Heading Home to Tennessee!

I can't believe that our winter stay in Destin is ending! We just got here. One of the problems with getting older is that everything moves so much faster. Saturday night we went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse to hear Michael who is one of the best horn men on the planet and to have lots of fun!

At least the weather has been fabulous and has provided much time to walk on the beach. Saturday was so beautiful that we just sat on the beach after our walk and talked to each other and to everyone that meandered by...we have some great friends here.

I'm now writing for Demand Studios who provide content for a variety of web sites. Whenever I have an hour or two, I can go online and claim a topic, write it, submit it and then they put money in my PayPal account! Since I still can't write dialog, at least I'm getting paid for writing original content! I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm also watching entirely too much Olympics and NASCAR!! Gotta go watch!

Daytona 500!

Just a few pictures of our wonderful weekend at Daytona! The Saturday Nationwide Race was great...Tony Stewart won and Danica and Junior did ok until someone wrecked each of them. The 88 car is Junior's and the 14 is Tony! We had fan zone passes that got us right on the track before both of the races...Saturday, and of course, the Daytona 500 on Sunday. The Sunday race was a pain because of track problems. Hours of delay! You would think that if you were having the "Super Bowl" of racing, you'd check the track DAILY...obviously, they didn't, leading to a pot hole that had to be fixed mid race.

We've had fun too in Saint Augustine. Drank tons of water from the Fountain of Youth and bought 10 bottles to bring home! Ate dinner at Harry's which is the best meal we've had in a while. Also checked out the Oasis and Conch House restaurants. All the meals were great! We're at the KOA in Saint Augustine Beach and it's been superb. Highly recommend it. Great location. We spent all day in Old Town Saint Augustine which was wonderful. Bought some fun things...and Cindy's birthday present! We'll head back to Destin in the morning. And then, try to figure out when we can head back to Nashville so we don't get caught in snow.

Miss you all!

I'm discombobulated!

I just love this word...discombobulated...it means a state of confusion or a feeling of being unsettled. I have now officially been at this retirement thing for a little over three years and this is the first time that I've felt a sense of unease. I'm not sure what I want anymore. While I've enjoyed the RV and the experience of working at Buffalo Trading Company in West Yellowstone and traveling out west for 6 months, the four winters in Destin, the trip up the eastern seaboard, and meeting great people in Ocala, I'm beginning to think this isn't me. The opportunity to work for The Oncology Group, LLC took some of the pressure of lack of intellectual stimulation off, and it also showed me that I missed work but not enough to take a full time job. Hence the word discombobulated! So.....what to do?

Usually in the spring I buy something as it feels like a re-awakening. This year I had my wonderful son-in-law put in a wrought iron fence around the backyard of the house I'd love to sell to buy a loft downtown!! I also put a for sale sign on the RV and started looking at rental condos in Destin..but wait, if I'm renting I can go anywhere!! I love my Volvo so that's safe. I may paint some of the inside of my house, although it's really perfect. See..I am definitely discombobulated!

Sooooo...what to do? Wonder what the next chapter will be? I don't have a clue! I've tried meditating on the beach and asking for divine guidance, but I haven't heard yet what I need to consider. I guess I'll just keep on keepin' on and see what evolves. If you have any ideas...let me know!

Bye Bye RV!

It's been a great ride but I think we're going to sell the RV and buy a boat! The cost of the slip for next year is going up and I can rent a condo for what they are charging...all that being said, who knows if in this economy it will sell! The weather has also been yucky this year, so I may talk to my friends Denny and Randi and see where they stay in Ft. Meyers (way further south). I would really buy down here if it weren't for hurricanes. Going through Hurricane Andrew makes one storm shy, if you know what I mean! We'll still winter in Florida...just who knows where! So if you want a 2005 Itasca Sunrise 35D built by Winnebago, let me know!!! We can get two boats...one for winter wherever we land and one for Hendersonville! But Woody thinks I'm crazy!

The picture of us is from Acme Oyster House in Sandestin where we ate with Estelle and David, my favorite place for grilled oysters...shuck the oysters and then put garlic butter and romano cheese on them and throw them on the grill till the cheese sort of melts and crusts! May try that myself if the rain ever quits! The other is from my morning walk...one of the first days in 2010 it has been warm enough to get out!

Next week we're going to Ruth's Chris with the trailer park gang for dinner for our Christmas Party! Private dinner in the wine cellar....wonder if they serve boxed wine? Otherwise it's Jack for me! You'd never know we're so upscale in the trailer park! The difference is some of these rigs cost more than a house in Sandestin resorts! Hmmmm.

Had an interesting week trying to reconnect with an old high school acquaintance. We're right next door to her development and just can't get together....I'm retired, and I was the problem! Busy, busy. Got contacts yesterday but with my dry eyes, not sure if they are going to work. It's a trial pair but I've already picked out some new glasses in case they don't work. Any tips appreciated as they are soft lens..already had one trauma...couldn't get them out! Finally just popped them out like my gas perms which you shouldn't be able to do! I'll put them in later today and see how it goes. Just not willing to be uncomfortable for vanity...since I'm no longer tall, thin and blonde! Well I was never tall and thin, but I was blonde once! and brown! and red! and frosted!

Just got a book offer to write a reference book on healthcare and healthcare careers for high school and college kids from a publisher I've been writing for the last few years. Unfortunately, it didn't pay enough to write an entire book! I need to write mushy books and get a million dollar advance! Except I can't write dialogue. I know I've done well in retirement...so far I've turned down a chance to compete for a Washington Post (yes, that newspaper!) blog based on my editorial comments over the past few years and now the book offer! Thank you stock options!

