Posted: 2025-01-02 At: 5:30 am:  

I'm not the greatest speller. Finding correct spellings of certain words is sometimes a challenge. To save time while I'm writing, I began accumulating words I spelled incorrectly and most spellchecks couldn't correct. I put them into a database with the correct spelling, along with other commonly and uncommonly misspelled words.

Then I scripted a Misspelled Words Search, a search designed to quickly find correct spellings of incorrectly spelled words. In some cases it provides the correct spelling for two words incorrectly spelled as single word and vice versa.

The database is still somewhat small, somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple thousand words. Nevertheless, some of the incorrectly spelled words it does have aren't usually corrected through many spellchecks. If you're having trouble finding the correct spelling of a specific word, this search just might help.

Disclaimer: Misspelled Words Search is something I put together to help myself and possibly others write more efficiently. I don't guarantee correctly spelled words are spelled correctly and incorrectly spelled words are spelled incorrectly. If you do use this word search, please use diligence.

Posted: 2023-10-08 At: 5:30 am:  





Initiate The Search Of External Websites From The Web Guide

The first new feature gives visitors the option to initiate the search of an external website from a search box within the Web Guide.

The image above shows some of the search results for the search term "eCommerce" with search boxes next to each of the results.

Lets say a shopper is looking for a specific item at the lowest price. The external search is designed to save users the time of putting together a list of websites usually stocking the item, visiting each website, then, inputting the search term into each of the websites search box individually.

eCommerce is a broad search term. 138 results were provided, showing stores with the broadest range of items at the top of the results. If desired, visitors can also sort the results alphabetically via title.

Within the results, each store/website has a search box (if available), along with their known social media websites and a link to an additional details webpage.

Most websites get their search term from the URL in the address bar after it's submitted from their search box. I visit each website, get the necessary URL, then input it as the URL to forward users to when an external search is executed.

I only recently began adding the search boxes. Chances are, if a website doesn't have a search box, I just haven't gotten to them yet. Otherwise, they might not provide a way to forward users to their search results webpage or simply don't provide a search.

Using the search box is fairly simple. Simply input a search term into the search box of the website you want to search. Then press submit. The search results open in a new tab and are displayed via the website you chose to search. Most likely you'll get forwarded to the new tab at the same time.

Click back on the Web Guide's browser tab, input the same term into the next website's search box you want to search and press submit. When you've input the search term within the search boxes of all the websites you want to search, the items are available to view within each of the open tabs.

The benefit of having multiple eCommerce options allows shoppers to compare the variety of items each store provides, the quality, availability, and prices, along with any additional options such as shipping, in store pickup, payment options and layaway, among others.

The Web Guide provides the same external search boxes for numerous types of websites, including search engines. Web Guide visitors who visit the "Search Engine's" category box webpage can initiate searches of numerous search engines through the Web Guide. The same with magazines.

The search boxes should provide those doing research or simply just desiring to surf the web, additional ways to obtain accurate results quicker.




View XML Feeds Via The Web Guide

The second feature gives users the option to view XML feeds through the Web Guide via a "View Feed" link shown below specific website URLs.

The addition of the link is a subtle addition, yet an addition I think many can benefit from.

I haven't added all the possible feeds. Much like the search box URL's, I visit each website to get the feeds. The feature is still new. I haven't visited all the websites yet.

Plus, some websites either don't have feeds, have feeds incompatible with the new feature, or don't update their website enough to justify adding the feed. A few have a feed webpage listing numerous feeds. In some instances, I link to their feeds webpage instead of a specific feed.

When a user clicks the "View Feed" link, the title and a short description of the websites latest posts and news stories are viewable.


Additional Notes About The Web Guide:

• All search results are available for every search input. The fact the Web Guide doesn't restrict the number of results visitors can view may sound arbitrary to many. To others, being able to view all the results from a specific search is a substantial benefit.

To view all the websites through the search box, type "All Websites" without the quotes into the search box and press submit.

• Search results are available via the Web Guide's ranking system and available alphabetically, sorted via title.

• The Web Guide's ranking system isn't a complicated computer generated ranking system. All the websites aren't ranked. After the ranked websites end, the remaining websites are listed alphabetically via title.

• Each of the category box result webpages (the webpages found through the category boxes), have a second search box, allowing users to search just the websites within the category box webpage.

• Some of the category box result webpages are listed alphabetically. Others are listed via the WGR. Until recently, most of the category box result webpages didn't have enough results to justify listing them both via the WGR and alphabetically. I'm hoping to eventually add alphabetic results to the category boxes.

• The Web Guide doesn't have any advertising and doesn't use affiliate links. I usually don't add websites with affiliate links or extensive advertising either.

• All website URL's within the Web Guide are DoFollow.

• I input all websites manually. Sometimes I make mistakes. If you notice a mistakes or have a suggestion to improve the Web Guide, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Posted: 2022-12-22 At: 5:30 am:  




I posted the latest book I wrote, "Light Throughout The Night" for free as blog posts.

Light Throughout The Night is a complete story with many twists and turns. The only way to feel the essence of the story is to read it from beginning to end. If you begin reading the book, I encourage you to read all the chapters.

Even though I posted the book as blog posts, the eBook is still available for sale. As a result, please don't post the book elsewhere.

If you like the book and want to purchase the eBook version to have as your own, please visit the Light Throughout The Night store webpage.

I don't have any plans to take down "Light Throughout The Night" at a later date. However, I haven't sold as many copies as I would have liked. I'm not great at marketing. If a representative of an incorporated publishing company, a literary agent, or anyone else who reads the books via the blog posts, likes what they see and contacts me in regards to publishing, chances are I'll take down the blog posts in favor of professional publication.


For those who aren't familiar with Light Throughout The Night, below is a brief description:

To learn more about Light Throughout The Night, please visit the About Light Throughout The Night Webpage.

Posted: 2022-09-14 At: 5:30 am:  




As with last year, I spent most of the year writing and programing, trying to stay busy, being creative.

In contrast, I didn't continue writing the two books I began writing last year. They're just about the same as they were in 2021. They have a beginning middle and end, about 25K words each, yet, plenty of words still need writing.

I did write many blog posts throughout the year, about twenty for Dusty Loft, eight at GeorgeFarina.net and two at Medium.

Keeping with the same system I used last year, I kept them unpublished until today. I find many more errors, make the posts much better if I edit them over a longer period of time.

The posts at George Farina.net are listed below. Four are excerpts from chapters of Far From Perfect:


Two are posts created from images within the previous GeorgeFarina.net gallery. I combined the websites gallery with the blog gallery, then turned the images from the websites gallery into blog posts:


The blog posts at Medium are titled:


I also posted numerous blog posts at the Dusty Loft blog, to many to list individually, blog posts including fictional stories, episode reviews, creatively written blog posts, song lyrics, among others.

I began writing two new books in 2022, both fiction. One of them I got much further with than the other, a book I began writing as a comic book series, having written a few issues during previous years.

I included past issues as part of the book, then added to them, turning the issues into much longer stories within the book.

The other book is written somewhat similarly, not in the sense of a fictional comic character, in the sense, it began as different thoughts, stories I wrote, than combined to form a book.

I spent many hours programing as well, working with the Web Guide, updating my personal website.

Two new category boxes have been added to the Web Guide. A category box showing all the URL's with just the URL and title in a dual format layout. And a category box showing the dates websites were added to the Web Guide.


I also added a grey template to the Web Guide. To choose between the Default Template and the Grey Template, click on "More" via the upper menu after visiting the Web Guide.

Posted: 2022-09-14 At: 5:30 am:  


While attending Manchester Community College, then, Middlesex Community College I took two courses I remember more vividly than any other courses I took at the time, Business Management 101 and College Writing 101.

Before I wrote this chapter, I looked at my old college transcripts to help jog my memory. There are courses on my transcripts I can't remember at all. I can't remember the teacher, students, what was taught or even attending the class. With these two courses, I remember the teachers, some of the students, where I sat and even much of what was taught.

I think the reason the business and writing courses stand out in my mind is because of a combination of timing and good teaching. I took the writing course when I was between jobs, allowing me to focus more on the material. I'd imagine the fact I had access to a computer and enjoy writing also helped.

The teacher for the Business Management course was excellent. He taught lessons I categorize as real-world knowledge. I was working third shift at a supermarket while taking the course. He used a supermarket as the subject of two lessons. Like many supermarkets, the supermarket he spoke about placed handheld baskets at the entrance of the store to give customers an additional option to carry groceries. The owners of the supermarket decided to place a stack of baskets at each corner of the store.

The placement of baskets throughout the store was great for customers who only planned to shop for a few items, items they could carry without a basket, customers who didn't grab a basket at the entrance. If, while shopping, these customers decided to purchase more items then they could carry, they could simply grab a basket from any of the additional much closer locations.

He said, as a result, the stores sales greatly improved the following year. In the past, most customers who walked in without a basket only purchased the items they originally intended to purchase. If the customer saw additional items on the shelf they wanted, they probably wouldn't have walked to the front of the store for a basket. The idea makes sense. I'm surprised other supermarkets don't add baskets throughout the store.

The same supermarket also owned a field next door. They turned the field into a dairy farm, where they kept cows, allowing them to sell their milk. With a dairy farm next to the store, the supermarket could sell fresh milk at a lower cost due to the closer location.

I can't remember the name of the supermarket. From what I remember, the supermarket was one of the largest individual supermarkets in the country. They implemented many unique innovative ideas, with many of their ideas becoming standards in the industry.

The teacher of the course gave another example using a supermarket within his teachings. However, his next example was an example of what not to do in business. He said the owner of a supermarket took a half cent from every dollar the store earned.

