Like a band of gypsies, we run down the highway

The drive from Melbourne to Jacksonville was supposed to take 2.5 hours. It took almost 5.5. Why are there constantly wrecks on I-95 that require diverting traffic? And why don't patrolmen divert travelers earlier? It took me one hour to get to Cocoa, which should only take 20 minutes.

I took U.S. 1 the whole way to Ponte Vedra. I just cut out the Jacksonville leg completely. It was ridiculous. And the one time I tried to get back on 95, I was hit with more bad traffic.

You know, sometimes it's nice to return to your roots. I drove through Mims, Aurantia, Scottsmoor, Oak Hill, Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach (home of the Pretentious Heights wedding), Port Orange, Holly Hill, Korona, Bunnell, and on and such.

Let's not even get into the number of times my car was almost hit.

And people here in the southland think public transportation is a bad idea.

But at least Byron Leftwich is no longer with the Jags. It's a good day after all!

These little town blues are melting away

You Are New York

Cosmopolitan and sophisticated, you enjoy the newest in food, art, and culture. You also appreciate a good amount of grit - and very little shocks you. You're competitive, driven, and very likely to succeed. Famous people from New York: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Tupac Shakur, Woody Allen

What American City Are You?

Ms. Nerdy becomes Ms. Popular

So the newspaper team did not make the finals of the spelling bee. It was a crushing loss for yours truly, though I was delighted to make the team. Afterward, I hung out with some reporter types and met the new photog.

I got invited to a party! It's tonight!

Yeah, I'm pretty excited. And a few nights ago, I was really hungry late at night and went to Denny's. I started talking to this guy who was a bit toasty but nothing too bad. Eh. Making friends is long overdue, no matter the state of the making. Last night, the sports folks invited me to their start-of-preps drinking getaway after work. Space Land has a bar across the street, unlike the Nation's Oldest City. Further proof it's a "real paper."

Things are finally looking up. I get insurance next Saturday, just in time because I'm about out of everything and can't stand to overpay again for medicine. Amazing how $90 a month will save me $290, at least. And I think I'll get a new pair of work glasses. And I've got to see a chiropractor and dentist. Relief!

The sun'll come out ...

Tomorrow begins my first Melbourne-based weekend in a while. OK, so technically I was here two weeks ago, but I was carless. And broke.

I think this will be the fourth weekend I've stayed at the new home since moving 12 weeks ago. That's the bad part about being in-state; Jax is only a few hours away. The ride deflates my butt but being there renews my spirit. Yep, I'm homesick.

In addition to Actionville, I've gone to Camp Blanding/Orange Park (a real happening place), St. Petersburg and The District of Columbia. It's been nice, sure, but I'm ready to decompress. The last month has been especially tough with a four-time weekend visitor. (I'm glad for the visit, don't get me wrong; I just miss my own quiet space.)

At the same time, though, all that noise went away, mostly, on Sunday, and now my inner voice is screaming. It's been on mute for a long time. In a way, I'm glad it's screaming, because I can actually hear and understand it.

Like remembering that I really want to work at The Oxford American literary magazine and study at Ole Miss's College of Southern Studies and Culture. And live in Buenos Aires and travel throughout Europe. And rehabilitate a Craftsman- or Prairie-style house. And that literature is my first love.

And that I love museums and galleries and the like; I spent most of my alone time in St. Pete in the downtown galleries. By the way, I'm in love with that city and its Kenwood neighborhood. I'd love to live there and work at the Times, and some time live in The District and work at The Post or USA Today or whichever paper. Or maybe a book publisher.

I've taken some photos recently and they've been OK; I want to get reacquainted with my camera and do better. (Yes, I'm still shooting with film.)

And what about my heart? I don't know. I want something to last, as long as it's right for me. I'm beginning to think I'll never find that. I want a close friend to hold and comfort and be comforted by. How do I find that when I don't get out much outside of work? When I'm working as others are going out? I don't mind my work schedule, though sometimes I wish I could get a Friday or Saturday off on short notice.

I'm the alternate for a community-wide spelling bee tomorrow. Yes, I'm extremely disappointed that I'm merely the alternate. My best efforts at convincing the woman in charge to put me on the team did not work. But -- maybe I'll meet some people there. Perhaps I'll get a phone number, and not just for a potential date, but for plain old friends.

I'm so lonesome I could cry. Why can't Greysa be a person?

OK, enough of this wallowing. This was supposed to be an interesting post, not one mired in self-pity.

***

In other news, I bought my first copy of the Weekly World News today. Of course, it's the final print publication. But I thought I'd make one of my journalism professors proud. She always uses examples from WWN in her AP style quizzes.

Teacher educator prepares readies plans arranges situates

School starts in one week. Teachers returned to work today.

We ran one main story and two sidebars, with a few photos.

I had to write three main heds, two jumps, two sub heds and a few photo lead-ins, and never repeat the single point of all of those words: Teachers prepare for school.

Oh how I love small papers.

Congress shall make no law ...

Early deadline, so I'm cruising the Web.

www.newseum.org

I've just been checking out the virtual tour of the new Newseum. Oh, I'm drooling all over the keyboard. If I make it to a D.C. paper in the next few years, or whenever, I think I'll be a Newseum volunteer.

It was cool enough to walk by the building in July and see the entire text of the First Amendment carved into granite, facing Pennsylvania Avenue. I can't wait to get on the first floor and see Pulitzer Prize photos, or the second-floor Ethics Center. Just reading about the fourth-floor 9/11 gallery gave me chills. And then there's the two-level shopping area, with all sorts of newsy stuff.

I can read an analysis of newspaper front pages, and find this little gem: "Florida Today, of Melbourne, echoes financial hysterics with 'Credit worries sink Dow' and is one paper guaranteed to mention that the 'Shuttle arrives at space station today.' " (The founder of Florida Today and USA Today is also the founder of the Freedom Forum, which is part of Newseum. But I'm not that guy.)

I can see front pages from all aroudn the world. I know how to get to Newseum from every airport and which Metro lines to take. But I can't find when the @#$%*^& place opens!

That's why it's good to have a friend in The District who is as eager to visit Newseum as I. He can read the City Paper and let me know.

What's your vision of the future?

OK, so it's slow time at work. Maybe I'll update the blog with more than just "I'm not dead" fodder.

So how do I want this blog to be? I don't know. Tough to say. I don't want to go so far as to end each with an open-ended question, but I don't want it to be so narrow that no one reads. Hm. I'll figure that out as I go, I suppose.

Funny how I now don't have much to say.

I"m really worried about my eyesight. This should be blatant now, as I've shared this concern with my mother and the boy. I used to have perfect vision. Now, everything is in soft focus.

At the DMV last month, the guy behind the counter said I barely passed the visual exam and that I should have my eyes checked. I told him I have glasses but didn't think I could wear them.

Around Sept. 1, when new insurance starts, I'll be able to have a new exam done and get new lenses for one pair of glasses. I don't really want new frames, as I really love both pairs. Although new work glasses wouldn't be a bad thing if I got them tinted.

Anyway, the point is that I don't understand why my visin has become less clear so quickly. For more than 20 years, it was great. In the last five or so, it's drastically changed. That's scary.

Eureka!

Wow, I found my login info. I may start posting more. Yippee.