Here's another sample from Volume Two, A Brief History.

Story 30: Do you have a family member you wish you'd gotten to know better?

Yes…and no.  How’s that for a nice clear answer?  There were five people in my immediate family. There were my parents, two sisters and little, old me. My parents stayed together until their mutual deaths.  My father died first at the age of 72.  My mother died four years later at the age of 76.  My mother was 10 months older than my father.

 

In addition to my parents I had a sister 8 years older than me and one two years younger.  My older sister left home at the age of 19 when I was 11.  While she was home I knew her about as well as an eleven year old little brother could know a big sister. 

 

I know my younger sister quite well.  We were in some of the same social circles in high school and later when we both married and had families our parents’ house became a weekly gathering place.  Even to this day my younger sister and her second husband don’t live far from us and we see them from time to time but email on a more regular basis so we are in frequent touch.

 

My relationship with my older sister was much more complicated.  She passed away at the age of 69.  I was 61 but I hadn’t seen her in at least 20 years.  In thinking back there were several long periods of time between contacts with her.  As I mentioned she left home when I was 11.  I didn’t see her again for any length of time for the next 10 years.  Then when I got drafted and stationed in North Carolina we reconnected and there were several weekends when I traveled to Virginia to visit with her and her family.  When I got discharged I didn’t see her again until I got married.  That was a couple of years later.  Then there was another very long period of time when I didn’t see her.  And so it went. 

 

I would of course hear about her through her daughters and my sister but there was never any direct contact between the two of us.

 

I’ve never really been able to explain why this happened.  We simply didn’t reach out to each other much. That’s all.  Some of our interactions were somewhat conflict ridden so that didn’t help.  I really believe there was a sibling rivalry thing going on.  My sister was 8 when I was born so all attention turned to me and that seemed to be the case going forward-especially where my mother was concerned. 

 

I can’t say I’ve really been bothered by it.  To use a very overused saying it is what it is.

 

There are others outside my immediate family that I would have been interested in knowing better.  My mother’s parents for example.  I have no recollection of them whatever. They passed away before I was born or at least when I was a baby.

 

There’s also my mother’s brother Manly.  I got my middle name from him.  He was very close to my mother but when he returned from World War II he stayed around for a while then went to California.  He severed all contact from his whole family back east.  We did connect with his son, my cousin, some years later but he was not forthcoming with information.

 

Here again I don’t lay awake nights thinking about it.  It’s simply part of life.  But I do get curious from time to time when we have family discussions.  Other than my sister and uncle there are no other family members who are mysteries to me.  

 

First picture:  My sister Judy's high school grad picture.

Second Picture: A collage of my Uncle Manlio.

Third Picture: My maternal grandfather with Judy.

 

Happy birthdays

 Note: birthdays plural.  October is a big month for birthdays.  My wife Sandi's is the 4th and our grandson Cole's is the 11th.  This year is especially big for Cole as he turns 16.  He sent me a text showing him proudly displaying his learner's permit so we have a new driver in the family. 

Where does the time go?  It seems like just yesterday he was following me around the yard with his toy plastic wheel barrow, picking up little twigs and generally helping me around the yard.  And he's not even the oldest.  There are two others older than him. 

Funny how they all age so quickly and we kind of stay the same, isn't it?

Happy birthday.  Cole is 16.  Sandi isn't!

Story 29; Vol. II, My Stories

I thought you would find the latest story to Volume Two of My Stories interesting.  When you have settled on a motto for yourself, leave it in the comments section. Thanks.

Story 29: What would you consider your motto?

This week’s question is interesting.  Ask most people what their motto is and they would probably say they don’t really have one.  But in my view whether or not you realize it everyone has a motto.

 

A motto is like an abbreviated philosophy of life.  It’s a reflection of your basic personality and character.   For example consider the following three potential mottos: “Live everyday like it’s your last”; “Be the change you wish to see in the world”; “One day at a time”.  Each one of these mottos represents a different way to approach life whether it be above all else, have a good time all the way to make a plan to change the world. 

 

My personal motto is very much a reflection of my particular way of handling things.  It is Keep Calm and Carry On. The keep calm part is definitely me.  I don’t fly off the handle when life hits a brick wall-and believe me-at 80 years old I’ve hit more than a few brick walls. 