Due to the fractional amount, the missing money wasn't easily noticed. Even if noticed, most would overlook the fractional amount. However, over the course of a year, the half cents added up to a substantial amount. Then, the owner tried to hide the money from the IRS to save on taxes. The IRS did catch the owner. As a result, he spent time in jail.

The teacher of the business management was very knowledgeable. He really enjoy teaching. He kept the class entertaining. The subject matter taught was interesting. He was young. He seemed to be a bit fun loving.

I remember at the end of a class he addressed the ladies in the class. He said something similar to, "I'm single. I drive a Porsche". He said it in serious, yet, joking tone. Most students in the class laughed. I thought it took courage on his part. Nevertheless, I don't know if he ended up with a date.

The other course I have fond memories of was a college writing course. Before taking the writing course, I doubt I wrote more than a few essays in my entire life. To be completely honest, I only remember writing one essay, an essay about Salt Lake City in Utah, while in grade school.

The course was English 101, with a focus on writing. The teacher was extremely tough and let the students know the first day of class. She said every semester a few students walk out of the class crying. The year I took her course was no different.

After taking the course, I understood why students got upset. The assignments weren't easy. Students needed to spend many hours writing the type of essays required. The teacher was very straight forward with her comments. She didn't pull any punches.

After putting in a lot of work just to complete a paper, reading her comments was very difficult. However, her style was also why she was a great teacher. By the time I finished the course, I was a much better writer. At the same time, I was well behind the curve before the course began, I still had a long way to go. Regardless, the course was a good start.

The English 101 course didn't only improve my writing, the course also improved my overall knowledge. I wrote a paper titled "The Complications of Stress". While doing research, I learnt the severe effects of stress.

I wrote a paper about the Tragedies of Prison. I learnt about rehabilitation in prisons and in many cases the lack of rehabilitation. I wrote several papers in her class, providing me with additional knowledge about a variety of subjects.

The course was extremely difficult, nevertheless I stuck with it. During the course, I began realizing how much I enjoyed writing. Even though the course was tough and at times very harsh, I greatly respected the teacher. She provided a great deal of knowledge to her students. I found her direct approach admirable.

Below are excerpts, with a few adjustments, from one of the papers I wrote in her class. I didn't get a great grade on the original version.

****************************************************

Complications of Stress, by George Farina

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, stress is a mentally or emotionally disruptive or disquieting influence. Stress is a condition affecting the way a person thinks, acts and feels. It is not uncommon to suffer from unconditional amounts of stress in the 1990's. Since today's society is extremely fast paced, people from bankers to janitors have high stress levels, causing them to suffer from symptoms of stress.

Some people take their jobs too seriously. They put too much pressure on themselves to strive at work. Supervisors can also make the work place more stressful, by issuing unobtainable deadlines and by yelling at employees.

In addition, with the downsizing of companies, many people have to put in overtime hours or have to bring work home. As far as females are concerned, many don't just have full time jobs, many are responsible for taking care of their homes and families. Furthermore, plenty of people, both male and female are working at places where they don't enjoy the job they're responsible to complete.

In today's economy, it is difficult to support a family on one paycheck. Certain individuals such as young couples paying college tuition's can't get ahead in life. Young couples, just out of college often work two jobs and still struggle to survive.

Negative stimuli are not the only causes of stress. Changes in a person's personal life can also create stress. For example, the death of a loved one, divorce, and personal injury can cause high levels of stress. Causes for lower stress levels include vacations, minor violations of the law and holidays.

A person's personality also contributes to stress levels. High-strung people are known to have higher stress levels. Laid back people usually have lower stress levels. When a person suffers from stress over a long period of time, the extended periods of stress can lead to fatigue and a feeling of inadequacy.

Experts have linked stress to major diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, insomnia, anorexia nervosa and eating disorders. Migraine headaches, lung disease and skin diseases are also thought to have a relation to stress.

Some experts also believe chronic stress may lead to cancer. In addition, experts believe stress is the number one cause of infertility in both men and woman (Compton's Encyclopedia online).

In contrast, some people thrive in certain types of situations others consider stressful. These people use certain stressful situations as a source of energy. For example, Michael Jordan always wants the basketball when the pressure of the game is at its highest level. Many Airforce pilots relish the challenge of taking jets to their limits.

People deal with stress in different ways. Some people deal with stress by using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. The may feel the drugs, alcohol, and tobacco help put them at ease.

Other effects of stress are exhaustion and anger. Sometimes a persons' anger is taken out on the wrong person.

Fortunately, there are remedies to help reduce high stress levels. Some people practice Yoga to help their circulation and in turn reduce stress levels. For example, Bob (last name removed) is currently practicing Yoga. He says, "Yoga promotes blood flow, loosens joints and in turn relaxes tenseness." With the practice of yoga, Bob also said, "He has more energy and gets up in the morning without feeling the need to press the snooze button on his alarm."

Other stress-reducers include exercising properly, participating in sports, taking stress-reducing pills, and laughing.

There are many more remedies for stress depending on a person's situation and symptoms. However, the above remedies are the most commonly used with positive results.

Stress is a complicated problem, affecting most of us in this day and age because of the pace of our lives. Each of us needs to understand what stress is, how we can combat it, and how we can reduce stress in our daily lives.

****************************************************

English 101 was the last college course I took for the next ten years. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't know the different careers available and I didn't properly research the different courses available.

I went to the school, signed up and simply took the classes I was told to take. I know some of them were necessary, though, I'm sure there were a few I took just because I was told to take the course.

I didn't have a specific direction I was heading. And without a direction, I didn't see a light at the end of the tunnel.

After I took the writing class I got a full-time job during the day, often working Saturdays. I decided to put school aside. From there, I didn't have the opportunity or know how to go back to school until I was much older.

Posted: 2022-09-14 At: 5:30 am:  

I'm now in Miami. In order to afford the move, I needed to sell both my condo and car. I did. I didn't make any money from the sale of the condo. I sold it for the amount owed on the mortgage.

Before I sold the condo I tried to replace the floors, however, I didn't finish. The unfinished work wasn't appealing, causing the value to drop. After I sold the car, I had just enough money for the move, and for the purchase of a bicycle as a form of transportation.

I purchased a blue 1998 Fuji Odessa mountain bike. The bike was blast to ride, perfect for a city like Miami.

Arriving in Miami felt like an enormous weight was lifted from my shoulders. I've always been a little high strung. I yearned to live in the hustle and bustle of a large city. I finally arrived in the city where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.

I had an apartment and a job. The apartment was in a complex called Taho Springs. Taho Springs was located in a section of Miami called Doral, on 4800 NW 79th Avenue. I now had an opportunity to live the life I dreamt.

I arrived in Miami sometime during early 1999.

I was looking at my arrival as a new start. I was gonna make a ton of friends. I was gonna meet plenty of women. I was gonna party, work hard, and enjoy life to the absolute fullest.

Taho Springs was a very cool complex. The complex possessed plenty of grassy areas, a small gym, multiple pools, a basketball court and a large pond in the center. Benches surrounded the pond, allowing residents to relax, while enjoying the scenery.

When I arrived in Miami, I drove by the complex where I saw a for rent sign. I went to the management office, explaining my situation. I told the lady I just arrived in the city and already had a job. I just needed an apartment.

She was very understanding. To this day, she was one of the nicer people I've ever met. I wasn't making much money. I was working at a new job and moving to a new city. In all fairness, she didn't have to rent the apartment to me at all.

She probably could have found a tenant with better qualifications. I don't know her reasoning, nevertheless, she did decide to rent the apartment to me. I was very grateful. A few days later she gave me the keys. The move was official.

I'm now renting a one bed room apartment for about $630 a month. Considering the location and all the amenities, I thought the price was excellent. I was paying basically the same amount of money I was paying for the mortgage and condo fees of the condo I purchased in Connecticut.

When I moved into Taho Springs I owned very few belongings. The only things I brought from Connecticut was a computer, a small TV and some clothes. After the move, I didn't have much money. I didn't have any furniture either.

Luckily, there was a rug in the bedroom. Without a bed, I went to sleep on the floor every night. The lack of furniture wasn't a major issue. I knew I could make do with whatever I'd find.

I didn't let the fact I was broke get me down either. Technically, I couldn't afford the apartment at my current salary. I had the mentality, if I worked hard, opportunities would present themselves. Eventually, I'd earn enough money to comfortably afford the apartment.

My life wasn't going good in C.T.. I was determined to make it in Miami. To the point where I use to say, "I'd live in a box on the street then go back to Connecticut to live." And at times, I probably came very close to living in a box. Parts of my life didn't go great in Connecticut, often feeling like a nightmare. I didn't want to go back.

Shortly after I moved, a tropical storm hit Miami, drenching Doral. I think the storm was named Irene. The storm caused flooding unlike anything I've ever seen. The entire area was flooded with at least a foot of water. The parking lot where I was staying looked like a lake. I could have gone fishing from my patio. Days after the storm ended, the roads were still flooded.

As cars pulled into the complex they bogged down and got stuck. I was new to the complex, only briefly having met a few neighbors. Our building was the closest to the entrance. Many of the residents from my building waited by the entrance to help push cars to higher ground if they got stuck.

With a bicycle as my only form of transportation, I could only keep a couple days' worth of food in the apartment at a time. The storm was worse than expected. The Governor flew to Miami, flying over Doral and Sweetwater in a Helicopter to see the damage himself.

Many of the stores were closed. The roads weren't fit for driving. I needed food, yet didn't know where I could purchase groceries. I didn't have a choice except to take my bike onto the flooded streets to find a supermarket.

Riding through the streets was an adventure within itself. There were parts of the street where the water was almost to the top of my bikes tires. Only a few trucks were on the road. There weren't any pedestrians or other bike riders. A lady in the passenger seat of a vehicle took a few pictures of me as she passed. She probably thought I was crazy.

