My Best Habits

She really has let herself go...
 

I like me.  And why shouldn't I? I am awesome!

Hahaha not really. But I do have some good habits I'm proud of. I'm actually amazed that I keep them up without any need for a push. Of course, these habits generate their own reward. Here's my top ones:

1. I weigh myself daily
2. I shop carefully
3. I track anything related to finances diligently (I'm an Excel whiz)
4. I never procrastinate
5. I forgive and forget quickly
6. I will never "let myself go". Not completely anyway.
7. I remember how lucky I am everyday

;-)

Halloween

I adore Halloween, that one day a year when anything is possible and you can be anyone or anything you want.  And this year promises to be the best ever with a two night extravaganza here in the Old West themed Paddock Square.  There will even be children trick-or-treating in this mostly child-free enclave of active adults - sons and daughters of Villages employees and children from the surrounding communities. I can almost feel the magic and witchcraft and ghosts and goblins and strange goings on emanating from the opulent Victorian era and well-named Palace Hotel on the Square. A Haunted House! Tons of entertainment!

And if Ichabod and Katrina Crane will be there can a headless horseman be far behind??

Can't wait!

;-)

Fall Flavors

Yahoo is reporting that "Birthday Cake is the new 'it' flavor", replacing bacon (yuck) in such culinary delicacies as popcorn, yogurt and candy.  I never got on the bacon bandwagon but birthday cake sounds much more appetizing so I may give it a try.

But best of all are the flavors that come once a year - now!  The Fall flavors are truly my favorites - pumpkin spice, cinnamon bun, apple pie, gingerbread, cranberry, spiced cider, s'mores and caramel corn.  I love them in hot drinks, doughnuts, coffee cake, ice cream, pancakes, muffins or actually almost anything. 

So it's not just the cooler temperatures or changing foliage or switching from shorts to jeans or the thought of the Thanksgiving feast that makes me love October and November.

I think I'll put off trying "birthday cake" until, uh, well, my birthday!

;-)

Josh

I never met Josh, he's the son of an old high school friend and I am one of his 1,000 Facebook friends.  I am pretty sure he has no idea who I am but no matter because he has adopted the habit of posting inspirational quotations daily so in a way he has become part of my daily routine. 

Inspirational quotations are sort of a take-them-or-leave-them kind of proposition - until you  read one that speaks to you like it was written just for you.  Then you have that AHA moment when you realize someone else has gone through (or is going through) the same situation as you. 

The rather large recent changes in my life have finally caught up with me and I have been feeling a little out-of-control and in need of hugs and pep talks.  Not my usual state I assure you. So waking up to Josh's bits of shared wisdom and encouragement have been welcome of late.

Thanks Josh!

;-)

Adventures

I've decided to chronicle some  of my "adventures" in The Villages.  Yesterday there were two - the Parapsychology Expo and the Annual Art Bazaar, both interesting and fun and free (unless you buy something). 

The Art Bazaar featured creative offerings by Villages residents, some of course better than others, but all much better than anything I could ever dream of creating. 

It was the Parapsychology Expo that seemed to draw the biggest crowd. Hubby is a New Age kind of guy and loved to kibitz with the Reiki "masters" and the purveyors of acupuncture, lava mats and other alternative forms of hokum.  I of course stuck to perusing the tchatchkes - crystals, jewelry, tie dye and earrings reminiscent of my hippie influenced youth. We escaped with only purchasing a small burner and some Sandalwood incense.

The Craft Fair is next week. A great way to spend lazy days!

;-)

More Expectations

I'll continue my musings on my new life in The Villages ("TV")...

Speaking of TV, I miss it.  Television I mean.  This is not due to The Villages but rather to no DVR in this rental villa.  But I digress...

Mail here does not get delivered to my front door but rather to a grouping of mailboxes in each neighborhood.  You know you have a package because a key to a larger box appears in your mailbox.  But a day or so ago the doorbell rang and our USPS post-person Carl delivered a larger box.  I understand that stuff shipped via UPS or FedEx also will get delivered to the door.

