Archive: Enjoyable condo cleaning and NFL playoff football

| January 26, 2022

Brenda and I stretched out a cooler than expected weekend in Florida to get the condo ready for our Canadian renters. It worked out nicely since we had enough sun to start in order to go to the beach and plenty of time over the weekend to clean things up AND watch some excellent NFL […]

A quick trip to Florida so as not to waste an expiring ticket

| November 20, 2021

Brenda and I flew to Florida with a “use it or lose it” expiring Southwest Airline ticket …and hopefully as a way to earn a future companion-pass ticket (we’ll see how that goes). We were there for a long weekend and to enjoy a couple days at the condo and the beach. Unfortunately I wasted […]

Our October 2021 vacation with KDAE to Delray Beach, Florida

| October 30, 2021

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Halloween gremlins creep in to finish off our Florida vacation

| October 26, 2021

Let’s start with "we had a great time in Florida" this past week" (more to come) … but the cleanup weekend ended with a couple gremlins. I blame it on the "uncarved" pumpkins left by the granddaughters. HA! Actually there were no unexpected problem while they were in Delray Beach with us, but after they […]

Archive: Weekend catch-up with a few family photos

| September 23, 2021

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The Wyze cam sound detector picked up a strong thunderstorm

| July 13, 2021

The downside of having self-monitored smarthome security cams, sound sensors, door triggers and motion detection at the Florida condo in Delray Beach is that one never knows what will set it off. Usually it has been a flash of light or in a couple cases a slightly weakened battery on a sensor. Yesterday though, even […]

Jimmy Buffett in Delray Beach & automotive pandemic insanity

| June 3, 2021

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Prepping for summer and admiring a porch view from a friend

| June 2, 2021

Although I’ve enjoyed summertime on the beach ever since I was a little boy (we live on a beach), there is something relaxing about seeing the photo above that a friend sent me from his families rented beach house in North Carolina … it look very relaxing. The older I get, the more I enjoy […]

It was good to get away to sunny Florida for a restful beach week

| May 2, 2021

Although I know much of the country has lived locked down for much of the year, Brenda and I have probably done a little more than most. She has worked in the pharmacy without much of a break and since the COVID19 vaccinations have started, has been very busy. We had planned a trip to […]

Archive: Granddaughter catch-up photos from this past week

| April 3, 2021

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Encore diesel repair and last minute haul out in February 2021

| February 27, 2021

This past week was a semi-rushed haul out week for Encore in Florida. I headed south for 3 days of work on the “running hot” Volvo diesel auxiliary, as my assumption was that the heat exchanger was plugged up/calcified and needed to be taken off and cleaned (something I’ve never done). I met a friend […]

Archive: The Howards and the Woodcocks in Florida #TBT

| February 18, 2021

A couple of weeks ago I shared a 1990s photo of Brenda’s dad with a close friend Hugh Woodcock and saw another one from 1997 to archive for a Throwback Thursday #TBT. Both MomH (2017) and DadH (2013) have passed away, but since Mrs. Woodcock (Ann) commented on my “snowy February stay-at-home” post, I figured […]

Archive: Professional Brenda and the Hawk Migration #TBT

| January 28, 2021

When searching for a photo of my 1996 Toyota 4Runner (never found one), I stumbled across a couple personal photos from 1997 and will archive them for today’s Throwback Thursday #TBT. One of “professional Brenda” dressed for the office in 1990’s style (ha!) and the other of our family on an October Hawk Migration birding […]

Tropical storms and encroachment brings out Florida wildlife

| November 19, 2020

If the active record-breaking hurricane season wasn’t enough to have you questioning the idea of moving to Florida, how about a 2000 pound great white shark off Miami, alligators that are straight out of the Jurassic Period on a Naples, FL golf course or constrictor snakes slithering out of the Everglades large enough to compete […]

Car watching: Admired a good looking Porsche 911 last weekend

| October 21, 2020

A group of #carspotter buddies on social networks often share cars they admire .. so last week I included this Porsche 99CarreraS last weekend while in Florida. Nice!