 

The second part is also like me.  I interpret Carry On to mean analyze the situation and handle it.  When life throws a monkey wrench into the works, figure out what needs to be done to work things out.   But sometimes life’s little wrenches don’t have a solution.  Then what?  Carry on, that’s what.  Keep going.  Curling up into a ball of despair is not going to solve anything. 

 

I have to confess I did not invent the Keep Calm and Carry On motto.  As far as I can determine it originated during world war II by England’s  Ministry of Information.  To me that makes sense.  The sentiment of Keep Calm is very British.  They’re not an excitable group of people like, say, the Italians who become very animated and emotional during crises situations.  Given the fact I’m part English and part Italian my temperament could have gone either way but in thinking back to my childhood it was my Italian mother who tended to keep calm when things went south and my English father was the one who flew off the handle.  Go figure.  My family has always been a little weird.

 

In order to help you, dear reader, decide on a motto that suits you, here’s a list of potential mottos  I put together for your consideration.  Just think about the kind of person you are and choose one-or make up one of your own.  There’s a motto out there for everyone. 

 

1. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

2. Live every day like it's your last.

3. Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

4. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

5. Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are.

6. If you are not obsessed with your life, change it.

7. Set some goals, then demolish them.

8. A ship at harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are for.

9. Take small steps every day.

10. If you're tired of starting over, stop giving up.

11. Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud.

12. Don't sweat the small stuff

13. Will this matter a year from now? 

14. Always remember to fall asleep with a dream and wake up with a purpose.

15. If you are not wiling to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.

16. Always find a reason to laugh.

17. What's meant to be will always find a way. 

18. If you can't stop thinking about it, don't stop working for it.

19. Life is a one time offer, use it well.

20. Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful.

21. We have tomorrows for a reason. 

22. Your soul knows when it's on to something.

23. Eat healthy, sleep well, breathe deeply, enjoy life.

24. Some of the best things in life are mistakes.

25. Everything in life that matters requires risk.

26. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.

27. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.

28. Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.

29. If for a while the harder you try the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been for the best people who ever lived.

30. Be happy with what you have while working for what you want. 

31. Be who you needed when you were younger.

32. A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.

33. If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was.

34. Nothing will make you feel better except doing the work.

35. What you choose to focus on becomes your reality. 

 

And if none of these do it for you then here’s my advice DON’T WORRY. BE HAPPY!

Hello, October

 About October

Holidays

Yom Kippur
Columbus Day
Child Health Day
Halloween
National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep 15 through Oct 15)
Italian American Heritage Month
Polish American Heritage Month
National Breast Cancer Month
National Pizza Month
National Dessert Month

Country Music Month
National Book Fair Month

 

Symbols of October

• Birthstone: Opal and pink tourmaline
• Flower: Calendula
• Zodiac signs: Libra and Scorpio

History:

October was originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar. It comes from the Latin word "octo" meaning eight. Later, it became the 10th month when January and February were added to the Calendar.

The Saxons called the month Wintirfyllith because it had the first full moon of the winter season.

 

Interesting Facts about October

• It is the second Autumn month.
• National Fire Prevention Week falls during the week of October 9 each year. It commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
• October in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to April in the Southern Hemisphere.
• The leaves of trees often begin to change their colors during this month.
• The World Series for Major League Baseball generally takes place during October.
• The NBA, National Basketball League, and the NHL, National Hockey League, both begin their seasons in October.
• There are many health observances that have October as their national month. These include Healthy Lungs, Breast Cancer, Lupus, Spina Bifida, Blindness, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• The United Kingdom celebrates the 21st as Apple Day.

 

Here's some free advice

 Here is story number 27 of the second volume of my book.  I thought it would be appropriate to include it here.

The story title is "What advice from my parents do I wish I had followed?"

 This week’s question is a tough one and the answer is going to be short.  In fact I almost changed it to something else.  The reason is because first being 80 years old I have a lot of years to look back on and second in thinking back on all of those years I come to the realization that there simply wasn’t all that much advice from my parents to think about.  My parents weren’t really advice givers.  Life was not easy for us growing up so everyone had their hands full just dealing with it.  There really weren’t any occasions when my parents sat me down and dispensed advice nor did they in any other way.  So I was kind of free wheeling it and learning as I went.

