Key West with Karley and Terry

Posted on March 23, 2026 by TheJessicaness

THURSDAY/FRIDAY
Caleb changes the oil while I shower, and then we drive down to Ruskin for dinner with Terry and Karley at Sunset Grill. This lets us sleep in on the boat and get mini burritos delivered via Karley (properly wrapped in a paper towel and foil) before the four of us, and Macaroni, make the drive to Key West, in two cars. We stop at Wawa to use a $25 gift card on gas, and since the milkshake machine is missing, we order frozen coffees instead.

Traffic slows down on the Overseas Highway so that each car has a moment to take in the man in a bucket hanging from a helicopter working on the power lines. We pick up our discount diving tickets and switch passengers after dropping most of our gear at the dive shop, Lost Reef Adventures. The guys gave the gate guard Karley’s ID, and he told them I was good to go as long as I’m not Argentinian. Not sure what the deal there is, but Caleb gets us checked in, and we walk to Waterfront Brewery for dinner.

We stroll into an art gallery, and as we have a look around, this group of four guys comes in. They are looking for their friend, and I say he’s the one putting something in his pants. They loved it! The gallery assistant wouldn’t let us leave until he brought us into a small room with a large sunset painting, by the artist, Shawn Mackey, working on another piece up front, and dimmed the lights to darkness, recreating the scene, something I would do if I also had the five grand to spend.

We continue on our way to the Southernmost Point as we attempt to get there by sunset, even if online says it’s temporarily closed. Mission accomplished, and we get to join in a couple’s argument in a fun way for us and a couple of guys who also hear the “fuck yous” flying by the count, “fuck you, three!” We’ll keep it up for the rest of our night in hopes we reach their ripe ages and become all right with arguing like that in public, but that’s still quite a few decades away, even by the oldest guy in our group.

Caleb and I remember finding the three-story bar for our first time and the view the rooftop provided, so we were looking forward to showing our friends, but the Bull & Whistle, with no changes to the live music stage on the first floor and billiards on the second floor, decided to add planters, benches, and speakers to keep guests a good two feet from looking down on Duval St. The Garden of Eden is a clothing optional bar, with no nudes this time, but a man dancing with a lemur. His pet is considered Class III and requires an annual permit to protect the most endangered group of mammals.

SATURDAY
We grab coffees for breakfast, everyone else having had camp granola in the room, and pack sandwiches for lunch. I’ll only be able to eat half of mine. We are one of two dive groups, the other being two dads, each with their son, and a lone diver who will join them. The first dive was stressful with one eye burning from sunscreen, but it went better than expected after a 15-month surface interval, and we returned to the boat after 45 minutes.

We see a reef shark on the second dive, but cut this dive short too, as the high current leaves me exhausted, so Caleb helps tow me back to the boat. I only use about half a tank on each dive. Usually, I stay fully suited, but today, I change out of my gear, leaving only my swim top on with a jacket over and sweat capris. After a short lunch on the pier, we are back to sea with a couple that is snorkeling. I’m wearing a 5/4mm wetsuit (thick body, thinner on arms and legs) with a 1mm sharkskin top while they float on the 77.8°F surface.

The third dive was the best. I get cold on the fourth, so I’m over it. We don’t need a safety stop as our max depth was 32 ft. I feel more confident in my diving and my ability to handle situations underwater. Karley and I will walk back to the room while the guys rinse and hang our gear at the shop. We can stagger showers this way and stop at Boat House for appetizers before moving on to Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar for rolls of Sassy Girl, Sunset, and JB. Karley and I head off again, this time to the Margaritaville gift shop while the guys wait for a to-go order of mango sticky rice.

SUNDAY
We grab breakfast from Old Town Bakery and return to the room to eat since our morning dive has been canceled due to a lack of available divers. Our friends are returning to Ruskin since one is still in the workforce and another is awaiting her first shift at a new job. Macaroni is ready for another car ride. We walk to Divers Direct to get Caleb a new pair of boots as he has outgrown our matching ones. I was going to get a slice of key lime pie, but we opted for strawberry pie on a stick instead.

