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Thanks Skip! That blue Marcos and the owner were awesome. Wooden chassis with a Volvo motor with ITBs and suspension by Lotus. Pedal box was adjustable with a ****. All from 1964!
I went mountain biking for the first time. Had a blast! My rental, unfortunately, was a $6,500 Specialized Stumpjumper Expert that I fell in love with. I have a friend who is an experienced mountain biker so he put together a small group of guys who were willing to show a newbie the ropes of the hobby and I could tell they had put a lot of thought into the ride and were very conscientious of making sure I had a good time. Well, the bastards succeeded and now I want a bike. So I get to save for yet another expensive hobby. Yay. Honestly - living where I'm living I really should have gotten into this sooner. While I was out there I kept thinking "WTF, man, you live here! This is your home! Get out and ride!!!"
Found an awesome Dominican Cuban little joint. Roast pork leg (pernil) Chinese rice, yuca en mojo for breakfast, my mom got a huge sandwich on fresh baked French bread. Found another awesome watering hole at St John’s tavern in Crystal river, finally my church. Bubbaques. Bbq joint, post oak 1000 gallon offset smoker. I always seem to have a good nose for good food and drinks. Now I need to find a good steakhouse. Good place awesome pastrami sandwiches. Never seen one of these before, they don’t have moist brisket, ie they don’t cooked the points, just flats. Huge salad bar, with chili, meatballs, you can just come here to eat the salad bar. Bar is not bad, $3 draft Michellob ultra. Good place in Crystal river Florida 34448 zip code.
Looking forward to going home already and possibly might get extended but really can't complain. Managed to get lucky on a couple port calls in the Med and Crete is one of my all time favorite places to visit, we did get to port in France as well. First two pics are of Chania and the second are of France. The Figurehead is from a French ship that sailed in the mid 1700s... pretty bad ***. Pretty fortunate to have a job that allows me to visit some cool places, especially after being stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan for about 9yrs collectively. Also happy that my people back at home are in good health, definitely a decent amount of silver lining items.
I don't particularly talk about it very often but with Memorial Day coming up, don't forget about the people who couldn't leave the war and that life on that side of the world... it just followed them home and played into giving in to their depression. My cousin committed the ultimate act during the height of Covid in 2020. Born in New Jersey(First person born outside of Puerto Rico on my Dad's side), Air Force Academy grad that was recruited to play football but ended up playing Rugby, went on to fly C117s out of Charleston and later flew C-130J in Germany... even instructed Afghan pilots. He was the best of us, succeeded in everything he did and surpassed his father in both rank and prestige when he retired. After he retired in his mid 40's, he began working at JP Morgan as an executive. Father to 4 boys and husband to an amazing wife, just wasn't enough. My bro and I saw him in January of 2020, last time we would ever see him alive and he looked great... never and indication he had already come to grips with what he was going to do. I was on the same ship then as I am now so these days are almost bittersweet. With all of that said, he did a Ted Talk that is worth listening to if you have the time.
May you all have an amazing Memorial Day, drink like crazy and eat yourselves into a coma. All the guys that aren't here anymore wouldn't want it any other way.
Last edited by TheChunkNorris; 05-28-2022 at 10:03 AM.
That is a devastating story Joel - it hurt to read but I appreciate you sharing and am so grateful for those of you who bear a weight I know, I can't understand.
That is a devastating story Joel - it hurt to read but I appreciate you sharing and am so grateful for those of you who bear a weight I know, I can't understand.
Thank You all for what you did, and what you do.
Thanks brother and was hoping that it wouldn't be so somber, everyone has that one day that they just think of things and mine just happens to be Memorial Day. We're having a bbq on board so it'll be some good eating.
Thanks brother and was hoping that it wouldn't be so somber, everyone has that one day that they just think of things and mine just happens to be Memorial Day. We're having a bbq on board so it'll be some good eating.
I know man, I'm happy you shared it though. America will have a great Memorial Day, with hopefully lots of burgers, booze and babes - it's important to remember the WHY, and your Cousin was a great example.
Thanks brother and was hoping that it wouldn't be so somber, everyone has that one day that they just think of things and mine just happens to be Memorial Day. We're having a bbq on board so it'll be some good eating.
