American World Cahs!!! (Cars in an affected accent...and REBIRTH???)

Well, well...I know I should be doing something else such as digital photo work rather than browsing the Internet or trying to fight sleep and/or my depression, but I am a self-admitted car junky. (Sort of.)

Anyway, I just came across a web site...the link is just below...http://cars.about.com/od/detoursanddiversions/ig/American-world-cars/

This particular site features American cahs (excuse me, CARS) which are offered in other parts of the world, but NOT America itself. I'm sure that some of you might remember the Chevrolet Caprice as well as the Ford Falcon and Fairlane. Well, you can still purchase the Caprice in the Middle East and if you lived in Australia or New Zealand, you can get a brand-spanking new Falcon or Fairlane.

These cars are not the 1960's, 70's, or 80's versions of the US models (even though back in the day, I do know that some of the car models worldwide were a few model years behind America), rather these automobiles are as new and fresh as your 2008 Jeep Liberty, Dodge Caliber, or Chevy Corvette.

I've even come across web sites where brand new 1957 Chevys (http://www.1957chevybody.com/index.html) are being produced...and I'm not talking about restorations, but actual cars which are true to the original. However, 1957 Chevys are NOT the only cars being reborn, but there are new 1953 (and other year) Corvettes as well as Cobras, Thunderbirds, etc. being produced (http://www.lonestarclassics.com/lsc-kit-cars-replicas/lone-star-classics-route-66-roadster-kit-car.cfm).

There also is a very interesting truck being produced by Southern Motor Company (http://www.southernmotorcompany.com) in Liberty, South Carolina. This particular truck favors the Chevy pick-ups of the late 40's and early 50's. Wow, dude! Sweet ride! Looking at the Southern 358 (the name of the truck) really sets my car lust in motion. Too bad the Southern 358 costs $63,000...but then again, that's not quite as much as some specialty autos on the market. A brand new 1957 Chevy Convertible would set me back $180,000.

It's also too bad I can't get a brand-spanking new 1969 International Harvester Scout 800A in 2008. If I could, I most certainly would! Now, that would be sweet...but that can't occur. So, I guess I still have to settle with my late dad's 69 Scout (still original and authentic) as well as my 2006 Jeep Liberty. I will say that I'm sort of tempted to actually purchase one of these "reborn" autos, but I would have to sell the Liberty (of course). But, the Scout??? Not in my lifetime...hopefully!

PS - If any of you are interested in knowing more about these reborn automobiles of the past (either as a kit or turn-key car), just go to Google and key in words such as "kit car, replica, new 1953 Corvette" or anything you want to. There really is too much for me to continue to share. I will admit that it is rather amazing!!! (Addicting as well.)

CRAZY HORSE FIRE DAMAGE in Clayton

I'm not sure if some of you might remember a post I did on the fire destroying an adult night club on January 6th???

Anyway, on January 26th (yesterday), I went and took some pictures of the damaged place. Above are a couple of them...and if you want to see more, click on the following link.

http://public.fotki.com/rettaman/miscellaneous/crazy_horse_fire_damage

Back at Work...and Recovering from the Key West/Marco Island Trip and Illness...

I finally went back to work on Wednesday the 23rd after being on vacation at Key West/Marco Island during the week before and after being SICK. My last day before vacation was Friday the 11th...and if I hadn't gone on the trip, I probably would've gone to work on Thursday the 24th because I still wasn't feeling that great on Wednesday. But, I wanted to because I would be using more of my vacation days since I'm not very well "stocked" on sick days currently. I actually was supposed to be back at work on Monday the 21st. Fortunately, I began to really feel more like "myself" on Friday the 25th even though I still don't feel quite as good as I did five or ten years ago. Ha! Is age catching up with me? I'll turn 35 on the 19th of next month. Anyway, it was good to go back to work despite all of the stress it causes me at times. :-)

RAGING JERKS on the North Carolina Highways...

As I was heading into work today (Friday the 25th), I encountered a familiarity on the NC highway...and no, I'm not talking about a deer or possum. I'm talking about a jerk.