Caleb and I will spend our first afternoon dive cutting fishing line that is choking out coral, but some of it is just too tangled for us to remove safely. I was surprised at the haul, but I know how much more we left, which makes me sad. We see a turtle before the second dive that magically disappears as soon as I enter the water. The visibility was six to 25 feet, but that’s just a measure of my poor gauge of length, as the internet says that March offers double and triple that distance. One of these dives, I’ll have to bring a tape measure.

On the second dive, we swam east for ten minutes and then flew by the boat in the other direction in three minutes. I checked on the boat’s location, stayed closer to the surface, and then called the dive when I realized how tired I was. I didn’t want to get so detoured again and have Caleb tow me back again. We were in the water for 98 minutes today and almost three hours yesterday. Upon return, I help Caleb rinse gear, we grab dinner, then walk to the room for showers and laundry, since the rental comes with a washer and dryer.

MONDAY
We packed up the room and were hoping to continue drying our stuff in the room for a couple of hours, but without a crew going out, the shop doesn’t open until 9. We’ll spend that time instead on checking out of the room, getting gas, and waiting for the MWR office to open so they can refund yesterday morning’s dive tickets. We grab our gear and head east. I stopped for an iguana to cross the road, only to have it hit by an oncoming truck while I watched. It’s those types of people that the famous slasher villains should be hunting down in their next film.

We stop in Key Largo at another chance at key lime pie, but this slice is lackluster. I’m not sure if my taste buds are changing or the recipes are different, but Caleb says the piece I got was frozen, which is why the texture was off, too. We’ll join Terry and Karley by their pool for a community dinner of tacos and dips. I appreciate being able to eat around our regular meal time, and we skipped the bar birthday party invite to continue home. Caleb finds us a detour around the parked train so we can unpack and leave all but our BCDs, SPGs, and regulators soaking overnight.

*Some of the sealife we saw: lizardfish, anemone, great barracuda, trumpetfish, French grunt, stoplight parrotfish, bluehead wrasse, damselfish, scrawled filefish, longspine squirrelfish, hermit crab, horse conch, canary wrasse, Christmas tree worm, flame streaked box crab, Atlantic blue tang, spiny lobster, reef shark, stingray, and sixbar angelfish.

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A Thought Experiment

Posted on March 3, 2026 by TheJessicaness

The idea started with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, established in 1948, and agreed upon by 48 nations that were UN members at the time. This included 22 from the Americas, 14 from Europe, ten from Asia & Pacific, five from the Middle East, and just two, Ethiopia and Liberia, from Africa. The nations that abstained were the USSR, Byelorussian SSR, Ukrainian SSR (individual freedoms over state authority), Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, South Africa (apartheid), and Saudi Arabia (marriage, religion, and freedom of movement).

The 30 articles agree that all humans are free and equal and have the freedom from discrimination, slavery, and torture. They are a person before the law, have a right to seek justice, freedom from arbitrary arrest, and the right to a fair trial. They shall have privacy, freedom of movement, a right to asylum, full consent to marriage, and the right to own property. They may hold beliefs, have freedom of expression and assembly, and participate in governement. They shall have fair working conditions, a well-being standard of living, education, reasonable working hours, and cultural participation.

These ideas were established in a world of racism, sexism, communism, classism, antisemitism, ageism, ableism, and fanaticism to name a few. These nations agreed to uphold these articles for other nations while not delivering it to their citizens. Then I thought about how religion has affected history with so many nations fighting for God and greed, and the Catholic Church owning over 170 million acres, and so much more in assets while people who follow the doctrines continue to go hungry, uneducated, and without proper medical care.

My next search led me to an updated version of the Ten Commandments.
1. Honor the dignity and equality of every person: no discrimination, dehumanization, or exploitation
2. Protect the Earth and all living systems: safeguard air, water, soil, climate, and biodiversity
3. Do not take more than you need: limit waste, overconsumption, and depletion of shared resources
4. Tell the truth and value knowledge: promote science, honesty, and transparency
5. Resolve conflicts without violence: prioritize dimplomacy, justice, and restorative solutions
6. Respect bodily autonomy and consent: no one may use another’s body without consent
7. Care for the vulnerable: children, elders, the poor and displaced, and future generations
8. Use power responsibly: leaders must act with accountability, fairness, and stewardship
9. Preserve cultural heritage and human creativity: honor traditions, languages, arts, and histories
10. Act with compassion toward all beings: empathy towards humans, animals, and ecosystems

The original commandments were written for a small society and a culture focused on tribal survival. Minus the don’t lie, cheat, steal, or kill, they mostly demand that God be the only one. And though each religion seems to tell its followers to love thy brother, it condemns everyone who is different in any way possible. There are also all the hypocrites and those who couldn’t be bothered to read the religious text, either due to illiteracy or a modern acronym, TL;DR (too long, didn’t read). Both of these are societal issues, but if someone would’ve come along sooner and preached differently, where would we be?

