Hitting 73 and still going

Not sure sometimes, why or how I have made it this far and long...most of the men in the family don't make it out of their 50s or 60s...but PRH hit 73 the day before St. Patrick's Day, and youngest Grandson, Kruz, aka:  "The Kruzer" his the big "One" the same day, and we partied at his place...

That's it for today...I will be back later however, God Willing...

 

The Red Door Celina, Ohio Revisited

 Back in the early days of this Blog, about 7 months in to be exact {when I was posting daily} I recalled the times I was Bartending and Managing "The Red Door" in Celina...well Hell I was checking "comments" to see if they were worth posting or pitching and I came across one from the Original Owner/Founder of the "Door", one Bill Huber.

I remember Bill well, from my late teens when he turned the "Golden Cue" into the Night Life of "Sin City"/Celina..."The Red Door".  I wasn't a close contact of Bill's but I do remember him and his wife Claudia well...her family owned another watering hole in Celina, down by the Tracks,  "Kerns Town Tavern"...at least I think that is how it was...perhaps.

Anyway, rather than talk about our Idiot of a President, or the contrived "War With Russia" or the even more contrived "COVID will kill us all", I think I will post a couple of older posts from March and April 2008, when I was thinking back about The Red Door, and looking forward to the 40th Red Door Reunion, and it's aftermath:

March 2008 Looking Back at The Red Door

After a "Back and Forth" in my mind, I finally decided to give that 40th Reunion a go...and here is that story:

Red Door Reunion 2008 part #1

and one final look back...thanks to Bill Huber for me looking back at this post from nearly 14 years ago...a 'reunion" of sorts in itself:

http://patsdailyrant.blogspot.com/2008/04/red-door-final-lookfor-now.html

Red Door Reunion part #2

back later with some "new stuff" perhaps soon  :)-

Following the Cincinnati Bengals to Kansas City

Youngest son Hal is a season ticket holder for the Bengals and managed to grab tickets for the Cincinnati team's first playoff victory in 31 years...that game, at home in Paul Brown Stadium, a win over the Las Vegas Raiders, took the monkey off the "Bungals" backs and gave the fans of the young team some hope for a Super Bowl appearance in the next couple of seasons...the upset victory at top seeded Tennessee the following weekend gave rise to "Why Not Us, This Year?" in the Ohio River City...

Hal calls and wants to know if I want to go to the Championship AFC game...well my response was ..."Perhaps KC but not Buffalo"...Buffalo was out...lousy weather, crazy, vile, fans, and the fact that they would require "Proof of the Jab" for COVID was a non starter for both of us...however the Chiefs pulled that crazy game out in a comeback and in Overtime, and we were thinking it could be in the cards. 

Tickets would be costly, the Hotels?  Not so much for us, as Hal's brother-in-law works for a Major Chain, and we would get 3 nights, one on the way in Terre Haute and two nights the weekend in downtown KC...so we decided to make a go of it.  It ended up with just us 2 as one buddy of Hal's came down with COVID, so off we went of Friday evening ...staying in Indiana late Friday and heading west on Saturday AM...

Hal, after some hits and misses, got a pair of tickets lower upper deck on the 15 yard line...$500 each...ouch!  But nothing compared to what they would go for Nose Bleed seats, right up to game time.

Parking was expensive at the game, $60 and a half mile from the stadium, but no way in Hell were we paying $150 to be close...it would still take hours after the game to get out...All in all of course it was worth it...The Bengals down 21-3 in the early second quarter came roaring back and pulled the upset off in Overtime and will play the LA Rams in Super Bowl 56 this Sunday evening..."Who Dey"? 

Ribs and More...

Kansas City is famous for it BBQ Rib Joints...we took in 2 of those, Q39 on Saturday Afternoon, and Jack Stacks after the game on Sunday Evening...

Q was the winner, both were good, but Q39 had Ribs like I've never grilled or even tasted, and the Wings were just as excellent...All in all, a somewhat expensive weekend, dropping around a grand, but with the wings, time with the youngest son, and the Bengals coming out on top, it was worth it...IF the Bengals can finally win a Super Bowl this Sunday, it would top off a grand season, if not, it will still have been one Hell of a ride, and with the young QB Joe Burrow, and the youngest team in the NFL, the sky is the limit...

Below are the Q39 fare...I admit I ate a bit to much and paid the price overnight, the Tums were not enough, but it was worth the discomfort...

Q39 Ribs and Wings

Back Later>>>

Passings...

