I drove along the backroads today (still don't have my truck licensed) and bopped into our local supermarket (Publix). It took a while to figure out Krogers back in Tennessee, but I'm learning more about this store with every visit. It's nice, but the food prices are totally insane.

Like an item that would be $2.50 at Krogers, is $5.00 here. The only good thing they have going on is the buy one, get one free on a lot of things.

I've had a craving for a homemade fish sandwich so I got my card from Shelby and hit the store for fixings. From a nice lady in the meat department I bought two crab meat patties for five bucks, along with two for free. The lady wisely said she would give me two fresh, and a couple still frozen.

Speaking of the ladies, I can't remember another store with so many hot women. Unfortunately, tits and ass are not store items.

I actually got some glances and a couple chats, probably from looking better than I have in a while. I was showered, clean shaven, beard trimmed, khaki shirt on, tanned and trim. They probably thought I was some rich guy, there's a bunch of them down here.

Little did they know that my debit card is under Shelby's control, I ask for it when I choose to use it, and give it back to her when I'm done. And I have no cash at all. I'm not what these women hope to find.

It's a new technique, I'm trying to stop buying vodka at the store or going to the bar. My second day sober is winding down, and I'm hanging on.

As I sit here in our ManCave on a sultry Pensacola, FL afternoon, I wonder what's really going on.

Every time I walk from the Cave into the House, I learn new things about my amazing grand-daughter Shelby's talent for selling shit, which is good! I'm contributing as much as I can to our life together, but she's the bread winner.

Have I mentioned (I'm sure that I have) that I love my housemate, and I'm grateful for everything she has done for me. I don't know if I've ever talked about it here, but I'm begining to understand now, the depths that my beloved grand-daughter Shelby went to save my life from suicide.

She put her on-line business on hold, at the risk of losing it all, to come up to Tennessee and rescue me. And now I'm living here in her home, in a wonderful town.

I love you Shelby!

I just had a great conversation with my old friend Cricket. Actually, she was one of my favorite bank tellers back in Driggs, ID. She was still there today and looking forward to retirement.

I told her I left Driggs about six years ago and moved to Tennessee. She said I'm sorry because we both know Teton Valley at the base of the Grand Tetons beats anywhere in Tennessee hands down. Then I said but I've landed in Pensacola and she said lucky you.

I've been using the Bank Of Commerce now for at least fifteen years. My SS gets direct deposited there every month, and the B/C card in my wallet is my main card.

Cricket laughed when I told her my account was at $2.30, but then she said it will be better tomorrow when SS hits. Then I asked her advice for setting up a new account down here and shutting the B/C account down.

She asked if I still had checks, I said yes. Her advice was to pick the bank I want, open a new account with a check for the balance in my B/C account, then email her with a note saying please close my account, and digitally sign it.

I'll be doing that tomorrow. Thanks guys, you have been the best bank I ever dealt with. I remember the time I ordered a bunch of uncirculated two dollar bills from you, which I gave to my young Community School passengers on the TRPTA bus.

I told them to stash them away and they might be worth something some day. I had two left, and I still have them.

So I guess I'm not poor. I have five one dollar bills, five dollars and thirty cents in change, $2.30 in the bank and four dollars in two dollar bills. Which adds up to my net worth of $16.65.

I was telling my Pediatric Nurse girlfriend Jennifer (that's what Shelby calls her because I think shes hot) about my $2.30 cent bank balance and both ladies were laughing and said they'd been there, a few times.

So life goes on, I have no idea what the next second brings, but I embrace whatever happens, with all my heart.

I had a great laugh this morning. I knew my bank account was getting low, and a couple recent small charges on my debit card had to endanger it.

So, I opened my banking app to check the only account I have left, where my SS goes into, the Bank Of Commerce in downtown Driggs, ID. I opened that account when Steph and I moved to Teton Valley, a couple decades ago.

When I ended up in Tennessee I opened another local account, and did money transfers from the Idaho bank, to maintain it.

Right after the stroke episode a few months back, my Tennessee account fell apart, and the only bank I have left is the Bank Of Commerce in downtown Driggs, ID.

When I saw my balance this morning I laughed loud, and it made my day! First off I must say, that the number 23 is my magic number. It has been a symbol from the other side, that things will get better, my entire life.

