Last Running WW2 Ship American Victory WW2 Ship These notebooks were on the drawer next to the typewriter.
Tampa, Florida 2022
Tampa, Florida 2022
Conversations May 3,2022
St Petersburg Florida
Sunshine Thrift
Two Seniors shopping together
1:”I am just happy to see you Betty. How long has it been?”
2:”Two months at least. It’s the snowbird life.”
1:”That it is. I keep telling Ed, we need to start off earlier. I see you have been working on your tan.”
2: “I have. What I like to do, is to tan in the back, facing the lake with nothing on at all. I figured I’ve earned it.”
1: “ Well ever since Covid, they are saying that we need more vitamin D.”
2: “That, they are. Can you help me choose a backless swimsuit?” I need to work on my own tan.”
1:”Over here. That’s where all the swimsuits are.”
Conversations April 9, 2022
Thrifting:
Two women talking next to me:
1-“It’s too late to start tomatoes now.”
2-“Are you sure, bubba use to start them right up until June.”
1- “Yea, should have been started two weeks ago.”
2-“What about if I buy the trees already started and put them in the ground?”
1-“Now that you an do.”
Two other women:
1- “She’d be getting her butt whipped if she were my brat running around the store like an untamed animal. What the heck is with that mother?”
2-I know. It’s no wonder we have the mess that we do with kids now a days. Look at her over there. She should have left her three brats at home. They are a mess!”
Two other women shopping, also noticing..
1-“why doesn’t the staff tell that mom to control her darn kids. They should not be allowed to run up abs down the isles like that abs making such a mockery.”
2-“Want me to go speak to the manager?”
1-“Yes!”
2-Okay, she said she’s already asked the mom twice to keep her children with her.”
1-“Well, let’s look at the dresses and get out of here. Those kids are stressing me out.
A grandma and her middle age daughter:
Grandma-“Ate you sure she said that her wedding colors are
FLORESANT orange and charcoal gray dear?”
Daughter: “She did. I am not fond of either color and I think it’s going to be hard to find a dress in either color.”
Grandma-“Did she tell you how or why she chose those specific colors?”
Daughter:”I assume they are sone sports team. Otherwise your guess is as good as mine.”
Grandma-“Well, let’s do check. There are a few other places we can also check. I certainly don’t think I’d be ever wearing either color after the wedding so I don’t think we should spend a lot.”
While cashing out, the mom with the three kids is in front of me.
She cashes out and leaves and sone people in the store start clapping.
Then the cashier says to me, that she’s going to need to retire after listening to screaming kids for the past three hours.
The other two cashiers agreed, and one said that she doesn’t know why the mother didn’t take her out to the car for a whipping.
Conversations at a Hospital ER
I can’t quote any of these because o was going through an ordeal myself at the time, but these all took place within a six hour ER hospital floor. Yesterday.
Man rushed in due to a Snake bite from doing yard work. He said it was his second bite this year. He was treated immediately with a shot and prescription for pain meds.
A lady rushed in screaming because she had Open surgery last week and the wound had ruptured. Blood. Stitches came out. She was screaming in pain.
Two elderly women were dealing with UTI’s.
One women had a Fainting spell.
A Lady got kicked out by her boyfriend several hours prior and was now homeless and suicidal. He’s tried strangling her several times but she really loves him..
Scissor scars on both arms from previous attempts. She said she was a threat to herself and had no place to go. Her Kids don’t talk to her. No living parents. Estranged sister. And she just turned
66 years old and was completely alone. They admitted her for mental health reasons.
It takes a very special person to be able to work in a ER. The staff were all attentive and professional.
Conversations March 30, 2022
Thrifting-
Two moms taking:
Mom#1- “Cash is a horrible school! It’s actually the worst in the city. Everyone knows it. Teachers cuss at the students. No one cares. You make a complaint to the teacher or principal you get cussed out too.
Cussing at middle school children is not okay. My friends daughter was having trouble reading and the teacher would call her dumb. She’d come home crying. She’d call the teacher for a meeting and she’d have the teacher come down on her.
Mom#2- “Well my son was suppose to go there because it’s the closest to where we live, but we just pay the penalty of not sending him there each year. It’s only $300 a year. He goes to K’ville middle school. It’s a much better school.
It bugs me that kids are not allowed To bring their own lunch, but I think that is everywhere nowadays.”
Mom#1- “Yes, that is everywhere. It’s not the way it was when we were in school. I pay $65 a month for my son to bring his ham sandwiches for lunch. He’s still not allowed to sit in the cafeteria with the other kids, which I think is nuts!
I can see if it were a PB&J, but it’s a ham sandwich.”
Mom#2- “You know why they do that right?
If there are not enough kids getting the schools lunch, they get less funds coming in. So we are paying the difference.
I don’t want my kid eating those unhealthy lunches!”
Mom#1: I know. It’s crazy! But at least they are not at home anymore.
Covid is still going on. My son still has to wear a mask all day at school. Even on the playground.