Thanks for sharing and since Jason called you by name now I now your name is Joel. Wish you a good trip back home. Mental health is a serious issue, years ago I was drugged while on a business trip in Panama and ever since those three days where I finally came to my senses and ended up in the American embassy my whole life changed. I kept reliving those days trying to figure out what happened, I saw all kinds of doctors and spent time at several mental hospitals, they put me on all kinds of medications to name a few risperdal, lexapro, lithium, etc etc. One particular medicine would make me drool like a dog, it was embarrassing. Finally after a 12 day stint at yet another mental hospital a Vietnamese doctor diagnosed me right and put me on Invega sustenna once a month injection. After two years of my wife going with me to the Doctor, he switched me to Xeroquel. I have not relapsed of been in an institution in over 9 years. What happened was that I would not take my meds and I would not sleep sometimes as many as 5 days. I would drink huge amounts of coffee and then switch to Diet Coke etc, but I used the caffeine to keep me awake. If you don’t sleep in 17 hours it already impairs you as alcohol. My diagnosis is bipolar, I still take Xeroquel every so often. I have never said or tried to kill myself or no one. But when I was without sleep I couldn’t tell real from what my mind was suggesting. On an ocassion that I was sleepless
for over three days I had walked 4 miles to a mall and after closing the TGI Fridays ate drank a ton of Diet Coke, smoked like two packs of cigarettes and yes my wife had already filed a missing person report. While I was walking trying to make it back home, the cops stopped me and asked for my Id and they realized I was missing. Anyway they took me to the station and after checking me out even blood tests, they offered me more coffee. Then they interviewed me, I told them that I have gotten in business with a family that was connected to the mafia and they have killed my family. 10 dps showed at my house with guns
as my wife opened the front door. They even called all my brothers and sister and my mom in Puerto Rico. We must remember and thank all of those who have served, we also should take care of all of those that have had all those traumatic experiences while on duty. Joel i ordered for breakfast the other day (one pound of pernil with cuero), yuca al mojo and chinese rice. A cuban and a Dominican owned the little place. I made this pork loin yesterday. Mom made rice and Cuban style black beans. Breakfast was awesome my mom couldn’t believe that I was going to eat some of this food for breakfast.
Thanks for sharing and since Jason called you by name now I now your name is Joel. Wish you a good trip back home. Mental health is a serious issue, years ago I was drugged while on a business trip in Panama and ever since those three days where I finally came to my senses and ended up in the American embassy my whole life changed. I kept reliving those days trying to figure out what happened, I saw all kinds of doctors and spent time at several mental hospitals, they put me on all kinds of medications to name a few risperdal, lexapro, lithium, etc etc. One particular medicine would make me drool like a dog, it was embarrassing. Finally after a 12 day stint at yet another mental hospital a Vietnamese doctor diagnosed me right and put me on Invega sustenna once a month injection. After two years of my wife going with me to the Doctor, he switched me to Xeroquel. I have not relapsed of been in an institution in over 9 years. What happened was that I would not take my meds and I would not sleep sometimes as many as 5 days. I would drink huge amounts of coffee and then switch to Diet Coke etc, but I used the caffeine to keep me awake. If you don’t sleep in 17 hours it already impairs you as alcohol. My diagnosis is bipolar, I still take Xeroquel every so often. I have never said or tried to kill myself or no one. But when I was without sleep I couldn’t tell real from what my mind was suggesting. On an ocassion that I was sleepless
for over three days I had walked 4 miles to a mall and after closing the TGI Fridays ate drank a ton of Diet Coke, smoked like two packs of cigarettes and yes my wife had already filed a missing person report. While I was walking trying to make it back home, the cops stopped me and asked for my Id and they realized I was missing. Anyway they took me to the station and after checking me out even blood tests, they offered me more coffee. Then they interviewed me, I told them that I have gotten in business with a family that was connected to the mafia and they have killed my family. 10 dps showed at my house with guns
as my wife opened the front door. They even called all my brothers and sister and my mom in Puerto Rico. We must remember and thank all of those who have served, we also should take care of all of those that have had all those traumatic experiences while on duty. Joel i ordered for breakfast the other day (one pound of pernil with cuero), yuca al mojo and chinese rice. A cuban and a Dominican owned the little place.
The food looks amazing and man that's an insightful story, glad you're in a good place now.
05-22-2022, 06:24 PM