Not too far from my home, a person pulled in front of me and I had to apply my brakes quicker than usual. I kindly flashed my lights to let the person know I was there because I didn't know if the person saw me or not. I did NOT blow my horn. The person then got all raged up and started giving me OBSCENE gestures!!! When he flipped me off and slammed on his brakes, I had to slam on mine! I then returned the flip along with a loud blowing of the horn. That was when I felt this burning rage beginning to go up my back.

The JERK (not me) then started acting like he wanted to get a piece of me. I just shook it off and went along my way to work. I immediately turned on the radio to 92.5 FM (BBN - Bible Broadcasting Network) for some HOLY encouragement.

I will say that during my trip to Key West and back, I did NOT encounter road rage or jerks. I guess that one of my co-workers is right. North Carolina drivers can be some of the worse...and at times I wish I could leave this state I was born and raised in.

(I might elaborate on this post later.)

Just Some Pictures from the Key West/Marco Island Trip...

I'm not as good at posting pictures on the blog as I am at my photo site, but here are a few more. I'll post some more here later and I'll post all at my photo site....SOON??? There are a few hundred! :-)

Here I am at the SOUTHERNMOST POINT Monument.

Here is my Jeep Liberty at the US 1 Beginning (Mile 0).

Here I am at the MILE 0 Marker.

Don't worry, I wasn't dead in this picture!

My Jeep Liberty SUCKS....(GAS, that is!)

The year 2008 has not progressed too far yet even though it's almost February. I usually try to key in my gasoline purchases at http://www.raleighgasprices.com/ to help determine the gas mileage, expenses, etc. for my hardy (and used!) 2006 Jeep Liberty.

Well, so far, the "damages" (err...total) from January 1st to the 21st have been...

[GET READY!!!!]

160.76 gallons of gas purchased @ an average price of $3.101 per gallon totaling $499.35. There have been TEN (10) fill-ups over a total of 2,591 miles and the average gas mileage has been 18.26....which isn't too bad, especially when you count in the fact of the Key West/Marco Island vacation I just went on with a small fully packed trailer being pulled behind the Jeep. (The highest mileage on the trip was 19.93 MPG and I could've gotten at least 23 MPG on the interstates. When the Liberty was driven to Cape Canaveral last August, it did get around 22 MPG.)

The trip itself was 2,090 miles...and I drove about 1750 of those miles. Oh yes, it was tiring! I almost think the driving back was what did me in since I did drive 536 miles straight with a few rest and "gas" stops along the way. I didn't drive anywhere on Monday the 21st during the day or night since I was sick with the 102.8 fever.

So, I guess when the trip is not taken into account, then a few things do change even though I still drive 350 or more miles each week doing the daily work commute as well as to social and other events/activities during the week. Still, the Jeep Liberty isn't quite the best eco-friendly SUV, but then again, it's not the worse gas guzzler there is either since I do get about 18 MPG on average, trip or no trip. :-)

I'm Home From The Key West/Marco Island Trip...and I'm SICK!

Just wanted to let you know that I'm home from the Key West/Marco Island Trip. We pulled into my driveway about 12:30 AM on Monday Morning (January 21st) in the sub-freezing temperatures (18 degrees without much snow on the ground). I also have been battling a fever of 102.8 degrees as well as a raw throat.

Fortunately, I've been taking meds and I actually got sick on Saturday when we were at Wooten's Alligator Farm and Wildlife Sanctuary (http://www.wootenseverglades.com/) on the Tamiami Trail. I was having chills earlier that day, but really didn't think much of it. I knew I was feeling cold and wanted to get warmed up. I wore a long-sleeve black shirt which I purchased from Porky's Bayside BBQ in Marathon (http://www.captainpips.com/) located in the Middle Florida Keys.