My current net worth, not counting the eleven bucks I have in my pocket, is, wait for it...

$2.30

btw: I get my SS tomorrow afternoon, so I'm fine... :-)

I just heard the Blue Angels roaring back to their base here, right over US 110 that runs in front of our place.

It made me think of Sonny Barger, the leader of the Hells Angels. He was my neighbor across the way on a little deadend street in Oakland, CA, off Lake Merritt, downtown.

Sometimes he would hold a meeting and you couldn't budge from that street due to all the amazing bikes parked there.

I knew Sonny, we chatted several times, and he was a badass dude.

I just watched a NetFlix movie here in the Cave, called To Leslie. I actually dated a Leslie, back in Seattle. I was the Paratransit supervisor, she was the dispatcher. She talked me into going to church one Sunday morning, and it went downhill from there.

Now here it is another Sunday, I'm still alive and still writing. I had deleted four previous Posts because they were too honest, and I just undid that.

The movie story about Leslie was that she won a $180K Lottery in a small town, where she was raising her son as a single mom.

It ruined her life, she started drinking hard, coke up her nose, she lost her young son and ended up broke and homeless on the street. She also became heavily addicted to alcohol.

Then she went back to her small town, a totally broke loser, even her son bailed on her as she slept by the dumpster downtown. Any money she got took her straight to the bar.

But, with the help of a small motel owner she got straight, got her son back, and fell in love with the motel guy.

It's called To Leslie, on NetFlix, and you're welcome...

The movie made me think about my own situation. If my grand-daughter had not rescued me from Tennessee, I would be living under the Hwy 43 bridge South of Lawrenceburg, TN, or be dead.

I haven't figured out how to stop drinking this time. I remember the whole year I went straight back in Idaho, and the month I lasted in Tennessee.

I think what happened recently is that I ran out of reasons. No woman and no kids in my life. I was looking forward to seeing if my relatives were really on the other side.

You know what, being broken don't mean you don't give a shit. I was sitting here in the cave this afternoon and I noticed a lady taking pictures of herself across the way.

At first I thought it was John's wife, who I haven't met yet, but it turned out to be the lady at the very end. Hot, blond, big titted, Levi cutoffs, girlfriend to Levi, who I also haven't met.

So I just walked over there and offered to take her picture with her phone. It worked out great, I got a great shot of her, while planting her body in my mind, and it was fine.

I have very good looking, very nice, neighbors here. I can't remember any hot woman, or man, walk down my previous deadend street in Tennessee in the last six years. Fuck that place.

It's been another typical day here in sunny Florida. Drank my protein shake around 0630 and took my morning meds. Then I sat around the mancave realizing what a fucking loser I am, and cried a lot.

Then I went for a walk. It's a beautiful day here in Pensacola, I'm a legal resident of Florida now, but I need to legalize my truck when I get a little money.

Shelby whipped me up some food before she left, which I appreciate. It compliments the Azalea routine that involves one drink at $4.50, great bar food for free, and a $2 tip to Brooke or Tina. Seven fifty for a strong cocktail in a tall glass, and a good lunch. Fuck McDonalds.

Normally on a day like today I would just get messed up and hit the bed early. But Jennifer, the lovely Pediatric Nurse, is getting into town this evening from seeing family in Iowa, and spending the night here.

Hopefully I'm in shape to talk to her, before she crashes for the evening in Shelby's empty bed. I have a crush on the lady, that she just endures, but I know she feels safe here.

I look around and see old men on opposite spectrums from me. I see men who have succeeded in life, have property and money. Then I see crazy people riding around town, bare shirted on bicycles, yelling at the world.

Then there's me. An old guy who was living on a deadend street in Tennessee earlier this year, trying to kill himself with vodka. I had no partner, just a few crazy friends, and no reason to continue.

But now, here I am, a broken man.

This may be my last day in an alive state as a human. It's a beautiful day in Florida and I'm going for my second walk of the day.

Usually I have a difficult time walking steadily around the neighborhood, due to my medical shit, but I have a good time.

Now I'm a little fucked up, so my walk may be affected. Hopefully for the better, I'll let you know what happens.

So, I walked for a bit and then stopped at the bar. After a while I asked my bartender Tina if she remembered the last time I was in her bar, and she said hell ya.

