Our Last Sunny Day in Florida

Ft Meyers

Wednesday, Feb 16, we checked into the La Quinta in Ft Meyers. The hotel is wonderfully situated right at the causeway to Sanibel Island and walking distance to a wonderful public beach.
But alas, Bob was getting sicker by the hour. We decided we needed to attend the mini-reunion (of guys who had served as ET's (Electronics Technicians) aboard the USS Franklin D Roosevelt in the 60's) Wednesday evening. But we also decided to not return to the hotel but instead to head north from the mini, since that would reduce our drive and we could get home (and to the doctor) quicker.

We checked out of the hotel at noon, and decided to explore a little on the way to the mini site - a Perkins Family Restaurant in the center of Port Charlotte. We ventured out to Cape Coral. (We saw a police car with a window sticker that read www.coralcops.com ;-)
This whole area was built up over the past 3-4 decades around a system of canals. This allows many more residents to have direct access to the bay and of course the Gulf of Mexico.


The many houses on the water is a real boon to the economy and this is a fabulous place for people to live that enjoy aquatic fun! The realtors love it too, since the "rule of tens" kicks in - the same house on the water will demand 10 times higher price than just one block off the water!


In our exploring, we came across a wonderful little park (about 4-5 acres) where we could pull right up to the water's edge and have lunch!



The park had walking paths, a covered shelter, and a full playground.
Several condos were immediately adjacent - seemed like a great place to live since you have the advantages of a waterfront condo with none of the headaches (or higher taxes).


Port Charlotte Bay seemed quite large and sufficient to support nearly every aquatic need except perhaps deep sea fishing.


Mini-Reunion of USS FDR Shipmates

At 4PM we arrived at the Perkins. Just as we were setting up, folks started to arrive. I was thrilled that Harold ("Butch") & Ginger Jonas came all the way from Jacksonville to attend.
He had been at the mini in Starke, FL. I felt that was solid testimony that this is a good thing (since if it he'd not had fun in Starke, he sure would not have driven 250 miles for this one!). Another couple, Dale & Linda Doane drove down from Ocala. He was an ET on the Rosy but served just a year or two after any of the others had served. I felt that even though he didn't know anybody at the beginning, he had some solid "shipmate friends" be evening's end.
Those in the photo are (L-R) Ken Klug & his companion Eleanor, Linda & Dale Doane, Harold & Linda Jonas, Bob Peege, Stan Zindzius, Theresa & Bob Siefker.

Our plan is to get as many OE Div members as possible to the FDR Reunion in 2012 at Virginia Beach. My plan is to organize at least one casual get together on the day before the reunion officially starts - either on the beach or in a pub or someplace we can have a party room all to ourselves. I'm hoping we can get 25-30 ex-ET's and their spouses/companions.

Back Home Again in Indiana

At the end of the evening (about 7 PM) we pointed the Ford north planning to hole up in Ocala.
When we got close, we started calling hotels listed in our discount coupon book (you see them at all the rest stops) and there was nothing in Ocala! We finally asked and were told it was due to the Daytona races! Ocala is nearly all the way across the state! We had no idea the race had that huge an attendance!
Anyway, we went on to Gainesville and tried again, this time with success.
Thursday, Bob's symptoms were worse with swollen left eye with much mucus discharge. We left right at 8AM so as to be in Atlanta just after the lunch rush. Our timing was perfect and we sailed right through Atlanta only to get caught in a 10 mile backup about 30 miles south of the Tennessee border! Even with the backup, we made it through Knoxville without a hitch and found a hotel in London KY.
Friday morning we were on the road at 8AM again and sailed through Louisville without a hitch.
When we arrived home, we went to see the doctor and she prescribed an anti-biotic for a maxillary sinus infection (my teeth hurt!). I was expecting a miracle or something but was disappointed that by bedtime I felt WORSE! My good friend Mike Ewing who is an RN said that is not unusual and that it would be 24-36 hours before I noticed any improvement.
It's Sunday as I write this and I felt pretty good when I first "rolled out" this morning. I decided to go ahead and go to church and by the time we were dismissed, I was ready to go home.
For some reason, I decided to write this last (for now) blog entry, but I think I'll wrap it here.
I appreciate the comments and visitors to our blog. Stay tuned for the next adventures of Bob and Theresa.
Until then,
Via con Dios Amigos.

