Love The Deep Clean

Karen & I have been bustin' our butts since Fri morning. Oddly enough, we were no vacancy on Thurs nite. 7 turnovers Fri morning and 5 this morning. This is not a complaint, although my back is screaming at me after making all those beds.

Our biggest pleasure is doing a deep clean & today was the perfect opportunity. #6, my "dolphin" room was vacated after a 7 week stay by a latino woman and her adorable 2 year old son. We stripped that room down to the bare walls, scrubbed everything, laundered everything, including the shower curtain, shampooed the carpet, washed the windows, light fixture etc. etc. This is a routine we do on a regular basis, but when there's a long term stay, we can't get in there to do so. Just imagine how you feel after a good spring cleaning. That's how I feel this evening.

All this room needs for now is the new lamp and benches I aquired from my dear friend Ed at Atlantic Liquidators in Hammonton, NJ. As soon as my dh clears a trail in the store room I can get busy on that project.

Can't

Really can't talk. Too pissed.

I'll Never Go Hungry Again!

It had to be my old oven, the pot with a snug fitting lid that wasn't, the misleading recipe or a combination of all three. Since tomorrow I have a late day appt. that won't leave time to cook, I decided to prepare 2 dinners today. I started with tomorrow's which promised that a day's aging would add to the flavor. Rather labor intensive with the browning of the meat, caramelizing of the onions. Eventually, it was in my oven set at 25 degrees lower than recommended and I'm happily going about preparing the second dish of the day for tonight's dinner. Things are smelling good. An hour short of the recommended cook time for dish #1, I start smelling something suspicious. Things in the oven obviously weren't going as planned. I managed to rescue the roast, but my beautifully caramelized onions, Guinness stout and vinegar gravy had started to adhere themselves to the walls of the pot. It's still soaking. Was I ticked? You might say so. Jeez, I hate waste. I felt as if I wasted my time and the ingredients I had to toss. Oh well, tomorrow is another day Scarlett.

Good Reads

Today, I finished "Shoot Him If He Runs," one of Stuart Woods Stone Barrington novels. I have read Woods off and on for years and each time I forget what a good yarn spinner he is. His tales are improbable, but then again maybe that's my naivete speaking. If you visit his website and read his bio, you'll see as I did, that he's had plenty of life experience which he sprinkles lavishly through his tales. I'm not selling here, I'm just an enthusiast. He sails, he flies (planes, that is) and even has a dog named Fred.

For me, the true test of literary entertainment is that my non-reading dh has actually read and thoroughly enjoyed the adventure, wit, intelligence and license to fly (imaginatively, that is) of Stuart Woods.

What's in a name

I was lying in bed a 3 AM two nights ago and I heard what I thought was scurrying in the walls behind me and the ceiling above my head. I could'nt sleep thinking about what disgusting vermin were up to while we were laying there oblivious. I was so creeped. I said to Dan , "do you hear that?" ZZZZZZZZsnort was his response.

The upshot is that the next morning I told Dan that I would give in to something that he had been trying to sell me for awhile and let him adopt a cat. I want a huntress in the house. However, I have these serious litter box, fishy food odor issues, so I haven't been a huge cat fan. He went to the Gulf County Humane Society & picked out a tabby about 9 months old. He bought food, a litter box, litter, scoop, canned food, (Ycccch) , stinks. Anyway, she will be spayed on Friday & after that, she can be picked up & brought here.

In the meantime, I discover that the "scurrying" I was hearing was not my imagined vermin but the wind blowing branches of the lemon tree against the walls directly behind & above our bedroom. Too late. I'm committed, or should be.

Once I became committed however, I become obsessed. I'm picking out the perfect spots for bed, eating, litter box etc. I want a scratch post, healthful food, toys, jeweled collar etc. My obsession however seems to have centered on a name. Dan nixed my first four suggestions. Would you immediately dismiss Fiona, Francine, Gracie, Mercedes?

Ok, regrouping, my mind went on a different tack. Who were the catwomen on the Batman series?

