"Friday...Some of This week's Observations..."

The week's continue to "fly" by...relatively it seems like every other day I'm taking a 11:45 PM break to watch Jay Leno's "Monday Night Headlines"...I love that segment and particularly Jay's delivery...and that too will be changing...once again he is being taken off the show...in 2014...and this time the show will be moved to New York City with its new host, Jimmy Fallon...

 

Per routine, last Sunday, we attended morning Mass...this time only about 15% of the pews were occupied.  Then we went to the $7.85 brunch at our local open to the public golf club, and other than a few golfers at the bar, my mother, brother and I were the only ones eating! It's definitely "off-season" in South Florida! 

 

My brother then took me car shopping to see what is currently available as a replacement for the fall.  We looked at 13 cars (2013 models in the year 2013!) in the $20,000-$29,000  price range.  My "want-list" would be easily achieved (I thought!)...a 4-door, automatic, with sunroof, tilt-in side-view mirrors (a narrow garage entrance), cranberry, forest green, or deep blue, with tan leather but dark material carpets and steering wheel (to hide dirt), fold-down rear seats with legroom, HIGH REGULAR GAS (actually-achievable) MILEAGE, great music system, and relatively moderate-tech operating controls and navigational system,  sedan where I could stretch out my legs horizontally (knee relief) while driving!   I remain AMAZED that NONE of the cars met the list!   One that came close, only came in horrible exterior colors.  Another only had light carpeting and a steering wheel, ONLY one offered combined (city and highway) mileage over 30 miles per gallon!  One dealer stated that (in South Florida!) there is no market for sun or moon roofs!  ALL of them really looked the same on first glance!  Once again, it would SEEM that a real market would exist for a company that would do it all correctly.  What was pleasing, was that the sales personnel all appeared to be non-pushy, helpful, and courteous! (to be continued!)

 

Monday morning, I went to the gym...the + 40,000 square foot facility was fairly full.  "Tuned in, tuned out" has intensified...I only noticed less than ten people that did not have their phone out and they were talking or "scrolling"!  I even noticed one doing dips, another deep squats, another decline abs, talking!!!  A good turn of events was that none of the six personal trainers were on theirs, and at their $70+ per hour billing rate (they make $12 per hour), they seemed to be paying attention  to their clients' exercises (but I didn't say that the clients weren't talking on their  phones!).

 

Thursday night , a seminar on "Branding" was attended...that will be part of a future blog...

 

Off to the gym...

"Headline News, continued..."

Happy 5th of July!!!

 

There is even SOOOO much to do in South Florida even during the summer "off-season"!  To celebrate the 4th of July yesterday, I woke up; did 45 minutes of AM cardio; went to part of Lake Worth's 100th continuing anniversary celebration at the homemade raft team races; toured Delray's latest ever-growing "art in public places" additions; viewed Delray Beach's sand sculpture contest; distance swam in Boca Raton's LA Fitness pool; went to a cruising buds' cookout in western Broward County; drove to Jupiter to continue eating with friends and watch the "live from NYC" fireworks; and then went over to Jupiter Beach to watch the continuation of the private fireworks at 11 PM!!!

 

I slept in and awoke to some of today's headline news:

 

In the last two years the wild pig population from Central Florida and Georgia at 1.5 million has increased to 8 million and extends into 47 of the United States'!  They are the fastest multiplying group and are resulting in over $1.5 billion in crop damage!

 

Actress Eva Longoria who started "Looking For Love" "reality" TV show, discovered it for herself with a new Nicaraguan beau!

 

A car manufacturer is developing a latest "James Bond equipped" presidential limo as the current one is an outdated 2009 model!

 

Tennis superstar Venus Williams is marketing a small sports towel that is a bout 15 degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature to cool down during matches, and is now available for the "weekend athletes"!

 

A computer artist has developed a comparison "Barbie Doll" that has the shorter, heavier proportions of an average U.S. young lady of the same age...I wondered if it has piercings and tattoo art too???

 

Finally, an ad interrupted to show a museum display of how people "used to" socially interact prior to their current cyber virtual I-phone lives!!!



"Another Family Reunion..."

2013 is another big year for our extended family...

 

After graduating from college and touring Japan for an art show, and volunteering on an eco-farm in Hawaii, my sisters' daughter moved from San Francisco to Portland with her b/f to start her new life.  Her brother graduated from high school, and from Sacramento, is also moving to Portland to start college in the fall.  My brother's son graduated from high school in Winter Park and is also starting college in the fall in Central Florida.  His sister has narrowed her college choices to a few out of Florida colleges for next year.  Time is passing so quickly...

 

We decided to have a family reunion before everyone spread out even further...A "confirmed cruiser" I had investigated a family cruise for eighteen to Alaska.  Meanwhile, my youngest brother suggested renting two homes at New Smyrna Beach, near Orlando and Daytona. He found a three-story oceanfront home and I found a three-story ocean to intracoastal waterway pool home, separated by less than a quarter mile. 

 

My mother, and I drove 2.5 hours from Palm Beach County; my next brother drove 3.5 hours from Fort Lauderdale; my sister, her spouse and their son flew from Sacramento; their daughter and her b/f flew from Portland via a wedding in Los Angles to Orlando airport ; my youngest brother, spouse, their son, his g/f and her parents and his buddies, and daughter and her g/f, his mother, father, and brother-in-laws drove 1 hour from Winter Park; my cousins flew from Atlanta; and a couple of other families also drove...altogether approximately 30 people spanning 65 years of age arrived at the beach rentals during the week!

 

Our Mom was "beaming"!!!   My sister has become quite a photographer and took over 900 photos to record the reunion!

 

My sister-in-law and I shopped "sales" for a few weeks before the trip to amass food and household supplies, and still some of us were driving daily the six miles to the nearest grocery.  Meals seemed to be continuous from 6:30 AM to midnight!  We stair-climbed (3 stories in each house), walked, ocean and pool swam, ran, wave surfed, skim boarded, kayaked, fished, played golf and bocce, played board and other group games, watched DVD movies, read, and cleaned LOTS of towels! 

 

I reflected...how fortunate were we as a family to be able to come together like this, for a week of beautiful weather, LOTS of eating and drinking, LOTS of story-telling and laughing (and some teasing as we reverted to our childhood roles!), during this memorable week...Dad was looking down from Heaven above!