I Love Florida! Rather, I love the idea of Florida-Sun, Sand, Sea, and Sunburns. I got one out of four on my recent trip(SUN!) but I had gone to the state to visit an ill relative and was a bit preoccupied. I think I focused any sadness I must have felt by planning a day to visit a record show in a neighbouring city on another day. My shopping list wasn't urgent but I wanted to find the Capital Label '45 for "Good Night Tonight." The cost of the vinyl just would not justify the effort last week to attend the show. As the day approached, I knew my number was up- Transportation would not be an option. It would have cost $100 in taxi fare. The show was on a Saturday and the local area buses did not run on the weekends. I couldn't walk there and my other relative wanted to go somewhere else later in the day with the car. My puppy dog eyes were not going to change the situation. I moved on by looking for walking distance record shops. I found one a mile and a half away. I didn't heed the warning to watch out for motorists as nearly everyone in Florida drives. I was out-the-door before you could say "Look, another Palm Tree!"
I get to the strip mall after briefly getting lost and the book store(with music) was closed. The opening hours were correct but the owners did not come to work on time as they lived down the road(the other local business explained). I stood there an hour, staring at Senor Bubbles(a Latin Laundromat) across the road half the time and the rest of the time pressing my nose up against
the outside glass of the store. I saw nothing but a few classical LPs through the window and turned back to walk back to where I had started.
After explaining that "Senor Bubbles" was not a porn star while re-telling my empty-handed LP adventure back at the house, I decided to wait to get to a newsstand at some point. The idea to find vinyl took a back seat when I found out Life magazine would have a Paul-only special edition available three days later on Amazon. It turned out the magazine had been out in shops for at least a month. I had no problem finding the issue along with another magazine(see youtube video).
I got to visit a local Target. Target has changed their music department: There are many empty rows and barely any back catalog. It was to my amazement when I saw a Beatles display and offer. The deal was somehow tied into the celebration of the 50th Anniversary on their American arrival. I didn't want a $5 gift card for getting two items. I just knew there were two limited edition t-shirts left in large that was packaged in a box for $10 and I didn't care the box was dented.
I should have cared more about the box and the offer because the cash register refused to scan the item. I suppose if I had gotten the cavern-club-wall-designed-coffee-mug, three employees wouldn't have made me feel like I was breaking the 2-for-Gift Card deal. It was just wonderful to find anything I hadn't been expecting at all on my trip. Here is the flattened box(tag not part of this shirt/another shirt it came from):
When it was time to go home, I needed to pack smartly. I couldn't travel with the t-shirt box and I had to use my worn clothes to protect the magazines getting bent in transit. Everything survived, I just need to wash a smelly t-shirt.
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