UKReb
Command Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2007
- Messages
- 2,436
Hi guys
Just back from the good ole US of A. Had an absolute cracking vacation with unbelievable Florida temperatures way up in the mid 80's. I knew it would be warm but never realised it would be perspiration hot! On time flight out of Heathrow on Virgin Atlantic (trust me the best airline to cross the pond with and I've flown them all) that extra centimeter
of leg room makes all the difference on a butt-numbing nine hour flight. Friendly cabin staff-free drinks-30 new movies to watch on your personal screen in the back of the seat in front of you. What more would you want apart from your own Lear jet.
Arrived in MIA greeted with a real warm breeze( haven't had that in the UK for must be coming on four years). Picked up a Toyota at Alamo and hit the I-95 to Palm Beach calling in on the way at a local friendly Walmart to pick up a Net 10 cell for 30 bucks which included 300 minutes call time at 10 cents a call anywhere in the States and 15 cents for all Internationals. In my neck of the woods that's a great great deal cos if I had used my UK Tri Band it would have cost me a small mortgage to pay the bill this end (it's not called rip-off and taxed to the hilt Britain for nothing) Superb end apartment built on an isthmus stretching out onto Lake Worth, had to wait on two friends to join us who were flying in from France, so called up a few froggers. Thanks guys I really did enjoy chatting to you and it was great to put a voice to the cyber signatures.
John (NJJA) I really did laugh at your stories and I think between us we completely solved the financial problems of the US and the UK. Many thanks for passing the message on to Joe (The Lt) via the forum with my phone number and for giving me the KV's telephone number. Sorry our call ended abruptly but the cell battery went flat-like a lunkhead I hadn't fully charged it.
Bill (Spitfrnd) real nice talking with you and sorry I couldn't get to you in Miami but as I explained those first couple of days were pretty hectic getting ourselves organised and it was your last business day. Catch you in September.
Brad (Jazzeum) I kinda think when I rang you that you had a crank caller on the other end and when the penny finally dropped I love your comment "Bob, you don't sound like an Englishman at all" LOL!. Sorry for the disappointment but I have visited your fair shores on business and holidays so many times that even my good lady states that within a couple of days I adopt a kinda of mid-Atlantic accent and make full use of the vernacular. Good talking to you though.
Joe it was an honor to talk to the living legend of the Zulu world and many thanks for calling me as I had tried you umpteen times- guessing correctly that the ice-storm had taken out your telephone lines. Many thanks Joe for your very kind words.
And Michael great to talk to the original blood-sucker himself and finding you well on the mend. Trudi after speaking to you commented "Gee! he sounds like a real nice guy" I retorted "Wear garlic when you eventually meet him". Good gassing with you Vamp".
Second week moved up to Daytona-another great apartment right on the beach. Was going to Disney World over the holiday period but caught on Fox News that so many people were there they had to limit entrance so went to see "Valkrie" instead which I thoroughly enjoyed and that includes the "Cruiser's" performance as well.
Best steak (Prime cut) Outback- Daytona
Best Burger (Swiss Mushroom) Starlight Diner- Daytona
Best Bargain (Net 10 cell & a pair of 501's at 29 bucks- Sears)
Best Personal Indulgence- A large format photographic history book at 50 bucks "Looking for Lincoln" a bi-centennial of Abe's birth-incredible photo's and side-bars a stunningly brilliant book and I have at least 15 others on the man but this one takes the tiffin (Check it out Brad)
Cheapest Gas $1.65 (And for you UK guys that's £1.15 a gallon not a litre) No wonder you can drive those Dodge Magnums and Rams over their. If I had one here I would be broke every month just filling it up with over-taxed UK fuel.
Found your books/CD's/Blu Rays to be a little expensive with very few deals going on anywhere. Any new releases in the UK can have up to $10.00 taken off the ticket price for the first couple of weeks but that did not appear to be the case in Florida-sure plenty of real old stuff in the bargain bins but not much with the newer stuff. In summary I am a complete sucker for US vacations and this one was a real cracker-until the next time! Meanwhile here's a few pics to illustrate the above and I will post a few more when I have up-loaded them.