Well...I'm rambling so you can tell I'm bored! Think I'll go make muffins. We bought a portable convection oven which is fabulous. An upgrade from the toaster oven! If we were going to keep the motor home, we'd replace our microwave with a dual micro/convection oven. I have an oven but it runs on propane which is a hassle. When you run out you have to unhook and go buy more!

Football tonight!!!

Happy New Year! a bit tardy however!

Well we've had an eventful holiday season if you like going to doctors and living on Nyquil, etc! Just before Christmas, I got sick and then as soon as I was semi-human, Woody got sick...and we all know how Woody is when he gets sick. Yes, I am officially going crazy.

David and Estelle came just after New Year's so we have had fun running and dining with them. Of course, before they leave I will have gained a ton of weight. We have had incredible meals...Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe is our new favorite restaurant! Coconut encrusted snapper or Savannah Shrimp. The canasta tournament is getting brutal. It's now 7-5 in favor of the boys! With the cold weather, we're just eating, shopping and playing canasta! Next week is supposed to be better weather wise.

In lieu of writing...please allow me to post some pics...gotta go eat and get ready for the big game tonight! Rough weather, 2 beautiful sunsets and Woody, David and Estelle at the motorhome.

Merry Christmas from Destin!

Merry Christmas from Destin! We've had a busy week or so. Spent a lovely afternoon at Eden Plantation and Gardens. Unfortunately no relation! As you can see, it is a beautiful antebellum mansion fit for Natchez in Port Washington, FL just up the road from Destin. The sunset is over East Pass in Destin. They are finally starting to dredge the Harbor so the boats can get out.

We are having fun in between wind and rain! The weather this December has been the worst that anyone can recall down here. It hasn't stopped us much. We've still been out and about. A few movies, lots of eating out, a little shopping, a little work for me, lots of reading for Woody. I've spent more time on facebook than updating my blog, but hey...the important people are my facebook friends! If you aren't on facebook, you should try it. It's great to keep in touch with family and people and old friends you haven't thought about in years and some you don't even remember!! besides...isn't if fun facebooking that you just got a shot in your butt? Yes..I'm officially sick and you know how I hate doctors. Woody finally hog tied me and made me go...he was right, although I hate to admit it. This is my first non-annual get my prescriptions refilled visit in years!

As I reflect on 2009, I must thank Marsha and Karen and The Oncology Group for my semi-return to the work force. I have been able to stay intellectually engaged and buy some toys. When you retire, you hoard your money because you don't know how long you'll live. The issue is: spend for fun now and then become a burden to your kids OR watch your pennies now and leave it all to the kids when you die sooner than expected. While I love my kids, they have to earn their own way now and not depend on mom and dad! Tee Hee!! I still love it that my retirement plan was based on taking my savings and dividing it by the number of years I expected to live. I didn't depend on Wall Street and in retrospect that was a good thing. We may not have millions plural, but we are having a million dollars worth of fun in retirement! Spending the winter in Destin, cruising to Canada, going to my first Nascar race at Bristol, gambling in Cherokee and Vegas, and finally going to the Jack Daniels brewery are just some of the highlights of 2009. I'm not bragging, just sharing my blessings! The Lord has blessed us with good health and sufficient wealth to do fun things!

So as we wrap up 2009 and get ready for the pot luck Christmas dinner in the trailer park tomorrow (yes I know it's an RV resort right on the beach next to million dollar mansions, but it sounds better to say trailer park!), Woody and I wish you Merry Christmas, love enough to share, sufficient wealth to meet your needs, and world peace! Life is good! Celebrate it through all the ups and downs and may you be more up than down in 2010!

A Cold, Dreary Day in Destin

OK, this is getting ridiculous. I'm sitting here in the coach watching the clouds roll in over the water...but at least the wind is from the south which warms us up! The waves are pretty ok but not like the first week when it was wild. We've now been here two weeks and other than the days I was in Las Vegas, it's been cool but sunny, overcast and cool or rainy! While I was in Las Vegas it was great supposedly. If I can just last through today, it is supposed to be beautiful next week. I come to Florida for the sun...I don't care if it is cool, but I MUST HAVE SUN or I get really crunchy. Poor Woody. At least the clouds make for beautiful sunsets. This was yesterday. Oh darn...it's raining again!!!

As always, we're eating too well and went to Callahan's Restaurant and Deli last night with Norm and Bill. The food is fabulous. Not sure where we'll go tonight. We've still not made it to our favorite, Dewey Destin's, but it's just been so cold. I guess we could to the new place that is actually a restaurant, but everyone says the old one on the bay with plastic over the windows and radiant heaters to keep you from totally freezing is still better. It is the one with the kitchen on wheels!

We can't even find a movie we want to go too...it's bad! But if you haven't seen The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw you have to go. It's the best movie I've seen in a long time...you just feel good when you leave. So I've updated my facebook and now the blog...then I think I'll just go read. Finished two books on the flight too and from Las Vegas...Deep Fathom by Rollins and Loitering with Intent by Stuart Woods...both were fabulous reads.

Hope your weekend is better than mine is starting out to be!

I have a Blackberry!

Despite Woody's misgivings, I got a Blackberry today! He really didn't want me to get one, but our IHOP was right next to a Verizon store! Big sign: Free Blackberry with 2 year activation! Now the fun part is I tried to re-sign my contract with Verizon back during the summer and they just were too busy to talk to me so we left. Otherwise I couldn't have gotten this one! So now I'm part of the crackberry generation again.

We've had a great week settling in and eating at our favorite spots. It's really been colder than usual down here in Destin and everyone is complaining. Hopefully in the next few days it will warm up to normal. Today it was in the mid 60's and sunny up until about 3:30P and then it began to cloud up. The sunset should be beautiful...if it is, I'll post pics!