Josh's Carport

Thou shalt not covet thy friend's carport.

My buddy Josh lives about 20 miles north of town. He has the coolest carport. It is tall enough to hold 4 of my motorhomes at once.

He has a Jeep CJ that just had a frame off restoration - a Mustang - a Mercedes SUV - and a Mercedes Sedan. What a nice stable full of ponies.

Cousin Carl Zimmerman - Cuban Missile Crisis Hero

Carl Zimmerman - the building in the background
is the Tamaqua Flat Iron Building

I am enjoying a beach vacation with my cousin Carl Zimmerman in Panama City FL. During the vacation I found out he was stationed at Pensacola FL during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. He served on a spy ship that actually did surveillance during the crisis. 

Carl has homes today in Tamaqua PA and near Tampa FL. He is honored on this poster which currently hangs near Five Points in downtown Tamaqua. 

Carl and I had the same grandmother - Bertha Brouse Everhart Hontz. Our Dads were stepbrothers.

Panama City Beach - Water Temperature 88 Degrees

Lulu - Marylou - Jan
Tamaqua La Leche League Alumni - 1978

We are spending a few days at Panama City Beach FL - about 2 hours west of Tallahassee - with our Coal Cracker friends Carl - Marylou - and Jan. I just took this picture at 2 PM today of Lulu - Marylou - and Jan. We are staying at the Beachside Resort - none closer to the surf. Water temperature - in the pool - is 88 degrees. Ocean temperature is 59 degrees. Air temperature is 67 degrees - and the sun is very hot. Ocean front rooms can be had here for $50 a night during the off season. Spring break starts in a week or two and the rates start to rise.

Lulu now lives in Tallahassee about 2 hours east of here. Marylou still lives half the year in Tamaqua PA and half the year near Tampa FL.  Jan makes her home near Phoenix AZ. There has never been a pool that these 3 ladies have not loved.

Tonight we plan supper in the Hofbrau House.

We Went To See The Florida Project Last Night

It seems as if our whole lives have been arranged around making trips to Florida. First - when we lived in Pennsylvania and organized trips to Disneyworld. Now as residents of Tallahassee - we go all over the state in our camper.

This film shows a little of the dark underbelly of life in the Sunshine State.

We saw the independent film on the campus of Florida State University with the students. The film has won many awards.

Harry's Shave Club - At First I Thought It Was An Internet Trick

If you are like me - you are tempted to try these phoney advertisements on - google - facebook - internet - etc. When I got the email from www.harrys.com - warning signs went up all over. I thought - how in the world could they print sale material with different guys' names on? How could they make a profit on that?

After reading their sale literature - about 2 years ago -  I decided to give them a try.

Yes - it is really Harrys.com. they are a company that markets razor blades. Each razor head had 5 blades. They are made in Germany. Some guys from NYC bought the factory for $100 million - yeah we are talking big bucks.

Essentially - they send you blades through the mail. They cost under $2 a blade. You can quit when you want - they send you 8 blades at a time. It costs you $15.

I find myself changing blades every Sunday. I use regular shaving gel. I get cleaner shaves - less knicks - probably because I change blades more often. That is 7 shaves out of one blade.



I like that the blades are from Germany and the boxes all have my name on them. I guess this is an unsolicited endorsement. From Harry.

Ground Hog Day - Waking Up To An Unbroken iPhone

For years I slept fitfully because I had sleep apnea and was too proud to get it treated. About 15 years ago - when I retired from teaching and moved to Tallahassee - I had a sleep study done - and was treated for apnea. What a life changing moment. Now it is not unusual to get 8 to 10 hours every night of deep sleep. When I say deep sleep - I mean out like a light - not moving - and relatively dreamless.

But last night I had a dream or nightmare depending on your perspective. I usually do not remember the details - but this one was so real it frightened me.

It was 15 years ago that I retired from teaching on my 55th birthday. Pennsylvania had a retirement plan that gave you full pension - medical insurance for Lulu and I until we were 65 - and a $15K bonus - if you left then. They figured they could pay two rookies for the cost of my salary. As I left - school computers and testing were in their infancy. Teachers were pretty much on their own on what they could teach and how they did it. Hindsight is always romantic - but surprisingly - I never wished that I were back in the classroom - nor did I dream about it like Daisy Werthan in Driving Miss Daisy.

Today on Ground Hog Day morning - I had  my first dream about being back in the classroom - at least it is the first one I can remember.

In the dream - I am not sure why - but I was back at the Panther Valley Middle School as a substitute teacher. Leave it to me to dream about substitutes being paid more than regular teachers because we were the most experienced. When I was there in 1970 to 2003 - they paid subs ⅓  what they paid regular teachers.

In the dream - I was teaching and using all of the latest technology we have today. Unfortunately - the other teachers were stuck in the time warp of 2003. They still had paper grade books - lesson plans - movie projectors - black boards - and textbooks. Nothing had changed. I on the other hand had all my lessons on my iPhone. I would project everything onto a white screen in broad daylight - no need to darken the room. We turned in our lessons - grades - attendance over the Net.

My world was in my iPhone. I could use it as a laser pointer while teaching my lessons. It was my life. I taught from wikipedia - read the newspaper - read  textbooks - and I never had a pile of papers to grade.

As the dream moved on - it started turning into the movie Ground Hog Day. I would be back in my hometown - near Punxatawny Pennsylvania - and every day I would wake up to my smashed iPhone on the table next to my bed. I would be panicking everyday wondering how I could survive without my little info holy grail. My day would always start with my searching for something to build a lesson around. I was an earth science teacher - and I always came up with something. How about a story about a full moon -  or a blue moon - or a super moon - or a blood red super blue moon. In the dream - sometimes I resorted to just making up a lesson out of nothing. That could never happen in real life.