 My 97 years old mother passed away this past Wednesday, January 19, 2002...She passed away in a rehab facility in Naples, Florida, after suffering a fall about a month ago at my youngest sister's place.  She had a stroke on Monday, and passed peacefully 48 hours later.  My wife, middle Grandson, and I had talked to her last Saturday, she was in good spirits, and alert as she always was. The lady was sharp and had a memory like a sponge, right up until the stoke...her eyes and hearing had started to go...but otherwise she didn't pass along after months or years in a assisted living facility or COVID infested nursing home...I thank God for that...

Margaret Helen Teresa DeVore was born April 13, 1924 in Chester, PA, she lived her childhood in Wilmington, Delaware, and graduated from P.S. Dupont High School, in Wilmington, in 1942...She met my dad at the end of WWII when he was stationed in Newark, Delaware, they married in Ohio on January 5, 1946...Dad passed away on Christmas Eve 1972...by her choice mom never remarried, and after her retirement, she and our cousin, traveled much of the world for over a decade, she lived in Ormond Beach, Florida, for 30 winters, in Ohio from May through December, and finally in Naples at sister's place, on the Gulf of Mexico, for the last 14 months of her life, and a good life it was.

She lost my older Brother Mike a few years ago in 2016, she is survived by me and my two younger sisters, 8 Grandchildren, 6 Girls and my two Sons, and 9 Great Grandchildren, 5 boys {including my 3 grandsons}, and 4 Granddaughters ... Rest in Peace Mom, you have deserved that, after a long a glorious life, that others would envy.

Photos-Mom and me in front of my Grandma's House at Scott, Ohio, in 1949... 
and on her 94th Birthday in Naples, Florida, in 2018...

Welcome 2022...And the Workfree Me...

 

Hard to believe that it was nearly 15 years ago, July 2007, that I started this Blog...the first few years I was posting over 200 stories and comment pages each year, the past decade things have slowed way down...but I check on this puppy at least once a week, and if I feel the need to get something off my chest, or to post new adventure photos, I can still do that on occasion.

As I approach 73 in March, things over those 15 years have changed me and the world...long time retired from full time work {retired at 53 from the Van Wert County Health Department in the Summer of 2002}. I decided to end all "jobs" for pay on January 1st...the security company I was working part time for, and making enough for vacations, motorcycle adventures, cigars, and good craft beers, decided to "Go Full Biden/COVID Bullshit" and require that everybody employed be "Jabbed" or Tested Weekly if refusing to get stuck...so I told them to "Stick It"  While the extra few thousand a year {I made $13,500 in 2021} was nice for what I needed, I really don't need the money, and sure the Hell won't go along with that Demented Fool in the White House or "Adolph Fauci" on their Masking and Jabbing...as a Retired Biology Guy, it's Bullshit and the recent upswing in the "Vaccinated" getting COVID is proving my point...despite what Twitter, Fakebook, the Lame Stream Media, and Left, might tell you...

So 2022 it appears will see me in Full Time Retirment, giving me more time to ride, fish, some good Cigars, and enjoy some backyard Beers...and perhaps,

maybe, to come up with some old stories from my past, that I have long ago forgotten or neglected on purpose...

So: "Let's Go Brandon" FULL STEAM into 2022

back later>>>>

Winding Down 2021

 

Since I got back from Florida on Halloween Night, the last 6 or 7 weeks have not only flown by, they have been filled with many ups and downs.  The older you get {73 in March, if I survive that long} the crazier and quicker moving life goes...

In November I returned to doing some part time Security Work at Honda, basically to refill my "Fun Money" that I spent in Florida, a couple thousand would take care of that and I worked enough right up until Thanksgiving week to make the "refill", that way I would be set for the planned Dual Sport Motorcycle Rides in 2022 to Moab and other adventures...

My old radio buddy, who I got his first gig some 40 years ago, from Cleveland, now living with his family in Louisville, KY, came to visit for 3 days.  Andy is now the Senior VP and Political Liaison for AMAC, the Conservative alternative to the Biden Obama Loving Leftist Group AARP...Patricia and I are among the 3 million and growing members.

AMAC - The Association of Mature American Citizens  

Anyway it was a nice 3 day get together and we rehashed some old times and  looked ahead.  Andy is "Vaxxed" while Patricia and I are not...and when Andy was leaving on Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I noticed that I had a slight cold and scratchy throat...BANG, by Wednesday I was sleeping a bunch, by Friday, Patricia was doing likewise...COVID?  Probably, but no way in Hell I'm becoming a "Stat" for the Leftist Ghouls at the CDC and Fauci/Biden.  By Saturday I was recovering, Patricia took the Ivermectin that she had ordered over the Internet, and after 3 days of sleeping, she recovered quickly...There you have that.  Vaxxed son Sam, and the rest of the Unvaxxed family members were in and out over Thanksgiving Weekend.  Some had already had COVID some not...nobody in our family, besides Patricia and me, came down with it on this round...HOWEVER!  Vaxxed or not, Andy calls me a week later, after spending a few days at his inlaws in Cleveland, and Vaxxed Andy has the COVID...he recovered within the week.

