As usual the first half has flown by but as my 6 month slot creeps a bit later each year (as I have to be resident in the UK for longer than my time spent in the US to keep both immigration depts happy), it's quite nice to be in February with half the trip still to go.
Still, I may have to pull things back a bit and the only way to do that will be to book a slightly shorter trip next time or I'll end up still being in UK in December and that's wayyyyyyy too late for this snowbird.
Time to review. Well this has been my first experience in the new house here and if only the old one would sell, I'd be a much happier bunny. The 5th wheel and truck have both been sold and a less-than-week-old Chevy Equinox sits sparkling on the driveway. With gas being 30 cents a gallon cheaper than diesel, the fuel savings alone will be significant. Btw, although prices have rocketed here, gas is 50p a litre and to fill the Equinox will cost about £35 and in the UK, nearly £90 ! How I wish I had my little 50mpg Clio over here.
Weatherwise, the temperatures are moving inexorably from warm to hot and despite a few periods of below average temps in January, we've been much 'better' off than most of the rest of the US and, of course, the UK. Right now it's passed 70F here and the next warmest place in the US is Southern California where it's 50F. On a colour coded temperature map, Florida really does stick out like an inflamed appendix.
In the park the circle of life, and death, continues. A few posts ago I mentioned seeing an ambulance outside one of the houses and hoping that the gurney having its end in the upright position was a good sign. We went past it yesterday and there was a U-haul trailer outside which suggests the resident ain't coming back ! Houses get bought and sold almost daily in the park (just not ours !) and new old faces replace old old faces. Some residents move back up to their northern homes to be with family as their health deteriorates; some go into assisted living either in Florida or again, back up north; sadly some simply go up.
C'est la vie
Anyway it's midday on my mid day, if you follow, so time for a spot of lunch as all that looking back has given me an appetite.
Part II starts from here........
Oh, are you away? Thought I hadn't seen you for a while - - ! No, seriously, I hope you'll really enjoy the second half of your time in Florida and look forward to seeing you back in Blighty after it!
ReplyDeleteInflamed appendix, my eye....
ReplyDeleteI like the hint of Tennyson in your post's title....
The global warming folks have started using the phrase "climate change" instead. In our 36 years in north Georgia there has never before been a winter with four snows....
Verification word is essie which reminds me of Nessie which reminds me of Scotland which reminds me of the U.K., which has had the coldest winter in more than 400 years, or perhaps the coldest ever....Lucky you there in Florida!
Aahh .. you poor thing. Fancy still being in England in December!! How will you manage?
ReplyDeleteThose gas price comparisons are sobering, huh? And talking of sobering .. well, maybe your resident is going into a nursing home and not the Other Place. Fingers crossed!