Out to sea and beyond.........

The great migration out of Florida is about to start.  In another week or two the seasonal residents (snowbirds) will be heading north and the spring breakers will be back in school.  The roads, restaurants and life in general around the sunshine state will become more manageable once again.   Paradise restored on AMI!
In honor of this return to normalcy Beth and I are going to be heading out as well.  We'll be heading out early Wednesday morning going first to Boston for about a 10 hour layover.  Because of a little minor procedure I had on my leg earlier this week to remove some skin caner (a common occurance for me) I'm having to stay off my feet as much as possible for a few more days.  So instead of venturing into town we'll simply hunker down in the airport's Priority Lounge.  In the evening we'll be flying from Boston to the Azores which are a group of 9 islands owned by Portugal. These islands are located in the North Atlantic about 850 miles from the mainland of Portugal.  They are not very well known but are similar to the Canary Islands which are owned by Spain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azores
http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/nature-travel/azores-islands-vacation
http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/travel-destination-trend-why-to-visit-the-azores
We'll be spending three weeks on the island of Terceira at the Terceira Mar Hotel.  I'm very excited about it because it's a place I've never been (Beth visited one of the Azores on an "old lady trip"), it's right on the ocean, there isn't much to do (I do nothing really well) and there are only 56,000 people on the 153 square mile island.  Kinda right up our alley!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terceira_Island
http://www.bensaude.pt/terceiramarhotel/en/
After three weeks of what promises to be a pretty laid back pace it's going to pick up a bit.  We fly back to Boston for one day where if all goes according to plan we'll be able to spend a bit of time with my brother Gerald and his wife Melanie who are going to be enjoying a few days in the area.  We then fly from Boston back across the big pond to Israel.  I won't go into too much detail right now but we have a few days in Israel and Jordan.  There'll be plenty of time to blog about this part of the adventure while staring at the water from Terceira.
Here we go again, time to pull out the backpack!

While sitting in the back yard the other day we were joined by four White Ibises. The brown and white one on the sea wall is a juvenile.  The daily bird show is always fascinating.  The other morning a Bald Eagle flew a little too close to the Osprey nest across the canal and we had a mid-air battle between two huge birds.  Although slightly smaller, the Osprey did an amazing job protecting the nest. 

    

A Moving Experience!

A month ago today all I knew about Bloomington, Indiana was it is where the University of Indiana is located.  Today I really don't know much more about it other than it's 915 miles from Burleson, Texas and it's about a 16 hour drive.  Over the month Ben interviewed for a position, accepted the position, wrapped up his work in Texas, and with a little help from Pa and some good friends packed up his belongings and moved to Bloomington.  He is now the General Manager at the Lake Monroe Jellystone Camp-Resort.  I think I'll be learning more about Bloomington in the days ahead.
https://www.lakemonroejellystone.com/
I flew out to Texas last Friday night, but I wasn't flying alone.  Sarah and Sweet Baby James were on the flight with me to Dallas.    They kept going back to California where I'm sure Joey was anxiously awaiting their return.  I headed to Burleson where it was time to pack up and hit the road.  Saturday was dedicated to loading the truck.  Thanks to the help of some good friends we were able to get this accomplished pretty quickly.  The 16 foot Penske Truck, and Ben's car were loaded to capacity and then a little bit more.
We left Burleson at 3:30 AM on Sunday morning.  Ben and his friend Joni were in his car and Allie (Ben's Dog) and I were sharing intelligent conversation in the truck.  Beth would have loved to have been with us but remained in Florida making sure that NaNa was not misbehaving.  Sixteen hours later and with our sanity somewhat still intact we arrived at his new home.  The last things we packed on the truck were the mattresses which were the only thing we unpacked Sunday night.
Monday we started converting the house into a "home" and I think we did a fine job.  After unloading Ben and Joni started concentrating on the "mancave" and his extensive collection of sports memorabilia, while I was organizing the upstairs area.  I flew back Tuesday afternoon and Joni flew back to Texas earlier today.  While there are still boxes to unpack, it's looking pretty darn good. Especially since Bloomington, Indiana wasn't even on the radar screen a month before moving in!
Oh yeah, one other thing.  The Tucker Family NCAA Basketball Bracket Challenge is coming to a close.  What's a given is that Ben is going to be the Grand Champion and Beth is going to be the Grand Loser.  NaNa rode her Seminole's to a next to last place finish.  Sarah and Joey are tied for second but have no teams left in the final four.  I can pass them and finish in second place with a Villanova win.  It's always fun!

Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and finally Indiana!  Fourteen hours if you don't need to eat, get gas or go to the bathroom.

Just a small part of the Mancave

The back upper deck of  Ben's house

Hanging the first picture in the living room

The front of the house............very nice and it's included as part of the General Manager position!

Allie could barely contain her excitement when I told her she would be riding with me all the way to Bloomington!

 

300!

There are several two year anniversaries coming up in the near future.   March 31 was the day we closed on the sale of the house and became intentionally homeless.  April 29 was the day I turned in the keys and retired.  But the first of the two year anniversaries is coming up in just five days.  It was on this day (March 27), which happened to also be Easter, that I wrote the first blog.  This blog is mainly to document our travels as we roam the world.  I like to include a little bit about where we are visiting as well as some details on interesting places we visited, things we did or where we ate.  Every now and then just for kicks I'll throw in something non-travel related that crosses my shallow mind.  The blog is available to anyone who wants to read it.  It was important to us for it not to be like FaceBook, so it's not going pop up on anyone's computer just because we're "friends".  If you want to read it you have to go to the site.
The site I use (blogger.com) doesn't give me any information on who is reading the blog so I didn't have any data to sell to the Trump or Clinton campaign.  The only stats that I get are how many blogs I've written (300) and the total number of page views.  Since the first blog almost two years ago there have been 15,920 page views. 
Two years ago I knew we were embarking on an amazing journey.  It's been more than I could have ever imagined.  We're grateful every day and try really hard to make sure we never take it for granted.  Thanks for following along!
Now as far as this week with Ben, Sarah and James with us,  we're having a great time.  James is definitely winning!  The little fella's got some serious energy!

Me and my best buddy getting ready for a little Spring Training Baseball at LECOM Park in Bradenton, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates

James enjoying the sand and surf!

Visually impaired pedestrians on a scenic bike lane.  Two signs you don't usually see together! 

  

An Island Style St. Patricks Day Parade on Island Time

It's an extra special time right now on AMI.  Beth, NaNa and I went to Tampa yesterday (Saturday) afternoon to pick up Sarah and Sweet Baby James.  It's a long way from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Tampa Bay Area but James (and Sarah) handled the flight like a real troopers.  He and Sarah stepped off the airport shuttle with big smiles on their faces, happy to be off the plane with MiMi, Poppi and Great Grandmother NaNa waiting.
This morning Ben took an early flight from Dallas and joined us.  It's so awesome for us all to be under one roof for a few days.  It's the first time we've all been together since September and the only thing that would make it more special would be if Joey was with us.  He's holding down the fort in California this week.  Ben's had a crazy busy few weeks wrapping things up in Burleson and getting ready for his move to Bloomington.   His team gave him a very nice and well deserved send off.  
It was a fun Sunday complete with a cook out as well as some beach time in the morning and evening.  There was even a special event we had forgotten about.  Out here on the island there are three parades per year that I know of, Christmas, 4th of July and St. Patrick's Day.  All of them are similar, involving a bunch of golf carts, antique cars and boats being pulled on trailers.  We're always on the island when the 4th of July parade steps off.  We've seen the Christmas parade quite a few times but have only experienced the St. Patrick's Day parade once or twice in the distant past..  Maybe it's because it's during the middle of the high season and there are about a billion people on the island or maybe it's because it's a good excuse to wear green and drink beer, but the St. Patrick's Day parade is clearly the mother of the three island parades.  In addition to the golf carts, cars and boats on trailers stretching as far as the eye could see there were multiple marching bands, bagpipe bands and a bunch of camels. 
Things on the island pretty much operate on "island time", meaning it happens when it happens and the same was true for the St. Patrick's Day parade..............it was Sunday afternoon, the day after St. Patrick's Day!  Maybe those camels were booked for something else yesterday!
There are spring training baseball games, more cook outs, walks, eating at some of our favorite places, and beach time on the agenda, all while trying to keep up with a twenty month old!  It's going to be a doozy!