There you have it...Vaxxed or Not, that stuff is around and you are likely to eventually get it...take some precautions and you, if no underlying issues, will likely be fine.  IMO it was no worse than any cold or Bronchitis that I have had over the years ...
-----

Enter December:  As we were recovering from that we headed into mid December...I get a call from youngest sister down in Naples, that Mom at 97 has tumbled out of her bed and crashed, busting her head open.  Mentally alert, she seems to be recovering, after a few days, but they have moved her from sister's house to a rehad facility, perhaps for a month??  We will wait that out, the other sister flew down and they can deal with that...I'll be ready to head down if needed.

Then just like that we were looking forward to oldest son Sam's 40th birthday on the 17th and Patricia and my 45th Wedding Anniversary on the following today, that would be today, the 18th.  However in the meantime we received a couple of crushing notes.  My good friend and fellow Vietnam Sky Cop, Wayne Dezarn died of a sudden Heart Attack on Thursday the 16th...Wayne was one of the original 5 that started the Dayton Vietnam Sky Cop Reunion back in 2007, there are now 3 of us...services in the Dayton area are pending.  Then last night we received word that Patricia's Sister in Law, Sandy Callies, had passed after a long battle with cancer...Sandy dies on Sam's Birthday and the day before our wedding anniversary, in which she was Matron of Honor back in December 1976...

December has always been a month filled in my clan with Weddings, Births, Deaths, and December 2021, half way through, is no different...add that to the fact that that crazy demented son of a bitch, Joe Biden and his Puppet Masters are trying to refire the bullshit COVID scare, and it appears that 2022 is going to be one "interesting" year...IF we, and I, survive the last two weeks of 2021

Back Later>>>

Photos-Me{right} and my good friend Wayne Dezarn at one of our frozen Dayton Vietnam Reunions, before we moved them to April back in 2013...Andy and his wife Amy during a Fox News interview concerning the effects of Obamacare on everyday citizens...Patricia and I on our wedding day 12/18/1976 at her hometown, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin...and Sam and his broadcast partner, back in his Ohio State days broadcasting a women's OSU Basketball Game...

Florida 2021...Heading North for Home

Said my good~bye to mom and Kelly on Wednesday Night, then headed back to the Red Roof, watched some World Series and packed for the morning trip back north...

I had planned on stopping by the Gulf Shore area of Alabama to see my old football officiating crewmate and umpiring partner, fellow Air Farce Vietnam Vet, and buddy...John has had stage 4 Lung Cancer since late 2017 but despite the dire predictions, he has survived for over 4 years now, and him and wife moved from Ohio to Alabama last spring...the weather however, and my restlessness, decided to get the best of me and I instead headed straight up I 75...also missing a stop in Kentucky to see my long time friend and former broadcast mate, Andy Magione...it just wasn't in the cards. 11 days on the road and moving from motel to motel, had gotten the best of me. Nearing 73 that came as no surprise, despite feeling in reasonable health for my age...

So up the Interstate heading into some major rains, which would strike about

the time I hit Ocala in West Central Florida...traffic came to a stop on more than one occasion, but I still managed to make it to Cordele, Georgia, and the Colonial Best Western, where me and the family have made many stops...great, albeit aging, motel, and stay...always a great, hot, breakfast, thrown in with the $89 price tag...

A decent sleep, not great, but decent, was had and up for breakfast, and headed

north, with Atlanta, Knoxville, and more rain ahead...Kentucky was the worst as I was delayed by 3, count them, Three, traffic stopping accidents, which delayed my arrival home on Friday Night by a couple of hours...I finally arrived back in Celina by 10pm...happy to be home.

Grading the trip:  Fishing D-,  Travel Conditions  C-, Weather in Florida, B+, Hot and Humid, but for the most part rain free, except for the travel home...Flagler Beach A, Stay at Tom's A, Venice C, Naples C+, and Everglades B...overall I give the trip a C+...had better, had worse, didn't see some of the people I planned on, but for the most part, I enjoyed the time away...

Photos-Top Final Sunset on Venice Beach, Florida, Driving in the Driving Rains on I 75 near Ocala, Sunrise from my first floor room at the Colonial Best Western in Cordele, Georgia, and bottom Sunrise at Flager Beach looking out from my motel balcony ...

