New view on retirement

Whew - I thought my time in Florida would allow me to recharge my batteries. Not. I have a whole new outlook on retirement now. We've had activities every day. I've played golf five or six times already (Fox Hollow was a bear) and we've had dinner / cocktail parties most every night. Tonite is the first evening with no plans. What a great group of people. I've been invited to a Tacky Tiki party in Bradenton tomorrow evening. Someone with a house on the beach. That's all I know - or need to know - at this time. BTW - it's 4:30 and I'm sitting outside as I write this - so I decided to take a pic. It was sunny and about 80 today. More of the same tomorrow and Saturday. Maybe I'll hit the beach in Bradenton before the party tomorrow.

Golf

Finally played golf today as the temps reached 72. Happy with an 89 as I haven't played for two months. Came home, took a nap and caught a beautiful sunset. I took the pic from the back patio over the #6 fairway.

Need to pick up a rental car tomorrow morning then who knows what.

Fuckin' deer

So I'm spending some quality time with dad driving to a golf shop when I yelled "LOOK OUT!!!!"

Didn't do any good.

I saw the deer running onto the road and towards our car but there wasn't enough time to do anything. Next thing I know the entire windshield is covered with the deer and the glass shattered all over us. I can't believe it didn't come right through and onto our laps.

The guy behind us pulled over and called the police. He said the deer hit our windshield and flew more than 20' in the air. He landed in a culvert next to the road and I heard him floundering in the water when I got out of the car. He crawled nearly 75 yards down the culvert, up a hill and into the woods by his front legs as his back was broken. The cop showed up and I told him where the deer headed so he could put him down. He tracked him (took about 10 minutes for him to locate the deer) and put two rounds into him, hence the blood in the photo.

There were three cars that pulled over and asked for the deer. One guy said he had been photographing it for 6 months. It was an 8 point buck, and pretty large for a deer in Florida. The cop was an avid hunter and had already called his buddy to come get it. I guess he'll call Dad after it's been processed so we can meet him to pick up some venison. That'll be payback!

Fuckin' deer......

Tampa

Left the Atlanta area Sunday around 11 am. Thanks to Bethany & her family for putting me up (or putting up with me) for the night. Had a fun time at the party and as much as I like Atlanta, it was time to move on. Took 7 hours to get to Tampa and the cold weather followed me. The news guy was on site in Citrus County at 4 am for an 8 am broadcast just to tell us it was 28 there and to bundle up. Idiot.

Forecast is for two days of cool temps then highs in the upper 70's. So far we have three T times set. Playing at World Woods Thursday.

I wonder if Mons Venus is still around? Good times.

Thrashers and boobs

So we went to a Thrashers game last night. Did I tell you the traffic sucks in this town? Had great seats behind the bench about 10 rows up. Sat behind Stewart Cink. Anyway, they looked pretty good. For the first period. Then they got blown out. We left after the second period and had a great dinner at McCormick & Schmick's. Decided to go to a titty bar called Oasis. That place was rockin' and I got all bent out of shape there. True story - I only saw one pair of fake boobs the entire night. Seriously. I would post some pics but they asked me to put my camera away. Sorry. Maybe next time. Headed to the Bollig (I know they all have different last names now, but for the rest of my life they will be the Bollig girls) holiday party tonite then towards Tampa tomorrow. Thinking of staying in Savannah or on Jekyll Island for a nite in the meantime but it's cold this w/e. We'll see.

Lake Lanier

Went hiking on some cool trails at Lake Lanier. Found some property (including boats) at deep discounts.

Word to the wise. When you're at a state park at 2 pm during the week and notice many dudes hanging around the bathroom, enter at your own risk. Gross.

'nuff said.

BCS Tix baby!

Well, my wonderful sister came through in a BIG way today. She entered the lottery for a pair of BCS tickets and won!!!! I missed the last two games but I'll represent the Buckeyes well. We have two rooms in the French Quarter to boot so we can walk everywhere. Sis - I owe you huge!

Aquarium and Midtown

Another record setting day temp wise - nice. Hit downtown and visited Olympic Park (definitely not a destination) then made it to the aquarium. It was almost too nice to go there but I heard it was pretty cool. It was. http://www.georgiaaquarium.org
Huge whale sharks, beluga whales and an enormous tank for one of the displays which you could walk under. Headed up to Midtown and had a burrito & a Red Stripe at Willy's then walked it off at Piedmont Park. That would be a great place to live. Lot's of houses for sale and three high rise condos going up now. Might have to go back there and check it out in more detail. The drive back to Alpharetta sucked. Did I mention the traffic in this town is terrible?

Record high of 75 today

Great workout (gotta get ready for ski season) this morning, then drove to Marietta and had lunch with a good friend of mine - Christopher Thompson. Hope we can play golf tomorrow as the weather is supposed to take a turn for the worse by Thursday.

After lunch and a tour I headed off to Kennesaw Mountain, a National Battlefield Park (http://www.nps.gov/kemo/). I watched the recap movie then hiked to the top and back. Great view of Atlanta and Stone Mountain, both over 20 miles away.

Sunny and 74 in Hotlanta

I'm writing this outside while sitting on the deck and the sun is washing out my screen making it difficult to see. Shorts and a T shirt are comfortable. What's that? Freezing rain in Columbus?Too bad so sad, huh? The party last Saturday was a great time. Met some great people and had many laughs. Sunday was a wash though. I must have stayed up too late. Finally connected with the Bollig clan for dinner last night. They are long time friends from my childhood and they put me up for a while when I moved to Nashville all those years ago. It was great to see them again. Funny as ever. If I stay in town I'll make it to their holiday party this Saturday for sure.
I'm staying in Alpharetta this week and am going through my guide book to find fun things to do. Going to the gym in the am has been nice as it is a target rich environment if you know what I mean. That will be a daily routine. If any of you are familiar with Atlanta and have ideas of things to do, let me know.

