1986 Bertone (Fiat) X 1/9 in Jacksonville

I've been asked by a reader to add some photos of my X. I don't think she'd mind. 

I've seen a few people snap photos of her as I drive around, but I've kind of neglected to take many of my own. Her permanent, legal home is in Wisconsin, where most of the photos were taken. 

My Guides to Jacksonville

I've met several people thinking of relocating to Jacksonville, and I often tell them to check out my website for my guide to the city. Except I did just that myself and realized it's not that easy to find, so here's a guide to my guides. 

Also, if you're thinking of moving here and want to hire an actual guide, that can be arranged. Use the contact form to work out the details. Or ask your realtor to take you everywhere...they love doing that.

Jacksonville's 630 City Online Guide - Now MyJAX

I wrote an article about using JAx 630City before, and it worked for me. A year later, my neighbor still has a broken recycling bin, and I am tempted to just fill out the form for him, but I'd rather teach local Jacksonville neighbors to fish than hand them a fish. In the spirit of trying to get you to do your own part in requesting services for which you pay (and help keep the city looking nice), here's a quick guide to what services you can ask for from the city of Jacksonville.

Sunpass, with more states coming soon...

Here's the text from the Sunpass website that's probably been on the website for the past several years (since mid 2018 for sure):

SunPass transponders also work in Georgia and North Carolina with more states coming soon.

I am not entirely sure why the toll systems in the US have decided not to follow the federal law requiring them to achieve interoperabilty. I assume Sunpass (with all its problems) does not meet the minimum standards set forth by the EZPass group. It's a set of rules that does not allow for fraud, so it's not in tune to Florida business practices.

100mph = Dangerous

I saw on the news tonight that 300-some people have been caught speeding at over 100mph in the past year or two. I wonder how many people regularly travel at speeds of over 100mph. Probably more than 300, since speed traps aren't everywhere. Anyhow, it's wrong to speed, even if I think speeding in certain situations is worse than others.

Is It OK To Kill Geese With Your Car In Jacksonville?

A Nextdoor post got a lot of heated debate recently, and I decided it was a good idea to weigh in on the issue. The initial post said that someone accelerated into a flock of geese, killing at least one goose. People angrily responded. Some mentioned it was a federal crime to kill geese. Others just said it was wrong. Then a couple of guys got into the discussion with their opinions that it was OK to do, or at least there's nothing any of us can do about it.

A Simple Solution to Pedestrian and Bike Safety Concerns

I know I’ve been raising my concerns about a gas station going in at McCormick and Kernan because it might detract from the neighborhood, but I’m not really a person who rails against every idea or thinks any new idea is a bad one. I sometimes even see a solution I can identify as the right idea. For example, there’s a really nice pedestrian and bike path along Kernan in Jacksonville that’s supposed to be even nicer when the road is widened. I think that’s great, and as I was driving on the road recently, I saw the way to make it at least a bit safer for those on foot or on bikes.

Lower Your Insurance Rate in Florida With Progressive Snapshot

I have used Progressive's Snapshot three times now in order to get a lower insurance rate for myself and my wife. One of my most popular articles describes how to beat the system, in a sense. And it works, too, not because I scam or cheat or hack. It works because I consciously drive my best when I have the device in my car.

Top Ten Unexpected Costs of Living in Jacksonville, Florida

When you move to a brand new community, you will have unexpected expenses that are generally hidden from your accounting. While there may be some savings you've missed, the costs are the ones that annoy you. The online cost of living calculators can give you an idea of the disparities, but there are minor differences in living that will cost something that you will not be prepared for until you make the move. Here's my Top 10 for Jax (yours may differ). Also, these are in no particular order because that would be too much work.

Magnolia Grove Subdivision Jax: What You Need To Know

Welcome home to the new Magnolia Grove subdivision on McCormick and Kernan in Jacksonville. KB Home has begun marketing the subdivision, which is right in my neck of the woods. Actually, the woods were torn down to make way for the houses, but it's right over there. So what do you need to know and ask before tossing your hard-earned money at one of these new homes?

Note to Jax Drivers: Turn Signals Serve a Purpose

Turn signals, flashers, turn indicators, directionals, signal lamps--whatever you call them, they do serve an actual purpose, so I am pleading with Jacksonville drivers to use your turn signals. The primary purpose of these lights on vehicles is TO LET OTHERS KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING. It's wonderful that you already know where you're going, and that's actually half the battle for me as I get used to such situations as Atlantic Blvd becoming Arlington Expy, which crosses Arlington Rd which crosses Atlantic Blvd. If you're lost, like I am half the time, then I understand, but for those of you who just don't feel like letting the rest of us know your intentions, please reconsider.

Jacksonville Wins Library of the Year -- What's That Mean?

The Florida Library Association has presented Jacksonville's Public Library with the Library of the Year award, so I wanted to see what that meant. Here's the Jax library take on it:

Among more than 800 public, academic, school, and special libraries, Jacksonville Public Library was named Library of the Year this year by the Florida Library Association for demonstrating outstanding service to the community.

I wanted to see who has won this award in the past. Yes, I'm sure it's spread around, but 800 libraries IS a lot of competition, so it's a fairly big deal.

David Boynton Parkway - Monument Road

Driving along Monument Road in Jacksonville, I had seen the sign a few times. I finally decided to look him up, thinking maybe Pappy Boynton was the same as David Boynton. Apparently, George "Pappy" Boyington, one of my childhood heroes from watching reruns of Black Sheep Squadron, is not the namesake for the portion of Monument north of McCormick.

The parkway is also not named after the semi-famous Hawaiian who was
"a leading expert on the natural history of the Hawaiian island of Kauai" (Wikipedia).

Merrill McCormick Wonderwood What? One Road, Many Names

For about twelve miles from the St. Johns River to the Atlantic Ocean, a continuous road in Jacksonville changes names about as often is possible. In fact, I'll go ahead and wager it's the most changed street name in the country over a dozen miles. (As a side note, I'm wondering why St. Johns does not have an apostrophe, as it's not like there are multiple St. Johns. Or that Johns was John's name.) Anyhow, to the many-named road.

Helping Hands on Kernan And Why Some People Stop

I have always stopped for others in distress. I have yet to get mugged. On the other hand, I have yet to get paid in a Rolex like one guy I know. But I don't stop to help people in the hopes that they've got cash for me. I stop because I'd hope one of them will someday stop for my wife or kids when they are in need. So far, I've gotten to see some of the ups and downs of Jacksonville when it comes to stopping to help others.

Smart ASSet ASSessment of Florida Drivers is Half-ASS

We all like quick answers and someone else to analyze data for us. This includes the folks at local news networks, most of whom picked up the Smart Asset analysis of our country's worst drivers. If Florida news outlets want to know why some politicians get away with calling their reporting Fake News, then this is a classic example. Because this really is Fake News. Let's see why.