Archive: A couple family photos from this past week

| October 17, 2020

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Rain delayed 2020 Daytona 500, but still a great pre-race show

| February 17, 2020

Although watching NASCAR is not the highest priority on our list of things to do, it has been a long time mid-February favorite whether we were home, at the boat or visiting Brenda’s mom and dad years ago in Florida. This year we treated it as a Super Bowl kind of Sunday and were impressed […]

A trip to Florida so that Encore could function on 12 volts again

| January 30, 2020

Encore has battery power again, Alleluia! After fiddling around with dying and dead batteries on the boat for the past year, I finally broke down and yanked out the 3 deep cycle AGM 105 Amp Hour batteries. I did a little rewiring and strapped down 2 new DEKA-made batteries this past weekend ($253 ea). The […]

An old photo triggered an “almost happened” memory #TBT

| January 16, 2020

While soring through my office file cabinet to make room for more current folders, I ran across an old lease contract and photo from an “almost happened” business decision. It would have been a decision and a location move that may have changed our future and had ripple effects even for the lives of my […]

An awesome down the beach Florida sunset Fly By [video]

| November 20, 2019

Actually needed a short video for testing the updated .mp4 embed code for WordPress.

Why Delray Beach? – “Doors open, doors close” opportunities

| November 9, 2019

When chatting about our recent vacation to Florida with a long time customer (friend) in Akron, Ohio, he asked why we picked Delray Beach, Florida as an area to buy a condo (I detected he is beginning to think about retiring). Although I realized that I really haven’t given much thought to how we ended […]

Wishing my long time best friend Jeff Pitts, a Happy Birthday!

| November 2, 2019

As we joke every year, Jeff has finally caught up to me in age … and is now 60 years old (he is 6 months younger than me). We do enjoy kidding each other and I know my life would not be as full without him around. He has most definitely in my life for […]

Vacation Part 2: Beach time with family after Legoland

| October 26, 2019

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Vacation Part 1: Finished upholstery, master bath and cleaning

| October 23, 2019

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Ever hear a Florida alligator bellow? #video

| September 29, 2019

This must be what it was like to live in the Jurassic era … or camping in the Everglades as mating season begins for the gators in Florida? (been there, done that!) A post on Facebook from the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens in Naples, Florida shows three alligators bobbing in the water, making loud […]

Personal week full of project posts – Condo upholstery photos

| September 26, 2019

For those who follow or check on MyDesultoryBlog.com regularly, you know my daily musings are split between posts on a variety of newsy and topical interest items … and personal goings-on and project updates. This week has been pretty much all personal with a recent trip to check on Encore and work on Condo1718 updates. […]

Notes on a few more master bathroom and upholstery updates

| September 25, 2019

Following up on my weekend post and a few of the projects that I’m trying to complete (or get started) during my few days in Florida is the “somewhat new to me” upholstery project. It has bogged down my to-do list schedule, but I was able to get the master bathroom corner mirrors and glass […]

Enjoying a nice drive, good weather and undeserved friendship

| September 22, 2019

Made my favorite “good weather” drive this past week on I-40 through Tennessee and North Carolina (photo above) and visited my undeserved friends Mark and Dar Jones who recently moved to a new townhouse outside of Savannah, Georgia. What a comfortable place for both of them … offering “walk-ability” for Dar with her limited eyesight […]

The path of potential TS Humberto looks eerily familiar

| September 13, 2019

Tis the season for tropical storm watching as forecasters expect a similar path as Hurricane Dorian for potential Tropical Cyclone Nine turning into Tropical Storm Humberto (oom-BAIR-toh). Travelers along the east coast of the U.S. and those particularly in the northern Bahamas already suffering from Dorian will need to keep their guard up. Perhaps modifying […]

Working on the mirror bases for the condo master bathroom

| September 1, 2019

Well they don’t look like much yet, but I’ve been working on the corner mirrors for the Condo1718 master bathroom update. The mirror will be 15” by 38” and will have a 1/2” beveled edge – Brenda’s request ($$). The planned framing will be 3/4” Mosaic tiles that my wife will be trying for the […]

Hurricane Dorian upgraded to Category 3, but Cat 4 is likely

| August 30, 2019

As Floridians and those in the northern Bahamas prepare for Dorian, the first major hurricane to directly hit Florida’s Atlantic coast since Andrew (a Cat 5) in 1992, those of us with a vested interest out-of-state will not be sleeping well this weekend. There isn’t much we can do besides check our insurance policies and […]