Lee Meriweather, Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt. That's it!!! Earthakitty! There's no way I can turn Lee Meriweather into a cool cat name, julienewmar isn't bad, but earthakitty is brilliant. If Dan doesn't agree, I may suggest Wong Foo. Not exactly feminine, but so evocative. Besides, yesterday was Chinese New Year, so that alone would make Wong Foo appropriate.

This whole discussion is moot until I actually lay eyes on this girl. I'm going to leave this issue on the table until I meet her. Still thinkin' though.

Red Sky At Morning

When I went out this morning to get the paper, this is the sky that greeted me. I ran in for the camera so I could share this lovely sight. I take that back, I didn't run, I strolled in to get my camera. I'm slowing down. By design, not by necessity. Somehow, I haven't been able to shake that NJ hurry up mind set. It really doesn't work down here.

Two years ago, there was nothing but forest across the street. Developers came in and these "condo cottages" went up in about six months. They just came in & started stacking boxes on top of boxes. They're not ugly, they actually have that "old Florida" look, but they sure are close together. We were laughing about the residents being able to pass cups of coffee from balcony to balcony.

Tonight's sunset wasn't nearly as spectacular. In our location we do experience some dramatic sunsets, but in my experience, the best ever were from the deck of our home overlooking Lake Oneida in upstate NY.

Oh, Happy Chinese New Year! Our spiritual selves put great stock in Chinese tradition & we look forward to a steady upward trend in this year of the Ox.

I Feel Good

Effortless fat loss! How could I not be sucked in by that promise? I picked up my usual cheapie mags at the supermarket check out and 2 of them promised easy weight loss plans. Oh, big surprise. Anyway, the first was walking off 20 lbs by the end of March. I asked the clerk what she thought of that & her answer was, "Well, if you start now & never stop until the end of March, maybe." Hmmm, that didn't work for me.The other mag offered the usual miracle diet, again not for me. However, buried on page 36 was an article entitled "Instant energy-effortless fat loss!" After a quick scan of the article, I figured this was something I could do. It only required 5 minutes a day. 5 minutes!? Anyone can do 5 minutes. Today is my 6th day and I gotta tell ya that I feel very good. I'm not sure about fat loss, but the anxiety reduction & energy increase make it so worth it.



The whole routine is based on yoga principles developed by Ravi Singh and Ana. I still can't do the first position for the whole 60 seconds, but my breathing is getting better & today I made it to 50 secs. Maybe my COPD makes it a little tougher for me, but then again, maybe it'll improve my breathing and lung capacity. It's possible I'll lose a couple of lbs, but I don't see how I can lose with this one. If I can't invest 5 mins then shame on me. Like James Brown said "I Feel Good."

Miss America Tonight

I will not apologize for being a long time Miss America fan. I started following the pageant closely starting in 1954 with the crowning of Evelyn Ay of PA. I can remember her full page swimsuit pic on the front page of the Atlantic City Press, my hometown newspaper. She wasn't quite glam enough for me, but that did not dampen my enthusiasam. The following year was the first televised and when Lee Merriweather was crowned and Bert Parks sang "There she is, Miss America," I bawled as if it was my own 13 year old self walking that runway.

When I became old enough, there was no doubt that I would pursue my dream. I won my county pageant & believe me it was "great to be the queen." The Miss NJ pageant was held in Cape May that year. A local car dealership gave me a red mustang convertible to drive to & from and the contestants were given rooms gratis in local motels. What fun it all was. Riding in the parade, waving to everyone and then actually making it to 3rd runner up to Miss NJ felt really good.

Years later, through a local modeling agency, I got a job doing the stage blocking for future Miss America telecasts. I would stand in for the contestants and winners on the Atlantic City Convention Hall stage while the directors blocked camera angles and microphone placement. One year I was a fit model for Miss America Debra Bryant while she was overseas doing a USO tour with Bob Hope. All her gowns were fitted on me so they would be ready to go when she got home.

So tonight, after 55 years!? I'll still be picking my favs and bawling when the new queen takes that walk. There She Is.