She knew the skanky blond chick that I brought home to the mancave to get drunk and stoned with last weekend. Tina might have even talked with Shelby, and the skanky blond has since been eighty sixed from the bar.

I wish good luck to her, she really needs it.

WTF! Have I really evolved into this state? I used to be a real man, capable of making my own fucked up decisions. Now I'm just an old guy who needs taking care of.

I'm begining to not give a shit.

Been dancing in the mancave this afternoon, garage door wide open, music flowing out. The weather here is amazing, it's 1700 and I feel like I'm in my mothers womb, wearing nothing but shorts.

Shelby is gone for four days and I have no commitments or obligations. I also don't have a legal vehicle, or gas money.

Most folks perceive me as an old fragile man. Sometimes I am, but when I get buzzed and stoned, the vibrations settle down and I feel alive again.

I've been writing and dancing here in the Cave for a couple hours now. I've also been drinking a La Croix pure sparkling water and vodka, or two. I've also been puffing on a pipe and a pen.

So here's the fucking question! At 78, what's left? I have no woman, nor do I expect to have one. I could get a job performing as a Senior Dancer, but I ain't seeing no options.

Shelby said I should get a job doing manual labor down on some beach, that she knows about.

I agree, we'll talk about it after she gets back, from New Orleans.

Jess's sister Ashley, her husband, and three daughters were also at the timeshare, in a room nearby. Jess's dad Ray was there, known him for years, and a couple of their friends came along, It was a great crew.

Monday morning we all drove down in separate vehicles to Orlando, FL to go to the Universal Studios theme park.

Quite frankly I would have loved to just hang out on Daytona Beach for the day, but this trip was all about Family and Friends, and Kids, and I enjoyed it.

It's an expensive place to get into, over a $100 a person, and it was really busy for a back to school Monday. Riley and Jess went with a giant stroller that carried the two girls and all their stuff.

Her sister Ashley's family went manual:

Here's what it's all about, little girls watching and learning as they enjoy one of the many performances there.

I went to bed after everyone Sunday night, and blogged. Woke up early, before anyone else, and watched the sunrise across Daytona Beach from the balcony of my son and his family's sixth floor three bedroom ocean front timeshare.

The view is spectacular, up and down the beach.

Tuesday was Riley and Jess's wedding aniversary, so they had dinner at the place with the pier at top.

Here's Shelby hanging with the girls:

And Riley and Jess with the girls:

Ya know, the word Riley uses to describe these amazing three bedroom places overlooking the ocean here at Daytona Beach, keeps escaping me. So I asked him, face to face. So nice to see my son.

So let me introduce you to CondoMan. He's looking at the moon from our ocean facing deck on the sixth floor.

Shelby and I drove over 445 miles today, for 6.5 hours along the top of Florida, on I-10 West. What a boring drive, trees blocking both sides of the road. We had What-A-Burgers for breakfast.

Finally we hooked up with my son Riley and his family. They flew in from Seattle and were spending a week in Daytona Beach. They have a great three bedroom timeshare with an ocean view. Shelbs and I have our own rooms, and I'm writing this from a table on the main room.

Jess's family was also there, with kids, and it was great to see them. We're all going to Universal Studios in Orlando tomorrow.

We all met up at the big pool with the hottub in the corner, made plans, and Shelby just bought us some great DoorDash Chinese food. Maybe Jess's dad Ray will ride down with us tomorrow.

I hung out with Shelbys crew at somebodys pool yesterday.

I was cleaning off my desktop today and ran across a few shots.

This was taken in the hospital after my incident. The label says Fall Risk.

I thought these were to keep me from running away, but Shelby just told me they were massage things to keep me from clotting.

The world famous artist and Zoo designer, Homer Jolly, next to Shelby at the wine bar in downtown Pensacola.

Some guy Chelsea just met, walked into the house and plopped down on the couch.

My vehicle view from the mancave.

Taking a boat ride around Tampa with friends.

Shelby's royal flush.

My evening has gotten even better! The poker night fell through, but I got stoned with Crystal in the Cave. She's a smart lady and if I wanted to extend my life, I would listen to her.

Then the hot nurse Jennifer, that I have a crush on, dropped by after a long shift, to unwind on the couch in the living room, with Shelby and I.