I was barely able to see the road or sidewalk through the water. I couldn't tell if I was on the sidewalk or street. I remember worrying about the possibility of a storm drain or manhole being opened due to the storm. I knew I would have taken a nice tumble into the drainage area. I rode about mile before reaching higher ground where stores were open.

Taho Springs was a place where I experienced many great times, and made many great memories. Many of the things I envisioned before moving to Miami became a reality. I met plenty of new friends. I felt like I belonged.

I began looking for a girlfriend. I had my computer. I decided to go back to what I knew, chatrooms. I met a lady online named Vanessa a few weeks before New Year's Eve, 1999. She was living in South Beach. We were both in a similar situation. She recently moved to Miami from Peru, just like I did from Connecticut.

After speaking on the phone a few times we made plans to meet each other in person on New Year's Eve in South Beach. Neither of us owned a cellphone. We arranged to meet at a specific location, at a specific time just west of Ocean Drive.

I let my imagination get the best of me. It's 1999. I'm in Miami. I'm going to meet a girl for the first time, a girl for whom I just met online, on South Beach, for New Years. I imagined her being a little risqué with courage and faith in people. I imagined her being happy and carefree. And I imagined us having a great night, laughing, flirting, getting to know each other, celebrating the new year.

I took the bus to the beach New Year's Eve. The area where I was meeting Vanessa was packed. Everyone was dressed very nice. I think they were dressed the way they were dressed was because most of the people planned to hit the club scene.

I was in jeans and a sweatshirt. I defiantly felt out of place. I looked for Vanessa, however, I couldn't find her. After waiting for a while, I went to a pay phone to call her. I didn't get an answer. I kept trying unsuccessfully for the next hour. Since I was already at the beach, I decided to look for a bar to celebrate the New Year.

I found a small bar on a side street with a pool table. I ordered a beer while sitting at the bar, drinking, waiting to see if I could get in a game of pool. The people in the bar were in groups, doing their own thing. Just like the scene on the streets, I felt out of place. I stayed for a couple drinks before leaving.

After I left, I walked around Ocean Drive by the beach boardwalk. Small groups of people where spread throughout the street. After walking around, taking in the scenery I took the bus home.

The next day I called Vanessa. She swore she was at the beach, which is quite possible. I only knew what she was wearing. The area we planned to meet was packed. We stayed in touch online. A few days later, she took the bus to Doral where we met at a Miami Subs. We grabbed a bite to eat, while getting to know each other better.

She was very pretty. She was also very different than I expected. She wasn't risqué. She was very nice, well-spoken and didn't drink very much. Additionally, she wasn't as interested in a boyfriend as much as she was interested in making friends.

In other ways, we were in the same situation. Neither of us had much money. We were both trying to meet new people, trying to find groups of people we fit in with. In difference, I was looking for a female companion.

Vanessa only stayed for a couple weeks before we parted ways. Soon thereafter I became friends with a bunch of other neighbors from my building. I met a lady named Adriana. She was from Venezuela and a few years older. I was still working part-time, sometimes working over night shifts for inventory. As a result, I was often awake late at night when I was off from work.

We met late at night in the laundry room, around 2am. We were both doing laundry. She'd only been in the United States a short-time and didn't speak English. I didn't speak Spanish. We introduced ourselves as best we could given our language barrier. We were both new to Miami. We were both happy starting our new lives in a new city.

She lived in an apartment on the same floor as my apartment. Sometimes when I got bored I sat outside my doorstep. Whenever she'd see me, she walked over to talk. I had an English Spanish dictionary. We both flipped through the pages, finding different words to describe our thoughts. Each time she stopped over, we learnt more about each other. We also learnt how to communicate better. Before long we developed a very good friendship.

She often spoke about her relatives in Venezuela. I offered to let her use my computer to e-mail relatives and friends in her home country. She did and was appreciative. She was kind hearted. During her visits she noticed I didn't have any furniture or a bed.

A few days later she took me to her apartment. She purchased a new mattress and asked me to take her old mattress. I did. Her old mattress was in great condition. I put it in the bedroom and slept great from that day forward.

A few different people were staying at Adriana's apartment. Adriana's apartment was a one-bedroom apartment. The living room was setup like a second bedroom. Multiple cots, day beds filled the living room where relatives and friends slept.

After I got the bed I found a table and a framed painting someone left by the dumpster. They were both very cool, both in great condition. The table was well crafted, possessing plenty of character. I used the table regularly. To this day it's one of my favorite things I've ever owned.

Adriana cleaned houses for a living. She also had a son in high school. I'd see him playing soccer in the hallways of the complex. We became friends as well. When he got his driver's license he took me to different places throughout Doral.

He showed me an apartment complex in Doral called Doral Isles (I'm not 100% sure of the name). Doral Isles was gated community with its own Beach. The sand on the beach was stunning. Palm trees were everywhere. Doral Isles was the type of place I didn't even know existed.

I started meeting other friends throughout the complex. I met another lady in the laundry room. We met while I was doing wash. She was going to all the laundry rooms in the complex, placing business cards on top of the washers and dryers. The business cards had her name and number, offering to give residents haircuts.

Her name was Maria, she was a few years older. She also recently moved to Taho Springs with her husband. She was trying to earn extra income cutting hair from her apartment. She took me to her apartment where she introduced me to her husband John. Soon thereafter, she cut my hair.

Over the next few months I became very good friends with Maria and John. They always tried to include me when they'd see me in the hallway. Plus, they treated me with respect. Sometimes they stopped over my apartment or vice versa.

We were all struggling, trying to find ways to make our lives better. John often talked about starting his own business. He'd run different ideas by me, asking what I thought. Unfortunately, at that age I didn't have much feedback to give him.

Marie and John were friends with a younger girl named Olga. She sometimes stayed at their apartment. She was a few years younger than myself, nevertheless, Maria and John thought we might make a good couple.

They introduced us. The four of us went out as a group a few times. We went to Bayside Market Place. We walked around, took photos and listened to live music.

Another day John drove us to the Aventura Mall. We began hanging out on a regular basis. Maria wanted to learn how to cut hair as a professional in order to get a job at a salon. We drove to Hialeah to check out a local hair cutting school.

I dated Olga for a few weeks. We got along good, though, our relationship wasn't serious. Soon thereafter we began just chilling as friends.

Things were going great. Living in Miami in a way reminded me of when I first discovered the internet. Everything was new and exciting. Adriana introduced me to Caffe con Leche and all of its wonderfulness. Caffe con Leche took coffee to an entirely new level. After a cup of this stuff I'd be in a great mood for hours. I was introduced to Cuban Coffee. Cuban coffee gets a person's heart going. The first few times I downed a shot of Cuban coffee, I was awake the entire night.

I realized the mesmerizing effects of the Miami sun. I enjoyed stepping outside the sliding glass door onto the patio as soon as I woke up. The second I stepped outside I felt the sun warming my entire body. I just stood on the patio soaking it up for a few minutes. The feeling is amazing, especially coming from a cold weather climate.

The entire area seemed to be growing. A new pizza place opened in a little outdoor mall across the street. I was either their first or one of their first customers. The pizza was excellent. They always remembered me and were very hard workers. I liked the owners and wanted them to do good.

Whenever I met someone new from the area, I always mentioned the pizza place. Plus, I tried to eat there as much as possible. Every time I ordered a pizza for delivery, the pizza seemed to arrive in minutes. When I walked across the street to pick up food they always hustled to prepare my meal.

After living in Miami for about a year, I learnt the Miami Sun is also tough on a person's body. I was taking buses or riding a bike every day. This was before there was a push to improve public transportation in Miami.

Even though public transportation in Miami was better than anything I'd experienced, quite often buses ran late. The area where I was living didn't have many covered bus stops. Sometimes I sat in the sun for hours waiting for the bus. Extended exposure to the sun often led to dehydration. Plus, being from a northern state I wasn't use to the heat.

Posted: 2022-09-14 At: 5:30 am:  


One day while taking the bus to work I noticed a for rent sign hanging from the top of an apartment complex. The complex was called Overlook.

Within the complex were two high rise style buildings with balcony's, a large pool, small gym, and tennis courts. The complex was gated. And most importantly, Overlook looked like the type of apartment complex found in the city.

Overlook was located near Miami International Airport, just off NW 7th Street. I called to find out the cost of a one bedroom apartment. They were reasonably priced.

I went to the management office to fill out the necessary paperwork. From there, within days, I was renting an apartment. Just like the management office at Taho Springs, the ladies working in the office at Overlook were excellent.

The apartment I got was on the first floor. It was in decent shape, located very close to the pool. I still didn't have any furniture. I owned a few milk type crates I used as shelves. Nothing else.

When I moved out of Taho Springs I didn't take the mattress Adriana gave me. Brenda owned a second bed she kept in the spare room I slept on while renting her room. Both of the next two rooms I rented had beds of their own.

Many of the stores in the immediate area were small, culturally rich urban stores.

At the time, prices were great. A small furniture store was located a block away. I walked there to purchases a single mattress for less than $50.00. I didn't have any way to carry the mattress to my apartment. Even though the mattress was only $50, the mattress was quality, very thick and fairly heavy. I dragged it all the way to my apartment.

When I arrived home, I put the mattress on the floor in the living room under a window, setting up my new pad like a studio.

Sometimes during the weekends I went to the pool in the morning. Then, when I went back to my apartment I took a nap on the bed under the window, letting the sun warm me.

After moving to Overlook, I ate my first Cuban Hamburger from a local cafe. I liked going to the local cafes to get Café con Leche's in the morning. I didn't even know a such thing as a Cuban Hamburger existed.

