Road works at Caroline and William Streets.
Flooding is endemic to these streets after heavy rains and supposedly they will be digging deeper wells to take care of the problem. The Central American Indian navvies will, with their shovels. This guy was sitting snug on his bulldozer.
The end result of all the roadwork around town is lots of dark strips of asphalt across the streets.
And one hopes, a lot less flooding.
The process seems endless. 
While stopped at Searstown for a movie (The American, which I enjoyed) I spotted a nearly pristine little Honda Elite, purple in color.
It was a nostalgic moment for me. When my wife and I were living on our boat we had a scooter just like this. I used to commute by bicycle but in the summer months after a day out on the water being a boat captain a cycle ride was tough to take.
My wife cut her scooter riding teeth on a Honda just like this one. She used to buzz round town checking on her young probationers on her scooter. At the time she was working her way into being a teacher and she had a job as a Juvenile Probation Officer which involved her riding around town to check on her kids.
I remember that scooter very fondly, a tireless workhorse that ran and ran and gave us no problems. We replaced a tired belt and weights and after that it could keep up reasonably easily with traffic on the main streets in Key West. It was small, light, practical and great fun.
It cost us $600 and we sold it for nearly as much when my wife conceived a passion for the newer Honda Metropolitan (Jazz in other countries) four stroke scooter. That one ran nicely too, bought almost new and drowned a year later in Hurricane Wilma. Talking about good deals, here's a distressed fixer upper in Key West.
$327,000 for a crappy little shed? Amazingly enough some people think it's still 2005 in the housing market. I'd rather live on a boat, though not on a sailboat. I had enough of that in my youth.
Flooding is endemic to these streets after heavy rains and supposedly they will be digging deeper wells to take care of the problem. The Central American Indian navvies will, with their shovels. This guy was sitting snug on his bulldozer.The end result of all the roadwork around town is lots of dark strips of asphalt across the streets.
And one hopes, a lot less flooding.The process seems endless. While stopped at Searstown for a movie (The American, which I enjoyed) I spotted a nearly pristine little Honda Elite, purple in color. 
It was a nostalgic moment for me. When my wife and I were living on our boat we had a scooter just like this. I used to commute by bicycle but in the summer months after a day out on the water being a boat captain a cycle ride was tough to take.
My wife cut her scooter riding teeth on a Honda just like this one. She used to buzz round town checking on her young probationers on her scooter. At the time she was working her way into being a teacher and she had a job as a Juvenile Probation Officer which involved her riding around town to check on her kids.I remember that scooter very fondly, a tireless workhorse that ran and ran and gave us no problems. We replaced a tired belt and weights and after that it could keep up reasonably easily with traffic on the main streets in Key West. It was small, light, practical and great fun.It cost us $600 and we sold it for nearly as much when my wife conceived a passion for the newer Honda Metropolitan (Jazz in other countries) four stroke scooter. That one ran nicely too, bought almost new and drowned a year later in Hurricane Wilma. Talking about good deals, here's a distressed fixer upper in Key West.$327,000 for a crappy little shed? Amazingly enough some people think it's still 2005 in the housing market. I'd rather live on a boat, though not on a sailboat. I had enough of that in my youth. I stopped on a whim on the Overseas Highway to let Cheyenne out and to take a moment to look out at the water. 
I noticed the rain has been giving everything a healthy shade of green. Even the weeds growing on the old Flagler Bridge from 1910 are looking stout.
The new bike path is looking good too. These fishermen are camped in a jungle of weeds:
They were at Niles Channel with the arching forty-foot bridge in the background. Further up the road I stopped off at the Salvation Army on Summerland Key to drop off some donations organized by my wife.
No more, they told me. They are closing at the end of the month and that leaves a store in Key West and one in Big Pine.
Back at work we trudge on much as usual, getting through the doldrums of quiet season in Key West. I worked with Fred for a couple of nights while his regular trainer was away. It's tough to train a new police dispatcher when there are fewer calls than normal. We take 150,000 calls a year in our communications center. To make up for the lack of 911's Fred had his smart phone with him to keep him amused on his breaks.
So did Noel, but he's not a trainee so he can text anytime he's not busy. He's going back to days soon and I shall miss him.
Keith, seen here checking a driver's license, has spent a great deal of his life working nights in hotels and restaurants. He and I are the only two that like the night shift and wouldn't want to work days. Luckily we have enough seniority we won't have to.
To my surprise I have been working at Key West PD for more than six years. We have 15 positions and a few are always waiting to be filled. I guess I'm lucky I have a job, and one that I like in these times of high unemployment. Bring on the night shift, bring on the calls.
I noticed the rain has been giving everything a healthy shade of green. Even the weeds growing on the old Flagler Bridge from 1910 are looking stout.The new bike path is looking good too. These fishermen are camped in a jungle of weeds:
They were at Niles Channel with the arching forty-foot bridge in the background. Further up the road I stopped off at the Salvation Army on Summerland Key to drop off some donations organized by my wife.No more, they told me. They are closing at the end of the month and that leaves a store in Key West and one in Big Pine.Back at work we trudge on much as usual, getting through the doldrums of quiet season in Key West. I worked with Fred for a couple of nights while his regular trainer was away. It's tough to train a new police dispatcher when there are fewer calls than normal. We take 150,000 calls a year in our communications center. To make up for the lack of 911's Fred had his smart phone with him to keep him amused on his breaks.
So did Noel, but he's not a trainee so he can text anytime he's not busy. He's going back to days soon and I shall miss him.
Keith, seen here checking a driver's license, has spent a great deal of his life working nights in hotels and restaurants. He and I are the only two that like the night shift and wouldn't want to work days. Luckily we have enough seniority we won't have to.
To my surprise I have been working at Key West PD for more than six years. We have 15 positions and a few are always waiting to be filled. I guess I'm lucky I have a job, and one that I like in these times of high unemployment. Bring on the night shift, bring on the calls.
4 comments:
Something I've always wondered about you is why you work the midnight shift. I'm a firm believer that the body should be asleep when it is dark. But I also realize I might be in the minority.
Fewer administrative calls. All calls to the police department go through dispatch but when the offices are closed at night we get no calls for them obviously. People tend to forget a police department is just another city administrative division with all the flurry of admin calls one tends to get.The calls we do get are almost all relating to actual police work.
The brass are all home. The police station is empty as the officers are out on the streets.
I come home at 6:30, I'm up by lunch time and every afternoon, even the nights I work, I am off and free to do as I want.
My schedule is excellent.
My commute is mostly traffic free as everyone is tending to go the opposite way.
My motorcycle doesn't sit out in the sun in the parking lot during the day.
My wife and I paradoxically get to spend more time together, partly because we are forced to make time.
Only two dispatchers work nights by choice unfortunately and I am one of them (Keith is the other). We are always hiring.
Look at those Men Working in long-sleeve shirts, jeans, knee-high boots and other paraphernalia. Phew!
Dear Conch:
I have to laugh at that shit-shack of a trailer being offered for sale at $327,500. One of the after-effects of the former recession will be the new reality of real estate pricing. This house sits on a quarter-acre of landscaped yard, has a three-car garage and 4200-square feet, 90-seconds away from horse country. Ten years ago, it was a scant $30,000 more than that trailer. In the current market, I bet it's about the same.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads
Post a Comment