Tired of Snow Me Too

In my past several posts that I’ve written, they’ve been about snow. By reports on the television weather channel, we have several more bouts just ahead. I’m not a person who easily feels depressed, so instead of moping around, I’ll write a few sunny recollections from my youth and my tour of duty in Orlando, Florida as a Naval Corpsman.

I was blessed to have an Uncle and Aunt living there, Jake and Helen Stahl. They moved there with their kids so Jake a stone mason could provide for his family. This was my first duty station after spending the winter at great Lakes Training Facility and Corps school. The temperature adjustment was unbelievable, pleasant but a big change. I went from long johns and Mukluks to sandals and Bermuda shorts. There were cousins scattered around the area to, Uncle Jake was upset if I didn’t visit them on my weekends off, but every once in awhile I’d go crazy and spend some time on the beach with a few of my corpsmen friends.

Jake loved to barbecue. He had the butcher shop cut the beef into steaks a certain thickness for grilling. They were good eating. Jake loved his Oldsmobile vehicles. I don’t believe that he owned any other brand except for his work truck. Because he was short and rotund he had a worn spot on the front of his trousers where the steering wheel rubbed his belly.

Aunt Helen loved bright colors. At her house in Pennsylvania, each room was painted vibrant shades of coral, lime, and sky blue. When you entered her home, it was almost like entering a tropical paradise. My memory fails me, but I am unsure if her home in Orlando had the same colors. I can remember the outside was a weathered coral color. The first time as a teen, I visited Daytona Beach My dad Carl could actually drive on the sand. As we drove done, I saw these globed, jiggly orbs. I was shocked. No, they weren’t jelly fish. These mounds were covered with a tiny bit of cloth. It was my introduction into seeing a bikini. Girls swimsuits back home covered SO MUCH more. With the cold outside, it may be time to visit the beach again.