The first changes that come to mind for me: less unnecessary deaths for people fighting to not be treated like property; safe air and water without fighting industry; no fast fashion and piles of plastic; companies being honest about the detriment of their products; no wars; more consent during life than we receive in death; no human trafficking; no leaders starving their citizens for control; no book burning and sign removal to delete history; and no hunting anything to extinction for a dollar. These ideas are all large-scale, and had the original books of faith addressed any of these, perhaps I would be a devotee.

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Walk, Talk, Sip, Repeat

Posted on February 28, 2026 by TheJessicaness

There’s a saying somewhere: we are what we do every day. I’m glad that I find different places and people to do the same things with. This is how I spent a part of February, where the temperature ranged from 32° to 78°F. I’ve been updating my blog from trips in 2019 and spending the other two weeks planning trips in 2026. I’ve fallen off the piano practice bandwagon, as it’s more difficult to find inspiring songs to learn scales than it is to play the ones I already like. I appreciate the challenge and hope that March will bring more than 3.5 hours of practice.

I was on the phone with Fallon for over four hours, my dad and Caroline for almost 38 minutes (now that he finished the first draft of his 1700-page book), Christine for a combined half hour, and Susie for four minutes. I’ll talk with Tina, Sue, Helen, Deb, Pat, Penny, and Gary when I see them in the neighborhood or when going to Christine’s for madeleines, Susie’s for trail-mix oat and chocolate chip oat cookies, Penny’s for cinnamon oat cookies, and Sarah’s for cookies stuffed with Snickers pieces (and to walk her dogs Snicker and Doodle seven times).

I walk a mile with Linda, complete 13.31 miles with Jan (Caleb joining us for 70%), for 48.7 logged miles, but a total of 128 this month. I completed strength, cardio, and yoga workouts, averaging 80 minutes a week. I only covered 13 miles on my bike, but doubled my running distance to 16 miles. Caleb collected and planted some ear tree seeds; only one sprouted. We sat in the hot tub twice. The first time, because we were told it wasn’t hot (but it was), and the second time, because I wanted to soak, but it wasn’t hot (because too many leaves had gotten into the pump).

I finished listening to Night Magic by Leigh Ann Henion, an audiobook that I started on December 1st, returned to the library, and re-rented. I didn’t mind certain parts while I was puzzling (I finished two and Karley helped with one), but found it difficult to listen to otherwise. I’m still reading Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. The reason this book is taking me so long is that I find something to research on every other page that leads me astray or further along, but that is why I love this book so much. I’m debating reading it again, but I’ll return it along with some others to their owner, Roberto, when I’m done.

Southern Black Racer

an ovenbird — builds domed nests that resemble a Dutch oven

The bike ride took us to Dunedin on Fat Tuesday, so we didn’t have to worry about parking, just a car running a red light in front of an officer who couldn’t be bothered. The rest of the night wasn’t much of an improvement, but the parade delivered plenty of lights, honking, and beads. Caleb started using an app, Too Good To Go, to get us discounts on donuts and bagels that bakeries would throw away at the end of the day. There are also grocery stores and restaurants that participate. We went to Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo, and Tampa for food.

Monarch butterfly

I went to Sea Sea Riders again for another book club, this one to discuss The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens, which is part of a three-book series featuring the same main character, with three more books focusing on a detective. I went to Jerome’s Bakery with Jan and Sarah for some French creations. I tried the iced caramel apple butter bliss latte and a crepe suzette of orange and caramel on buckwheat. I left with a slice of chocolate something with fresh raspberries inside. The Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple invites guests on Sundays to donate money in exchange for Thai food, which we gladly did, then sat by the water.

