Conflicted

On the political spectrum, I admit I'm a little left leaning with the odd inclination to the right, and am still an innocent in the world despite what I know about the capacity of humans to destroy other humans. People I know state their concern for Canada and the influx of certain immigrants and their impact on our society. Some people I know are very anti-Muslim. Some make a distinction and say they're anti-Islam. Some state their concern that the Christian way of life is much threatened.

I believe in "live and let live." In Canada, we live in a multi-cultural society which I like and am proud of. Thanks to our open doors, I've come to know so many more people than plain old white English-speaking people like myself. I know one Muslim and was very impressed by his openness, behaviour and beliefs. He lives his own life his own way and does not impose his beliefs on me or others yet openly answers any questions I may have. I know a few Jewish people, and can say the same for them too. I know some Catholics, Protestants, aetheists, Bahai's, Lutherans, and more, and can say the same for them too. I know French, English, Polish, Italian, American, British, Cuban, Irish, Ukranian, Australian, Indian, Persian and people from more other countries...they too are the same. The majority of people I know try to live their lives and live within their own religions if they have one. There are always those who try to impose their beliefs on others but I find them everywhere and in every group. So long as they do it non-violently, that's ok by me.

It's rational to feel threatened given what happened at the twin towers and the many other horrible killing and fearful events since. I try to understand the things coming at me in the world that shake up my utopian view.

For example, Pat Condell, a comedian, is known for his rants, not necessarily funny either. I've listened to two of his rants, trying to keep an open mind. He referred in one of his rants to a short film made in 2008 called "Fitna" by Geert Wilders a Dutch MP, which is causing all kinds of controversy in his homeland, and throughout the world. Is the video hate literature or a word of warning? It seemed easy enough to view yet the pages where you view it often get closed down so forces are definitely out there that do not want it seen.

The other side of the story is this rebuttal video which point by point negates the stance taken in the Fitna video. If you've come this far in reading, I trust you'll view both videos. I also found this article entitled Wilders Shore Of Free Speech Endangered by Kenan Malik in the Australian that discusses this but from the perspective of free speech.

Islamophobia. Anti-semitism. Racism. Sexism. Ageism. Homophobia. Secularism. There's an "ism" or "phobia" out there for everyone. And they are very heated, hot topics. Where do you stand?

I wonder, had we the internet back in the 1930's, how the world would have responded to the uprising of Nazism? Would our ability to communicate so instantaneously ultimately in some miraculous way have staved off the Holocaust and saved lives? Or would we be sitting much where we are today? Endlessly discussing, writing, opining, and finger pointing but still doing nothing? What is to be done?

I pray one day we'll all be more enlightened. I pray we'll find a way to help advance those whose beliefs are antiquated, unjust, unfair and harmful to others. Yes, I'm doing it. I'm doing what causes the conflicts in the first place. I'm saying my way is better. The modern way is better. I'm falling into the same old trap everyone does (I don't want to live your way, I want to live MY way!) which is why I despair for the dear old human race.

Hating to close this on a down note, I do state I am optimistic about humanity's future and our capacity to grow and change for the better, for we have proven it over time. And every new person I meet, no matter where they're from, no matter their culture, reinforces the idea we all just want to live peaceably. If this little blog has in any way made you reflect and reconsider your own stance on "isms" and "phobias", then I feel it's been worthwhile. Peace.

PS - it's highly likely some of the above links will change in time. If so, feel free to look further on your own.

Rent or Buy?

Hubby and I have been busy checking out online real estate listings, calling realtors and owners and day by day growing more informed about the market here in the Tampa area. While it's definitely a buyer's market now, one has to weigh the costs of ownership. For example, one can buy:

• a 2bed/2bath condo for less than $50K but with annual carrying costs of approx. $5K or more
• a 2b/2b double-wide mobile for $50K or much less but again, annual carrying costs that range from $3,600 to $5K. There are parks with owner share costs which range widely (e.g., $20K to $55K then the mobile cost on top of that). There are parks where you do not own the land but lease it monthly but you can find a mobile for around $10K.
• a 2b/2b house, again similar but slightly higher carrying costs per year and more maintenance headaches.
• If you're an RV'er, you've already invested in a big mobile unit, you have cheap accommodations during your trip to/from and you typically have lower lot rental fees. But you're a little more confined spacewise, depending on your RV.

