I recently visited my sister, Linda down in Naples, Florida.  Other than the fact that I hadn’t seen Linda in a few months, my house was being tented as drywood termites are a menace in the south.  Preparation for this event is taxing and so much more work than I anticipated but necessary to ensure that all consumables remain safe.

So, once the house was ready for the invasion of the pest control people, Chloe and I loaded up the car for our trek south.  This trip was to be Chloe’s inaugural ride in her new doggie seat.  Remember, Chloe and I are going on a huge 5,000 mile trip together this summer.  So, I wanted to make sure she was a willing little participant.

I have to tell you, she was a great little companion.  I strapped the seat high enough so she could see out the window and she was a very happy little camper.  The direct route from St. Pete to Naples is Route 75—a particularly monotonous road.  Not being a fan of high speed highways (I tend to get bored and sleepy), I got off after Sarasota, scooted over to Tamiani Trail and drove leisurely down the coast.

Linda and I had a wonderful visit.  We shopped in stores where I couldn’t afford to buy anything, ate a delicious dinner in this tiny little Italian bistro hidden away in a strip mall, went to a tasting at Total Wine and sipped eight different French wines while learning their origins—definitely have to do that up here.

Then, Linda belongs to a boat club which gives its members a lot of possibilities in that they get to pick whatever type boat to fit whatever mood or occasion.   She and Fritz (her significant other) took out a deck boat and the three of us (plus Chloe) went cruising along the waterways around Naples.  Going into and out of some of the intercoastal fingers we saw mansions that most of us can only dream about.  Some of these houses had garages for these HUGE yachts.  This was just one…  

But, here’s the thing.  All this money yet they are not exempt from the phenomenon known as red tide.

A red tide is a higher-than-normal concentration of a microscopic alga (plant-like organisms). In Florida, the species that causes most red tides is Karenia brevis. This organism produces a toxin that can affect the central nervous system of fish. At high concentrations (called a bloom); the organisms may discolor the water. However, red tides are not always red. They can appear greenish, brownish, and even purple in color. The water can even remain its normal color during a bloom. .

Sad.  We noticed that in some areas we were suffering coughing and itchy eyes and, unfortunately, we also observed many dead fish as we cruised these very expensive waterways.

Despite that, we had a very enjoyable ride and the whole trip was a welcome respite after tax season.  Back at home and getting ready for Peru and Panama!

Tonight, I was relaxing, catching up on some DVR’d shows and found myself entertained more by Spectrum TV commercials than the show — hilarious, entertaining, memorable, with a message I can actually remember.  Of course, most of the television shows I watch aren’t exactly meant to be entertaining since my genre of choice is crime or murder television.  Luckily for me, Investigation ID satisfies this macabre fascination of mine.

Always a voracious reader, as a child I devoured Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys before graduating to Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, and Arthur Conan Doyle.  I remember my mother worried about my choice in reading matter when I would come home from the library with books all about crime and especially murder.  What she never really understood was that my fascination was focused primarily on the investigation and apprehension of criminals rather than with the criminals.

In fact, back in 1972, after J. Edgar Hoover died, the FBI finally began hiring women and I was determined to be one of them.  What many people don’t know is that Hoover, one of the FBI’s most prominent directors, served for 48 years! While he was considered an American hero for most of that time, according to the Washington Post, after his death the extent to which he abused his power was revealed. The Post describes his transgressions as including “covert black-bag jobs, warrantless surveillance of civil rights leaders and Vietnam-era peace activists, use of secret files to bully government officials, snooping on movie stars and senators, and the rest.”  Interesting…doesn’t some of this sound familiar, hmm….

Anyway, during the Hoover years, there were few women who worked for the FBI.  Some reports say that the few women FBI employees he inherited were fired.  I haven’t found confirmation of that particular fact but it is definite that additional women were not hired.  After J. Edgar’s death, in 1972, a ten-year term limit was established for the Director of the FBI and finally, women could be hired.

Applicants were required to be US citizens, hold either a law school or four-year accounting degree graduate, be between the ages of 23 and 41, and in good physical shape.  I graduated from college when I was 25 and excited about my future as a law enforcement official.  So, armed with my accounting degree, I walked into the FBI office in Philadelphia asking for an application.  Imagine my distress when I discovered that I was not eligible because of something completely beyond my control.  One requirement of which I was unaware was the minimum height eligible was five feet seven inches without shoes!

I am not remotely that tall—even wearing stilettos!  That particular rule was changed about one and a half years after I graduated but, to be honest, I didn’t even discover that fact until researching this post.  My life might have been completely different had I known.

Anyway, I have had a good life and the crime and murder topic obsession has remained with me to this day.  I don’t go anywhere without a book and pretty much, if my television is on, it is usually either crime tv or Fox News.  Boring, right?  Well, it is my life and I get to pick what interests me.  One strange thing I cannot explain is that I enjoy fictional crime when reading but true crime when watching tv.

