Death Sentence

Family members of students killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., including Linda Beigel Schulman, Michael Schulman, Patricia Padauy-Oliver, Fred Guttenberg and others, arrived to hear the sentencing verdict in the trial of Nikolas Cruz. POOL PHOTO BY AMY BETH BENNETT





After a Florida jury voted to sentence Nikolas Cruz to life in prison earlier this month for the murders of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, news coverage focused on the disappointment and rage of his victims’ families. Many of them wanted the death penalty, and some will speak in court at his sentencing on Nov. 1.

Cruz’s trial featured days of defense testimony about his adversities, including his mother’s drug and alcohol use while he was developing in utero. That was his right — the Supreme Court long ago said, when the death penalty is on the table, juries must consider the whole person, not just the single crime — but it left the impression that Cruz had won a sympathy contest. 

“This jury failed our families today,” Fred Guttenberg, the father of Jaime Guttenberg, told reporters. Soon after, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested that state law, which requires a unanimous jury vote for death, might be changed to “be better serving victims of crime, and the families of victims.”  READ MORE...

Treasury Investigates DeSantis

The Treasury Department’s Office of the Inspector General is investigating whether Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis improperly used coronavirus relief funds to transport migrants to Massachusetts following a request from members of the latter state’s congressional delegation.

The news comes weeks after the DeSantis administration sent two planes of about 50 Venezuelan nationals from Texas to the wealthy enclave of Martha’s Vineyard with a stop in Florida along the way, drawing outrage for what some – including President Joe Biden – have called a political stunt. 

Biden dismissed the ploy at the time and said Republicans are “playing politics with human beings, using them as props.”  READ MORE...

IAN Kills Dozens

PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Rescuers searched for survivors among the ruins of Florida’s flooded homes from Hurricane Ian while authorities in South Carolina began assessing damage from its strike there as the remnants of one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. continued to push north.

The powerful storm terrorized millions of people for most of the week, battering western Cuba before raking across Florida from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, where it mustered enough strength for a final assault on South Carolina. 

Now weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, Ian was expected to move across central North Carolina on Saturday morning then move into Virginia and New York.  READ MORE...

Cottonmouth's Eating Pythons

The ecosystem in which the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) has made its home in the Florida Everglades is fighting back as native species are eating the invasive snakes. 

Scientists studying the big constrictor in Florida have documented the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), the Gulf Coast indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) and the bobcat (Lynx rufus) as consumers of these snakes. 

The Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) is also possibly a consumer of the Burmese python.

Now scientists with Zoo Miami have confirmed at least two cases of adult Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti) snakes eating young Burmese pythons. 

The scientists have radiograph verification of the venomous snake eating a radiotelemetered Burmese python in 2020 and in 2021. The 2020 observation took place in the Picayune Strand State Forest in Florida and the 2021 observation took place in the state’s Big Cypress National Preserve. 

Both young Burmese pythons were radio tagged for research purposes.

The first cottonmouth was captured via the radio-tracker and sedated and transported to a lab until the transmitter was expelled. 

It measured 63 cm Snout to vent length, 74 cm total length, and 317 g. The snake, a female, was then released back into the location in which it was captured.

The second cottonmouth snake consumed the Burmese python tail first. The snake was captured and released the same day. 

It measured between 87 cm SVL and 108 cm total length. No other data was collected.

It has been documented that the venomous snake is known to eat 27 snake species, including other cottonmouth snakes.  READ MORE...

Preventing Kidney Stones

Kidney stones illustration. Mayo Clinic researchers found that enriching diets with foods high in calcium and potassium may prevent recurrent symptomatic kidney stones.

Diets Higher in Calcium and Potassium May Help Prevent Recurrent Symptomatic Kidney Stones

Not only can kidney stones cause excruciating pain, but they also are associated with chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. If you’ve experienced a kidney stone once, you have a 30% chance of having another kidney stone within five years.

Typically, doctors prescribe changes in diet to prevent recurrent symptomatic kidney stones. Unfortunately, there is little research available regarding dietary changes for those who have one incident of kidney stone formation versus those who have recurrent incidents.

Therefore, Mayo Clinic researchers designed a prospective study to investigate the impact of dietary changes. According to their results, enriching diets with foods high in calcium and potassium may prevent recurrent symptomatic kidney stones.