 Oh sure, there were the usual platitudes like don’t smoke or do drugs, get an education, be nice, yada, yada, yada.  But I don’t honestly recall any specific piece of advice they might have given me much less did I follow it.  Besides, you know what they say about hindsight.  It’s always 20/20.  

 

The fact is giving advice is generally a fruitless gesture.  If someone asks for it, that’s one thing but let’s face it, how many people ask for it outside of a lawyer’s office.  I believe this holds true with children as well.  You can’t just simply sit down and start unloading your valuable advice on them.  Most kids are going to learn life’s lessons in one of two ways.  Either they’ll learn them the hard way which is to say they’ll make mistakes or they’ll learn them by seeing how their parents model decision making and then they’ll copy them.

 

The latter of the two is pretty much how we handled it as our two children were growing up.  My wife and I tried to model behaviors that would lead to good results or we would tell our kids stories of times when we were growing up when we wished we had done something or when we were glad we had done something.  From that point on the lessons of life tend to sink in as kids become adults. 

 

Sometimes problems occur when our children learn the wrong lesson or simply don’t learn from it and they make poor choices.  What will sometimes happen then is parents blame themselves for their children’s mistakes or problems.  That’s very unfortunate because it’s often not the parents’ fault.  The simple fact is grown children are going to make mistakes-sometimes big ones-in spite of their parents-not because of them.  My wife and I, as usual, learned that lesson the hard way.  In fact the lesson is never ending.

 

So what’s the take away to all of this (here it comes, more advice!)?    Simple.  Save your advice. Don’t worry. Be happy.  Easier said than done, isn’t it?

What makes a good coach?

 There must be some kind of law in coaching that goes something like this: The closer you get to a player's face and the louder you scream the better that player's performance will be.   I'm sure this is the mantra of many coaches because I see it all the time the most recent being this past weekend at my grandson's football game.  I'm happy to report it was not his coach who was doing the screaming-although he's been known to do so-but the opposing team's coach.

Frankly I find this coaching style stupid, counterproductive and in many instances downright cruel.  As far as I'm concerned there's absolutely nothing to be gained from humiliating a kid in front of a bunch of spectators.  To the contrary there is actually a lot to lose. 

I've done a little coaching back in the day.  My daughter played girls softball for 5 years and I coached her team the whole time.  We did very well-not because I'm a particularly good coach but because I had good players. Sure, they made mistakes but they knew immediately what they did and next time they tried to improve without me berating them.  

Why do parents tolerate such poor coaching habits?  I guess many of them think their child's coaches know what they're doing so they say nothing.  The fact is while many coaches no the mechanics and techniques of a given sport very well they don't necessarily know how to impart that knowledge on to players.  In other words they're lousy teachers.   Good coaches are good teachers.  It's hard finding a person who has that combination of knowledge of a sport and teaching ability.

Hello, September

 About the Month of September

 

Holidays

Labor Day
Grandparents Day
Patriot Day
Constitution Day and Week
Rosh Hashanah
Talk Like a Pirate Day
National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep 15 through Oct 15)
National Potato Month
National Chicken Month
National Piano Month
National Biscuit Month

Symbols of September

• Birthstone: Sapphire
• Flower: Aster

History:

September was the seventh month of the original Roman calendar. This is where it got its name which means seventh. Later, when January and February were added to the calendar it became the ninth month.

When the British changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1752, they needed to adjust some days to get the seasons aligned with the months. They took 11 days from the month of September jumping directly from September 3rd to the 14th. Now it's as if the days between September 3 and 13 during 1752 never happened in British history.

 

Interesting Facts about September

• It is the first month of the Autumn or Fall season.
• Constitution Week takes place during the month of September.
• September in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to March in the Southern Hemisphere.
• American college and professional football begins during the month of September.
• Many kids begin the school year during this month.
• Teacher's Day is celebrated in India on September 5.
• The Anglo-Saxons also called this month Gerst Monath meaning barley month. This is because they would harvest their barley crops during this month.
• September is often associated with fire because it was the month of the Roman god Vulcan. Vulcan was the Roman god of fire and the forge. 
  
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Republican debate last night

Eight republicans met last night for their first debate.  The front runner wasn't there.  I of course didn't watch it because I wouldn't vote for any of them.  What I can't understand for the life of me is why DT is still the front runner.  With every thing we know about this cowardly traitor how can there still be one single person who actually thinks he'd be a good thing for this country?  It's just mind boggling.  

