The clouds began to gather in the Florida sky about the time the Joker entered the evening rush hour traffic flowing down Hwy 19 north of Tampa Bay but the afternoon sky never really darkened. The wind picked up by the time he pulled into the carport outside of Stonegate apartments. As he walked up the sidewalk Gizmo ran out the front door barking wildly and danced around the Joker's feet. When he looked up he saw Spiral standing there wearing a lite summer dress that whipped around her legs in the breeze of the approaching storm. He hurried into her waiting arms. After a quick shower the Joker joined Spiral on the patio. He wrapped his arms around her as the storm blew in. The wind had increased in force causing the palm trees and tropical foliage to sway violently and, in a second, the clouds burst, dumping torrents of rain that quickly overwhelmed the complex's drainage system. Lighting bolts split the air and rolling thunder shook the ground. Yet the sky to the west was still brite, casting an eerie green lite as the sun filtered thru the storm clouds. Spiral kissed him and went inside to make some dinner and the Joker stayed outside in the wind and warm rain. He felt electric excitement charging thru his body. Within a few minutes the storm moved inland, its furry spent upon the coast and steam rose up from the hot parking lot pavement. The nite would be humid and the morning sky would be cloudless. Tomorrow afternoon the whole show would be repeated- just another August day on the Florida gulf coast. The Joker sat in a patio chair and admired Spiral's plant collection. Between the apartment's two patios, she had 70 pots of herbs and tropicals placed artfully about and this was his favorite place to sit in the late afternoons before dinner. They had moved to Palm Harbor two months earlier after a dispute with American Mobile Nurses. He and Spiral had been at Chasco Woods less then a month when the construction crews showed up and the quite country mornings were blasted away by air jacks, sledge hammers and electric saws. They tried to make the best of it. Spiral even left ice and herbal teas for the workers and they in turn were extra careful not to disturb her plants. But when they ripped out a section of the foundation and west wall and replaced them with plastic tarps and temporary supports, the Joker got angry. American Mobile said that they had no notice of the renovation but that alone was not enough to break the lease and relocate them. Then a tropical storm off the Cuban coast became a hurricane and churned up the gulf coast towards Tampa Bay just as the p-o-s mazda broke down. They were in an evacuation area and had no car. The Joker, an experienced camper and survivalist, gathered what supplies he could, packed his backpack and stayed up all nite tracking the storm. At one point a section of plastic ripped loose and rain blew into the living room. It was a near miss and the hurricane moved on up the coast. As soon as the storm passed over he called the agency to let them know they would have to be relocated but American Mobile didn't understand why. The Joker called MRA, another agency with a good reputation and they agreed to sign him when his current contract expired. He wanted to stay at the hospital but didn't want to work for American Mobile Nurses. MRA was happy to steal him from a competitor but it was up to the hospital to break their contract with American Mobile or for American Mobile to let them out of the contract. One evening, after a long phone call with an American Mobile vice-president the agency agreed to break the contract and The Joker was free to go to work for MRA. He was working in the psych unit of a 300 bed HCA/Columbia hospital in Pasco County north of Clearwater. His patients tended to be geriatric and had medical concerns as well as psychiatric problems and the work was physically demanding. But he was a hard worker and enjoyed a good reputation among the staff and patients. The only problem was that it was the off season in Florida and he was frequently canceled due to low census. His contract didn't protect him from this and his take home pay was cut as well. He and Spiral got out when ever they could, frequently taking trips around Palm Harbor looking for libraries and plant nurseries. Sometimes they drove across the bay to Tampa and the Ybor City district, spending an afternoon shopping in gothic punk stores, drinking ice coffee in bohemian cafes and buying herbs from a little plant store off the main drag. Spiral loved beaches but those around Tampa were disappointing. Up the coast were rocky shores and coastel marshes. Clearwater's beaches were overcrowded or zoned private behind rows of tall, sea front condos that blocked the view and public access. But just getting out into the tropical air was fun. By then, they had already decided to move on. Spiral had seen her family and done what she went there to do. The Joker was becoming restless. They had thought about trying New England for the fall and MRA was already submitting applications for him now. Inside, Spiral had cut a cantaloupe and put together a cheese plate. After dinner, they cuddled in the living room and watched the OJ trial and Star Trek TNG until bed time. Late that nite, with Spiral lying in his arms, he listened to the tropical insects singing outside the window. Just before he fell asleep he smiled. In a month they would be on the road again. 4/95- Port Richy, Fl., 10/95- The Trip North Spiraldance's Travel Page Spiral's Home Page Spiral' s First Web Site Spiral's Women's Web Site Spiral's Site Map Spiral's Web Rings Page spiraldance@webtv.net
After a quick shower the Joker joined Spiral on the patio. He wrapped his arms around her as the storm blew in. The wind had increased in force causing the palm trees and tropical foliage to sway violently and, in a second, the clouds burst, dumping torrents of rain that quickly overwhelmed the complex's drainage system. Lighting bolts split the air and rolling thunder shook the ground. Yet the sky to the west was still brite, casting an eerie green lite as the sun filtered thru the storm clouds. Spiral kissed him and went inside to make some dinner and the Joker stayed outside in the wind and warm rain. He felt electric excitement charging thru his body. Within a few minutes the storm moved inland, its furry spent upon the coast and steam rose up from the hot parking lot pavement. The nite would be humid and the morning sky would be cloudless. Tomorrow afternoon the whole show would be repeated- just another August day on the Florida gulf coast.
