After enduring weeks and weeks of delays related to avionics ( I think I've now re-bought my entire plane, piece by piece), an instructor who preferred to have me pay for his career, a ne'er do-well examiner who was unable to show up on time and multiple days of bad wx, I finally did my ride today.
Now the learning starts.
Left for Fla. at 13:30 but only got as far as Charlotte.