We here in the city Beautiful are in many record books for any number of reasons. Some great, some not so much. Review with me now records we hold (and feel free to add any that I’ve over looked).

1. Most Theme Parks in a Metro Area
2. Lightning Capital of the World
3. Most tourists annually than any other city (52 million annually)
4. Top five airport for convenience
5. Florida’s Largest inland city
6. Home to the second largest University in Florida - University of Central Florida
7. 2nd Largest City in the country for hotel rooms (Las Vegas is first)
8. 2nd in the number of lakes in the metropolitan area (Minneapolis is first)
9. Only city on record to be hit by 3 hurricanes in a 6 week period (2004)
10. 2nd Largest convention complex in the US (Las Vegas is first)
11. Top 10 real estate growth in the US (34% from 04-05)
12. Orlando is home to one of the nation’s largest and rapidly-growing Puerto Rican communities, with the largest growing Russian community coming in a close second!

But here’s a record we don’t want. MURDER CAPITAL OF FLORIDA!!

We are barely past the half way point this year and we’re about to break our own record from 1982 AND take the title from Jacksonville. For the past 17 years, Jacksonville has worn this title 12 of those years. This is not something to be proud of Orlando! We aren’t the only ones reporting this increase in crime, but wow… considering most of our records up there have to do with tourism, I sure would hate for us to earn that kind of reputation!

FryGuy’s post about his own philanthropic endeavor reminded me about my own that I have been putting off. Recently the wife and I purchased a new car for her general use. Her old Mercury was started to get to that age in a car’s life where despite being paid off, you end up making monthly payments of a sort. An AC problem here, a noise in the wheelwell there, and it starts becoming the local mechanic who’s collecting much like a bank would anyhow.

Well, being that both of us are too busy to try and sell the car on our own, and not being able to garner anything as a trade-in (Carmax offered the minimum they have to in order to keep their “We buy any car” promise: $100) we decided to donate the vehicle to a local charity and just take the write off and satisfaction that someone may actually benefit from the vehicle. The question then is, what charity?

I hear commercials all the time on the radio for the Forest Lake Academy who takes cars, and then someone else suggested the Mustardseed. Does anyone have any suggestions for others or know much about the ones I’ve mentioned? I’d like to select a charity that really needs the help and does some good on a local level. I guess I’d also like them to come tow the thing away for me as well, as the plates have been transferred and I can’t really drive it on the street (unless a sign in the window that says “Taking to charity, please don’t arrest” will get me a pass.)

Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions?

We are BIG fans of Jetty Park. We’ve been going to here for as long as I can remember (at least 15 years) for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it’s a relatively calm beach for families with small children. My other half loves to fish so he can do that while the kids and I play in the water. Lots of people camp there as well as watch the cruise ships leave the ports. And they recently built a new comfort station that’s really nice, complete with a bait shop, snack bar and nice bathrooms all indoors in air conditioning. Also they’ve added more outdoor showers so you can wash the salt and sand off of you before you head the hour or so ride home.

Earlier this week, my son and I went over to fish and swim a bit at Jetty. It was a blistering hot day and the air was barely moving, even on jetty. So we went to take a dip in the ocean to cool off a bit. What we found was a huge mess, that in all of my years of going out there, I have never seen. Seaweed wasn’t just littering the shoreline, it had completely obscured it about 40 yards from the water line onto shore. I’m talking — no visible sand. It’s littered with human trash as well as oceanlife, so the smell… well… you can guess.

The lifeguards had kindly cleared a “path” to the ocean down the way … and had attempted to try to rake back some of the seaweed with a tractor to expose the sand for beach goers. Once you got in the water, you had to wade through this same much for about 20-30 yards to get to clear waters.

Ok, so you’re sitting there saying, “what a wuss… what a wimp.” I’m not the squeamish type. Truly. Things touching me in the water do not conjure images of Jaws or Up From the Depths. But we’re not talking a few bits and particles here… we’re talking MAJOR amounts of seaweed that make you think twice about getting in or getting out!

I was talking to one of the lifeguards and he commented that it was the worst he’d ever seen in his years and years of being a guard. I also asked him how long he thought it might take to clear up. He of course referenced the tropical storm we had last week and the fact that the Jetty, with the way it’s built, kinda becomes a catchall for oceantrash like this.

Anyway, be aware that this beach will probably be yicky until the next full moon. Wear your water shoes!

I’m still looking for pledges for my foray into Blogathon 2006 next weekend. In my desire to keep it local I’ve decided to blog for Give Kids the World, a local 501(c)(3). Description from their site:

Give Kids The World Village is a non-profit resort that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Wish-granting organizations coordinate transportation to Orlando, while Give Kids The World provides accommodations at its whimsical resort, donated attractions tickets, and meals for a cost-free, week-long fantasy vacation. Since its founding in 1986, Give Kids The World has welcomed families from all 50 states and over 50 countries.

So come on, there’s no minumum and you’ll be helping out a local charity.

Click here to sponsor me, and keep up with my 24-hour vigil @ Blog-a-thon 2K6 w/FryGuy.

Metroblogging is proud to welcome city #49, Sacramento. Sacramento gets the pleasure of not only being the 49th Metroblog city but also the 4th city in the great state of California. Looks like Sean and Jason’s little baby is all grows up.

Stop on by and give ‘em a look.

Who will be #50?