We took a day trip to Bok Tower Gardens. The founder was born in the Netherlands in 1863 and purchased 14-acres in 1922. Edward W. Bok hired Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. to spend the next five years transforming an arid sandhill into an exotic location under the native oak hammock. The gardens now encompass 80 acres and include a 205-foot marble and coquina Singing Tower with tile mosaics, animal carvings, and custom ironwork. There are daily concerts of the carillon, comprised of 60 bells ranging in weight from 16 to 22,400 pounds.

We walked through the Chao Exhibit Hall to see parts of the tower upclose, by the kitchen garden and sampled fresh green onions, birdwatched at Window by the Pond, then ambled around the tower before returning to the parking lot for a picnic lunch. We finished our visit with a stroll on the Sunset Trail Loop. We paid the deposit for the liveaboard, booked our flights to Amsterdam and Sydney, and applied for the ETA (electronic travel authorization) to Australia. My school application is still under review since they wanted a transcript of one class I took in 2006, as if my degrees weren’t enough.

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The Texture of a Tuesday

Posted on January 26, 2026 by TheJessicaness

Happy New Year!

As much as I track what I do and make lists of things I want to do and have done, I don’t usually count how I spend most of my days, so I have done that now for January, even though the month isn’t over. I’m sure there may be some errors, but they are my own.

We walked two beaches, one with donuts (Clearwater Point) and one at sunset (Dunedin Causeway).

We walked the two-mile loop near our place 22 times, and the neighborhood lap at least (0.3m) 13 times. I thought we could get a step streak; my longest is 73 days, but that’s already been disrupted, even though we walked in a downpour one day.

Zeus

I spent about 8 hours and 18 minutes on the phone with Fallon, most of that while walking.

I wrote on sixteen days, and showered every day I worked out, 12 days. I ran 4 miles and cycled 11.78.

I am learning Dutch on Duolingo for our upcoming trip. I’m on a 112-day streak, mostly Spanish.

I only spent 13 days practicing piano, between half an hour and two hours a day. I am making progress and learning chords and new songs (Kiss the Girl — Little Mermaid, Can’t Help Falling in Love With You — Elvis, Hesitation Blues — Jelly Roll Morton, and Red River Valley — American Traditional).

I find time to read almost every night, 19 of them, and sometimes in the afternoon, and for the majority of the ride back to the dock while sailing in rough seas.

I’ve been hired to walk Sarah’s Havanese dogs twice a week in the evening (with bonus nights) for a total of ten this month. They love to pump the brakes and pull in opposite directions. I walked Nancy’s two Chihuahuas five afternoons (they love a quick pace). And while Christine was out of town, I fed her two kitties morning and night for four days.

Chestnut Park Anderson Park

I visit with neighbors frequently and can easily spend an hour talking with them when we see each other (Deb, there are three; Helen, out with her two poodles; and Rick, who loves to garden). I trade a puzzle with Susie. I walk a lap with Linda. I returned two books that Roberto loaned me. I get Girl Scout cookies from Chris D. I talk with Kathy about her daughter’s 1978 Morgan Plus 8 (that she inherited and can’t drive).

Temperatures have ranged from 34°F to 84°F this month (with two foggy mornings), so I’m surprised we’ve only been to the hot tub once, sipped tea five times (weird to keep track of, I know, but I got a new blue tea to try, so yum). I’ve read four books, took three days to finish an Alice in Wonderland puzzle, and visited two of our favorite parks (Chestnut and Anderson) on the same day. I’ve picked up an unfinished cross-stitch design and crocheted with Karley.

Dar and Grace

We’ve had pizza twice (Mellow Mushroom, of course), Tom Rub Thai, Parlor’s layered doughnuts, iced coffee, pretzel bites, a book club dinner for me and nine neighbors at Molly Goodheads, and a night out with friends (since Al’s dad is visiting from Scotland).

We still have so many freeze-dried meals and trail snacks, so we don’t have to shop often, except for salads from Costco and blue cornmeal from Whole Foods.

Caleb started my application to USF, and I finished it. I reached out to the VA about my eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. It takes weeks to get a letter. I ordered my transcripts from Jacksonville and San Diego through an official email system, and was told this process also takes a few weeks. It’s a good thing I plan on enrolling in the fall.