The Joker sat in a patio chair and admired Spiral's plant collection. Between the apartment's two patios, she had 70 pots of herbs and tropicals placed artfully about and this was his favorite place to sit in the late afternoons before dinner.
They had moved to Palm Harbor two months earlier after a dispute with American Mobile Nurses. He and Spiral had been at Chasco Woods less then a month when the construction crews showed up and the quite country mornings were blasted away by air jacks, sledge hammers and electric saws. They tried to make the best of it. Spiral even left ice and herbal teas for the workers and they in turn were extra careful not to disturb her plants. But when they ripped out a section of the foundation and west wall and replaced them with plastic tarps and temporary supports, the Joker got angry.
American Mobile said that they had no notice of the renovation but that alone was not enough to break the lease and relocate them. Then a tropical storm off the Cuban coast became a hurricane and churned up the gulf coast towards Tampa Bay just as the p-o-s mazda broke down. They were in an evacuation area and had no car. The Joker, an experienced camper and survivalist, gathered what supplies he could, packed his backpack and stayed up all nite tracking the storm. At one point a section of plastic ripped loose and rain blew into the living room. It was a near miss and the hurricane moved on up the coast. As soon as the storm passed over he called the agency to let them know they would have to be relocated but American Mobile didn't understand why.
The Joker called MRA, another agency with a good reputation and they agreed to sign him when his current contract expired. He wanted to stay at the hospital but didn't want to work for American Mobile Nurses. MRA was happy to steal him from a competitor but it was up to the hospital to break their contract with American Mobile or for American Mobile to let them out of the contract. One evening, after a long phone call with an American Mobile vice-president the agency agreed to break the contract and The Joker was free to go to work for MRA.
He was working in the psych unit of a 300 bed HCA/Columbia hospital in Pasco County north of Clearwater. His patients tended to be geriatric and had medical concerns as well as psychiatric problems and the work was physically demanding. But he was a hard worker and enjoyed a good reputation among the staff and patients. The only problem was that it was the off season in Florida and he was frequently canceled due to low census. His contract didn't protect him from this and his take home pay was cut as well.
He and Spiral got out when ever they could, frequently taking trips around Palm Harbor looking for libraries and plant nurseries. Sometimes they drove across the bay to Tampa and the Ybor City district, spending an afternoon shopping in gothic punk stores, drinking ice coffee in bohemian cafes and buying herbs from a little plant store off the main drag. Spiral loved beaches but those around Tampa were disappointing. Up the coast were rocky shores and coastel marshes. Clearwater's beaches were overcrowded or zoned private behind rows of tall, sea front condos that blocked the view and public access. But just getting out into the tropical air was fun.
By then, they had already decided to move on. Spiral had seen her family and done what she went there to do. The Joker was becoming restless. They had thought about trying New England for the fall and MRA was already submitting applications for him now.
Inside, Spiral had cut a cantaloupe and put together a cheese plate. After dinner, they cuddled in the living room and watched the OJ trial and Star Trek TNG until bed time. Late that nite, with Spiral lying in his arms, he listened to the tropical insects singing outside the window. Just before he fell asleep he smiled.
In a month they would be on the road again.
10/95- The Trip North
Spiraldance's Travel Page
Spiral's Home Page
Spiral' s First Web Site
Spiral's Women's Web Site
Spiral's Site Map
Spiral's Web Rings Page
spiraldance@webtv.net