Positive Outlook

I hate to get too optimistic, but the motel phone has been ringing off the hook today and even though it's early on a Fri eve, we've got 6 rms out of 10 occupied. We don't rely on drive ins for business, but it's possible we'll pick up a tourist or two tonight. Reservations seem to be ahead of last year. We're already booking 6 months ahead. What a great sign!



A couple of our guys who are working on the deep water port brought their wives up from Miami for a visit. It must be tough working so far away from family and paying for 2 households. It just shows how far people are willing to go to make a decent living for their families. I admire them for that reason.



The fishing in the canal is great right now. Yesterday some flounder in the 19" range were brought in. The fishermen know to read Dan's fishing report on our website and call us for reservations accordingly. I'll be updating my portion of the website soon, reflecting our new reduced rates for 2009. Gotta be flexible in hard times. That's the way we all win.

Cavity in dental care

I had a totally different subject in mind for tonight's blog when I received a call from dd Denise. Her son, my grandson, Logan, had a double root canal and two crowns on baby teeth. Is this insurance fraud or what? As a child, I had not so good teeth. My dentist pulled more than a few. Baby teeth have no roots, so the extractions are a minor issue, cheap & not painful for the child.

To compound this travesty, the family dentist not only refused to address the problem, but was rude and insensitive. When referred to a pediatric dentist, Denise was surprised and appalled by the lack of sensitivity toward patient and parent. There was no consultation prior to a radical procedure on 2 baby teeth. Apparently there was a lot of bleeding. Root canal? bleeding? I don't think so. Let me add that 2 teeth were done because the dentist claimed he couldn't be sure which one was causing the discomfort. Hello?? What happened to xrays? Does this guy sound like a total money grabber or what?

My feeling is that the family dentist is getting a kickback from the pediatric dentist and the pede dentist is padding the bill at the expense of a scared little boy & uninformed mother.

Health insurance is a necessity, but also a blank check for unscrupulous medical & dental personnel. We need to closely monitor our medical & dental procedures and charges. Doctors are no better than auto mechanics. It's up to us to chose the best and then make our own informed health decisions.

Instant Gratification

Minnie is my midweek housekeeper/jill of all trades. We only had some stays to take care of today so Minnie had time to work on painting some of the bathroom doors and trim. It's amazing how much cleaner the rooms look with a little fresh paint. She & I are on the same page when it comes to painting. We both love that instant gratification. There's nothing like taking a step back & admiring your work. Instant feel good.

On the outside, we're painting trim and room doors. We'll work around the weather. Inside stuff when it's brrr and outside after the weather mellows a bit.

On the subject of gratification, I found a 5 minute yoga routine purported to give me energy, weight loss (tummy area,) peace, focus, & so on. There are 3 exercises, 2 take 1 minute & one, 2 minutes. I couldn't hold #1 for 60 secs yesterday. Today I made it to 45 secs. The other 2 I had trouble with yesterday, but today managed to hold both the full 60. When I finish, I gotta say, I feel great. What makes the short exercise routine effective is the breathing. I'm told that doing "breath of the dragon" makes the one minute as effective as 1 hour. I'm having a hard time with that concept, but 5 mins is my speed, so I'll stick with this until I get bored. Results would be nice though.

Back from the dead

I am so grateful to a friend of Dan's from the VFW for resuscitating my dead computer. It's like a new born baby, but it's back. All photos and docs have gone away. Most programs needed to be revived, some regrettably, are gone forever. The upside is that I feel as if I have a new computer. I've spent the last couple of days reconfiguring the basics and it's been kinda fun.



The inauguration has been in my background all day & I must say that I've been caught up in the positive feelings and hopeful outlook for the future of our country. Our new president has my wholehearted support, (even though his wife could have chosen a more flattering outfit for the big day.) and what's up with her imperviousness to the freezing temps in DC?? The woman looked as if she was strolling along on a spring day.



If I can stay awake long enough, I hope to critique her ball gown. I'm not sure how they can stay awake for the upcoming 11 balls. I understand that they will attend each one. It must be the adrenalin.

