(This grand old place wasn’t on the official tour, so I did not invite myself in. All photos, legal or not, by Socotra) I have absolutely no ide how I can get so far behind when I am doing absolutely nothing. I was going to read a book on this trip- I brought several- but […]

(Selfie of Vic, 90 miles from la Habana.) I had a good day in Paradise yesterday, considering the alternatives. There were some practical issues. I realized Verizon is not the long-term solution to access my e-life, which either is, or is not, of longer-term consequence. And longer term, of course, is where I want to […]

Man, You miss a day in this racket and things go to hell in a hurry. Let’s see: I slipped the 9mm into the glove box when I left the interstate and passed the Last Chance Bar on the right, the only opportunity for a drink before embarking on the 120 miles to Key West. […]

I have to say that I preferred the people of Santee, South Carolina. The people were nice, prices cheap, and the temperature was decent. Of course, the amount of time out of the left seat of the Panzer has been limited now to two motels and several gas stations, so perhaps it is not an […]

It is shortly after seven as I write at the Whitten Inn, in a place called Santee, South Carolina. I had hoped to make Savannah, Georgia, but that would have been another hundred miles down the road. This drive is much further than I thought- comparing the regular 800 miles to the Little Village By […]

(French Philosophe Julien Benda, 1867-1956. Sort of reminds me of Jim at the Willow) I was going to jot down some notes about the general state of things this morning before I take my leave. Following the bombshells last week there is a rumor going around that the Administration is going to suspend the health-care […]

(NBC cut to the hammer and sickle in the opening sequence of the Sochi Olympics. Really). No kidding- the National Broadcasting Corporation’s coverage of the opening ceremonies of the Sochi Winter Olympics referred to Communism as “one of modern history’s pivotal experiments” while showing the friendly hammer-and-sickle logo atop the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman monument. […]

No, I am not talking about strays in Sochi. Like everyone, I think I am just hoping that these Olympic Games pass without something awful happening. Or the awful jobs numbers. I am talking about cocktails. The discussion had actually been going on all day. My pal Annie out in Shenandoah is always on the […]

  I love it when I get up in the morning, trying to remember that I still need to find the thousands it will cost to get the Panzer back from the tender ministrations of the technical wizards at the Werkstatt Kompanie- and by the time I have consumed a pot of coffee and ingested […]

When my eyes blinked open in the pre-dawn, something was nagging in that part of memory that said: “You have to do something.” It wasn’t the dream. That was about some ancient Navy stuff, nonsensical and non-threatening, and maybe triggered by the news that USS Forrestal (CV-59) was leaving Philadelphia for the 17-day drag to […]