The Villages' newspaper is the best paper on earth IMHO.  It is chock full of news, local happenings, ads, columns, comics, classifieds, and guess what? TV listings!  It must be the last paper to include a full TV schedule booklet in the Sunday paper.  At only $60. a year for home delivery it is the biggest bargain around. This is maybe the last place in America where the daily newspaper cannot be replaced by the Internet and/or television.

Likewise, the Yellow Pages is still alive and well in TV.  It is the go-to resource for newcomers seeking information on utilities and government services, plus residential services offered by hundreds of businesses. 

Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll have more pithy observations in the days to come...

;-)

Screwed

For the first time ever, this is not a happy post.  I am going to vent.

We received an offer on our house several sometime in August from a married couple, both supposedly doctors.  We set the closing date for October 15th, packed our belongings (11,000+ pounds).  I cleaned every inch of the house and patched any picture holes and took care that the house was left in pristine condition. We left many extras that the buyers thought they might like - the freezer, lawn tools, garden furniture and pool accessories. The windows, driveway, roof and cabinets sparkled both inside and out. The floors were cleaned by me on my hands and knees. I rented a temporary small villa for six weeks ($2,550.) and hired movers to put our belongings into storage ($2,056.) until our new home was ready to be closed on December 2nd. I closed our FPL account, switched the pool maintenance system over to the buyers ID and forwarded our mail.

On October 15, the day of the closing, we learned the closing did not take place.  We were told it was due to 1) Aventura Hospital screwing up the buyers' dates of employment and/or 2) the Government shutdown had prevented the IRS from processing some needed paperwork.  As my parents would say, I guess someone thought we must have just fallen off the turnip truck to believe this Bubbe-meisa.

In good faith, we granted the buyers a week's extension. Everyday we were told that closing was imminent.  After all, the buyers has a Letter of Commitment from SunTrust, a large and reputable bank here in Florida. They also had $20,000. of earnest money in escrow and the required dates for any notifications of financing issues per the contract had passed prior to the original closing date.

On the final evening of the final day of the week's extension we were informed that the buyers had been denied a loan.  This told me that something very, very squirrely (lies) must have shown up in their background or credit history to have fouled the deal at the last minute. I do not believe it was due to an oversight or some minor "glitch" as Obama would say.

So here we sit in a cramped rental, our possessions in storage far away, having incurred $4,606 in unnecessary expenses, and having lost months of precious time when we could have secured another buyer.  We are also faced with the possibility losing the new home we purchased due to our reverse mortgage holder's requirements for owning multiple homes. Hopefully the beach condo will close on November 1st and avoid that particular problem.

Our damage is significant and I even took Valium to get to sleep. Hubby is also manifesting signs of stress in the form of a nasty skin rash which has been looked at three times by dermatologists.. Not exactly how I envisioned the first weeks in our retirement/senior citizen community.

I am insisting on taking every legal means to get the escrow monies released to us.  We have carefully read every word of the contract and feel we are entitled legally (and morally) to this amount. 

:-(

Oktoberfest

If there is one celebration I would gladly skip it is Oktoberfest.  I don't drink, especially not beer, and my preference is to eschew anything that can remind me, even remotely, of the Third Reich.

But today is Oktoberfest here in The Villages and friend June and her husband Kay suggested we take our two golf carts over to Sumter Landing and check it out and grab a bite to eat. Attractions will include a wandering troupe of clowns and stilt walkers, "Heidelberg Hot Shots", "Swinging Bavarians", and a host of other performers and sidewalk eateries featuring German favorites and "regular" food.  I am ready to put my trepidations aside and try this definitely new-to-me experience.

Minus the beer of course!

;-)

Expectations

Today marks one full week of being Villagers!  I've had another chance to try out the shopping, cruise the neighboring communities, see the medical facilities, hear the live entertainment, buy and ride in a golf cart, attend services, have dinner with friends and see my next house again.

So nu?  What is my verdict?  Is it everything I had hoped for?

