Well, there are a couple of St. Louisans who did something really financially silly in 2009. They bought a bed and breakfast in central Florida (not coastal Florida, mind you, and there is a difference) from a couple of con artists from the UK, who made it clear they were returning to the UK. They cited missing family as their reason for return, and yet, they admitted to having no children and "interesting" relationships with what family they did have.
Without even pretending to give a about the British couple who pretended successfully to be our "new best friends" for just long enough to sell us a beautiful old house and a completely worthless business, I must say now that naivete is definitely in the eyes of the one holding the money at the end.
A year ago, we had just adopted the beautiful dog named Dixie shown in the photograph above. Although we thought at the time that we were in a great position to be a two-dog household, little did we know that the real fun had just begun. We actually still thought we might remain in Highlands County Florida for life, although we knew we were going to sell the old energy-inefficient house ASAP.
About the time (March of 2012) that we realized we should probably consider moving back to St. Louis where I knew people who could help me get a real full-time job, Stu did in fact get - of all things - a real, full-time job in Highlands County. He deserved it, and he did a great job at it for over four months.
I'm still scratching my head over what made me think that moving back to St. Louis MO would magically provide me that wonderful job including health insurance that would allow me to support Stu and myself. I've always been the one who said "you can't escape from what's in your own head by moving around" and yet... well, duh.
I'm still also wondering what made me give up such a sweet dog after only 4 1/2 months. I realize in retrospect that her acting out that particular week had more to do with my working all day four days (away from her) while Stu was already gone all day five days each week. So she tore up a couple of cloth shopping bags that were on the counter in the laundry room "out of her reach" (NOT). So she dug a few more holes in the yard, one of them right underneath an airconditioning unit, almost unseating it. So she ate one of Stu's good work shoes. I get it all now.
But in the interest of fairness, let's play the old "what do we miss back in..." game and get it out of my system, at least for now.
I miss:
Dixie. I may never stop missing that dog, even though I know she would HATE the cold weather here with her very short fur.
Taqueria Merlo and their authentic Mexican food at ridiculously low prices.
My dear friend Vicky, always walking distance away, even over rocks in flip-flops. Also, her husband Mark and their beagle Xena.
My other dear friend Judy and her husband Burt. Judy was farther away than walking distance in Avon Park Lakes, but she made it clear she was ALWAYS available if I needed her. That's a true friend.
Shuffleboard. They simply do not do court shuffleboard here in Missouri. Apparently we are not far enough north (unlike MI and OH) to have the snowbird summer demand for it.
All my friends at Avon Park and Sebring Shuffleboard. I keep in email and Facebook touch with more than a few of these, but it's not the same as being there.
Revenue from sales of avocados one at a time for $1 from the trees in our back yard. We actually did go out to eat numerous times from our unreported and therefore untaxed revenue. No numbers, though.
Other retired and unemployed people who had time to talk, to listen, to CARE and who weren't dependent on a million different smart gadgets to entertain them.
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