New Digs for the Homeless AKA...

...I'm livin' in a van down by the river!!!  But fortunately, I have lots of company these days.

Knowing I would be "between homes" after closing, I leased an RV site in the Over-55 community of Limetree Park in Bonita Springs.  OK no old fart jokes about being over 55...

I began to pull onto my site and noted a large sewer pipe in my path to the utilities hookup area that gave me pause.  Hmm...unusual placement of a sewer pipe--above ground and blocking the path to the utility post.  Not wanting to herald my new tenancy with the dubious distinction of rupturing a sewer pipe, I stopped up short and sought assistance from the nearest geezer.  He helped me maneuver up far enough to "just miss" the sewer pipe and still reach the utility post.

So here I am...parked with my portable foam squares, my super zero gravity lounge chair, wine table, bike and little red wagon full of laundry.

The day of my closing was also the arrival day of my nephew, Drew and his new bride, Helena (from California) to visit South Florida!  Holy excitement!  After a long nap following two long and difficult travel days, they took off in my car in search of the own van so they, too, could brag that "they were living in a van down by the river".  Here is Drew extricating himself from the confines of the overhead cab and holding a Christmas candy-coated pretzel that he found tangled in the bedding.  Helena is a bed snacker.

Here are pics of Drew and Helena having coffee and scouring the internet for people who are selling old conversion vans.  Their budget was...quite modest.

Their quest was not an easy one.  The search took them to Orlando where they found the van of their dreams.  They found it endearingly ugly but automotively intact and named it after their pug, Bella.

The next day, Drew, Helena and I tore into the interior of the van, ripping out all the crappy carpeting and anything else that could be dislodged from the walls.  It was sorta disgusting.

Then, the kids went and bought bug bomb to rid the van of creepy crawleys.  I am told that the squeamish one of this duo is Drew and Helena certainly looks comfortable and proud of her bounty.

The day of departure was just before the cold snap when temps would be going down to 20/30's at night.  To the relief of the neighbors, the dynamic duo packed up the pig and headed for Kissimmee/St Cloud where my sister had arranged a timeshare for them to ride out the cold snap in comfort.

Sue pulled a bottle of merlot out of her case of Toasted Head, specially ordered for her wholesale by Phil, who works for Southern Wine & Spirits.  (Sharon--only 5 bucks a bottle!!)  My neighbor Ron from Ohio took the pic and seemed intrigued by the whole blog thing.

I am happy as can be; I rejoined LA Fitness and my mornings are spent in the gym trying to retrofit my previous stamina, agility and flexibility to an over-55 body.  I usually stop afterwards at the nearby Publix and get something I don't have to use heat to prepare and rent a $1 Blockbuster movie from the kiosk.  I have been on several gal-buddy outings and of course, cautiously meeting people as I ride my bike around the community.  A short nap in the afternoon...a little wine around 5ish and then hit the primetime TV or movie.  I have free Wifi and Cable TV here.  If it weren't a tad too cozy in my RV, I might never leave!