What I'll miss

Today is our daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday, dear E-L-T!!!

Our time in Florida is coming to a close. I'll miss

• the morning sun shining into the living and dining rooms
• exercising with the girls in the pool every morning at 10am
• the geckos racing before our feet as we walk the path to our door
• H & M greeting us every day and being such helpful friends
• the many other friends we've made here
• the gym, the pool, the library
• our dance instructors, Grace and Burt
• how people sell papers and Heaven knows what else at the intersections
• Starz, where we've found The Most Delicious Breakfasts!
• the guys we golf with
• wearing my bathing suit every day
• hot tubbing every evening
• dancing whenever we want to
• watching the amazing bird life (eagles, ospreys, cranes, ducks of every hued feather) which abounds here...

and the list goes on. But we've so much to look forward to cuz you know the saying, "There's no place like home!"

Chromax - I'm in love!

One falls in love with people, places, animals and things. And sometimes it happens without you even being fully aware. My current attraction started in a golf game. We were playing River Ridge, me having a great game, Tess not so much because it's a very short tight and tough course and he's a long, sometimes wild, hitter. We join up with 2 guys on the front who leave us after nine holes. We proceed to hole 10 where we're joined by another couple, Maxine and Bob. They play much like we do and we enjoy their company. I notice her ball.

Now normally golf balls do not attract me in any way shape or form. They're round, dimpled, more or less all the same size, sometimes coloured but mostly white. All are touted to go further and straighter than the rest. But Maxine's ball...well, it shone. It was pink, and shiney reflecting the sun, and looked exactly like a glass ball fallen off a Christmas tree. It looked like an irridescent jewel lying there on the green. I had to ask.

What kind of ball is that? Where did you get it? Does it play like other balls? How does it feel?

Maxine was pretty pleased with her ball (her husband, less so. Men seem to be traditionalists when it comes to golf balls; women experiment). It's a Chromax ball, she said. She answers the rest of my questions. When I get home I do a little research.

Turns out the Chromax ball has a very unique metallic finish which stands out from the usual line of balls. Take a look at this ball: http://www.chromaxgolf.com/product.php and simply click on the colour of the small balls to see it bigger. Truthfully, the picture doesn't do it justice. But on a sunny day, sitting on a tee....wow! It's a thing of beauty, all glitter and bling!

Chromax says they launched this ball in 2007 at the annual PGA Golf show in Orlando. "We love the traditions of golf but wanted something a little different. We love colored golf balls. However, more than just a golf ball with color, we wanted something that would really enhance the game of golf. What we came up with was Chromax golf balls. The Chromax golf ball has a metallic layer that reflects sunlight like a mirror and its elegant colors add a little character. Easy to see and beautiful to look at. That's what we were after. Of course, we also made sure it's UGSA tournament legal because we don't want to change the game. We just want to make it a little more fun."


Now there's a company I could invest in and will, by buying a set of these balls.


Addendum: We didn't find any balls at the store Maxine recommended. Sold out, the guy said. We tried the Flea Market golf stall. Sold out, that guy said, adding, he feels guilty charging that much for golf balls ($19.95 for 6 balls) when people are just going to lose 'em anyway. I advised him it's primarily women who'd buy a ball like that and women are notoriously straight shooters who know to drop old balls down when they have to hit over water, so it's likely they won't be losing their Chromax's any time soon. He laughed.

So, we can buy online or keep our eyes open at any golf shops. Happy golfing, y'all!

Kay Ryan - US Poet Laureate

Sometimes those pop-ups you see on certain web pages come in handy, for that is how I found Kay Ryan, US Poet Laureate. Kay would be reading at the University of Southern Florida in Tampa, a mere 40 minute drive away on Wednesday night. We have 2 choices, I tell my husband: go dancing or go listen to Ms Ryan. After all, how often would we have the chance to hear a US Poet Laureate ? Surprisingly, he chooses the poet reading. And I think to myself: this guy really loves me. Or maybe he'd simply rather drive than dance but I'm not so sure that's true.