Atlanta - here I am

Had a great lunch with Kat today - and an intriguing offer to visit Costa Rica. Hmm. Rainforest or the beach? Where the hell did I put my passport?

Nice drive to Atlanta. Still cold but calling for temps in the 70's for this w/e. EB has put me up for a few days in a great bachelor pad. Finished basement with bedroom, bath and media room with wet bar. I told him he will have to pry me out of here. Oh - he's having his company party here this saturday. How convenient! Especially considering his hiring criteria. Bada Bing..

The drought down South is as bad as you hear. I passed several lakes and saw many docks sitting on dry land. North Carolina through Georgia so far. People with boats still in the water at Lake Lanier will need to use a crane if they don't act soon. Water restrictions are the news de jour. They really need a hurricane or two to replenish the water supply. Seriously. That's about what it will take.

Alcohol ruminations

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drinkI feel shame. Then I look into the glass and thinkabout the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopesand dreams .. If I didn't drink this wine, they might be outof work and their dreams would be shattered.Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine and let theirdreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."~ Jack Handy
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hellhappened to your bra and panties.
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"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When theywake up in the morning, that's as good as they'regoing to feel all day. "~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
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"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading."~ Henny Youngman
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.
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"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not."~ Stephen Wright
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing.
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"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk,we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's allget drunk and go to heaven!"~ Br ian O'Rourke
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause pregnancy.
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"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."~ Benjamin FranklinWARNING: The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a spaz.
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"Without question, the greatest invention in thehistory of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that thewheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel doesnot go nearly as well with pizza."~ Dave Barry
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
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To some, it's a six-pack, to me it's a Support Group. Salvation in a can!~Dave HowellWARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.
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And saving the best for last, as explained by Cliff Clavin,of Cheers.One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin was explaining the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm. Here's how it went:" Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are whispering when you are

Charlotte - short stay

Well, I learned that three red diamonds for a hotel in the AAA TourBook doesn't mean shit. What a dump! But then I didn't have to deal with the 4" of snow in Columbus today - sunny and 57 in Charlotte today. Great drive in to town as I took the back roads.

Some early travel advice: If you're traveling to a larger city and are looking for a place to eat, check this out: http://www.wherethelocalseat.com/Default.aspx
Good resource. My contact at the paper comes through again!

Also, I would HIGHLY recommend a GPS - what a great tool for traveling.

Just realized it's been a month since I left my job. Sweet.

On to Raleigh

I finally hit the road Monday and drove to Raleigh. It's a great town and I have been here several times in the past year.

Thanks to Tom Wedding for hooking me up with a sweet place to stay: http://www.caraleighmills.com/
Eric & Penny have been fantastic hosts. No thanks to Brooke for her Johnny Knoxville move ;)

It was a quiet start so far. Got up and hit the gym, had breakfast then drove downtown. Met my friend Brian Henderson for lunch at Bogart's - that would be a great place on the weekend. Too bad it's Tuesday. Took a tour of the statehouse and the NC Museum of History including the Sports Hall of Fame.

Eric took me on a tour of the local paper last night - The News & Observer ( http://www.newsobserver.com/ ). Pretty cool operation as we got a close look behind the scenes. Saw one of their Pulitzer Prize awards as well as the bust of the person who was responsible for the phrase "cup 'o Joe".

On to Charlotte this afternoon. Thanks again to Eric & Penny for allowing me to stay with them!!! If I come across more hosts like you I will have a fantastic trip for sure.

The skinny

For those of you not aware of my situation, here's the skinny.
I recently sold my home in Hilliard after a year on the market. Being single with no children, Hilliard was not on my top 100 places to live. Three weeks prior to my accepting an offer on the house, my good friend sold his home in Grandview. The home I was going to buy. The hot tub and general proximity to the Thirsty Ear were big selling points, and the neighborhood was great. Lots of potential there. It was disappointing to say the least, but on to plan B. With the closing scheduled three weeks out, I had little time to find alternate living arrangements. My sister, not wanting me to end up in a van (Acura) down by the river, opened her home to me. A week after that, I found myself at work sitting at my desk thinking I'd rather be just about anywhere else but there. Seriously - how long can a person sit at a desk and be subjected to Daughtry singing "I'm coming home" 4 times a day? I decided (some would say on a whim) that I was in a perfect position to make some big changes. How big? Well, on Friday November 2nd at 3:30 pm I told the person (Hi Kristy!) to whom I reported that I had enough and I was moving on. Time to travel. So we immediately went to Happy Hour, god love her.......
Unencumbered with crazy shit like a job and a place to live, I was free at last.
So here’s the plan:
Off to Raleigh for a few days, then to Charlotte. I’ll make it to Atlanta for as long as EB will allow me to stay so I can check out the talent in that town. Tampa for Christmas and New Years then off to New Orleans for the BCS Championship game. Yes, that’s right – I missed the last two (damn job) and I’ll be there this time. Next stop is Albuquerque to visit a great friend. After that it’s off to Santa Fe and Taos, NM where I will ski and check out the sights. Denver is the next stop where I will crash at Ray’s until my season pass at Breckenridge and A Base expires. We’re renting a cabin near Salt Lake City for a week in late January for a ski trip then back to Denver for the remainder of the ski season.
After that? I have a friend in Budapest and I just got my passport……..