Be on vacation ...

[artimrj]

September 1 to September 12 I will be on vacation. Heading to Florida to find my retirement home in The Villages. During my time in Florida I will not be able to post any uploads.

Last year when I went down I found a realtor who has a list of 1100 foreclosures. All with good prices. Banks do not want to homes, they want the money, so they get rid of them as cheap as possible. Ain't that nice?

The Villages is a retirement community that currently has 3 counties and 150,000 people. You have to be 55 to get in. No kids allowed. It is broken down into smaller sub divisions and each one has their own club house, swimming pool, strip mall, restaurants, golf cart stores, movie theaters, gazeebos for live entertainment & medical facilities. Golf carts are your second car down there. You have to go through a guard post to get in and you need ID. There are 480 holes of golf there ;) They issue a calendar of events every month with at least 8 things you can do or get involved in each day. From model railroading to basket weaving. If you can not find something to do, then you are already done.

The medial strips between the roads have blooming flowers. When they are not blooming, a crew comes and removes those plants and adds ones that are going to bloom. Since everyone is old, you get a feeling that you are not as there is no youth to remind you that you are old. It is an awesome place.

[gtrtroger]

Been by there many times to and from Sebring..... Have Fun and Good Luck.

[ex-railwayman]

Do you play Golf, Bob, as you might feel a bit of an outcast if you don't. I was in Florida about 15 years ago, thoroughly enjoyed playing Golf amongst the flowers, bushes and trees, every course was immaculately looked after, both,the public ones as well as the membership places. My only problem was the heat and the Hurricane season, apart from those 2 small issues, I might come and join you, watch out for the 'gators, they can be quite big.......

Cheerz. Steve.

[artimrj]

I have been going to Florida since I was 10. My grandparents retired to Miramar. We went down every summer for 2 weeks to visit and get some sun. Back then though, you did not need sun screen, you just got tan. No ozone is killing us. Across the road in front of their house was a canal. Every now and then a gator would come through. One was in the driveway one morning. Had to call the gator catcher you move him along. I was like 14 and that gator was bigger than me. Charter a boat a few times and did some deep sea fishing. I got a hammerhead shark one year. What an ugly looking thing.

I have only really golfed once. I was an insurance salesman for a year and went to a golf party. I thought it was cool, but too expensive. It was at a ritzy club house. But with nothing but time on my hands I do believe I will be out there swinging.

[harryadkins]

If you need a rest stop on I-95, pull off at Kingstree, SC. We would love to pour a cold glass of sweet tea and will even pack a bag of mosquitos for you to take home with you. I will PM my phone number to you.

Harry

[buzz456]

Do you have a retirement date yet or just planning ahead?

[artimrj]

If you need a rest stop on I-95, pull off at Kingstree, SC. We would love to pour a cold glass of sweet tea and will even pack a bag of mosquitos for you to take home with you. I will PM my phone number to you.

Harry

Sorry Harry I am flying down, got round trip, no lay overs 1st class for $237.

[artimrj]

Do you have a retirement date yet or just planning ahead?

Planning ahead. If I buy the house now, I can rent it out until I get there. My aunts had 5 houses down there and were getting 1200 to 1800 a week for them in the winter, the snowbirds invade and got money.

My boss finally got a guy for me to train to take my place. I think I am going to do it when I am 65. 62 this November. It will take at least 3 years to get a guy trained to do what I do.

[dejoh]

" It will take at least 3 years to get a guy trained to do what I do."
In my trade we used to call that an apprenticeship. Lived in Ocala several years ago, painted billboards all the way down to Wildwood. Up and down the interstate.
The Villages looks excellent, best of luck.

[ex-railwayman]

Planning ahead. If I buy the house now, I can rent it out until I get there. My aunts had 5 houses down there and were getting 1200 to 1800 a week for them in the winter, the snowbirds invade and got money.
My boss finally got a guy for me to train to take my place. I think I am going to do it when I am 65. 62 this November. It will take at least 3 years to get a guy trained to do what I do.

You get a lot of Europeans visiting for Disneyland, and the golf, throughout the year, the weather was extremely pleasant when I was there in November, I was near Fort Lauderdale, and they don't normally have harsh winters down there.

Glad to hear you have an Apprentice, Bob, look after him, you don't want him to give up after 18 months and you have to start again finding someone else.

Cheerz. Steve.

[artimrj]

I am now on vacation "officially". All files have been posted. I will be back September 11th. While I am gone, I would appreciate it if someone would teach Bulljose how to package a file. I am getting too old for this stuff. Trying to figure out what a file is and has a name like 29201daf-ca15-4a99-8131-72e400dcada5. I can not do it any more. If someone would help him out it sure would be nice.

See you all later.