The VacationValet Channel

  I drove the length of San Carlos Island yesterday.  Now that more of the debris has been removed and the roads un-clogged it was easier to evaluate the extent of the damage.  In short, there are many properties that are completely destroyed.  All single story homes were flooded to the ceilings and it's my understanding that they were submerged for several hours.  Entire blocks of houses and businesses were washed away.  The islands full of bulldozers and dump trucks running 10 and 12 hour days,,, and it will still be months before they get a handle on the debris. 
  To be honest it was really hard to see the extent of damage that this last hurricane has caused and realize that it will forever change Fort Myers Beach.  You see, building codes have been updated and everything that gets re-built,,, not re-paired, must be built to "New" building codes and standards.  Many people are getting a forced buyout,,, they just don't know it yet and it's a buyout that many never wanted or expected to happen.  Here's why.  The insurance companies are going to pay 100% loss on those properties for the amount of the original mortgage or more if the homeowner has a re-placement cost coverage.  Even still, it doesn't allow for the additional cost of building the new structure 14' of the ground.  Much less the new upgraded hardware that must be installed for storm ratings.  Simply put, it just cost allot more.  And let's face it, many of these homeowners were looking at retirement, not starting over from ground up,,,  much less with a second mortgage.
  Fort Myers Beach was a unique Florida beach town that will forever be changed by this last hurricane.

  With most businesses on the island damaged or destroyed there's not many businesses that remain open.  I went into the F.M.B. Directory and didn't know if I should delete the listings or leave them up in tribute to those that were.  I don't know.  As an on going concern, F.M.B will probably be down for the next several months.  The number of available rentals by then would be anyones guess.  Most of the public facilities are outta commission and businesses can't re-open without customers.  Kinda reminds me of the conundrum the 9th Ward was in after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.  You could walk right through there with out worrying if you were gonna get robbed or car jacked;  All the goons were gone.  And that place got re-developed.  So to will SouthWest Florida.  Seriously, there were 3 shootings in 5yrs at the Lani Kai on Fort Myers Beach if I remember correctly;  Who the fuck brings a gun to the beach,,, goons, that's who.  
  So yea, I've got a wait and see position on F.M.B. and will decide later in 2023 as to whether or not they will be included in Tv2C going forward.  As everything in this part of Florida gets rebuilt and redeveloped, there may be another location that overtakes the position of F.M.B.  
  Between now and then I'm going to look into a dedicated server and start to self host my different web sites and migrate away from a shared server, it'll cost allot more but there's a lot fewer headaches, we'll see.  Till then, let's not give up on F.M.B. yet and if you wanted to help them out, then please consider or recommend it as a possible spring time vacation destination to your frienz and family.  I'm sure those that decide to stay and rebuild F.M.B. would greatly appreciate it.  Personally, I've got high hopes for them.
And never forget and always remember.


Hey, Ya'll Have a Great Weekend,,,   

  The restaurant that I worked at is gone.  The Salty Crab was a little 2 story beach house that was converted into a restaurant and was surrounded by the new Margaritaville Resort.  It was a toes in the sand with a beer in your hand kinda joint.  The little store where I would get my regular coffee and share laughs with the locals was blown out wall to wall.  Where are they now.  The coolest little dive bar style liquor store that moved up the street when Margaritaville got started was destroyed.  All the neat and colorful beach cottages that lined San Carlos Blvd have or will be bulldozed.  And guess what, everything has to go back up to current building codes.  That's 14' above grade before you can begin covered finished ceiling, (your trailer now has to be 14' off the ground).  In short, it's not gonna be the same F.M.B.  It will not be affordable or spacious.  I know how they build shit now.  Contractors around here scrape the entire lot and start building.  All the shade trees, (what's left), like Sea Grapes and they're actually a plant that gets big AF, whelp they all get cut down. In the place of what was a dense and almost impenetrable foliage goes a fucking palm tree.  And of course they'll build to lot lines and there will be minimal yard and landscaping, (low maintenance rentals w/ high dollar rents).  Who knows, maybe they'll turn it into a big R.V. park. with a focus on finer amenities and a commitment to the environment.  {I thought about that a second and almost spit my coffee up laughing, those fucks would never}.
  Be all that as it may, what I really wanted to share was a pervasive sense of acknowledgment that these storms and more specifically these hurricanes that I have witnessed, lived through and helped to re-build after may be the result of government geo-engineering.  There's a pattern, there's motive, there's evidence in all of these storms.  Dare I say that we haven't had an "organic" hurricane since Hurricane Andrew took out the Air Base in Homestead back in 92.  I know it kinda sounds bat shit crazy and I'll not present my reasons or explanations in this post lest someone my think I have information on the Clintons.  I will however leave you with this video as a primer.