On a Saturday I walked to get a Cafe con Leche early in the afternoon. I asked for a hamburger and a Café con Leche. The lady working said they only served Cuban Hamburgers. I decided give the Cuban burger a try.

Let me say, the Cuban Hamburger was delicious, packed with flavor. Potato chip fries were added to top. The Cuban burger tasted very different from an American hamburger, yet, the essence of the burger possessed the same feel as an American hamburger.

I lived in the first-floor apartment at Overlook for about a year. I was very happy with the apartment. At the same time, wanted an apartment on a higher floor with a better view. I asked the management office to let me know if an apartment on a higher floor became available.

Shortly before my lease expired, an apartment on the seventh floor in my building became available. I seized the opportunity and rented the apartment.

The view was absolutely incredible. The 7th floor apartment was facing east, overlooking the pool and downtown Miami. Many days I looked out the sliding glass door in disbelief of the view.

The layout was basically the same as the first-floor apartment, a decent size one bedroom with a walk-in closet, full bathroom and a full kitchen. Due to the higher floor, I was paying a little more for rent. However, the rent was still inexpensive, especially considering the location and view.

If I remember correctly, the rent was about $700 per month. I was making about $12.00 per hour. Even though the rent was very affordable for Miami, finances were tight.

I didn't have many friends during this part of my life. I lost many friends when I moved out of Taho Springs and the Doral area of Miami.

After the moves I had a lot of trouble making new friends. I was always looking for something exciting or different to do in my spare time.

One of the great things about living in Miami is, plenty of different events almost always take place throughout the city. And plenty of them are inexpensive. I went to as many events as I could while living at Overlook.

When there weren't any events, I blended Pina Colada's to take out by the pool.

Although very tough on a person's body if suntan lotion isn't used, the Miami sun was as addicting as anything I'd experienced.

The pool was surrounded by beautiful palm trees and tropical foliage, positioned in the center of the two buildings. Though, many days I was the only person using the pool. I laid by the pool, by myself, relaxing.

Every weekend the Flagler Dog Track hosted a very large flea market in their parking lot, consisting of hundreds of tables selling a wide variety of items at low prices.

The dog track was only a few blocks away. I either walked or took my bike. I saved a lot of money shopping at the flea market. I purchased brand new belts for $2.00, new packs of socks for less than $5.00 as well as plenty of items of necessity. The Flea Market at the Flagler Dog Track was without a doubt one of my favorite places in all of Miami.

The atmosphere was incredible. Hispanic music played. Plenty of food stands were located throughout the flea market. I always liked walking by the Arepa stand, hearing them yell AREPA, AREPA, AREPA, AREPA. The arepas at the flea market were choice. I almost always purchased an Arepa.

Sometimes I went to the Flagler Dog Track to watch the dog races. I didn't have good luck betting on them, yet enjoyed the races.

South Beach hosted a fitness festival during the summer. The event was free and took over most of South Beach. I decided to attend, taking the bus to the festival.

The event offered a wide variety of different fitness exhibits and competitions. A beach soccer arena was set up to host soccer matches. Another exhibit consisted of a boxing ring where an instructor taught viewers how to box. They had an area for people to play paddle ball. As I was walking by, I was asked to play and did. I enjoyed the event and liked the idea of a fitness festival.

Another day I rode my bike to the Calle Ocho Festival. Calle Ocho is an enormous annual festival held in Little Havana, spanning many miles along SW 8th Street. In many ways the Calle Ocho Festival is closer to a party then a festival.

Multiple stages are set up where live music is played. They have tons of food, drinks and different exhibits. I rode my bike to the festival. I rode along the adjacent street, just South of SW 8th Street.

I stopped at one of the stages. Pitbull and Lil Jon were performing. I sat on my bike watching part of the concert. I continued riding through the streets, people watching, enjoying the music and smells of grilled food.

While I was living at Overlook, I read the first book of my life from cover to cover. I was about 30 years old. I always enjoyed reading articles on the internet and in magazines, however, I never read an entire book.

The book I read was very enjoyable. I began reading every spare minute I could find. I read every day at lunch. If I didn't have anything to do after work, I read when I got home.

I was very interested in the city of Miami, its history and the people living in the city. I purchased and read a number of books related to Miami. I purchased Miami: City of the Future by T.D. Allman. City of the Future is a very thick book, telling an interesting story. I read MOB Over Miami. MOB Over Miami details the darker side of a local nightclub owner.

Any interesting book I could find with good reviews, I read. I read the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code was very interesting, as a result I read all the books published by Dan Brown at the time. I read the Da Vinci Code, Digital Fortress, Deception Point, and Angels and Demons. All by Dan Brown. Over the next couple of years, I read 1984 by George Orwell, Killjoy By Judy Garwood, Seabiscuit, Joe DiMaggio: A Hero's Life, A couple of CSI Las Vegas books, a CSI Miami book, Art of the Deal by Donald Trump and at least one other book by Donald Trump.

I also read The Griffin and Sabine Trilogy. The trilogy was probably one of the coolest set of books I ever purchased.

Each book contained a series of letters. Each page has a different letter. Some pages have envelopes attached to the page. The reader opens the envelope and pulls out the letter to read. The letters are hand written. The book also possesses very creative artwork.

Sometimes I went to the Hialeah Horse Track from work during lunch time to sit in the stands and read. At the time, the horse track was closed and had been for many years. The building and track was deteriorated, a bit spooky in a cool kind of way. There weren't any horse races or casino.

However, it was open for the public to use as a park. I usually went during the middle of the day, during lunch time. The only people I saw were a few maintenance workers scattered throughout the park, making the horse track a great location to enjoy reading a good book.

Sitting in those seats was an awesome feeling. They were the original seats from back in the day. People sat in the exact seats as they watched some of the greatest horses in horse racing history race around the track.

I climbed up towards the middle of the stands. I was the only person in the stands. I was probably a good thirty feet above the track. The dirt oval was very much intact. It looked magnificent, even if filled with weeds and grass.

The tracks signature Pink Flamingos still called the park their home, roaming free throughout the center of the track. I liked the atmosphere of the abandoned park.

After taking a seat, before I started reading, I imagined what it was like sitting in these very same seats, looking out over the track during the 1940's and 1950's. I imagined the crowd around me cheering as famous horses like Citation or Secretariat thundered around the track.

I visited the track somewhere around 2004, during an era where there wasn't much hope of the Hialeah Horse Track ever reopening. Many days as I sat in the stands, I thought about trying to purchase one of the chairs. I didn't know who to ask. No one was in the stands other than myself. Only a few maintenance workers were working throughout other parts of the park.

I was always thinking about ways to obtain different collectibles, especially collectibles related to Miami. I read about a collectible show in Coral Gables, a show only showcasing Miami related collectibles, held at a church in Coral Gables. I attended. Before going to the collectibles show, I already owned a small collection of magazines dedicated to Miami.

After attending, after seeing many of the cool collectibles on display, I started looking for a larger variety of Miami related memorabilia. I found a die cast 1996 Road Champs Metro-Dade transit bus for sale online. I purchased the bus at a great price.

I found a Spirit of Miami HO scale locomotive, new in the box. I purchased the train as well. Many many years later, I purchased a New York to Miami tin toy car from the 40's or 50's, the only one I'd ever seen. Even to this day, I haven't seen another for sale.

Most of the collectibles purchased, I was only able to keep a few years. I continued to struggle financially, usually having to sell different items to pay bills. Though, owning these items, even if only for a short period of time was very cool.

After living in the complex for a while, I decided to join a gym. I joined a gym located in a little shopping center almost directly in front of my building. The gym was inexpensive with a verity of exercise machines and weights. One of my goals was to improve my stamina. Many days I went just to use the treadmill. Other days I'd lift weights as well.

At some point after moving to Miami, I ended up with a desk job. Previously, I only worked at jobs requiring physical exertion like warehouses. After I began working at a desk, I began having trouble sleeping. In the past I experienced difficulty sleeping, however, while working at a desk, things got much worse.

By the time I arrived home from work I possessed an enormous amount of built up energy. The extra energy was part of the reason I joined the gym. I went after work, lifted weights and ran a mile on the treadmill. Most nights the exercise helped me sleep better.

I've always admired and enjoyed photography. Though, I lacked education on the subject. For the most part, I just snapped away. The scenery in Miami is stunning. Even without technical knowledge of photography, I managed to take a few good photos. As years past, I read about photography, learning how to take better photos. I learned different techniques and took a wider variety of photos with better results.

Overlook was the exact type of complex I wanted to live in. Overlook was urban, with good amenities and a great view. I didn't have many friends. I figured I could make a few friends within the complex.

From there, I turned my apartment into a bachelor pad. I set up a futon in the living room I used as a couch during the day and a bed at night. I purchased tropical foliage and palm trees. I put them by the sliding glass door. Then, I turned the spare bedroom into a computer room.

During the time I lived at Overlook I met some good people within the complex, nevertheless, I didn't develop any lasting friendships. Most of the people I met were closer to acquaintances. We'd meet in the hall, ask how each was doing, before going about our day.

At the same time, at least on the floor I was living, the residents seemed to look out for each other. Every few weeks the fire alarm went off. The alarm was usually a false alarm. However, it stayed on until the fire department arrived to do a sweep of all the floors, ensuring there wasn't a fire.

During these times, most people opened their doors to see if smoke was in the hallway. Many waited outside their doors in case the building needed to be evacuated.

My next-door neighbor was a very nice much older lady. Due to her age she couldn't make it down the stairs on her own. A few times we stepped outside our doors and smelt smoke. In those cases, everyone stayed on our floor. Tenants didn't want to leave the older lady if we needed to evacuate. The remaining tenants stayed to help her down the stairs.