Actually it's a great lesson in psychology.  For many people if you want to believe something no amount of information will dissuade you.  You'll go blind and deaf regarding the issue and stumble along in a world of ignorance.  That's what's happening with Trump.  Amazing.

Odds and Ends

 1. We just returned from a four day trip to Washington D.C.  It was a great trip. We were with my son, daughter-in-law and our two teenage grandsons.  We saw the Holocaust Museum, Ford Theater, several memorials, the changing of the guard, Arlington cemetery, the Smithsonian museums of air and space and history, the national archives, the library of congress and walk bys of the Capital and White House.  

As you can see we were quite busy and with the exception of one afternoon we did it all on foot!  Not bad for two grand parents ages 80 and 75!  

Our grandsons were great company. We had a lot of laughs and they were interested in everything we saw (except the Library of Congress).  

These are without question my favorite kinds of trips.  Pretty much anywhere with various members of our family.  We're looking forward now to spending time at our condo in FL with our daughter and grand daughter and anyone else who wants to join us.

2. I recently heard on a news program the comment that all the indictments coming down against Donald Trump (the last one  from Georgia) are a bunch of nonsense.  Wrong.  They aren't nonsense. What's nonsense is that he could get away with everything he's doing.  What's also nonsense is the incredible number of ignorant people who are still behind him. Even republican leadership can't seem to muster the courage to do what's right.  Amazing.

3.  The governor of CT recently announced plans to ban the sale of gasoline cars by 2035 in CT.  That's a short 13 years away.  The goal is to be all electric by then.  Frankly I'm not sold on electric cars.  Make no mistake, I'm as concerned for the environment as anyone and I absolutely believe we rely too heavily on fossil fuels but are electric cars really the answer?  Consider: fossil fuels are used to generate electricity. The same electricity we need to charge all those electric cars.  Also, the process of manufacturing the batteries for all those electric cars consumes a great deal of fossil fuels.  Are we really gaining anything?

4. Consider the tragic fire in Maui.  More evidence of global warming. 

Greetings, August.

The Month of August

Full Moon: August 1st

 

Holidays

Friendship Day
Raksha Bandhan
Women's Equality Day
National Catfish Month

Harvest Month
National Water Quality Month
Peach Month
National Immunization Awareness Month
Get Ready for Kindergarten Month

Symbols of August

• Birthstone: Agate or onyx
• Flower: Gladiolus or poppy
• Zodiac signs: Leo and Virgo

History:

In the original Roman calendar the month of August was called Sextilis. This was because it was the sixth month of the year. Later, after January and February were added to the calendar, it became the eighth month of the year. At the time the month had 29 days. When Julius Caesar created the Julian calendar in 45 BC, two days were added giving the month 31 days. The month was later renamed Augustus in honor of the first emperor of Rome, Caesar Augustus.

Interesting Facts about August

• It is the last of the summer months.
• The Islamic holiday of Ramadan runs from July 19 to August 18 in 2012.
• August in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to February in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Augustus renamed the month of Sextilis because many of his greatest triumphs occurred during this month.
• August is a month of summer vacation and holiday for many children around the world.
• Many cultures call this month the harvest month or the time of harvest.

 

Doldrums of summer

 These are the doldrums of summer.  It's too hot to do anything strenuous outside so we're basically confined to indoor spaces.  I don't even like going for walks in hot, humid weather. So how do I fill the days, you ask?  Well, I'm still volunteering one day a week and I still have my weekly story to write for Volume II of my personal history.  I also read quite a bit or I busy myself with photography tasks. If that isn't enough I have Sudoku and word jumble puzzles I print out from the e-edition of my newspaper every morning.  Then there's the daily Wordle puzzle I do every morning.

Added to that list are a number of small, routine chores that need to be done around the house regardless of the weather.  

There's always something.  Nature even has a way of adding to my list as you can see below. We went for a long time without any problems with bears and our bird feeders until about a week ago. The two pictures taken by my trail cam that  I posted below show you what happened.  I managed to straighten out the pole and then I started taking the feeder in at night and putting it out during the day thinking the bears wouldn't come around when there was evidence of human activity.  Wrong! One morning two days ago I left the house at 9:30 and returned at 10:30.  Within that hour the feeder got hit again so that's it for feeding the birds until cold weather returns.

