Family Time; Dancers; Geo-Quiz Results; A Jaeger; You Made What for Dinner? Nanny Bureaucracy; Tampa Bay

On Thursday evening we met up with Suzanne's brother Brent and his wife Cheryl, who have recently moved to The Villages, her sister's mother-in-law Janis Clay, and her mom Ruthie for her famous bean soup. It was a great dinner with lots of laughter and catching up on family discussions.

Then it was off to Brownwood, the new town center in The Villages. We ran into our friends Kay and Rollie Strand, from Minnesota, who were burning up the dance floor. They looked like pros! Rollie almost broke my hand while shaking it; it turns out that he is a former fullback and coached high school football for 25 years. Their very interesting story was about one of their adopted children who had gotten into some trouble with the law. Kay and Rollie stood by him through thick and thin, always telling him that they loved him, even though they had to call the police once themselves. In the end, he grew up and changed his life around because of their loving support.  Standing there talking with them at Brownwood, their love was palpable.

The Inaugural Geo-Quiz from the previous blog post was won by Karen Leonard, with runners-up Bill Bayer, Gayle Hancock, Bob Blythe, and Chris Lavender. Well done to all contestants. I will be delivering Karen’s Hostess Chocolate Cup Cakes next week when we return from Tampa. (The correct answers were (1) The Caspian Sea and (2) Sturgeon.) (And no, Karen, you will not receive a jar of Caspian Sea sturgeon caviar... at least not from me!)


Suzanne’s friend Gisela Padgett had given her a German Jaeger doll as a thank-you gift. Jaeger means hunter in German; since Rudy was bred to hunt badgers in Germany, he wanted to meet the little fellow, especially because he comes with a little dachshund himself (look closely at the hunter's feet). Rudy traded hunting stories in German with the hunter's dog for a few minutes and then Rudy decided to take a nap.

  

When I was a kid, there was only one food that I absolutely could not eat: Brussels sprouts. I figured that they must be an "acquired taste". That means that you can force them down if you don't have any taste buds. Well, My Lovely Bride knew my feelings about those little green balls, and when she told me what she was making for dinner, I was in shock. She assured me that I would like them. (That's like the dentist telling you you're going to enjoy a root canal without anesthesia. I would have had a couple of gins and tonic to fortify my taste buds, but since we had just taken The Bus to the MacDill AFB campground in Tampa for a couple of days' R&R, I wasn't prepared with the ingredients for that taste bud helper.) Much to my amazement, however, Suzanne the Chef was correct. After preparing those tiny little cabbages with feta cheese, pesto, garlic, and olive oil, they were not only edible, but actually scrumptious. They went very well with the lemon- and herb-encrusted salmon she served. Who would have known? 

While walking on the Tampa Bay Shore, we met Doris and Linda, two marching band performers with the Second Time Arounders in St. Petersburg. They filled us in on their band, made up of older musicians (older than 18, at least!). As has happened many times before, they stopped to admire Rudy and Gretchen, our little furry ambassadors of goodwill. We hope to attend one of their events in the spring, especially since Suzanne is a former marching band piccolo player. On the way home, she had trouble concentrating; she couldn't get a couple of Sousa marches out of her head. It didn't help when I started humming one at full volume... Smack...

You were probably wondering about the nanny reference in today's headline; my comment in the title refers to the Air Force requirement that all personnel wanting to rent a boat from the MacDill marina have to take one specific boating safety course on-line, a 3-6 hour evolution. Every other base we have visited accepts current US Coast Guard Master's Licenses (which both Suzanne and I hold), since that license allows you to operate commercial vessels at sea. But the Air Force Morale, Welfare and Recreation bureaucracy recently decided that a US Coast Guard license wasn't good enough, so I sat through four hours of mental agony and got my boating safety card. It ensures that I know why zebra mussels are evil, that I know the whistle signals for entering a lock on the Mississippi River in Missouri, the signals for water skiing (I did that once decades ago, and poorly), what safety equipment to carry aboard a jet ski (they are noisy abominations that I wouldn't be caught dead riding), why duck hunters should wear life jackets (I don't hunt), and where the bow is on a sailboat (Suzanne and I both taught sailing professionally, and have owned 6 sailboats over a 35 year period). aaaarrrrggggghhhhh!

So, we finally were able to check out a 16 foot runabout and took off across Tampa Bay. Here is Suzanne with the wind in her hair and throttle wide open. "It's not nearly as fast as my red Corvette..." "Yeah, and we didn't need to sit through four hours of mental agony to get your Corvette, either..." 

