It seems there are no songs about barbecue. How sad.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- North Florida begins to look like fall in late December. The sycamore and oak leaves begin to turn red, while the various vines turn a lovely golden color. It isn't like Maine, but we take what we can get in the land of pines of palms. Also, it's quite warm up here. I wore a short-sleeved shirt yesterday until sundown, then put on a fleece sweater.

Been in the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Statistical Area since Thursday, and I've seen my brother, father, stepmother and her family. Last night, we went to Bono's Barbecue for dinner. Bono's is a Jacksonville-based restaurant that makes ribs, chicken and pork just how I like it: dripping in sweet sauce and falling off the bone.

Before leaving Melbourne, I had dinner at Dustin's Barbecue, a place with most locations in Volusia County. Dustin's is like Sonny's, only not as good. The portions are smaller, the price is higher, the beans are too soupy; the sweet tea and sliced pork were excellent, though. There just wasn't enough for the price tag. Melbourne just can't do barbecue. Maybe it's the red tide. Or the lagoon. Or the flame trench. Or the proliferation of space and defense contractors. Anyway, the meat's usually too dry.

Sonny's, of course, is my personal favorite of chains with many locations. It was the second-nicest restaurant in Bradford County and was started in Gainesville, so it holds a special place in my heart.

While here in Actionville, though, I'd like to visit Jenkins Quality Barbecue. It's my favorite Jax place. There's something kind of thrilling about knowing I could be shot while waiting for my half-chicken dinner with mixed sauce. (OK, there really is not.) Plus, I always get a second chicken for James, my homeless friend over by the Karpeles Museum. I'm overdue for checking on him.

OK, I need to get ready and go meet my dad. Don't know what we're doing today.

*If you know of any songs about barbecue, send them my way. Long-term readers will know my titles are usually song lyrics relating to the theme of the post.

Fiiiiiiive gooooooold riiiings, BA DUM DUM DUM

Recently, I've been thinking about an old Christmas album featuring The Muppets and John Denver. I'm not sure what brought it on, but I've really got an itch now to pick up the disc or the LP. Well, I'd love to have the LP but I wouldn't be able to listen to it.

Earlier, I found it on Amazon for less than $10. I have the chance to get a $25 online gift card and had been considering Amazon; now it's set. What was the hook that pulled me offstage like The Great Gonzo? The samples of each song. Unfortunately, it doesn't include the best part of "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

It took me back to hear just those snippets, though. I could see my childhood living room, trees from years past, could see my brother and parents decorating and all of us singing together. I miss those days more than I miss a big city. It's very likely that I'll cry the first time I listen to the album.

I hate Murdoch and Fox News, but man, I love the cartoons on Fox

Hey there, hi there ho there Blogger neighbors. In Jacksonville (PVB, actually) and look, I can update this here bloggy. Amazing. Looks like something in the new work computer doesn't like Blogger. Grrrr.

So what's happened since the last update? Oy, hard to say now. My mom's in CT being a nurse, snowed in, and doesn't want to see snow for the rest of her life. Which, according to something she told my brother, may only be 10 more years. Excuse me? WTF? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, we're not 10-4.

Tonight I did most of the laundry and burned all the photo CDs. I could mail them tomorrow if I didn't still have so many cards to write. That's the thing about weekends: I have so much I want to accomplish, yet I want nothing more than to relax. Well, this time next week, I'll be on vacation. Yee-haw!

Speaking of vacay, I still don't have anything planned. I'm going to a concert in ORL on the 30th, but nothing else is really set. My dad said he might be in Jax, but that's not certain. I want to have some kind of post-Christmas swap your bad gift/ swap secret gifts/ white elephant ornament party. I haven't yet picked the theme (or the date), but it should be after I bring down the furniture.

For so long, I couldn't sleep at night. Now, I'm barely making it past 4 a.m. This is a good thing. This means I should go to bed NOW.

I got a lumbar rest for work and used it while driving to Jax. I think I'll get one for the car. It was quite nice.

My brother and I watched "The Simpsons Movie." It was awesome.

My brother's new monitor is gargantuan. I told him I should have such a thing at work. I think the width is equal to my television at home (25"). Crazy.

On this weekend's agenda: Get new glasses at brother's work, have photos taken with brother downtown, go shooting with Matt in the evening of pretty Jax "night lights," maybe deliver old photos to friends and family of exes -- photos that friends and family would want, meaning none of me and lots of them, write cards to be mailed with CDs and put in mail, write the rest of the cards, check mail at old mailbox, drive to Melly on Friday. Can I do it all? Probably not. Most of it would be fabulous. I should go to bed so I can get started. Heh.

I'll try to update some more while I can. Miss me when I can't update!