We head off to USF but, of course, we never truly follow Nuvi, our wonderful little Garmin navigator. Let's try this road, we say, then Nuvi takes us on one hell of a cross-country tour. We see places we've never seen before but it's going to be touch and go. Finally finding USF's campus, we find a parking spot, should pay for parking at a machine but we don't have change, we're late, we rush in. Everyone is seated in the Traditions Hall of the Gibbons Alumni Centre, a large welcoming room whose moveable air walls have fully opened the 3 sections which are filled with people of every age: many students, many mature people, many children; and people of every hue and tone. Obviously poets appeal to everyone. Some eyes watch us as we seat ourselves, even Kay Ryan herself sees us for we are in that embarassingly conspicuous state: late! and having to take seats near the front.



Kay Ryan is a diminutive woman or maybe it's just the lectern in front of her that makes her appear so. Her photo makes her look mannish. But in person she isn't. She sports elegant but casual clothes: I like her blood red sandals, and look at her toes. She reads us selected poems she's written, sometimes several times over to ensure we "get it." She explains. She backtracks. She backfills. She asks us to think. Her words move us. she spills water on her poetry. Laughs. She touches our hearts. People oohh and ahhh as her words bounce off the timpani of their ears, brains, souls. And all too soon, it is over. The evening has passed and I'm left with snippets of phrases and images never before imagined. Behind us, as we rise to leave, a young black boy about 12 proudly discusses with his family the question he was brave enough to pose. Kay Ryan withdraws to another area where she will sign her books and speak to her public. I'd like to buy one or more books but...



It's late, and the line-up is long, and I'm shy. What would I say? And hubby is tired and has had enough. We hurry into the night's dark heat, towards our car but before reaching it, my heart plummets when he announces he's can't find the car keys. Has lost the car keys. Stay calm, I say. I envisage calling a lock smith. Hubby envisages renting a car to retrieve our keys at home (I hadn't brought my purse in which the spare keys reside).



We retrace our steps slowly intently searching. We question the organizer about lost keys and lost and found. He takes us to the administrator, a burly and very kind African-American man who walks with us, small flashlight in hand, to help us find the keys. Nothing. I leave the men searching around the car and walk again to the parking meter, where we'd been stymied but hurried upon arriving. There not 3 feet from the meter are our keys! Thank God! We shake the administrator's hand and thank him for his helpfulness. And drive off into the Florida night...grateful, grateful, grateful in more ways than one.



To read some of Kay Ryan's poetry, simply google her name. I like this one about a turtle: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/083.html which is on a site that offers American high schoolers a poem a day. Not a bad thing to add to your favourites. Kay plays with clichés. I think I'll try it.



Here's my poem, a tribute to Kay Ryan:



Kay Ryan addresses us not in a dress
but footloose and fancy free - free spirit she.
She turns clichés on their heads and we see
light at the end of the tunnel as black as the ace of spades.

We taste her bitter with sweet ideas
She won't call a spade, a "spayed".
She makes it plain and clear that word play
is the cat's pyjamas
Yeah. The fur goes against the grain
of our brain.
She makes us hold our horses
(when we think we already know exactly what she means)
and laughs, giving us the bum's rush.
Her rare bits don't come out of a hat but
act like eager beavers
playing fast and loose
...up to their necks in allegories.

Condo-lences

Where did I leave off? Ah yes. Wednesday. Which saw our realtor, A, showing us four places, identical layouts as in Beacon Lakes but in another area: Beacon Woods. The first was lovely: excellent shape, private, overlooking a par 3 (golf course), no furniture. I'm excited. Condo 2 - nope. Condo 3, possibilities: an older couple leaving Florida. It's the same layout, pool/club house across the road, great shape, furniture negotiable...umm. And last, a little end unit beautifully furnished, top of the line modern but no view. Too small.

I'm thinking hard about condo 1, as we hot tub under the palms that night. we love the pool area here; it's its most attractive feature as its situated next to the canal and lagoon filled with birds (allow me to digress: did I tell you about the night we were soaking when a big heron walked up the bank, not 6 feet from us with a fish sideways in her beak? She expertly flipped the fish around, despite its wriggling, til it was head down then she swallowed...several times. We watched the form of the still wriggling fish slalom down her beautiful serpentine neck. She turned and left us to fish some more, the mallard pair nervously waddling out of her way.) Back to business...