Anyway, when my friends were holding some of the smaller gators, I got out-of-sorts and had a chance to taste my breakfast a second time. I was extremely dizzy, clammy, etc. My vision was blurry as well. Too bad I didn't get a chance to hold any of the smaller gators. One of my friends decided to take my camera and do a few pictures. She asked me if I would like a picture of me on the ground. I said yes. So, there are a few pictures of me on the ground when I was sick. (It's all clean, though.) I do remember my friend's brother and sister-in-law asking me if I wanted to go to the ER...and I thought to myself, "NO!" I didn't want to end up staying overnight in a hospital room in Florida. Ironically, I was given Gatorade (in the middle of gator country in the Florida Everglades) to help hydrate me in the 85 degree heat. I don't know if it was heat stroke/exhaustion or not. If it were, then I would be feeling better now, wouldn't I?

(I do think that having to drive back to the Raleigh area from Daytona didn't give me much time for REAL rest even though I slept most of the day on Saturday after coming back from Wooten's. I will say that my sickness delayed our departure because this was the last day of the trip and we were going to try to do quite a bit of traveling that evening. We did actually leave Marco Island around 9:15 PM on Saturday and stayed in Tampa....and when we were leaving Tampa on Sunday we had to travel Interstate 4 to Daytona....and that was where that 70 car pileup with four fatalities occurred over a fourteen/fifteen mile stretch a couple of weeks ago. Also, the friend who was driving us from Tampa to Daytona actually got lost in Tampa despite the portable GPS system we've been using. That added about an hour or two on the ride back.)

Well, I'll close this post for now. Time to go back to sleep (in my own bed) because this fever has wiped me out. There still is quite a bit to share about this trip, such as going to Marco Island Beach on Friday, etc. When I start to feel better, I'll do some more posting on the blog. This trip really has been awesome even though I've been sicker than I've been in a long while and the trailer lost its right fender as well as my Jeep Liberty's left rear window's regulator getting all bad and such.

Please PRAY for some of my friends on this trip...

POST HAS BEEN MODIFIED.

The Tamiami Trail - The MIDDLE of Nowhere! (And SNOW in Raleigh?)

Remember in my previous post that I said something about the trailer falling apart in the middle of nowhere on US Highway 41? (NOTE - US Highway 41 is NOT the same as NC Highway 41.) Well, I've done some research and it's the Tamiami Trail (which runs from Miami to Tampa). It's similar to "Alligator Alley" in Florida (where else?), but there aren't any barriers to keep the wildlife from running in front of drivers. So, I could've encountered an alligator or Florida cougar when I checked on the flat tire, right??? I didn't!

I also checked on the Raleigh area weather and read that it's supposed to snow 2 to 4 inches tomorrow (Saturday) and that the high on Sunday will a very chilly 33 degrees. (The snow will be there to stay!) That's definitely a change from what I've been enjoying this past week. I think it's about 75 degrees in Marco Island. But, the bad thing is that we'll have to make the drive back up to the Raleigh area and will be experiencing some of that snow...and we're still pulling that trailer.

Oh, I did notice loads of road grime and even bugs (remember that the Tamiami Trail is swampy and warm) on my Jeep Liberty. I would like to try to get the Jeep washed when I get back to Raleigh, but why??? I'll encounter salt and sand on the North Carolina roads when I'll get back...and it will be too cold to wash the Jeep anyway!

Driving to Marco Island from Key West...and the FLAT Tire in the Everglades

Today (Thursday the 17th) was a pretty good day. My friends ended up doing the wave runner/jet-ski excursion...and I didn't. I ended up driving and sightseeing more of Key West.

I also took more pictures...as if I didn't already. But, I did get some pictures of the Jeep Liberty at the end/beginning of US 1, etc. I also went shopping for souvenirs such as magnets, shirts, etc. The place where I purchased the items was one which tried to rip me off and I was not impressed. I was going to actually not buy anything, but the store decided to take ten dollars off my order. Then it was back to pick my friends up from their wave runner excursion. They said it was okay...the water was choppy and they weren't impressed with the guide.

