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Texas Bound

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. The week before Thanksgiving (last Thursday here in the U.S.A.) was quite unusual for me for the simple fact that I was home at the time. For as long as I can remember – at least going back almost 20 years – I’ve always been in Texas or Ohio (where my family lives or used to live) during the week leading-up to Thanksgiving. And then on the day after Thanksgiving – known as #BlackFriday – that’s the day that I usually flew back home (or began my journey driving back home).

I usually arrived in Texas or Ohio on the Wednesday or Thursday of the week prior to Thanksgiving. Some years I arrived even earlier than that. Just 4 years ago in 2021 I departed South Florida for North Texas on November 11TH (Veterans Day), and I arrived in North Texas 2 days later on November 13TH – staying there for 13 nights. (That was a fun 2,822-mile road-trip that was documented here on #TravelThursday.)

I don’t think I’ll be driving to Texas ever again. (My last such trip was in April 2024.) I’m terrified of driving on Interstates, Turnpikes, Expressways, and Freeways – basically any high-speed highway with off-ramps, on-ramps, and merging lanes. So I pretty much avoid them completely. It’s a condition known as “amaxophobia”. I have a mild case of it. It’s been gradually progressing over the past 30 years. I’m certainly not afraid of driving my car, and I do just fine on backroads and surface streets. I’m even comfortable (for the most part) on U.S. 27 in Sebring and Avon Park. #IYKYK

If I do decide to take perhaps one last road-trip to and from North Texas then it’ll be via old U.S. highways and state and county roads – much like my April 2024 road-trip.

Fun Fact: Thanksgiving Day occurs on the 4TH Thursday of November here in the U.S.A. It can occur as early as November 22ND – and as late as November 28TH. This year it was on November 27TH. #BlackFriday is the day after, and it’s the official start of the Christmas shopping season; although, many Americans like to get started well before that – even in September and October. Most major stores are happy to accommodate.

So earlier this year – me and my brother decided to continue our family’s #ThanksChristmasGiving tradition where we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas simultaneously. But my brother wanted to add a new wrinkle to it. Instead of me flying in 7 or 8 days before Thanksgiving Day – fly in the night before Thanksgiving Day – and then stay through the first week of December. I think my brother’s rationale was that we would have more time to have fun (shopping, eating, seeing movies, etc.) without his daughters / my nieces getting in the way, as they will be back to school during that first week of December.

Good idea, and so I purchased my round-trip airfare back on August 05TH. 113 days later – I was on my way from home to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (#SRQ).

Thanksgiving Eve traffic westward into the Sarasota-Bradenton area was reasonable – not any busier than past such trips into Florida Gulf Coast suburbia. In fact – the airport itself was noticeably less-busier than I’ve seen it before. But parking was packed like sardines. Long-Term Parking and all of the various overflow parking lots were full and closed. Incoming traffic (for parking) was diverted through and then off airport property, onto adjacent U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail), and then back onto the far-western edge of airport property to a temporary (occasional) parking lot near the control tower. (Most travelers had obviously flown out of #SRQ for Thanksgiving already.) The good news is that a reduced fare of $14 per day is charged at that temporary parking lot that’s only utilized when main parking lots are full and closed.

I wonder if my car will be the last one remaining in that lot when I return ?

A shuttle took us to the airport terminal about a mile away. I processed my baggage tag at a kiosk. I dropped-off my baggage at the counter. I made it through TSA PreCheck with no issues. I was at my gate almost 3 hours before departure time.

Incidentally – Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (#SRQ) is my favorite airport in Florida for so many reasons, and one of them is the music that they play (rather loudly) all throughout the terminal. They mostly play The Blend (SiriusXM). The music is so good that I don’t need to listen to the great music on my Spotify playlists with my AirPods.

I’ll board my flight to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (#DFW), and my Texas adventure will begin – on the next #TravelThursday. In fact – I’ll write about it for perhaps the next 10 weeks. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2025 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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The Other Side Of The River

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. I’ll always remember a particular Thursday in November of 1980. In fact it was exactly 45 years ago today – on Thursday November 06TH 1980. My Dad was going through with his plan to leave Maryland, cross the Potomac River, and physically move his family to Virginia. It was a day that changed my life forever.

