We're On Vacation

So, here we are in sunny S. Florida. I'm sure I'll be ready to go home in just a couple more days. Why? They say you can never "go home". While I haven't considered this place my home for YEARS, I was raised here.

And uncontrolled growth has destroyed it!

There has been so much building on the beach that you can no longer see the water from the road. There are a few side streets to go down to get to the beach, but the PUBLIC parking is $15. I remember a time in high school when we had meters, but the parking was free after 6:00 pm. We use to come down to the beach and hang out. The snow birds, who bought condos on the beach to live in 5 months a year, complained about the people on the beach at night, so they said no parking after 11:00.

We simply parked somewhere else and walked over. But now there's nowhere else to park. Even the restaurants CHARGE for parking in their lot EVEN IF YOU'RE EATING THERE! The local government has allowed so much growth without consideration of hte people who truly own the beach, that the taxpayers rarely get to enjoy. The locals now have to drive miles in either direction to a different city to enjoy what nature gave them for free. So much for the beach belonging to the public, eh?

On the local news is a man with a rooster named Mr. Clucky. Mr. Clucky is kept in a cage covered with quilts until 7:00 so he doesn't crow in the middle of the night. Someone complained about the rooster riding around on the owner's bicycle saying that this man may have other farm animals in his apartment.

I ask you this, what is the difference between a chicken and a parrot or a cockatoo? SERIOUSLY? I've lived next to people with both and I own about 40 chickens. Guarantee you, that parrots and cockatoos create as much noise if not MORE noise than a single chicken. Plus parrots and cockatoos are VERY dirty!!! We have finches in a cage that make a huge mess. One rooster doesn't make any more. I know that first hand. So this man has to go to court to fight to keep his rooster. WHY? Because it's not a parrot. It's the same size as an exotic bird, but it's not "exotic".

And that is stupid!

I could understand a pig or a donkey in his apartment (for size if nothing else), but dogs and cats are farm animals as well. So are rabbits. Lots of people keep rabbits too.

This is partly why we left this place, and I can pretty much assure you that once we leave after this vacation, I have no intention of coming back.


Missing my farm and good people,

~*~*~Krystal~*~*~

My husband is showing the house tomorrow

to a couple that is driving about 3 1/2 hours to see it. Today, the kids and I had fortune cookies. Here are what five of the six said.

You will be reunited with old friends before the month is out.

An unexpected visitor will come and bring good blessings.

Tomorrow will be a lucky and memorable day.

Call loved ones at a distance. Tell them the news.

You will soon gain somthing you have always desired. (This one was mine.)

Now I don't believe in fortune cookies, but I have to say, these are PRETTY FREAKY...

I know exactly where this happened...

Gator Loose on Street in Ft. Lauderdale

Things That Make Me Say...WTH

School is starting two hours late today. Of course I didn't know this until I got to the kids' schools. There is no snow (we had snow yesterday...school was called for one inch of the white stuff). So they say it's starting late due to ice.

Ice?

What ice?

Well the ice on the back roads, you silly, silly people.

I live on a steap windy road. I drive windy hilly backroads all the way to the schools. There's only one patch of ice, a big one. It's been there for at least half of the past six frigging weeks. And it's not even on the lower backroads, it's where the back road meets the main road and I slide a bit every time I hit it (I go about 5 MPH now). So anyway...

Well, we gotta make sure the roads are safe for the buses.

Okay, well, I've asked several people from several areas in the county, no one else has seen any unusual icy patches either. So I don't think that the roads are any more "unsafe" than normal to begin with. BUT even if they were, do you really think that the snow flurries we're having are going to help? I mean, it's 28 degrees outside with a POSSIBLE high of 32...at 5:00 tonight (it drops back down to the 20's again by 6:00). Since the freezing point of water is 32, and we're gonna be in the twentie's all day long, how much of this dangerous ice do they think is gonna melt before school starts at 10:00 or gets out at 3:00? I'm just sayin'....

Bellsouth is doing a smashing bang-up job fixing our phone line. They've spent THREE DAYS tearing up the yard, digging around the phone pole, yanking out old line, putting in new line, so the phone will be crystal clear.

Yeah, so here's the punchline: They've been doing this at the house in Florida where my husband lives. We haven't had a landline there for over a year. Not even DSL.

Nope. No Bellsouth bill at all.

But up here I've been calling about the phone problem for 18 damn months. They can't fix the problem until it occurs while they are checking the line, even though they've heard it and know the problem exists. You see, they need to know EXACTLY where the problem is coming from so they can fix that part of the wire.

But the house in Florida has brand new wiring to take care of the problem with the phoneline...that it doesn't have.

I wonder if we can use that as a selling point for the house...

In Florida

The kids and I have been in Florida for a little over a week. It didn't take long for me to remember why we left. Four of the children have asked when we are going home. One missed the spring water and his friends. Another misses her cat, and the farm animals, "you know, the chickens and the goats...". Two more miss the open spaces and the trees, whilest one mentioned missing his bedroom...and his bed.

As for me, well, for now I'll just say that honestly, aside from my husband and pool and a small handful of friends, there is absolutely down here that my heart longs for. I could leave this place tomorrow and never wish to return. I am thrilled to be with my husband and to spend time with him. I am enjoying the pool and the sun. But I'm about ready to go home. I only stay for my Bear...because I miss him so much when we are apart. Someone really needs to purchase this house so we can be together all the time.

I tried calling the Diva, but I have an old number. So I've emailed her to get her new one so we can get together. :) Possibly Diva, Jane and I can get together. That would be good.

I'd like to see Fred (Gerbilman) on the return trip, if he's up to it. I have a present for him...

Pobble, I miss our chats as well. Life will slow down...it always does. Then well get to chat again.

I hope everyone is doing well.