We watched a great movie called Dirty Grandpa. It was funny, we laughed, and references to me occurred often.

Jen has a 45 minute drive home from here, and I made it clear to her that my bed is available anytime, without me in it, unfortunately, and I can sleep in the Cave, on the bed from my truck.

She said that may be necessary a couple days next week. We're also invited to her new place in New Orleans, coming up.

Well, tonight really fell through. It was supposed to be a big Poker game here at 1800. But nobody could make it, and Shelby got sick from something.

Suddenly, the night became fun! Crystal dropped by and we smoked from my new pipe out in the Cave. She's really into Health and Wellness, and she and Dan have a studio, or two.

She loves to compare me with her dad that died from Parkinsons and alcoholism. I'd love to know if he died happy?

Shelby recovered and Jennifer showed up. The two have settled into the couch, watching a movie, and I'm in the Cave.

My son Riley and family arrived yesterday at a timeshare in Daytona Beach for a little vacation time.

It's 450 miles away and takes about 8 hours. Through country I don't remember ever having been through, and we leave Sunday to go hang out with them.

Shelby was running around the house yesterday showing pictures on her phone of a young cat that needed adoption. She would be perfect for you popa!

A beautiful eighteen year old virgin girlfriend, with money, who adores me, would be perfect.

It made me think of my last pet, my cat Piper. She was with me for eleven years, from the moment she posed on our hottub deck in Idaho, to the time I laid her down at my little house in Tennessee.

As I patted the dirt and said goodbye, I really knew she was my last pet. I was telling Shelby that I heard her from the other side, a couple weeks after she passed. It was a loud meow that emanated through the house one night. Maybe she's waiting for me there now.

I decided to not go to the DMV this morning. Not because my body wouldn't make it, but because my wallet couldn't do it. I've got two weeks before my SS check comes in, and if I gave Florida the money they demand to license a vehicle, I would only have a hundred bucks left.

How pathetic and depressing, but it is what it is. I need to focus on food, and to afford that run coming up with Shelby to see the kids when they fly into Florida shortly.

At least I'm licensed, so I can split the driving with Shelby, if she lets me drive the Benz. Probably not, but at least I'll have gas money.

I figure if I keep my driving real local I should get away with Tennessee plates that expired in June.

Hell, I expired a few years ago, and they haven't caught me yet.

Ok, tommorrow morning I mosey down to the backdoor entrance of the County Tax Payers office. I've got it down now, get there at 0800, stand in line for a half hour, and beat the crowd.

Hopefully I'll get Rona, show her my new Florida insurance, and finish this project.

My body may be going to hell, but I can still drive. I felt alive today as I followed my GPS to Danny's place.

Tomorrow, me and my truck will be driving around as a licensed Florida driver. The truck will be a Washington, Idaho, Tennessee and now a Florida licensed vehicle.

She's got a quarter million miles on her and she's purring like a kitten. I thank my mechanic Thomas back in Lawrenceburg, TN for the fine work.

So what now?

I am now an official Florida resident. I visited the License place this morning for the second time. I was armed with everything I thought they needed, or might need, to get my drivers license and my truck registered, with new Florida plates.

I brought my SS card, my Medicare card, my Birth Certificate and a couple of mails with my new address on them. I was lucky to get the same lady I had the first time, a nice person named Rona, at station seven.

She had me sign a bunch of stuff, even some electronic Q/A on a tablet with a pen. She made electronic copies of everything I had. She walked me back to a room and took my picture for my Drivers License. Then we went outside to my truck parked in front and she acted as notary for the VIN verification.

Finally, back at station seven, she handed over my new drivers license, which cost me $56. Then, as I anxiously awaited my new License Plate, with a new tag, and a Florida vehicle registration to stick up in my visor, she said: but there is one problem!

Then she handed me back my Farmers Insurance card, based in Tennessee, good untill December, and said I need Florida Auto Insurance. I told her I needed a gun to shoot myself.

So I called my Farmers agent Chad up in Lawrenceburg, TN, while standing right there in front of Rona. I said I've had a perfect record with Farmers for over twenty five years and I wanted that record, and account, passed on to a Farmers agent here, now.

The problem is, there are no Farmers Insurance agents in Florida. The whole thing is going electronic and straight to hell. Chad told me it takes an hour for him to reach corporate.