We got the Jeep and the small trailer (with it's right fender falling apart, but attached with bungee cords) all packed up and off we went. We drove and drove and drove....up the Keys on US 1. We actually got a chance to see what we didn't see driving in the night coming to Key West on Monday. I will admit the Keys are very pretty...the water is too. I noticed quite a few older bridges still standing adjacent to the ones being used. The one in particular which was interesting was the seven-mile bridge. I noticed trees actually growing on top of the older "seven-mile bridge" and that was interesting. At the end of the bridge (which is at Pigeon Key), we stopped and did some sight-seeing.

Not too long after leaving the bridge, it was time for lunch since it was about 2 PM or so. We stopped at a neat little place called Porky's Bayside BBQ in Marathon. It reminded me of the quaint restaurants in Southport which I've visited during Memorial Day weekend. And yes, pictures were taken there. I actually don't go anywhere without the camera, do I?

We stayed at Porky's a little too long because we were to be at Marco Island by 7 PM where the brother of one of my friends traveling with us lives. Yes, it is Marco Island, NOT San or Saint Marco Island as I've probably stated before even though there actually is a San Marco Road at Marco Island. Weird???

Driving to Marco Island (which is about 250 miles from Key West) was an adventure. We drove through Homestead (which has many produce farms in season) during twilight...and onto long dark roads through the swampy Everglades. That was when the trailer decided to try to kill itself.

After traveling about forty or so miles on Highway 41 through Indian Villages, the Everglades...somewhere (I really don't know where we were, but I know it was in the middle of nowhere), the right fender on the trailer finally flew off, barely missing the car behind us. I pulled off the side of the road, not to find the fender (it was lost in the darkness), but to survey the damage. The tire on the right side of the trailer actually was leaking air. The portable GPS unit stated the nearest gas station was about twenty or so miles away. That was about 7:15 PM.

I knew the tire needed to be changed. Fortunately, there was a campground just a mile ahead and we pulled in there to change the tire. Also, fortunately, there was a building with light and restrooms. The light helped us in changing the tire and we used the CLEAN restrooms. Fortunately, I had a spare tire with the trailer!!! Praise God!

We got the tire changed and off to Marco Island we went. We arrived about 8:20 PM. My friend's brother had dinner for us waiting. We had skirt steak (not common in North Carolina), broccoli, deviled eggs, roasted potatoes (seasoned nicely), crudite, etc. For dessert, we had some pumpkin bread and fresh watermelon (in season!). There was talk of us still doing some more things in the Everglades, etc.

After dinner, two of my friends and I took a dip in the hot tub and swimming pool (outside). I also checked the weather for the Raleigh area and saw that it has been COLD there. What a good time of the year for me to go to Key West and Marco Island, huh??? I almost want to move to Florida...and I have since June of 1984 when my parents, sister, and I went to Disney World, EPCOT Center, Kennedy Space Center, and Sea World. (I almost could stay. I have my Jeep Liberty as well as some clothes with me. I did hear from some people in Key West that's what they did. Their vacation - or something else - inspired them to move there. Cool!)

Well, I'll close this post for now. Time to go to bed. I'll post again later.

Leaving Key West...

It's now 12:30 PM on Thursday at Key West and my friends and I will be making the long, long trek on US 1 up the rest of the Keys and that's about 120 miles or so. What a drive. Oh yeah, it's about 80 degrees here in Key West. Nice! I checked out the weather for Raleigh and it's 36 degrees with rain. I know I'll be experiencing that again soon. Ugh! Check back later for more posts. :-)

Last Days at Key West...

Today (Wednesday the 16th) was a good day at Key West. I slept in late since I had a headache because I didn't take my medicine (like I should!) before going to sleep. When I did wake up, I took the meds and actually felt better....somewhat. The day was full of activities. (The outside temperature was about 75 or 80 degrees....and I sort of was smiling when I thought of Raleigh getting freezing rain in the forecast. I know that's mean of me!) At 1 PM, my friends and I went on a "glass-bottom" boat even though the part of the bottom which was clear was actually acrylic...NOT glass. I guess all these excursion companies could be sued for libel or something like that??? Ha!