Yes!  I love it here so far and think it was a great choice for our golden years.  There are still things I need to get used to; here are a few along with some observations:

The distances are longer. It's a longer ride to the Bagel place and the library. But hey, when you're retired, what the heck, right?

My cell service is spotty. Dropped calls and no bars! But only once in awhile.

The Chinese carry-out by the new house costs a few bucks more.  No one could match the cheap prices at the Chinese Kitchen in Dania Beach!

Although I fretted that the location of the new house is too far at one end, I see now that it was a very good choice.  With only two miles to the Publix and shopping and a new Villages Health Center and golf-cart-accessible to Temple, it's perhaps one of the best locations.

The Home Depot is sparse and the one 20 miles away is not much better.  The Lowes is a better choice I think.

Everyone is incredibly friendly and TV really does deserve its reputation as "America's Friendliest Hometown".

There is truly something to do every minute of every day.  Plus there are things-you-never-dreamed-of that pique your interest.

;-)

The Market of Marion

I guess the correct name for the sprawling Farmer's/Flea Market in Marion County is "The Market of Marion".  Marion County will be our new home in December and it was a pleasure to spend last Sunday afternoon at this true country market.  I guess I won't be missing Fort Lauderdale's fabulous Swap Shop after all! 

Sunday kicked off the Market's "Back To Basics Expo" which offered classes and merchandise aimed to helping country folk become self reliant "when hard times or hurricanes threaten".  We skipped that part in favor of shopping for fresh veggies and some small needed items and perusing all the unique and funky merchandise offered by the dozens of vendors. 

I was happy to discover that our new home in the northern part of TV brings us ten miles closer to this super fun place.  It will definitely be on the agenda almost every weekend!

;-)

The Borscht Belt Club

Last night we attended our first meeting of The Borscht Belt Club.  It's listed in the Recreation News as "a great opportunity for married couples, interfaith couples and singles of Jewish heritage to make new friendships" so of course I circled it first.

Great fun!  There was a raffle and a fun game to play for quarters and a yummy sandwich on an onion roll and every table got a box of chocolate chip cookies to share.  Nice people that you of course felt you've known all your life, mostly Boomers like ourselves.  Funny how my turkey sandwich included several slices of Swiss cheese - even at this stage of my non-kosher existence I find it hard to fathom meat and cheese co-existing at a Jewish event, hahaha. We also ran into some folks we met at Temple on Friday.  Their name is also Gold so it's easy to remember them.

I've only been to the Catskills once but this is one Borscht Belt I'll be happy to return to again and again!

;-)

New (and Different) Ride

My new ride is a 2014 Yamaha Electronic Fuel Injection Golf Cart!  It can go up to 25 miles per hour but the speed limit in The Village ("TV") is 20 miles per hour.  I've gone 15 mph in a golf cart and that seems pretty fast to me. 

Secret golf cart paths and underground golf cart tunnels abound in TV.  Learning them all will definitely be a challenge.  Many couples here give up their second car in favor of their golf cart or even two golf carts. 

I think our cart has a classy "retro" look with its cream and burgundy seats (boy were there some ugly seats in the showrooms) and attractive striped awning.  It has a bunch of upgrades, the most important one being a clear hinge in front of where short me has her line of vision.  Every other cart dealer sold only carts with a big black hinge across the front windshield - not a problem if one is over 5'7' which I definitely am not.  Plus the dealer thoughtfully included their special patented pedal extender (basically a plastic box with a velcro strap) that lets me reach the gas petal without sitting on the edge of the seat. I also love the giant mesh shopping bag, classy burled dash and two glove boxes, and our names stenciled on the front. 

It gets delivered on Tuesday!  Can't wait!

;-)

The Hustle

I really can't complain about my first four days in The Villages!  After all, I asked for fun activities and to meet new people, and I got it!  Dinner Thursday with Kay and June was a big success and we're all going to a Tech Fair and a Craft Fair today. The Friday night service at the Temple was terrific and everyone was so friendly. I even met a nice lady, Marilyn, in the bathroom!  Bill and Carol, our temporary landlords are so nice and helpful. Everyone says "hi" in the Publix and procuring services, like home insurance or shopping for a golf cart or Villages t-shirts, is made super easy by salespeople well trained in the art of patience and no-pressure persuasion. The Mah-Jong lady called me back and the Borscht Belt club lady went the extra mile to get us into the sold-out event tomorrow night.