Well it is hurricane season – so time to think about #Dorian

| August 28, 2019

Florida declares a state of emergency to prepare for Hurricane Dorian https://t.co/z9sLuLmlxq — Rich Corbett 🇺🇸 (@RichC) August 28, 2019

Archive: Condo1718 electrical updates and mirror thoughts

| July 18, 2019

I’m archiving the last few photos from my iPhone from this past weekend updates to Condo master bathroom. I finished what I was able to do without an extra set of hands and will do the rest the next time Brenda is in Florida with me (it is hard to set a toilet with a […]

The condo master bathroom is slowly coming together

| July 17, 2019

Finished up the vanities in the master bathroom at the condo this past weekend and all went well in putting in 5 new valves and 2 drains. I shocked even myself in that all “went as planned.” Unfortunately the struggle began when mounting the polymer rather than wood molding across the back to top off […]

Archive: Remodeling of the condo master bathroom continues

| May 19, 2019

Working on remodeling projects away from home a few days at a time really seems to stretch a project out (photo – flying home from Fort Lauderdale FLL last night – I was checking out the FULL anchorage at Lake Sylvia from the plane). Thankfully both Brenda and I have always enjoyed the hands-on projects. […]

Are you planning to move after you retire? If so, where?

| May 15, 2019

More than likely Florida is at least considered due to better winter weather, a low cost of living and no personal income tax. There are a few other growing destinations, but very few in high tax states or in the cold north. It may come as no surprise that Florida snagged the top spot once […]

Another year, another project … and another bathroom update

| May 10, 2019

Last year’s Condo1718 update to the kitchen and guest bathroom was a bit more ambitious than this year, but so far it doesn’t seem like it. Mentally I had my timetable worked out and figured the demolition wouldn’t take all that much. Well really it didn’t, but after finding a few things not where I […]

Remembering Easter break with a couple #TBT photos from 1997

| April 18, 2019

It is Thursday before Easter  and besides thinking about a Throwback Thursday post, it is also Maundy Thursday – the day in which Christian’s commemorate the Last Supper. It also reminds me of the times we would get together with our families on or around Easter. Sometimes it was with my parents and other times […]

A rainy March day in Florida beats a rainy March day in Ohio

| April 2, 2019

After a weekend trip to Encore in Florida, one would think that I would be totally rejuvenated? Unfortunately I’m feel further behind and less rested than when I left? Perhaps it is age or maybe just the long drive, but I’m tired and worn out. On the bright side, it was at least good to […]

Good times and memories with a great friend for #TBT

| March 21, 2019

My friend Jeff Pitts has been my closest friend ever since our college years at Ohio Northern University (also the only guest blogger so far). Besides college, he was on my bachelor party trip, years and years of hiking and camping … including a great trip to the Canadian Rockies with my son Taylor, who has […]

What’s the difference between a caiman, crocodile and alligator?

| March 10, 2019

Personally I’m not fond of any of the water, swamp or land creatures with teeth and jaws that look prehistoric … but all crocodilian (photo left, caiman, crocodile, alligator) definitely keep me on my toes, especially those bigger ones when visiting areas where they live (in our case, the southeastern US). My first exposure with […]

With reciprocity, I will let my Florida CCW license expire

| February 21, 2019

With nearly all states offering concealed carry permit reciprocity with Ohio, I’m no longer going to renew my Florida CCW license. It seems like just a waste of money and  bureaucratic duplication. Florida always did work well with an Ohio CCW, but there were a combination of states that I drove through between Ohio and […]

Condo1718 Master Bathroom update project for 2019

| February 19, 2019

After working on both the condo guest bathroom and kitchen last year in Delray Beach, Florida, I’m hoping to work on the master bathroom when we vacation this year. Our renters have emailed just how pleased they are with the new updates and suspect they will rent again in 2020? At one time I planned […]

