My Travels

Where we live at in this city in Florida, we are less than 15 miles to most anything we want. Count in like 45 miles to either Disney or Busch Gardens, and this is about a primo location.

It is literally less than 2 miles to a mall, several strip malls, Chilis, Carabbas, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, plus other assorted fast food places.
Along with a Books a Million, making for no real need to ever leave a 10 some mile radius for me. Of course we do, to go to other malls and shopping. But not really all that necessary.

My work is a whopping 4.5 miles one way from my home. Would take about 2 hours to walk there, old and out of shape anymore. But it could be done without much of a difficulty.

But that does make it nice for when we want anything. Target under 2 miles, 2 Walmarts under 3 miles, center of convenience.

Nice quiet day today. End of the day as I write this. One of the best travel oriented, exploration, songs is on VH1 Classics, David Bowie, Major Thom. From the Ziggy Stardust album.

One of the groundbreaking breakthrough sets of music. All about transformation, the search for self, the wonderment of what life is supposed to be like. At least from my point of view that is what it is about. From Changes to Ziggy Stardust to Major Thom it is about changes and evolution. One of the main themes of my life is the quest, the search for self. Fuels so much of my writing over the years.

So you can ascribe what you wish to in his songs and writing. They call those out to me, the search, the quest for self. Which is a journey.

So we went no where today. Did a few errands the other day. Walked about half way home on Friday, we got off work early and my car is down and in the shop. I thought it would be done on Friday, no such luck. So I walked a few miles till my ride, the wife, got off work and met me. Time to think to myself which is nice.

Looked at car, the trash on the side of the road, the heat and the other travellers going who knows where all too fast.

We all need to slow down just a little. I still want a bicycle to ride to and from work.

12/19/08
So on the way to work today, the car died. Again. It died again. It has everyday on the way home from work this entire week. This has in fact, been going on in an intermittent fashion for over a month now. Before this week it would once a week or maybe every other week, it would just stall out sitting at a stop light. But by turning it off for a few minutes, I have been able to get it to restart. Established pattern, I am glad I am only driving 4.5 some miles one way to work now, instead of 49 miles one way like I was just one year ago.

So each day this week it was dying, normally in the same spot, almost exactly the same spot, the same stoplight for certain. Well yesterday I made it past that spot, but it died a few blocks farther on while I was lane changing and merging. Fortunately I was able to drift over to the right 2 lane that time, then off the road into the grass at a turn off. Very fortunate that time. So on the way to work today, as I as driving along a stretch of road, it died again. I let it sit, it would not start up. I called my son, he came, tried to help, we tried to jump it, still nothing. So I called the tow place and off it went. My son took me to work.

Well the shop calls a few hours later, the VW 2000 New Beetle, these two sensors, in lie of the non-existent Distributor, had failed and so that is why the car just died in motion. Because these two sensors send the signals which is what keeps it moving. So the damage is about $250 a sensor, plus some tax. Such a lovely situation, so I think I would like to sell this car as soon as I find a nice little buyer for it, get a couple of grand out of it, been paid off, and default to some other mode of transportation.

So then to a bicycle or some moped or scooter like contraption would be even better. Less insurance, just own it outright, and just get rain gear for the wet season. When that happens will cross it when it does. The wife and I are in agreement, we do not want another car payment. So I should, not that I want to, learn more about this car or switch to an alternative.

Much of my life I have spent not having a car. I think maybe about half of my life has been spent using feet, bike, buses, for my personal transportation. As time has come about and working and commuting it really has felt like I needed one. Whether I wanted one or not, it seemed that I would almost need, very strong want, to have some means of transportation. Of course in the Midwest it is a bit cold in the winter. Down here in Florida it is more a sense of wet and rain. Both seem to be reasons for self-transportation instead of communal transportation. So I have had a car for over 20 years now, I am ready on the inside to be done with it though.

8 September, 1998

Back in the States. Back in the real world. Back where I am now.
Spent the last several weeks once again aboard a US Naval vessel, the Clark (FFG-11).
Myself and 5 other Reservists met the ship in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where there is a US Naval base at and we got on and left there a few days later to conduct Counter Narcotics Operations in the Caribbean. ^ some days later we pulled into Ocho Rios, Jamaica for several days before we left again. Not a very impressive place at all. The Bahamas are much nicer and cleaner by far.
Then floated around for 7 some more days before we ended up in Cozumel, Mexico where I was at for 2 days before catching the flights back home.
Cozumel is an awesome seeming city. Very clean and nice looking. I recommend it if you are thinking of a trip to the Caribbean.

During that time I did read several books. I forgot to write down all the titles before today but I can tonight and get them into this weeks additions to the journal.

Got back at midnight on Friday and lazed around Saturday. Sunday we went to the local festival, Artsplash, and I went over to visit my friend Pat at Doug-1’s house. Stayed up way too late and go into a bit of trouble for it. Did very little of nothing all day Monday. The wife went shopping with her sister for most of the day while Jake and I mowed the yard. It had been over a month since the last mowing so it was a total of 7 some yard bags worth of yard clippings.