He said the best he could do is cancel my insurance now, today, and the balance of $67 will go back on my card. I told him I shut that Lawrenceburg bank account down and there is no card anymore, just mail it to me. He said he couldn't, but when it bounces from the card, the computer should issue a check. Maybe, OMG...

Fuck Farmers Insurance. I had a business card on my table here from an insurance guy named Danny I met at the Z the other night. It took me an hour but I drove there and got six months insurance on my truck for $296.

Tomorrow I go see Rona and get my vehicle plate, sticker and registration. I will officially be a Florida Resident with a Voter ID card coming in the mail.

Not some scumbag that crosses our border illegally, rapes our women and children and votes Democratic multiple times without any ID.

We're having a poker game Thursday at 1800 with the new Poker Table Shelby gave me for my birthday, either in the Cave with no legs sitting on the big round table, or the living room, with legs and A/C.

So, if you know us, drop by and play a few rounds on this new table. You know the rules, $10k buyin, but if we need to raise that, just let me know.

Actually, that was a joke, there's no money involved, just fun.

So here's the lineup, Shelby, Todd and me. If Jennifer and Chelsea can come, cool. Dan and Crystal, welcome! John, if we could meet your wife over a poker game, great!

My long time friend Skoge just sent me some words.

When you live a life of love for others and peace with your neighbors, you are amassing your spiritual fortune.

Live fully and be happy while you're here because, From here you won't take what you have. You'll only take what you gave.

I'm making a new friend named John. He and his family moved in a while back and they are a great addition to this backyard neighborhood.

His wife is from Mexico, she's lovely and adds to the group of beautiful women that make up our backyard, and that Old Man Jim gets to enjoy visually from his mancave.

John's a former Network IT guy that eventually got into Real Estate and has done very well, several properties, a couple of businesses. They have two kids, a boy 10 and a girl 7. This is a great family folks!

John wondered over to the Cave today as he got home to an empty house. The kids are back in school and his wife is at work. He sat in my guest chair and we got to know each other.

We are of similar political positions, and I shared with him this wild idea I just had about being a Vote Certification volunteer this coming election.

Then he talked about how Mexico inks a persons finger to prevent voter fraud. The fan was going hard here in the Cave and I thought he said eats a persons finger.

We had a good laugh.

So, the way I'm perceived in this life, is just an old drunk, and I accept that. I really wish people that care about me saw more, but it is what I have created, and deserve.

I have no idea what to do anymore. I wake up in the morning with my body vibrating like crazy. I'm really dizzy when I step out of bed and it takes everything I have to keep from passing out and hitting the floor.

I make it through the morning and have a drink at noon to calm it down. Then the alcohol becomes the culprit. I smoke a little bud, and suddenly I'm a drunken stoned loser.

What I really am is an old man trying to survive each moment, anyway I can.

btw: Shelby still likes me, and that's all that matters right now.

Our life in the end is defined by our successes and failures, by our wins and loses, and ultimately by our wealth and possessions.

I really believe it should be defined by our soul, that magical place in our heart that holds who we honestly are.

I've been a crazy and smart mixed up man since I was a kid. As such, I've had an amazing life.

But every time the shit hit the fan, I found a core of honesty and decency down in my soul, that always saved my life.

I believe it's a gift from my ancestors in this country, that goes back centuries. I am a good man, it's in my blood.

I hold no ill will towards anyone, and I love a few.

I finally had a girl in bed with me last night. It was pretty romantic, I carried her up the stairs, laid her out on the bed, and kissed her good night. I tried to talk her girlfriend into joining us, but she was crashed out in the downstairs living room.

So here it is Sunday morning, they're still here and we had breakfast together. Shelby's heading back from New Orleans shortly so I better straighten the house up.

I woke up this morning to an empty house, with two small dogs sleeping downstairs. The dogs didn't budge as I walked by towards the mancave, which meant they weren't hungry and didn't need to relieve themselves.

I was up at 0500, usually up at 0600. I have two things to accomplish today, take care of the dogs, and make sure our nurse friend Jennifer gets a good day sleep after a long night shift.

Jen showed up around 0745, took a leak, and then headed straight to Shelby's bed upstairs. It's almost 1400 and I assume she's still sleeping, or maybe she's gone?

