A WASHER/DRYER

February 23, 2012  Dateline: Ft Lauderdale FL, USA

I continue to sit in Ft Lauderdale, FL waiting for good weather and the replacement of my Splendide combination washer dryer.  A week ago Carol noticed a leak in the unit, so Rich made some phone calls and was able to find a repairman who could come and take a look at.  Rich spoke to the people at Splendide and they said it was likely the pump, so he had one overnighted while I was in Key West (of course it was not the pump).  Last Monday the repairman came and the leak was coming from a molded hose that is no longer available, so I needed a whole new unit.  Rich and Carol were told that it would take 4-5 days to get it delivered.   While wandering through West Marine on Tuesday Rich and Carol saw one on display.  A phone call to the repairman and he said he could install it today.  The washer/dryer was bought over the phone, the repairman picked it up and in four hours the old one was removed and the new one installed.  Carol is very happy as she can now do laundry on me in the Bahamas.

Ft. Lauderdale is an interesting place.  In some respects it is a lot like Key West.  There are a lot of bars that play loud music and have crowds of partiers very close to the music.  There is 1A1, the highway that runs along the beach, and it has most of the bars, hotels, tee shirt shops and restaurants along it.  The sidewalk is just jammed full of people. 

Unlike Key West there is no sunset celebration at a dock.  The sun just goes down and the partying begins.  The town is getting ready for the famous spring college break.  The tee shirts are already on the store racks reading “Spring Break 2012”.

Some of the houses here in Ft Lauderdale are huge but next door might be an original 1950’s ranch that must have been one of the early homes that were built here.  The one pictured on the right has at least a six car garage one of which overlooks a canal and has huge palladium windows.  Behind these windows are parked a red as well as a green Ferrari.

The number of large boats here is also difficult to conceive of.  There are lines of boats over 125 feet long.  One wonders how they get into the canals and then are able to turn around so they can get out.  Perhaps some people park them outside their house solely because they can.  These are sitting across from me at the marina.

I had written that on the 15^th of February I thought I might have reached my southernmost point on this trip and was going north, but that I might go further south when I get to the Bahamas.  I was wrong, Rich told me there is a change of plans and I would not be going any further south than I had already been.

Tomorrow is the big day MY WAY and I are leaving for Bimini.