St Ann's In Naples

St Ann's

We attended Sunday Mass at St Ann's just south of "Old Town" Naples.
We had been here before and it's always nice to return to someplace you enjoyed before.
St Ann's is named in honor of the mother of St Mary, mother of Jesus.
It is built "in the round" with a wire mesh corpus suspended above the altar.


The Stations of the Cross, recounting the agonizing path that Jesus took from Pilate's judgment seat to Golgotha is very unusual and incorporates the same wire mesh as used to form the corpus. Here is Pilate passing judgment, with a tiny bowl for washing his hands.


This is the station that recalls the kindness of St Veronica in wiping the face of Jesus.
Tradition tells us she was rewarded with the likeness of Jesus on the cloth - in fact veronica means "true image" and may reflect the act rather than a particular person (or, she fulfilled her named destiny in this act of kindness). No one knows for sure. Note the image of Jesus' face on the "cloth." (You may have to open and zoom.)


In this station, we recall Jesus being stripped of his garments. Most modern Crucifixes show Jesus with a loin cloth, but it is likely he was crucified without any covering, since public nakedness was the ultimate shame for a Jew of that era. I am not normally a fan of figurative art, I thought these stations were particularly moving.


Jesus is nailed to the cross - a powerful image.
The only criticism I have is that if you are familiar with the stations, you can figure them out.
If you didn't already know, you might be puzzled by some of them.


After mass, we visited a Panera Bread Company who is featuring their new chicken soup.
Bob felt like it might help his raw throat - "Eat some chicken soup! It can't hurt!"
The day was gorgeous so we ate on the patio!


After lunch, Bob took a bike ride while Theresa went for a walk. Bob rode up and down the road next to the beach and, as it happened, Theresa walked some of the same territory.
Naples makes sure everyone has access to the beach with these public access walkways.


There are lot's of condos and very nice homes on the beach as well.
We picked up a real estate booklet and you can get a pretty good "starter mansion" on the beach for as little as $3-4 million! If you're willing to settle for a condo, you can get by for a mere million or so!
Naples has a very well heeled populace - at least in the winter months.


On Monday, we walked into old town (our hotel is about 1/2 mile from old town) and strolled 5th Avenue, the shopping district, on our way to St Ann's for the noon mass.
After mass, we bought some sandwiches and ate in a little park right on the main drag.
After lunch, we explored a little, deducing that since there was a East Lake St and a West Lake St, there just might be a lake, and voilà, there she was, as pretty as a picture. It was interesting to see the range of houses around the lake. There were some 1600 sq ft ranches and some very large (maybe 6,000 sq ft) "starter mansions."


What a perfect spot for a photo of two lovers - on Valentine's Day!


Tomorrow we move a few dozen miles north to Ft Meyers. UIndy is having an alumni gathering there Thursday and I'm always up for free food! (And you though I was pure Purdue! I got my MBA from UIndy in 1997 through their Executive MBA program.)
In addition, we'll have another mini-reunion of Shipmates who served aboard USS FD Roosevelt in OE Division - the ET's (Electronic Technicians). As testimony as to how much fun the other one in Starke was, two of the guys (and their wives) who went to that one are driving like 300+ miles to come to this one!

Purdue "Back to Class"

Every year in Feb, Purdue Alumni descend on Naples.
Goes back to when Jack Mollenkopf was head coach and some wealthy alums invited him for a golfing weekend.

The University holds "Back to Class" sessions where we can increase our knowledge and/or skills in vital areas.
This year, I went with Dan Ross, Purdue's pro, to Tiburon Golf Resort for a group lesson on pitching and sand shots.




It's tough!