My next post probably won't be for a while unless something comes up.  Check back later.

A trip to St. John in U.S. Virgin Islands

 I haven't posted anything here since July 23rd.  These past several weeks have been extremely busy.  I've had cataract surgery, follow up doctor's appointments, other doctor's appointments and most recently a week long trip to St. John Virgin Island.

So here I am, back again, with some observations about the Caribbean island of St. John.  First of all if you're planning a trip there you need to know it does not have an airport so you're going to have to fly into St. Thomas first.  Then you get a private boat charter or a ferry to St. John.  It's not a long ride but it's a hassle considering you have to manage all your luggage.

The other thing about St. John is its geography.  It's extremely hilly and rather short on beaches.  I would recommend you stay somewhere like Weston Resorts where they have their own beach.  Also, try to avoid driving since they drive on the left and the roads are steep, narrow and there are numerous hairpin turns.

When all is said and done, it quite frankly is not one of my favorite islands.  It certainly doesn't lend itself to exploring by foot or just taking walks.  Fortunately we stayed at a beautiful villa with a great group of friends so it ended up being a fairly decent trip. 

Hello July.

About the Month of July

 

July is the 7th month of the year and has 31 days.
Season (Northern Hemisphere): Summer

Holidays

Canada Day
Independence Day
Bastille Day
Parent's Day
National Ice Cream Month

National Blueberry Month
National Hot Dog Month
National Picnic Month
National Pickle Month

Symbols of July

• Birthstone: Ruby
• Flower: Larkspur or Water Lily

Interesting Facts about July

• It is the second summer month after June.
• There are many countries which have their Independence Day during the month of July. These include the United States, Belarus, Venezuela, Argentina, Belgium, the Bahamas, and the Maldives. The national days for France and Canada occur in July as well.
• July is the warmest month in the Northern Hemisphere on average. It is similar to January in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Sometimes the hot, long days of July are called the "dog days of summer".
• It is sometimes called the Hay month because the grass dries out due to a lack of rain and can be made into hay.
• July's birthstone, the ruby, is often associated with contentment, love, passion, and integrity.

 

Website updates

Check out the most recent updates to my web site.

georgeswebpage.com 

About book banning

Recently our town was in significant turmoil over the issue of book banning.  Several parents and members of the Board of Education recommended banning two books dealing with gender and sexual issues in teenagers.  

There was a great deal of discussion about this issue. Much of it involved a good deal of very inappropriate name calling and hostility.  In fact the behavior of many people distracted from the issue to such an extent that it very nearly overshadowed the main point of it all. In the end it was decided to allow the books to remain in Middle and High School libraries.

And all of this happened in little old Newtown, CT.  But it's happening elsewhere in places like Florida, Texas, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, etc.  Do you see a pattern here? Mark my words, if this country goes red in the next elections you're going to see more efforts to ban books someone somewhere decided your kids shouldn't read.

Look, the issue is simple to me.  If you don't want your kid reading a certain book, fine. Don't let him/her/it.  But you don't have the right to impose your view on others. Book banning to me is abhorrent.  It's what the Nazis did to control its citizens. It can not be allowed to happen here.  This is a free country-for everyone-not just the far right like nut jobs like Trump and DeSantis.  

This issue is far from over in Newtown and the nation as  a whole. I'm afraid it will divide us even more than we already are-if that's possible.

 

Hi, June.

 Hello, June

June’s full Moon, the full Strawberry Moon, occurs on Saturday, June 3.  

 

June Holidays or Occasions

Flag Day
Fathers Day
Juneteenth
Paul Bunyan Day
National Rose Month

National Dairy Month
African-American Music Month
National Ice Tea Month
National Candy Month

June 1: Say Something Nice Day
June 3: Chimborazo Day
June 6: National Yo-Yo Day
June 8: Upsy Daisy Day
June 21: Go Skateboarding Day
June 30: Asteroid Day

