Management Returns From The Islands!

Due to the new AFFORDABLE healthcare act, the management of the publishing house has been able to afford a lavish and much needed vacation in the close, but not THAT close Bahamas. As those of us business owners know, the new AFFORDABLE healthcare act implemented new regulations that require us to take a long hard look at both those employees who have no health care and those who we provide healthcare. Our staff of forensic accountants working closely with H and R Block came up with an amazing play that when implemented has raised our profits to the extent we could hand out vacation bonuses to all those in management! The plan was both ingenious and so so simple. Here it is, and no we don't "own" the plan so those who want to implement it are free to do so. On the last day of May we fired everyone in our publishing house with the exception of the son of our founder and his bride of three weeks. Yes every Swinging Richard and Swinging Ronda was tossed to the street with no severance. It was a hard move at first but when we explained the hard facts of how we had no other choice due to the AFFORDABLE healthcare act only a few acts of violence were reported. Included are a few of the thousands of pictures we took of our what we are now calling our AFFORDABLE healthcare Retreat!

WE HAD PLENTY TO SPEND!

DRINKS FOR EVERYONE!

FIRST VIEW OF THE ISLAND FROM OUR PRIVATE affordable now JET!

STEPS AWAY FROM OUR affordable BEACH FRONT Bungalow

We are on our summer schedule!

WELCOME! June 10th 2014...long time no see. I had no idea when the scribes/publishing minions posted last because most of them are spending the summer in Barbados working at a very small independent rum distillery. The only staff members summering here in the building are our photographer Flash and his 88 year old mother who is doubling as a proof reader and parking lot attendant. On weekends she conducts tours of the compound that includes visits to the trophy/award wing, the writers hall of fame hall, the legendary nine foot tall locker filled with legal pads and sharpies and culminating in the horse/mule barn where included in the admission price is a very large vegetarian barbeque lunch. That said, we shall press on until fall when we are back to full staff. Flash will be submitting summer pictures, his mother will actually create copy to accompany them and naturally our promotion department will have full details of our monthly three dollar giveaways. We do appreciate your interest and hope to hear from you in our comment section.

Nothing like taking a few YEARS off from posting! Lots of solo music going on now and a new book is in the oven. I can't believe you guys stuck around this long, but THANKS!

Jim Dykes passes

East Tennessee lost a print media icon this week. Jim Dykes wrote for the long dead Knoxville Journal, published a series of books, was an unofficial ambassador to the 1982 World’s Fair and the secret ruler of Rockford, Tennessee. Because he was mostly a print guy and because he worked for a newspaper that was much better than its competition he wasn’t front page news, but those who knew Dykes would say he would have been just fine with that.

Personally I only had three contacts with him; the first was in 82 at the World’s Fair where I found him lounging around early one morning in the pressroom. I was working for a radio station that had a remote studio down the hall from the press area and on a news break I walked out to see if any of the foreign press had come in. Dykes was on a couch, draped out like a dead man with his dirty boots resting on one of the pillows. It was my first physical encounter with the guy and I was taken by how long he was, had to be well over six feet, and how big a foot he had. Looking at him and hearing him snore with such conviction reminded me of the old adage about letting sleeping dogs rest and I did. Two hours later when my show was over Dykes was awake, enjoying a free beer, a Little Debbie snack and working the door to the press room like a Wal-Mart Greeter. As I walked by him, headed to the hall I complimented him on his derby.

Encounter number two was in Gatlinburg. We (CP and I) were working a big Christmas party for a very large oil company. After we told our jokes, helped give out gifts and turned the evening over to the DJ we moved to the bar for a few bracers to get us back to Knoxville. The room quickly filled with inebriated dancers trying to do “The Bump” and various free form interpretations when a side door opened. Due to the fact that one full wall of the hall was glass, allowing those walking by to see the festivities, Jim Dykes and his bride Peg spotted the private gathering as they strolled past. Without hesitation Dykes and said bride entered the far end of the hall, embraced and executed a very good waltz right through the gyrating throng. Without missing a beat, Dykes managed to open another door and continue waltzing right out of the room and into the hall toward the lobby. CP and I both gave the couple 10s for style, grace and balls.

The third and final encounter with Dykes came in the mail, as in the real mail that you walk across the yard to retrieve. I had been fired from something, can’t remember if it was a newspaper job or radio, but whatever it was he had found out about it. On the side flap of a Pall Mall carton in real ink (not the ballpoint pin crap but the real deal) he said he saw I now have some free time and suggested I come visit him at his estate (Condorhurst) in Rockford. I had moved to Rockford in 1978 and to the founders like Dykes I was more or less an outsider. Getting such an invite from a guy I had admired, read and in a left handed way stalked over the years made the dark situation I was in fade away. Unfortunately I did not get to visit him, meant to do it, and thought about it but a combination of shyness and a touch of inferiority kept me from making the drive over. I so wish I had now that he is gone.

Sort of an update since back then

Since last time...A band has happened, a trip to Alaska, fall in East Tn. and today
I saw an eagle over my TN home. Go figure!

back..