The benefits? You have invested in an area you like, where you quickly make friends and have a social network. You have a home away from home. You can buy if furnished or not, and rent it out to friends or strangers and recoup some of your annual costs. You can eventually sell it, and lose or make money depending on the market.

Or you can rent. The rents range from $800 to $1200/month typically for a 2b/2b. You may have to clean it up (not all landlords have the same sanitation standards) and even buy items not included in the inventory of furnishings. If you find a place you like, you may get lucky enough to find an owner interested in renting to you year after year so again, you've got that home away from home feeling and some landlords allow you to store items there for use next year. So your costs again are in the $3200 to $4800 range assuming you stay 4 months (not counting all the other costs of living in the sunny south). Many landlords prefer 6 months but the accepted minimum is 3 months. Again, you have freedom to move on to live in and experience other areas.

One factor affecting our decision too is the availability of reasonably priced golf for that is one of our main activities here. Word of mouth has it the further south you go, the more pricey the golf. We're in an area of modestly priced golf, hence our wanting to stay here and return next year. But Florida and other states have so much to offer, it's hard not to want to wander more broadly. The real trick is to find and book a place for next year so we don't have any nasty surprises by renting sight unseen.

We're tempted both ways but since we, as a couple, are newly retired, we plan on renting for now. We're still viewing a few places just in case that wonderful "deal" should present itself!

New Goals

I should warn you that what's about to follow is an info-mercial. I came across it par hazard as they say in French, but I love it! If you're into self-improvement like I am, you might find it interesting too. I whole-heartedly endorse this website.

Ok, ok, I'll get to the point: it's Realage.com. On it you can complete a questionnaire that will reveal your true age from a health/habits/diet/ relationships and fitness perspective. Also, once you have your results, it makes suggestions as to how and where to improve, and gives you a plan. It also offers a nutrition assessment to determine how well you are eating. If you've read enough, go there and try it for yourself. If you're curious as to how I made out, read on.

I just turned 57. According to my answers and my current state of being, my "real age" is 48.6. Now, I didn't have all the answers to all the questions asked. For example, my overall "health" was affected by my not knowing my cholesterol levels. I know I'm in the healthy category but my doc's never given me the actual numbers. I intend on getting them as it's likely that'll knock off a couple more years of "age" and I should be more aware.

In the Habits category, I could improve 2 areas. One is flossing. I admit to being a part time flosser primarily after eating corn and steak so I now resolve to floss at least once per day. Another, more expensive improvement is the car we drive as it's a small car. Staying alive longer dictates we should have a slightly large car in a silver colour as statistics indicate greater surviveability (also depending on the type of car you buy). So that improvement will have to wait until we consider buying another car!

In the relationships category, it tells me I should get a dog. Implication being, good to love another little being plus the exercise involved. I wasn't totally honest in my answer as I do regularly love and walk a dog but just not here in Florida. It further strengthens my resolve, however, to get myself to the pound to do some volunteer dogwalking while we're here in Florida! Also I should reach out more. I'm not too sure about this one as my life is full of family and friends and sometimes I'm not sure if I can fit more people in! But it does remind me to be mindful of stress and to join in more group activities. We've just joined the Y to do our regular weightlifting/cardio workouts but will add yoga and ballroom dancing (we're so forgetful we've even forgotten how to do a basic cha cha!). So that should pound that point down in a hurry!

