw that this short cruise on the Seaside included an overnight stay at Ocean Cay that became a major factor in my decision to book this … Continue reading
MSC2 Day 2: Nassau, Bahamas
The day started with a leisurely breakfast. We were in no rush because we have been to Nassau many times before. We didn’t expect there to be anything new here and we weren’t disappointed. Nassau, as always, was overrun with cruise passengers. Besides the Seaside there were 4 other LARGE ships in port. We wandered … Continue reading
MSC2 Day 1: Embarkation in Miami FL
MSC2 began with a trip to visit Marlene’s brother, Mike, in Coral Springs. We left arrived around 5pm on Saturday and Marlene and her brother went out to the casino. That was his way of wishing her a happy 80th. They returned around 5am, happy but considerably poorer. Well, her brother was poorer because he … Continue reading
Marlene’s birthday cruise (MSC2)
Marlene is turning 80 on Monday and that is a milestone that demands attention. What could I do? Well, I could – and did – buy her something that she wanted: new tinting on the rear window of her Toyota Camry. That was done last week. But more was needed. What kind of “special” gift … Continue reading
Sparky, HVAC apprentice
Marlene’s air conditioning unit failed on Thursday which just happened to be the hottest day of the year so far (isn’t that always the way it works?). I went over to her place Thursday night and tried to diagnose the problem. Turning the unit off, waiting a bit, then turning it back on – which … Continue reading
TS_12 wrapup
The 12th trip south was almost as quick as the 12th trip north. But there was a bit of sightseeing – a full day on the Outer Banks. By the numbers: Highlights: Lowlights: Planned and actual routes: The actual route was pretty close to the planned route. The greatest deviation occurred on the approach to … Continue reading
TS_12 Hop 4: Brooksville FL to Lehigh Acres FL
196 miles via US 98, county roads, I-75, FL 80 and more county roads. Cumulative route miles: 1858. Cumulative auto miles: 1950. The extra 9 miles were due to a shopping trip to Aldi and a thrift store in Brooksville and a stop for fuel as we left Brooksville. This was a simple trip, mostly … Continue reading
“The Fallen” by David Baldacci
Copyright 2018 by Columbia Rose, Ltd. Published by Hatchette Book Group, New York. This is #4 in the series (currently 7 in number) of Memory Man novels by Baldacci. The “memory man” is Amos Decker, a former pro football player who, due to receiving a brain injury on a blind-side hit, lost his career and … Continue reading
TS_12 Hop 3: Acworth GA to Brooksville FL
449 miles via I-75, FL 121 and US 19 with a break at the Ellis Brothers Pecans in southern GA. Cumulative route miles: 1662. Cumulative auto miles: 1745. We made two shopping trips in GA that accounted for over 20 extra miles. This was an easy trip in terms of navigation: just get on I-75 … Continue reading
TS_12 Hop 2: Manteo NC to Acworth GA
617 miles via US 64, I-85, I-285 (north of Atlanta) and I-75 with a fuel stop near Rocky Mount NC, an attempt to visit the Family Dollar corporate office in Charlotte NC (more on that below) and some zig-zagging on local roads in NC. Cumulative route miles: 1213. Cumulative auto miles: 1263. I will never … Continue reading