This morning we managed an hour walk from door and back, including three flights of stairs. It was only 77 when we came back. If only it never got warmer. (Make that hotter.) We only saw ONE person on the beach, a runner. This weekend is the first opportunity we have taken to walk on the beach. It is worth the move, I think!

Last night we watched some of the fireworks from the beach between the buildings, later moseyed to the front of the parking lot - better view - of three different displays. Perfect night to be watching. I didn’t have the good camera and had no tripod or railing to lean against, so pictures are not gorgeous like one Leanne of Intricate Art posted. Her photo is different, a fascinating tight spiral leading up to the burst. You must, you must, go see it here!

No, don’t run away in fear. Don’t shrink back carefully a step or two. It’s the other use of those two words. I probably should have used a comma: Back, off! Probably still not the right expression, but my back is not “out”, just in pain, so I consider it “off”. The muscles decided my brain is off in dumb land - and to prevent further bending, stretching, and misuse, they finally sent pain alerts up to my brain. You would think they would have reacted BEFORE I over did it quite so much, but no, my muscles have to just let my brain continue being dumb and allow me to keep bending and stretching.

And then, the one man who does more for me on a daily basis than most men would for their wives calls and desperately needs an invoice typed, printed, and scanned. How could I say, “No,” to Leon when he is at the client’s waiting for this and it is obvious my expedience would be nice.

Of course, the printer is across the room, and a bit heavy and has to be moved to the temporary location of the iMac - up on the kitchen counter. And, of course, again, i have to first get off the temporary bed here, at six inches off the ground, before I can pick up said printer with already strained back. And, of course this simple task took so long, he called to see why I hadn’t sent it yet… though he was nice when he asked.

And, of course, though he said, “Don’t lay back down, sit in a chair!”, I ignored him and managed to get back down 6 inches off the ground. Somehow, I forgot the TV remote….

But… at least he is bringing dinner… sometime. Maybe he will help me back up so I can eat it.

And yeah, Leon, before you can say it, let me: you told me so! (But isn’t it great to say it to me occasionally rather than hearing it from me once again? Grin)

Edit: I eventually sat in the chair, but even before that it was a bit better. Yes!

If this place is indicative of most condos, I’ll live in a tent and I don’t do tents. I don’t mind being quiet, I really don’t. I have headphones if I get the urge to rock out to music. I understand they don’t want anyone to move in on a Sunday, so we didn’t. The tile floors are the comfortable ones, so I walk barefoot most of the day, I don’t wear spike heels. Though Leon has never understood how I could belly dance with light foot and walk with such thundering steps; neither have I.

We were told one specific person beneath us complained about the woman that lived here before. We were also told that he wanted to date her and she wouldn’t and it was insinuated that was why he complained about her so often: took too many showers and vacuumed too late at night. An alert went up in my little head, but the lease had been signed and he had been “made to seem an old man who wanted to date a 30 something and was spurned - and he didn’t like it.”

Last night we dropped something. Today we got up after 7, turned on TV quietly, put light bulbs in the bathroom (she only left us one that worked out of four), later he unscrewed the grungy shower head and screwed our new one back in. We did not even take a shower because we were going to the old apartment to clean and were taking a shower afterward there. Then we got dressed, grabbed our stuff and left. Tonight we were putting a few things away, knocked something over. Phone rang, the landlord.

She had been told we were hammering at 6:30 this morning. We were still in bed then and no hammering of any kind was going on. We were reminded we can “do what we want” during the week, but not on the weekend. (*That is only partially true, rules say this is a quiet place, so anything we want would NOT fly.)

Leon is the more temperamental of us under normal circumstances, though I am catching up, and this is one time I am the angry one. I sincerely would prefer to just get out of the lease and move now — before we get our love seat and dining stuff, before we get things put away, before the man really makes me mad and I say something ruder than I intended (or really meant, but another person would have left unsaid).

Poor Leon did not want to hear me say that. He can only see having to move this stuff again, plus the desks, bookcase, and filing drawers we had delivered that still have to be assembled. He sees that and dollar signs and hunting for another place to live.

I see a year of pure unadulterated misery if we stay and have to watch our every move twenty-four hours a day. I may love the beach, but since I can’t take the heat out there except for daybreak on the cooler days of summer, I am more than willing to give it up, it is not like it is my primary dream, not like it is the only choice we have — but how do you get out of a lease…

Maybe we will go downstairs and introduce ourselves, but I would want unbiased witnesses present since I heard he used to come up and bug the woman repeatedly to go out with him; who knows what he would accuse us of saying.

Cynical? Me? Yes. I suppose many condos and apartments and housing associations have their resident complainer, but did we have to move above one?