James showing his Great NaNa how to use an i-Pad

Last year he wouldn't touch the sand, this year he loves it!

MiMi, Poppi and SBJ

Camels on Gulf Drive

Floridians?

Home" to me is where you make it and at times it's truly where the heart is.  For close to 26 years "home" to us was Texas.  It was a great place to live, work and raise two wonderful children.  We enjoyed it tremendously, but we weren't "Real Texans".  Just ask any of our real Texas friends and they'll tell you.  Even after that much time we were more shorts and flip flops than jeans and boots kind of people.   
Since retiring and selling our home we have maintained our residency in Texas, but with Ben's upcoming move we've reestablished ourselves as Florida residents!  Thanks to the exceptionally friendly folks at the Manatee County Tax Collectors Office the car now has a Florida tag, we have Florida drivers licenses and we're registered to vote in Florida (and we know how well voting in Florida goes).
Even though most of our time is spent traveling around the globe, we still need a place to call "home" when people ask where we "live".  We spend more time in Florida than anywhere else and we now have our legal mailing address here.  It is where we were born and have spent the majority of our lives, so it looks like we're back.........at least every once in a while.


An update on that Family Feud (Basketball Bracket Challenge).  After the first round games Ben and Joey are battling it out for the top spot.   University of Maryland Baltimore County over Virginia..........didn't see that coming!

Family Feud!

I've never been much of a basketball fan (college or pro) other than for about three weeks in March.  The three weeks starts tomorrow with the first round games of the NCAA tournament.  To be honest, my interest usually wanes pretty quickly once my Gators get whipped and/or my bracket gets busted, which usually doesn't take long.
This year there is a little added interest as we have a genuine family feud developing amongst the Tuckers.  All four of our respective schools are in the tournament.  Not only did they all make it but three of them are in the same bracket.
Sarah's Texas Tech Red Raiders play Ben's Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in the first round.  If the Gators can somehow manage to beat St. Bonaventure they'll play the winner of the Red Raiders/Lumberjacks game.  Beth's Florida State Seminoles are in another bracket and the only way they'll play the Gators, Red Raiders or Lumberjacks would be in the National Championship Game.................. don't hold your breath on that happening!
It'll be fun for us for a game or two.  Let the games begin!

The order of the logo's doesn't imply academic or athletic superiority.  They are simply in order form the oldest to the youngest alumni.........that's my story and I'm sticking with it.



Hoosier

It's been a crazy week for the Tuckers and it looks like the nuttiness will continue for the next month.  There's one person to blame for all of this and that's Ben.  Last week he was attending a conference in Cincinnati.  While he was there he was approached about an opportunity to move into a General Managers positions at the Lake Monroe Jellystone in Bloomington, Indiana.  It was quite an honor to be asked to interview and then offered the job.  In spite of all the positives it still wasn't an easy decision to leave behind the team he has assembled at his present position as well as his house that he purchased less than three years ago.  Ultimately it was too good of an offer to turn down so he's Indiana bound!
Tomorrow night I'll be flying out to help him start packing.  Beth will be staying at the beach with her mother.  I'll be back in Florida late Tuesday night.  Next Saturday Sarah and Sweet Baby James (SBJ) will be flying cross country to spend a week with us.  Of course NaNa can hardly wait to spend a little more time with her first, and as for now, only Great Grandchild.  Last time they were here we were trying to teach him to walk.  He's got that mastered and he will be keeping us on our toes.  Ben will finish up next Saturday evening and then fly down Sunday morning.  It'll be great for all of us to be under one roof for a week.
After what will certainly be a busy but fun week, Sarah and SBJ will be flying back to California to where I'm certain Joey will be happy to have them back.  Ben and I fly back to Texas, finish packing and we're off to the land of the Hoosiers!
Whew!  It's gonna be a busy time for all of us for a while, but also an exciting time!
https://www.lakemonroejellystone.com/

