The Sunshine State

Florida, my home

I’m a hair more moody these days, looking at life through my azure tinted glasses, but there’s a good reason. It’s nothing serious, just your garden variety, mid-medication change depression. I just thought I’d say this post is an example of effect, not cause. Last week we said goodbye to my in-laws. They’re doing something I haven’t done since the leukemia…
Read more
SoapboxThe Sunshine State

Bad taste and butchery

I get a little uncomfortable when people start talking about “trimming” trees. My reasons break down like this: any jackass with insurance and a chainsaw can get a licence to trim trees in Florida, and Floridians in general don’t seem to like trees. That’s what I gather from the results anyway. I’m not against all forms or reasons for tree trimming. There are times…
Read more
The Sunshine State

They say its spring

Friday was the first day of spring – or so the calendar says. In sunny Florida it’s been spring for the last month. I’m not normally big on spring: the sign of high humidity and mid-90s around the corner. But this year I feel a bit different about it. I don’t mean the weather has been different. It’s more of a mood thing. Nothing but doom and gloom is in the news. The…
Read more
The Sunshine State

In session

I almost hate to say anything before it’s over, but the truth is this won’t be over for a long time, regardless of when our legislature is in session. I’m being cryptic again. Sorry. The Florida Legislature is in a special session to deal with the 2 billion hole that appeared in the state buget last quarter. There’s been a similar hole in each of the last several quarters…
Read more
PoliticsThe Sunshine State

A little worried

Our governor seems like he’s working really hard to be our best friend this week. Today he announced he was closing all state offices on 12/26 and 1/2, giving us all two consectutive four day weekends. This doubles the number of holiday hours we normally get (next week). They say you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I never quite got that by the way – do horses have a…
Read more
PoliticsThe Sunshine State

America beware!

Florida could be on the verge of forcing another Bush down your throat. Any hope I have that Florida is really a moderate state is dampened by the smarter Bush brother’s popularity here. Jeb! was just about as conservative as they come during his two terms as governor. His apparent mantra of “I’ve never seen a government agency or program I liked” may play well with the…
Read more
BethThe Sunshine State

Having a life

I’ve always believed in public schools, even if some conservatives in Florida don’t. I’ve been skeptical of our system of school grading, high stakes testing, and quasi-privatization – ushered in by Bush the Smarter. Now picture me this week: considering the idea of pulling my daughter out of public school. It’s eating me up inside. So how did I come to this place…
Read more
The Sunshine State

Hurricane day

The track is leaning back to the east, so if it holds we’ll probably be spared most of Fay’s oomph. Older sister is right in the thick of things again though (this will be their first storm since Katrina – not that this will/could be anything approaching that). Just in case there’s a Charlie like shift in track, public schools, the courts, and most local and state offices…
Read more
The Sunshine State

There seems to be a pattern here

Would you believe me if I told you the two day forecast track doesn’t bother me either? Personally, this forecast seems like the worst one yet, and not just because it’s 48 hours out. As most residents of the gulf coast will tell you (many of us are amateur meteorologists), the northeast quadrant of the storm is typically the worst. In any case, we’re now officially under a…
Read more