With getting a new cat in the house, we noticed a change in the kids’ behavior with having something to focus on rather than their other siblings.
Luckily none of the PC cords have been bitten, even though the little bundle of joy’s chosen to start perching on my right while I type at the keyboard.
If we had a car, I’d have to invest in car covers with the claw marks I’m foreseeing.
There’s plenty of folks who know the history of the coming and goings of some of the cool places downtown. Me, I like food, books, and decent coffee…but I like to see things from start to finish.
Using my ninja skills I was able to dodge the ball of Laura Street’s Sentinel. Could say it was crap outta luck. Could say cacca do about it. Could say…ah, go piss someone else on the street off, Nasty Cholli!
Chamblin on Laura Street: I met Ron inside Chamblin’s while he was on his blackberry looking phone, talking, indexing, stylii-ing (is there an appropriate spelling for multiple stylus actions as a prior action verb?) and getting things accomplished before I interrupted him. I got him to show me where he planned on having things.
Turns out the coffee shop will be able to be operated while the bookstore is closed for later hour patrons. Both floors will have access by an elevator, making it cool for wheelchair visitors downtown. Unfortunately I didn’t have a measuring tape to check, but I trust it’ll be up to code.
Prior to that, I did a walk down memory lane. Stopped in to Park Place where drywall’s being done or near completion on the third floor. The contractors there did a multi floor job for Mr. Robert (think they said around 14), as well as having issues with Subway still operating while the dust is flying. It’s unsanitary. They also don’t know how Subway’ll keep going, since the projected firewall will really change access/egress to the business.
Subway employees were happy to comment saying they were going nowhere and remaining, out of all the businesses that were told to get out. This coming from someone having a problem saying the “Q” word when referring me to an ATM around the corner from Quizno’s.
They kind of acted like it was voodoo to merely say the word in the pressence of each other.
I don’t honestly know anything about Boomtown firsthand when it was in Springfield, but I’ve had a fondness of it even though I only worked there a few months. John Allen; one of the co-owners and in my humble opinion the reason Boomtown had any following of people appreciating talent and effort; will always have a place in my thoughts.
Boomtown was here, but now it’s gone,
it left it’s name to carry on.
Those that loved it, loved it well,
those who didn’t can go to
Remember folks, you can always let someone go around town showing you diamonds on roughs, but if you wanna get inside dope about new and upcoming places…
…you’ve gotta dress down to the ground and meld with your environment.
Happy Shooting!
You take away or believe one liberty or freedom is not equal to any other, that is the day you admit not believing in true freedom.
Click to enlarge.
The first is located; I believe; at the traffic light switch box at Forsythe and Main Streets on the Southeast corner of the intersection, where the parking lot is located.
The second was on the Matthews Bridge coming back from the Medical Home for Homeless Children’s Project Council Meeting. Our daughter sat in on the meeting of the Council next to me. She followed through and was really attentive during the Powerpoint presentation she followed along with her copy of the agenda.
This afternoon I stopped by The Toy Factory searching for something you can’t find elsewhere. Being a guy and all, when I saw the collection of horse figurines, it brought memories of my aunt that was enthralled by them. I don’t know of many girls my daughter knows who are into them or painting. Her being as creative as she is, I thought a paint by number Appaloosa would be a great start to a collection if she chooses.
That, and it shut her up. Remember…fourteen year old GIRL! 
Earlier today while dawn was breaking, I was able to see the effects of smoke from Georgia again entering Duval County from it’s north side. Last night we got word of the fires in Allachua and Bradford Counties…two that formed into one fire…displacing people to evacuate to one of three different locations set as emergency shelters. Haven’t gotten word what the cause was. Considering the Georgia fires were reported as arson at some time, seeing two fires come up in Florida so close together in seperate areas…makes me wonder if it’s not accidental, or possibly the same person if it were arson.
Around noon I went into our breakroom where three of the supervisors were chatting and mentioned something to my boss. He coughed. I coughed. Each time we tried to talk, it came out as coughing. When I breathed in deeply, I swear I could smell the scent of smoke, even though we were in an air conditioned location…more so strange since I’m a smoker and shouldn’t notice it as much.
Which leads back to the picture above, a shot along an entry ramp to an interstate. Nearby, five men sleep regularly underneath the overpass. They’re regulars, known in the area, harmless and keep to themselves. With the temperature changes, humidity fluctuations, and five minute showers in the afternoon if anything they’re outside day and night breathing in this stuff constantly.
Around the corner, I had just passed a family known to mine that resided in the shelter at different periods during our stay there. The mom’s sitting outside with her three children waiting for the local bus. The oldest is in kindergarten, the other two en-tow. She’ll get downtown and transfer at the main terminal to get the kid to school on time. She’ll then have to wait for the next bus at the school to make the double bus trip back to the hotel. It’ll take almost four hours til she gets back to her room there.
She’ll be there for two hours and have to head out again to get her son. Her total cost for the day if she doesn’t have reduced or free tickets will be $30.00…forty one way trips at a cost of .75 each. Just for making sure her son is in school and her children with her going back and forth.
Granted, if she has the money to fork out for bus passes and tickets in advance, she could get some slack cut. She’s got the hotel room to be paid. Hopefully the food stamps don’t have problems with the case manager playing games.
And yeah…before some dimwit ‘good folk’ fool asks ‘HOW’ she can afford that and SHOULDN’T be homeless…
…do the math and figure out what kind of work she’s doing to keep it going.
Like I said, my wife and I knew her while in the shelter. If she’d BEEN doing THAT kind of work THEN…she would have been able to successfully get a home…and her clients would probably include more of Jacksonville’s prominent folk. She wasn’t though, and didn’t. She’s working what she has to now for the sake of her children’s survival…keeping them safe…taking them to school everyday herself.
Maybe her and some of her coworkers managed to do a babysitting co-op or something.
It’s called coping skills. It’s what parents do quietly and try to be strong in front of the kids…until they can quietly cry in their pillow when their children are snoring sweetly.
Exhausted rider passing out while bus sits for minutes at a standstill in Matthew’s Bridge Detour Path. “Temporary Service” workers having to cross town face up to five hour commutes daily now due to changes in routes, on top of having to work in exhaustive conditions without adequate personal protective equipment or water.
Weapon or Tool? Found on the curb/entrance at a Jacksonville Library, while 10 teens/preteens were approaching it at the time 50 yards away.
After taking the picture, I picked it up and put it in my lunchbag with the handle exposed. My main concern was one of the kids getting it and hurting themselves or others, and the other concern was if one of the kids saw me picking it up and calling the police of having it ‘concealed’.
Doing the right thing sometimes isn’t easy. Just remember…if you’re doing your job right, you won’t be making everyone happy at once.