Crashed!

My own computer has crashed. Writing this on DH Dan's. No blue screen or anything, just bam! gone, everything. If my house burned down & I lost everything I own I couldn't be more bereft. Looks like I'm going to be incommunicado for awhile. The SOB started once & I tried "system restore," but it froze during the restore and has not started since. Excuse me, but I have to get back to my sulk.

Brrrrrr

Yes indeed, the frost is on the pumpkin. Fish must be moving, because, Dan says the marina was crammed with local fishermen this morning. I actually spent the afternoon under my comforter reading. I just couldn't get warm enough out in the office. There's only a space heater & my desk is right in front of a drafty window. I don't mind the cold per se, but we're just not equipped for it. It would be lovely to sit in a cushy chair in front of a toasty fire. I'm thinking that bringing the Weber in here & firing her up is not an option.

US Air vs. Hudson River

Every time I start thinking that my aversion to flying may be a tad paranoic, something happens that has me shaking my head again. When I saw the live footage of that US Air plane in the Hudson River this afternoon, my stomach sank. I could see the cockpit, tail and one wing surrounded by rescue boats of all sorts. I saw no people, so wasn't sure if they had gotten out. It was surreal. Thank God that according to Katie Couric all 151 people on board were safe.

A commentator was reassuring us that this particular aircraft is one of the most reliable, with an incredible safety record. Sure it is. That's why I can see it submerged in the Hudson River. The conjecture at this time is that the plane ran into a flock of birds which caused double engine failure and that the pilots should be congratulated for putting her down on the softest surface available.

If that's the case they deserve accolades for saving so many lives. However, I can state unequivocably there is no way I will ever perish in airline disaster. My butt is grounded. For the record, I don't do water either.

Girl's Day Out

The Ho & I got together for our monthly "girl's day out." It had been more than a month since we'd seen each other, and with the holidays in between we had tons to catch up on. Had lunch at the Sunset Coastal Grill. It's one of our favorite places, not just because of the good food and great view, but because we're never rushed through our little ritual. We don't just sit down, order & eat. We linger over a couple of drinks and catch each other up on the news first. Sometimes the drink phase lasts way longer than the eating part. These monthly tete a tetes of ours have become addictive. I don't know about the Ho, but Ahhh! I feel so much better.

Today is the anniversary of a special day, and one I remember quite well. Even though is was a tad over 40 years ago, the birth of a child remains in one's memory. It was a very snowy January in NJ and I felt this might be the day. I went to Mother's so I wouldn't be alone in our third floor walk-up apartment. Sure enough, late in the afternoon the trip to the hospital was made. After being examined by my OB, he remarked that it would be a while, so off he goes to his gun club for some skeet shooting. I didn't see him again that day, because as soon as he left, my baby girl decided to make her appearance. Luckily, there was an intern on duty. He managed to catch Danielle as she popped into the world, then the poor guy had to run across the hall to catch another newbie. My baby & I were taken care of by the OB nurse who happened to be a friend of mine.

But enough about me! It's Danielle's special day. Love to my very special daughter and Happy Birthday, darling, Mom

Tiki Room

There's a guy who started calling me in late October to book a month in a kitchen unit. He's quite indecisive about his arrival date and which particular kitchen he wants. He has called 3 times since then, changing his arrival each time. I understand that when committing to a month stay, one wants it to be as close to perfect as possible. This morning he called again & I had to tell him that my medium size kitchen has been booked for a 4 month stay, so now all I have available suitable for one person is our smallest unit, #9. This is our "Tiki" room. We can't change the age of the motel or the size of the rooms, so in order to amuse myself & my guests, I spend the off months decorating "theme" rooms.

I don't want this guy to be disappointed, so I sent him the photos above this morning. At least he'll know exactly what he's getting while he still has time to cancel without penalty.

If we had the resources, we'd make at least one more full kitchen unit. Expecially in our current economy, people still want to travel, but having the option to cook in is very attractive to the budget minded vacationer. That wouldn't be me however! If I had to cook on my vacation, I'd stay home! To me, eating out is the best part of a vaca. Love trying regional specialties and finding unique & quirky local eateries.