411 patients who had experienced first-time symptomatic kidney stones and a control group of 384 people participated in the study. Dietary factors were based on a questionnaire administered to the participants, all of whom were seen at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and Mayo Clinic in Florida between 2009 and 2018. 

The findings, which will be published today (August 1) in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, show that lower dietary calcium and potassium, as well as lower intake of fluids, caffeine, and phytate, are associated with higher odds of experiencing a first-time symptomatic kidney stone.  READ MORE...

Relax... Don't Worry...

Dan Bongino took Rush Limbaugh's spot on talk radio and moved from NYC to Florida and is a regular guest on FOX News...  Today he was interviewed on FOX News as a result of the FBI's raid of former President Trump's home in Florida...   claiming that Trump took classified documents when he left the Whitehouse, knowing that his defense would be, I declassified them before I left office...  but they did the deed anyway.

Dan was LIVID, to say the least and while he said that he was a conservative and therefore a Republican but not because of the current Republicans in Congress because they are a DO NOTHING group of politicians and need to immediately be removed.  Dan said the GOP now TALKS BOLD AND BIG but when it comes to action, they accomplish nothing.

Dan Bongino pretty much reflects my sentiments about all of the Congressional Republicans except for Lindsey Graham and a couple of others that FOX News interviews regularly...

The Democrats play dirty but piss, bitch, and moan when others play dirty against them...

The Democrats lie and really do not feel guilty about their lies as they continue to make these lies daily...

The Democrats are moving closer and closer to a Socialistic form of government where the government provides you with everything -- just like the movie/show STAR TREK...

The Democrats have mainstream media covering the ASSES, networks like CNN, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, PBR...

If this is the kind of government that you want...  then have it...  and, the reason that I say this is because HISTORICALLY all socialistic governments FAIL...

History always repeats itself whether we like it or not and regardless if this is what some of want or don't want...

In order to have a socialistic government, two things have to happen.

First - the government must insure that it can collect taxes from the WEALTHY in order to pay for the socialistic society...  USA millionaires and billionaires already have their money shelter away from taxes in the Grand Caymans.

Second - the government must insure that ALL BUSINESSES will be willing to pay their fair share of whatever...  or be taken over (OWNED) by the federal government...  then the government can manage the business any way they like.

Do you really think first or second will happen in the US of A?

Right now, about 70% of what we receive is considered to already be SOCIALISTIC in nature, such as:

• Public Education
• Public Transportation
• Public Parks and Recreation
• Social Security
• Medicare
• Unemployment Insurance

These programs already cost the country so much money that we are ASSHOLE deep in debt with CHINA owning ONE-THIRD of that debt...  can you imagine that China owns 1/3 of our debt?

What do we do when they DEMAND their money back?

The Wealthy Dump Luxury Properties

The rich are now paying attention to prices and their income, lament high-end agents in hotspots like Miami and San Francisco. "It's pretty sudden," one said.

After a decade of feeling invincible, the tech industry is suddenly facing something new: financial insecurity. Valuations are down, layoffs are up, startup funding no longer feels limitless, and an air of fear has started to permeate the sector, as bosses and workers alike adjust to a harsher version of reality.

In cities like San Francisco, New York, and Miami, luxury real estate agents are starting to notice the effects of the tech downturn on their business, they tell Motherboard, as wealthy tech clients grapple with the fact that raises, bonuses, and job offers no longer seem as inevitable as they did a few months ago.

“The elephant in the room these days is that there's a recession coming,” said Karley Chynces, a blockchain-focused real estate agent at Sotheby's International Realty in Miami.

Nationally, rising interest rates for home loans have combined with record home costs to price out potential homebuyers. But within the pockets of the country where tech workers tend to throw money down on housing, interest rates are less of a concern than the decline of tech stocks and the constant barrage of layoff announcements, according to conversations agents have had with their clients.  READ MORE...

What to Buy at Disney World

I worked in merchandising at Disney World, and I have an annual pass.  Casey Clark

I never buy water bottles because I always bring my own.
If you're on vacation and want to spend $3.50 on a bottle of water, be my guest. But I never buy water at the parks.

It's a waste of money, especially because you're allowed to bring your own bottles in.