On the other hand, Beacon Woods has its own pool, hot tub, clubhouse plus many paved walkways throughout the community, a community civic centre (tennis!), a golf course (pricey!) and lower condo fees (no flood plain insurance but that's another story). We could get condo 1 for under $64K; we let all that percolate.

Back to the estate condo: I've found the name of a realtor who handled that particular file. I email her explaining our dilemma. She eventually replies she's willing to help but in the meantime, 3 things have happened:

• Thursday:, we re-opened discussions with the owner of the condo we thought we couldn't afford in the hopes she'll come down. We arrange to re-view it Saturday.
• Friday am: we're on our way to the Hard Rock Casino/Hotel. Our landlord is now willing to rent to us for another year should his condo (which we're in) not sell;
• Friday pm: the realtor - after having listened to me whine about the landlord's condo...poor shape, its worse location and its old furniture - negotiated a fine deal with our landlord - everything including the kitchen sink for well under $50K!
• Saturday am: we start the dream anew when pricey condo owner budges and actually negotiates! We're $5K apart on coming to a deal.

We drop the dream of getting the estate condo and I email the realtor: thanks but now too late. We give up on the idea of condo1 at Beacon Woods - wrong ambience. But now we've got 2 verbal deals on our hands: one, our somewhat pricey dream condo with no furniture; the other, a wonderful price, furnished but a handyman special and neither one of us is particularly handy. Both condos in Beacon Lakes where we want to be. We have to say "sorry" to someone. Who will it be?

Two dilemmas remain: what to do with the 9 piece rattan living room set we bought as our seller isn't ready yet to vacate the premises, and now we'll need more furniture as our dream place is unfurnished.

It's amazing how the world works to solve your problems...we're playing cards with our neighbours, discussing all of this, when H tells us that the people next door are getting rid of all their mother's furniture (she died about a month ago) and they'd likely gladly sell it to us otherwise it's going to good will. So, today, we'll call on them to confirm that and to check out the furniture. Funny how things have a way of working out. Next is a call to the U-Store-It place to make arrangements for 6-month storage, and a call to Two-Men-&-A-Truck. And you thought we were simply sitting around the pool down here!!!!

Again, I gotta go. E, my librarian friend, is replacing her minister at the nearby Presbyterian church so hubby and I are going to go listen to her preach. That there's a 15 minute hymn-sing before the service is icing on the cake - you know how I love to sing. Plus we've never been to a Presbyterian church before. Of course, ever the staunch Catholic, hubby is attending mass at his church first! It all makes me smile. Hope you're smiling too!

Condo-condo, condo-condo!

(sung to the tune of Quando, Quando)...the saga continues! I pluck up my courage and call the deceased owner's girlfriend in Massachusetts. Yes, I have the nerve of a tyranasaurus rex! She's very obliging and gives me much info including the actual owner/inheritor's phone number in Argentina AND a lovely description of the interior of the condo. It sounds perfect. But.



There's always a but, isn't there? The phone number when compared to those in the Argentinian white pages simply does not compute. I'd already contacted a translator who would translate my offer to the Spanish-speaking owner but now I'm hesitating. Why waste time and money only to get a wrong number? I've also contacted the lawyer's office again. Sorry, A. is still out at lunch. Out to lunch all right! I'm about ready to give up on this one. All the signs say no go....so why am I so determined!!!!!!??????



On a more positive front, my librarian friend thinks her upstairs neighbour is about ready to sell so we're invited over there for a "maybe viewing" tonight. Also, sadly, another resident just died, so (though this sounds sooo ghoulish) there is also that possibility of a sale. It matters what we buy, not when we buy but we do want to view these places now while we're down here as we can proceed with the sale once we return up north. It's just the viewings that seem hard to peg down around here!



So I'm into my "let go and let God" mode, and not holding my breath. Let's see what happens next!

