Well, I had a great time in Jacksonville while I was here but...... alas, all good things must come to an end......... My Train leaves at 11:04PM tonight (1/31)  Got to head back to the cold cold weather of Maryland...... I'd like to thank the people of the Jacksonville River City Hotel for a pleasant stay, the staff of Hambuger Mary's for making me feel welcome (altough I had to wait about an hour before I was served) , and the staff and patrons of the Park Place Lounge on King Street for being non-judgemental and showing me a GREAT time (there 2 for 1 drinks from noon until 7pm was great). Well.... I'm all packed and ready to leave the hotel...... just waiting until about 9:30 to check out and get a ride to the Amtrak Station since my train does not leave untill 11PM. It's going to be a long ride back to DC where I'll need to catch a cab back to my howm town (another long ride but only about an hour or so).... So untill the next time I decide to come down here, Have fun people and Jaguars forever!

I didnt realize people still rode trains.  glad you had a good stay at the Omni (your hotel's former name) and yes, Hamberg Mary's is a long wait but worth it.

Amtrak is the only way I travel when Possible..... I refuse to fly, don't want to deal with all the TSA BS, and you WILL NOT get me on the DAWG! Trappep in your seat, no way to move around or even rest because it's so cramped.......So I always pay the extra for the Amtrak to get a privet room. That way I can lie down, enjoy the trip and have a beer if I want to......

---

Instead of a sign that says "Do Not Disturb" I need one that says "Already Disturbed Proceed With Caution."

I didnt realize people still rode trains.  glad you had a good stay at the Omni (your hotel's former name) and yes, Hamberg Mary's is a long wait but worth it.

Wait…when did the Omni change their name?

When they went to hourly rates.

---

Wait…when did the Omni change their name?

When they went to hourly rates.

Hourly rates might have been cheaper, I booked through expedia and it was still over $100 a night to stay there. Then there are the bar prices, $10 for a Southern Comfort and Ginger Ale, $16 for a shot of Johnnie Walker Black........ Then I decided to treat myself to a steak dinner....... Center cut NY Strip steak with mashed potatoes and mushrooms, 1 one beer and tip, $86.... 1 meal, 1 person......

---

Instead of a sign that says "Do Not Disturb" I need one that says "Already Disturbed Proceed With Caution."

When they went to hourly rates.

Hourly rates might have been cheaper, I booked through expedia and it was still over $100 a night to stay there. Then there are the bar prices, $10 for a Southern Comfort and Ginger Ale, $16 for a shot of Johnnie Walker Black........ Then I decided to treat myself to a steak dinner....... Center cut NY Strip steak with mashed potatoes and mushrooms, 1 one beer and tip, $86.... 1 meal, 1 person......

Nothing personal, but why downtown Jax for a getaway? I worked down there for 30 yrs and the place is deader than Generallisimo Franco (he's still dead, right?). It's a great place to get away from, not to. And, its worse since Covid. But, to each his own. Glad you enjoyed it.

---

"Remember Red, Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."  - Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption

Hourly rates might have been cheaper, I booked through expedia and it was still over $100 a night to stay there. Then there are the bar prices, $10 for a Southern Comfort and Ginger Ale, $16 for a shot of Johnnie Walker Black........ Then I decided to treat myself to a steak dinner....... Center cut NY Strip steak with mashed potatoes and mushrooms, 1 one beer and tip, $86.... 1 meal, 1 person......

Nothing personal, but why downtown Jax for a getaway?  I worked down there for 30 yrs and the place is deader than Generallisimo Franco (he's still dead, right?).  It's a great place to get away from, not to.  And, its worse since Covid.  But, to each his own.  Glad you enjoyed it.

Well, I lived in Jax for a long while years ago so I pretty much knew what the downtown was like. I more or less knew the places I wanted to go to while I was there and that hotel was more or less in the middle of everything so...... If I were to stay at another hotel outside of downtown, I probably would have spent that much and maybe more on Z-trip/Uber fares so......

---

Instead of a sign that says "Do Not Disturb" I need one that says "Already Disturbed Proceed With Caution."

I didnt realize people still rode trains.  glad you had a good stay at the Omni (your hotel's former name) and yes, Hamberg Mary's is a long wait but worth it.

Wait…when did the Omni change their name?

Became Marriot last August.

---

“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Wait…when did the Omni change their name?

When they went to hourly rates.

I go to classier places that offer the "short stay".

---

When you get into the endzone, act like you've been there before.

It's a balmy 20 degrees this morning and there's about a 1/2 inch of ice on the ground, with snow currently falling.

I tried to make a tee time at the golf course for today but for some reason they aren't answering the phone.

---

It's a balmy 20 degrees this morning and there's about a 1/2 inch of ice on the ground, with snow currently falling.

I tried to make a tee time at the golf course for today but for some reason they aren't answering the phone.

Time for the 2nd annual Texas weather cluster [BLEEP]? Anyone checking on the wind turbines yet?

---

What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

It's a balmy 20 degrees this morning and there's about a 1/2 inch of ice on the ground, with snow currently falling.

I tried to make a tee time at the golf course for today but for some reason they aren't answering the phone.

Time for the 2nd annual Texas weather cluster [BLEEP]? Anyone checking on the wind turbines yet?