Oop! There he goes

Damn, he's stubborn. Just won't sit still for a portrait. Oh but he's so much happier. I moved him to a 1 1/2 liter vase & put in a silk plant. Apparently bettas like a place to hide. They happen to be carnivores & food of choice is blood worms. You should see him go after those freeze dried little suckers! Since he's not in an aquarium with a heater, I'm still concerned about keeping him warm enough in these panhandle winters.

Did you know that bettas can breathe air? If you doubt me, google it.

Internet Date At The DB Motel! Puhleeeez....

This is scary. A couple of days ago, a young (from my point of view) woman came in to inquire about pricing. She wanted to see a room and was adamant about our having WiFi. We do have WiFi, I assured her & took her to see my non-smoking "hawaiian vacation" room even though she was a smoker. All the smoking rooms were occupied at the time. She seemed antsy to me & laughed way to much, so I filed her away as a person we may want to be wary of if she actually called to make a reservation. I told Dan about her in case he took the call.

Well today, Dan got the call. "I think I just talked with your strange girl & she made a reservation for 4 days at the end of next week. She wants to come here this afternoon to confirm her reservation with her debit card, because her boyfriend will be arriving a day before she's due to get here." When she did come in, we had to make sure she wasn't local, because we don't rent to local people for obvious reasons. Dan took care of her & gave her our usual speech. We're not a party place, 10:30 PM is quiet time, because we have guests who get up early to fish, work etc. We expect our guests to respect our property and us, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Again, she's laughing inappropriately & talking way too much. I'm at my desk & can hear everything. When Dan tells her the smoking room we have available has two beds, she starts to panic & asks to see it, so he takes her out to #5 which is currently vacant.

When he came back, he told me she wanted to make sure the beds weren't singles, because the "boyfriend" is a guy she met on the internet & this will be their first date. Hello? Am I the only person out there who thinks this girl is clueless, nuts or desperate? How can she put herself in this kind of jeopardy? I wasn't crazy about her, but I won't be able to help watching out for her as best I can, because she obviously hasn't got the brains or common sense to watch out for herself.

Does anyone remember the TV show from the 50's called Naked City. The tag line was "there are a million stories in the naked city." Well there are at least a hundred stories at the Dixie Belle.

Speaking of stories, there's an author out of Panama City who writes "Florida Noir." I've just started reading him and have very mixed feelings. His name is Michael Lister. I'd love to hear from some of you who have read him. I read his "dark tales of sexual obsession, revenge and despair" called "Another Quiet Night in DESPERATION," and actually felt quite desperate myself by the time I finished. The fictional town of Desperation is without a doubt our little Port St Joe. He even mentions a motel called the Dixie Land Inn. Coincidence? I think not. At least he describes it at clean and private. His full length novel "Blood of the Lamb" is next up on my reading list.

12,000 volts!

Had a call yesterday from a guy who used to stay with us quite frequently, but haven't seen in a while. He made a reservation for three days at the end of January. He said he needed some R&R before returning to work from medical leave.

He's an electrician, and in September while working in a bucket 30 feet above the ground he was electrocuted with 12,000 volts. He says it was a freak accident. The current arced & used him as a conductor. He doesn't remember of course, but his friends say he fell from the bucket. What a lucky guy to have lived to tell this scary tale. He broke his leg & hip and still has residual burn marks on his head, but, remarkably, sounded as if he has recovered quite well.

A professional electrician for 18 years, he says that reqardless of all precautions, sometimes events are beyond one's control and that he thanks God every day for his survival.

Wally

Wally is my new love. He's sitting on my desk & I've been obsessing about him all day. He's absolutely gorgeous, a tad aloof, & I'm worried that he won't be happy here. Saying he's blue doesn't do him justice. I gave him a mirror so he can admire himself and pretend to do battle to defend his territory.