We decided to stop at a small island that popped up on the horizon. I am moving the boat closer to shore so that My Lovely Wife can step out in shallow water so as not to get her bathing suit wet... sort of like a maritime Sir Walter Raleigh.... (And Bob, don't make any smart cracks about what those sticks shown here in the bow of the boat are for.)

This pile of driftwood and castaway trees was on Crab Island, a few miles southeast of MacDill AFB. You can just make out Tampa in the distance. It was a nice place to stop and stretch our legs, but we had more sightseeing to do. The weather was perfect, clear, sunny, warm, and not too windy, so we got underway and headed east...

Apollo Beach is a less-visited part of Tampa Bay. There is an unsightly (but very practical and functional) electric power plant nearby with huge stacks, but if you don't look in that direction, it's a lovely area. Home prices must be very low here because of the power plant. I think these two houses may be part of a low income public housing project...  

A Russian Connection; Geo Quiz; Papillon; Snack Thief; Sexism

There is really a difference in cultures around the world, and the latest example was provided by Dmitri, a 40 year old Russian guy who purchased our Toyota yesterday. I asked Dmitri if he was from Russia, and he muttered suspiciously, “Yes, but we don’t ask where people are from.”  As he was test driving the car with me, I said, "Dmitri, please slow down, the speed limit is 15 and you're doing 35; it's not safe, and you may get a ticket." His reply was, "So what, I don't live here." "Oh-kay..."

I decided that he might not want to discuss his current job (maybe one of Vladimir Putin’s “enforcers”, or worse?). He wouldn’t hand over any money until we had both signed the title, and kept hurrying us along, even to the point of taking the pen from Suzanne’s hand. Suzanne’s comment that he was “the pushiest guy I’ve ever met” was telling; as you know, she is a pretty patient and understanding woman, and when she gets flustered, you know it’s gotta be bad! I was very happy when we got to the bank and deposited his cash; I was just a bit worried about a potential counterfeiting connection with this lad. At least he had good vision; when we drove up to meet Suzanne, who had come from a lunch with friends, he said, “Is that your wife? She’s beautiful!”

Okay, a new periodic element (but not a heavy metal element...) for the blog: a geography quiz. How this works is that I close my eyes, spin my globe (a Christmas gift from My Loving Wife), and point at random... where the globe and my finger intersect is the locale for the quiz, which has two parts. Today’s Quiz: (1) On what large body of water is the city of Turkmenbashi located? (2) For what fish is that body of water famous? The first person to email me with both correct answers will receive a package of Hostess Chocolate Cup Cakes, delivered personally by bike if the winner lives in The Villages or nearby... email your answer to ftgiesemann@aol.com   

While walking Rudy the other day, I noticed that he would catch a scent, then turn away, then turn back, then away, until he found whatever it was that he was seeking. I realized that he was focusing in on his target using his sense of smell, which is 10,000 times more intense than my own. His world at that moment was limited to a piece of dirt and grass about 4 feet square, yet he probably found a hundred different smells where I might be lucky to find one. He wasn’t distracted by any outside influences, including loud noises and cars driving by. He was focused... I think Rudy was truly “living in the now”.

Speaking of dogs, while walking near the boardwalk at Lake Sumter the other day, I spoke to Connie Smith, who was walking her Papillion Molly. They were both delightful, and I learned a lot about that breed, a really cute little dog. Papillons were bred as lap dogs for European royal houses, so they don’t have the hunting instincts that our dachshunds Rudy and Gretchen display. They have more "courtly" attributes; here is Molly displaying her ballet skills.  

For those readers not located in Florida, I have to describe one of the local squirrel species here. The fox squirrel (Sciurus niger - also known locally as Robo Squirrel) is the largest squirrel in the Western Hemisphere, and weighs between two and three pounds, twice the size of a gray squirrel. It is named for its luxurious tail, which is remarkably similar to that of a fox. I spotted this guy on the golf course the other day. They are notable for raiding golf carts for snacks and sandwiches, even while you are standing just a few feet away. 

I hesitate to raise a sexism issue, but I think women often get preferential treatment that a man would never get... Suzanne drove over to visit a friend in a gated community where everyone gets stopped, questioned about whom they are going to visit, checked against an access list, etc., basically everything but a pat down. So, she's driving her new red Corvette, pulls up to the gate, and the guard looks at the car, comes out with a huge smile, says "Niiiice..." and raises the gate, no questions asked. I ask you, "Is that fair?"