Sorry for the delay but being retired does cause scheduling problems
. Working in vital activities like naps, eating out, naps, and travel
are harder than you think when you no longer do the 9 to 5 routine.

After years of avoiding cruising, age has pushed us back into
that slower travel form. We are Holland America fans and
will be going on our third with them this summer and our 4th
this winter.


New Years was spent aboard the Eurodam

We started the adventure the 26th of December in Knoxville, TN.
The plan was to leave our local airport at 6 AM, be in Miami two hours later,
shuttle to Ft. Lauderdale and board the Eurodam around lunchtime.

Our American Airline pilot modified that schedule by
showing up a half hour late for the flight and then
driving our jet off the runway and into the soft grass and
heavy snow. An HOUR later we were evacuated from the American
jet by a very professional and efficient "Local" firefighting crew, carried by
bus back to the terminal and in general abandoned by American. In
short, thirty hours later American Airlines flew us to Miami. After
demanding they send us on to Belize (the first stop for the ship that
they had caused us to miss)
we took the first tender out to the Eurodam two days into
the cruise.


Our travel agent told us American was
the worst when it came to correcting
mistakes and we agreed.

Once on board the Eurodam things improved
greatly. Joining a ship is much different than
embarking on the first day of a cruise.
The crew of the Eurodam went out of their way
to welcome us and although we were required
to leave our passports with the front desk for the duration,
the service and general attitude of the
ships crew was light years ahead of what
we experienced with American Airlines.


Our first day (third for the cruise) was spent in
Guatemala visiting a large Mayan village featuring
many ruins.
The country has a per-capita income of less than
$300 dollars a month but is very
rich in history and tradition. The Eurodam
docked at a container port secured by
a private police force sporting fully
automatic weapons. The small town at the port
was third world with hungry dogs and horses
wandering the streets.


The following day we were in Roatan, an
island off the coast of Honduras.
The port was built specifically for
cruise ships and featured a new shopping village
and a great beach, accessed by a chair lift from the
dock. Shopping was normal island prices and
the products were mostly imported.


New Years Eve was spent
on the Yucatan Peninsula
touring the ruins of Tulum
all day followed by a
really great Mexican late lunch and beach
walk before we took the 7 PM ferry ride back to the
Eurodam that evening.


One more day at sea,
enjoying the Eurodam
before
reaching Ft. Lauderdale..then an over night
stay in Miami
before heading back to
Knoxville...on American.

Next stop is Alaska!

Florida...Ft. Myers, Captiva and more

The resort was at the very northern tip of Ft. Myers Beach and a short walk to a park that covered the top of the island. Sucker was PINK..either because the name was The Pink Shell or because the owner had stock in Pepo-Bismol? Despite the color it was a heck of a place to make base camp. Three heated pools, great breakfast and flat ON the beach.


Looking south down the beach from the hotel toward
the pier and Times Square (village not unlike Gatlinburg
before the tattoo parlors but still with Rebel Corner)were
less than a half a mile walk. Easy because when the tide was out the beach ran almost to Texas.




Looking north from the resort was the park and
off to the left Captiva. Reportedly folks
loved the shelling and after the tide went out
many were seen humped over looking for them.
Years ago after after a Florida tide went out all
you found were panties, condoms (too soggy for re-use), and beer cans. All
gone now, very VERY clean beaches!


At the far end of Captiva were two good
beaneries. The first was the Mucky Duck.
Off the wall "shack" elegance with some
really good food. Outside an "Island" guy
was entertaining on the pans, trumpet, guitar,
and flute. The man (too old to be called a dude)
could play anything on any of his instruments mixing
Duke Ellington with Jimmy B. Lots of folks
came off the sand about sundown (a major event on Captiva)
and enjoyed several adult beverages while listing to
this guy.


The beaches on Captiva were without
commerce as in hotels, T Shirt shacks,and
Surf Shops.. miles of really nice sand
with multimillion dollar homes
hidden just behind the flora and
fauna.
Another place near the Duck
that defied description but dished out
some really good grits (yep they had one
grit on the menu) was the Bubble Room.
Staff dressed in Boy Scout uniforms (had to
deep six the official badges cause the real
scouts got pissed at their uniforms being
worn by those who served adult beverages)
and thousands of toys covering the walls, floors and
shadowboxed into the tables took dinning
to a new level. Flaming cheese (no not a
THING to do with an alternate lifestyle)
BUBBLE BREAD and a tray of goodies
after the meal that gave several servers
hernias make this place special. Off season
(the summer) it packs out just at sunset, rest of
the time it is always crowded.



Just a few more pictures starting
with the lab at Tom Edision's
summer home in Ft. Myers

Edision's house

Beach outside the suite at Ft. Myers

Boats for rent
across the street from the resort.

Sunset cruise coming in
on Captiva. Guy was singing
Jimmy B's Lovely Cruise and
he sounded just like Mr. B!



EARLY morning..thunder heads....
dock....sun up..


Calm on the back bay at
Ft. Myers

Elderly HIPPIES
love to ride the beach