He came home one day last week not feeling well. Took his temp and then we gave him a Covid test that came back positive.
By morning he was fine so I sent him right back to school. You know what happens if I would have told the school he had Covid?”
Mom#2: “Yes I do! I have been through the same thing twice with my other kids. If you tell them your kid tested positive, they will make the whole classroom stay home for ten days.
Yeah! I don’t think so. It’s so dumb!”
Mom#1: “Hey! Don’t call him a name or you will go to jail young man. That’s how it works.”
Conversations March 17, 2022
Starbucks
A Grandma waiting outside next to us on a chair I front of Starbucks.
Three teen to College age Grandkids with masks arrive.
“Oh my gosh! it’s been so long since we have seen you grandma!”
Grandma: “Yes, before Covid I think.”
GrandKids: “Well, we do live all the way in ******** grandma. (Twenty mins away)
Grandma: “Give me a great big hug kids! Boy has grandma missed you!”
Grandkids: “We are going to have to give you an air hug because you don’t wear a mask grandma.”
Travel Time Again
It’s that time of the year again. We are planning a road trip. South Carolina, Savannah,Georgia, and then to St. Petersburg and Tampa Florida.
I have no clue why hotels have nearly doubled, so we are looking for a cottage to rent. Much cheaper.
I plan to do some Thrifting along the way, so hopefully I will have some more interesting conversations to share. Yes. Yes. I know it’s wrong to be sharing other peoples conversations for entertainment. 🤪
What else? We are off to try to find my daughter some prom shoes today, once the exterminator leave. She has two proms this year. Hence, two gowns and two pairs of shoes. She already bought two dresses. One is an ANTHROPOLOGIE and the other is a Ted Baker. Both pink!
I thrifted these really cool Nikes last night.
I have started sourcing from Jomar this past month.
When I first started reselling, back in 1999, I sold toys and antiques. There is still a high demand for both, but my interests have changed, and I need to enjoy my work.
It’s so nice to find a source that delivers, that’s actually good. Currently I’m waiting for a hat box to arrive. When I thrift locally, I’m looking for bras, swimwear, nightwear, purses, quilts, and designer items. I’m fading away from hard-goods, as they are harder to flip and take up too much room. Not to mention wrapping breakables and hoping that they arrive in one piece.
I guess that is it for now.
It Has Begun
Construction 🚧
The eighteen acres smack in front of our house has been sold off to builders and they are ripping up the trees to build thirty-Seven houses.
The noise feels like city life. I expect there too be construction noise for the next year.
They can’t take six of our trees, which looks super weird. One big oak, and some smaller pines.
We had several persimmon trees that my kids grew up with, now gone. Feels sad, but life must go on.
Conversations March 13, 2022
Nail Salon
Lady next to me talking to the nail technician: “It sure is a cold one today. Twenty degrees this morning and that wind chill nearly lifted my kids trampoline into the neighbors yard. I was kinda hoping it would of.”
Nail Technician: “We had that happen to us before. Lifted it into the trees, no less. It’s hard to believe it’s Spring.“
Lady: “I got me one of those heated steering wheel covers. It plugs into your lighter. I may just leave it on all year.”
Nail Technician: “Where do you buy that? My elderly mother would love one.”
Lady: “Amazon, where else?”
Both laugh and then silence..
Conversations March 12, 2022
Hair salon:
Ladies next to me-
Customer to lady cutting her hair: “I want it cut really short to keep people scared of me. A number one on the sides and a number two on top to spike it with gel.
I’m a nurse. I’m also in the malicia.
You know I got a $3 raise this year so now I get $75 less a month in food stamps. Da*n Natzis!
I voted for Biden because I was not a fan of Trump, but if he runs again, you can be da*n sure I’ll be voting for him this time. We would not be having these gas issues if he was our president. If only Kid Rock was our president…
And another thing, Food!
The ten piece nugget will now be an eight piece for the same cost. Can you believe that one?
One of my patients is the food distributor for fast foods.
He told me that it cost them .5 per nugget now. Use to be .3 cents.
So here is a billion dollar company and they can’t eat the extra .10 per two nuggets.
Nope! I’m boycotting them. Da’n Natzis!
Had to dip into our savings to pay for these da*n gas prices. Open the damn pipeline already.
Idiots!” Took me nine months to save up for a new transmission. Nine months! Yeah, 3k.
Beautician to biker chick:
“I agree wholeheartedly. The gas increase isn’t stopping anyone. We are all just using our savings or putting it on credit.
People are not going to cut back on what little lifestyle they have, if that’s what the government is thinking. I think the government was happy with us all at home during Covid.
I had Pizza last night and I am bringing chicken home tonight. It’s been non stop since 8am! I’m beat. 72 hair cuts today between the two of us.
Biker Chick: “I hear you. People think because I’m a nurse, I’m loaded. They don’t realize I work 60 hours a week for beans by the time they steal my taxes. Thank God the masks are over. I almost had to quit!”
From North to South 