The old trick of the trade is to ask for a water cup at any quick-service location, but, frankly, I don't like the taste of that water. Instead, I purchase a few cases of water on my way from the airport and carry them around the parks in a backpack.

It saves me money and keeps me hydrated in the Florida heat.



You won't catch me spending nearly $40 on M&M's.
I'm usually one to justify spending an exorbitant amount of money on anything shaped like Mickey Mouse. But M&M's is where I draw the line.

I was walking through the Main Street Confectionery in Magic Kingdom one day and came across M&M's in a Minnie Mouse container for $39.99.

The price is outrageous, and they're destined to melt in the Florida heat before you can even eat them.

You're better off getting some candy at a gas station on your way home.  READ MORE...

Disney's Powers in Florida Revoked

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a controversial bill dissolving Walt Disney World's self-governing status in the state.

The move is seen as retribution for Disney's opposition to the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill.


The company's status in the state in effect allowed Disney to operate as its own municipal government.


It included the ability to levy tax, build roads, control utilities and operate its own fire department.


The Florida bill will eliminate Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District and several others.


The measure, however, allows for districts to be re-established in the future.


At a bill signing ceremony on Friday, Mr DeSantis accused Disney of lying about the controversial bill, which bars many primary school classrooms from discussing sexual orientation.


"You're a corporation based in Burbank, California, and you're gonna marshal your economic might to attack the parents of my state," he said.


"We view that as a provocation, and we're going to fight back against that."  READ MORE...

Gender ID and Sexual Instruction

Florida Republicans have faced backlash for a measure that bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" to elementary school children, but similar bills have been introduced and considered in other states across the country.

On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law the Parental Rights in Education bill, which bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" in kindergarten through third grade. The measure has faced criticism on a national level, including from President Biden.

In February, Biden wrote in a tweet saying that he supported those in Florida who oppose the "hateful bill" and vowed to fight back "for the protections and safety you deserve."

Biden, however, along with other critics, has been largely silent about similar measures in other state legislatures that aim to shape how discussions or viewpoints on gender and sexual orientation are held in school systems.

In early March, Georgia legislators introduced Senate Bill 613, the Common Humanity in Private Education Act, which is co-sponsored by 10 Republican state senators. It states that "no private or nonpublic school or program" should "promote, compel or encourage classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the student."

"No teacher should be promoting gender identity discussions with small children in a classroom setting, which is exactly what this bill says and why I support it," said Georgia state Sen. Burt Jones, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  READ MORE...

America is NASCAR

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), sanctioning body for stock-car racing in North America, founded in 1948 in Daytona Beach, Fla., and responsible for making stock-car racing a widely popular sport in the United States by the turn of the 21st century.

Integral to NASCAR’s founding in the late 1940s was Bill France, an auto mechanic and sometime race-car driver. France had organized stock-car races in Florida throughout the 1930s and ’40s, and, after several unsuccessful attempts to create a series of races that would determine a national champion, in 1947 he created the National Championship Stock Car Circuit (NCSCC), a yearlong series of 40 races held across the southeastern United States. 

France was responsible for establishing and enforcing the technical regulations that governed the cars; creating a scoring system that would award drivers points used to determine a series champion; organizing and promoting each race; and awarding cash prizes to the winners of races and to the series champion. These would become NASCAR’s primary tasks as a sanctioning body.

Although the NCSCC was successful, France had greater ambitions. He convened a series of meetings in December 1947 in Daytona Beach attended by racetrack owners and race-car owners and drivers and intended to establish a still-larger stock-car-racing series. What emerged from those meetings was NASCAR, which replaced the NCSCC. France was its first president. The first race sanctioned by NASCAR was held on Jan. 4, 1948, at Pompano Beach, Fla. In February of that year NASCAR was incorporated, with France the primary stockholder.

In 1949 NASCAR changed the rules governing the cars: whereas in 1948 “modifieds”—cars varying in age and in the mechanical modifications made to them for the purpose of racing—were allowed to compete, from June 1949 only late-model (recently manufactured) stock cars were permitted. Races that year were called Strictly Stock races, and Red Byron became the series champion.