In Ground Hog Day - one of my all time favorite movies - the newsman played by Bill Murray - woke up to an old digital clock with the flipping numbers. In my Ground Hog Day - I would wake up to my iPhone with a screen pulverized by a hammer. The rest of my life was to be condemned to going into the same classroom - with the same smashed cellphone - and trying to come up with a lesson plan to entertain the kids.

I liked being a teacher. I never loved my job. My working class upbringing told me that everyone had to have a job. Spending it in a school with 700 kids from 8 to 3 for 180 days a year filled that commitment. It was a job - sometimes a very enjoyable job - that paid the bills so that I could enjoy a better life with my family. The summers off to travel were a bonus. I learned later that the medical insurance was the cherry on top of the sundae. Of course these things mattered after world peace and the kids getting a wonderful education.

This morning when I got up on Groundhog Day - it was 6:02 AM - it was still dark outside. I reached for my iPhone on the table and the screen was not broken. I went to Apple Music and put on "I Got You Babe." It was 2018 - my iPhone was working - Lulu was still sleeping - and retirement goes on.

I really can't imagine how hard it is for teachers today. They must contend with overstimulated kids - so many outside distractions - parents on the treadmill of success or not - and just the condition of the world.

If Punxatawny Phil were in Tallahassee - he would not have seen his shadow today because it was cloudy - and spring would start today. Life goes on. It's on to the next adventure with my unbroken iPhone in my pocket.

4 FSU Seminoles Start on the Super Bowl Philadelphia Eagles Sunday

We lived in Tamaqua PA for 55 years. We were big Eagles fans. Then we moved to Tallahassee and have enjoyed Florida State football and the Seminoles. This year 4 former FSU Seminoles are starting for the Philadelphia Eagles defense on Sunday. Read this story on the fornt page of our newspaper today -



From the Tallahassee Democrat -

SUPER BOWL LII FEB. 4, 2018 ❚ MINNEAPOLIS

Work ethic, determination have led local star to big game

Curt Weiler Tallahassee Democrat USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA

From his first day of football practice as a freshman in 2004, Scott Klees knew Nigel Bradham was going to be special.

The Wakulla head coach — who was defensive coordinator at that time — quickly moved Bradham to varsity.

“What’s crazy is I can remember when I first got here, looking at him down there at the rec league and saying, ‘My gosh, this kid is going to be good,’ ” Klees said.

“Then, he got to middle school and I said, ‘Man, he could play varsity football in middle school his eighth-grade year’ … Week three, he was starting for (the varsity team) as a freshman on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker.”

Over the years, Bradham’s rise has continued, and this weekend marks an exciting milestone for the 28-year-old linebacker and his hometown.

Bradham will be the first player from Wakulla County to play in a Super Bowl, when his Philadelphia Eagles meet the New England Patriots Sunday in Minneapolis.

Bradham is one of four former Florida State players starting on the Eagles’ defense, joining cornerbacks Patrick Robinson and Ronald Darby and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan.

It’s Bradham’s Wakulla ties and how the community has rallied around him that make his story unique.

“Our community is very excited, everybody who had a part in his success to get there. It’s just phenomenal. I can’t wait to see him play,” Klees said.

“Hopefully, he wins it and we have a parade or some kind of something going on for him right here. There will be something big done here in Wakulla County if he wins the Super Bowl. That’s for sure.”

For Bradham, a playing career at FSU before being drafted into the NFL was a goal of his from his developmental years.

Bradham was a four-year starter for the Seminoles (2008-11). He led the team in tackles his last three seasons and started 37 consecutive games. In 2012, he was a fourth-round selection of the Buffalo Bills.

“He was probably somewhere between 8 and 10 when he told me that he was going to play at FSU,” his mother, Rose Rucker, said.

“I basically told him at that age you are the only person that can make that dream come true. No one else but you.”

As the top linebacker and No. 19 overall recruit in the 2008 recruiting class, Bradham made that official when he signed with the Seminoles in February 2008.

“The biggest thing I remember about him was his willingness to do whatever it took to be successful in the classroom and on the practice field,” Klees said.

“His work ethic was just incredible.”

Over four years at linebacker for FSU, Bradham tallied 305 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and four forced turnovers. He was an anchor on the FSU defense that bridged the gap between the end of the Bobby Bowden era with the beginning of Jimbo Fisher’s time as head coach.

“He loves the game of football. He shows that respect for the game by coming to practice every day and playing hard, playing tough, playing fast, and being that leader,” former FSU defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel said.

“He was a guy that his actions spoke louder than his words.”

Bradham was selected 105th overall in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

After four seasons in Buffalo, Bradham signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016.

Since joining the Eagles, Bradham has taken the next step.

He has amassed 60-plus solo tackles in each of the last two years after surpassing that mark only once with the Bills.

Playing in the NFL Playoffs for the first time in his career, Bradham now has the chance to win a Super Bowl ring.

Rucker — who will be attending the game in Minneapolis — sees Bradham as a figure who those throughout the community can look up to.

“It’s something that he can give to small towns that have kids that feel like they can’t get outside of this small town. They feel like they just have to settle for whatever is there for them for work,” Rucker said.

“Just the idea that Nigel came from a single-parent home, went the next step, succeeded and now his dream is coming true because he said he wanted to play in a Super Bowl. He’s accomplished that whether they win or not.”

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.