As to the dogs, I couldn't get their little asses up this morning. They hadn't done their business since yesterday evening, and I didn't want any inside accidents.

I finally got Zinny up, gave her breakfast and meds, and let her hangout in front of the cave, where she soaked up some sun.

Then the three of us had a great walk under the 110 freeway on ramp.

Along the way, stops were made. Zinny even dropped a big load on the sidewalk as we entered our back parking lot. I have bags, and I cleaned it up.

Then I secured the dogs in their little air-conditioned paradise, and walked over to the Z. Wearing just bathing trunks with a Crockett Shoals Tubing staff tee shirt stuck in them, I needed a Pensacola cocktail.

My favorite bartender Brooke had whipped up some Sloppy Joe mix over in the corner, but I passed and stuck to one drink.

And now here I am, in the mancave alone with the fan blowing cool air over my very tan, skinny, sticky body.

I hope Jennifer drops into the cave for a minute, before she leaves (and if she's still here).

I would ask her how her shift was last night, she looked pretty beat up when she walked in this morning. Hey, she skipped a fun time in New Orleans to pull a tough shift and then slept in a friends bed.

I've been hanging with medical professionals lately. Chelsea is a Pediatric and Intensive Care Nurse, Jennifer is a Labor and Delivery Nurse and Amy is a Surgical P/A.

Chelsea is tiny and fits right in with the Pediatrics Ward, Jennifer delivers babies that aren't hers, and Amy injects clitoris pleasure enhancement drugs into older women.

They're beautiful, intelligent and successful. I'm very glad I've gotten the opportunity to know them.

I think about the time I spent down in Tampa recently, when my brain was still badly damaged. Shelby introduced a bunch of great, good looking successful people to me down there, but my memory was running in the Off mode.

Hey Shelbs, make me a list of the great people I met there and what they do!

Some folks I've met lately say they were born and raised here in Pensacola and lived all their life here.

I lived for forty years in California, almost half my life. All across the State, from the mountains to the beaches, from the big cities, to the sticks.

On my fortieth birthday I was sitting in a downtown Oakland bar. Colleen had just moved up to Kent, WA, just south of Seattle. She took my son Riley with her.

My software business was crumbling around me, and one of my Jewish partners wanted to buy me out. I said buy me a plane ticket to Seattle and give me some cash.

The next day I was gone from California and never looked back. Over the years Riley and I would travel down the coast and see people and things, but I never lived there again.

Since I'm watching the dogs this weekend, I have to be on good behavior. So I walked the two blocks down the road yesterday to get my bar fix on at the Azalea.

The place was moderately full at 1500 in the afternoon, there's a bunch of day drinkers in this town, and the Z opens at 0800. Tina was working and set me up with a good corner seat at the bar.

In a bit a guy named Chris sat next to me and we struck up a conversation. He seemed like a solid guy, with a wife and a couple kids, and he likes to have a drink or two after work.

I always go in there alone, but I decided to show the bar crowd that I wasn't just an old loser with no women in my life. So I texted Shelby and invited her to drop in for a drink.

It turns out she was running around town with Jennifer, the hot Labor and Delivery nurse who played board games with us recently.

Shelbs said sure, and shortly two lovely ladies were sitting between us at the bar. I was on my second drink, which is my usual limit there, but suddenly drinks were being bought and I don't really remember leaving.

Jennifer came back this morning, trying to decide if she was going to New Orleans with Shelby. I had just banged the top of my head on a half closed garage door, so it was nice to have the nurse look at it while Shelby patched me up.

Anyway, Jennifer is staying behind this weekend and sleeping in Shelby's bed tomorrow during the day. She's got a night shift happening Saturday and needs a place to crash.

So shortly I'll have two dogs to take care of and a beautiful nurse sleeping upstairs tomorrow. I don't think I've ever put those particular words together in a sentence before...

...

I just turned down a weekend jaunt to New Orleans with two hot blonds. Shelby and Chelsea are leaving tomorrow, be back Sunday.

I think it's a brief work gig for Shelby, along with dealing with Apple over her phone, and the nurse is just going for the fun, and to look pretty on Shelby's hip.

I've been there three times in my life and I always had fun and usually got in trouble. It's only a four hour drive so maybe I'll do my own road trip in a couple of weeks. It's time to vault that pole.