France changed the name of the series to Grand National in 1950, a name used until 1971, when the tobacco company R.J. Reynolds bought sponsorship rights to the series and renamed it the Winston Cup Series (it was also known as the Cup Series or NASCAR Cup Series). By then, stock cars had become purpose-built race cars; NASCAR’s rules required cars to resemble their stock counterparts in their dimensions and appearance, but car owners, drivers, and mechanics increasingly exploited those rules in their attempts to gain a competitive advantage. NASCAR was also responsible for mandating safety equipment in cars that, by 1970, had reached over 200 miles (320 km) per hour in nonrace conditions.      READ MORE...

Boomer Wealth Surging

Many older Americans have reaped an unexpected pandemic bonanza, thanks to a combination of a stock market surge and rising home prices. That good fortune is evident in the St. Armands Circle shopping district in Sarasota, Fla., where visitors stroll past statues of Venus and Dionysus and lunch on Cuban sandwiches and sangria. The number of homes in the area selling for $3 million or more has shot up to 355 so far this year from a pre-pandemic 81 in 2019. And many of the buyers are of retirement age, says Drayton Saunders, president of Michael Saunders & Co., a real estate broker specializing in luxury properties.

A Covid-induced boom in early retirements is exacerbating America’s inequalities, especially along this stretch of the Gulf Coast. Sarasota and its environs are seeing an influx of cash-rich baby boomers and work-from-home professionals that’s pricing younger residents out of the housing market. Some also worry that a bigger senior population may worsen Florida’s historic difficulties in passing taxes for school and infrastructure projects. “They typically vote, and they may not vote for your schools unless their grandkids are in your schools,” says Jerry Parrish, chief economist of the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s research foundation.

Condo complexes facing Sarasota Bay.
PHOTOGRAPHER: ZACK WITTMAN/BLOOMBERG

By 2045 a quarter of Sarasota County will be 75 or older, and community activist Jon Thaxton wonders where the area will find enough care workers—often low-paid and with limited transportation—to staff all the luxury retirement homes “popping up like mushrooms after the rain.” An executive at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, a civic advocacy group, he sees the coming crisis as a harbinger of a nationwide problem. “Our age demographic just happens to be 15 years ahead of the rest of the country,” Thaxton says. “We might be the canary in the coal mine.”

Homes under construction in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
PHOTOGRAPHER: ZACK WITTMAN/BLOOMBERG

The obvious health toll notwithstanding, older Americans have largely prospered from government efforts to salve the economic pain Covid has caused. Boomers (born in 1946-64) accumulated more than $1.6 trillion in excess savings in the past two years, almost double what Generation X (born in 1965-80) put away, according to Federal Reserve data. Boomers also saw the biggest overall gain in wealth during the pandemic, with their combined wealth growing by $12.8 trillion, or about 23%. They edged out Generation X by about $100 billion, Fed figures show, but because that younger set has fewer people overall, it realized a larger per-capita wealth gain.  READ MORE...

Florida National Parks

When some people think of parks in the Sunshine State, visions of castles, roller coasters, and Mickey Mouse-shaped pretzels come to mind—but national parks in Florida are just as prominent as theme parks. 

From the panhandle to the tip of the Keys, protected lands showcase stunning ecological and biological diversity. Here, mangroves provide kayak mazes, rockets launch over lagoons, and alligators and crocodiles coexist—Florida is the only place on Earth where the two reptilians share turf.

Whether you’re looking for a lazy day at a pristine beach, or perhaps a hike through a tranquil pine forest, these state and national parks in Florida deliver.


Getty - Bahia Honda State Park

Out on the Keys, Bahia Honda State Park is a pastoral stop on the way to Key West. The postcard-worthy park off Big Pine Key is anchored by Calusa Beach, whose turquoise-tinted waters beckon swimmers, snorkelers, and kayakers alike (snorkeling and kayaking equipment are available to rent). 

A photo-worthy moment here is atop the Bahia Honda Bridge, a historic structure erected in the early 1900s, as part of Henry Flagler’s woebegone Overseas Railroad to Key West that was never completed. There’s a short trail along part of the bridge that will take you to one of the highest points in the Keys, for sweeping views of the bay below. Speaking of photo-worthy, stick around for a sunset—and subsequent stargazing—you won’t soon forget.


