Linda decided to close her office on Good Friday, I took a day off and we had a late breakfast at Kozy Korner and went out to Pass-A-Grille for a little sunshine. It was a beautiful day in many ways!!!! The sun was warm and bright - the water was clear and glistening! The topper was that we got to talk to Charlie 3 times! He has finished the 1st phase of Ranger School and will move on to the mountain phase in the morning! They got an 8 hour break and consumed as much food as they possibly could and were looking forward to a real nights sleep. He said he had only slept 6-7 hours in last 3 days - UGH!!!! But he sounded great and determined to see this through. He will now graduate May 25 and we will be there after playing on the dragon for a few days. Well, the collage is a collection of the scenes of the day from our visit to the beach! We are VERY thankful for the beautiful day and Charlie's continued good fortune.

On March 31, Lynne Genung celebrated her birthday in the car on the way to Florida. Dylan was spring breaking with another family in Daytona Beach, so Bob and Lynne took the opportunity for their first vacation without a young person in many, many years! They were visably more relaxed when they arrived at LaLaLand Saturday night in time to watch the Gators trample the George Mason dream in the Final Four! We ate, partied amd lauhed til late in the evening. Sunday morning was breakfast, coffe and more laughs - and the they were gone, heading to Longboat Key.... They stayed a week, relaxed, got sun and shared more laughs. We still love them very dearly....

A curious friend visits with us at Longboat Key.... 

IN CASE YOU DID NOT HEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GATORS - NATIONAL CHAMPS!!!
A night for the ages! I was wound up tightly as Monday drew closer to tip off - could these young guys do it 1 more time??? I'm a football guy and most of my anxious moments are over the gridiron, but yesterday I was bleeding blue and orange all over! Tip off was at 9:15 and I knew Linda would be asleep long before halftime - regardless of how much I was yelling. They started off strong and never let up - beating a great, but outmatched, UCLA team. I was nervous all the way to end - screaming, cheering and wanting to believe. In the end it was Harley and I on the couch and I was still screaming - but now I had tears of joy running down my face - our Gators had won the BIG SHOW. Courtney called and we shared an excited and tearful moment for OUR TEAM! Happy is the word for the Gator nation on this special day!

GO GATORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 1998 Charlie started college at University of Tampa. The strength coach for the cross country team got him interested in rowing and he had a great time, gained some upper body strength and met a little blonde named Esther. They stayed together their 5 years at UT and here is Esther yesterday on her 26th birthday - they still care about each other! While Charlie is off at Ranger School, Linda and I took Esther out for a birthday dinner at Don Pablo's! Happy Birthday Esther!

Gator's shot at glory

INDIANAPOLIS - Who's Cinderella now?
The Florida basketball team, unranked before the season began, dispatched upstart George Mason 73-58 at the RCA Dome on Saturday night. On April Fool's Day, Florida advanced to the national championship game. They will face UCLA.

No fooling.
While the Patriots were crowd favorites because of a string of upsets in the regionals, the Florida story is almost as improbable.

Before the game, Billy Donovan told his team in the locker room, "The Cinderella story ends tonight."

Asked if the Gators are a Cinderella story themselves, center Al Horford said, "If you think about it, we kind of are."

George Mason had used a Kryptonite theme in making its run at the Final Four and there were signs referring to Superman's weakness around the dome Saturday.

"It's pea soup now," said backup Chris Richard. "I guess you could say we took the Kryptonite and threw it away."

Florida led by five at the half, then used the hot hand of guard Lee Humphrey at the start of the second half to stretch the lead to 19 at one point. Humphrey scored Florida's first 10 points of the second half.

The Gators much-improved perimeter defense also kept the Patriots from hitting a 3-point shot until 35 minutes had passed. George Mason was 2-of-11 from beyond the arc while Humphrey made six from long range, five of them in the second half.

"As a college basketball player, this is what you want," Humphrey said. "It's been an exciting, exciting week for us."

The win was Florida's 10th straight as the Gators upped their record to 32-6. It is the second time in seven years Florida has played for the national title, both times in Indianapolis. "I'm very, very thankful," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "The NCAA Tournament to me, what's the lottery motto? You've got to be in it to win it."

