A Good Pick For VP

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2008/08/29/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-sarah-palin.html


I listened to her speak today and I like her. Too bad she is not at the top of the ticket or that the ticket is not "Paul/Palin".

Sunsets

Tuesday, Westin Sunset Deck

Wednesday from the "Motion on the Ocean"

Thursday from Mallory Square

Clouds over Sunset Key after sunset

Absolutely incredible sunsets all three nights.

Key West Birds

Parrot on Duval Street

Key West Chicken at Mallory Square

Mama hen herding her chicks under the car as I tried to take their picture

Flying Over The Conch Republic

We flew on Thursday and Friday morning, at altitudes from 200 to 1000 feet. We took off and flew west, avoiding the Navy base to the north. We flew over Ballast Key, about 9 miles west of Key West, which is now owned privately and has a nice house/compound on it. In the 70's it was a destination for Jimmy Buffett and friends to party on. They would get in various sized boats filled with ice chests, charcoal grills and other fun stuff and they would head to Ballast Key for a jumbo sized beach party.

I saw a shark on each trip and also saw several sea turtles, dolphins, and rays. It was the start of the lobster mini season so there were a lot of lobster fishermen along with the sailors, divers, and snorkelers. Incredible shades of blue, green, and turquoise were seen as I looked down upon the ocean.

The Cessna 172 felt much more powerful and smooth compared to a Cessna 150. I guess I was the First Officer to Captain Matt, only because of sitting in the right seat. In the event of any trouble, the only thing I would know to do would be pray and scream.

For less than the cost of renting a boat for 1/2 a day we spent about 1 hour and twenty minutes in the air above some beautiful ocean and islands. A good deal, but next time I want to go out in a boat also.

South Florida Vacation Overview-Key West, the Conch Republic

A brief overview to be followed by several posts with lots of pictures, stories, restaurant reviews, and impressions.

We flew to Miami on Monday, arriving early in the afternoon. Drove around Miami Beach, had dinner at Medi's on Ocean Drive, and walked along the beach.

Tuesday morning we got up and headed down US 1 towards the Parrothead homeland, Key West. With perfect timing, "Margaritaville" started playing on the CD player just as we crossed the last bridge onto the island. We drove to the Westin, checked in, and headed to Duvall Street for a late lunch. There are a lot of good choices for lunch, but how better to start than at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville? The cheese burgers, fries, and frozen margarita's were excellent!! Atmosphere and music were great also.

We watched the sunset Tuesday night from the Sunset Deck of the Westin and could see and hear the "Catman" and other street performers. More later, but I don't if I can really explain the crazy catman fully. Dazzling sunset and then off to Duvall to take a stroll. We had a late snack at Jack Flats, a comfortable sport bars with a lot of locals and a friendly staff.

Wednesday morning we rented bikes to ride around the island. We went down Simonton Street to the Atlantic Ocean, then left on South Street to the Southernmost Point in the Continental US. We rode down along the beach and then down A1A to the Key West International Airport. Since my son-in-law Matt is an airline pilot (a very good one), we wanted to see if we could rent a Cessna 172 (four seater) to fly around the islands. We reserved a plane for the next morning and after a nice lunch in the airport cafe, The Conch Flyer, we rode the bikes back to the hotel in the hot tropical sun. It was a good work out. We then went (drove the car) to Higgs Beach for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean. After an afternoon swim, we had a sunset cruise on Fury's Motion on the Ocean catamaran (we did not know when I signed up for the cruise it would be us and 40 German tourists). Quite an interesting and fun night, some details later, and some things that stay known only to those on Duvall Street that night.

The next morning at a terribly early time of 9:30 am (well, very early considering the night before) we took off in the Cessna with Matt at the controls. I felt much better with the fresh air from the open window at 100 mph and 500 feet above the ocean. Incredibly beautiful shades of blue, turquoise, and green below us along with sailboats, speedboats, sharks, sea turtles, and dolphins. After the flight, we had lunch at Caroline's Cafe (310 Duvall). It was excellent. Amanda and I shared a cuban pork sandwich which was great, and their key lime pie was fantastic. The seafood buffet later (221 Duvall) for dinner was a disappointment. Not bad food, but very average and overpriced.

Before dinner Matt and Amanda took a jet ski ride while the old folks rested. Early that evening I "went down to Captain Tony's, just to get out of the heat" and had a beer while listening to the singer do his song about the German tourists that are "invading" Key West. I saw Captain Tony, who must be quite old since he bought the bar in 1958. And what better way to make the last stop on Duvall Street than by having a Landshark at the bar in "Margaritaville".