Getty - Apalachicola National Forest

A stone’s throw from the state capital of Tallahassee, Apalachicola National Forest is a natural haven. The largest national forest in Florida, clocking in at a whopping 633,000 acres, the park is divided into two main sections: Bradwell Bay Wilderness and Mud Swamp/New River Wilderness. Between the two, visitors can paddle, swim, hike, fish, and go off-roading or horseback riding. 

The park also exhibits striking biological and ecological diversity, from longleaf pine sandhills and pine flatwoods to coastal plain hammocks, basin swamps, and floodplain forests. The area teems with wildlife, like woodpeckers, bobcats, gray foxes, and alligators. Drink in the diversity on a one-mile loop at the Camel Lake Trail, or by kayaking to Owl Creek from Hickory Landing, a two-mile route along the Apalachicola River that gets paddlers up close and personal with that classic Florida river swamp terrain.  READ MORE

Day 3 at Destin

Yesterday was incredibly overcast and rather chilly on the Gulf Coast at the panhandle of Florida...and once again I am up at 7:00 am and after drinking a couple of YETI cups of coffee with Cappuccino Mix, I prepare 2 eggs with green onions, green peppers, turkey sausage, and mini tomatoes while watching FOX News on the local cable that is provided free-of-charge with the rental agreement.  And, once again I am inundated with the stupidity of the Democratic Party as I listen to unbiased news...  because I took the time to also compare my intake of news with CNN and CBS and have once again seen with my own two eyes and heard with my own two ears, a biased version of the news with much of the news omitted from broadcast...

And that censorship pisses me off, especially since I am a LIBERAL who thrives on TRUTH regardless of whether or not I like it or approve of the TRUTH...  as heard and understood.

I am fundamentally IN FAVOR OF providing goods and services to the poor and disadvantaged...  but, I am also fundamentally OPPOSED to going into debt in order to do this which includes TAXING THE WEALTHY to pay for this.  The wealthy should not be penalized financially simply because they are wealthy and lived their lives with the intent of becoming wealthy unlike those who lived their lives in order to avoid becoming wealthy.

If the wealthy want to share their wealth well that is altogether different.

We have a crisis with:

• Illegal Immigration
• National Debt Increase
• Citizens using illegal drugs
• A struggling economy
• A divided country
• Piss Poor Education K-12
• China's building military
• China's building economy
• China/Russia/North Korea Alliance
• China/Russia/Iran Alliance

Sandpipe Cove - Destin, FL

First Impressions on First Arrival...

We had been here before so we knew where the arrival desk was located and we knew that we had to check in at the Guard Desk to get our parking assignment and access codes...  so, none of that was a surprise to us...  and we knew how the condos were numbered so it was a simple matter of finding the right road that began with our number group.  But, what we did not expect was that the keys that we were given did not work...  and, the office manager that came to our rescue brought over about 6 different sets associated with this property and none of them worked either.

The office manager knew the condo had been inspected and the cleaning crew had gotten access so our very apologetic office manager called the crew, found out where they were and went to retrieve the key.  That key worked but we have gone into 90 minutes of wait time after our initial arrive.  We unpacked the car and got things situated inside...  now we are waiting on the office manager to return with our new set of keys...  and the waiting time before we can do anything has jumped to over 2 hours.

We were not in a hurry this morning when we left Montgomery, Alabama where we spent the night to break up our 8 almost 9 hours of drive time...  but, in the course of conversation with the office manager, we heard that our unit was good to go yesterday which mean we could have gotten into our condo upon arrival.

The weather forecast changed and we arrived at Destin in a barrage of afternoon showers which were not predicted yesterday or the day before when we checked...  however, Mother Nature can never be held accountable for anything that she does or does not do for vacationers.

Made in America

This morning on FOX News, it was reported that in Biden's first State of the Union Address to Congress. in addition to pushing his extremely bold and costly spending agenda and not really mentioning the crisis at the boarder, he articulated in no uncertain terms that his administration was going to push made in America or purchased in America which is somewhat redundant; however, it is the same rhetoric that was originally used by Donald Trump about which the Democrats and the liberals would not support...

Many of us should find that ODD INDEED.

Destin, Florida

I am watching FOX News in the breakfast room of Days Inn in Montgomery, Alabama because my wife and I are on our way to a vacation at a private condo with a private beach in Destin, Florida... and driving from TN to this location took us about 5-1/2 hours instead of the 8-1/2 it would have taken if we had driven straight through.  As we get older we understand and respect the fact that we can no longer drive long durations without stopping.

