Saturday, November 20, 2010

November in North Bay Village


November in North Bay Village is my favorite month. The heat has broken which makes walking and biking fun again, there's lot to do around town, the elections are over, and of course the Miami Book Fair is on.

I love the book fair. I love that Miami has the largest book fair in the United States and that Mitch Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, understands that alongside the superficial bling of Miami there is an intellectual life. I volunteer each year if I can and this year so far has been great. There's always several writers I must see and each year, there are writers that I never heard of before and need to know about. You should check it out at the MFI Website. There's still time.

Insider Tip about the Book Fair - The main events at Chapman are sold out through the weekend but the standby line almost always gets you in. I know. I worked the line this morning for the Dave Barry presentation and everyone was accomodated. Just be patient and have a Plan B if it does truly fill up.

On the photo above, my friend and neighbor Lyng-Hou Ramirez, a journalist and a very good photographer has been taking pictures around NBV and the bay. This picture, from her online album, is my favorite because it combines a beautiful shot of the bay looking east, with a sign about manatees who are by far my favorite marine animal. I'll be publishing more and linking to her site as I figure out how.

Finally, Thanksgiving week is here. Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. The idea of taking a day to be grateful and aware of life around us is radical in the best sense. I know Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving, but they do it on a Monday in October so I'm not sure it counts. Beyond that, I can't think of any other country that espouses gratitude as a value. Plus you get to really push your eating skills. This week always puts me in the best of moods.

In case you think the blog has been hijacked with all this uncharacteristic display of enthusiasm, gratitude and appreciation, nah. It's just sometimes, you got to get a little intense.

Kevin Vericker
November 20, 2010

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