Let me tell you about Karma. A couple of weeks ago I was standing outside of Rattlesnake Jake's, a locals hangout that I have always kind of considered as a home base for my beach antics, talking to a few of my smoker friends. I don't smoke (anymore) but it was nice out and it's fun to watch the tourists walk by. I looked over to the street and spied a wallet on the ground between two cars. Walked over, picked it up and, of course, looked inside. Inside was $100 Euro, $600 American and all the important passport/papers for an Italian tourist. Well, you could imagine the variety of suggestions that the local color had to offer, but me, being the nice guy who I am, decided I would do what I would want someone else to do for me. I am a firm believer that what goes around comes around, simply put, Karma. Besides, a similar situation occurred a while back and the guy gave me $50 to pay my tab when he came back to claim his wallet so I figured I would stay true to my conscience. Anyway, I studied the Italian's picture from his papers and I knew he couldn't be far. I could certainly not miss his wealthy middle aged Euro styling. Lo and behold, there he was with friends, none of whom spoke English, at a table at an outdoor cafe. I walked up, looked at him, looked at the picture and said, "Mr. Blah Blah Blah (I can't remember the weird, hard to pronounce name), I believe this is yours. You should be glad I am one of the good Americans." Whereupon he proceeded to look at me, take the wallet, give a perfunctory nod, mumble A short "thank you" and return immediately to his food and friends like I did not exist. Did not even offer to buy me a beer for all the grief I saved him in a foreign land with no ID. I am always dressed appropriately and well groomed so I don't think he would have been afraid of me. He was just rude. No big deal but apparently, as I was told upon returning to my friends, he waited for me to turn and he immediately checked the contents of his wallet. That too I understand but it did not go over well with the folks outside the bar who know my integrity. Even Rasta Man was really pissed and spouting off some unusually mean spirited Jamaican sounding banter. All I know is that I can't worry about other people's Karma. I can only worry about my own. If the guy wanted to be an ass that's his problem. I felt good.
Next day when I went for my run I started finding change on the ground. About 30 cents in all. Then, later on, I had a high tech epiphany and was able to correct a computer problem that I was prepared to spend over $75 on to repair. Cool. Then, a few hours later when I got the mail, I received a check from the phone company for $125 because they had apparently been overcharging me on a bundled package deal for the last year. Karma, I thought. That night I found out that in Italy there is a law that says if you find money and track down the person who owns it you are entitled , by law, to 1/3 of the money. As fate would have it, I received approximately 1/3 of what was in the guys wallet within 24 hours of it's return. Karma. I sure hate to think what the rest of that guys week was like!

I'm back! Did you miss me? Well, it has taken this long since Wilma hit (that bitch!) to find time to do a little creative writing. I am actually at O'Hare in Chicago waiting for a connecting flight to Lansing, MI. Taking some classes at Michigan State this week.

OK, hurricane Wilma made things quite a mess. It will take quite a while to recover here. So many beautiful trees gone. A category 3 when the eye crossed my place. It was bad. Curfews. No power, water, phone. You saw the news reports. 'Nough said. I have posted a couple pictures I took but descriptions do not do her justice. You really have to live these storms. Amazing power. My most interesting observation: The beauty of the night sky. That's right. Normally the nighttime satellite images of South Florida show us lit up like a Christmas tree. Terrible light pollution. But with no power the night sky was absolutely stunning. You would have to be miles out to sea or in the middle of the everglades to see that view again.

What else has been going on? Well, I was having a cocktail at Luna Rosa on the beach and met a burly old sea captain who was a friend of Edward Sewell (I think that's the name). He was the captain of the Edmond Fitzgerald. You know, the old Gordon Lightfoot song. Well this guy had just returned from the 30th anniversary memorial service at that little chapel on Lake Superior. It was an interesting conversation.

I saw Rare Earth at the Fireman's Challenge here on the beach. Firefighters from all over compete in these arduous tests of skill and endurance. It's pretty cool watching them pass out in the heat. Rare Earth was really great. There was hardly anybody there. You could dance right in front of the stage. They are ancient now though. If you can't remember their songs do a quick Google. You would be surprised how you know them all. They were the only white band ever signed by Motown. It was fun.

I went to Art Basil at the Miami Convention Center. It's an international contemporary art exhibit. World class and highly regarded in the international art world. I saw some great stuff. Some of it so strange I do not attempt to describe it. The people were just as interesting. I liked their fashions and hair styles. London, Paris, NY, LA. Hot hot.

I watched the Christmas boat parade come down the intracoastal waterway. All the decorated boats and fireworks. A buddy had a really nice party at his house on the waterway and we all got trashed and watched it there. Top notch event. All the finest top shelf beverages, char-grilled beef tenderloins, boats and boats of the finest sushi and so on. Excellent time had by all.

For Christmas I flew my Daughter, Son and his girlfriend down here for the week and we had a blast. Photos in gallery. Sorry kids. Did all of the tourist stuff. Airboat rides through the everglades, sushi, the beach and so on but the highlight for all was going to see the Chihuly exhibit/installation at the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens in Miami. Chihuly is one of the best glass artist in the world and his works are integrated into one of the finest tropical botanical gardens in the world. It's phenomenal, whimsical, like being in a Dr. Seuss book. PLEASE check out the links below!

http://www.chihuly.com/installations/fairchild/

http://www.fairchildgarden.org/

I was in a weird part of Miami the other day. Near the docks. Lots of scrap metal dealers. Very ethnic, Hispanic and Caribbean/Haitian. Driving down the street taking in the sights, sounds and smells and saw the following: A pickup truck with 55 gallon drums of dead fish carcasses that were already stripped of there fillets. No attempt to keep fresh. Looked like red snapper. Pretty stinky. Where do you think they were going with that? Looked over and saw a one legged black man riding a bike. Think of that. He did not have any special clip or harness on the pedal like you sometimes see so he had to push down and then pull up with his one leg to propel himself. He was zipping down the sidewalk honking a big old fashion squeeze bike horn and hollering at hookers to get out of his way. Pretty weird, aye?