It has tickled my funny bone for most of the afternoon. I saw the store fronts going up Hwy41 and again coming down the other side, today. Each time, I cracked up.
Bear in mind that we are in Sth West Florida where the median age is around 105...nah, just joking...maybe ummmmm...75? People drive Fiat Bambina and Honda FIT (slowly and eratically!!!), Oxygen tanks on wheels are the norm for a large section of the population and they all do 'craft'. Yes, today most of them were in Michaels Craft Store. A fantastic place it is too. I would not hesitate to state here, in public, that it is better stocked than JoAnn's! There, I said it!! The only thing they don't have at Michaels is fabric, but then Hancocks Fabrics is just three doors down the mall.
Speaking of malls....Strip malls are just everywhere. On our drive to Boca Grande, the other day...when we didnt actually get there....we noticed that there we strip malls out in the middle of nowhere. There they are, alongside the highway, and no housing to be seen. Interesting!
Where was I?
Oh yes, the Bingo Hall and the Podiatrist. I should hasten to add here that in the same block of shops (not mainstream) is a vision center and also a hearing aid store! I wonder if they get them (seniors) before or after they have gambled all their dimes away at the Bingo Hall?
Just as an aside...When we go out...and we felt this way in February, when we were here last...that we are some of the youngest people around.
Right, back to the subject...
One of the reasons for going to Michaels, today, was to check out whether we would like working there. They have a gazillion job vacancies and we thought we would check the store out first, before applying.
Two things we noticed...apart from the HUUUUUGE amount of stock...The lighting is poor, and their framing shop is staffed by people Waz thought were either 105 or were smokers, such was the quality of their skin. I think you can guess which one is the correct answer to that?
The stock...fantastic choices and products we have only dreamed of being able to find in NZ. Nope..you wont find any of them there, I can assure you of that.
The main reason we were out today was that we have arranged with a 'Site Service' company (nationally known it seems, as their call center is in Massachusetts!) to get them to pump out our holding tank (the poo tank, basically) once a week. The tank holds only 80 gallons, so we need them to come on a regular basis. To do so, we needed to find a Camlock 2" male fitting. This screws into the hole in the hull where the holding tank outlet is. The Service company then plug into that fitting and we are away...suck 'em up!
We have a problem, however.
The front of the boat is pointing towards the entry of the canal, and the holding tank outlet is on the starb'd side, away from the dock.
The service truck has only a 50ft hose. We have a couple of choices, compounded by the tide.
1st. Turn the boat, pivoting off the bow and letting the current wind swing her around so she is facing the blunt end of the canal, or..
2nd. Haul the boat back to beyond the end of the dock, which is 80ft long (We take up most of it!), and hope that with the tanker on the edge of the concrete sea wall, and us as close as possible to the same place, that the 50ft will make it across the front of the boat for the pump-out.
We discussed this all with Len. It is his dock, and he needed to be in on the decision. It is also impossible for a truck to come onto his property as he has sprinkler heads all over the place...you can figger out the rest!
So, he suggests that we wait for the morning, and deal with it then.
Problem #1....the tide is FULL at between 11pm and 1am...over night. This canal is shallow, so if we are going to start the engines (which might be necessary, and Len would prefer it) we need to have plenty of water not to stir up the muddy bottom or damage the props.. We don't want to ground our girl, so we wont be doing it any other time.
Duh #1. We had the opportunity in daylight today to turn the boat. We didnt! huh? what was we thunking??
Problem #2...They should be here by 8am, otherwise I have to call the company and they will check and see where the truck is.
Are they kidding me? The truck is supposed to be here before 8am? I did ask that they call us 1/2 an hour ahead of time, but I fear this is something they will forget and turn up at Len's front door (too early for him!) ready to pump..be we aren't.
No point getting the knickers in a knot :) I like to try, but might have to give that bad habit up, if my husband is going to stay Ulcer-free!!
So...Oh! you want photos?? ok! try this one....
See where the car is? That is where the truck will have to park...backside towards us though. Any further than that and he will be in trouble with the sprinklers. 
This is the pool enclosure of Len's house. Lovely place for our afternoon swims:) Screens keep the bugs and Alligators, black snakes and the Water Moccasins...nasty poisonous snakes!..out
See that pole there, on the right? That pole is directly in front of the bow. You can just see the end of our dock on the left with the white light on the last post.
This (the pole) will make things ever so slightly (remember I said that!) tricky if turning the boat isn't done right. We don't want to swing into that thing in the middle of the night! It belongs to the neighbor.
Now, I would just like to talk about something else that might interest you. It might not too, so move right along if you aren't into dogs!
Hereabouts, dogs are precious. I know, they are precious everywhere! But these dogs here, are even more precious than normal. They are so precious, in fact, that their little tootsies don't even touch the ground! seriously!!! You think I'm joking??
Behold!!!!
Aren't they darling?
Waz just suggested that they might not even touch the ground to poop, either! ha! He might be right!!
This is our favorite doggy shop. Oh, I think they have kitty things too, but if you are a dog person, you would never look there!
So, it isn't unusual to see an older (ahem!) couple getting a stroller out of the trunk of their car. "Oh look"...I say...."They must be looking after the grandkids!!!"...NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! they then go to the rear doors and unbuckle their precious pooch/es and put them directly into the stroller. I kid you not. These are not always small dogs either. To be fair, we have seen some very old dogs being wheeled around, and fair enough too...except in most places the dog either stays home, goes to a kennel or is put to sleep! I guess you cant leave your 20 yr old family member (dog one) in Minnesota (minus 45F) all by itself!
I forget how many billions of $ are spent by Americans on their pets, each year, but I am sure it would be enough to clear the national debt
While I'm being sarcastic...(moi?)...I have decided that the next people I see wearing matching outfits, I am going to photograph face on! seriously!. The previous ones I photographed from the rear. I can tell you that the rear was worse than the front.
Perhaps I could get a job photographing people and their pets/pooches??I am ideally suited for this job! I will tell you why, since you are going to ask (you were, weren't you?).
I always have a camera on me
I am a happy, cheerful person who dogs love!! yep!
Dogs always sniff me and make sure I pet them
Owners always tell me the life stories of their pets and themselves at the same time.
and..well, what more do you need?:)
Can you tell that we didnt do much today?
Well, one has to amuse oneself somehow, right?
I need to take Waz for a walk...no, not on a leash:) or in a stroller (his words, not mine!), but on his own two feet.
Did I tell you that we found a Starbucks, today? We did, and they do a sugar-free Mocha! imagine that! You could not tell the difference, so I hope they were not pulling my left leg.
Ok..walkies time, or Waz will be sawing wood again...snoring, for the uninitiated!
Oh yes! and my use of exclamation marks!!!....well? Wot of them???!!!!:)
Ciao Ciao
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