Good Morning

I stepped outside this morning to the scent of oak mast and salt marsh. It was windy and cool and the river held a slight chop of whitecaps. Nice change from wet and warm.

With my first cup of coffee came a knock on my shop door and there stood my small lovely friend, DFW. She was on her way to work and stopped bearing a gift of her homemade yogurt. The little jar of white and gold sweetness now sits and waits for my lunch.  Thanks, my lovely friend.

*****

My second shipment of precious metals arrived yesterday. Four days after the shipping number indicated its arrival. I'll never again trust this particular dealer.

Truthfully I'm not sure whom to blame - the postal service or the dealer. But then I've never trusted the postal service.

So there. 

*****

I've made a promise, to myself. I will finish my taxes. The thought of it is akin to wearing a kilt as a rider in a bronco busting contest.

My main concern is after it's all said and done, and the check is written and sent, my dollars will fund our so called government. It's theft, pure and simple.

I should just keep my mouth shut. It was recently brought to my attention by a fellow blogger I had a hit of several minutes from the Florida Supreme Court. The reader has returned on several occasions. I do appreciate their attention and hope the reader enjoyed his or her stay but the very thought of 'them' lurking about my blog is very disquieting.

Government is government is government, as Gertrude Stein would say.


Later.

Stephen

It's Morning

And my coffee is hot and I feel fine. Been kinda busy around here for the last two days. We accomplished, a bit. At least progress has been made on many fronts.

*****

I can't decide if I'll visit the gun show this weekend. The thought of it beckons, thing is I just can't afford to waste money. Sure, I can dig into my savings but I'd have nightmares for a week if I spent one lousy dollar. Repeat after me - a need and a want.

It is truly amazing I haven't shot someone this week. Late yesterday I had a long hard drive in city traffic.  I drove as a thunderstorm pounded the city senseless. Round trip, the drive took me forty-five minutes one way. Remember, city traffic.

I didn't keep count but I swear I must have been cut off at least ten times. Close encounters. Chrome scrapers. Liberals with cell phones stuck to their little bitty ears. Obama bumper stickers.

I'm a man of discipline, but I swear my patience wears thin....

My lovely friend, DFW, is on her way to San Francisco. Yesterday, I think, she asked readers for tips, advice, for those places the average tourist would never visit. I didn't comment and it's bugged me. So, my dear, try City Lights Bookstore. Its still in business, to my surprise.

One of my all time favorite bars was the old Albatross Saloon. They tagged a bar stool in my honor. Spent many an hour in the joint nursing one of their martinis, three olives. Once upon a time, if memory serves me, Jack Dempsey was employed as a bouncer. Like I said, it was many years ago. I lived across the Bay and drove over every weekend. My little one room apartment was a lonely place.

  

The door bells rings. Guess I should walk out and become a capitalist. I'll see you nice folks later.

Stephen 

Shrimp for Lunch

I blame lunch on DFW. She gave me a gift of shrimp this past week. It was so good I got to 'thinking' about it this morning. Faced my demons and jumped into the truck and drove through the rain to the seafood market and grabbed a couple of pounds of the largest fresh Mayport shrimp they had on ice.

After a quick rinse I shelled, butterflied and removed the black line and within minutes had them in a saute pan with a bit of olive oil, butter,  garlic, and Cajun spice.

Slap 'ya mama good. Even took a picture for Sixbears, knowing how he misses Florida seafood and is now reduced to potatoes and pancakes.

When Sweet Wife arrived home from a morning of shopping, she smiled and sniffed and asked if I'd saved her a few shrimp. She even gave me a kiss.

Stephen

Two Days of Rain

And still it pours. We have heavy rain, solid and unrelenting. I didn't have a chance to check my rain gauge, but I bet we've had at least three inches in the last twenty-four hours.

Here's the thing - we need it. Florida has been in a drought for years. Lakes and small ponds have disappeared, salt water intrusion has the local government drilling new deeper wells into the aquifer. Bad stuff.

As I write it's dark out, comforting. A little Green Tree frog sings to me and my coffee is hot. The sound of the rain has almost lulled me to sleep....but, I've work and errands to run today.

One of those errands, I've decided, is to visit, if for only a few minutes, my Little Bit. This is her last full day of school.  I shall take Birth Mother with me. Little Bit needs to know her mother hasn't left, again. She needs to know we still love her and haven't forgotten her. She needs to know - Papa, has fight left in him and I'm locked and loaded for battle. Mine enemies are within sight, and I'm pissed.

Change of subject.....yesterday my friend, DFW, dropped by the shop for a visit and she bore a gift of shrimp...fresh and tasty little morsels from Heaven. We had a fine visit. I'm ashamed to report I did not have a pot of coffee in wait, business don't 'ya know. (Hangs head.) Tell 'ya what guys, she's cute as a button. I asked her back into the lair, office, and we talked for at least half an hour. We have much in common. Her husband owns a business just down the street. They're good people.

She hadn't been gone long when Duke walked in and demanded I wash his coffee cup. By the time he left I was laughing my butt off. He always lifts my spirits.

Friends. What would we do without them.

Yesterday a customer came in and asked if I'd like to purchase his little Detonics Pocket 9 pistol. Said, "Sure, bring it inside."

"Oh, I wanted to ask first. It's at home."

 
Anyway, these are fairly rare handguns. They were manufactured for only one year back in 1985. Some folks, for odd reasons, collect them. His Detonics belonged to a long departed uncle. The seller is not a gunny. Said it's only been fired a couple of times. I'll let you know if he returns with the pocket popper.

Jerry Ahern smiles.

Later.

Stephen

Good Morning

The coffee is strong and hot and the jazz is smooth and the day is beautiful and bright. What more could a fella ask of the world.

Our meeting with the attorney was long, and I must confess, confusing. As soon as we were seated she made it clear our objectives might not work as planned. She didn't want to paint a pretty picture when the outcome of the case was so uncertain. Family law is complicated. The attorney did say in most cases the State prefers 'co-parenting,' but the complication of Birth Mother's absence of four years isn't good. She files today. Tell you one thing for sure and two for certain, she isn't cheap.

I expect a visit from my lovely friend, DFW, this morning. She's stalked and found my shop, which isn't hard since her nice husband owns a business just down the road from mine. I look forward to her visit and have taken the precaution of washing a coffee cup for her. I make Duke wash his own coffee mug. By the way you guys should head over to both their blogs and tell 'em I said hello.

Business calls. See you guys down the road.

Stephen