[TheSleeper]

Hi folks! Just got back Sunday from a month long visit to Florida, Tampa-St.Pete area. Never went too far south before, and never drove that far before and I was a truck driver for more than 30 years.

Impressions? a different world for some one that has spent all of his life as a resident of northeastern Ohio. Hot and muggy,went to see if I could handle the heat as I am going to be relocating to get away from being stuck indoors for most of the winter.

??? heat is bad! humidity also! but a few hours in the morning and later evening when things are in my comfort zone. Central air in the home I stayed in made life easier, a retreat.

Everything was close by, a minute or two by scooter to the corner of the side street to shopping, food, groceries, hardware, just about anything, but rain daily made scooter trips risky. Still a short drive by car though, most places under 5 minutes. A change for me in my rural setting where close by shopping is at least 15 minutes away.

Still undecided, have to do some more exploring, from southern Kentucky to northern Georgia. Like some place that is more than 10 feet above sea level, and a beach nearby isn`t a priority.

Weight loss? self imposed diet has allowed me to drop from a lifetime high of 262 in March to a much more reasonable 210 now. LOL, weight loss hasn`t helped my walking, I`m paul! I fall!

Homes with 1 level are a plus! One of life`s real gotta have it`s for me. Got to stick close to home for the next few months, divorce next month, and sell the ranch and get stuff in order, then I am outta here!

[braingonebad]

I spend 2.5 weeks down here earlier, and been back here for 3 more weeks and counting. Not as far south as you - north of Orlando, central Florida.

It was much hotter when I was not here than by the time I got back - it had been over 100, but was high 90's by the end of Aug. when I returned. And the humidity, although it's here, did not affect me as much as in Ohio because these is air here - no breeze back home.

I have a lot of issues with weather - migraines, pain, fatigue all seem to escalate with storms. I do not have it near as bad down here for the most part, but I swear I feel the tropical storms even way off the coast. I've had a migraine for 2 days with Fred deciding what he's gonna do lol.

I love the landscape, can endure the heat, can deal with the critters. Hate the traffic. And the longer we're in this area, the more aware we are of the crime.

People are delightfully friendly to talk to, but otherwise pretty awful. They'll slam carts into cars int the parking lots - hey Florida, do you have a clue what a cart corral is for? They are all looking at me like I'm nuts when I put my cart away.

If you don't get cut off and nearly rear-ended every block, something ain't right.

Our truck was hit - hard - in a parking lot, someone tried to break into the cap someplace else, and at one point we had to ask security to follow us to the truck, some man was following us like he was going to rob us.

*edit*

[freeinhou]

Hey -

When I got dx'ed I left that nuke plant out by Cedar Point and moved to that nuke plant south of Miami. That was a long time ago. We spent 9 years in south Florida and another 11 years here in southeast Texas. All with MS. Ain't but a thing... I really didn't like Toledo anyway...

We still got a condo on Sunset Beach on Treasure island (take Central St. from downtown St Pete west until you hit the Gulf). We love it there, but only the beach. I was the resident inspector for all the off-ramp drawbridges in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties for 3 years back in the mid 90's - for 1 month a year I was a beach bum!

Tom

[SallyC]

Hey Paul who falls, at least it's easier to pick yourself up off of the floor, now..

Congrats on the nice trip. I hope you find the perfect place to settle and be happy..

[Kitty]

So you're gonna move to Florida? I'm in GA and the heat and humidity is almost too much for me. Seems like it gets worse with each passing year. I live for Fall and Winter! It's mild here so even the really cold months aren't brutal.

Congratulations on the weight loss! Isn't it amazing how much better you can feel just by dropping a few pounds? I need to listen to my own advice!

Glad things are improving for you. You sound like you have a plan.......good luck with the home sale and move!

[braingonebad]

I wanted to ask you guys - do you know any dog friendly beaches? We saw one or two up by Jacksonville, but can't find any closer to Orlando. Do we need to go farther south?

When they come down with us, we'd like to take them out for a walk on the sand.

[TheSleeper]

LOL Cathy, I thought the drivers on the east side of Cleveland were bad! Florida makes them look like sissies! Kind of makes you wish you were driving a tank down there! And not just the old folks, everyone needs to be re-tested down there!

Crime? ya not a lot different than Cleveland. Heat was easier to deal with though than snow and ice on the ground for weeks at a time though! Don`t mind cold, but snow and ice makes it tough to use the scooter or what I call walking.

