MMXIX First/J 5

This is attempt quattro for the first entry of the new year and things have returned to ‘normal.’ After 3 or 5 days of overcast, rain and even showers, today sunny skies and the weather idiot is promising 16 so watching the mercury for a bike ride probably this afternoon.

I even had Andy Rooney lined up, he started and then he even quit. It started as a strong piece about assault rifles, traffic, weapons, poor drivers and customer service but he couldn’t finish. Besides, as his editor I saw some opportunities to offend potential clients or readers so it all worked out him not producing this time.

This morning I am squeezing in an entry as usual between other very important activities also procrastinado.

Much has been going on here naturally some marginally minutia but spinable however some bona fide opps.

OK. THE TEASE WORKED. WE DON’T CARE WHERE, JUST START ALREADY …

Very well and thanks for the encouragement Martha from Maine. She’s a Mainiac.

Yesterday I stopped into SOHO McK for a brief business call/meeting with Robin wrt 2nd Saturday. Things were jumping with customers so I started chatting it up with another customer Rob introduced me to. I’ll call him John Smith.

John got the ‘character’ stamp of approval right away. An older gentleman, sparkle of eye, a good smile and quick with a story so we hit it off. An established McK artist, he spends 6 months here and then rents a house in the ‘panhandle’ the other six months where he loafs and fishes. Not to be confused with loaves and fishes.

I had to interrupt him with a question wrt ‘panhandle’.

A: ‘Off Route 98, 30A’

[This was NOT progress.]

‘There are panhandles in Texas and OK.’ Without showing my frustration, ‘Which panhandle are you talking about. You LOST me with the fishing part.’

A: Florida.

‘Oh’. I said. ‘Yes, yes yes. I am familiar’ and so it went. It turns out 30A is a spur off of route 98 between Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach which is where I was actually on it during a business trip and site visit when I was a working stiff.

John told me he rents a house there for 6 months, $1500/month in this area, he named it but NOT being named here now as it is an enclave to the rich & famous. John said his ‘neighbors’ this year were Tim McGraw & Faith Hill on one side and Sheryl Crow on the other. John said his wife bumped into Sandra Bullock at the store. You getting the picture?

John says he sells paintings there for $13-1500 that he can’t sell here in McK for $250. He took my card and axed about shorebird carvings AND went on to say they have Sunday afternoon art fairs in a little park and showed me pictures of that venue on his phone.

While pulling out his phone which he referred to a number of times to support his wild stories or claims, I could not help but notice the security wallpaper of a very attractive woman. I didn't say anything about it.

He drops that he lost a daughter and I expressed condolences. While digesting and thinking of where to go next with the conversation, he axes me if I want to see her picture. Again, before I can make a reply he pulls out his phone and produces another picture and it IS his daughter.

John says she was having some minor surgery and the doctor put her to sleep and she didn’t wake up.

I was speechless except for a few words like sad, tragic which of course it was.

Anyway, I plan on staying close and playing with John again sometime. He told me about a number of the projects he was working on and all extremely cool. John is a professional artist and has been doing such things since 1967 which is when I was about in the seventh grade I think best I can recall.

John also was an avid fisherman there in Fla and he lands 40-60 pounders FROM THE SHORE,000 casting and doesn’t even get his feet wet. And yes, he showed me a picture.

Then I get an email from a magazine based in LA, VoyageDallas, that was referred to me as a potential article. Not exactly sure how or why but taking the next step nonetheless. I probably shouldn’t mention it as it will likely fizzle and dry up on the vine. Think grape to raisin skipping the wine part.

OK. The sun is up and it is getting warm so I have to scoot.

HEY, WAIT A MINUTE. YOU DIDN’T REPORT ON CHRISTMAS AND YOU OWE US ON THE TRIP

TO HAPPY VALLEY.

Nix.

Christmas was fine.

SO WHAT’D YOU GET AND HOW DID YOU DO?

I said ‘FINE’.

Maybe next time.

COME ON … POR FAVOR

Socks & underwear, sox red (1 pair) and multiple woolies. Undies, a nice multi-pack (7) color and style undisclosed so you can guess OR it will be a surprise. (insert smiley face)

I got a cool key ring from NextGen1 and a very cool ‘Cougar’ shirt from (her) Kaufman Elementary school.

I got to go. The rest next time.

It was all good.