I've been on two solo exploratory journeys and am starting to know my way around. This place is HUGE.  Just as I did when we moved to Florida, I've memorized the major cross streets and the highways that surround us. I am pleased with the location of our new house; it's close to a new Health Care Center, a Publix, the Temple, and Highway 27 where all the big stores are.

Living in this cute little villa for the next 44 days will hopefully be a welcome respite from The Hustle of the last few months.  But so far, it's still been pretty hectic! 

;-)

My Next Thirty Years

I think I'll take a moment to celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

In my next thirty years I'm gonna have some fun
And try to forget about all the crazy things I've done
Maybe now I've conquered all my youthful fears
And I vow to do it better in my next thirty years

In my next thirty years I'm gonna settle all the scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear
And figure out just what I'm doing here
In my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
I'll make friends, go places, and try to be a good wife
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
I'll make up for lost time in my next thirty years...

Thank you Phil Vassar for writing these beautiful lyrics and to Tim McGraw for bringing them to life.  Modified a little by me...

;-)

Advice

Every month Oprah asks a question to the readers of her magazine "O".  This month's issue asks: If you could offer one piece of advice to the world, what would it be?

I could offer up lots of advice based on my status as an Old Wise Woman, my 64 years of life experiences and the oodles of mistakes that resulted in me learning stuff the hard way almost every time (sometimes I got lucky and things just worked out well). But if I had to chose just one piece of advice it would be this: get a copy of Dale Carnegie's 1937 book "How To Win Friends and Influence People" and read, read, and re-read it.

My Dad gave me an edition that looks like this picture (it's packed now) and it has served me well in my business and personal life.  I am still not the most popular person and winning friends is still a little tough for me but I like to think that over the years I've internalized the principles in this book and apply them without thinking. I know that when I make a conscious effort to remember the advice in this book, my life gets a positive boost.

Making friends and influencing (not manipulating) people can make the crucial difference in every aspect of your life, be it negotiating a raise or getting past a relationship crisis.  So Oprah, this is my suggestion: even after 76 years, this little book is still as relevant as the day it was first published. 

Thanks again Dad.

;-)

HGTV

I tuned in to HGTV last night so you know I have decorating on my mind. That was a first, I guarantee you. Decorating or re-decorating or doing anything too much to upset the status quo is not tops on my list of fun activities.

I must admit it is fascinating to see old properties (that incidentally cost a fortune in their "before" states) be transformed into gorgeous dream houses.  Scott must be watching this channel because he certainly undertook the same kind of project with his home. Luckily (by design) I do not need to worry too much about re-vamping my new house; I think it's perfect just the way it is.

Unfortunately, hubby has a few other ideas...  Must keep him away from HGTV!

;-)
 

Janet

I'm happy that President Obama has nominated Janet Yellen to replace Ben Bernanke as head of the Fed starting next year. This is one super smart lady. Her nomination is a no brainer if I ever saw one!

I read an article called "Five Things You Should Know About Obama's Fed Chair Nominee".  OK, so she's rich, not the first woman to lead a central bank (but the first to lead the US Fed), she's married to a Nobel prize winning economist, she's tops in accuracy for economic forecasting and she stays away from ties to political factions.  It's all good but who cares? 

She's Jewish!  I'm kvelling!

Good Luck Ms. Yellen. Your country needs you!

;-)

Rick

In two months our realtor Rick (Rigoberto DeJesus Garcia) garnered two solid offers on our house and two solid offers on our beach condo. We close on both soon and I am thrilled with Rick. He is without doubt the very best realtor we have ever worked with in our 40+ years of buying and selling houses and condos.  First of all, he is kind, patient, honest (Yes! Really! An Honest Realtor!) and spends enough to market properties properly. He had a professional video photographer take the pictures and he advertised in South America and Canada - two sources of affluent buyers of properties in South Florida. He got email lists of potential buyers in New York, another good source of buyers for South Florida. Our listings on realtor.com were far and above more inviting than those of other properties in our neighborhood. 