Now "diet" is where I really fell down. Not enough vitamins (e.g., C, D, potassium, folate, omega-3, calcium), and more veggies, grains and less red meat. This is what I love about this tool: it's a wonderful reminder of what I "should" be doing, and hardens my resolve to improve while at the same time telling me what I'm doing well. Kind of like a nice teacher.

Fitness was an eye-opener as I believe I'm a pretty fit individual. Well! It told me plain and simply to lose some more weight given my BMI. Here's how to calculate your's: http://www.realage.com/WorkOutCenter/bmi.aspx Now, instead of stepping on the scales, I'm going to measure my waist instead (my waistband button just popped - talk about your indicators!). Also, as I have a low resting heart rate that is usually a good thing but it could also be bad. As mine's always low, & my doc isn't worried, I'm taking that as a good indication of my fitness. One down. It also tells me to vary my workouts and work on fitness and tone (hence the yoga signup).

In the website's Shape Up/Slim Down menu, it offers fitness & workout videos, a 20 minute workout plus yoga stretches, also a menu planner and WAIST loss tracker. I love this!

Enough of the info-mercial. I really do encourage you to check it out. Our only wealth is our health. Now that hubby & I are retired, our focus is on enjoying life to the fullest and the way to do that, I believe, is to have the mind and body able to do it because no one is giving us more time on the world clock than God and/or Fate and what we ourselves can control. I hope your results show you you're younger than you think too! And if you're not, how you can take steps to a new you.

Florida - Canada Differences

As I've been to Florida many times in the past, I may not have the freshest eye to spot how it differs from my home province. Also part of the reason we're here is to enjoy this different environment, particularly reason no. 1: the warmer weather. But weather aside, there are other things we note.

For example, U-turns. Here the traffic can be easily 3 lanes wide with access points to make u-turns or cross from one side to the other. Of course, there are lights as well but the u-turn is de rigueur, and one gets pretty good as pulling a fast one! Traffic is heavy and the lights are long. It's hard to differentiate one area or town from another: you're in NPR then Port Richey, then Hudson and so on. They blend one into another.

Recycling. Not as evident an effort as in Canada. I've found this town, New Port Richey (NPR) does have a "blue bag" effort where one must buy the bags and ensure their local area has bought into the effort to ensure pickup. But it doesn't appear widely publicized and I've made a mental note to ask the condo president if they are on the pickup route as I have no problem with buying the blue bags. Being a well-trained Ontarian, it now goes against the grain to throw a can or wine bottle in the trash.

Water. In both condo units, there's been water-saver toilets but no water-saver showers. The shower streams down on you like Niagara Falls. While I admit I like this seeming abundance (particularly after my own home water saver shower), it does make me uncomfortable to think of the waste. Apparently NPR has also addressed this and I quote: "Indoor and outdoor water conservation kits will continue to be provided free of charge upon request from the Public Utilities Department." Also "The Code also prohibits installation of shower heads that are capable of exceeding 2.5 gallons per minute."

Right now there are severe drought restrictions re lawn watering but I haven't found it easy to find what they offer in support of the homeowner's effort to reduce water usage. Their website does offer a "free conservation retrofit kit" if you call the Billing and Collection service so I'll follow up on that.

The People:
Black & White. I haven't seen many black people in the general populace although 2 of the ladies we dealt with for our cable service are African-American. One lady, Margaret, seemed astonished when we said hello to her later in the day after she'd provided service to us in the morning. "You remembered me!" she exclaimed. A little research shows African-americans form only 1% of the NPR population.

Hispanic or Latino - while there are abundant bilingual offerings, particularly when calling for service, this group forms only 5% of the NPR population.

Elders - I'd expected to see more "old folks" but, not counting the snowbirds, the population in this town is reasonably spread out:

• 19.1% under the age of 18,
• 7.4% from 18 to 24,
• 24.5% from 25 to 44,
• 20.7% from 45 to 64, and
• 28.3% who were 65 years of age or older.

Friendliness: our experience in this aspect of life has been great. Everyone, no matter their role, has been very friendly and helpful and informative.

