AUTHOR’S NOTE: For those of you just catching up, I’m documenting my recent trip to the Florida Keys from two weeks ago, so if you’ve missed the first installment, make sure to read “Part 1 – Islamorada” from last week! Picking up where we left off last week, we finished up our Tarpon-feeding antics at Robbie’s in Islamorada and continued our travels southward over the Seven Mile Bridge, passing by “Fred” the tree (a rogue tree growing up out of…
I was out last week on a long awaited trip down to our country’s southeastern tip to spend some time in America’s tropical oasis, the Florida Keys. Going along with another couple, we left the turning autumn leaves and plummeting temps of Western Maryland for the sunny skies, warm temperatures (make that extremely hot and humid temperatures), and the warm waters of both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. We started last Saturday out of BWI on a Southwest plane…
I want to take a few moments to talk about the elephant in the room, or – more importantly, in the restaurant, café, or coffee shop. Yes, I’m talking about tipping. For some reason, the tipping culture in this country has seemingly run off of the rails, and I’m not quite sure why. Now, I’ll be the first person to admit that servers and bartenders deserve to be tipped for good service. Lord knows, a competent waiter/waitress/bartender is hard to…
If there’s one thing I do not miss about living in Florida, it’s all the damn hurricanes. As we saw just last week, it doesn’t take long for these storms to come barreling out of the Caribbean to wreak havoc on the Florida peninsula (as well as other southern states). Hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30 each year, and if you live in a coastal area down south (or literally anywhere in the Sunshine State), you pay…
I’ll admit it – I’m a planner by nature. I like things orderly and organized. That’s just how I roll. The same rules apply when I’m going on vacation. I like to be prepared. Now before you roll your eyes and say “boy, I bet this guy is a blast on holiday”, let me explain. Just because I’m organized and prepared doesn’t mean I don’t like to relax and have a good time. Let me be clear – I’m not…
There’s nothing like a short summer getaway to recharge one’s batteries and to enjoy time with friends. My wife and I recently did both, taking in a long weekend in Philadelphia, PA, where there’s more to the city than just the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the ‘Rocky’ statue. We headed north on Friday from our home in MD, making the short three hour-plus trip up I-95, passing through northeastern Maryland and Delaware before arriving at our lodgings for the…
This week marks our country’s 247th birthday (just three more years until the Semiquincentennial – start your shopping now!), and what’s more American than watching a fireworks show to celebrate our Independence Day? No matter where you see a colorful display light up the night sky, it’s always an exciting time of year. That being said, advances in drone technology are now being utilized by the entertainment industry, most notably in the form of drone shows. Similar to a fireworks…
I spent last week in Florida visiting my youngest daughter, who is working for a theme park company infested with rodents (I think you know the one). In addition, I also spent some time visiting my extended family on my wife’s side and delivering a car (the rest of my family flew while I drove the 920 miles to get there). Upon my return this past weekend, I had some time to ponder about what I missed (and didn’t miss)…
Do you remember that one car you owned in your life that took on memorable status? The one that not only revives horrible flop-sweats, but also brings back memories that make you smile? I have one of those. It’s a 1999 Toyota Camry. A white, four-door. The car that if you gave its description to a police officer, they’d say “well that narrows it down to about two million possible matches.” They made a ton of these back in the…
I recently attended my oldest daughter’s graduation from college. It was a special day. A milestone in her life and in ours, and while I couldn’t be any more proud of her completing this chapter of her life, I have to say I was more than a little embarrassed and disappointed at many of the other attendees at the graduation ceremony. Yes, I’m talking to you, friends and family of other graduates. I don’t mean to go off on a…