The boat we were on was not a large one. I guess it was a 20-footer and the tour we had was a private one since we were the only ones. The larger "glass-bottom" boats did NOT go out on Wednesday because the waters were very choppy and the winds were not cooperating. Therefore, there wasn't any viewing of fish at the great barrier reef. Bummer! But, we did see some dolphins...and I did get a few pictures of them. Toward the end of the "three-hour-tour" (sounds like Gilligan's Island, huh?), my friends went snorkeling...and the water was still a tad bit chilly. I didn't go snorkeling. I just took pictures of my friends...and I've been snorkeling before in the Bahamas last August.

After the "glass-bottom" boat tour...which I was a little bit disappointed of not seeing really anything through the glass bottom except water and a sponge garden, we headed back in the Jeep to the Comfort Inn. We then hopped back on the scooters and headed back downtown. Oh, a blessing to mention is that we were able to keep the scooters until the evening, NOT 4 PM as we had previously thought. That helped make the day! The scooters are a blast to get around with...and I've been up to 40 MPH...and I know that's nothing compared to some of you who have been motorcycling. But, I'm not a motorcyclist.

I was able to scoot around the island and take more pictures...especially of the "Southernmost Point of the Continental USA" structure as well as the beginning/end of US1, the Hemmingway House, the Lighthouse, etc. I then went to Mallory Square and the waterfront (where the vendors/artists are) again. Took more pictures and met my friends there. I still was amazed of the life of Key West....just amazed!

We then ate at a restaurant (Captain Mario's?) which had a seafood buffet for $22 per person. The food was reasonable...sort of good even though I wasn't too happy with the stone crab. I've had it before and even this week at Hurricane Joe's. The conch fritters and crab cakes were delicious as well as the fried tilapia and snow crab legs. After dinner, my friends listened to some live music at a bar which we actually were hearing across Duvall Street while we were having dinner. I actually walked the street some and took some pictures....and then scooted back to the Comfort Inn to meet my friends and do this particular blog post.

Well, all "good" things must come to an end. Tomorrow (Thursday the 17th) my friends and I will be leaving Key West, but only to go to San Marco Island on the Gulf Coast where a brother of one of my friends lives. I know that my friend will be glad to see her brother and he actually is a fireman as well as a businessman too. He operates an excursion company...I think. From what I've been told, we're going on an airboat on Friday in the Everglades. This will be the first time I've gone on an airboat. (I hope you kind readers know what I'm talking about.)

Anyway, it will take about five hours to drive to San Marco Island and I think we might be going on some "backwoodsy" roads. That'll be fun. Some of North Carolina near Monkey Junction and Brunswick County (as well as many other places) are somewhat "backwoodsy" too. I guess that it'll be fun driving regardless...and I might be the one who drives. I don't know yet. :-)

I'll post again when I can. Be blessed!

More Key West...

I really would like to share quite a bit in this post...but I probably won't. It's 1:20 AM on Wednesday the 16th as I type this and I probably need to go to bed soon. But, I do want to say that I'm still enjoying Key West. Tuesday was fun...we slept in late...I was tired from driving all those miles and such.

I did get my Jeep Liberty's left rear window fixed at Duncan Ford/Toyota/Dodge/Jeep, ETC. (It was the regulator.) Duncan (http://www.duncanauto.com/) is a neat dealership. It's the Southernmost Jeep dealership in the US. There are many "Southernmost Places" in Key West. I think Duncan opened in 1970 and it still has the old Plymouth sign and Plymouth went out of business in the early 2000's. I also noticed a few other automobile dealerships at Key West such as one for Buick/Chevrolet/Pontiac, etc. I guess that Key West is definitely an American city even though it has its own charm. (New Orleans is a American city as well with its own charm as well. But, I'm not in New Orleans. I was in March of 1997, though.)

Anyway, after getting the Jeep's window issue taken care of, my friends and I were going on a two-hour Jet-Ski/Waverunner tour of the entire island of Key West. But, it was actually cancelled due to the tour guide literally getting too cold (and maybe sick?) from doing two earlier tours. In a way, I'm glad that occurred. I really was wanting to tour more of downtown Key West...and we decided to rent motor scooters to tour the island and downtown.