Friends, Yachts, and Fish Stories

Vince and Mary Birleson!

When we left Purdue in 1969, Bob's first job (as an engineer) was at Texas Instruments in Dallas. We quickly discovered that true Texans were a rare breed indeed and that most of the engineers were from the Big Ten schools! Vince was assigned to the same project as Bob and we soon became great friends. Mary and Theresa hit it off well. We were in the same boats economically and family wise. Vince taught Bob how to water ski and it was a given that Saturdays were spent at Grapevine Reservoir. We get an opportunity to see them whenever we come to Florida and look forward to our visits with eagerness. They live aboard their boat, a 58 foot long Hateras Long Range Cruiser but also own a house nearby which they graciously turned over to us!


Mary jokingly had Vince don this "Surfer-Dude Hat" with a full head of hair.


We drove to nearby Stuart for a stroll on the docks to visit some of their boating friends and then the downtown area which is filled with shops of all variety of thing you might want (including a gelato store run by an Italian who made terrific gelato - Italian soft ice cream!)


Look closely and you'll see that the second story "windows" are actually murals!


Dinner at the Tiki Bar in St Lucie.
(I'm sorry, I had the hamburger and it was very good indeed!
You can only be good so much ;-)


On Wednesday, the wind had died down quite a bit and Vince asked the "magic" question "Wanta go for a boat ride?" Silly question!


Mary cast off the lines and brought in the fenders and then joined Theresa on the focsle (forecastle to you lubbers).


Vince is in his element when steering a boat, whether it is an 18' ski boat or a 58' Yacht like the "Betty B" (named for his Mom)!
He is extremely thorough and cautious, double checking everything and taking nothing for granted. You always feel safe with Vince at the helm!


Vince and Mary's boat is about as big as two people can handle, but there are even bigger yachts in the basin!
BTW: The boating market is depressed right now so you can get some great buys on some very nice boats!


It is a nice 15 minute drive to the Ft Pierce inlet and the open seas.
The bridge in the background is one we'd drive over many times but this gave a whole new perspective.


As we transited the inlet, we could see surfers and kite surfers on the beach.
Fishermen line the edges of the channel (too close for comfort sometimes).


There are some nice homes along the way. This one is close to Vince and Mary's but theirs is not on the water, so the "rule of ten's" comes into play. A house on the water will sell fro approximately 10 times what it would even a block off the water.


Pelicans are everywhere. These two were enjoying a nice siesta when we disturbed their rest. They looked for moment as though they would take off but finally settled for staring us down!


Later, we went to Harbor Branch Research Institute (part of Florida Atlantic University) for a talk on "farm raised" fish (aquaculture is the correct term).


They advised they would have snacks afterward, so we sat close to the door!


The two Profs that gave the talk used a staged dialog format, pretending they'd met at a coffee house to discuss the pros and cons of aquaculture. I don't know if it's because Harbor Branch is big in aquaculture or not, but they seemed to think it was great.
Later they had a "show and do" where she showed ow to identify and pick put fresh seafood.


The "reception" was a bust (one not very good cookie) but the staff was there to answer questions and the displays were great.


This deep diving unit delivered two divers to 700 feet and allowed them to go out, swim, return and then surface. The unit then acted as the decompression chamber on deck!


In front they had some great sculptures that were appreciated by a number of birds looking for dinner!


Tomorrow, breakfast with Vince and Mary and then off to Naples for the Purdue Molenkopf Weekend.

Cocoa Beach - Super Bowl!!

Cocoa Beach

First allow me to apologize for no posts for a week!
We were in places where our only internet access was through our phones! (Not conducive to more than just checking emails and FaceBook once in a while - certainly not to upload files, etc.)

We bid adieu to Orlando (a week ago as of this writing!) and drove to the Atlantic Coast to meet and stay with our friends Paul and Helen Volk. They spend every February in Cocoa Beach and have, for the past two, been in this nice high rise condo.