Speaking of her Corvette, I asked My Beloved if I could drive her car to run some errands... as memory recalls, the conversation went sort of like this... "Oh, Ty, I'm sorry, I have to meet Elizabeth for lunch." "Okay, how about after lunch?" "Well, I have some shopping then..." "Well, could I sign up on a waiting list?" "Darling Ty, you don't have to do that... you can drive My Beautiful Red Corvette any time you want... how about on alternate Thursdays in months that don't have an 'r'?" "But Suzanne, that would only be May, June, July and August, and we'll be travelling in the RV out west next summer and the Corvette will be in the garage back in The Villages!" "My Darling Ty, you have always been very quick..."  

My Loving Bride recalls that conversation differently than I, so she asked me to put in a disclaimer.....

Busy Bodies; Massage Therapy; Bad Golf; A Surprise Present; One Happy Medium

This is a teaser photo: please read down...

After our very busy weekend filming, we thought that Monday would be relaxed. WRONG! We had a big backlog of admin tasks to take care of, some physical therapy, and a game of golf. The best part of the morning was our separate massage appointments with our friend Flo Tejeras at Therapeutic Touch. Suzanne had been suffering pain in her hip from running too much, and my lower back needs periodic massage to keep it loose. We both felt much better after our massage sessions; it may seem like a luxury, but massage really is therapeutic. (Thanks to Flo also for identifying the yellow and gold flower from my blog a few days ago as a canna lily, a beautiful plant that is also harvested for its starch, which is used in some noodles in southeast Asia and in tortillas).

In the afternoon, I played golf (some may dispute that, saying that what I played was not really golf) at Bonifay, a new country club here in The Villages. My partners were Joseph and Trevor, who is visiting from Northern Ireland. Here is one of Joseph's nice tee shots.     

Since I only played twice last year, and hadn’t touched a golf club since April, I knew that I was doomed. My personal philosophy about golf has two principles: (1) go practice for two hours before your tee time; (2) drink at least one (preferably two) beers just before walking onto the first tee. I followed both these principles, and (2) appeared to be helping more than (1). I did okay on the first three holes and then snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, doubling my score on each hole. Sigh... but it was a pleasure watching Joseph and Trevor play; both are excellent golfers. 

Trevor was having some problems with his GPS-based course computer. It kept telling him he was 964 yards from the flag (maybe I shouldn’t have dropped it into the cooler while he was practicing his putting...) 

While walking the puppies in t-o-w-n, I thought, "Gee, I haven't bought Suzanne a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas present in about 15 years... maybe I should find some cheap earrings for her." But one of her angels sat on my shoulder for a few minutes and whispered in my ear, "Hey, Dude, get her something she'll remember for more than a week." Just then I looked up, and there it was... "A Vision"... an “arrest-me red” Corvette convertible. I heard this plaintive voice coming from beneath the hood, saying, "Help, I need Suzanne to be my new loving owner." (Well, what's a guy to do except to follow divine guidance?)

To make a long story short, after a couple of phone calls and a test drive, we traded a big bag of quarters and dimes for the car’s paperwork. Our first stop was to see Suzanne’s dear friend Elizabeth, who has her own silver Corvette. (I see trouble brewing... these gals may be planning a fast run down to Miami together to party this weekend...) 

On the way to the Tax Man's office, we came up to a guy on a Harley who matched our speed and turned his arm to reveal a big "CORVETTE" tattoo, and then he gave Suzanne a big "thumbs up". 

Here is My Lovely Bride in her new ‘Vette in front of the house. (I really got it for her because it matches the colors of the US and Marine Corps flags much better than her old silver car). Is this One Happy Medium or what? 

Just after we took this photo, our neighbor John (last name redacted) drove by and said to Suzanne, "Is that YOURS? I LOVE you! Get a divorce and we'll run off!" "Sorry, John, she's already taken..."

Filming TV Part II; Sold, Two Hot Rod Carts! Two Potential New Villagers? The Heart Circle; The Three Amigos

After a long day of filming yesterday, we were able to sleep in a bit, since Chris Lavelle and Tim Epner were doing some filming of scenic spots and people in The Villages. I thought we were going to have a mellow bike ride until they arrived at the house around 1130. Little did I know that My Precious Bride had the schedule memorized and thought that she would be “helpful” to our visiting film crew. As we were riding down CR 466 on the bike/cart path, she said, “Ty, let’s call Chris and Tim and see if we can meet them for some shots on the bike...” “Okey-dokie...”  So we met them on the boardwalk near the lighthouse, then shot some video on the road there and in one of our favorite places in The Villages, the oak grove at the intersection of Stillwater and Buena Vista. 

