Snifflin' and Snortin' in Lake Wales

No sooner did I sign on the dotted line to close on my house than my nose started to run...  but before that, I managed to graze a bump entering the driveway of my closing agent and bent up my electric entry step on my moho.  I forgot that nothing around here is flat.  I asked Pete if I could borrow a sledge hammer to beat the step back into place and, before I knew it,  Pete & Donna arrived on their golf cart with portable welding equipment and fixed my step good as new!

Wow-major thanks to Pete!















The flora native to the area--southern oaks, orange trees etc, are unknown to my immune system and my white cells are running amok.  I have spent the last few weeks trying to breathe and NOT breathe--and hacking uncontrollably.  In desparation, I tore into my packed boxes looking for my magic cough syrup which is so strong it has the ability to stop not only your cough but all other life processes.  It is a special doc-combo preparation originally written for Frank who always got the BEST drugs from the doctors!

I am otherwise happy and comfortable in my new digs.  I have found unexpected benefits of my little house, including a covered landing where I can simply stand and let Cassie out on a leash for her tinkles when it is raining.  She gets wet and I stay dry under the awning.   The money benefits are astonishing; my annual taxes are $148 and my insurance is $446.  Vehicle insurance rates for auto and motorhome have been reduced.   Water & sewer is a flat fee of $50/quarter.  My lot rental for my motorhome is $8/mo.  However, I do have to buy Western Brown paint for my stump and utility pedestal (hard to see in photo at bottom right)--one is known by your stump ID (mine is 4 Stone Fly) and residents are expected to have their stump and pedestal in good cosmetic condition at all times.

Cassie is thrilled with Stone Fly Circle (Stone Fly is a fishing lure) and all her new dog friends.  She has started playing with toys again.   She "almost loves" her childhood doggie pal, Molly.  Molly is extremely territorial about her home and humans and Cassie has become possessive of me, so these two have some issues to work out...

I have been very busy since I arrived--even whilst trying to breathe.  The entire home needs a deep cleaning and paint job inside.  I am finishing the kitchen & bathroom cabinets now, which were a tired-looking, chipped and worn greyish color and are now a glossy white.   However, as Sarah says..."You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig". (That Sarah sure knows how to turn a phrase.)  The entire popcorn ceiling needs a coat of white paint to refresh the dulled, yellowed color.

I have been wearing paint for several weeks; despite frequent showers and vigorous personal scrubbing, am unable to get all the paint off my parts.  After all the painting is done, the flooring gets replaced which I am not doing myself!

The day of my house closing was an American Idol night and...Gosh--I had no TV!  So, I went to Walmart around 6pm and treated myself to a new Vizio 47" 120htz 1080p Surround Sound LCD TV!  Had it set up in time to watch AI at 8pm, glass of merlot at my side.  I am on an antenna that has a digital aiming mechanism and I have an excellent high def picture since all the networks are broadcasting in high definition!

On arrival, my biggest immediate problem was internet.  Because I am in the boonies, there is no provider for Saddlebag.  Brighthouse won't even consider being here until 2014.  So, in order to get online, I had to lug my laptop down to the Saddlebag library.  I visited a nearby Verizon store and for $30 extra/month, I tether my cell phone to my laptop for respectably fast, unlimited data!  So far, it has worked very well and my only complaint is having the extra cord to deal with. 

In between painting, showering and breathing and solving my technological problems, I have been going to the many social events which occur in the community including Friday night Bingo (I won once!), weekly koffeeklatches, a stage show featuring a hilarious comedic variety act, a Songbird concert, an art show both in the community and in Lake Wales, a chicken BBQ, a parade and a flea market excursion.  Today is a luncheon out with friends (Velma & Basil pictured) and later this week, a beachside potluck.  Soon, organized activities come to a screeching halt as about 80% of the residents go back north.

Next Tuesday, I will be leaving Lake Wales for San Antonio, where I will meet up with my sister, Sharon and our girlfriend, Marilyn.  We all had such a great time tasting (!) wine in Lake Tahoe that we decided to have a MargaritaFest at the Riverwalk Fiesta in San Antonio this spring.  Before leaving Florida, I will stop off to visit Barry, Sue and the kids in Orlando for a few days of frolic.

On my return trip from Texas in early May, I plan to go down to Bonita Springs/Cape Coral for a visit with my friends there and also to get my hair colored by my cosmetologist friend.  I also have identified a suitable used golf cart for sale that is being held for me (significantly cheaper to buy in the Ft Myers area) which I will trailer back to Lake Wales.  One MUST have a golf cart to get around the community!

Signing off for now from Stump 4 Stone Fly!