Yes, I am ranting and perhaps overreacting, but we really don’t need what this other woman went through on top of the stress of the house not selling. And even as I write that, I feel guilty for saying it. At least we have the money to pay the house payment… I know how lucky we are in so many ways. I know that we may actually eventually be able to put some money away for real retirement. I know that I have many dreams and am content with just a few of them. I know that above all I am so lucky to have the relationship I do with Leon. So, I’m going to TRY to deal with this without constant ranting, but tonight, I just haven’t got it in me. I’ve heard too many stories about condos…

And once we buy lamps so we can actually see in this room, is he going to complain I am lighting up his window too much at 8:00 p.m. — from the light spilling out our window above?

And just for the record, we won’t go out of our way to frustrate him, so he should count himself lucky some of the people I’ve met over the years aren’t living here, because they would.

I know! Make scones and cookies and muffins - the healthy way. Surely I can figure that out. Freeze them and by the time I walk from the front door to the beach, they will be thawed!

Lighting not making for a beautiful photo, but I know you get it! Back to cleaning.

Come on, what do you least expect to find beneath a kitchen cabinet?

An egg.

No, not a rotten egg or a hard boiled egg or even an Easter egg.

But first, the former owners screwed a grungy thermometer onto the door jamb. The temperature went up 4 degrees from the sun in less than an hour - 90 degrees now. Yep, I’m in Florida.

Oh, the egg was attached to a battery pack. Now do you know? It was a vibrator - and no, I didn’t keep it, but I sure as heck made sure Leon washed his hands carefully - and you can bet that cabinet will get an extra dose of cleaning!

Break time - but only to do company business.

I was smiling in spite of the sweat pouring, because the ocean breezes and overcast skies made up for the heat and humidity enough that I was able to trudge up the three flights of stairs a half dozen times moving small items while Leon wedged in the tiny elevator with the larger items. I could not have done that on a typical Florida day - and yes, I was grateful!

Tons of work to do today, but the results will be worth it!

May you all have a weather event that makes you smile.

But my favorite: “I checked on changing the windows, but if one person does it they have to assess all owners to change.”

Now, I was tired and NOT in a good mood and emotional and all the windows at this end of the building are jalousies, but I was SURE I had seen other windows that were brand new and sliders or double hung. Rather than act like a jerk and knowing that if I opened my mouth, I might, I just nodded and mumbled. When we left we drove the length of the building and I counted five or six brand new windows, one set still with giant stickers proclaiming their brand. They were on the other two floors, but…. windows are windows.

We did hear the ocean when we opened our front door to come back home — and I don’t intend to stay there and NOT hear it because the windows don’t open. YES! I KNOW! We should have tried all the windows, especially after the apartment we are in, but the ocean sucked us in, somewhat willingly, I might add.

Tomorrow, have to move stuff up and continue cleaning the next few days — I want it spotless!
Just hope I can keep it that way.

I sure hope we can spare a moment or two at the beach before too many days pass!

Yesterday and this morning we shopped around for furniture. We found table styled desks, bookcases, and file cabinets we can both agree on that we can afford. (That’s not a first, but close enough!)

Still need to hunt for a less expensive love seat, though, we did find one we agreed on, just too much money, especially since with hurricane season coming up; we may evacuate more than once — and that is not cheap.

Of course, I have one of my less than normal ideas for dining and Leon does not see it my way. I know we would not be the only ones, but…

We’re moving to the beach, we’re moving to the beach….

(Yes, I know I told you already, but!)

YES! If we can’t yet have our other two dreams, (Rving and living in WA in spring and summer), we will certainly take this part of the dream, to have immediate access to walk the beach, with wide open arms! It will be hard living “between” people since most of our lives we have been in our own home, but we will adjust - but they like quiet there - that may be hard for me - Guess my rock ‘n roll will have to be on headphones… but that beach… just a hop, skip, and a jump away.

We spent the day shredding, sorting and packing a bit, and cleaning; tomorrow will be more of the same, but we are also going to run look for desks, bookcase(s), and a love seat or two recliners.

We did break for an hour to run see the new landscaping and demoed inside of the new house of our son and daughter-in-law. They are going to love love love their home!

I had a quiet moment when I realized we won’t be able to make those quick stops to see them after this week, we will be well over 50 miles apart - but at least we won’t be 3900 miles away like before.

So, tomorrow is going to be a long day! Neither of us like to shop for furniture, but we have two “backup” desks picked out in case we find nothing spectacular and dirt cheap tomorrow…. Hmmm, spectacular, small, and dirt cheap - and BOTH of us agreeing on it. Long day, I predict, but our excitement will shorten the day, I am sure.

We are moving to the beach… Oh, yeah! Hurricanes, play at sea, not at our new doorstep, please.