Back to "normal"

Stopped in at Twist at the usual hour this afternoon, as predicted the rumor mill was spinning at warp speed. The Herald's story implied that the victim of Saturday's shooting had been in the bar (shooting in a gay bar is so much more sensational than shooting on the street) the Herald definitely has it wrong (I'm shocked!) The victim's family lawyer was also around -- this is South Beach -- rumors that the police shot the wrong guy were also circulating. It's sad the rumors had some credibility with many locals, the police are so disliked people will accept any story until it is disproven... I'll not pass along the more out there tales -- just the fact that a reliable version of events isn't available, which does noone any good. Yes we're back to Beach normal.

Thunder this afternoon warns our brief dry spell may be over. Our weather has been outstanding although day time temps are getting above 90F, which is just plain hot. Of course anything that encourages nudity among the physically fit is ok with me!

A beautiful morning

One of the joys of South Beach is our early mornings with blue skies and a gentle trade wind, it makes you forget all the nastiness going on (until you accidently turn on Fox News. ) Well, we are in the rainy season and the hurricane season has officially started -- I do believe the ocean is a bit cool for a big one to pop up (I really, really do hope!)

The nightmare that was the Air France flight that went down has been in the news. The prospect of being onboard an airplane as it is going down has to be a horror I can do without. Some years ago a Japanese 747 went down, the investigators found haikus written by the passengers as the plane descended -- gave me new respect for the oriental mind!

As everyone knows, Mrs Astor is preparing a cookbook with Government Cheese as the key ingredient. Based on an article in the Herald, I have requested a recipe for Burmese boa to be created -- with 150,000 16-footers in the Everglades, sounds like cheap protein to me! Further, I am certain Mr Astor can find a use for several hundred running feet of boa leather.... Now if he can just find a use for Nile monitor leather!

Saturday morning at the beach

Our string of beautiful mornings is continuing. The sun is up and the sky is blue -- Saturdays don't start much better. We also remain in the dry season. It sprinkled a bit yesterday -- somehow right on a Friday. I am tols Florida remains in a drought. Hard to believe after Hurricane Faye last year -- it dumped! but Florida is a strange place, so I can accept the experts' opinions.

Guilty! Guilty!! Guilty!!

Bernie Madoff has pled guilty and will likely be living at Federal expense for some years to come! I don't see that as appropriate to the crime, but probably as good as it's going to get.

Another beautiful morning in paradise!

I am up early again, still the morning is looking fine. Yesterday was about as close to perfect as perfect gets, looks like a repeat today. My back garden remains in a post-winter state, not having started the spring growth spurt. The palms continue to drop fronds while other things are a bit spindley. It's certainly not the lush tropical environment a South Beach garden can be. Patience is all that is required and it will soon be rewarded if our great weather continues. As with so many others, I am on a job hunt. The continued winter up North has put me off a bit. Tech jobs in Miami are scarse -- darn!! Called into Twist yesterday to say hello to my friends Adolino and Miguel. The crowd was thin until a group of spring breaking coeds came in in search of liquid reinforcement. The kids to add needed energy to a room until they become a little over reinforced at which time they need to be sent to the Diner for chow. Our bikini weather is perfect for the locals but a bit too warm for thick blooded Yankees. The kids to often forget to hydrate -- which puts them on a slippery slope. Given the winter, the ocean is too cold for swimming unless you're from someplace north of the Carolinas -- it's all a matter of what you're used to. We get rip currants at this time of year. The lifeguards are doing a commendable job of keeping the slightly over inebriated out of trouble. (what those guys & gals put up with!!) Still a while away from sunrise -- time to get the morning economic gloom report...

Daily chores

I find it useful to get into a daily routine of little chores. During our protracted winter moving about was challenging and some days it was just way easier to stay in bed. Last year I was trying to lighten the load in the closets (an on-going thing) so was dumping a big bag of trash each morning. Our gardener -- the ever energetic Octavio fell off a ladder last week (poor lamb!) and is out of commission for awhile. My landlord put a fountain in the back garden some time back that needs periodic topping up. So I now have a fountain topping up chore. I know! It's not much, but it gets me out into the garden each morning, where I can usually find other small things that need doing. At this point any exercise -- even just walking is a good thing.

HEH! CNBC

With daylight savings time messing with my internal clock, I routinely awaken before the sun does. In spite of the dark, I can manage to make it from the bed to the television without mangling any (or many) toes and turn on CNBC to get the economic gloom report -- what a way to start a day! In the early morning they have a weather ticker giving high temps in major US cities for the day. Lately they have had the Miami item way, way off! Today Miami will be a bit north of 80F, what I refer to as bikini weather. Come on guys! What did we do to you? Get your stuff together and correct your forecasts, our tourists can use the motivation!! Hey New Yorkers! Free tans in South Beach!!

Speaking of television, last weekend Fox News blasted the AFL/CIO for holding their convention in Miami Beach (as opposed to Sydney Australia, I suppose. (click, click, click) that's the sound od me switching to MSNBC!! Fair and balanced? phooey!!

Warming up!

I am told that my obsession with the local weather has been showing, guilty as charged. Given the recent chill, bikini reports were just not possible... Frustrating day, the antique commode in the bath has had a nervous breakdown -- wouldn't shut off as most good commodes do. A repair guy has been summoned and I am likely to get a new fangled replacement late this afternoon, which will be very disappointing. Went down to the pharmacy to collect the monthly meds -- but it's Saturday, so they weren't open (more frustration) A couple of good articles in the NY Times in the general area of how to lose big bucks in real estate (www.nytimes.com) funny how the get rich quick books ignore those nasty details. I particularly liked one term -- "short form due diligence" (avoid it) We're not totally out of the woods yet on the weather front, but it is decidedly better -- the bikinis are forecast to return Wednesday, can't wait! More empty storefronts in town, it's amazing more owners haven't taken "Mexican vacations" The old reliables (Twist and the 11th Street Diner) continue to hang in so rumors the sky was falling were overblown.

A beautiful mmorning

I have been neglecting my blog and I am deeply ashamed. SoBe is benefiting from an extended string of magnificent days. Absolutely the best and longest period during the holidays in my memory. We will likely see some sweater weather next week, but give me a break, we're headed toward mid-January (deep winter on my calendar) The beach is full of Europeans -- it's a cheap holiday because of the strength of the Euro. The Shrub economy -- oh, yes I can and do lay the mess on his dootstep -- someone has to be accountable and he was the Decider, has put several dear friends in very uncomfortable places. People are going to bed hungry -- and it's not the South Beach diet! Something has to be done, but it appears to be too much to expect anything decisive soon. Hunkering down seems too feeble given the scope of the problem. Mrs Astor promises a gourmet cookbook with hundreds of recipes using Government cheese -- I hope Mr Obama delivers big blocks of the stuff! The Madoff nightmare continues to unwind, revealing more and more newly impoverished elderly South Florida victims. Such a crime surely deserves an appropriately ghastly punishment -- if I see that jerk smiling one more time for the news cameras, I will happily suggest just such a punishment and offer to be the punisher, at no fee! Enough dark thoughts on this beautiful morning! It is 2009 and a new beginning -- get positive, there is/has to be an upside!