Author Archives: Sparky
Tuesdays at Gilchrist Park
Gilchrist Park is a large public space on the south side of Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda FL. On a nice day it is a great place to walk, bicycle or skateboard. But at sunset on Tuesdays it is home to a jam session by local musicians who serenade, gratis, anyone who cares to take … Continue reading
Farewell to Ooma
When Ooma and I embarked on the 10-week auto trip north we knew it would make us or break us. Well, it broke us. We discovered things about each other during that trip that we found intolerable. We hung on until the trip finished and even attempted to reconcile after we had each had a … Continue reading
Tillamook Thanksgiving 2022 – Day 4
This was a “getaway” day. Everyone who stayed with my sister and her husband – and she had 7 houseguests that last night – packed up and left. I visited a casino on my way out of Tillamook (Spirit Mountain where I dropped $100), had a farewell lunch with my sister, Lois, and her husband, … Continue reading
Tillamook Thanksgiving 2022 – Day 3
Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, was, as is often the case, a day of rest and recovery, with turkey leftovers. It was a raw, rainy day in Tillamook, so it was spent indoors, at my sister’s house until dinnertime, then we moved the party to the beach house of her son and daughter-in-law, Michael and … Continue reading
Tillamook Thanksgiving 2022 – Day 2
Thanksgiving Day. One like none other – 16 adults, 7 children (all under 8), 8 dogs and 1 cat. Pandemonium. But it started quietly. Brother-in-law Chris and I did a round of disc golf at the local middle school. The course is not particularly difficult in terms of terrain – very flat, few trees, no … Continue reading
Tillamook Thanksgiving 2022 – Day 1
I was not going to go anywhere for Thanksgiving this year, much less across the continent to Oregon. But my sister convinced me that I needed to meet her grandchildren. So on Tuesday I flew to Charlotte (1.5 hours), then to Portland (5.0 hours) and drove 90 minutes to Tillamook OR, arriving at 10pm local … Continue reading
Nauti Parrot Oasis
I went to a benefit concert Sunday at the Nauti Parrot Oasis in Fort Myers. It was a fundraiser for homeless vets. Five bands donating their services from 1pm until 8pm and a special menu where 100% of the proceeds went to the cause. Lots of good music and a few beers warmed a cool … Continue reading
“Bastard’s Bluff” by David Benjamin
Copyright 2021 by David Benjamin. Published by Last Kid Books, Madison WI. This is the second in Benjamin’s series of Jim Otis detective stories. In this one Otis gets drawn into a series of hate crimes in tiny Hercules WI which start as vandalism but escalate into bank robbery and attempted murder. He is no … Continue reading
AAAbsolutely idiotic
I have been a member of the American Automobile Association (AAA) for 30 years. The $57 annual fee pays for itself if I have just one incident during the year where I need assistance – a tow, a boost for a low battery or help changing a tire. They are generally a fine organization. But… … Continue reading
Planning for 100…
It is always good to plan ahead, right? So, for my 100th birthday I want to go dancing. I want to get out on the dance floor, with my walker, and groove to the beat. And if the lead singer wants to serenade me, that would be fine, too. That is the birthday I witnessed … Continue reading »