Me and my parents lived in Prince Georges County Maryland (outside of Washington D.C.) for over 11 years from 1969 to 1980. We actually moved 3 times during that period – from Greenbelt to Bowie to Lanham. I was 2 to 13 at the time, and my younger brother was born there in 1975.

It was a terrible move for me. I was transplanted into a new state and a new neighborhood and a new school system 2 months into my 8TH grade. It was a radical change of culture for this 13½-year-old. I was plunged into a completely different environment that I was not prepared for, and I never got used to. I had friends in Maryland. I knew nobody in Virginia. I was a “normal” kid in Maryland. I was a “poor” kid in Virginia (labeled as a “grit”) that nobody really wanted to associate with. I had very few friends in Virginia – and I hung out with nobody after school. I did poorly in school, as the school system in Virginia was at a much higher academic level than the one that I came from in Maryland. I was essentially a “C” and “D” student through my 11TH grade. That wasn’t good enough for college, and everyone around me was definitely going to an expensive college in 1985. I eventually made the Honor Roll during my Senior year in high school – making all “A”s and “B”s. But it was too late. I ended up joining the military. It turned out to be a nearly 39-year career.

Had it not been for that move from Maryland to Virginia exactly 45 years ago I’m thinking that my life may have been completely different than it turned out to be. Maybe I would have gone with my friends from elementary and junior and senior high school to the University Of Maryland (where my Dad went 25 years earlier). Maybe I would’ve become a Meteorologist. Maybe I’ve would’ve gone into Radio or Television Broadcasting. (Those were my dream jobs as a teen.) Maybe I would’ve met the woman of my dreams, gotten married, and started a family. Maybe I would’ve led a wonderful life.

But then again – Maybe I would’ve never known God. Maybe I would’ve never created this blog.

Be careful when you make decisions. Think about the possible consequences of your decisions before you go through with them. Some decisions that you make can be far bigger than you can ever imagine at the time. One decision today could change your life – or a family member’s life – or a loved one’s life – forever – for better or for worse.

During my first 28 years of life I moved no less than 14 times. I’m not a fan of moving. I lived in the same home in Homestead Florida for the next 28 years. I moved to my dream home in my dream neighborhood in my dream part of Florida almost 32 months ago. I plan to be here forever.

Next #TravelThursday I’ll head to “The Other Side Of The Ocean”. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2025 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Walking Around My Neighborhood

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. I’m now halfway in-between trips to and from North Texas. I had fun with family in the Wichita Falls area near the end of September, and I’ll be back on Texas soil enjoying more fun with family in the Dallas area soon. I’m already thinking about what I’ll be packing in my big silver suitcase. I’ll need to pack for 10 days, 10 nights, and temperatures from the 20s to the 70s.

#ButFirst – This week’s trip takes me around the block – literally. The block is the approximately 1.1-mile circumferential road around my neighborhood that surrounds a long hybrid natural / manmade lake. (There’s also an “inner-loop” sidewalk that rings around the lake about 20 feet below the surface of the road and the homes.)

#SomeHistory – This is my 19TH season of walking around my neighborhood for fun and fitness. I’ve documented many of these walks in this blog’s history. They are tied directly to my spiritual journey following my Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. God rescued and saved me 19 years ago. It’s when I began honoring my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. During the early years my walks were dedicated to my Dad (by name) who lost the ability to walk in 2007 due to the crippling effects of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He would pass away from the horrible disease in 2010.

I’m currently in the best physical, mental, and emotional condition of my life. I’m in a much better place than I was before the age of 39. Walking around my neighborhood (or engaging in any intentional exercise) was an unknown concept back then.