In my typically anal way, I've been reading everything I can find on line about betta fish. He's in a nicely shaped vase in about a quart of water. Not the optimum. Most experts recommend one to two gallons. No gravel, because it harbors bacteria. He needs a plant or ornament where he can hide when he doesn't feel like living in a fishbowl. Most of us need a little privacy. I moved him to the dark side of my desk because it seemed to me that the bright light depressed him. He was laying on the bottom & definitly sulking. I'm going to PC tomorrow & will hit the pet store for new food, some aquarium salt and something for him to hide in. I so want him to be happy. I love when he waves his little side fins in greeting and excitement.

He doesn't bark, he doesn't shed, he doesn't need to go out for a walk and I don't have to poop scoop, just provide him with a clean environment & not overfeed him. I'm already confiding in him and have a feeling that he won't be blabbing my personal stuff all over town.

Can't Wait

I've been emailing back & forth with a prospective guest from Vermont. He requested a reservation & I replied that I could not comfirm without a cc#. He emailed it to me & I responded, chiding him for risking theft sending sensitive info via email. Here's his response to me:

Hi Michele,
The year before last I took a trip around the world and every hotel I stayed in required a credit card number to secure the reservation. Providing both recipient and sender have Internet protection it should be pretty safe. I'll let you know if disaster befalls me.

I can't wait to meet this guy.

Our lemon & tangerine trees were absolutely rampant with fruit this year. Guest have been picking them for months and yesterday I squeezed a good half gallon of fresh lemon juice.
Beautiful evening view of the marsh & creek from the backyard. Just beyond is St Joseph's Bay, Cape San Blas and the Gulf of Mexico.

East Coast Food

This is brother Paul in Bradford, PA. Now we're back in Fla. We have lots of snow birds in Port St Joe. Mostly retired military, and today a friend from Wisconsin brought us some cheese. What a treat! While we were in upstate NY, we bought white cheddar, hot cherry peppers and hot Italian sausage. LA (translation, Lower Alabama) is a foodie's wasteland. Friends have tried to send us stuff packed in dry ice & even FedEx can't get it to us in time. It takes too long to get here & arrives spoiled. We did pig while on our trip. We were doing "death by diner" until it got a bit too literal for me. On the way home, I had an ambulance ride to a hosp in VA and a 2 night stay being treated for a heart abnormality. Yes indeed, I overdid it & I guess not being a teenager any more, I had to pay for play. What a bummer.

One of my sweet little families is staying for another week & just came in the office asking if they could pay me on Friday. I trust them. They'll come through. This afternoon I had a guy come in asking if I could beat the weekly rate at a motel down the road. I didn't like his attitude, so I gave him a high quote. This is essentially my home & I claim the right to screen my guests. That doesn't mean that I'm a great judge of character. I'm not. I've been burned plenty of times.

Speaking of diners, the West Chester Diner in PA is a gem. Scenes from the horror movie "The Blob" with Steve McQueen were filmed in the basement. However, the food is the star. Warning, servings are huge! The chef/owner partnered with Paul Prudhomme & what comes out of that kitchen is wonderful. Corned beef hash lovers should charter a plane.

First Day Back From Vacation

Got back today from a 2 1/2 week vaca. Only time of year we can close. We may have lost a little business, but historically, Dec is very slow. Housekeeper, K, took care of the occupied rooms while we were gone. She also did the laundry. Very lucky to have her.

5 out of our 10 rooms are occupied. 2 couples are here with their boats to do some fishing (#9 says her kitchen sink is leaking, I'll get Dan on that tomorrow.) We have families with children on their Xmas vaca in 2 rooms and guys working on the new deep water port, plus some others working on the new hospital. Both the port and the hospital are due to open in 2010. We're excited about both projects and now that Port St Joe has repealed Sun blue laws, this town is ready for some serious growth.

We're actually hoping that this anticipated growth will bring us an offer. We've been at this for 7 yrs now & except for vacation, can never leave here at the same time. All year long, no dinners out together, no movies, no parties. One of us always has to be here. OK, I'll stop whining now.