Back home for a quick shower; then more filming. Here are some of the highlights... Chris Lavelle interviewing Jan’s husband Bob for the second episode, the “Guys’ Day”. 

Suzanne and Jan Blythe are watching Bob’s interview with great anticipation. (This is before Bob “cheap-shotted” Your Faithful Correspondent... more to come on that fiasco!) 

Here is Bob showing off his $400,000.00 fancy golf cart. I think he has Chris and Tim almost hooked on buying one at this point, but the jury is still out... Chris’ reply, “But Bob, I don’t think my wife Gina would be ready for a golf cart right now...” notwithstanding. 

Okay, Bob is putting a full-court press on now... “Guys, look at the beer cooler under the hood of this beauty; you could put eight six-packs of Rochester Dundee Oktoberfest beer on ice here and party for two days! And it has an FM stereo...” “Hmmm, well, maybe we should at least give her a test drive...” (Bob is starting to set the hooks now...) Tim remarks, "What's an FM stereo, Bob?" Bob replies, "It's this new gizmo that's even better than an iPod... you really need one!"

On his test drive, Chris displays “The Look”... “Oh, shucks, I am doomed... this is so much cooler than my Honda CR-V, but what will Gina say? I don’t think she’s ready to move to The Villages at 27 years old.” 

If you thought Chris was hooked, Tim figured out that the accelerator on this baby was almost as good as a Corvette’s... Tim is still single (but not for long) and is thinking, “Gee, my fiancee Heather will think I’m really cool with one of these...” 

Here Suzanne and Nancy O’Neal are reenacting a talk they had after Nancy’s very evidential reading. Tim and Chris are riding in the back of their new hot rod... oh, sorry... Bob’s other golf cart with a live mike and video camera rolling.  

Here is “My Buddy” Bob... I had loaned Chris my favorite fishing rod to use as a longer microphone boom, and Bob has just commented (and I quote), “Well, at least it’s being put to a good use, since it wasn’t being used for its primary purpose while Ty was fishing this summer!” Can you believe that “My Buddy Bob” would even think such a thought, much less speak it aloud? I was stricken... appalled... mortified... embarrassed... (Revenge will be mine, Bobbie Boy...)

After a fabulous dinner (chicken pot pie prepared by Ann Lavelle; thank you again, Ann!), the Heart Circle met for our final filming of the day. Lois Anne and Gayle were unable to make it, but they were in our hearts and prayers. Other members present tonight included Elizabeth, Bev, Carolyn, Ann, Bob, Jan, Donna, Barb, Gloria, and Nancy. Chris and Tim filmed a fabulous clip and then we adjourned for wine and delicious home made “nibblies”(lemon bars and pizzeles) by Bev and Gloria. 

Wrapping up the day, Tim, Suzanne, and Chris pose for a last shot before the guys depart to return home to Rochester, NY. They are the consummate professionals, so patient and easy to work with, even when dodos like myself keep flubbing their lines. They are welcome back any time, and we look forward to their return in a couple of months or sooner for the next two episodes' filming. (Watch this space!) 

TV Show Filming; Makeup Girl! Sunset Over the Fairway

This morning the filming of the first two episodes of the Messages of Hope television series began. Chris Lavelle and Tim Epner from North Island Media in Rochester, NY, arrived early and set up to video the first scene in our kitchen. Here are Suzanne, Nancy O’Neal, and Elizabeth Magee-Wingle prepping for the first take.

And Bev Garlipp is having her 8th cup of coffee (due to multiple video takes, Suzanne had to keep re-pouring coffee from our "bottomless pot"!)  

Steve Jasper had agreed to re-enact his very emotional reading with Suzanne from last year. Here he is trying to shield the bright light from interfering with my camera’s light meter. Chris and Tim are setting up lights and microphones, not a quick or easy process. They are real professionals, and made sure that everything was right before starting their cameras. 

This may seem like a mundane shot; it’s just food, right? WRONG! This is part of the gourmet shrimp salad lunch provided by the Ann Lavelle Movie Production Support Team (you guessed it, Ann is the entire team). She very thoughtfully prepared lunch for us and delivered it during the shoot so that Suzanne could concentrate on the movie. Ann, you are a doll! 

Here Tim and Chris are carefully adjusting mike levels and camera focus for Steve’s interview. Steve is holding a baseball that was given to him by his grandson three days before his reading, a description of which Suzanne brought through from Steve’s deceased father during his reading. 

Our part-time makeup girl had to go to work on Steve because of the hot lights making him perspire. She must have done okay because the director didn’t fire her... (Uh, Steve, pink shirt and makeup... hmmm.... I'd better not go there!)