But Rick did much more than that.  He delivered a bicycle left in our beach condo to someone who was willing to "babysit" it. He offered use of his pick-up truck. He had the condo cleaned at his expense and kept it looking great. He never missed a showing and was available 24/7. He's been over to the house a bunch of times to hand deliver papers, explain stuff and brainstorm strategies. We loved hearing "don't worry, I'll take care of everything". He is a joy to work with and although I am thrilled that we sold our properties quickly I will miss talking/texting with Rick.

We met Rick when he rented our beach condo for three Julys in a row. I suspected he was the best to list the beach condo with because he knew the building, our neighbors, and the Broadwalk well and he loved our little place. I was a little more concerned about listing our house with him as it is in an area he doesn't normally work in. Sure glad we did!  

Thanks Rick!

;-)

The Last Week

We will be in The Villages a week from today!  I am so excited, but the butterflies in my tummy are still twitching, though not as much as they have been the past two months. Everything is packed and the house is cleaned as much as can be right now. I've said goodbye to old friends and the last lunch with my old staffers is today. Have I forgotten to do something??

This move is more than just going to another place where I'm going to live. This is the place where I will spend the fourth and last quarter of my life, perhaps even the last third if I make it to 96. We have chosen to grow old(er) in our new home in bucolic Central Florida in a community of like-minded and like-aged companions. Pursuits that once occupied my time and mind (like working) will be replaced by simple joys - morning coffee on the lanai, meeting friends, the Farmers' Markets (two each week), golf carting around the neighborhood, clubs and classes and live entertainment. Probably add "visiting doctors" to that list! (But much later!)

So now I can officially consider myself a fully retired Senior Citizen or, as it is euphemistically put, an "Active Adult".  I googled "active adult" images and wow!  I never saw so many happy, happy faces.  Add mine!

;-)

Hoover

THEN

NOW

The little Eureka Quick-Up I've been making do with for years finally died during the Great Pack-Up so I have been making do even more with my super-little Shark "dustbuster on a stick". I needed a Real Vacuum and I was even reduced to watching Infomercials and reading online reviews. But joyfully Big Lots sent me a 20% off coupon to be used this past weekend and Saturday I got myself a reconditioned Hoover Windtunnel Air Bagless Upright Model UH70400.  It was $63.00 after the discount and weighs only 12 pounds.  It can suck with the best of them and got great reviews except for one feature which will never bother me as I will never use it. I love the way it empties and how easily the dirt cup snaps in place.  It has a 30 foot cord so I don't have to use an extension cord as I have done with every vacuum I've ever known.

Best of all, I have a soft spot for Hoovers as I come from from an era when having a Hoover in your broom closet was like having a Cadillac parked in your garage. Stu's Mom bought me my first one in 1969 and BFF Sheryl and I were both taken in by the $300+ "self propelled" model about 13 years ago (big bust).  Buying bags and belts were of course necessary - I'm so happy there are no replaceable parts in my new one.

My guest room carpet finally got a good cleaning and looks a lot better. Some things really have improved with time! Hoover On!

;-)

Carting The Villages

Getting around by golf cart has been lifted to a new high by Villagers.  It is the mode of transportation of choice and golf carts are ubiquitous throughout The Villages.  Of course I want to join the parade and to assist me there is a website and a course "Get There By Golf Cart" held bi-monthly at the Lifelong Learning Center.

Since The Villages is mostly self-contained (think Disney World) it is truly not necessary to ever leave this Magic Kingdom. However, The Villages is quite large and getting larger and I fret that not all points will be accessible by golf cart, especially since our new home is at the far northern end.  From my new house to girlfriend June's house in the far south end is 10 miles and I figure that is a bit far to go by golf cart.  We'll see.  Getting to the nearest recreation center and shopping plaza will be easy-peasy.