In the meantime, I've got the place to myself, with the responsibility of hanging out with two small dogs. I take this very seriously, I love these two little punks and I'll take good care of them.

Shelby bought herself a new bed, and gave hers to me. I've been sleeping on a foldout bed with memory foam, which has been great, but this one's bigger and better.

Her birthday gift for me arrived, and she put it together inside the house yesterday and I wasn't allowed in until it was ready.

I love it, can't wait to get a game going out here in the mancave. Dan dropped by a couple chairs the other day, so we're all set.

Ya know what's interesting about this blog, I always tell the truth. Sometimes I tell too much truth and I have to bring a post down. A few people might see them as they float through the cloud, and I now realize, it doesn't matter, I should have just left them up there.

My die time is eminent. Shortly after that happens, my web host IONOS will retire this site because there's nobody to pay the bill.

Which means that every word and thought that has traveled from my brain, to a keyboard and then on to the world, over the last almost twenty years, will cease to exist. Right along with all the code I've developed and put online.

So why do I worry about things that I've expressed in the cloud? I only have a very few people in my life that understand me, and they still like me.

And soon I'll be gone, along with my blogs, so my final words to the cloud are good night, and thanks, it's been fun.

I'm doing good down here in Florida. I continually meet great people, my brain is recovering from the damage of a few months back, and my health is improving.

I'm finally shedding waist fat, and if I worked out, I could get some abs back. I take great walks around the neighborhood, in my shorts and sandals, at least twice a day.

The rest of the time I get drunk and stoned, and blog. That Jelly Roll song keeps rolling around my head. "Somebody save me, me from myself, I've spent so long, living in hell", and "They say my lifestyle, is bad for my health. It's the only thing that seems to help".

So, I've been saved by my grand-daughter Shelby, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this. I've got my drinking under control better than it's been in a while, although it has it's moments.

I smoke a little bud in the man-cave, which is totally acceptable here in Florida.

So, I don't know how to explain it, but my life is going great. I'm taking care of business, got my new Medicare Advantage program going today, thanks Leighton. By next mid-week I'll have myself licensed, along with my truck.

I feel alive again!

It's tough being old, especially if you're a dog. I have two friends that identify as old dogs, and they're exactly that, and they accept it.

I was walking both of them down the road yesterday, tied to a split lease so they could do their own thing. Both of them were prancing high, heads up and proud to be a dog in this hot humid Pensacola neighborhood.

All of a sudden, a blue Mercedes came to a stop in the middle of the road in front of us. There is only one sexy blue Benz in town, and it belongs to one of the dogs owner. We were busted.

Our wonderful jaunt around the block came to a screeching halt, as Zinny recognized the car and the driver. It was her momma Shelby, heading home, and Zinny had to be there, right now.

The walk around the block was over. Zinny positioned herself in the direction of home and would not budge. She has a choke chain that I can pull on, force her to walk around the block with me and the little white dog, but she wasn't moving, so we went home.

Shelby's new I-Phone has died on her, and she needs it for work. Nobody calls me, so I gave her mine, but that don't work for her either.

She went to Stormy's son's birthday party last night that I should have made, they made mine, but I've missed it, sorry guys. I'm not good at socializing, I really need to work on that.

I just wrapped up my Florida Medicare Advantage package over the phone with my new agent Leighton. I'll be getting a package in the mail about a week from now, that I can use as my second piece of mail here. Which I can then use to finish up my vehicle and drivers license registration downtown. Florida has probably the strictest ID requirements in the country.

Shelbs may be going to New Orleans next weekend and I'll be watching the dogs. She hinted that I could go if I wanted, but I've been there three times in my life and got into trouble each visit, so, no thanks.

As to this picture, it appeared in the corner of the mancave yesterday, and it looks like a ghost to me.

It's a beautiful clear blue sky Saturday here in Pensacola. I got in a great walk this morning, it's hot, humid and Florida. Then Shelby burst through the door and said The Boat Trip Is On.

Ummmhuh, a tropical storm is moving up the Gulf and the best place to be is on a boat? Anyway, I'm watching the house and Zinny, until she gets back tomorrow evening.

I'm in an interesting place in life. I just watched a beautiful young redhead that I've never seen before, walk in front of the open garage door carrying a small bag of garbage to the dumpster. We made eye contact and we waved as she walked by. I enjoyed her ass on the walk back.