YAY!  Today is Tax Day!  Usually this occurs on April 15^th, unless the 15^th falls on a weekend, as it did this year.  Then, we have Emancipation Day, a holiday in Washington DC celebrated on April 16^th, thus extending this most important due date an extra day this year.  This day strikes anxiety in the hearts of many and according to many news reports, about 1 in 5 filers wait until the last two weeks before actually filing.  Back in the day, you would see long lines of cars waiting to drop off returns to get that coveted postmark before midnight on the tax filing deadline date.  If you are still old school enough to paper file, USPS does still offer extended hours for procrastinators in many locations but most are no longer as late as midnight.

E-filing has changed that experience and you can file as late as midnight or you can file an extension but be aware that an extension is not for payment of any tax due.  It is only for the paperwork.  And, then you will be faced with another due date – October 15.

2017 tax season is almost over!  You would think that after working so hard I would be looking forward to laying around, watching television, eating bonbons…whatever is a bonbon anyway?  Of course, I have made myself a list of typical and mundane tasks one must accomplish when work doesn’t get in the way — cleaning closets, donating clothes I haven’t worn in over a year, gardening, figuring out what in my shed is important enough to keep.

But, this year, I also have big travel plans.  Between the end of tax season and mid-September, I plan to be away from home overnight at least 58 nights! First, in late April, Chloe and I are taking a short little drive for several days to Naples, Florida to visit my sister, Linda.

Then, in May, I fly to Lima, Peru followed by junkets to Puerto Maldonado, staying in an eco-lodge deep in the Taricaya Reserve, then onward to Cusco and Machu Picchu. After that, I’m off to Panama for several days to explore the canal and take an aerial tram through the jungle. After this adventure, due to the vagaries of American Airline’s schedule, I “get” to spend a night in Miami before finally heading home.  My originally booked flight from Panama included a two-hour delay in Miami before my flight to Tampa but recently American decided to cancel the evening flight and replaced it with one in the morning.  Lucky me.

Throughout my life, I’ve spent time in 44 of our 50 states and, as of now, have not been to Alaska, Oregon, North Dakota, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Maine.  So, when I realized I had almost the entire summer free, I decided a trip to New Hampshire and Maine simply had to happen.  This trip started with my planning a flight to Maine, renting a car, and driving around Maine and New Hampshire.  Of course, how could I not drive into New Brunswick, PEI, and Nova Scotia once I was so close?  Then, I have a friend in Cape Cod who has been after me to visit so I decided, why not.  I have family in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware so it seemed selfish to be so close and not visit.

You can see what happened.  This trip mushroomed to such a point that I decided I might as well expand it even more and take my little dog. So…

After Panama, I’ll be at home for just about a month and then, in early July, Chloe and I will take off on an epic 5,000 mile plus, five to six week road trip — Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.  I found an awesome website, Bring Fido — great inspiration as to where to stay and eat with my companion.

A couple of weeks after we return, I’m flying to Toledo, Ohio where my friend, Cheryl, is picking me up to go to Angola, Indiana for a few days.

When I get home, I may just lay around for a couple of days, watch tv, and eat bonbons.

I am all for looking forward and I can prove that I embrace technology as a welcome tool.  Back in the early 1980’s, I shelled out approximately $3,000 to own my very own “compact” Compaq computer.  This “portable” machine weighed about 30 pounds, had a nine-inch screen, and I believe two floppy drives.  I lugged this baby to my office every day and I was so proud to show it off to clients and my fellow workers.  I have owned a computer ever day since then but, of course, upgrade every couple of years to a newer version.  I mean, technology continues its race and we have to keep up.

But, I guess because I use computers for work, I have never used my computers for gaming.  I’d rather read or play live games for leisure.  It just so happens that I spent the other night playing team checkers.  My nine year old niece, Arianna, and I played against my sister, Mary Pat, and my six year old niece, Katie.  Competitive beings that we are, each of us became engrossed in the challenge of anticipating the other’s moves, thinking several moves ahead.  The evening was immensely enjoyable, making me nostalgic for simpler times when we engaged with each other making our own entertainment.

Later, I was surprised to see an episode of Blue Bloods that ended with the family sitting together playing a game.  Perhaps I am not alone in remembering what fun can be had by putting down our devices and laughing with each other.

While this isn’t my first blog, it is the first time I have decided to put my thoughts (as opposed to my travels) online.  Right now I am deep into tax season but the end is near.  I love preparing tax returns and helping people prepare their own.  To me, tax returns are like little puzzles–each one is unique and challenging.  But, the best thing is I earn enough money during tax season so I can travel!  I have a few trips planned this summer and am anxiously awaiting them but first, we have to get past the 17th of April…