June has an electric Club Car but I am thinking a gas powered Yamaha.  I certainly don't want a limited range to result in me getting stuck somewhere hahaha.

Zoom Zoom!

;-)

Franciscan Apple

I own about a zillion pieces of Franciscan Desert Rose (see blog entry Desert Rose), collected first by Mom and then by me. I do love it but truth be told, I always preferred Franciscan's Apple pattern. Oy!  Big shameful confession!

I told you I am resurrecting the red and white kitchen I so loved in 1969 (minus the checked curtains).  I finally bit-the-bullet today and ordered a starter set of three five-piece place settings of Franciscan Apple from ebay.  I justified this purchase because 1) with my $20.00 Paypal credit and my $3.88 in ebay bucks the purchase came to only $34.07 and 2) we had just spent $21.00 on a crummy breakfast with too thick, too salty lox. Such is the way my mind works, get used to it, hahaha.

The lovely apple pattern will look terrific in my new kitchen and will compliment Sheryl's cookie jar nicely.  Can't wait for my morning joe in my new coffee cup!

;-)

Today I Want

I ran across this cute website/blog called "Today I Want".  The author defines herself as a "vintage fashionista and compulsive online shopper".  I am certainly no fashionista, vintage or otherwise, and definitely not a compulsive shopper, thank goodness.  But I can window shop with the best of them and here are my desires for today:

Revlon's Teak Rose Nail Polish. Finally! almost the same exact shade as my absolute favorite but no-longer-available - the discontinued Opi Baguette Me Not.

A new light weight, high suction, quality vacuum under $200.  Researching the available choices has left me confused and depressed.

A black bra that is not padded, has underwire and great support, thin straps and is pretty (lacy). Is that too much to ask?

A buyer for the beach condo!  Someone better than the guy who started at $275,000 and has inched up to $325,000 by a couple of thousand at a time.

;-)

The Ev Party

As I write this, the United States Government is shut down. No compromise is in sight.  The Dow had lost 300 points this week alone. The National Parks and cancer clinical trials at the National Institute of Health are shut down. WWII Veterans in their 90s have  had to storm the barricades of their own Memorial much like they stormed the beaches of Normandy almost 70 years ago.  This is disgraceful. The bastion of Democracy and the Best Hope for Freedom, Liberty and Upward Mobility is reduced to partisan bickering and dramatic posturing.  Horrible!

So I am proposing we ditch these bozos and form a new party based on common sense.  Here are the major tenets of Party Ev:

1. Do nothing that will knowingly and deliberately harm citizens of the U.S.A. Like shutting down the government or not raising the debt ceiling.
2. Have a single payer health system funded by taxes.  Like Canada's. Basic health care is a human right.
3. Take no military action unless American citizens or our closest allies are directly threatened by other nations' military actions. Then go in with everything we've got and end it quickly.
4. Stay out of any judgements on social issues: gay marriage, abortion, prayer in schools, etc.  Not the government's business.
5. Welfare and food stamps only for people whose limitations prohibit them from any kind of gainful employment.
6. Protect our second amendment but hey, you don't have to make it super easy to put guns on the street.  Enforce stringent background checks.

Anyone want to join Party Ev?

;-)

Countdown

The countdown app on my smartphone tells me it is 12 days until moving day!  The house is almost bare except for empty furniture and the stuff we use every day.  Supplies for cleaning, food and shampoo are getting whittled down and I still find stuff to to throw out and clean everyday. The garage is (somewhat neatly) stacked with boxes containing almost all of our worldly possessions. It's hard to believe it's only been two months since we returned from our first trip to The Villages. A reminder of that old adage: things can change in the blink of an eye.

I retired from my career a year and a half ago. My retirement could be summed up as simply "not working".  The rest of my life went on exactly the same - same house, same friends, same shul, same stores.  Now I envision my future retirement as moving on to something new, something even better.

There's a TV commercial for some kind of financial planning that says "retirement is the time you pay yourself for doing what you've always wanted to do". It is slowly dawning on me that there are in fact things I want to try and do and see and learn still out there. 

Counting down!

;-)