James and NaNa sharing a little food on his last visit to Florida (July, 2017)

On the City Pier last July (before Hurricane Irma)

Spending the night with the Giants

Our trip out west was a good one from beginning to end.  We finished it up with two full days and one night in Phoenix/Scottsdale.  While there we took in two spring training games as well as roamed around Old Scottsdale for a bit.
I've been to numerous spring training games in Florida through the years.  Spring training in Florida is known as the Grapefruit League.  In Arizona it's appropriately known as the Cactus League.  At the risk of disappointing the state of my birth, Arizona does spring training much better than Florida.  The main difference is that in Florida the teams are spread out from the east coast to the west coast and from Disney World down to Fort Myers.  In Arizona all the teams are clustered around Phoenix.  There are 10 stadiums all within about a 30 minute radius.  For the fan of a specific team or just a baseball fan, Arizona gives you a great chance to see a bunch of teams without a bunch of driving.  The games were made even more fun because Beth and I had a special guest with us.  Ben flew out Monday morning and back to Dallas Tuesday night at about the same time that we flew out.
Monday we enjoyed seeing the Cubs and Rockies at Salt River Fields (home of the Rockies and Diamondbacks).  After the game we made the short drive to downtown Scottsdale to the "Old Scottsdale" area.  This area has numerous shops, restaurants, etc. and was full of baseball fans decked out in their favorite teams gear. Yesterday we went to the Dodgers/Cubs game at Sloan Park (home of the Cubs).  We had about 6 different games both days that we could have picked but these looked like the best matchups and you can never go wrong with the cubbies.
https://saltriverfields.com/
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/sloan-park/
https://www.visitphoenix.com/things-to-do/old-town-scottsdale/
http://frankandlupes.com/
Thanks to Brian Peacock we had a chance to say hello to Ian Desmond of the Colorado Rockies.  Ian and Brian grew up playing baseball together and Ian was recently in Brian's wedding.  Brian arranged a "code word" with Ian that we were to call him by when we saw him.  It worked perfectly and I'd give you the "code word" but then I'd have to kill you.
As you have probably figured out by now, baseball is everywhere this time of the year in Phoenix.  This was true even at our hotel.  After some nice Mexican food at Frank and Lupes we decided on an evening soak in the hot tub at our hotel.  There were two young men sitting in there when we arrived.  We struck up a conversation and soon learned that they were both pitchers for the San Francisco Giants.  They were extremely nice and shared with us their individual stories.  Conner was from Florida and was drafted out of high school.  Doug was from Missouri and had played college ball at Missouri State.  He led his team to a Super Regional (one step away from the college world series) against TCU in his final season.  Both are just starting the extremely difficult climb to the major leagues.  They also shared with us that the great majority of the rooms in the hotel where we were staying were occupied with minor leaguers from the Giants organization.  We were spending the night with the Giants! 
They were very friendly young men who appreciate the opportunity and are enjoying the ride.  They've got three new fans in Beth, Ben and I who will be cheering for them throughout their careers.  We jokingly told them the "Code Word" story and even made up one if we run into them somewhere down the line.  The code word we agreed on was naturally "Hot Tub".
Utah, where we started our trip, and Arizona where we finished up were really nice.  But it sure was great to see palm trees and the Gulf of Mexico again on our walk this morning.  We'd been away from the water for close to a month!
Arizona may be the best when it comes to Spring Training Baseball but their beaches just don't compare to the gulf coast of the Sunshine State!

Cactus League at it's best!

Salt River Field   Cubs/Rockies Game

Salt River Field

Outside Salt River Fields Stadium  The practice fields are in front of us

Ian Desmond signing a ball that will be added to Ben's collection of over 400 autographed balls.

Guess where?

Outside Sloan Park-Home of the Cubs



Cubs/Dodgers at Sloan Park.  Former Ranger and Dodger Yu Darvish made his first start for his new team (Cubs).  He threw two innings and gave up one run.