I awoke first and decided to have breakfast while my wife continued to sleep which brings me back to the origins of this post.

My breakfast consisted of several cups of coffee which always seems to taste better away from home than at home and a couple of tiny bran muffins that were sprinkled with oats on top.  The bran muffins were perfectly cooked and tasted better than most that I have had as I recall...  and, while I ate my breakfast, I watched FOX News on the screen mounted on the wall.

The trip to Montgomery was for all intents and purposes uneventful except for a couple of areas where driving through congested cities slow the traffic down a "tad," but for the most part, the vehicles on the interstate drove no slower than 80 mph and most of them were clipping along at 100 mph and wanted you out of their way immediately as they approach you from the rear.

Since we were not in a hurry, I maintained a speed of 75-80 mph which was still 5-10 miles over the posted speed limits  while most of my fellow drivers took those posted speed limits to be a suggestion rather than the law.

No matter where we stopped...  either at a rest area, a fast food, or a gas station, NO ONE was wearing their facemasks...  except us...  even though my wife and I have had both our COVID shots and it has been a month since our second one.

This morning we are going to remain at the Days Inn until we have to check out because the rest of our journey is only going to take 3 hours and we cannot check in until 5:00 pm so even if we left at noon, we would still have a 2 hour wait until we can get settled in...  knowing that, we decided that we would probably do our grocery shopping while we waited.

This is our first vacation in over a year due to COVID, the 3-4 maybe 5-6 that we normally take each year were cancelled or not booked because of COVID.  We are hoping that the weather will be nice on the Gulf Coast.

Who Are Our Ancestors?

According to Mike Wall who writes for SPACE.com, we may all be Martians.

Evidence is building that Earth life originated on Mars and was brought to this planet aboard a meteorite, said biochemist Steven Benner of The Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology in Florida.

An oxidized form of the element molybdenum, which may have been crucial to the origin of life, was likely available on the Red Planet's surface long ago, but unavailable on Earth, said Benner, who presented his findings today (Aug. 28; Aug. 29 local time) at the annual Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Florence, Italy.

"It’s only when molybdenum becomes highly oxidized that it is able to influence how early life formed," Benner said in a statement. "This form of molybdenum couldn’t have been available on Earth at the time life first began, because 3 billion years ago, the surface of the Earth had very little oxygen, but Mars did. It’s yet another piece of evidence which makes it more likely life came to Earth on a Martian meteorite, rather than starting on this planet."

Organic compounds are the building blocks of life, but they need a little help to make things happen. Simply adding energy such as heat or light turns a soup of organic molecules into a tarlike substance, Benner said.

That's where oxidized molybdenum comes in. Inserting it or boron, another element, into the mix would help organics make the leap to life, Benner added.

"Analysis of a Martian meteorite recently showed that there was boron on Mars; we now believe that the oxidized form of molybdenum was there, too," he said.  READ MORE

COVID Vaccine

By the end of this week, I will have received my second COVID Vaccine shot using the Moderna Vaccine...  the shot is in the muscle and my first shot had no side effects except for a sore arm for a few days.  My shots are being delivered by our local health department while my wife receives her first shot from a local pharmacy.  I signed up in January and was called at the end of February and my wife called yesterday (Monday) and will be receiving her shot two days (Wednesday) later...  so, I am not sure who had the best approach although her request was processed quicker.

Last night, we discussed what we would be doing this summer now that we both will have been vaccinated and decided that by April, we should start making plans to visit the beach for a few days and while we will still wear our masks and socially distance, we will both feel more comfortable being out in public.

Last year in the Spring we went to Myrtle Beach and were both very concerned and very careful with our activities in that, we would not share an elevator.  When we first got to our room, we put on masks and gloves and cleaned the room even after it had already been cleaned.  We put the remote for the TV in a plastic bag and washed our hands often.  Were we lucky???

This spring/summer, we are going to the Gulf Coast of Florida at least once maybe twice and we are now planning to go the Myrtle Beach at least twice...  However, we have no plans to fly anywhere nor do we have plans to go on a cruise anytime soon if ever again.  No matter where we go we will plan to wear face masks and continue to socially distance.

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