Tom, Indian Shores beach was a mile from the house in Largo, LOL beach names change every couple of miles. Saw a couple of the drawbridges over the inter-coastal waterway, went over I on ullmerton a few times. Just no interest in saltwater and living 10 feet above sea level doesn`t seem like a good choice for a home purchase. Ocala is 100 feet? sounds better to me!

Sally I am a happy person, just have trouble dealing with people that can`t find anything to do but complain about their situation when they make no attempt to improve themselves. Tried to keep the soon to be ex happy, but she never will be, everything, including her unwillingness to learn is someone else`s fault. A burden finally of my shoulders, but not by my hand.

Kitty, I have family in Rincon? outside of Savanah? an option I might explore, never been there either, travel south just never held much interest to me when I was well. Just need to get things taken care of here and see what my two kids that are still at home are going to do. Youngest daughter starts at an Ohio State magnet school in Wooster Ohio (for 2 years,then Columbus) son 20 has no direction, too many years of hearing he is a kid, let him have fun. Love him to death, but dude has to grow up! Either with me or on his own. Tough love? I am too old to be a babysitter! and their mother deserted them too. Kids all got my back, I will try to cover theirs, but they know how I roll,accept responsibility for your own shortcomings and issues.

Anywhere from Knoxville Tn south would probably work for me. Just need to look around some more. Ex in Florida owns her own home, I will be the boss in my next place, I let some things and choices made by the soon to be ex slide to keep the peace. Poor choices that turned out to be mistakes, from now on if I got to pay for the castle I will be king of it! Just don`t care for the idea of living under someone else`s roof.

[Kitty]

Originally Posted by TheSleeper

Kitty, I have family in Rincon? outside of Savanah? an option I might explore, never been there either, travel south just never held much interest to me when I was well. Just need to get things taken care of here and see what my two kids that are still at home are going to do.

Anywhere from Knoxville Tn south would probably work for me. Just need to look around some more.

I've been to Florida.....just never really had the desire to live there. Good thing, too, 'cos heat intolerance is one of my worst sx. It's bad enough here in GA during the Summer. Not sure I could stand it all year round.

I'm about an hour and a half south of Chattanooga. Considered "north" Georgia. It's nice.....we get a tiny bit of winter precip during the coldest months (February/March). Just enough to let us know it's Winter. But, you can still cook on your grill in January most years.

Once you get your own place and make it your own it's nice. I've surprised myself at how much I like being independent. I wasn't given a choice in the matter (DH passed away) but, since it was forced upon me I've dealt with it accordingly. There's perks to being your own boss!!

Good luck....I hope you find a place that you love!

[TheSleeper]

Kitty, my idea of a summer vacation when I was well was Ontario Canada, extreme northwest corner of New York, or the Lake Erie coast line of Pa. Just never had the urge to go south when the legs were working.

Heat is also a big problem for me also, but snow or ice on the ground more so. LOL a long drive down I-75 through Georgia! I do and have always liked being independent, I can compromise but dislike having to pander to keep the peace.

Passed through some portion of Chattanooga on the way, didn`t seem to bad from the highway, neither did parts of northern Georgia. I don`t mind cold weather, just can`t have snow and ice trapping me indoors.

Sorry to hear about your husband, my problem was I wasn`t dying fast enough to please my soon to be ex.

[braingonebad]

I've spent about 7 weeks down here total this year, and it's been btween 90 and 98. In between, when I went back north, dh said it was much hotter - 105, almost 110. I've had some sx from the heat, blurry vision, vertigo. but it's way worse in the winter with the pain and stiffness and fatigue. Over all i don't mind how hot it's been and the humidity does not seem worse or even as bad as back home.

At least here I don't have near the fatigue. I'd really be interested to see how I do for one winter in the south.


We're not sure about the job though. He might get called back up north, or find another place to transfer to. This has been kind of rough, life up in the air like this so long. It's cost a ton of money too. Just glad we did NOT sell the house yet.

Paul - LOL what you said about the drivers in Cleveland vs the ones here... SO true!
You sound like my dh talking bout your son... My ds is 25 though, dd is 20. Dh is always on the boy's case - responsibilty, growing up, TCB, etc. DH forgets that I knew him when HE was that age, lol and he was the same way if not worse.



Moms are easier on their boys than dads are - maybe we see the sweet young guy we fell in love with (because he is his dad's clone), and you see the young doofus who made a lot of mistakes becoming who you are? I don't know. I just know I judge him on if he's learning from the mistakes, not how many he makes.

He's going to be okay, you know. He's got you for an example.