Golf - there's a plethora of golf courses around this town. I'd estimate about 80 within easy driving distance. What I've noted that I don't like is the occasional golf course has a resident fee and a non-resident fee. In other words, they blatantly gouge the visitor and reward the locals. Our realtor says there's a way around that: simply get a Florida resident ID. We haven't gone to that length yet so we simply boycott those courses and patronize those who operate more democratically. Speaking of golf, I gotta go. Tee-off at 8:45!

Happily ensconced

We're all moved in to our new digs. Have spent 12 days with brother and his wife, swimming, hottubbing, golfing, sightseeing. Brother anticipated warmer weather so was a little disappointed, I think, with the weather which has been temperate and even cool early day/late evening. He wanted full sun, and the weather gods only gave him that periodically during their stay. I reminded him that it is winter after all. Today they headed north to visit friends and then return home so our little home here will be quieter.

So now we settle into our own routine pending the arrival of the next set of guests. Thus a day of laundry and a little more re-arranging of the furniture. The owner of our unit declined (via his silence) our offer of the new-t0-us cheap furniture in lieu of the old stuff. Now, the microwave has died. Current dilemma: just buy a cheap one, call the realtor in case it's her's, call the landlord in case it's his. I guess I'll try option 2 then depending on her answer, option 3 and then option 1 as a last resort. The place didn't have an iron so we snagged one at the local thrift shops for $2 - such bargoons to be had in thrift shops! And there are a plethora of thrift shops down here - seems every block has one.

We've yet to check out the cinemas despite our agreement to have a go-to-the movie night on a regular basis. There's a cinema up the road offering movies for $2 and down the road for $6.75 so the price is right, and there are so many good movies we want to see.

Our search for key lime pie took us to unknown territory. We knew the Plaza Cafe had homemade key lime pie but it wasn't open when the urge was upon us. We phoned Denny's - no go. We visited Cracker Barrel - yes, they had a wonderful bread pudding but no KL pie. What to do? Google it. Yes, dear old Google told us the local Hooters carried KL pie so off to Hooters we go and it hit the spot. Plus the Hooters is right on the waterfront but that night there was a very cool breeze ablowin' and the girls in their little orange short shorts were freezing, poor things. But the coffee too was good so we all went home happy.

So far golf-wise, we've played Quail Ridge, Magnolia Valley (2), Beacon Woods (2), the Silver Dollar, Fairway Village (exec par 3) and Tarpon Springs. I loved Tarpon Springs for several reasons: there were at least 6 osprey families minding their nests and us as we scampered around the course. Not to be outdone, a huge owl was guarding his nest high in a tree and hooting at us when we got too close. The bird life was plentiful and interesting. Also, the pro shop lady gave us a steal of a deal, only charging us the resident rate (more on that later). Third, the course itself was interesting, in good shape if a little on the tight side but we got to play in our jeans as we've stopped in just on the spur of the moment.

Resident rates are what the locals pay for golf, like $22. Non-resident rates are of course much higher and one feels the pinch, like $40. It's like paying a bribe just because you're a tourist, and is a definite turn-off. Many courses don't differentiate so they're the ones we patronize. My game's been all over the map from good to not so good. But, like the old saying goes: a bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at the office. And I agree.

We haven't done much shopping but did hit a local mall where it was evident that either the stores are going downhill or their buyers are out to lunch. The selection was not attractive. I could name names but don't want to be sued. On the other hand, good old Bealls and their relatives the Bealls Outlets never seem to let us down and the bargain and sales to be had actually has us pretty excited. I'm trying not to spend but hey, a girl needs some new shoes, right? And some new golf shirts, right? I'm willing to eat less (out that is) to pick up any good deals that present themselves to me. Sister-in-law and I managed to do a good bit of damage at the local Bealls when we showed up there one night just before closing. Incredible bargains! Can't wait to go back.