The following is taken directly from Darlyn Finch’s Scribbles newsletter:

“The next meeting of the ‘Newbies’ Group will be Friday, July 21. They will be doing ‘group feedback’. You can read 4-5 pages of your work to the group, and get immediate feedback.

“The meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Maitland Arts Center. Address is 231 W Packwood Ave, Maitland 32751. If you have any questions, contact Mike Whisenant at 407-538-1111 or rmwhisenant@bellsouth.net

“The meetings are geared toward the new writer, but all are welcome to attend.

“Meeting is free and open to the public.”

Take it from a writer: FREE FEEDBACK IS GOOD. I’ve never been to one of their meetings, but if you’ve got a piece in progress–no matter how dusty it is–this might be worth the trip.

I don’t know if anybody has stopped by recently, but the Volcano’s Coffee Bar in Winter Garden (13770 W. Colonial Drive, in front of the new Publix) is becoming a popular neighborhood hangout. I was in there with a friend for about an hour and a half, and all but one table remained full the whole time.

It’s in a good location to meet up with friends and use the free wireless Internet, as many customers were doing. It’s oddly nice in there. I say “oddly” because the gimmick is a little weird–the “faux finish” and obsession with coffee paraphrenalia says Italy, but the freaky coconut heads sitting on top of the gelato cooler say “island” (volcano? get it?).

It’s in a good location to meet up with friends and use the free wireless Internet, as many customers were doing. It’s oddly nice in there. I say “oddly” because the gimmick is a little weird–the “faux finish” and obsession with coffee paraphrenalia says Italy, but the freaky coconut heads sitting on top of the gelato cooler say “island” (volcano? get it?).

This is probably more information than you really want, but there are also assorted soaps and lotions in the bathroom with a hula-girl theme. But don’t stall in front of the paper-towel machine while you’re reading the labels, because it’s on a motion sensor and it will spit paper towels as long as you’re standing in front of it, and furthermore, there is no way to stuff them back in and it’s terribly wasteful. Just trust me.

(I am told that no one else had this problem with the paper-towel dispenser, but I think they might be lying.)

Strategically placed chalkboards throughout the venue are proclaiming live jazz on Thursdays at 8 PM. My friend and I agreed that it’s a little too cozy in there to fit a jazz band and spectators–and it would also be loud as all get-out–but we also speculated that one could open the doors on a warm summer night and let people collect on the sidewalks to sip coffee and listen. As long as they’re not lured next door to Tiajuana Flats or America Pie Pizza, of course.

I’m a little snob who enjoys Pellegrino, but my friend got an iced coffee the size of a Mini Cooper and seemed to enjoy it. The staff was really friendly and thorough. Twice we were interrupted (in a nice way)–once to ask if everything met with our approval, and another time to sample gelato that allegedly has “half the calories and twice the flavor!” of its more traditional counterpart. I didn’t sample any. I made my friend do it instead. He initially could not issue a verdict (”The coffee kinda kills the taste, y’know?”), but was later observed scraping the bottom of the little plastic sample container like he was digging for gold. I will take that to mean they’ve got good gelato.

I thought it was a little surprising that they close at 9 PM. We hastily got up and left at 8:55 PM when we noticed the staff cleaning the machines and the cases. I know this is a small town, but can’t we eke out a 10 or 11 PM closing time? I was thinking of ordering a cappucino and hanging out for another hour at least! Come on!

Anyway, Volcano’s worth a try, should you find yourself over by the Publix. I have not heard anything objectionable about any of the new restaurants in the strip mall…and now that we’ve got live jazz, it’s a culture center! (Well, maybe not. But at least we’ve got good coffee.)

Photo credits Tonx and D.I. on flickr

That’s the nicest scare I’ve had in awhile…Judging by the blaring car alarms, the shuttle has returned to earth. I’m watching her touch down safe and sound on the TV in my office right now. It’s the first time since 2002 a shuttle has landed at KSC. Great job, Discovery!

Deep into my July sports withdrawl, I did the math and realized that the Bucs play their first game exactly eight weeks from today. We’re at the two-month mark. Almost there!

Training camp opens July 27-August 17 at the Wide World of Sports complex, and admission is FREE. (It’s so rare you get to use the word “free” when talking about a major sports franchise…) Check the Bucs website for times and practice dates–everything is subject to Chucky’s whims, I’m sure.

So I was sitting on my mother’s porch, enjoying a free dinner and a quick swim in the pool, when we got to talking about how Disney’s current problem with dying park guests.

“It’s the rides,” I said.

“It’s the guests,” Mom said.

“Then explain to me why they just recently started getting killed in the park! People have always had minor health problems that they choose to ignore. Why are they dying from them now–and always on the newer rides?”

Mom thought about that for a minute. Then she said, “Because it’s Disney.”

“Huh?”

“If you put those same rides in Universal, or Cedar Point, or any other famous thrill-ride park, they would look at all the warnings and take it more seriously. They would immediately say, ‘Oh, that’s not for me,’ and ride something else. But because it’s Disney, they don’t believe it can be that bad.”

I watched a couple of lizards chase each other and pondered the issue for a minute. “Or maybe they believe nothing really bad can happen to them because it’s Disney World? Like the same way they don’t lock their cars or give people their room numbers because they don’t believe in crime in the alleged ‘Happiest Place on Earth?’”

“That could be, too.”

I don’t know if I buy it…but it’s an interesting theory.