Reb
This was the apartment at Palm Beach with a great looking bridge spanning Lake Worth. Note the pelican on the post he turned up every morning at 0800 hrs stayed while we had a swim then flew off until the next morning regular as clockwork. She called him Pete!
That darn Pete the Pelican again!
Note the time on the clock and Yup! right behind me-squawking- was that that darn pelican again.
Another view of the apartments and pool area.
A semi-beached mermaid and there was me thinking they were just mariner myths-but one thing I did learn guys if you can keep them in the pool most of the day it sure keeps them out of the malls!
This was in the City Walk West Palm Beach and was the girls favorite eating place, a little expensive but I must admit it sure was good tucker.
The Four Musketeers- but this time me and my chum's favorite watering hole was just across the street. Great story here that happened the very next night in that bar, my chum Jon in a previous life was a renowned top London DJ during the disco craze and was brought over to New York to play at some American entrepreneur's top club's in the Big Apple. Anyway we are sitting there having a drink and this very chic lady comes up to my pal and says "Please excuse me but are you Jon B and were you a DJ in the 70's?" He immediately looked at me and said "You've set me up you rat" but she continued "No, no, I do remember you, I danced to your music every Saturday at the Whiskey you were absolutely fantastic!"
She was genuine and was on vacation from NY and unbelievably had recognised Jon-I knew he was famous in the UK but not Stateside and he still thinks I arranged with her to come up and verbal with him.
These next two shots are of a pretty large mall in Palm Beach and were taken at about high noon on 12/19. Where is everybody? Is this a sign of the recession but mind you the Bernie Madoff scandal had just broken and most of his investors like him lived in West Palm Beach-he allegedly had embezzled 50 billion dollars from friends and business associates-arrested and bailed? I wondered if a guy who stole a packet of smokes in West Palm Beach would have got bail? Strikes me the Bigger the financial crime-the bigger the perp is thought off
Just back from the good ole US of A. Had an absolute cracking vacation with unbelievable Florida temperatures way up in the mid 80's. I knew it would be warm but never realised it would be perspiration hot! On time flight out of Heathrow on Virgin Atlantic (trust me the best airline to cross the pond with and I've flown them all) that extra centimeter
of leg room makes all the difference on a butt-numbing nine hour flight. Friendly cabin staff-free drinks-30 new movies to watch on your personal screen in the back of the seat in front of you. What more would you want apart from your own Lear jet.Arrived in MIA greeted with a real warm breeze( haven't had that in the UK for must be coming on four years). Picked up a Toyota at Alamo and hit the I-95 to Palm Beach calling in on the way at a local friendly Walmart to pick up a Net 10 cell for 30 bucks which included 300 minutes call time at 10 cents a call anywhere in the States and 15 cents for all Internationals. In my neck of the woods that's a great great deal cos if I had used my UK Tri Band it would have cost me a small mortgage to pay the bill this end (it's not called rip-off and taxed to the hilt Britain for nothing) Superb end apartment built on an isthmus stretching out onto Lake Worth, had to wait on two friends to join us who were flying in from France, so called up a few froggers. Thanks guys I really did enjoy chatting to you and it was great to put a voice to the cyber signatures.
John (NJJA) I really did laugh at your stories and I think between us we completely solved the financial problems of the US and the UK. Many thanks for passing the message on to Joe (The Lt) via the forum with my phone number and for giving me the KV's telephone number. Sorry our call ended abruptly but the cell battery went flat-like a lunkhead I hadn't fully charged it.
Bill (Spitfrnd) real nice talking with you and sorry I couldn't get to you in Miami but as I explained those first couple of days were pretty hectic getting ourselves organised and it was your last business day. Catch you in September.
