Jimmy Carter

Wireless Ear Buds For The Rest Of Us - $15

I love to listen to music - radio - news - talk - on my computer and iPhone. Apple makes a fantastic set of earphones called ear buds. They are wireless and a great way to hear music privately. The big problem with them for me is the price - about $170! I do not mind paying that much - but when I travel - I am always afraid of losing things. Therefore if something is too expensive I leave it at home. One year Lulu bought me a pair of Bose Noise Cancelling headphones for $200 - first trip I lost them. Luckily the credit card insurance bought me another pair - but I have not taken them out of the house since. 

Next Lulu bought me a Bose bluetooth power speaker for $150. It was really nice. So nice - the TSA took them out of my checked bag - I arrived in London with no speaker. 

Lulu gave me these great ear buds for Christmas - among other things. They work great - but the best part is they are available on Amazon for $15! They really work well - and I am not afraid to lose them. 

Simply - you turn "bluetooth" on in your iPhone. Then you press and hold the button on the side of the ear bud. The little red light turns to blue showing you are "paired" - it is that simple. 

The best feature to me - is that when we are walking - and we want to listen to something together - 

Lulu can wear one and I can wear the other. We both hear the same stuff - no wires - no clips - they hold tight in your ear.  No tethering on a wire between us.

Sometimes at night - when we are in bed - with one person sleeping - the other person can put an earbud in and listen to CNN - ESPN - using Sirius radio - and never wake up the other person. No wires to pull out or tangle up. Same way in the camper - just pure sound - no light distraction. 

They are simple to charge - just plug them in 1 hour for a full 3 hour charge. If you use only one - they last 6 hours. You can also answer phone calls with them. 

For $15 - you get the charging system and the ear buds. 

The box brags about HD Music - sports friendly - extra bass - hands free calls - and light weight. I brag about they only cost $15 - so you do not worry about losing them. They are i7TWS Twins True Wireless Earbuds. 

I have only had them 3 weeks - but they have been good. No troubles. They could blow up tomorrow or jump out of my ears. But for now they are cool. When I am walking down the street "cool kids" do a double take seeing and old man with what they think are high end Apple ear buds.

I am a hard person to buy a gift for. If it cost too much - I do not like people wasting money on me - I guess I am just too cheap. 

There's No Place Like Home - Red Shoes

I am supposed to be a scientist and not talk about luck. 

I find it hard to get shoes that fit - I have a wide foot with a high instep - like a duck. So when I find a pair - I wear them forever. 

The other day Lulu was pushing me to get new sneakers. I know she hates me wearing velcro sneakers - but they are the only ones I find in triple EEE. 

Usually Nikes are too narrow - and too expensive for me. We found this pair we both liked and they are size M. Lulu says funny how you can fit into a pair of Nikes that only cost $32 - but can't fit into the same size at $125!  Do you think she figured me out?

We won in double overtime yesterday with Syracuse - today the girls play Virginia Tech. I will wear them again. I feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. "there is no place like home."

Take a look at my lucky shoes. 

George Dawson - Rebel and Role Model

George Dawson in 1955 on his BSA Motorcycle
(33 years before I met him)

I met him in 1988 - he was a science professor at Florida State and we were planning to live in Tallahassee for a year while Lulu earned her doctorate there. He had advertised nationally for a middle school earth and space science teacher to work on new curriculum using computers. I applied by sending a funny letter to him. He hired me. Since then - we have been great friends.

We have a lot in common. We love FSU sports - we love computers and technology. Both of us just love to travel the world. George has been to all 7 continents. We seem to have a contest on who has the most gadgets - the latest and the best.

When my family visits - one of the first places they go is over to see George.

Back in 1965 - my first car was a Honda scooter. With it I prowled along the east coast of the USA. George beat me again. Yesterday I found out that he had a motorcycle in 1955 and he drove it from his home in Kentucky to Florida. He eventually became a professor there - but we are both carpetbaggers from up north - unless you think Kentucky is in the South like this Good Ole Boy does.

When it came time to move to Florida and Tallahassee for us - it was not even a discussion where we would live. We ended up just 3 doors up the street from George. When we wanted a new home - rather than move to the suburbs - we bought a house even closer - and tore it down and build a new one.

He is a best friend. He is always covering my back.

My Dad died in 1982 - I was just 34 - so George helped fill that gap for me. George is a lot like my Dad in good ways. Both believed in hard work - treating everyone fairly - and taking care of his family. A fella is lucky to have people like this.

George - reading Two the Night Before Christmas
to the family this year

George was an FSU professor for 30 plus years. He lives across the street from us with his wife Dr Joel Dawson. She was a science teacher too. 

Florida State Beat Syracuse In 2 Overtimes - 100-91

I wore my new lucky Seminole shoes today. 

We love going to afternoon games in Tallahassee - particularly when we are playing a power for up north - Duke - North Carolina - Syracuse. Today was a happy day - with the Noles winning by 9 in double overtime. there was a good crowd there of roughly 10000 - in an arena that holds 12000.