The neighbors who lived in the apartment on the other side of the hall from my apartment threw parties on the weekends. I ran into them in the hallway every now and then. They were always very friendly. Nobody on our floor seemed to mind the noise. They usually played Hispanic music throughout the night.

I heard their music from my apartment. I liked listening to the music, hearing them laughing, dancing and enjoying themselves. I didn't have much of a social life. I guess in a way, I was living vicariously through the neighbors.

Towards the end of my stay at Overlook I got to know them a little better. They even invited me to a couple of their parties. I had a good time. Their parties were very similar to how I imagined.

One morning I looked out on my balcony. A couple of pigeons made a nest. Seeing them directly outside the sliding glass door was very cool. They stayed for a while, however, eventually they made a gigantic mess, causing some of havoc.

I lived at Overlook during both Hurricane Wilma and Katrina. During Hurricane Wilma the entire complex lost power for about a week. I didn't have internet for at least three weeks.

Without AC, most people including myself kept their doors open to create a breeze. A few people ran generators on their balcony's. They ran extension cords from their generators to neighboring apartments, giving their neighbors electricity as well. Without electricity, I could only take cold showers. Food was also extremely limited. The people with grills invited neighbors over, cooking for other tenants on their floor.

The old lady next to me owned a grill. She was able to obtain a good amount of meat and rice. I remember going to her apartment for meals. She was serving anyone who walked through her door.

I lived at Overlook for about 4 &nsbp;½ years."

Things were decent at Overlook for the majority of my stay. Even though I was living in the type of complex I envisioned, I wasn't living the lifestyle I envisioned. I guess I felt my life turned boring.

I didn't have as many friends as I would have liked and there were few if any parties within the complex. I'm not saying I preferred parties every night. I'm just saying I would have liked to have made a few friends and have gone to a few parties.

For whatever reason, I simply didn't meet people in general who I stayed friends with for an extend period of time.

I tried doing different things on my own to meet females and people in general. I went to sports bars, little clubs and cafes within the neighborhood. I even went to a popular nightclub downtown.

The club wasn't like the club I frequented years ago on the Berlin Turnpike. I felt out of my element. I didn't have any luck, either meeting a female or even a friend at these places.

I've always preferred to be around people. However, I got use to doing things on my own. Doing things on my own wasn't the best scenario, however, I did get some enjoyment out of many of the things I did.

The Calle Ocho Festival was a great memory. A few times I did have friends visit I knew from different areas of the city and work. And I did meet some cool people from different floors within the complex.

After I moved out of Overlook, I moved around a bit. I rented a room from a very cool couple a few blocks away. The room had its own entrance located on the side of the house. They were renting the house themselves. The family let me move in immediately.

The house was a Spanish style house with an outdoor tiki bar in the backyard. The husband worked for the city as a driver for the disabled and elderly. His wife was nicknamed the Ice Queen by friends because she liked to keep the Air Conditioner at a very cold temperature.

The AC in my room was part of the central AC system. I didn't mind the cold temperatures. They also had a daughter who was going to college in Connecticut, at UCONN.

I thoroughly enjoyed staying with them. They treated me with respect and were friendly. Sometimes they invited me inside the main part of the house for lunch. The way they invited me and treated me felt genuine, less invasive than other places I've stayed at.

The Ice Queen told me about a great outdoor restaurant down the street at the corner of Flagler and NW 57th Ave. They served Cuban food and fresh juice. She said they delivered a different meal each business day of the week for $25.00 a week.

The food was great, and the price was great as well. The Ice Queen either worked from the house or got home early. She had meals delivered during the week.

Riding was still one of my favorite past times. I often rode my bike around the neighborhood. During the majority of the time I stayed here I was between jobs. I spent many days trying to find employment. Eventually, I found a somewhat steady job. However, I only lived at their house few months. Money wasn't the issue. Money was tight, yet, somehow I paid rent every month.

The house was being foreclosed on by the bank. The landlord informed the family. As a result, they decided to move.

They asked if I wanted them to try to find a place with an additional room. I thought the offer was very cool. At the same time, I didn't want to put them in a difficult situation.

I moved out as well. I probably could have stayed an additional couple of months, rent free, by myself until the bank took over the property. I didn't.

After leaving, I moved around a bit before I found a studio in a small apartment complex on West Flagler Street.

Posted: 2022-09-14 At: 5:30 am:  



When I went to work in the morning, I took the Flagler bus downtown to the Government Center. From the Government Center, I took a second bus to within blocks of where I was working. I worked until around 5pm.

When I finished working the first job, I took the bus back downtown, to either take the Metrorail or People Mover to Brickell where my second job was located.

When I finished work, I took the Metro Mover to downtown where I caught the Flagler bus to my apartment.

I usually arrived at my apartment between 9:00PM and 9:30PM. Most nights I was exhausted. I went to sleep almost as soon as I walked in the door.

The apartment I was renting was inexpensive and I was bringing home two pay checks. After a couple months working at both jobs, I saved up a decent amount of money. At least the amount was a lot to me. I saved more money than I've ever saved.

The studio was located in an urban area of the city. The number of different buses available and frequency of the buses was a huge improvement from when I first moved to Miami. Now, I could essentially step outside my door anytime to catch a bus. During the day, the Flagler bus arrived every fifteen minutes. The bus ran the entire night, making stops every hour throughout the night.

The studio was smallish, I'd say around 500sf, with a good layout. It had full, yet very small kitchen, a large walk-in closet and a full, yet very small bathroom with a tub.

I kept a beta fighting fish as a pet in a large vase on the kitchen counter. I kept a futon in the living room as a bed and couch. Next to the futon was a little table with a computer and printer. In front of the bed was a small flat-screen tv. On the other side there were shelves where I kept magazines.

Most of the magazines I got for free. Many weekends I took the bus to Lincoln Road on South Beach to get free Ocean Drive and 944 magazines at Books & Books, along with any other free magazines they gave away.

After going to Books & Books, I walked down Lincoln Road to an Art Gallery closer to the beach. The gallery possessed rooms different artists rented to work on and display their art. Seeing all the unique types of art artists created was very cool.

After leaving the art gallery, I walked to Washington Ave. From there, I followed Washington Ave down to Espanola Way. Espanola Way is a very picturest street for pedestrians only.

Another free art gallery was located on Espanola Way. The Espanola Way gallery had a maze of hallways displaying paintings on the walls. The paintings displayed were usually modern abstract paintings, many very unique. The hallways led up a set of stairs to a second floor where additional paintings were displayed, some inside rooms, some in the hallways.

The hallways on the second floor led to a small patio about a foot and a half in depth, stretching the length of the room, overlooking Espanola Way. The scenery from the patio was the type of scenery, most, including myself only thought existed in movies.

Posted: 2022-02-11 At: 9:00 am:  


I've taken public transportation a good portion of my life. Partially because of financial difficulties. Partially because of many years of car troubles. Though, mostly because public transportation is an efficient, enjoyable form of transportation.

I've lived in the city most of my life. I've always felt living close to work was a benefit. I use to like driving, yet, even when I enjoyed driving, I knew driving long distances in traffic is unhealthy for both the driver and the environment. Plus, driving in traffic isn't fun.

Driving is also very expensive. Car repairs, gas, insurance, accidents, and stress are eliminated or at least reduced with the aid of public transportation. I feel I've always made better use of my time riding on a train or bus, than behind the wheel.

Though, like most things in life, public transportation isn't perfect. Sometimes the trains and buses are overcrowded, creating uncomfortable situations. Other times they may experience mechanical problems causing them to run late, sometimes not at all. Bad weather can make taking public transportation difficult.

With that said, public transportation does have plenty of benefits. Public transportation gives drinkers the opportunity to drink responsibly. Riders don't have to worry about driving if they have a few to many drinks.

During the holidays, I always felt a sense of comradery with other passengers. I've taken public transportation on New Year's Eve several times, often celebrating with a variety of different passengers.

Miami offers multiple forms of transportation. Downtown Miami offers a type of train called the People Mover. The People Mover is free for all passengers and rides on futuristic looking elevated tracks routed throughout the city.

The tracks even go through a high-rise building, with a stop within the building. The People Mover also has large windows offering passengers incredible views of the city.

In general, People Movers arrive at their stops often and usually aren't crowded. Though, during events they can become extremely crowded.

I remember taking the People Mover home from work during the ING Marathon. The ING Marathon is a foot race held downtown Miami. Thousands of people participate and watch.

The day of the marathon, the People Mover stations and the cars were jam packed, to the point where there literally wasn't any room to move. After waiting on the platform, I squeezed into one of the cars. Luckily, I'm not claustrophobic. Once I entered, I wasn't able to move an inch.

Miami has trains routed through the city called the Metromover. The Metromover is probably the fastest mode of transportation within the city. The Metromover has many stops, including stops located in downtown Miami, the Hialeah Horse Track, Miami International Airport, a variety of malls, grocery stores, and hospitals, just to name a few.

Because of the variety of stops, riders can maneuver throughout the city easily without a car. They also provide riders access to necessities needed for everyday living, in addition to access to different events.

Miami has hundreds of bus routes. Many of them are designed to funnel riders to train stations. Some buses run 24/7. Buses cover all areas of the city.

Many, travel frequently between Downtown Miami and South Beach. Many, if not all city buses allow passengers to bring their bikes via bike racks located on the front of the buses. Trains also allow riders to take their bikes in the last train car.

I've always felt using public transportation was a thrill. I've witnessed plenty unusual, interesting and sometimes just plain crazy events on buses and trains. I never knew who I was going to meet, what I was going to hear or see.

When I wake up late, running to catch the train or bus really got my adrenalin going. Even though running late isn't the perfect situation, having to hustle to catch a bus does start the day off with a bit of excitement, usually giving me a jolt of energy. The energy helped get me through the day.

