1/29

Weatherman in Mobile says we have 1/2 inch of ice, and he has not seen that here in the 29 years he has been here.  Even if we wanted to get out, the outdoor walk way that connects our condo to the elevator (we are on the 5th floor) is covered in ice.  I'm sure the parking lot and cars are the same.  49 tomorrow and 68 over the weekend.  Crazy!

1/28

If you ever are in the area of Pensacola, I recommend a visit to the Naval Air Museum.  No admission fee.  Well worth the time.

Today Al Gore struck again.  Temp in the 20s all day, and it started to rain around noon.  Ice everywhere.  TV shows cars encased in ice, and we have ice on the railings just outside the condo.  We could get snow. Schools are closed today and tomorrow.  Young adults in the area have never seen snow.  We will not be leaving the condo today or tomorrow.  Temp on Thurs predicted to be in the high 40s, and 60s over the weekend.

1/25

Cobalt Restaurant offers a new regional menu every 2 weeks.  Currently it is Spain, with octopus, quail, stuffed artichokes and pork cheeks.  We tried the pork cheeks last night and they were very good.  Will do that again before they go to a different region.  I have had octopus at Mediterrano, but will also try it here.

Friends arrive Monday and we plan of touring the Naval Air Museum on the base at Pensacola.

1/24

Went to a 4-course dinner, paired with wines, at Zen Restaurant.  Crab salad, pan seared Opah (a fish the chef imported from Hawaii - very good), seared duck breast, and raspberry mouse.  All wines were from Daniel Gehrs, in Santa Barbara.  70 people partook of the event.

One of the young ladies spent the evening carrying around a pitcher of water, and refilling or topping off our water glasses.  I asked her if she felt like Gunga Din, and I got a blank stare.  I guess the younger generation does not read, or even know anything about, Kipling

1/23

J enjoyed a bumper sticker recently:  This car goes from 0 to 60 in 15 minutes.

Tuesday we stopped into Doc Seafood Restaurant in Gulf Shores for the first time.  At 3PM the parking lot was packed, and the place was filled with snow birds.  Turns out they have live entertainment Tues and Thurs - 2 young men who perform both kinds of music - country and western.  The patrons were obviously regulars - many sang along or jumped in at the appropriate time.  In addition to our lunch (we usually eat our main meal in early to mid afternoon, and snack in the evening), we were charged $1 for "Misc liquior"  I thought about asking the waitress about "liquior", but she was not the sharpest tool in the shed, so...

Saw 2 boats today.  "Seas the Day"  and "Mutual funs"

1/20

Two more perfect days in paradise.  Yesterday, J went to a community theater in Gulf Shores.  She enjoyed the play very much, while I enjoyed a quiet day on the balcony.

J bought a tee shirt for me at Ocean Eddies.  She liked the color.  I am color blind, so I will take her word for it.  The bag is stamped "Life is one long weekend"  It is now, but certainly not before I retired.

1/19

Recently I watched a Villanova B Ball game during which the TV people commented on Jay Wright's sartorial splendor.  One of them said that Jay was so cool that even the priests went to him for confession.  A slight exaggeration, I am sure.

1/17

Saw the Blue Angels again yesterday.  They put on  a mini show off the coast of Gulf Shores - a couple of loop-de-loops, in formation of course.  We parked on the shoulder and enjoyed.

Cooking class yesterday featured grilled mahi and dirty rice or risotto.  I always associate mahi with Hawaii, but they say they catch it here in the Gulf.  Very good fish, but I have to talk to the local cooks about preparing it broiled, with no seasoning or sauce.  These southerners like to bread and deep fry their fish.  I like the taste of fish, and the locals are not used to it.

1/15

Sun and Tues were perfect days in paradise:  balmy temps, lots of sun, and no wind.  That's why we come here.  Mon it rained all day, and today is windy.  We have been attending the cooking demos - 2 a week this year. Tapas one day, Chinese another, and farm-raised fried catfish yesterday.  We are exploring other rental options for next year.  My lungs and heart cannot take more construction dust.  The owners and rental agents say there is nothing they can do about it.  Bull Puckey!

1/12

The rain stopped around noon and the sun came out.  Temp in the 60s, so we sat on the balcony and watched the sun go down - with a martini and cigar.

The other day I saw the Blue Angles for the first time - flying in formation from east to west.  J saw them a few times last year, but this was a first for me.  No fancy tricks, but it was still a thrill to see them.

1/11/14

The weather finally broke - for us anyway, if not for you.  But now the rains have arrived.  Not many chances to sit on the balcony with a cigar and martini.  Boo Hoo!

The other day the rental agents organized a trip to the local zoo, and J went.  And she enjoyed it.  Not huge, but it had lions, tigers, bears,peacocks and monkeys.  Sounds like a day at Central Title.

1/8 Part 2

I'm sure that the lying sob in the white house will pay my medical bills with his "affordable" law

1/8/14

So this is what Al Gore calls Global Warming.  The locals are experiencing record low temps - teens at night.  The high yesterday was 30.  They close some of the schools because the kids don't own jackets warm enough for them to venture outside.  We are supposed to warm up in a few days.  One of J's friends says that hell finally did freeze over.

A few days before Christmas, some idiot here in the complex started to use a jack hammer on his floor.  Three days of noise and construction dust.  Same thing happened last Feb, and we were diagnosed with and treated for pneumonia by the time we got to Houston.  I started to cough, wheeze, and experiencing shortness of breath.  Thurs (1/2) we went to the hospital in Foley and they admitted me.  Pills, injections, tests, blood draws and not much sleep.  They finally agreed with my mother, that only the good die young, so they threw me out yesterday.  Hospitals don't serve oysters, so we went to Cobalt for a couple of dozen.  The nurses were cute, and I love the hospital's version of healthy breakfast:  scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, and a biscuit.

New Year's Eve was quiet here, as we stayed up and watched the Moon Pie drop in Mobile.  350 pounds descending 34 stories.  Only in the south.  We tried moon pies last year.  Once was enough.

Jan 1 was very nice.  J watched the parade, we both enjoyed the Rose Bowl, and then ended with the Vienna Orchestra on PBS - a  tradition.

I keep forgetting to comment on an employee in the restaurant at the Peabody in Memphis.  He patted his amply belly, declaring that he was "well marbled"