We drove up to Orlando, FL from Key West, FL about March 9, 2021 to pick up a HP Laserjet 4650 color printer I had purchased on eBay. This was at the height of the Covid Pandemic.
We spent a day at Icon Park and rode several rides including The Wheel and StarFlyer which stands at 450 ft. and then swings you around and around at 65 mph in these little seats hanging from chains. We hung out various places including a couple of bars and did some shopping. The Sea Life Aquarium was the favorite of both of us. Really well worth a visit.
We also went various places downtown including a place with waterfalls running, but was otherwise closed. Bobby rode this bungie cord ride that had a cab of sorts between two massive towers. I shot video but no still photos.
We looked in some shops and I bought an "Orlando" hoody at a great price.
We went to a big gay bar but that was closed too. We ended up at some straight cowboy bar that had live music and really enjoyed ourselves.
Bobby holding one of my company banners that is used as a photo backdrop and for other purposes while in my home office. In addition to Blue Planet Pharma Corp., there are other Blue Planet businesses.
Bobby on my deck holding our Bourbon Street Discount Cup. The significance of this is that Fireball was his favorite alcoholic beverage and the bottles served as inspiration for the development of "DevilsLube".
Bobby displaying the Cowboy Bills banner he was given. This was his favorite bar and ironically he was given a job there two days before they were forced to close due to the covid pandemic. The bar did not survive.
His last birthday, the bar threw him a big party. Dozens of friends and local business people signed the card and included $250 in cash.
He ended up giving the banner away to a bartender friend that worked there and who was a bartender now at his second favorite bar which was Heroes Bar & Liberty Lounge. Photo was taken on my deck.
Part of the birthday card the staff and other locals gave Bobby. It is signed by around 50 people.
Bobby relaxing on my deck in his "bum" look. He did not like having to shave all the time. He did like my Alexa a good deal and he could listen to any song he wanted. (Just out of the frame.) Well, not actually any song as he managed to stump Alexa rather often.
RIGHT: Bobby built this little garden box on my deck in part to house his Baseball Gnome which was his favorite possession. I searched for this model on eBay many times and could never find one just like it.
I sent this to Bobby's 13 year old son along with all of Bobby's possessions -- some of them very nice and expensive -- in a big heavy plastic tub bolted shut which UPS managed to lose everything out of and then destroy the tub, all with no explanation.
I was able to log into Bobby's Facebook account on one of my tablet computers and was able to keep friends and relatives informed of what was happening. It was during this period I found out that Bobby has a 13 year-old son who was almost Bobby's exact size. I communicated with his mother so at least they did not have to go through life not ever knowing what happened to Bobby. Although UPS lost most of his stuff, I later sent the son notebooks, all the photos on a thumb drive and other small personal items.
Another portion of Bobby's birthday card.
This was a little desert that Bobby whipped up one day. I thought it was interesting and took a photo. This was the only time I thought of it and wanted to include this to say that Bobby was a fantastic cook. I have a really nice outdoor kitchen which he very much enjoyed. He could create great meals out of odds and ends. I helped him get food stamps so we ate really well. He loved to do steak with baked potatoes and we often had fresh asparagues and other veggies with that. He liked his food spicy hot but he knew I did not.
Bobby went all out for Christmas. This was our front gate going up to the deck, but he put lights all over the deck too, so it was very nice and special.
It is possible to see some of the lights that Bobby put around our double doors in the background.
Sadly, Bobby had been drinking and smoking since he was 12 years old. Bobby was taken to Lower Keys Medical Center the evening of June 15th (after puttng off going for far too long) and the next day was flown by helicopter to Jackson South in Miami. Bobby suffered from liver failure and was hospitalized for a little over one month before his heart just couldn't take it anymore at 5:05 a.m. on July 18th 2021. He never regained consciousness. He was only 39.