I headed to Altamonte Springs to get some books signed by author, Tim Dorsey, at the Borders bookstore there. Above is the cover of his new book, Nuclear Jellyfish.

Afterward I picked up my father and we got Steakburgers at the Steak ‘N Shake in Winter Park on 17-92. Acove is a sketch of a fellow, I guess the manager, working on paperwork.

I made my annual pilgramage to Mount Dora for the annual booksale there. To the left is one of the sketches I drew of the community senter that always holds the book sale. I’ve been going to it for 23 years. I’ve missed only one entirely and that was last year due to a caricature gig.

While milling amongst the books I spotted someone amongst the fellow book lookers. It was Russ Wheeler. I had watched Russ Wheeler for years when he hosted Channel 9’s ‘Dialing for Dollars’. Channel 9 would play a flick and between Wheeler would spin the wheel and give away cash. This was back in the ’70s. I loved the old films Channel 9 would play. The Marx Brothers, Danny Kaye, MArtin and Lewis were just a few that I would stay up and watch late at night. Sometimes I would suddenly fall ill and have to stay home from school if Russ Wheeler had a Marx film on that morning.

It was my elementary school teacher, Nancy Ingle, a zillion trips to the Orlando Public Library and the old films that shaped me as a professional cartoonist.

Wheeler’s run eventually ended on ‘Dialing for Dollars’.  I had noticed over the years since, he got into acting in the ’80s and ’90s. He played a doctor in both ‘Cocoon’ and ‘Harry and Son’. He also did a series of films with Hulk Hogan and Chris Lemmon. Anyway, I walked up to him and made sure he was Russ Wheeler and then thanked him for his hosting. He responded that “it was nice playing a philanthropist with other people’s money”. It was really great meeting him.

I picked up lots of books at the sale. I found a few with some great artwork. Below is from a how-to-sew book and the other is from a french children’s book. A volunteer at the book sale noticed I was pisking up the book and let me know it had been her son’s. She had picked it up in France as a gift for him quite a few decades ago.

Not one of my better constructed cartoons. I envisioned this cartoon very differently. I had already pencilled and inked a different comment on the Daschle issue and then he goes and resigns. So this replaced that.

So, I thought I’d tackle the big beginning of the new regular series of Obama TV shows. He has little experience in anything. One thing he does know is how to use his mouth. Monday is the beginning of some people getting reeeeeeeeal tired of hearing him and his fancy talk.

He’s going to be sailing the typical platitudes and weaving around specifics about this payoff to big business. Specifics the public needs to know. Sepcifics that the folks in Washington don’t want the American public to know. Just trust them. It’s like the Bush administration never went away. Only now they’ve got a better pitchman.

 We hiked quite a few miles through southern Sarasota County. We started at the Carlton Reserve (that’s where the palm sketch is from). Next we hiked the Jelks Preserve. There we both experienced encounters with 18 armadillos rooting along the trail. Each armadillo was alone and all were spaced a good 75 feet apart. Who knows how many were lurking all around us in the woods and bush.

For dinner we joined our friend Jennifer Huber at Gold Rush Bar B Q. I wish we had a place like that near us. In two days we experienced some very outstanding – and different – restaurants!

Sandra and I headed south to do some professional snooping around Sarasota County. We first met with a part of the visitors bureau there, Erin Duggan, who took us out for a dynamite lunch at Barnacle Bills on Main Street. It’s been in Downtown Sarasota for a long time. To the left is a sketch of decorations in Barnacle Bills.

Afterward, we perused the developing historical museum in the art deco building that also holds the visitors center.

Later we made our way into Venice. Dinner was at another outstanding restaurant, Valenti’s. It’s a true italian restaurant. Below is a customer I sketched while there.

I know Obama is a novice at being involved with leadership duties. I guess that’s why he doesn’t know that wining and dining and watching football with Republicans is NOT what bi-partinship is all about. However, considering how goofy some Republicans have been acting lately, it’s possible they don’t know the difference.

A small part of a project I’m working on…

I’ve always stayed away from books about espionage. From Glenn Beck often hyping them and my coming across a few for 50 cents each, had me picking a few up. After reading so many non-fiction books about Orlando I was ready for any fiction and started with Vince Flynn’s ‘Intent to Kill’. The worse part about this book was that I figured out the ending, even the twists, within the first few pages of the book. The best part is the depth and exciting action of the 700 page thriller.

I went next to a recent purchase that I thought was about the newspaper business circa 1957. Instead it is a book about a National Enquirer type publication. The shocking part was the intense language and scenes typical of todays fiction.

After ‘The Yellow Press’, I was wanting more Vince Flynn, so I went to the second Flynn book I had picked up. This one was exciting also. Full of over-achieving Muslim terrorists. The way Flynn writes the terrorists as a bundle of happless types where everything goes their way to a point is the way I feel the terrorists were that pulled off September 11th. Flynn really well defines how their blind faith propels them to their own doom. If you are something other than a Muslim and want to understand how one can go off track and get into the terrorist mindset, Flynn’s book really unfolds this without demeaning the Muslim faith itself.

Me drawing a soldier during rehabilitation in the Center for the Intrepid.

Bruce Higdon drawing a soldier who continues his pace.

Bill Hinds in the front. Rob Harrell, Bruce Higdon and myself in the back.

We were set up one the first floor of the Brooke Army Medical Center to draw. From right to left: Jeff Bacon’s back dressed in black, Bruce Higdon, myself, directly behind me and mostly hidden is Tom Stiglich, behind the lady Tom is drawing for is Mike Ramierez. To the right in blue jeans is Steve Moore.

It seems Washington is in a deep fog and wants us in one, too.