Driving home to Baton Rouge from vacation in Tampa, and blogging from a wi-fi hotspot generated by a Palm Pre, we’re stuck in a traffic jam outside of Gainsville for almost an hour.  An 18-wheeler jack-knifed across two lanes.This makes me think about what I miss about Tampa,  a place I called home for ten years. In no particular order: 1. Disney – Grueling in August, when we usually go, but magical during the cooler weather. (Magical is cliche, but apt.) 2. Orange blossoms – Not only do they smell divine, they smell of divinity. 3. Cuban food – From the dive at the stripRead More →

Grades have been posted. Tomorrow we are leaving for Pass-a-Grille, Florida. We are staying at Inn On the Beach. It’s a delightful bed and breakfast with excellent management and reasonable rates. It’s across the street from the beach, so no fumbling with parking meters. I have a new bathing suit. I’m looking forward to reading Harry Potter on the beach.

I yearn for Brigit Books in Tampa, where the scent of incense reigns, and where I felt a sense of community. So now I am reduced to web shopping or supporting Barnes&Noble. There are two B&Ns here, one the aptly named Corporate Drive and the other in the LSU Union, which some people call Barnes&Fogle after the provost who sealed the deal to close the independent bookstore and replace it with the corporatized B&N despite widespread campus outcry. Lately I have been avoiding Amazon, choosing instead to support small bookstores or presses on line. I’ve had a couple of interesting finds. Seal Press, which publishesRead More →