We only get one chance at life, so do it right the first time. St Pete is a cool city for food, beaches and music, a good university and very multi-culti. Come now for a few days or weeks. But I will also be spending July and August in Mexico, and am trying to find a house/cat sitter.

I am glad to host but this is my home, neither a hotel nor a restaurant. Treat my indoor space gently. If you want to drink and dine with me every night then you are invited. Just let me know of any food issues, allergies, preferences. BYOB. And if you want a full seafood extravaganza, I will cook a multi course dinner on your budget.

My house is small (1000 sq ft) with a large living room; a nice kitchen; a single bathroom; my bedroom; and a tiny guest bedroom for you with a queen sized bed. It is great for a single person and a tight fit for two. I have every kitchen tool and appliance you can imagine.

There is great outdoor space including a covered furnished patio. Central air con inside; wifi, Netflix and Prime throughout the property. Parking in my driveway.

I rarely eat before noon but I always have eggs, oats, sausages, instant grits, plain yoghurt, dried fruits, nuts and breads (rarely milk or cream). Bring your favorites, you Vegemite freaks! You have access to all of my staples, spices, pickled, canned and fridge items. I want you to feel at home. You don't need to ask to consume (except my saffron!), just thank me and invite me to share what you prepare. I always do the same for my guest. You buy your own adult beverages. There is plenty of refrigerator space and a ginormous outdoor freezer. And you clean up after yourself!!!

St Pete is a city of food and nightlife. Central Ave is at my doorstep, a great food and drink scene plus a free trolley that goes east to the downtown and the harbor. Fabulous beaches are a quick bus ride to the west. St Pete streets are laid on a grid basis, easy to navigate by foot, bike or car. Fifteen minutes away is the lesbian/gay capital of the US south, Gulfport. Very artsy/musical/literate and even John Prine lived here.

Walmart is 300 yards/meters) away and a small urban liquor store is 100 meters away. Aldi is one mile away. I might even take you to my favorite purveyor of day boat seafood; or the best Italian market south of NYC.; or my Asian superstore. Food is important here at Cat House 209.

Please be quiet indoors after midnight. Guests and friends are fine on the patio, 24/7 where music and a bit of noise are okay.. It is a great place to chillax. My room is always off limits and your room is also. No food in your room, never. No tobacco inside, never. Shoes off as soon as you enter the house. 420 friendly - don't be shy about lighting up, indoors or outside. We are not yet a state where recreational is legal. I have six cats who will love you after a few minutes , and a seventh who will not let you touch her. Nope, never. If you do not like cats, this is not a place for you. This is the Cat House 209 and the house motto is "Less hissin' and more kissin'."

I have many beach blankets for some of North America's best beaches, less than ten miles away, 20 minutes by bus rapid transit (SunRunner). This is Florida, one of the front lines of climate change, and daytime temps are near 90F from May 1 until November 1, Big rain comes every few days with brilliant sun in between. Unless there is a hurricane, in which case leave immediately. For real, get out immediately. Water and electricity are precious commodities so please don't waste them.

I will expect a little work from you, doing a little sweeping or wiping the sink. You will always need to clean up immediately after your kitchen activities since counter space is limited and bugs are everywhere here in Florida.

Mass transit in Florida sucks but I am only 300 yards to the central bus terminal. Getting here from the Tampa airport requires Uber/taxi and is expensive ($50) although there is an infrequent bus that can get you into St Pete www.psta.nethttps://psta.net/media/5781/route-300x-022722.pdf and connect to the #52 bus which drops you two blocks from my house (one block before the bus terminal). $2.25 for each bus ride., cheap but inconvenient.

The BRT SunRunner runs from from the Harbor in the east to the Gulf beaches on the west. Totally bike friendly, it is one of the best mass transit rides in the US. $2.25 But you need to buy a pass in advance.

https://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/itinerary/best-hidden-gem-beaches

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like to travel. I like helping other people travel. But I have only hosted, never Surfed.

Interests

• dining
• cooking
• politics
• trivia
• traveling
• volunteer work
• blues
• rock'n'roll

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Chocolat; Snatch; Blade Runner (running the range from sweetly erotic to the absurd to the dystopic future).

I am old and so is my music: Richard Thompson, June Tabor, Los Lobos, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Pink Martini, Nina Simone, Gershwin, world music. But I also love Winehouse and Adele so maybe I am not as old as I sometimes appear.

Authors: Jared Diamond, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, Mark Kurlansky, Michael Pollan. I mostly read non-fiction in politics, economics, climate change, food and anthropology. I can be really boring.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Two total eclipses of the sun, one in Mexico and one in Venezuela. The hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies that winter in Mexico. The Pacific gray whale breeding waters at Bahia Magdalena. Bio-luminescent plankton in the Galapagos. The aurora in northern Quebec. Petra in Jordan. Patagonia. The Amazon. Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Meeting my hero Mandela; spending my 40th birthday lunch with the Dali Lama; and working with war refugees who teach you why life is precious.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am glad to cook for anyone who hosts me and of course I will cover all of the food expenses.

Countries I’ve Visited

Anguilla, Argentina, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands Antilles, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Martin (French part), Scotland, Singapore, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), Switzerland, Thailand, United States, Vatican City State, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, British, Virgin Islands, U.S., Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Myanmar, Thailand, United States