The more art we hang, the more we find still rolled up or hidden away. We’ve donated plenty of things, and yet we still have more that needs to go. It probably doesn’t help that I take whatever my neighbors are giving away and see if we can’t find a place or need for it. I put the Christmas cards away, but it was nice having them on display.

I spent an afternoon with Fallon and her goldendoodle, Zeus. Caleb and I spent an hour talking with the manager at Hero’s Dive Center. I clean up Caleb’s closet and find a shirt I was looking for, along with a pair of pants I didn’t miss. I go through his frisbee discs, and when he washes three of them, they shatter from old age. I get new running shoes as trail runners are great for walking and excellent for hiking, but still a bit heavy.

Macaroni

Caleb works on his bike (adjusting the fallaway), bakes sweet and savory loaves, spends time with Rick and Agim, makes us dinner, and fixes the broken table I bring home (plus any other projects I can find for him). He reads, knits, and naps occasionally. He talks with his siblings about the weather, their health, and their parents.

We went sailing with Terry and Karley and their dog Macaroni. The guys take the helm and masts while Karley cooks, and we chat. We picked up rental dive tanks, as this outing had a mission to find their missing propeller and then find a wreck to explore. We are woken the first night by bumping into a barge (one of the many we drifted past without encountering) twice. Terry has to stay up to return us to our anchor spot. It’s windy, but I enjoy watching the world go by while sitting in the sun.

Karley, Caleb, Macaroni, my legs

Terry drops an undersea drone into the terrible visibility below us, and that, mixed with cold weather, means no one is motivated to get wet. The tanks will go unused, lesson learned. Caleb syphons water out of the fuel tank since he has the most experience being tossed around in an engine room. Dinner will be carrot cake, pretzel chips, and fresh fruit. The small afternoon storm we were expecting for Sunday afternoon rolls in thick in the morning, tosses us around all day, and tangles the two anchors.

Not everything in the cabin was secure for sea, so there was some cleaning to do while still in rough seas for the ten-hour return to the dock. It didn’t help that Karley gets terribly seasick. I would feel awkward after being tossed around for two days. It felt better to move around (to match the motion in my brain), but that had given me a headache.

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Supposed to be 52

Posted on December 31, 2025 by TheJessicaness

I get inspired, and then I get distracted. The idea here is to highlight something learned once a week.

1. The HOPE (Helping Others Pursue Education) program for prisoners and probationers lessens future crimes and drug use
2. The Matis people in Brazil pierce and tattoo their faces as they mature
3. The first home-use vibrator in 1902 was the fifth electrical appliance approved for domestic use
4. Scottsboro, Alabama, has an Unclaimed Baggage store that gets some unique items
5. Only armadillos and humans carry leprosy
6. Nukutavake canoes are stitched together with sennit, the inner husk of the coconut
7. Tonga is the only island nation in the Pacific to never have been ruled by outsiders
8. Ounces add up when you have to carry them on your back for long distances, such as the PCT, so choose wisely
9. French schools allow their students to go home for lunch with their families
10. A person’s tooth can be used to correct corneal blindness
11. The Army put lipstick on a helicopter in 1954 as a recruiting tactic and dressed the other as a cowboy. They square-danced in the sky to promote new technology.
12. Agent Orange was a defoliant herbicide that caused deforestation, poisoned people, and killed animals after millions of gallons were sprayed

Since I didn’t complete the above list, I will share part of another inspiration: to note 24 unique behaviors or interests that characterize me… that I also didn’t get around to finishing.

1. I love to make lists about everything
2. I enjoy books that teach me something new
3. Most of my decor is animal or map-related
4. I collect stickers, magnets, and snowglobes
5. I have a hard time saying no or disagreeing with someone
6. I look at the calorie count on the menu
7. I vary between skimpy and overly modest while in the sun
8. I rarely use creams/lotions even though I seem to have so many
9. I like being able to potty with the door open, whether home or not
10. I bring my own to-go dish and enjoy when others notice
11. I’ve shopped in a kids’ store as an adult. I, too, like unicorns
12. I like trying new foods and drinks, even if it means eating after a stranger
13. I prefer the laundry drying rack a certain way, and though it bothers me, I don’t say
14. Going outside always makes me feel better

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