home improvements

When someone nags you enough, things get done.  Refurbished mailbox.

3 different cans of spray paint - primer, finish color and white for the lettering. Sandpaper, newspaper, masking tape and stencils.  A four hour project, where you get to say howdy to your passing neighbors and they respond by leaving sticky notes of praise, upon completion, inside that new shimmering mailbox.

go west young man

My riding buddy, Josh, is moving out west. He's right now packing it all up, along with his wife Chrissy, their dog Charlie and three cats. They're renting a U-haul truck for their boxes, furniture, bicycles and the motorbike - and ultimately ending up, in the dusty, mountainous Central Valley of California.

Josh and I have been riding buddies for years. We've done all the 'backroads' throughout Florida and have ridden all the way to the wilds of rural Alabama. And, we're definitely the goofy part of a international motorcycle 'gang' called the Brit Iron Rebels (BIR) who only ride British bikes - mostly our beloved Triumph Bonnevilles.

Josh, with all that wild youthful spirit, and now leaving, is certainly going to put a damper on my behavour - myself every day, becoming more grey and a little more sedate.  But, I'm certainly going to miss him - along with all of those adventuresome, crazy together, ridin' times.

This past weekend we headed north to Floral City, to a biker bar - the notorious, Sleepy Hollow.
 

rising tide

One of my redfish friends today.

And, one of his big brothers, who wanted to show off - before being released.

the short long version of a true success story

Larry Peek was born just two days after our son Matt was born - at the the same hospital, at Sarasota Memorial. My wife even remembers holding him while his own mother fussed with her hair & make-up, while our son fussed in his maternity crib.

Larry Peek, unknowingly next appeared years later as a student in my best buddy and elementary teacher, Michael Anderson's fifth grade class. Back then, Larry was a little whipper-snapper, a little smart-ass, but Michael took a shine to him and followed and nurtured him throughout his early and difficult family life. And, there never was a connection, until the one day this same 'Larry', ended up in my wife's 9th grade English class - toting a gym bag and appearing homeless.

Then by chance, and me, casually talking with Michael, Larry's name just happened to come up and we finally started putting some of the pieces together. And for a brief troubled period, during those high school years, Larry even came to live with us.

Next to enter his life, were our good friends Sally & Joel Elkes, who took on this now tall young man, and graciously and financially helped with much of his college needs.  All of us combined had found a scholarship for Larry, so that he could attend Howard University in Washington D.C.

As Larry moved away, and onward, Michael Anderson and our family mostly heard of his progress through Sally & Joel.  And, there were, and had been, some very hard "rocky" years.  But, with his own will and self-determination, Larry eventually went on to attend the Thomas Cooley Law School in Michigan.

Well two days ago, Sally & Joel called Sandy and I and invited us out to brunch. And, guess who surprisingly appeared?  A now grown 34 year old man, a very proud Larry Peek, who this past February had just passed his bar exams.  And, on June 19th of this year, Larry Peek will be sworn in as one of Maryland's newest attorney's-at-law.

Back on the water & gettin' lucky

Seems like it's been years, but I'm finally back out there.  New little engine and the fish are jumpin'. Two nice large reds and one little guy - a little snook.  They were all tough and smart.  One seemed to fight for ever and the other guys got wild - one jumping, dancing the hook and the other, that last one - just that big snap. Boy, do I really miss it - just being out there working those oyster bars - and all with those special oncoming evening skies.