With the crowd rooting for a comeback, George Mason cut the lead to nine before Florida made six straight free throws, then grabbed three straight offensive rebounds on a game-clinching possession.

"I was shocked we weren't in the game with three or four minutes to go," George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said. "I'm surprised we didn't play well."

Humphrey and Corey Brewer led the Gators with 19 points each. Horford led the Gators with 13 rebounds.

"It hasn't hit me yet," Brewer said. "It hasn't hit me like it's going to hit me."

My favorite Jamaican market - temporarily closed from a fire! Awesome place!

Tampa Bike Fest 2006

Stunt Shows! Harleys! Hayabusas! Custom Choppers! Exhibitions, goodies and lovely ladies - Tampa Bike Fest 2006 at the USF Sun Dome was a big hit! Lots of bikers braved the cool winds and showed up for a 1st class Bike Fest. There was a bike show and awesome stunts! Motorman, along with his wife, Dr. Donna showed us all the proper way to ride our bikes and intoduced their 16 year old son who drove like a 10 year veteran! Great show! Linda and I met Steve and Adrienne for breakfast and went on to the show. Steve and I both ended up buying a super wheel chalk for our bikes - "boys and their toys...."

Imagine this! Linda and I are out on a sunny Saturday morning - we have a nice breakfast at the Kozy Korner - and where do we end up? YUP, another Harley shop! This is Fletcher's in Clearwater. Just rebuilt 4 years ago, Fletcher's is the oldest Harley dealership in the Tampa Bay area. Just like the others - it is LOADED with lots of Harley goodies that scream out for you to take them home! We may have to put Linda in program to get her off the Harley clothes addiction! Oh well - on we go!

WOW! The grocery stores did not have these when I was growing up!

See ya later!

A Tampa Bay Classic for More Than 65 Years!

On July 3, 1935, Lois (Mamie) Whiteside and her sons, Richard Jr. and Jack proudly opened The Colonnade Restaurant on beautiful Bayshore Boulevard. The two boys were Plant High School students and the restaurant was soon a favorite local hangout for Tampa's teenagers. With the young and young at heart as regulars, "Cruisin at The Nade" became a favorite bay area pastime.

The Colonnade offered a variety of Americana favorites, including hamburgers, fried chicken and a Colonnade original -- an olive in your Coca-Cola®. After World War II, the restaurant began serving what it is now famous for -- fresh seafood. While stationed in San Francisco during the war, Jack became inspired by the West Coast Bay Area's many seafood restaurants. Avid fisherman, the boys were happy to add an array of fresh fish and shellfish entrees to the menu.

Mamie Whiteside always insisted on the freshest and finest ingredients and the family continues to offer their patrons the best of the land and sea. For five generations the Whiteside family has established a tradition of serving a superior product at family prices. This commitment to food excellence coupled with our exceptional service staff and a unique and casual atmosphere, has made The Colonnade a Tampa Bay Classic!

This was one of my "hangouts" in high school! It was a drive-thru back then and they would put an olive in your cokes! We would park our car, get out and prowl for the lovely young ladies! The Colonnade will be torn down soon, and with it - another little connection to my past will slip away. Lots of great times here!

Another beautiful sunset on Tampa Bay. Sometimes we stay in such a rush that we miss the grand gifts from our Creator!

Jim's Harley Davidson in St. Petersburg. A place that has gotten a lot of our $$$.

So Long Bubba..............