Being able to sit and read, chatting with a total stranger, people watch, looking out the window while enjoying the scenery are many of the different possibilities I faced each day.

When I was living at Overlook I decided to take the bus to the beach. I walked a few blocks South to West Flagler Street to catch the 11 bus to the Government Center. Once I arrived at the Government Center, I could take any number of different buses to South Beach.

Before I left, I packed a duffle bag with a couple towels and sun tan lotion. Then, I walked to the bus stop. It was the middle of the summer, the middle of the day and smoldering hot outside. About ten minutes later the bus arrived.

The bus was packed, standing room only. To make things worse, the AC wasn't working. The second I stepped in the bus, I felt the heat overtake my body. I don't think I ever experienced a temperature as hot.

As I entered the bus, an older man was standing in the front, yelling, "THE AC ISN'T WORKING! THE AC ISN'T WORKING!" in both English and Spanish. I smiled at his sarcasm. I looked around at all the passengers. They were all dripping in sweat. I kept having to wipe the sweat from my face with my beach towel as the bus headed towards downtown.

After a few stops, the towel was soaking wet. During the ride, the older man in the front kept yelling, "THE AC ISN'T WORKING! THE AC ISN'T WORKING!" Sometimes he turned around, facing all the passengers in the back to let them know the AC wasn't working. He seemed to especially enjoy telling new passengers about the AC issues as they boarded the bus.

The passengers on the bus were barely moving. Many were older and probably just trying to make it to their stop without passing out. We all knew the AC wasn't working. We were just trying to survive the heat. Though, as bad as the situation was, he put a smile on a few of the riders faces. And he certainly made the bus ride memorable.

With that said, we were in a dangerous situation. Older people were in the passenger seats. Many of whom probably couldn't take the heat for an extended period of time.

Given the circumstances, the bus driver pulled over a few miles into the trip. He asked everyone to exit the bus, letting passengers know another bus with working AC would arrive shortly.

Eventually, I arrived at the beach. Finally, I could cool down in the ocean. When I arrived, I didn't waste any time getting in the water. Today, I still smile when I think about that ride.

When I first moved to Miami, I frequently took the bus down NW 36 Street. From where I lived at the time, 36th street was the best way to get to downtown.

One day I was on the 36 bus heading west. As the bus was pulling away from a stop, I heard a little thump from the back of the bus. When the thump occurred, the bus driver stopped the bus. Then, he immediately began talking on the CB radio.

I didn't know why. I don't think most of the passengers did either. The driver asked everyone to exit the bus. When I exited, I found out why. A car hit the back of the bus. Apparently, the car was trying to go around the bus as the bus was stopping.

Even though we barely felt the collision, the car sustained substantial damage. I walked the rest of the way to my destination. The other passengers either waited for the bus driver to fill out an accident report or waited to catch another bus.

The Flagler Street buses are almost always packed. The Flagler Street buses are where I've seen a number of characters with charisma and unique personalities. I've also seen plenty of passengers who've put down a few to many drinks. That was the case on this day.

I was riding the 11 bus heading West on Flagler Street. When I took my seat, I smelt an odor of stale alcohol. I also noticed a man sitting a few seats in front of me swaying in his seat from side to side, though, just slightly. When the bus came to a stop I realized he was quite intoxicated.

The bus stopped at the corner of West Flagler and 42nd Ave. He tried standing. He had trouble getting out of his seat. After a couple tries he finally pushed himself up with his arms. As soon as he stood in the isle, he fell backwards hitting his head on the seats behind him.

He bounced off the seats into the isle, landing flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was in and out of consciousness. If I remember correctly, a few passengers lifted him to his seat where he stayed.

I use to take a bus at the Miami International Airport to get to and from work. One day, while the bus was pulling out of the Airports bus stop, I saw two younger adult ladies running after the bus.

They caught the bus as it was pulling away. As they were running alongside the bus they were knocking on the door. The driver stopped the bus. Though, he didn't open the door.

The bus sat for a few seconds. The ladies stood in front of the door waiting. They weren't sure if he was going to let them board. They knocked again. The driver got a little upset with their impatience. He put the face of his hand to the door, yelling, "RELAX!" at the same time in a disgruntled tone.

He set those two ladies off. A few seconds later he opened the door. He probably wishes he hadn't. The ladies entered with a fury, yelling at the driver in both English and Spanish, letting him know their distaste for his tone.

The driver didn't sit back and take it. He jabbed back and forth with the two ladies. The driver and two ladies kept arguing even after the two ladies paid, and took their seats.

Most of what they were saying was in Spanish. Regardless, even with my limited Spanish, I didn't have any difficulty recognizing the wide array of curse words spoken with anger.

The argument escalated. Neither the driver or ladies stopped yelling. The bus driver had enough. A few minutes later he threw the ladies off the bus. He pulled over before exiting the airport. He opened the door and told them to get out. They did.

Before leaving, bus the driver reported the incident. He was told to wait at the scene for a transit official to arrive. Once the transit official arrived, the driver filled out an incident report. After the report was filled, out he was cleared to continue his route. The entire tabocal took about a half hour.

I took the bus to and from work for many years. I often rode with the same passengers every day. Over time I got to know different people on the bus.

There was a guy who always sat in the front of the bus with the newspaper. He enjoyed sports. During the ride he talked about different teams and players with another dude sitting a few rows back. I think I joined in on their conversation a few times.

Another lady on the bus worked in the same area I worked. Her company helped design the Intermodal Center. The Intermodal Center is a massive transit hub within the Miami International Airport.

At the time, the city just started the construction for the hub. The project was very expensive, often shown as featured news stories and with plenty of merit.

When the Intermodal Center was completed a few years later, a Light Rail, connecting airport terminals to the Intermodal Center was added. The Intermodal Center added stops for the Metrorail and Tri-Rail trains, additional Metro Bus routes, a Greyhound Bus Terminal, and a Rental Car Center.

Hearing about the project before it was completed from a person involved with the project, was very interesting.

One of the sickest things I ever saw in my life, was when I was waiting for a bus on NW 36th street. The bus stop was across from a few car dealerships, just west of 27th ave.

That day, I saw a car slam into a dog. I don't remember for sure the type of dog, maybe a Pitbull, almost defiantly a stray. She looked like she might have just given birth. I was at least a 100 yards away and on the opposite side of the street.

The dog seemed to be in distress. She was pacing back and forth across the street in front of the dealership. There was only light traffic. A few people were standing outside the dealership as the dog paced back and forth in the street.

A couple cars drove by, saw the dog, slowed down, letting her pass. Then, another car drove down the street. The car wasn't going very fast. The dog was in the other lane walking towards the cars path. As the dog approached, the car didn't slow down. I don't know how the driver didn't see her. He just kept going. The dog kept walking.

I kept thinking the car was going to stop. The car didn't stop. There was loud bang. The car slammed into the dogs head and shoulders, spinning her around, knocking her into the middle of the street. The seen was sickening. The car kept going. One of the people outside the dealership went out into the street to carry the dog away.

I think the dog was still alive, though she was in bad shape. Seeing the dog get hit by the car is something that stays etched in my memory. Just the thought of that day still makes me a little sick when I think about it.

Posted: 2022-01-02 At: 5:30 AM:  








Updated 2023-01-15:
Light Throughout The Night is now available for free, posted as blog posts.

Posted: 2022-01-02 At: 5:30 AM:  

Sasharoonie

Sasharoonie became part of our family. When we first purchased Sasha, Gretchen experienced allergies. I asked if she wanted me to return her kitty. However, the bear really liked Sasha and declined. Over time Gretchen's allergies got a little better.

During the next few years we called Sasha a slew of different nicknames. Gretchen thought of the first nickname. She called her Snaggle Tooth because one of her fangs stuck out the bottom of her mouth. I called her the Fierce Mountain Lion and Saber Tooth. We also called her Sasharoonie and Rooninski.

We called Sasha the Prissy Kitty. She is very particular about what she eats. She'll only eat certain foods. She likes her food fresh and only drinks water if it's at room temperature.

The bear called her the Mischievous Kitty. The Mischievous Kitty is one of my favorite nick names. She tries to be good, yet often found a way to get herself in trouble when we weren't around.

Years later, when Sasha was much older I called her Stewart Little. She's very tiny. I noticed, when she runs she sometimes folds her ears back in the same way as Stewart Little.

As a kitten she was everywhere. Sasharoonie didn't stop moving. She wanted to see and smell everything. There wasn't an inch of our apartment she didn't explore.

We always kept a variety of different toys for her. She played with anything she could find. She'd see my basketball, run and jump on it, rolling over as the ball rolls. She climbed everywhere; the fridge; the bed; the shelves. She even found a way to get on the very top of the doors. I didn't know how she got up there. Nor did I know how she kept her balance, somehow she did.

The lady we purchased her from said, Russian Blue cats possess many of the same characteristics as dogs. She was correct. If I threw her a toy foam ball, she fetched the ball and brought it back to me. I also played hide-and-go-seek with Sasha. If I was in the bedroom, I ran into the living room to hide. A short time thereafter, Sasha went into the living room, looking everywhere until she found me. When she found me, I ran in the bedroom to hide. From there, she began looking for me in the bedroom.

As a kitten she was a bit wild. A day I'll never forget is the day she decided to climb the bear like a tree. Sasha, as all cats do, tended to climb things. When she was a kitten, she climbed everything in our apartment. I was trying to train her not to jump on the counter by the stove. I wanted to make sure she didn't accidentally jump onto the stove while the bear was cooking and burn herself.

Sasha was behind Gretchen in the kitchen. Gretchen was cooking, facing the counter, though, she knew Sasha was behind her. The bear said something to the effect of: You better not let her jump on me! I was kneeling next to Sasha. I told the bear not to worry. I figured, if I saw Sasha move in Gretchen's general direction, I could stop her. Plus, I was thinking, at worst she might jump on the counter.