We were in downtown (Duvall Street area...which is similar to Bourbon Street in New Orleans) on Monday evening when we arrived, but it was rather late. This time it was good to see some of it during daylight. I did take some pictures, but won't be posting them on this blog yet. I'm using the Comfort Inn's guest computer and not at my own a few hundred miles away.

We toured some shops and the waterfront where the cruise ships dock for port. There weren't any cruise ships at port this time. The waterfront has an array of artists, food stands, etc. One of the vendors said they are there 365 days a year even though this coming Thursday and Friday they won't be due to some boxing match. (That sounds strange.)

I think it's interesting that the vendors are there year-round due to the fact of the tropical climate Key West has. I can't say that about many parts of the United States. (I just checked the weather in the Raleigh area and it's 26 degrees with sleet/freezing rain in the forecast. Ha!) Even though Key West does have tropical temps, it still can get chilly in the evening and a light jacket might help, especially if you're motor-scooting around the island. Also, the concierge at the Comfort Inn lied to us. The water isn't 75 degrees...it's COLDER!!! So, I think there won't be any swimming for us.

Anyway, we went out to dinner at Hurricane Joe's (http://www.lazydogadventure.com/) across the bridge to Key West. We drove the Jeep since the ladies had fixed their hair and didn't want to drive the scooters. That was fine with me. As for dinner at Hurricane Joe's, it was a relatively expensive one for the atmosphere. We even had plastic cups to drink out of. I wasn't too impressed with Hurricane Joe's. We had problems with the dinner orders, etc. Two of my friends got some of their meal free because the salads they ordered didn't have walnuts and I couldn't get part of mine free even though I found two hairs in the dish I had. The meat was sort of dry and not the best I've had. I probably wouldn't recommend Hurricane Joe's to anyone interested in visiting Key West. Maybe I need to start complaining to people when I want something for free or want them to pay me for some of my services??? Ha! Just kidding, right? Or no? :-)

After dinner, we went back downtown for dessert at Grand Cafe Key West (http://www.grandcafekeywest.com/). We were going to Hard Rock, but they were shutting down. The desserts at Grand Cafe Key West were good. I had the Chocolate Du Jour, which is a souffle a la mode. It was good, but not as good as the one I had on my cruise in the Bahamas last August. I really liked the atmosphere at the Cafe, which is an older house that has been modified.

After desserts, we decided to walk more of Duvall Street even though it was getting past midnight. More sightseeing...and that was fine with me. I would've done more, but it was time to go back to the Comfort Inn...and to get on the computer to do this post. We're planning to do a glass-bottom boat tour and more sight-seeing of downtown.

I know I'll post again soon...at least I hope so!!! :-)

KEY WEST...FINALLY!!!

Well, we finally made it to Key West, Florida...even though it seems as though it's not even in the United States. (It reminds me of New Orleans - in the US - as well as Nassau in the Bahamas. One of my friends told me Key West reminds her of Charleston, SC...and I can see why.)

Key West actually is closer to Cuba than to Miami. Interesting??? (Some of you might remember that I was in Cuba during March of 1993 for a mission trip.) The weather is very nice. It's about 70 degrees as I type this and I'm wearing shorts. I called my mom back home and she said it was about 35 degrees. Hopefully, my friends and I will go swimming in the water sometime.

Anyway, my friends and I arrived at Key West around 9 PM this evening (Monday the 14th). We hoped to had gotten in earlier, but we didn't. I actually drove the entire way from Garner. Surprisingly, after driving 932 miles and about sixteen or so hours, I'm not tired. Ha! I think my Jeep Liberty might be tired, though. At West Palm Beach, the left rear window fouled up and is actually not working properly. It is the SAME problem I had with the Jeep a couple of weeks after I purchased it in December of 2006. Weird! It was fixed then, but why now is it evil again??? (Fortunately, we've found a Jeep dealership in Key West and I'm taking the Jeep there to get it fixed...under warranty. Praise God!) I've noticed a few more rock pock marks on the Jeep. That goes with the territory of driving, huh? I also saw an entire mattress and boxspring set fall on Interstate 95 after West Palm Beach and I had to swerve to avoid hitting it...but it wasn't as bad it might seem.

