My 2 Main Men (Jesus and Ol' John Birch)

Last post I was pissing and moaning about my health insurance. Nothing has changed, given the chance there would still be pissing and there would still be moaning. Howsomever, I am sometimes afforded opportunities that others are not. Whatcha talking 'bout, Willis? Let me explain.

I am going to Bangkok in February for 2 1/2 weeks. We have already had the family check for us, and the opportunity is there for us to get some of our major dental work done there. The wife's crown is going to cost less going out the door in Bangkok than the deductible would be here for us. A couple of cleanings and a new bridge for me, again pennies on the dollar. I'm even going to look into some veneers for me. Let's see John Warner take that away from us.

Not sure what happened on the way out here this trip. I showed up at the airport just like I was supposed to. Checked in, me and my carry-on were scrutinized by pompus, bellowing security idiots (securiots), and then all of my flights ran on time. RAN ON TIME?? Yeah, I know. You coulda knocked me over with a feather. Got to the hotel in plenty of time for the Saints kickoff, which here on the West Coast was a reasonable 5:30 PM. Stoked, I was.

My hotel turned out to be in my old stomping grounds right off Rosecrans Street in Point Loma. This is where, in nineteen hundred and seventy nine, skinny little Florida boy Fast Eddie, went to boot camp and basic electricity school to kick off a 26 year oddesy (yes, odd-esy was what I meant to type) in the US Navy. I am a 2 block walk from Old Town San Diego and it's shops and eateries and a mere 2 parking lot walk from the world famous les Girls and Body Shop. Yep, back in the day, we would save up enough for a cover charge and a few drinks, and schlep on down the 6 blocks or so from our barracks to these fine joints to kill a few hours. I keep thinking I'll walk over "for old times sake", but so far have not. My been gonna is a lot stronger than my done did these days.

I got a call asking me to do a political survey the other day, and not being particularly busy, I said OK. Turned out to mostly be an exercise in convincing me to say I'd vote for Mike Bloomberg if he ran. As it turnsout, I apparently would not. Who knew? Still, either the man is an idiot or he thinks I am. His campaign (exploratory commitee, whatever) was promising that if elected he would abolish this and stand up that. Ummm...maybe if elected our king, he would. But his promises were far afield of what any congressthief or senatewhore would ever support, so I am wondering just how all of this would actually get done. So if he doesn't realize that, he is too dim to be president. If he realizes that, and I am sure he does, then he insults me. Either way....

I cannot get over how doggone nice San Diego is. I enjoyed living here in the 80's, but it is so much more beautiful, and functional, than before. I would live downtown if i came back. Well if I came back independently wealthy, anyway. From downtown you can literally walk anywhre you would ned to go. The funky Gaslamp district, the sidewalk cafes near Ketner, Seaport village, The Fisherman's Market, Petco Park where the Padres play all are within a few blocks of each other. The trolly runs through so you can get anywhere from Mexico to the inland malls in just a few minutes. I swear, the city gets more beautiful and more functional every year. It is just so elegant while remaining easy and casual. For me, these trips merely serve to highlight all the more starkly how thuggish and dysfunctional Tampa is becoming.

Mom's fish are fasting this week. It's not so much a religious thing, as I am unsure of any organized religion amongst fishies. It's just that my folks are in Charlotte, I am in San Diego, and the much less mobile (although they do not seem to be that inclined to recreational travel even if provided the opportunity) fish are in an aquarium in the Tampa Bay area.

Gun Sale at the Church

Happy Boy

Baby's Liquored Up

People's jobs are at stake here, out

Ramblin' Ed