As my loving Sister has recently pointed out, I have moved enough to be able to write a book about it! But since this is about the 15th time in 25 years for me (and no, I am NOT military), I find I have not the energy, time or resources to go into book length. So, this is the condensed version.
Some background is the first order of business. I moved from my native Illinois to Florida in 2006. While I assuredly am not ready for the walker and oxygen tank yet, I felt compelled to move closer to my Brother - for some God-only-knows reason - and bought a mobile home in Winter Haven (mobiles are very popular down here, ya know). Winter Haven, FL, is a beautiful older city smack dab in the center of Florida. The local saying is that if you do not live on a lake, you are at least within walking distance of one. And that is very true. Another old saying is that if there is a body of water any larger then a puddle and it is NOT an inground swimming pool, there is an alligator or two or a dozen living there. Also very true. My mobile sat on 150 feet of lake front and I had a whole family of alligators living just outside my Florida Room (or enclosed porch for you Yanks). I respected their space and they in turn left me with all my limbs intact.
The trouble with idyllic Winter Haven is that there is very little in the way of employment. Economically feasible employment. So, I began working in Orlando - an 80 mile a day commute among the worst drivers on the North American Continent. You see, most of the drivers on I-4 through the Orlando area are visitors - tourists from all over the world - who may or may not be used to driving on our side of the road - or able to read English on road signs. Couple that with numerous exits to Disney, Universal and all tourist trappings in between, and you have a sure fire formula for vehicular disaster. It is common to have the rental car crusing along side you in the far left lane suddenly discover that he needs to exit RIGHT NOW.
After a couple of years of this, I decided I might as well look for employment in Tampa - about the same distance from Winter Haven as Orlando, but without being anywhere near Orlando, if you catch my drift. So, I found a job, left the mobile and we rented a small bunglaow in a "gentrified" neighborhood of the City of Tampa. A small bungalow with only one closet. Yeah, I know....what was I thinking! But it made up for lack of space by being only 15 minutes away from work. And through work, I found an investor with cash and made a deal to find a house to properly put down Floridain roots.
I walked through countless foreclosure houses that price-wise were fantastic deals, but inside looked like pictures of Dresden - after the bombings. People being foreclosed upon are a bitter group for the most part. Plumbing fixtures, interior doors, mouldings, appliances, carpeting - all of these seemed to take the brunt force of this bitterness - or were simply ripped out. Finally however, I did manage to find a diamond in the rough. A 3 bdrm/2 bath home with a pool(!) that needed work but still had toilets! HURRAY!
Keep in mind foreclosure homes are sold "as-is". As the daughter of a car salesman, I am fully aware of all the ramifications of that statement. Investor assured me - and contractually agreed - to some repairs to the fencing, cleaning the pool (which looks right now like the Black Lagoon made famous by the Creature), etc. So, I packed up and moved in. On July 12th. (think Florida heat in mid July). Only to discover the central air is dead as a door nail. Kaput. No cold air, no luke warm air. No air, period. I have promises that it will be repaired "soon". In the meantime, I have found a wet dish towel wrapped around your neck helps...a little.
So, as I begin this Blog, I am sitting as naked as I can legally get away with, surrounded by cartons containing all of my worldly goods. Too hot to unpack. Thankfully for the dog and cat, most of the floors are ceramic tile. I never saw a dog stretch out as flat on the floor before as Chewbacca has managed.. All four paws straight out, chin on the tile.
I am hoping this is the last move for quite awhile. I have already decided that my next move will entail only a couple of suitcases and a plane ticket. Hope my daughter gets her guest room ready in time :)
7/16/10
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