Suzanne re-enacted a phone reading with a client who had lost a son. It was so emotional for her that she actually had goose-bumps on her arms when she recounted the evidence from that reading. 

One of the neatest technology gizmos that Chris and Tim brought was this monitor, which plugged into their big video camera and displayed all the technical data you see on the screen. It also gave us the first glimpse of what the finished product would look like on television after Chris and Tim do their editing back in Rochester, NY.  

So, what does a cameraman do during his time off? After the shoot was completed, Tim ran outside onto the Amelia golf course's #2 fairway to catch the sun as it went to sleep below the horizon. I caught Tim setting up his gear just before he was bitten by some kind of nasty bug while standing in the tall grass. (He’s lucky it wasn’t a snake!) 

We were both too tired to cook, so we treated ourselves to a Thai dinner out. Our good friend Gail Grossman was kind enough to snap our picture on her way out. It was nice end to a long, but very rewarding and productive, day of filming.  

Brownwood; Lance the Cyclist; Smell the Flowers; A Movie Event at Home; A Hot Date

We got out for an hour bike ride today to Brownwood, the new third town center in The Villages which only opened today for business. The crowds were just starting to arrive when we biked through; the entry to Paddock Square is certainly reminiscent of a cowboy town. Did you know that Florida is the number 10 state for cattle production in the US? (And you probably thought that oranges and alligators were all they grew here!)

On our bike ride today we met fellow Villager Lance Curtis, from Park Ridge, Illinois, who was riding very strongly into the wind. We took turns drafting in a mini-pace line, and I asked him to pull over for a photo op. Lance stated that three weeks ago he had a heart attack; Suzanne asked if he was concerned about riding hard so soon after that event, and he said, “No, but my wife is.” I liked his attitude; don’t give up your passion just because it might over-stress your body. 

While Suzanne was giving a reading, I went down to Sumter Landing, our local town square, for a cup of coffee. I then wandered around the square admiring the flowers. Having spent most of my adult life at sea and overseas, I could not identify these beautiful yellow and orange flowers; floral experts are invited to comment on their name...

At first I stood back at a distance, but then got right up “in their faces", so to speak. It’s always amazed me how much is going on in every very small piece of the world when you take the opportunity to peek in at it. A bee flitting from flower to flower gathering pollen; a gecko looking for whatever it is geckos eat; an ant crawling around the inside of a flower, presumably looking for food (I tried to interview him, but he was as busy as, well, an ant, and couldn’t be bothered!). These hibiscus were quietly getting older, and had probably already been sampled by the honeybees.

When we lived in DC, I was the consummate news junkie, partly because it’s always interested me but also because we were in the epicenter of national and international politics and world affairs. Every day’s news was frenetic, and on a macro scale. Since we don't watch TV, I find I have more time to spend on the micro fabric of life: our dogs, a Sequoia tree (okay, maybe not so micro), people we meet on the street, a canyon in Utah, or some flowers at the town square. Stopping to smell, and admire, the flowers, is like holding a puppy in your lap; it has to be good for your blood pressure and controlling those nasty piranhas. Just looking closely at these leaves gave me a sense of the perfection of God's work in nature. How could you possibly improve on the simple design of this leaf? 

We were at Unity of The Villages tonight for the latest showing of the Messages of Hope documentary, and it was sold out, with almost 150 people attending. It was one of the best audiences yet. 

Suzanne answered many questions afterwards and signed a lot of books. The filmmaker, Chris Lavelle, and cameraman extraordinaire Tim Epner flew in from Rochester for the viewing and to shoot two episodes of the Messages of Hope TV show. (More on that in a future blog.) 

Walking the dogs down at the square earlier in the day, we saw a red Viper, a very hot sports car. When I was about 20, I briefly dated a girl whose father was a doctor. I went to her door to pick her up one evening, and she smiled and said, “My parents are out of town...” I will leave it to your imagination to guess my first thought. She surprised me when she asked, “Would you like to... drive my father’s Ferrari?” All thoughts of lascivious debauchery vanished (well, briefly) and off we went for a spin in her dad’s Italian racing red Ferrari 275 GTB Berlinetta, probably the hottest production sports car in the world in 1968. The New Orleans Expressway (this was before Interstate 10) was only about 10 miles long, and at over 100 mph the Berlinetta ate up the road in a flash. We were back home far too quickly, but most important, the car was unscathed. This Viper isn’t as sexy as the Ferrari, but I did glance over to see if the keys were in the ignition... darn it...