It sits right on the beach and has a heated pool which is quite popular


Bob rode his bicycle up and down the streets but a number of folks used the hard packed sand.
Theresa and Helen walked the beach while Paul jousted with AT&T trying to get a handle on a new MyFi toy (which he eventually did, but through no help from AT&T!)


This was not an uncommon sight - the family that computes together, stays together?
Somehow doesn't sound quite right, does it!

Sunday morning after Mass, we drove to Patrick AFB for their wonderful Sunday brunch.
It is more than omlettes, eggs, waffles, Champagne, etc. - they have roast beef, sliced ham, ribs, etc - a full meal!

On Sunday evening, we gathered with some other snowbirds from Indiana for a Super Bowl Party. Helen consoles the lone Steelers fan. I was ambivalent until Green Bay scored with 2 minutes left and I learned if no one scored again, I'd win the pool!


We had a great time and felt (slightly) guilty winning the pool!


Monday - on to Ft Pierce!

A Great Day In Orlando!

Tuesday in Orlando
While our poor friends in Indiana were being covered in a layer of ice, we enjoyed a fabulous day. We felt guilty - for about ten seconds!

Daily Mass at Mary Queen of the Universe

We happily returned to Mary, Queen of the Universe for noon mass in the chapel.
On one wall is a niche with a wonderful depiction of the Blessed Mother's appearance to Juan Diego in Guadeloupe, Mexico. This appearance predated Lourdes and Fatima by hundreds of years! Our Lady of Guadeloupe is the patron saint of North America


The chapel is gorgeous - the stained glass window is a field or stars and is a fascinating background for worship - a reminder that God is God of the Universe, not just our little BB flying through the ether.



A visit to Mickey's Kingdom!

After a nice lunch at Panera's, we headed to Disney World!
We've learned some tricks over the years and drove to Shades of Green (where we'd stayed several years ago). We knew that we could visit the pro shop for the golf course without any hassle. Once parked there, we could roam the facility.
Shades of Green is a Disney Resort Hotel but is open to active, reserve, and retired military. Walt Disney was an avid supporter of the US Military all his life and that support remains his legacy to this day.


The Disney golf courses are phenomenally well kept and are available at a greatly reduced rate to military members on a Space A basis 24 hours in advance at a greatly reduced rate.
The course next to Shades of Green is Magnolia and is the best of the five Disney courses.



The oldest Disney Hotel is the Contemporary. The Monorail runs through the center of the hotel highlighting the futuristic concept of the hotel. Keep in mind, this was designed in the late 60's!


One of the most beautiful resort hotels is the Floridian - a reminder of a delicate and elegant era of fine hotels in the south.


In the expansive atrium of the Floridian is a grand piano.
This young man was wonderful playing first modern music then classical with equal ease and skill.


The Monorail runs to all the hotels and links at the Transportation Center with another monorail to Epcot.


All of the transportation system on Disney is complementary - no charge to ride.
The little boats travel to the resorts including The Flordian, Polynesian Village, Frontierland, and the Contemporary as well as a stop at Magic Kindgom.


A old looking "river boat" travels back and forth from the Transportation Center to Magic Kingdom. We rode it over, caught a Monorail to Epcot and then headed back across.


While we rode the ferry, we struck up a conversation with a young man who worked for Disney World. He said he was taking his girl into Magic Kingdom and he could take us in too as his guests! So we did! We have not been to Magic Kingdom since our kids were small - probably 25-30 years!



Main Street still ends at Cinderella's Castle!



We came down Main Street in time to see a staging of a combination of a bunch of stories.




Walt Disney is fondly remembered throughout the entire facility.
For those of us who remember him personally introducing the Mickey Mouse Club, Spin and Marty, and all the other Disney shows, we remember that smile!


Of course, Mickey (and Minnie) is everywhere - even in the shrubbery!


But we were finally discovered!


If anyone has $150, please send it to bail us out!
I swear, we'll never crash Magic Kingdom again!


As the sun sets, the colors come out and Disney World lights up!



Tomorrow, bicycling in Kissimmee and dinner with an old friend!