Before I could react, Sasha decided to launch herself onto Gretchen. She stuck her pointy little claws into in the bear's back, climbing her like a tree. I pulled Sasharoonie off the bear quickly, nevertheless, the damage was done. The bear ended up with a few deep claw marks. I didn't hear the end of that for many months.

(In a previous chapter, I talked about the studio and fighting fish.) When we purchased Sasha we still owned the same fighting fish we kept in the studio. He was alive and doing good. We kept him on the kitchen counter of the apartment where we were now living, Montery Gardens. From there, it didn't take long before Sasharoonie decided our little fish might make a good meal. I walked in the kitchen, there was Sasharoonie, on the counter with her paw in the vase trying to scoop out our fish. Needless to say, we moved our fighting fish to a safer location.

Sasharoonies next adventure was when Gretchen's parents asked us to watch their dog Jerry for a few days. Jerry is a small dog, about Sasha's size. A little while after they were introduced to each other, he became Sasharoonies friend. Though, she had to warm up to Jerry. When we first let Jerry in the apartment Sasha was weary of him.

Nevertheless, sometime thereafter, Sasha realized she was much quicker. She also realized Jerry couldn't jump on the bed. She had a safe zone. From there, she enjoyed playing with Jerry. She did her best to try and get him to chase her. When Sasha was on the bed she launched herself over Jerry, jolting into the living room. If Jerry didn't chase her, she ran back into the bedroom launching herself over Jerry onto the bed. Eventually, Jerry began chasing her, thought the kitty was too fast.

While Jerry was visiting, Sasha slept on the bed with us. She normally slept in a crate we turned into her bedding area.

As Sasha grew older, we discovered she had a problem with her teeth. She became very sick. Her gums swelled, turned red, before developing cuts and soars. We took her to a veterinary clinic a few blocks away.

The lady we saw at the clinic told us she thought Sasha was allergic to her own teeth. For some reason, her body was rejecting them. She thought the only way her gums would heal was if we removed all her teeth.

However, having her teeth removed was a drastic step. The lady at the veterinary clinic wanted to give Sasha steroids first. She was hoping they would improve, strengthen her immune system, preventing her body from rejecting her teeth. She subscribed steroids. At the same time, the vet told us about the dangers of steroids. She told us steroids could shorten her life if given for extended periods of time. We gave them to her every day as instructed. Sasha showed improvements, though, she was far from healthy.

When we took her for a follow up visit, a different veterinarian was working. He didn't agree with the original diagnoses. He didn't want to have her teeth pulled. He wanted us to try giving her a different type of steroid. By this time Sasha's mouth was much worse. In addition to the redness and cuts on her gums, pus was coming out of them as a result of infections. She wasn't eating very much and was sleeping almost all day and night.

The second type of steroids didn't work either. We took her back to the clinic for another follow up visit. We saw yet another different veterinarian. He was reluctant to have her teeth pulled as well. He subscribed another type of steroid. We gave her the steroids as instructed. Sasharoonie didn't show any improvement. By now we were both very worried about our kitty.

We decided to bring her to a different veterinary clinic quite a bit further from our area. They didn't know what was wrong with her either. They didn't want to pull her teeth. More steroids were prescribed. We didn't know what else to do except take their advice. We continued to give her steroids for a few more months. The steroids weren't working at all anymore. By this time, Sasha had been very sick for about a year. We took her back to the second veterinary clinic, only to find out they wanted to keep trying different types of steroids.

The vet bills were piling up. Sasha wasn't getting better. She was much worse. We couldn't stand to see her in constant pain. I remembered what the first veterinarian said. She thought if we removed Sasha's teeth, her gums would heal. Plus, she said, extended use of steroids would shorten the length of her life.

Sasha had been on steroids for about a year. Gretchen and myself talked over our options. We decided we were going to have her teeth pulled. We made an appointment for surgery at the veterinary clinic near our condo. They were still very hesitant at the idea. Nevertheless, we insisted. I don't think they understood the pain her teeth were causing. They didn't see her in pain the entire day, every day.

After some convincing, they decided to go ahead with the surgery. They pulled all her teeth, except for her upper and lower fangs, and a couple of her smaller teeth in the front of her mouth.

After Sasharoonie healed from the surgery, her gums did as well. The redness went away. She wasn't in nearly as much pain. From then forward, we needed to feed her wet canned cat food. She could eat wet cat food without much of a problem. Her energy level increased. Sasharoonie began acting like the mischievous kitty we knew and loved.

Sasharoonie was usually a very happy cat. She enjoyed playing, running, climbing and the occasional cat nap. However, there was one thing she hated. Baths! As soon as we put her in the tub, her claws came out. She cried bloody murder.

Before giving her a bath, we always cut her nails. If not, we wouldn't fare to well. Her bath required both the bear and myself working as a team. I held her in the tub, while Gretchen washed her. As we did, Sasha let out loud screaming meows in a tone I didn't know existed. By the time we finished, even with my best efforts holding her down, she usually gave me a few scratch marks. We let her out; we dried her off, then, within minutes, she was fine. Almost like nothing happened, except she was now clean.

Over the years she developed an incredible personality. Sasharoonie loved boxes. She could jump inside and out of boxes for hours. If the box was closed, she found a way inside to hide.

When she slept, she curled up in a ball, covering her eyes with her paws.

In the morning, when she wanted to get fed, she walked to Gretchen's side of the bed, gently nudging the bear. Gretchen enjoyed the good morning jesters. She always got out of bed to feed her kitty.

Sometimes, I'd grab a towel, dragging it along the floor. Sasha jumped on the towel to go for a ride.

We owned a computer chair with wheels. She liked riding on the computer chair as well. She jumped on the chair. I pushed it around the room, spinning it in circles at the same time. Sasha did her best to stay on the chair without falling off. I always spun the chair just slow enough to let her keep her balance.

The Two Of Us And Sasharoonie

Sasharoonie was becoming more like a family member than a pet. The bear referred to her as our daughter. We treated her as good as we possibly could.

We got her a very large cat tree. We put the cat tree in the corner of the living room and always kept it stocked with toys. We also built Sasha a bed next to our bed.

She liked the layout of the condo. She'd run full speed from the bedroom into the living room, getting sideways as she made the turn into the living room. Then run the length of the living room before launching herself onto the cat tree, climbing to the top. In addition to her toys, I purchased a laser pointer. The laser pointer reflected brightly when pointed at the dark floors. Sasha use to go nuts trying to catch the lasers light.

When Christmas arrived, we purchased a full-size Christmas tree and shatter proof ornaments. We always set aside plenty of time to decorate the tree together.

I put trains around the tree. Gretchen's mom gave us a set of model buildings. We put the buildings under the tree with the trains. The buildings came with people figurines as well. Gretchen's mom also gave a nativity set we displayed on a shelf during Christmas.

Sasha celebrated her first Christmas with a full-size tree. To her, the tree was an enormous toy. In the middle of the night she'd go in the living room to knock as many ornaments off of the tree as possible. She cranked her paw back, whacking the ornaments as hard as she could. Sometimes they flew across the room.

By morning, ornaments were scattered all over the living room floor. We began listening carefully at night for any noises we heard from the living room.

When we heard something, either myself or Gretchen got out of bed to tell the mischievous kitty to stop knocking down ornaments. A few nights we needed to get out of bed multiple times. As our kitty grew older she learnt the tree wasn't a toy.

Posted: 2022-01-02 At: 5:30 AM:  

I spent most of 2021 writing and updating my personal website.

Almost immediately after I finished writing Light Throughout The Night, I began writing two fiction books early in 2021. Both books have a longways to go before they're finished. Though, both books have a complete plot. I'm about 20,000 words into each.

One week I focused on writing one of the books. Then, the next week I focused on the other. Sometimes if I got into a rhythm, I spent many weeks writing the book I was feeling the most creative towards. However, within the first few months of 2021, my focus shifted away from the two books.

When I finished Light Throughout The Night, the publishing company I wanted to publish the book wasn't accepting manuscripts. In the past, they offered open submissions every few months. I decided to wait for their next open submission.

During the time I was waiting I dedicated time towards the two fiction books I'm currently writing. However, after many months, open submissions didn't open.

I began researching other possible publication options. As much as I wanted to publish the book through a publishing company, I drew the conclusion, self-publishing was the best option.

After deciding to self-publish Light Throughout The Night, I designed the cover. I also thought about how and when to release the book for publication.

When I wasn't writing, I was programing, mostly working on a new design for my personal website, the version you're currently viewing. The new web design became much more involved than I imagined. I'm sure repeat visitors noticed, georgefarina.net is now very different from the previous version.

I added a web guide. I've been storing url's in a personal database for years. I thought others might find some of them useful.

Sometimes, while I'm writing a book or programing, I write blog posts in between, without publishing them, thinking, I'll publish them at a later date. The blog posts accumulated. I wrote about 20 blog posts for the Dusty Loft Blog and 4 for GeorgeFarina.net.

Knowing I didn't just have a book to release, I have a website and many blog posts to release, I decided to release the website, blog posts and book together.

Every so often, I stumble onto different ideas or thoughts as a result of other ideas or thoughts. I wrote two somewhat simple programs, both programs evolved from ideas I was thinking about regarding the new design for gerogefarina.net.

The programs are both web based, database driven programs I'm planning to either sell in the webstore or give away sometime towards the end of 2022.

I've re-released a new version of Far From Perfect. The 2022 version of Far From Perfect is slightly different than previous version. I revised some sections, while doing a better job editing the book. An eBook version is also available. Both the paperback version and eBook are available for sale in the webstore along with Light Throughout The Night.

