Something Shiny! - Florida category

The Beach

Thu, 29 May 2008 13:29:31 GMT

Two weeks ago, when Mindi and David called to invite us to stay with them at the beach, I was a little worried. Excited to see them, yes, but nonetheless a little worried. It had been since Christmas 2003 that we last saw them. Before we moved to Florida, we'd spent countless hours with David and Mindi. We met them in 2001 at a mutual friend's wedding and instantly hit it off. From then on, we saw one another whenever we could. But after we moved, life got in the way and we didn't stay in touch as often. So naturally I wondered: Would it be awkward? Would we be able to pick up where we left off? What if they had changed? What if we had changed? As soon as we got there, though, I realized that I had nothing to worry about. They're just as they used to be. A little more careworn, as are we all, but nothing else has changed. It was a great couple of days with two wonderful friends, and we picked up just where we left off.

Out of office auto-reply

Tue, 20 May 2008 12:56:19 GMT

We're headed to the beach for a couple days and since I'm not bringing my laptop with me (gasp!), I won't be blogging. See you later this week!

All the pretty flowers

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:49:03 GMT

Two weeks ago, we signed up to get a flower share from Rosie's Organic Farm, the same place where we get our weekly vegetable share. For just $25, we get five weeks of beautiful fresh flower bouquets that we pick up with our veggies every Saturday. And I can't tell you how lovely they are! It's like having a little bit of spring brought to our doorstep.

Dear Al Gore

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:29:39 GMT

Editor's Note: In honor of Earth Day this month, I've written several letters to Al Gore that address problems we've encountered as we try to go green. You can find the first one here, the second one here, and the third one here. Enjoy!

Okay, Al, last letter. This is something I really need your help on. See, here in Gainesville, we have curbside recycling. And it's great, don't get me wrong. We can recycle paper, newspapers, catalogs, corrugated cardboard, glass and plastic bottles, and aluminum. Recently, the city also began to accept plastic yogurt containers for recycling. Now, plastic recyclables are imprinted with a number, a resin identification code indicating their polymer type. (Betcha didn't think I knew that, huh?) In the case of yogurt containers, they're imprinted with the code number 5, meaning that they're comprised of polypropylene. So far, so good. However, yogurt containers aren't the only plastic food containers imprinted with the #5; in fact, many others are as well. But while you can put as many #5 yogurt containers as you want in the recycling bin, the city won't accept any other #5 containers. So what gives? Why one and not the others? What's the point of having the handy dandy numbering system if the city comes up with their own (illogical) rules for what they will and won't accept? And how do I, just one person, go about changing this? If you have any ideas, Al, I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

Sincerely, Emily

Ladies of the night

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:42:31 GMT

Certainly this isn't limited to Gainesville, and I hope I'm not out of line in saying this, but we seem to have an awful lot of hookers in this town. And, if they aren't in fact hookers, then it seems that we have an awful lot of scantily-clad, presumptuous women who walk all over town. In areas where there are no sidewalks. Often, but not only, at night. Coming back from lunch yesterday afternoon, we noticed a woman who looked remarkably like Tina Turner (circa 1980) dancing and shaking her... assets while she signaled at oncoming vehicles. Now, in fairness, she may not have been a hooker. She may just have needed a ride somewhere. Or not. So what gives? What's with all the prostitution in this town?

Shakedown

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:11:40 GMT

I don't know if it's the same anywhere else, but panhandling is a huge problem in Gainesville. You almost can't go anywhere without being asked for money. We've even had people ring the doorbell and ask us to give them cash. But one guy in particular keeps cropping up.

First encounter: several months ago, he approached us in the Best Buy parking lot. It was right at the beginning of the school year, the weekend that all the students move back to town. He claimed to be helping his daughter move, all the way from Ohio, and said that he lost his wallet. He just needed some cash for a night in a hotel, and would we mind helping him out?
Second encounter: sitting at a stoplight (across the street from Best Buy, actually) about two months ago, he approached the vehicle in front of us and asked the driver for cash. Rebuffed, he started to approach us and John waved him on.
Third encounter: A week and a half ago, John went to pick up a pizza we'd ordered. On his way out of the pizza shop, the same guy approached him and asked for a few slices. John acted like the guy was joking, and laughed it off. As he walked away, the guy shouted, "I'm not kidding!"
Fourth encounter: Today, at the grocery store, the very same guy walked up to the deli, picked up a cooked rotisserie chicken, and walked out without paying.

Lest there's any confusion, allow me to state what may be obvious: this guy isn't homeless. From the looks of it, he's not hurting at all. He's just gaming the system and making a living of it. And it makes my skin crawl.

If it's not asking too much...

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:42:03 GMT

Back in January, before the Nomination Process That Wouldn't Die got underway, Florida held its primary. But John and I didn't go vote. Why? Because Florida Democrats were told that our votes wouldn't count since Florida had been stripped of its delegates for breaking the rules (holding an early primary). No biggie, right? Oh, but then the Nomination Process That Wouldn't Die really got going in earnest. And it looked like they were going to go ahead and count the Florida votes anyway. WTF? I know I didn't vote, most of the people I know didn't vote, and many, many, many Floridians didn't vote. Having been told that our votes wouldn't count and all. Now, finally, it seems that Florida (and Michigan, for the record) are considering do-over primaries. There's a lot of disagreement about this. Florida and Michigan have been told that they'd have to come up with the money themselves to pay for the second primaries, and politicians are saying that they don't want to use taxpayer money to do that. Others are saying that the do-overs shouldn't happen because there already was a primary, and those votes should count. I, for one, would welcome the opportunity to vote. I'm a state resident and a taxpayer and I firmly believe that enabling citizens to vote, and to have those votes count, is one of the most basic tenants of our democracy. Seating the delegates from January's unbalanced primary would make a mockery of the process.