Friday morning we checked out of the hotel and went to the Key West airport for another Cessna ride before driving to the Miami airport. Again, the views were awesome. Great people at Island City Flying, very nice. We ended up cutting it a little close on getting to the airport on time for the flight back home, but I did my best Ricky Bobby imitation on US1/Dixie Highway and we made it with 30 minutes to spare.

A great and memorable trip, more to come. Some pictures here, more to follow.

Later Parrotheads.

Key West Here We Come!!!

We are on our way to Margaritaville USA (aka Key West FL). Pictures and semi true stories next week.


"I just want to live happily ever after, every now and then... "


COWBOY IN THE JUNGLE
Jimmy Buffett

There's a cowboy in the jungle
And he looks so out of place
With his shrimp skin boots and his cheap Cheroots
And his skin as white as paste
Headin' south to Paraguay
Where the gauchos sing and shout
Now he's stuck in Porto Bello
Since his money all ran out
So he hangs out with the sailors
Night and day they're raisin' hell
And his original destination's just another
Story that he loves to tell.
With no plans for the future
He still seems in control
From a bronco ride to a ten foot tide
He just had to learn to roll.
Roll with the punches
Play all of his hunches
Made the best of whatever came his way
What he lacked in ambition
He made up with intuition
Plowing straight ahead come what may.
Steel band in the distance
And their music floats across the bay
While American women in muumuus
Talk about all the things they did today
And their husbands quack about fishing
As they slug those rum drinks down
Discussing who caught what and who sat on his butt
But it's the only show in town.
They're tryin' to drink all the punches
They all may lose their lunches
Tryin' to cram lost years into five or six says
Seems that blind ambition erased their intuition
Plowin' straight ahead come what may.
I don't want to live on that kind of island
No, I don't want to swim in a roped off sea.
Too much for me, too much for me
I've got to be where the wind and the water are free.
Alone on a midnight passage
I can count the falling stars
While the Southern Cross and the satellites
They remind me of where we are
Spinning around in circles
Living it day to day
And still twenty four hours, maybe sixty good years
It's still not that long a stay.
We've gotta roll with the punches
Learn to play all of our hunches
Makin' the best of whatever comes your way
Forget that blind ambition
And learn to trust your intuition
Plowin' straight ahead come what may.
And there's a cowboy in the jungle.

Three US Navy Ships (Thanks Captain John)

USS REAGAN

Seeing it next to the Arizona Memorial really puts its size into perspective... ENORMOUS! BEAUTIFUL! When the Bridge pipes 'Man the Rail' there is a lot of rail to man on this monster: shoulder to shoulder, around 4.5 acres.. Her displacement is about 100,000 tons with full complement. Capability Top speed exceeds 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refueling 1. Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years 2. Carries over 80 combat aircraft 3. Three arresting cables can stop a 28-ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet Size1. Towers 20 stories above the waterline 2. 1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall 3. Flight deck covers 4.5 acres 4. 4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across, weighing 66,200 pounds 5. 2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons 6. 4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 square feet Capacity 1. Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel 2. Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days 3. 18,150 meals served daily 4. Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2,000 homes 5. Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring 1,400 telephones 6. 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets 7. Costs the Navy approximately $250,000 per day for pier side operation 8. Costs the Navy approximately $25 million per day for underway operations (Sailor's salaries included).

US Navy welcomes the USS Bill Clinton Sunday, July 2, 2006 Vancouver , BC . Headed for Seattle, WA., the US Navy welcomed the latest member of its fleet today. The USS William Jefferson Clinton (CVS1) set sail today from its home port of Vancouver, BC. The ship is the first of its kind in the Navy and is a standing legacy to President Bill Clinton 'for his foresight in military budget cuts' and his conduct while president. The ship is constructed nearly entirely from recycled aluminum and is completely solar powered with a top speed of 5 knots. It boasts an arsenal c ompris ed of one (unarmed) F14 Tomcat or one (unarmed) F18 Hornet aircraft which, although they cannot be launched or captured on the 100 foot flight deck, form a very menacing presence. As a standing order, there are no firearms allowed on board. The 20 person crew is completely diversified, including members of all races, creeds, sex, and sexual orientation. This crew, like the crew aboard the USS Jimmy Carter, is specially trained to avoid conflicts and appease any and all enemies of the United States at all costs.! An onboard Type One DNC Universal Translator can send out messages of apology in any language to anyone who may find America offensive. The number of apologies are limitless and though some may seem hollow an d disi ngenuous, the Navy advises all apologies will sound very sincere. The ship's purpose is not defined so much as a unit of national defense, but instead in times of conflict, the USS Clinton has orders to seek refuge in Canada . The ship may be positioned near the Democratic National Party Headquarters for photo-ops. The Clin-toons Should be very proud.

USS Barack Obama sailing in from Cuba