Shrimp King - that was the name of my bait & tackle shop in the mid eighties. A lot of wild times and fish stories went on there! We also had a lot of cats around - ALWAYS. I would pawn off cute kittens to customers, neighbors and family - anybody! I gave a few to my next door neighbors - the Meyers. Their few quickly became a bunch - and out of a litter in early 1993 came a awesome little orange fella that Courtney (only 10 then) claimed as her own and started bringing in her room and making a baby of him. Well, Stevie - the neighbors 13 year old like Bubba too - and this led to a few words between the families - all over a 3 pound orange kitten! Bubba ended up with us and quickly became part of the family. When we moved here in 1994, Bubba became our outside "guard cat"! He was pretty unique - he always wanted to be petted and would even crawl up on your leg for a scratch or two. Linda always fixed a box with blankets to sleep in when it got cold and he always had a blanket on the church pew in the carport. When it got real cold, Linda would go out and bring him and let him sleep in the extra bathroom. He could be found sleeping on the Harley or Linda's car hood or any other place that made him feel close to his people. He was a great hunter! Frogs, squirrels, snakes, birds and lizards were among the trophies he left on our welcome mat. He had buddies through the years - George and Country both came when the Genungs moved in 1995 - but none had the personality of Bubba! I have to admit that I have, on more than 1 occasion, said that I would not have any more cats once these were gone. My beef was with the other cats in the neighborhood that would come to eat out of Bubba and buddies' bowls. I even admit that I often took Bubba for granted and was often in too big a hurry to bend over and scratch him. BUT - I ALWAYS fed him and he was my buddy..... I came home today and Bubba was laying by his food bowl and could not move - those that know me know how I felt. It broke my heart - I tried to pick him up and he growled and tried to move but could only move a couple inches - his gums had gone white and he had lost most of the feeling in his back. I wrapped him in a bath towel, put him in his well padded sleeping box and headed off to the vet. I buried Bubba in the front yard where he had patrolled for the last 12 years and felt a little connection to my past slip away. Linda will be home soon and I will have to tell her and she will be crushed - she so dearly loves and dotes over all our animals. Once again, I realize that Bubba was one of the many blessings that have been poured out into my life and I am thankful for all the years I had my little buddy - Bubba! So long Bubba...................

COURTNEY TIME!!

When Court comes by the house, the dogs go crazy! Courtney has had a love affair with Harley since the day he came home and he goes completely bonkers when she "crosses the gate" - that's HIS woman! 

Friendship Trail!

The old Gandy Bridge is now Friendship Trail and is full daily with walkers, runners, roller-bladers and fishermen! The bridge connects Tampa and St. Petersburg. The people from both cities get great enjoyment, excercise and a lot of sunshine here!

The very lovely Linda!
My bride of 31 years! 

Here is Linda and I at Charlie's apartment last May - picking up his harley to bring back to Florida while he was headed off to Iraq. Looking back, it will go down as one of the great adventures in our journey through this life...
Now that he is back safely, it is even sweeter!

Some say with age comes wisdom. I'm living proof that sometimes old age arrives all by itself.

• We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

WOW - I Really miss football already!

Life in LaLaLand continues to remain a wonder to us and the time seems to spin out of control. The pictures and memories remind us of the countless blessings!

Linda's new Mustang / Harley / Lilly / Charlie home / Airport fun / Fishin Steve / Court & Bro / Court & Pup / Court stylin / UT sunset / Chuck in Iraq / Mom & son / Tom's BD / New camera / Falcons' house / harley on couch....

Where will 2006 take the folks from LaLaLand? I don't know - but put me down for a ticket!

Jerry 18 Feb 2006

"A man needs self-acceptance or he can't live with himself;
he needs self-criticism or others can't live with him."

*James A. Pike {1913-1969 American Episcopal Bishop}

At The Gap There Be Snowmen!

My favorite play place in the world - the Dragon has been covered with snow. They got 3 - 4 inches this past Saturday night and David [from Killboy] got out Sunday to check it out and got these great pictures. David tells us that the roads were salted and were clear. He did not see many other vehicles aside from the salt truck and a Blount County LEO to make sure no one slid off the mountain. I look forward to my return to the greatest motorcycle riding area in our country!!!

Biker Trash

The Moores Motorcycle Gang from May 2005. Last summer we visited my brother, Tom in Tennessee and Charlie rode his harley down to Tom's and we invaded Murfreesboro and took over the town!!! OK - we rode down to Tom's daughter Gwyn's house and had dinner. Nice ride - nice food - great family get-together!

Fun times from a couple of summers ago! Fishin' Steve and I went out late one afternoon in June - got great bait - and the snook Gods smiled on us! 3 big ones in about 20 minutes. I could tell you where we were - but I would be killed instantly. You old time Tampa Bay people can figure it out easily... Happy fishing!