The game was neck and neck the whole we. First the Noles shot up by 9 - but we knew it would not hold. Then in the second half Syracuse pushed it to 9 - and we appeared doomed. So it was a relief when the Noles took a 9 point lead in the second 5 minute overtime period. there was plenty of time to enjoy the relief that 9 points offers - so the crowd went all bravado.

The Seminole were coming off a two game losing streak - also last game their 28 game home winning streak fell. For 2 years straight they won every game at home.

It is a lot of fun living in "downtown" Tallahassee. It is a real nice perk living close enough that we can walk to the games - although we are doing less and less of that. We took the electric car today. We arrived about 20 minutes before tipoff. While Lulu parked in the faculty lot - I held up two fingers. A guy offered me 2 court side seats with a face value of $40 each - for $20. I offered him $10 each. Then a  guy walked over and handed me 2 free nice seats for free. They were nice lower levels but not as nice as the first pair. I said thank and took the free tickets - then I went back to the other guy with tickets and offered him $10 each plus 2 tickets for his PRIME tickets. He said sure.

When Lulu walked up - we went right in. She was surprised that we kept going down and down to row Q. In the Civic Center - top low is A - the front row is U. We were just behind the announcer a couple rows - Gene Deckerhoff.

With the 2 overtimes - the game took 3 hours - from 2 until 5.

The Seminoles won going away. Now tomorrow they must fly to Boston - to play the BC Eagle Monday night.

Cheerleaders after the game

The view from our seats

Sec 101 - Row Q - Seat 1-2. $40 face value.
We got them for $10. 

Louisville at FSU - section 124 Row G - $10 each - 9 PM Tip-off.

FSU lost this game to Louisville by 4 after leading by as much as 17. It broke a 28 game home winning streak. 

We bought 2 great tickets outside for $10. 

The game started at 9 PM and ended at 11:15 PM because of a basketball goal equipment failure. 

It was a larger crowd than last week's North Carolina game because the students were back from holiday. 

My Friend Dickie In Arizona Two Years Ago

Florida State Beats National Champion North Carolina 81-80

This picture was on national TV. Check out the guy
in the red shirt - the 70 year old without a bald spot. 

Lulu and I follow all the sports at Florida State University. We used to walk the 2 miles to the games -  but last night was really cold. At game time it was 40 and with some wind it felt worse.

We never buy tickets ahead of time - basketball never sells outs. In our 15 years here - I think they sold out 2 Duke games. We always find something.

We left home in our electric car at 6:15. Lulu drove - she dropped me off at the door and went to park in the faculty garage. By the time she got to the door - I had purchased 2 very nice seats for $25 each that had a face value of $55 each. The whole row behind us and the rest of the row next to us was empty. Our arena holds 12000 - they claim 9000 paid to go to it - but I would say maybe 7000 attended. The students are still home for semester break - but it is embarrassing to play national champions UNC to a half full arena.

FSU shot out to a 13 point lead and were leading at the half by 11. The second half was a different story with UNC taking a 3 point lead - but with 7 minutes to go - FSU was back on top by 9. With 2 seconds to go - UNC had the ball and got a shot off - it missed - and Florida State won their 28 straight game at home.

FSU's record is 13-2 heading to Miami on Sunday. The Seminoles are ranked Number 24 in the nation.

Lulu was there too

At half court for the big game versus North Carolina

Tallahassee Coal Cracker Dreaming Of A White New Year

Our roof is normally black .



Our lemons look like they survived.



At 8 AM - Lulu and I woke up to 30 degrees and dry ground. The predicted overnight snowfall of 2 inches that had closed all the schools today was a bluff.

As we prepared breakfast - Lulu looked out the window to see a relatively heavy snow fall - I ran for the camera - but not fast enough. In a couple minutes it slowed to flurries and then nothing. Up north - we would not even call this a dusting. But in Florida - even if it is only Tallahassee - it is a big deal. We have been here almost 15 years now - and we have only seen snow maybe 3 or 4 times. Nothing has ever stuck because the ground is about 50 degrees.

Last night as a precaution I drained the water tanks on the camper. I put a little electric heater inside the camper on a very low setting. I remember  using a light bulb in Pennsylvania when it got down to minus 20 degrees - to keep an oil line from freezing going to the oil furnace.

We have experienced 20 degrees here quite a few times in the winter since we lived her - but in the day time the temperature would shoot up to the 50s or 60s.

This cold snap has Lulu looking for cheap travel deals to go south - Costa Rico - Cuba - etc. She has a bunch of "Delta Bucks" to spend from our bumps going to London last summer.

My Realtor friend Lena Seiler has officially reported that Florida will rebuild. Plenty of bargains are available for abandoned homes.




The camper sits behind the normally black garage roof.




If you look hard against the pine tree you can see snowflakes.




Is that white stuff accumulation? My Northern buddies would slap me if I called this snow.





Our Camilla tree still has flowers



The sidewalk is about 50 degrees - so snow melted right away.




The camper has a small electric heater inside. The water tanks are drained.




The kitchen lights at 8 AM - under a snow covered roof. The roof has a foot of foam insulation.