 

Florida Trip 2021 Post #6...Chokoloskee Island and the "Smallwood Store"

 

I arrived at Naples, stopped by sister Kelly's house on the Gulf Channel, and visited her and 97 year old mom for a couple hours, before checking in at the, what would be, disappointing Red Roof Inn...WTF?, No Coffee Maker, No Coffee at all...for 2 mornings I would have to drive to get a damn cup of joe...otherwise the place was close to Kelly and was so-so for $100 bucks a night...

Anyway you can read and see photos of the first day and night, in Naples, where Brother in Law, Denmark Mike fixed a great meal...being the world class chef he is, and has been for decades, it was no surprise at all....

In addition to visiting mom, who knows how long her, or for that matter me, will be around...the women has survived COVID when she was a mere 96 years old, so my guess is she has a better than average shot to make the century mark...and she still has her mind, sharp as a tack...which makes it that much better.

Anyway that was the main point of my trip, along with fishing, and photography...

I always spend a day or two when in deep south Florida driving the Everglades, usually highlighted by a trip down Loop Road...my plan this year was to drive the entire  distance, which after the 27 miles would bring me out a few miles from Miami, or at least the Miami overflow, but I go lazy, and

decided not to take the time to drive the 50 plus miles to Loop then another 2 hours driving it and back to Naples.  This year, the Big Cypress, Everglades City {just a quick visit} and then on to Chokoloskee Island, the land of Old Florida Drug Runners, and outlaws.

Two stops I wanted to make on the Island, which sits on the edge of the Ten Thousand Islands: 

Ten Thousand Islands

In all my trips to The Everglades area, I had not crossed the long straights

and bridge from Everglades City to Chokoloskee...but this time, at the urging  of my brother in law, who wanted me to drop by the Havana Cafe just over the bridge, I decided to give it a try...besides I wanted to visit the Smallwood Store that I had read about in the book "Totch", the story of Loren "Totch" Brown, who lived and wandered this area for most of his entire life...                                                  

Totch

So, Wednesday, October 24th, I spent the morning driving down to Everglades City, Chokoloskee Island, and visited the Smallwood Store, then on to the Havana Cafe for Lunch:

Havana Cafe

Smallwood Store



The afternoon, after lunch and a quick return to Naples {I ended up putting 185 miles or so on the Jeep that day}, I returned and explored a part of the Big Cypress Swamp that I had not been in before, that part coming up in the next installment.

Photos...Top:  Inside the Ted Smallwood Store there hangs a mural of how the store looked back in it's heydays, around 1930.  {2}  Denmark Mike fixed us a grand meal on night #1 in Naples, Seafood, Steaks, and Veggies on the Grill and his Pastry Chef made us a Mocha Chocolate Cheesecake  {3} The welcoming sign to Everglade City, progress, thankfully, has been slow coming to EC, but sad to say, it is coming...{4}/{5} The Havana Cafe, where I had a Cuban Sandwich, Chips, and a Beer...around $20 before the tip, pricy, but well worth the stop, if and when I get down that way again, will stop once more ... {6} and Bottom...The Inside and outside entrance to the Smallwood Store, if you have any interest in Old Time Florida, you should look that story and history up, also, if any interest in the Everglades in the old days before the great invasion of two legged varmints, pick up a copy of "Totch", they come fairly cheap in the paper back and it is well worth the read and photos...

Far Bottom Photo is the backside view of the Smallwood Store...it was a bit humid that day, but well worth the $5 fee just to visit Old Florida, which was what it was back in the early 1950s when we arrived in Venice.

Back Later>>

Florida Trip Post #5, revisiting Flagler Beach/Pier

 

Thought I would use today's post to revisit my look at the Flagler Beach/Pier portion of my Florida visit...When I arrived at Flagler and the quaint beach motel on October 20th and thru my stay, which ended on October 22nd, I saw nice Atlantic Breezes and plenty of sun and humidity, perfect weather.  Looking back I'm glad I stayed when I did, the weather these past few days has turned into a bit of an adventure, looking at the weather and news stories....

As you can see from today's Pier Camera,  the sun is back out, but the waves and Rip Tide is still in force: 

Flagler Pier Cam  

It appears that these conditions will last thru mid week, at least...

Meanwhile here is a quick little story from one Orlando TV Station on the view of the Pier...

Wild Pier Waves {< click to see story} 

<<<This photo showing wave action is NOT mine, It was copied from the Palm Coast Observer, and I thank them for this shot.



The top photo meanwhile is me at the Pier fishing and enjoying the sun back on Friday morning October 22nd...