There are very few wind turbines here.  The problem was that the power substations were not properly 'winterized', whatever the hell that means.

This is only going to be pretty much today.  It will be over freezing tomorrow.  As a matter of fact, as I'm typing this, the snow has pretty much stopped and the sun is coming out.

---

It's a balmy 20 degrees this morning and there's about a 1/2 inch of ice on the ground, with snow currently falling.

I tried to make a tee time at the golf course for today but for some reason they aren't answering the phone.

Perfect weather to play the par 5's.  The ball rolls forever on those frozen fairways.

---

When you get into the endzone, act like you've been there before.

It's a balmy 20 degrees this morning and there's about a 1/2 inch of ice on the ground, with snow currently falling.

I tried to make a tee time at the golf course for today but for some reason they aren't answering the phone.

Perfect weather to play the par 5's.  The ball rolls forever on those frozen fairways.

Thank goodness I play the optic yellow golf balls...

---

Jetson introduces a new version of George's 1960's commuter.     Jetson - Personal Electric Aerial Vehicle (jetsonaero.com)


 

---

When you get into the endzone, act like you've been there before.

The real estate prices have gone through the roof in this area since we moved out here.  A house just went on the market for what computes to $197 per square foot.  This is great news for whenever we put ours on the market, which should be in the next six months...so I can move back to FL.  At $197 a square foot would correlate to a sale price of $536,825.  We bought it at $309,000 two years ago.  I suspect it will be a bit lower (but I could be wrong).  This will help nicely with the retirement fund.  Looking in Palm Coast.  Hopefully I won't be out here too much longer.

---

The real estate prices have gone through the roof in this area since we moved out here.  A house just went on the market for what computes to $197 per square foot.  This is great news for whenever we put ours on the market, which should be in the next six months...so I can move back to FL.  At $197 a square foot would correlate to a sale price of $536,825.  We bought it at $309,000 two years ago.  I suspect it will be a bit lower (but I could be wrong).  This will help nicely with the retirement fund.  Looking in Palm Coast.  Hopefully I won't be out here too much longer.

Great for selling, not so great when buying.

---

What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

The real estate prices have gone through the roof in this area since we moved out here.  A house just went on the market for what computes to $197 per square foot.  This is great news for whenever we put ours on the market, which should be in the next six months...so I can move back to FL.  At $197 a square foot would correlate to a sale price of $536,825.  We bought it at $309,000 two years ago.  I suspect it will be a bit lower (but I could be wrong).  This will help nicely with the retirement fund.  Looking in Palm Coast.  Hopefully I won't be out here too much longer.

Great for selling, not so great when buying.

And fortunately I'm not buying here.  Prices in Jax have gone up similarly.  Palm Coast seems to be better.  I've been staying on top of prices.  I can get plenty of house for me and Mrs. Rico in Palm Coast.  Close enough to Jax to keep up with friends and travel up for games.  I'm hoping I can get back before the season starts.     Most definitely by end of year.

---

Great for selling, not so great when buying.

And fortunately I'm not buying here.  Prices in Jax have gone up similarly.  Palm Coast seems to be better.  I've been staying on top of prices.  I can get plenty of house for me and Mrs. Rico in Palm Coast.  Close enough to Jax to keep up with friends and travel up for games.  I'm hoping I can get back before the season starts.     Most definitely by end of year.

Just watch out for the freaks you hear about down in palm coast! It’s worse than The Villages and their loofas down there! 

---

---

What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

Watching the Golf Channel through the Directv app on my iPad and there are no announcers. Only the sounds of the course and the crowds is all that can be heard.

---

Watching the Golf Channel through the Directv app on my iPad and there are no announcers. Only the sounds of the course and the crowds is all that can be heard.

That has got to be boring as [BLEEP].  


Speaking of boring as [BLEEP],  the business is going through some growing pains.  Anytime the work is too much for a crew we start another.  I’m in that process again.  Which means I get a break after hiring a guy half needed.   So I’ve worked 6 days so far in 2022.  
That’s 12 percent of the days.  If this keeps up, I’ll work a total of 44 days this year. Suffice to say, I’m bored off my [BLEEP].  There is no way I could retire right now.  And I don’t have the money to travel day in/day out so I’m kinda just on idle.

---

Great for selling, not so great when buying.

And fortunately I'm not buying here.  Prices in Jax have gone up similarly.  Palm Coast seems to be better.  I've been staying on top of prices.  I can get plenty of house for me and Mrs. Rico in Palm Coast.  Close enough to Jax to keep up with friends and travel up for games.  I'm hoping I can get back before the season starts.     Most definitely by end of year.

Palm Coast as long as you don’t mind mini Long Island is a nice place, my sister and my wife’s family all have houses down there. My parents briefly bought a house in 2003 but sold it when they had the first big bump in Flagler county and joined me in Palatka, the houses now are ridiculous.

My wife’s father in law had a nice little 4b/2ba pool home in the “L” section built for 200k in 2010 he sold it In 17 for a nice 300k and it just sold again last year for 498k I couldn’t believe that house was a half a million. 

Definitely a commuter community literally no work in that county big reason I never stuck around, that and all the New York transplants it’s overwhelming how many transplants you have down there.

---