Brad (Jazzeum) I kinda think when I rang you that you had a crank caller on the other end and when the penny finally dropped I love your comment "Bob, you don't sound like an Englishman at all" LOL!. Sorry for the disappointment but I have visited your fair shores on business and holidays so many times that even my good lady states that within a couple of days I adopt a kinda of mid-Atlantic accent and make full use of the vernacular. Good talking to you though.
Joe it was an honor to talk to the living legend of the Zulu world and many thanks for calling me as I had tried you umpteen times- guessing correctly that the ice-storm had taken out your telephone lines. Many thanks Joe for your very kind words.
And Michael great to talk to the original blood-sucker himself and finding you well on the mend. Trudi after speaking to you commented "Gee! he sounds like a real nice guy" I retorted "Wear garlic when you eventually meet him". Good gassing with you Vamp".
Second week moved up to Daytona-another great apartment right on the beach. Was going to Disney World over the holiday period but caught on Fox News that so many people were there they had to limit entrance so went to see "Valkrie" instead which I thoroughly enjoyed and that includes the "Cruiser's" performance as well.
Best steak (Prime cut) Outback- Daytona
Best Burger (Swiss Mushroom) Starlight Diner- Daytona
Best Bargain (Net 10 cell & a pair of 501's at 29 bucks- Sears)
Best Personal Indulgence- A large format photographic history book at 50 bucks "Looking for Lincoln" a bi-centennial of Abe's birth-incredible photo's and side-bars a stunningly brilliant book and I have at least 15 others on the man but this one takes the tiffin (Check it out Brad)
Cheapest Gas $1.65 (And for you UK guys that's £1.15 a gallon not a litre) No wonder you can drive those Dodge Magnums and Rams over their. If I had one here I would be broke every month just filling it up with over-taxed UK fuel.
Found your books/CD's/Blu Rays to be a little expensive with very few deals going on anywhere. Any new releases in the UK can have up to $10.00 taken off the ticket price for the first couple of weeks but that did not appear to be the case in Florida-sure plenty of real old stuff in the bargain bins but not much with the newer stuff. In summary I am a complete sucker for US vacations and this one was a real cracker-until the next time! Meanwhile here's a few pics to illustrate the above and I will post a few more when I have up-loaded them.
Reb
This was the apartment at Palm Beach with a great looking bridge spanning Lake Worth. Note the pelican on the post he turned up every morning at 0800 hrs stayed while we had a swim then flew off until the next morning regular as clockwork. She called him Pete!
That darn Pete the Pelican again!
Note the time on the clock and Yup! right behind me-squawking- was that that darn pelican again.
Another view of the apartments and pool area.
A semi-beached mermaid and there was me thinking they were just mariner myths-but one thing I did learn guys if you can keep them in the pool most of the day it sure keeps them out of the malls!
This was in the City Walk West Palm Beach and was the girls favorite eating place, a little expensive but I must admit it sure was good tucker.
The Four Musketeers- but this time me and my chum's favorite watering hole was just across the street. Great story here that happened the very next night in that bar, my chum Jon in a previous life was a renowned top London DJ during the disco craze and was brought over to New York to play at some American entrepreneur's top club's in the Big Apple. Anyway we are sitting there having a drink and this very chic lady comes up to my pal and says "Please excuse me but are you Jon B and were you a DJ in the 70's?" He immediately looked at me and said "You've set me up you rat" but she continued "No, no, I do remember you, I danced to your music every Saturday at the Whiskey you were absolutely fantastic!"
She was genuine and was on vacation from NY and unbelievably had recognised Jon-I knew he was famous in the UK but not Stateside and he still thinks I arranged with her to come up and verbal with him.
These next two shots are of a pretty large mall in Palm Beach and were taken at about high noon on 12/19. Where is everybody? Is this a sign of the recession but mind you the Bernie Madoff scandal had just broken and most of his investors like him lived in West Palm Beach-he allegedly had embezzled 50 billion dollars from friends and business associates-arrested and bailed? I wondered if a guy who stole a packet of smokes in West Palm Beach would have got bail? Strikes me the Bigger the financial crime-the bigger the perp is thought off