The two books I began writing after Light Throughout The Night are still unfinished. I'm hoping to dedicate more time towards finishing them in 2022 and 2023.

Posted: 2021-02-13 At: 10:05 PM:  

Between yesterday and today, I made a wooden box out of reclaimed wood. Most of the wood used to make the box was previously used for projects having to do with a tiny home.

Some of the wood was part of a shelf I made out of 2x4's, designed to hold solar batteries. I decided to make the shelf larger. As a result, I ended up with a bunch of smaller 2X4's.

When I paint other items in the tiny home, sometimes I add a few brush strokes of paint to leftover wood, to give the wood a vintage look.

The 2x4's are each 8 inches long. The bottom is made out of a 1/2 inch thick piece of plywood. The plywood wasn't reclaimed. Though, it was leftover plywood used for another project.

Posted: 2020-01-02 At: 5:30 AM:  

I spent much of 2019 writing a second book. The book is fiction, primarily a drama. Specifically, a sports action drama. This book is written in a very different way from the way Far From Perfect was written.

The book is almost complete. I need to revise the last two chapters. I also have to enter parts of the previous chapters into the computer.

I don't want to say to much. The book is a long ways away from getting published. I still have to go through it a few more times. Then, find an editor and publishing company, or possibly a literary agent. I'll need to find someone to design the cover. These things take time and research.

I don't plan to self-publish this book in the same way Far From Perfect was self-published.

Posted: 2018-07-08 At: 12:00 PM:  



Far From Perfect Press Release:
(Date: 7-8-2018) This press release announces the publication of my first book: Far From Perfect, by George Farina. I'm not a New York Times Best Selling Author. I've read books on their best seller list. The words flow effortlessly. They are rhythmic. They thrust a person's imagination into a new and exciting world. Parts of what I've written might come close. I guess that's up to the reader to decide.

In this book I tell a story. A true story. A story written with a lot of thought. A story being told as accurately and detailed as possible. A story detailing part of a person's life. Far From Perfect is somewhat informative. I try to pass on as many of the things I've learnt as possible.

Far From Perfect is also about the many different people I met during my life. People entered and left. These were people from school. They were neighbors. They were people I met at an abandon 18-wheeler truck trailer, during a time when I didn't have any other place to stay. They were people I met at events, at work, and even in the middle of the street. I met people through chatrooms, Myspace and Plenty of Fish.

Many of these people took parts of a "far from perfect" life to enjoyable. Their personalities; their character; their charisma made parts of my life exhilarating. They gave me many amazing memories, memories I accumulated over the course of forty years. I relived them vicariously while writing.

With that said, as the title says, my life was far from perfect. I've been through plenty of struggles. Some of the struggles I didn't include, simply because I don't like thinking about them. I know I'm not the only person who struggled throughout their life. I didn't set out to write a book. Circumstances led me to writing. Now that the book is finished, I think people might like reading the stories I've detailed. Others who've been through struggles might relate.

When I started writing, I wasn't in a good place. My head was filled with all that went wrong. It was filled with all the terrible. As I was writing, I thought about the people I'd known, and all the crazy things we'd been through. I thought about their personalities and their sayings. I often laughed to myself as I wrote about them. They drowned out much of the terrible.

Even with many of the terrible times excluded, I wrote about enough struggles to justify keeping the title. I hope the people who decide to read Far From Perfect find it enjoyable.

Far From Perfect can be purchased as an eBook at: https://www.georgefarina.net/store/farfromperfect.php

Posted: 2022-09-14 At: 5:30 am:  


I've always done a lot of riding. The first bicycle I purchased in Florida was a 1997, possibly a 1998 Fuji Odessa Mountain Bike (Pictured Above).

I owned the Odessa between 1998 and 2007. During the years 2004 to 2007 I was living in an apartment at the Overlook apartment complex in Miami. When I moved I left her in front of the complex. I didn't have the room to take her with me.

Hopefully, someone who enjoys riding as much as I do ended up with the bike.

While owing the Odessa I was often without a running car, some years without a car at all.

As a result, I probably put more miles on the Fuji than all the others bikes I've owned combined, with many memorable rides within the miles ridden.

Sometime after purchase, I upgraded the rear sprocket, giving her quite a bit more speed. She was somewhat of a sleeper.




The above image is of an earlier model Denali street bicycle. I purchased the bike used via Craigslist in either 2007 or 2008.

I owned the bike for about a year. Even though I felt the Denali was great looking, very light, with an aluminum frame, great to ride in the right circumstances, I only kept the bike for about a year.

I was living in a very urban area of Miami on West Flagler Street with many curbs, much curb hopping involved, stopping and starting. The handlebars weren't designed for urban riding. Neither was the bike's sprocket.

I rode the bike when I could, though, eventually I decided to sell her to purchase a commuter / urban bike.




The above image is of a 2009 Novara Buzz commuter bicycle. The Buzz was without a doubt one of the most durable bikes I owned, yet felt light, while riding smooth. The thick tires and disk brakes were a plus.

I didn't get the opportunity to ride her as much as I would have liked, though, when I did, the rides were very enjoyable, including two memorable Critical Mass bike rides. The photo was taken in Overtown, Miami a few months before I sold her at the end of 2014.




The above image is of a 2015 Denali I purchased new in 2015, an urban, newer version of the Blue Denali I owned 2008, 2009.

Even though I wasn't living in an urban area at the time of purchase, the bike was very versatile, enjoyable to ride in almost any situation, offering features from both street bikes and mountain bikes.



Additional Notes: The dates mentioned within the above blog post are approximate dates. I didn't do extensive research in regards to the years I was living within the different areas mentioned.

The years of the Bikes are my best guess based upon internet research and the year purchased.

Posted: 2022-09-14 At: 5:30 am:  


I lived at the Village At Dadeland Condo Complex from 2010 to 2013. Village at Dadeland is located within South Miami, Florida in the back of the Dadeland Mall.

We purchased the condo as a foreclosure. It didn't have any appliances at the time of purchase. We purchased the most essential appliances with thoughts of adding a dish washer, cabinets, draws, at a later date.


The above photo is of the Kitchen at the time we sold the condo in 2013. As you'll see, we weren't able to get many of the items we planned to purchase at the time of purchase. Yet, the items we did purchase, a dual oven stove and very large refrigerator were a great benefit.


The above photo is of our living room. The floors were one of the best parts of the condo. The view in the back overlooking the canal was decent as well.


The above photo is of the master bedroom. Our condo was a two bedroom condo. We turned the spare room into an office. I don't have any good photos of office currently available.

Posted: 2022-09-14 At: 5:30 am:  


The above photo is of the living room of an apartment I was renting in Miami at the Overlook apartment complex (now called Yolanda Villas) somewhere between 2004 to 2007. The Futon towards the left is where I slept. The bedroom was turned into an office / man cave.

Towards the right are shelves where I kept a beta fish. A great fish who lived for about two years. I also kept different collectibles on the shelves. I collected a lot of magazines. The ones pictured are Ocean Drive and Porsche magazines. There is also a collection of Obsession cologne bottles on the shelf.

In the background, towards the left are crates I'd use as book shelves and plants. The apartment was on the seventh floor and offered a fantastic view of the Flagler Dog track as well as Downtown Miami.




The above photo is of the bedroom, showing a couple computers, filing cabinets, shelves with life magazines, comics and bamboo plants on the table.

Posted: 2018-04-13 At: 4:10 PM:  

Almost every night a group of squirrels visit. Watching their routine is cool. Each have their own personality. Two of them stick together, always playing with each other. They chase each other, jumping from tree to tree, sometimes playing in sand piles.

Two different squirrels spend most of their time scavenging for acorns. Though, each takes their own approach. In reality, only one of the two puts time and effort into finding acorns. He's focused, always working. He'll find enough acorns to bury many of them for a later date.

The other squirrel does things different. Some might say he's conniving. If squirrels went by a set of morals, I'm sure he isn't in compliance. The conniving squirrel waits for the first squirrel to find and bury an acorn. Then, he runs over to the buried acorn to dig it up.

Sometimes, the hard working squirrel catches him. Then, the chase begins. He'll chase the conniving squirrel away. Though, the acorn thief doesn't stay away. The acorn thief sit on the outskirts of the area, waiting for a chance to swipe another acorn.

There is one little guy who keeps to himself. While the others are playing, he goes off to his own area to look for food. He seems like he's enjoying himself. He just likes to keep to himself. I think he's a juvenile, exploring life for the first time. Yet, he is friendly with humans. When I'm sitting outside, he visits the area near where I'm sitting. He'll sit and watch me for a few. Then, he'll look for food before going on his way.

I always liked squirrels. They seem to have an in depth understand of how to enjoy life. They're happy little critters.

Posted: 2018-04-10 At: 2:22 PM:  



This week is National Library Week. I live near an excellent Library. As such, I decided to spend the day indulging in their world of information, education and technology. I grabbed a table, fired up the laptop and started my morning routine. It's probably not much different than most. With a hot cup of coffee nearby, I flipped through the usual websites.

Already being at the library, I decided to checkout their website (citruslibraries.org) as well. I've been to their website many times in the past. The site has a calendar displaying several educational courses taught at no charge. They offer both a beginner and intermediate Excel class. They also offer different types of writing courses. I thoroughly enjoy both subjects.

I took a stroll through the aisles. I flipped through a few books. I looked at the different displays and rooms within the library. A large computer room is towards the front. Private conference rooms are near the back, available for reservations, often used for studying.

The staff was very knowledgeable. Their creativity and demeanor instilled a positive and friendly atmosphere. The high-speed wireless internet and decent selection of books was also beneficial. I finished the day studying at Lynda.com in a tranquil environment.