I was in the Barber Shop on Main St. in Chattahoochee FL

So goes the story from my Daddy on where he was when he got the news that JFK had been shot.

I make this headline for my blog today 9.11.07 six yrs after that fateful day when I can still remember where I was when I heard about the Towers being hit. I had just gotten back from a Kiwanis Club Board meeting over in Melbourne FL @ Pop's Cash bah Rest. that Morning, got to my beautiful office on the Beach in Indialantic, turned on CNBC "Squawk Box" for my morning ritual of what was gonna happen in the markets that day and Mark and Joe were saying a small plane had hit the towers.

So we all thought at that moment, then as I was watching the single tower burn I saw the 2nd plane hit and come out the other side. A gal that worked for me, Dhana, came into my back office crying and literally set in my lap much like my young daughter Amelia did at the time. I knew and I knew I knew that we were under attack. So as the days events trailed on, I said to her " if we don't catch who did this, we are out of business in 90 Days".

Man I hate being right. You see I am a Stock Broker, had my own RayJay Office with employees, managing Millions of Dollar$ for Conservative Investors who were the Greatest Generation living their retirement dream down in Sunny Florida. I was President of the 4th Oldest Kiwanis Club in the Sunshine State, was Chairman of a City Planning Council, had 3 beautiful kids and managing to keep my chin up while going thru the motions of a Impending Divorce. Had just gotten a nice rental home right on the beach for my kids to come see Daddy and play in the water and thought hey I might be able to handle this Separation thing okay, then BAM....to end that..I shut my 2000 sq ft office Thanksgiving Weekend and starting managing $$ out of my house. I would have beeen better off at the time selling shovels, cause that's where my clients put their $$..in the ground...literally and really.

I remember my divorce atty going thru my Financials prior to filling with the state and asking, what happened to all the Income. I said, what if you got a letter today from the Law School you attended saying they had lied all this time, they were never accredited and your Law Degree is not worth the paper it's written on. You would be out of Business for no fault of your own. And so where we in my profession. Oh my clients would swell up with pride and tell me it would be okay. For they had endured the Depression, WW II, Presidents being shot and killed, Gas lines etc....but nothing they could comprehend or me for that matter, could prepare them for 19 people getting into Airplanes and ramming them into buildings.

I was out of work for 2 weeks while the markets were shut down. Nothing to sell, nothing to manage. It has taken me 3 years to get back on my feet. Had to move to North Florida, be away from my kids, take positions working for someone else (yuck) etc.. but I am here.

And I'm Lucky.

I had a young man who used to call on my who worked for a Large Financial Institution. I sold some of his products and he came by to see me from time to time. He was from Long Island NY and had friends who worked in the biz at WTC. I think he lost like 15 friends that day. He was telling me of going to NY for funerals for friends and seeing other friends who were asking about others, and saying no that friend was over at another friends funeral. All these guys were from the same hometown. After he told me that, I realized we probably have not seen that many people from one place killed on the same day since the Civil War. He thought and agreed.

I am rambling on with this blog in so much as to share, but also in hopes of healing. I get pissed every 9.11 and I am damn glad I do. My wife and I were watching a Special on the History Channel tonight and she wanted to turn it, too painful to watch and I stopped her and said No. We need to fill that pain, if not everyday but every year at this time. Let us not forget the Scum we are dealing with. The ash heap of history we are going to put them in. The Children who are 6 yrs older tonight that are crying for a Daddy or Mommy that aren't coming home. Yes we are lucky. We are reading this and have family to hold on too.

So when the years go by my fellow Floridians I too will be asked by my kids or my grand kids, Where were you?......I had just got to my office from a Kiwanis Club Meeting.



God Bless God, God Bless America and Florida

Yours in the Bond

Ole Miss and our Legacy

I wanted to give a little shout out to My Alma Mater, Ole Miss.

Once Again we made the top 5 Party Schools in the Country. #2 to be exact.

As football season rolls around, I am reminded of my Days in the Mid 80's going to games
with Formally Gentile Southern Delta Queens who by the 3rd quarter turned into the "fun girls" if you have ever seen that Episode of Andy Griffith.

Was a blast I admit. Had some much fun I stayed around a extra year just to enjoy it.


University of Mississippi's Best 366 College Rankings

Click on the list name to see all the schools on that list or click the category name to see all the lists in the category.
Rank
List
Category
#4
Their Students (Almost) Never Study
Academics
#17
Students Pray on a Regular Basis
Demographics
#9
Best College Newspaper
Extracurriculars
#10
Lots of Beer
Parties
#3
Lots of Hard Liquor
Parties
#9
Major Frat and Sorority Scene
Parties
#2
Party Schools
Parties
#18
Students Most Nostalgic for Ronald Reagan
Politics

Beignets, Tamalas, and Cake!!!!

Sorry for the long spite of no blogs but work has been keeping me hopping and busy.Took a little (pun) trip with the Queen this past weekend to her hometown of Natchez MS.

If you ever want to know how far it is from Orlando to Natchez, its a Good 12 hour Drive. I said its a Good (pun) 12 hour drive. Anyway, its was my Ma-in-Law's 80th Birthday and we went up for a Surprise Bday party. You can guess what I am about to tell you. It was no Surprise as I know of no Southern Belle from the State of Magnolia to hold a secret very long. So we made it in Thursday nite, dogs and all in Tow, to a much anticipated arrival.

Natchez is a great old southern city, having been there randomly from days at Ole Miss back in the '80's, I have enjoyed it now as I am older since I married a lady from there. Had some time on Friday while the Queen was helping her sis in law with accounting for her Flower Shop.

I went out downtown for a little site seeing. Took a few shots of the Mighty Mississippi and a very interesting house on the river, Bontura. It's a very neat house. In fact a Former Free Slave from TX came up the Miss. River and settled into it and ran a Carriage Biz from it to ferry people from the River Boats up the Hill to Natchez. What makes this so interesting is that he owned Slaves. During the War. Between the States. Wow.

View from the Street.

You see I can't get away from things Florida. That is the Writer of our State Song..Mr. Foster.

Looking South from Up the Hill...That River Boat is a Casino. Does Not Move!

And you thought we had Construction in FL. This is a Country Suites Goin in Downtown Natchez. My opinion it's a horrible place for it. Takes away from the charm of this great Southern City.

Tamales and 'rita's at Fat Mama's with Niece and Sis is Law

WWJBD!!!!!(what would Jimmy Buffett Do?)

Party Day Sunday with Momma and the Kids...Check out my Bro in Law's...Anything familiar?

Almost forgot, we had Beignets (Cafe Du Monde anyone Nawlins?) at this great French Open Market downtown Natchez one AM. They are pretty darn good.

Really Almost Forgot, This is the Cake...It was neat how they took a pic of Mom and put it on the cake as Icing. It's edible.

Well that was my trip. Sorry it's not as exciting as Pure Florida on the Cannonball Run. Talk to you soon.

Yours in the Bond