Wednesday, September 30, 2015

2015 Trip to Panama City Beach


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Day 1. Doug picked up a bike he found on craigslist. Dave was having a showing of his beach house, so we passed our time eating at Pineapple Willies. Later, we played ultimate Frisbee on the beach.

PhotoAfter dinner we all tried to use the house elevator. It stalled and wouldn't respond. Dave called for help, but it seemed apparent no one would get there quickly. Being rather hot and cramped, we started to find an emergency release. There didn't seem to be one. Doug used his car key as a makeshift screwdriver. After much fiddling and fidgeting, and desire not to break the mechanism, 

Alan and Doug decided that we needed to jointly pull back on the door to release tension, while Doug pushed up on the solenoid plunger. It worked and we were free!


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Bigfoot sighting on the beach... Frightened beach goers flee into the Gulf of Mexico. This joke became references to Sasquatch in Panama City Beach Florida, and Dave Markus playing Frisbee with us became 'Squatch'.

Tod was kidded about 60% eyesight depth perception because he suggested that perhaps he was using looming to perceive the frisbee. It was proven he did indeed use depth perception -- tests with one eye closed.



Larry was kidded about shark bite. He hit his head on the fake shark we used for a photo op.Doug was kidded for a possible hot bike (being from craigslist). Nobody kidded Dave T. We idolized him for his capitalist achievements.



Sunsets every night. Walks along the beach. The shells were small, but i collected many.

Swimming in the pool, soaking in the connected hot tub with jets. One sign on the second level: "Attention: Do Not Jump From Deck Into Pool Below. Serious Injury Or Death Will Occur." If not form the fall, then from the owner.

Doug stepped on a jagger with hooked spurs. Dave said to look out for them because they not only hurt but were hard to remove. Alan arrived to play late and said he came barreling down and must have got half a dozen in his foot. 
 
We heard a Great-horned Owl the first night, which seemed out of place for beachfront. Could it have been a recording?

Day 2. More Frisbee. Everybody went to see Steelers at Pineapple willies. Doug instead rode his bike to Conservation park.
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PhotoDay 3. Played Frisbee twice on some days, and every day until Alan and Dave left Wed back to Pittsburgh. We found teams that were evenly matched. Larry, Dave T and Tod against Alan, Doug and Dave M. Playing barefoot no the beach was much more difficult than turf, although we did get better as time went on. We experienced new muscles in our calves. Injury of note, Larry pulled his toes during an amazing dive. 

PhotoThe wind on the beach was the biggest factor, we made adjustments but it was a daunting task to hit our teammates. Later, looking from the house to the sand, there was multitudes of footprints between the marked goal-lines, and very few actually in the end-zones. Nearly everyone took advantage of the soft sand to take dives for the Frisbee (chicks dig it), even bionic folks. On one particular morning was there no wind, that was really nice.
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Trip to Seaside where they filmed "The Truman Show" and saw the Modica Market in Central Square. Further on we toured a house worth $1.25 Million, in Pittsburgh it probably would have been 1/3 that price.
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Day 4. Shell island. "Fairies, we ain't got no fairies here boy. What we got is a shuttle. No fairies. Maybe go on over to Neverland for those fairies." -Al's impersonation of entry guard to state park, in southern drawl. 

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All 5 of us tossed Frisbee in the crystal clear water, completely free of seaweed. Small fish fritted in amongst our feet, sometimes nibbling. Alan spotted an eagle. Larry spotted an Osprey. Doug found an alligator on a parallel pond on the interior, almost startling him while he was taking pictures of ducks and scenery. Alan posed for a photo op in this wrecked abandoned boat along the shore.


Poker. Tod purportedly didn't know the first thing about it, used his smart phone to see which hand beats what. And of course he did best winning the most. I guess sheer luck counts most.



Day 5. Lynn and Lisa arrived. A welcomed addition to our guys outing. Lynn was a cheerful early riser. Lisa a fabulous host with tasty home cooked treats!


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Everybody got up on the paddle-board, champ being Jennifer. Dave 

Tod and Larry went snorkeling, Tod and Larry found a beautiful shell with a resident crab. Photos were taken before Tod took him back down to the sea for release.


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Par 3 Golf. None of us had played for 10 or more years. Doug won with 39, said he was lucky, capped it off with birdie on last hole. Tod won second time we played golf, beating Larry by one stroke. Larry found a correlation from who kept score to who won the round.

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Day 6. Group met Doug at Conservation Park and walked around viewing the wetland ponds. Talking about possible wildlife, could there be an alligator? Birds. Tree-sap. Several different lizards. Cypress lake trail. Easy to get lost, went in different directions.

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7. Golf tennis. Grueling matches in the hot southern sun.

8. Day back. Delta airlines with connecting flight through Atlanta.

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Photos:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Trilling Trembling Tremolo Excite Along Vibrant Vibrating Dashes

During the third
movement of the Beethoven Symphony 9, Ode to Joy, I improvised a few poetic words that immediately came to mind:

Cantankerous bellows drum their accord below the din
of flautist lines weaving gently beyond the bows
drawn in tandem along vibrant vibrating dashes.
Horns enunciate gently below the brow of dark waving chords,
trilling trembling tremolo excite the bend of flesh,
fingers pluck pizzicato in rhythm to the tempo.
Trumpets rudely interject temporal disharmony,
yet robust fullness returns undaunted by the blunt phrase,
again the brass sounds the alarm as if to announce a premonition.
Drums and strings insist their harmony: they will not be undone,
flowing, meandering, forever transforming, sometimes flirting,
and eventually pausing, making ready- building one last time,
level, the music subsides, all words and notes are done.