My walks are essentially a 20-to-40 minute 1-to-2-mile walk where I listen to Christian pop music via my AirPods and talk to God – thanking Him for all that He has done in my life and all that He will do for me. I also thank Him for blessing my neighborhood with beauty, safety, security, and His abundant and endless miracles for my neighbors – those who believe, and those who do not yet believe. I pray for salvation for all !

Fun Fact: It takes about 19 minutes for me to walk a mile. I walk an average of about π MPH. (π = 3.14159265358979 …)

My 19TH season of walking started early – in fact – it was the earliest start ever. After a 12-week off-season (mid-summer) hiatus – I began this season on August 28TH 2025. I’ve walked 21 times so far, and my goal for this season is 100+. (Last season I walked a personal best 90 times, and that narrowly surpassed the 87 times I walked in Season 17 – 2023-2024).

If you wish to read about my very first walk ever – then click here. It occurred at High Noon on Christmas Eve of 2007, and it was inspired by a fellow WordPress blogger at the time. It was not a passing fad back then, and I’m still walking – more than ever before – nearly 18 years later.

Next #TravelThursday I’ll go back in time exactly 45 years ago to look back at a short road-trip across the river that would change my life forever. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2025 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Homeward Bound

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. This week it’s Part 4 of my 4-part series on my recent trip to visit family in the Wichita Falls Texas area.

On my final morning I actually watched my home church service LIVE on YouTube, and then I enjoyed my leftovers from dinner the previous night at Firefly. My dinner consisted of two MASSIVE panko herb parmesan fried pork chops served with brown gravy with two sides. (I chose a loaded baked potato and fried okra.) I don’t know why they gave me two pork chops, as the one was big enough, and I was expecting one – as pictured on the menu. I ended up eating one of those pork chops as my leftovers – warmed-up in the microwave. They were tasty the second time around !

After my cousin dropped me off at Wichita Falls Regional Airport (#SPS) I walked around their small museum area in the terminal (outside security).

My flight from #SPS to #DFW was packed and uneventful. I had an aisle seat again on the Bombardier CRJ-700 jet. We went up, and then we came back down again. It’s a short flight. Taxiing at both airports combined is actually longer than the inflight time. And taxiing (and waiting) at both airports was unusually longer than normal due to “traffic”. We got in to #DFW about 25 minutes late, and by the time I made it to my connecting gate (as far away as possible from my arriving gate) – we were minutes away from the start of the boarding process !

My flight from #DFW to #TPA was packed and uneventful, and finally – I had a window seat with a view towards the northeast. I got to study the weather and the landscape below. In fact – my window shade was one of only a few that was open. Most of the 200+ were taking a nap in the darkened cabin. I allowed daylight into my row.

There was a little bit of confusion on my part outside #TPA as far as picking up the shuttle back to the hotel where my car was parked, but I eventually figured it out. I’ll get it right the next time.

I got back to my car, and I drove 83.7 miles home. Navigating Tampa after dark can be tricky, as roads are closed due to construction. (Even Google Maps was in the dark about those road closures.) Once I got out to Florida State Road 60 east of downtown – it was smooth-sailing back home along the various dark, narrow, and winding two-lane backroads (with U.S. 17 and US. 27 as the exceptions.). I navigated those mostly secluded roads into the hills like a native.

I got home at 11:09 PM on that Sunday (September 28TH). Another fun-filled family vacation had come to an end. I enjoyed my time in Wichita Falls. I actually like the area more than the Dallas area (where I also have family). Wichita Falls has an amazing freeway system that I am not terrified of. They have a network of connecting freeways for a city and metro area that’s much bigger than they actually are. Much of it was designed and built in the 1950s into the 1960s when the city was growing rapidly (due to the oil industry), and they were anticipating that same growth to continue into the future. Growth actually stopped in the early-1960s when oil refining ended, and in fact the population today is roughly the same as it was in 1960.

I’ve been visiting my family in the Wichita Falls area almost every year since 2013, and I’ll continue to do so. I always enjoy my time together with family.

Next #TravelThursday I’ll review my neighborhood power-walking for this season thus far. I’m off to a great start. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2025 Christopher M. Day, CountUp