OK...that was a quick look back at the trip's beginning, next post I will be moving on down to Naples and the southern most points of the Florida Gulf Coast...

back later>>>

Florida Trip 2021 Post #4

 

By the time I was into the Florida 2021 Trip Day #6, I would say good bye to Tom and his St. Johns River, and cross the state, then back on I-75 south to my old home {1953-63} Venice...albeit, hardly the same town I grew up in.  Venice, like almost all the coastal areas of Florida {along with the Orlando mess}, has become over crowded, crime ridden, and way to "Diversified" for my enjoyment...but that rant and cow left the barn long ago, so I still felt the need to make my obligatory stop, like I have done for the last visits,  about every other year.

Regardless, I grabbed the cell phone when I stopped near Sarasota at the I-75 Rest Area nearby and checked out some motels and prices...no way was I staying at the place the family stayed back in the late 1990s and early part of this century.  The Inn at the Beach, while it has not changed much in looks has sure went up in price, and I didn't feel the need to spend $200 a night for a damn bed, no matter how close it was to the beach!

Inn at the Beach Venice  

So after a bit of searching, I finally found an Old Venice Motel, one that was around when I was just a kid...

Island Breeze Inn   

Make no mistake, the place doesn't look as good as the photos show...it's actually kind of a, well I won't use the word "Dump"...but it's no 4 or 5 star hostel either.  However, for my needs, A/C, a fridge, Cable TV, and fairly clean, at 1/3rd the cost, it was indeed "My Kind Of Place".  I mean, what the Hell?  I was on a solo trip, without the wife or kids, grandkids, or motorcycle riding buds...I needed a place to sleep, sit outside the room and smoke a cigar or two and drink a few beers...Bingo!  I had my place for the next 44 hours or so...

Up next ... a couple of days of wandering the beach, Jetties, both north and south, to do some "fishing" {not good, but the rip tide was partly responsible} and photo taking.  Hey the old hometown ain't what it used to be, but I usually feel obligated to stop by and see the changes...a few old friends still live there, but not on the agenda for this trip.

Photos:  Top Island Breeze Inn, my room at the end of the strip...I was the only White Guy there for the first night...lots of Spanish Speaking Contractors...good guys, some living in the west strip of rooms with their families...2nd photo, the Inn at the Beach as it looked back in 1998 or maybe 2000, one of the family trips, the only major change is the cost!  From about $100 a night to around $200 to $275, no thanks...Bottom Photo, the Monday October 25th Sunset off Venice Beach.

Part #3 More Florida Trip Photos...Flagler Beach, Daytona, and the St. Johns River

 

Amazing what a couple of weeks, or even days can do...

When I left for my 11 day solo trip to Florida on October 19th, the weather in Ohio was sunny and warm...when I returned it was raining and has been cool to cold and frosty since, although the rains have ended and we are now getting cool and sunny/dry, which looks like by early next week with get back into the low to mid 60s for a few days, before Indian Summer ends. We are likely in for 4 months of winter, hopefully the Bullshit "Science" of man made Global Warming will see another warm winter, surely to cause panic in the loons/Chicken Little types, on the left...😆

Meanwhile when I arrived at Flagler Beach, on the Atlantic side of North Florida, just above Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach, on the 21st it was dry, warm, and humid...check out the Flagler Pier today {11/5/2021} compared to what it was just 2 weeks ago....here is the Pier Cam from Flager:

Flagler Pier Cam

Quite the difference from this:   >>>>

My youngest son, his boys and wife, along with her family are in Orlando and Disney World the next 10 days...looks like the lousy weather will be done by Monday, thus saving most of his expensive vacation...

Photos Above:  Tom's place on the St. Johns River has this Dock View...didn't catch many fish, but I enjoyed the view and stay...2nd photo above, the Flagler Pier on my Morning Fish Day, Friday 10/22/21...much better than today 11/5/21..

After leaving Flagler around Noon two weeks ago, on the 5th, I headed some 40 miles inland to Astor, Florida, on the St. Johns River...there I stayed with an old Ohio friend, Tom, who works with Horses, Trotters, and Pacers, near DeLand...Tom rents a fine place on the River, and I stayed there Friday and Saturday Nights, before heading out towards the Gulf Side of Florida and my old hometown of Venice...

Friday Afternoon Late we headed to Daytona Beach to the Oyster Pub for some Oysters and Beers...Saturday it was fishing, beer, and then pizza, as we watched Ohio State dismantle Indiana's football team.

Photos above...My old Ohio buddy Tom Friedly at the Daytona Oyster Pub...Tom had the Raw ones and Chili Soup, while I had the soup and a half dozen "Stuffed Fitzpatrick" Oysters...I much prefer them cooked and done...some folks like them raw...💀

More Later>>>