Easter 2009: Resurrection & Renewal

This Easter finds us far from family and friends yet we stick to established patterns, one of which is attending Easter mass. I attend with my husband for, though I am not Catholic nor of any particularly strong faith, I find this particular mass rekindles in me that sense of renewal inherent to Spring and the many ways resurrection and renewal can occur.



Of course, the church we went to was new to me; on the surface, rich-looking!) (I wondered what Jesus would think!) but filled with regular joes and josephines faithfully attending to the priest's words. He spoke with a heavy Spanish accent but most of what he said was understandable. I particularly liked his analogy of rolling back the heavy stones in our hearts (as was done at Jesus's tomb), and gave that idea some thought.



I, like my mother, love to sing hymns so I much enjoyed following the lead of the disembodied singer/organist who couldn't be seen (at least from my vantage point) behind the organ but whose voice was lovely and light. I could have been at a service anywhere in the world which is what I guess is nice about catholism: its uniformity. No surprises. Well, ok. One surprise. As the theme is resurrection, we recited the words of baptism (me following in a book) and the priest walked throughout the church, annointing us with a sprinkling mace-like thing from the aisle. As it's a big church, he had to hurry. No one put up an umbrella.



Back home, I stopped to put away some library books (my new job) and came across this book which I read just this afternoon: The Shack by Wm Paul Young. If you believe in God, you know He works in mysterious ways still, I thought it odd that I should stumble across a book on a day when I was consciously thinking of rolling back the hard places in my heart, and this book addresses this very idea and more.



Whether your struggles be with faith, acceptance, forgiveness, hatred, fear, or trust, I suggest you try reading this book. Take from it what you will but trust me: you're sure to take something. And...it might help roll away that stone in your heart.

Condo hunt continues...

No Easter egg hunting for us! We're still condo-hunting and the plot thickens. I found a friend of the former owner and asked if he knew anything about "the key". It almost sounded like he had it but then he said the person who had it was out of state which flies in the face of what the paralegal said "We're waiting for his friend to drop it off." Friend said it would take up to a couple of weeks to get. I told him we'd already waited a couple of weeks! He also thought the locks had been changed but guessed not when I said the condo board had gained access to do the inspection for termites. Long story, short: still no key, no lookee!

This whole thing is really fishy. My persistence and determination are wavering. Is it worth all this aggravation to get a key, see the place then determine after all this that it's either too expensive, not to our liking or best case, exactly what we want? Thank heavens it's Sunday. I'm forced to cool my jets, rethink our situation. Maybe we should stick with the condo we're in despite it all. Decisions, decisions!

More on the Condo hunt...

We snoozed...we loozed. The condo search is intensifying as we only have a few weeks left to actually look. We made an offer on the expensive condo and were turned down. The owner would not negotiate at all. The next on our list, sold the day I was to call the owner. The bug house is still available but in the meantime we found an unadvertised condo.

It's on the 2nd floor, on the water, close to the clubhouse and all its amenities and has the layout we prefer. But it's an estate sale. The owner lives in Argentina! We're dealing with staff in a lawyer's office who aren't exactly helpful. First, they were surprised we knew of the sale. Wanted to know how we knew about it. Then they asked what we were offering (without us even having seen the interior!) When I asked for a key to view it or to have a showing, we were delayed 2 weeks and are still in limbo.The reason? The deceased owner's "friend" hasn't delivered the key! Have they never heard of a courier? Heavens, we'd even drive over to pick up the key. Just let us look at the darn thing then we'll negotiate! The condo board here has the key but can use it only in emergencies so this is not an emergency.

Ever resourceful, I've thought of a couple of things:

• offer to pick up the key or pay for the courier (pending Tuesday after Easter)
• call the former owner's friend (number was given to me by a friend - yes, people are helpful here)
• call the current owner (yes, managed to find 12 phone numbers for someone of that name in Argentina but we would have to hire a Spanish translator as she doesn't speak English)
• just give up on it, which is what I'm beginning to think the lawyer's office wants!

So, time will tell. We could still make an offer on the place we're currently in but...you don't get many chances to have what you really want so we're making the supreme effort. Stay tuned for our continuing challenge....