Music Monday: A recycled Beatles song and something from 1969

| February 11, 2019

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Enjoyed a few days of Florida sunshine aboard Encore last week

| February 10, 2019

I enjoyed the warm sunshine and working on a few project on Encore this past week. It was a delayed trip due to a flight cancelation, but thankful my schedule is pretty flexible. It would have been nice to stay longer and to have had Brenda with me, but "ya got to do what you […]

The colorful Coquina Clams emerging from a sandy beach

| February 3, 2019

After watching a short YouTube video of the Coquina Clam emerging from the “swash zone” on a beach after a wave retreated, I thought a short animated gif would make a great winter filler post for the blog. The coquina clam (Donax variabilis) is a common inhabitant of Florida’s sandy beaches. Known for their highly variable […]

Thinking about and planning another sewing project for 2019

| December 8, 2018

Read up a little bit more on upholstery last weekend while in Florida while thinking about a couple possible projects. I’m not sure about tackling something as big as a couch and loveseat (slideshow below), but perhaps a couple chair pillows and condo dining room chair cushions are do-able? My projects in the past have […]

A couple last minute condo update improvements

| October 28, 2018

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Enjoyed a great week in Florida with Katelyn, Drew and Annalyn

| October 27, 2018

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Fuel prices higher this year and Hurricane Michael nears

| October 10, 2018

EDIT: Updated 14:00-14:30 ET – Landfall Mexico Beach, FL with maximum sustained winds clocked at 145 mph Previous 11:28 a.m. ET update Hurricane Michael has been upgraded to a “potentially catastrophic” Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, the National Hurricane Center says. Data collected by NOAA and U.S. Air Force Hurricane […]

Final touches and cleaning after condo kitchen remodeling

| September 25, 2018

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Obit: Actor, director and “Bandit” Burt Reynolds dead at 82

| September 7, 2018

Of course my reference by including "The Bandit" in a tribute post to the passing of Burt Reynolds has a lot to do with how I remember him; he died after a heart attack on Thursday 9/6/2018 at age 82. The highpoint for me in remembering him was the making of the Smokey and the […]

Distracted driving and a step closer to finishing the condo update

| August 11, 2018

Likely I’m not the best driver when it comes to not glancing at my phone in the car, but I am improving and in recent years am trying not to "read" or "text anything." Unfortunately we still have drivers who are "comfortable" (leg up???) with multi-tasking while driving. Ugh. I spent a few more days […]

Tech Friday: The inexpensive Wyze Cam now supports Alexa

| July 20, 2018

I’ve been using the Wyze Cam to keep an eye on our Florida condo for a couple of months now … and besides an issue with a low-cost router overheating, it has been excellent. I’ve been thinking about adding a second one with the adjustable viewing angle, but it is not on the high priority […]

Our granddaughter is growing too fast and a shopping list

| July 17, 2018

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Stretched out another weekend to work on the condo kitchen

| July 5, 2018

Well finishing the kitchen upgrade at the condo was my goal, but since Brenda was with me, more than the condo kitchen was worked on! The guest bathroom’s minor vanity update grew into a MUCH larger project. One thing lead to another and before I knew it, my wife had me doing more tile than […]

Archive: Last day of condo kitchen photos for a while, I promise

| May 31, 2018

Since the Quartz countertops were finished early and I was still available for the install, it was time to move on it now. Better to have them installed than stored somewhere until my next trip to Florida (a few more photos for the Condo1718 archive below).

Added a Nest thermostat and a ceiling fan to the condo kitchen

| May 30, 2018

Adding a few more gadgets to the condo update this weekend as we are one step closer to getting it looking as if we’ll have a kitchen again … or at least a livable abode for the winter renters (or next owner). Hopefully the few extra upgrades I have opted to add will not go […]

Traveling, traffic, Moscovy ducks and another kitchen update

| April 29, 2018

Don’t you just hate making a long drive and getting stuck in a long traffic jam? This past week I ended up sitting and inching forward for over an hour while on I-75. It was frustrating knowing just how many more hours I was planning to spend on the road. On a much lighter note, […]

Remotes, remodeling and a day leftover for Encore

| April 14, 2018

This past week has been a busy one for me. I was off to Florida for a few days to check on the condo in Delray Beach after our winter renter and to start the demolition of the kitchen. It is a project that is way past due and I’m not sure I know exactly […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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