I'm also pulling a small trailer with a "rooftop" carrier attached to it even though the carrier isn't on a rooftop, right? The drive has been abusive to the trailer....sort of. The right fender (which is welded on) is trying to come off. Two of the three welds have completely broken free and the third one is trying. I have bungee cords attached to the fender. (I know it won't last the trip coming back since we're going to Saint Marco Island on the Gulf Coast after leaving the Keys.) The left fender is fine even though it's getting shaken as well. I'm also a little bit concerned about the wheel bearing grease since I'm seeing some of it covering the wheels. High speeds might kill the trailer. My, my. The license plate isn't getting too beat up, though. I have bungee cords attached to it too.

Regardless, the trailer with the carrier has been good to store the luggage even though it's costing us just a little bit more when we are going on the Florida turnpike. (I think it's not affecting the mileage too much.)

As for leaving on Sunday, it was good. We left about 3 PM instead. I actually had to wait on my friends to show up at my home....but that's okay. I could've gone over to my sister's home for lunch if I knew about the wait earlier, but I didn't. My dad's sister and her daughter were there for the day and they and my mom went to my sister's.

Sunday was the birthday of one of our travel companions and we ended up eating at the Cracker Barrel...in Fayetteville....not far from home! She wanted to go there and I'm a fan of Cracker Barrel as well. That was some good food, but we still ended up leaving NC later than expected. We actually arrived at Palm Coast, Florida about 1 AM Monday and stayed there for rest. I also drove us there. (Again, I wasn't tired.)

Anyway, I probably need to go now. I'm sure some of you might would like to see some pictures I've taken. I haven't taken many...not like usual. But, wait because I have a few more days here. I might not post any to the blog...or maybe I will. I still would like to share about some of the drive on US 1 when we got into the Keys. That road is very, very long!!! (It's about 120 miles or so when you enter the Keys.) Some of you might've heard of the 7-Mile Bridge and we went over it in the dark! Praise God we didn't drive off into the water in the dark! Ha!

I'll post again later....hopefully in a couple of days. Still pray for our safety. I do appreciate it. Key West is known for some alternative lifestyles even though I didn't know about it until a co-worker told me about it last week.

Key West Anxiety???

Okay...I will admit that I'm a little bit anxious about this trip. Enough said!

G's Trip to Key West...Please pray for Traveling Mercies

Just wanted to share that three friends of mine and I will be leaving the Raleigh area around 2 PM today (Sunday the 13th) and DRIVE all the way to Key West. Actually, we're planning to stay in Daytona for Sunday night...hopefully. (I think it's forecasted to rain on Sunday and when I went to Florida in August for a Carnival Cruise, there was a bad wreck on Interstate 95 outside of Savannah and there was quite a bit of rain that time. We were stuck in traffic for a few hours and hardly went anywhere.) I'll be driving my Jeep Liberty as was done in August. The Jeep Liberty did well going to Florida in August, but it was a shorter trip, though.

Anyway, on Monday (tomorrow), we'll be going to Key West and stay there until Thursday or Friday and then go back to the Florida mainland on the Gulf Coast. We'll be back in the Raleigh area by late Saturday night or Sunday. Hopefully, it will be a safe trip and a good one as well! :-)

Please pray for traveling mercies. I read on the news this week about a 70 car pileup over a 15 mile stretch on Interstate 4 in Florida and I think four people died. I assume that my friends and I will be traveling well over excess of 2000 miles when we do get back to the Raleigh area. I think my Jeep Liberty might try to start cussing me out then! Ha!

I'll be posting again later. Have a good day.

The Previous Post...and Key West?