I've been a good roommate while Shelby boat hops. The kitchen is sparkling, dishes done, garbage dumped. Zinny is well loved and intact, thank god. I'm not supposed to give her chocolate ice cream, but sometimes it falls from my plastic spoon onto the floor, and before I can find a paper towel, it's gone.

I love a good massage. My previous partner Steph gave amazing ones, she even bought a padded massage table when we moved to Idaho. I would return the favor and it usually turned into a love making night.

Roatan, Honduras offers up an amazing row of mostly women masseuses along the beach. Last time I was there it was $20 and hour but I never dove in.

Caye Caulker is a small limestone coral island off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea. It's also an hour out by boat, so you need to plan your visit. It's not like a drive down the freeway.

Here's what they offer, the Just Relax Massage parlor.

My friend Crystal mosied into the Cave yesterday and I showed her this shot. She and her husband Dan have a booming massage therapy and Yoga business here. She was telling me that they just had an offer on an additional 1000 sq ft to expand their business, at $1.00 a foot, and they're jumping on it.

As we puffed on the pipe I was telling Crystal about all of the dynamic successful women I've met since moving here, including her. Than a friend of hers showed up and pulled up the folding chair to the table. She was very pretty, another successful woman, and they were both visiting me in the Cave.

Shelby was hanging out with a new friend of hers inside on the couch. Another lovely woman that I just met today, a labor and delivery nurse named Jennifer. So I gathered up my two Cave buddies and we burst into the house, with me yelling out that I was bringing my girls in!

Suddenly the kitchen was alive with female energy, a couple of introductions were made, and I just stayed out of the way.

The girls left and then Todd, Chelsea and her little brother showed up for a night of board games. I sat in for a couple of rounds, but I sucked at it and went to the Cave.

Just another day in Paradise!

That's Jennifer on the left.

The top of my head has gotten pretty burned with all the sun I've been getting lately, so I'm wearing hats when I'm out and about. Last night at the wine bar, with my hat off, one of the guys we were hanging out with commented about my head a couple of times.

He said I should keep an eye on it, and protect it. Normally you don't get medical advice from someone you've just met, so on the way home I asked Shelby what kind of work the guy did. She said Oh, he's a Dermatologist!.

I find this happening all the time down here. You never know who you're meeting and what they do.

Like tonight, I was sitting in the little red lounge chair at the edge of my mancave, facing the street as the sun went down, falling asleep.

I'm used to a quiet night on a dead-end street, but all of a sudden I heard a woman's voice in front of me. I opened my eyes and it was a beautiful blond hanging out of a car window in front of me, asking if I was heading downtown to hear her man sing.

Hey, I didn't know Dan was on tonight, and Crystal said, throw a shirt on and let's go!

I was trying to work on old photos, so I passed, next time guys! Here's some favorite shots from my thumb drives, and I've still got three hard drives to go through. I'll present them here as I encountered them.

We'll start out with my young friend Maddie. We feed ducks together.

Daniel and I playing with handguns.

Bought some of my friend Farmer Katy's eggs from the market.

Daniel comfortable in his chair.

Some bug embedded in my skin.

Actually I'd never do it this way, too messy.

The lost love of a child.

A really old direct relative on my mothers side (Joe Simpson). I picked up his lazy left eye, so did Shelby.

My first born grandchild, Chris, with his son, what's his name.

My friend Pam when she won the 1974 Miss Chinatown USA contest.

Colleen, the last time I saw her at Riley's.

It's been a crazy Wednesday down here in Pensacola. I started the day downtown at 0800, sliding in the backdoor of their DMV to get an early place. I needed a vehicle plate and drivers license but was not quite prepared, maybe tomorrow.

Then Shelby and I scrambled to get a Medicare Advantage program going for me, as my insurance ends at midnight. I was missing a Medicare number, so I have no insurance for a month.

Shelby's got some shit going on, so we decided to go out. We hooked up with Chelsea and her young brother at a cool beach place with live music.

Here's some raw video, hanging out at the seafood place with Shelbs, Chels, and her younger brother.

Then on the way home we stopped at the wine bar downtown to see Homer and his lady, and all of a sudden pretty women at a table were saying Hi Papa! to me. Turns out we've partied before.