Ran a couple of errands today, prescriptions, drop off a bill and some stuff over at the Salvation Army, then back to the house. This was the sum of my travel today, in a physical sense. I have been all over the place online as well as in my thoughts. This is one aspect of my Vagabond nature that has not been explicated in this series of writings so far.

I am all over the board in my likes and life. Like my family, I tend to have multiple things going on. I am an epitome of multitasking, and like my family I seem to be too busy and yet get no farther ahead in my goals and wants. Too scattered is what I think my family, and I , is our real issue here. So there is plenty of drive and determination in this clan, as well as skill, talent, as well as knowledge. But is it as scattered as waves are in uncertain winds or storms. So this is one area of my life I am focusing on now, being a bit more focused than I have been in the previous 45 some years.

Writing, creating, creativity, all methods to traveling within my life, reexamining places I have been, and looking into places I wish to visit in the flesh and in my heart and mind. I have been to many places, the Great Buddha Statue, the English Channel, Subpens in Brest France, as well as more mundane locations. So many other locations to go and see. As well as revisit that is as well. Once some small facets alter in my circumstances, then this can begin in earnest.

Tonight we went to get our son’s truck from the body shop where some work had been done to it to repair some damage from an accident he had a few weeks ago. So we go to leave, not the usual part of town we drive around in to be honest. I give directions, I thought they were clear. Well not so clear, we end up digging for change for the local toll road and a few more almost wrong turns hit a road we know and head back towards our destination.

That was a little less than fun, but it tends to happen to the best of us. I do admit to having a tendency to just keep driving until I think I can find my way around. We spent several hours once lost on the Baltimore Freeway system. I got quite turned around, heading in the incorrect direction, and then the guy part of me kicked in and I had to make sure I got us back on track. It did not succeed so very well.

Unexpected detours and wrong turns taking you to unintended places and locations. Once we got back on track we were not in unexpected waters anymore. But sometimes I do like to just drive around.

This could be a great parable for life. To not worry so much while getting from one location to another. Instead just read the signs, take time, not to get upset, get more gas when necessary, and just enjoy the Moon up in the sky as well.

Slight drift off topic, but this is deep down a series of writings about movement, travel, going places, being a nomad, etc. So no reason, tonight, to restrict it to only the physical elements.

So reading a ton of different books here lately. Non-fiction. Covering topics from non-profits, marketing, internet marketing, lifestyle changing, building communities, and MS Access to state the most recent. All a large departure from my usual SF & F that is my normal reading fare. Still all of these are sparking ideas and causing shifts in my thinking and perceptions. All are moving me in some fashion.

I have been looking into starting my own business, think I will come 2009 at some point during the year.

I want to start a non-profit. That is some insane amount of work. Not sure if I will be able to accomplish it or not.  So instead I will start a DBA (Doing Business As) as a sole entrepeneur. Focus on writing, some self-publishing to start off with. Which would help to fund a vagabonding lifestyle.

So these are the new directions.

Also

Only The Positive

Over the course of my life I have wandered lots of places. I have long had a wonder about Gypsies, traveling circuses, hoboes, all those that move from place to place. The older I get the more the want to travel, to move like a ship pushed by the wind and waves moving as the whim takes me.

This is one of the motivations for the craving to travel, to move from work to work. To uproot my family and take them along with me as we see and view the world as travellers. To be the nomads of the modern age.

I have seen a few specials on those micro trailers. Of course as I write I forget what they are called. Of course my wife is a claustophobe so it will not be a reality.

On the missing of people:

When I was younger, my father was a traveling salesman. He would leave for days or weeks at a time. Then be back for a few days. I never missed him. When he was gone he was not in my mind or thoughts. When he was back I noticed him. When he was gone I did not notice his absence. We also moved at least every year,  on an average, which also assisted me in my nomadic tendencies.

Then I went and joined the military. Went to Japan for 2 years, then Norfolk VA, then a month in Mobile AL, then back to Iowa. Then a few years later went back into the Navy, back to Norfolk, back onto my 3rd ship, always on the move in my work since then as well. Changing jobs all too often for the modern sensibility.

Trees

Stop for awhile and listen to the rustling of the trees in the wind and write what they tell you. Well go on! Tune out and just listen. Now! I mean right now!

Trees speak of age and observation. Once I read a short story, sf, postulating that we are standing still and the trees are the ones rushing along. The protagonist tried as best it could but could not dodge the frozen metal thing that smashed into it and destroyed it. A car is what it was. Wish I remembered more from the story. Read it over 20 years ago, that is all I remember of it.

Trees speak of life. The primary producers of O2 and primary users of CO2 so they become the sustainers of life.

With my love of reading and books trees have figured prominent in my life as a source of entertainment and attainment since the 5th grade, growing in importance each passing year.