I can’t seem to whip up the enthusiasm to comment on the State of the Union address or the growing number of President-wannabees so here’s just some stuff rattling around my brain.
First, congratulations to Jonathan who turned thirty this week, got a promotion and will soon be featured on a segment of Mythbusters. These accomplishments make me feel both proud and old. (I’ll let you know when the show he is on will be telecast.)
Why as you reach the tollbooths going westbound onto Alligator Alley (I-75) are there all these cowbirds and grackles standing around between the cars. They are all looking up at the drivers, making you a little nervous about opening your window to pay the toll. It’s like “Birds” waiting to happen.
In following the long tradition of our bringing extreme temperatures to anywhere we travel, an overnight freeze was forecast for Florida last night. Once when we were in Key West they had their lowest high temperature ever – 48.
All this talk about earmarks made me wonder about the derivation of the word. According to the online etymology dictionary, an earmark was a cut on an animal’s ear to signify ownership.
John was telling me about the tax on inheritance today. Apparently the exemption keeps rising until 2009 to a top of $3.5 million per person and then reverts back to $1 million. So I guess if you are rich you should think about dying soon.
With all the hype about the Super Bowl, John and I were probably the only people to have an Australian Open party. Maybe we should call it a Grand Slam party, it has more pizazz. Anyway, if you didn’t see the semi-finals and the final, you really missed something. If he’s not the GOAT now, Roger Federer is well on his way to becoming it. (Greatest of all time.)
A week from today we are winging our way home.  United Airlines has managed to route us from South Florida to Washington DC to Oakland – over 11 hours travel time. We could go to Europe in that amount of time. We have had a really good time in Marco Island. This week is the last set of playing tennis at the Y, the last wine tasting at the Wine Seller, and the last dip in the pool. We are looking forward to seeing the kids and Nathan.