Saturday, February 05, 2005
This is a HAMFest?
We got a good parking spot.
Not a good sign.
Kelly, Wlofie and I had
gone to the 45th Tropical Hamboree and
unlike previous years, we got an excellent parking spot near the front. And
no, we did not show up at 7:00 am for this—no, we ended up pulling into
the parking spot around 11:00 am. The parking lot was relatively empty this
year.
Walking up to the main building, we saw something I hadn't seen before in my years of attendance—an outdoor flea market. Nothing huge, but as a sign goes, this could be good (way too many exhibitors inside) or bad (it's so bad inside these people didn't want the hassle of obtaining a table).
But our fears were confirmed when we entered the main hall.
It was practically empty.
This was worse than the previous two times (has it really been three years since the last trip? Wow … ). Worse, the number of booths dealing with cheap tools, crafts and leatherworks easily outnumbered the booths about HAM radios, computers or electrical components.
Sad really.
I'm beginning to think that the Miami International Map Fair may be in order next year.
Nothing more than asphalt and grass
On the way back from the non-event that was the 45th Tropical Hamboree, Kelly (who was driving) decided that it would be interesting to drive by what was once Andytown, Florida, but is now the intersection of US-27 and I-75.
![[Nothing more than asphalt and grass]](/2005/02/05/p2050024.jpg "Nothing more than asphant and grass")
![[It's not even listed in Kelly's in-car GPS]](/2005/02/05/p2050025.jpg "It's not even listed in Kelly's in-car GPS")
Nothing else but asphalt and grass remains.