Okay...well, maybe I was a little bit too harsh talking about "Damn Yankee" in my previous post. Shame on me! I guess some of you readers probably thought I was acting like a jerk as well. Maybe I was. Or maybe I just was getting pushed and pulled too far that particular day in many directions and fighting my depression. Maybe the relationship with my mom has been on my mind??? (Things certainly haven't been the same since my dad's passing in September of 2004.) Who knows??? Ha! I'll be posting again soon...got to share about my trip to Key West next week. I'll be driving there with three friends of mine. Please pray for traveling mercies.

The "D.Y." at my Job...

I would like to share with you about a co-worker of mine...except to say that he's a Damn Yankee. True, there are people from the Northern States who do work where I do...and all of them (except Damn Yankee) are relatively nice and such. Everyone can be a jerk at times...however, Damn Yankee seems to be a jerk all of the time.

He's obnoxious, loud, and sweats profusely. He puts down the South and all of its ways, including sweet tea and the weather and how of a person in the South wears coats when it's wintertime when he thinks they should be wearing shorts! He says that the Civil War was an act of courtesy on the Northerners' part and that the North really owns the South....and of how Southerners are actually foreigners in their own land. Well, well, now.

I actually have been sort of "promoted" to bindery manager at my job...so I think? With that, I'm "supervising" Damn Yankee. I guess I could fire him??? Maybe. He certainly doesn't seem to respect the work position I'm in. He makes my job harder!!! Damn Yankee is very offensive in many ways, more than I can list here.

But, I'll close this post for now, except to mention to you about Damn Yankee. Hope I don't offend you!!! :-) (I also do have many friends who aren't natives of NC....some who will be reading this post. Hopefully, they're still be my friends after reading this post!)

Fire destroys ADULT night club...

I know I shouldn't be smiling as I type this....but, I just read of fire destroying an adult night club near Clayton, just a few miles from home.

Here is the link from the News and Observer where I gathered my information...
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/863183.html

Here's another link...
http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/news.apx.-content-articles-NCN-2008-01-06-0008.html

And another...
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2260515/

The times in which I drive by this adult night club...which can be a few times each week, I sometimes shake my head and see all of the cars in the parking lot and have at times wished it could shut its doors down.

True, this establishment IS a place of business and the owners have lost something...and one of the co-owners actually said "Thank GOD we have insurance." (I wonder which "god" he serves??? The "god" of adult night clubs, lap dances, and the sex industry in general???) Fortunately, there wasn't anyone in the building...except a firefighter did have minor injuries .

Ironically, I drove by this adult night club on the way home from my sister's house last night (Saturday, January 5th) and read that the fire broke out in the early morning hours of January 6th (today).

Another Post...and HERSHEY CHOCOLATE MOVING TO WHERE???

I guess it's time for another post on the blog. Lord, I hope I can do better at this!!! Really!!! I need to be able to share things like I used to because I can't lie, I really have been dealing with depression and just not being able to really enjoy life for what it's worth...or should be worth. By the way I've been feeling lately, it hasn't been worth much....and I'm getting tired of having to take prescription meds for allergies, depression, heartburn, etc. I also take about two "Tylenol" each day mostly because of headaches. (When will this end?)

Anyway, I just received another email about some "forward this to one hundred of your friends or you'll get in a wreck" hoax. This time it was about Hershey Chocolate moving its headquarters from Hershey, PA all the way to Monterey, Mexico! And this time it's for real! I checked it out on http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/hershey.htm and feel free to check it out yourself for more information.

Oh well....is America now headed to oblivion or what??? I don't know. More later.

G- <><

2008 is NOW HERE!

Happy New Year! Can you believe that 2008 has finally come? I can't. I pray that this year will be loads better than last year. 2007 wasn't really the best year for me. Hopefully, I'll be better off this year. I actually don't feel quite as healthy emotionally, spiritually, or even physically as I did this time last year. Maybe it's just a fact of getting older...or just neglect on my part. Maybe I'll become wiser this year and even smarter. Who knows! Ha!