Symbols of June

• Birthstone: Pearl
• Flower: Rose
  
  
• June 5 is World Environment Day—a day meant to raise environmental awareness across the globe.
• June 14 is Flag Day (U.S.). Be sure to raise the flag! Learn about the U.S. Flag Code, which provides guidelines for displaying the American flag properly.
• June 18 is Father’s Day this year. Find activity ideas and learn about the history of Father’s Day.
• June 19 is Juneteenth (also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day). On this day in 1865, Union General Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation aloud in Galveston, Texas, effectively liberating enslaved people in the state, which had thus far been beyond control of the Union Army.
• June 21 is the summer solstice, which heralds the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s the day with the most hours of daylight. In the Southern Hemisphere, winter begins at this time.
• In Canada, June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day (Canada), recognizing the contributions of the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.
• June 24 brings Midsummer Day, also St. John the Baptist’s Feast Day. Traditionally, this was the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvesting. It is celebrated in many cultures on the night of June 23, as Midsummer Eve! Learn all about Midsummer traditions.
• June 28 is the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots—a watershed moment for LGBT rights in the United States. 

 

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day.  Let's take a minute to acknowledge the sacrifice made by so many for all of us.  

There seems to be a little confusion about the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  For example I hear on TV and I see posts on Facebook where people are thanking all veterans for their service. Being a veteran, I say you're welcome but I don't feel I've earned the right to be lumped in with Memorial Day veterans.  

Veterans Day is for all who have served.  But Memorial Day is for those who gave their lives in the service of their country.  There's a very big difference.

It's certainly not an issue to start arguments over but I think the distinction is important.  

Update

 This is an update on yesterday's post.  My eye doctor has assured me that things will improve over time.  And as of this morning there has indeed been a great improvement.  I have another appointment next Tuesday at which time I expect even more improvement. 

Stay tuned.

Not happy with cataract surgery

 Yesterday morning I had cataract surgery on my right eye.  My left eye is scheduled to be done June 12th. But I'm not happy with the results thus far.  Granted it's been barely 24 hrs but from what my wife and friends have told me they had instant results.

For me, it's like sitting in a smoke filled room.  A white vale and generally blurry images.  Definitely not what I expected.  I see the doctor this afternoon for a follow up so I'll learn more but if this is as good as it gets or even just a little better there's no way in hell anyone's touching my left eye.  My vision in that eye isn't all that bad anyway.  

I'll be back with a follow up to this situation.

Got something to sell? Try Facebook Market Place

 Remember the good old days when if you had something to sell you simply ran an ad in the classified section of your local paper?  Well, no one reads newspapers anymore so now what do you do?  Simple. Try Facebook Market Place.  I hear also that Craig's List is a good alternative but I've heard some negative things about it plus I don't have any actual experience with it so I'm confining my observations to Facebook Market.

I've either sold or given away 5 different things:

Wood burning stove: $750
Two single beds with frame and mattress: free
Antique Victorian Settee: $200
20 yr old log splitter: $600
Two gallons of hydraulic fluid: free

The process for listing these things is very easy and it doesn't cost anything.  But like anything else you're selling at first you're likely to get a big response but much fewer actual visits to view the item.  

I sold my stove in no time at all which leads me to believe I could have gotten more but that's the way it goes.  On the other hand I valued my splitter at $800 but after two guys looked and passed on it and others weighed in with lower offers I finally had to come down a couple of hundred dollars but hey, that's gone too. 

The messaging system on Facebook is convenient and you can always switch to private texting if you don't mind giving out your phone number.  

One thing to watch for: people trying to get you to use various auto deposit apps like Venmo.  I insisted on cash for everything.  That way it's right there in your hands.  

Good luck.

Back from Florida...and what a trip it was!

 Well, here we are, the first full day back from Florida. We left warm, sunny weather and arrive to chilly, overcast weather.  Aside from that there is nothing good to say about our recent trip to our condo. 

Our troubles all began when our limo driver never showed up to take us to the airport.  I called the company to find out where he was and they said he had the wrong time.  By then it was too late for them to pick us up so we cancelled.  I was able to salvage a little bit of the day by booking a later flight from a different airport.  Then we called a different limo service and in spite of the last minute we were able to arrange for transportation.  

By the time we got to our condo it was really too late to do anything so we watched a little TV and went to bed.  The next day I did a few chores on my list but was increasingly bothered with a bad cough and stuffy nose so I went to urgent care.  I got some cough medicine and an antibiotic. By the time we got done there it was too late to get anything more accomplished on my list.

The next day we spent replacing burned out light bulbs and low batteries.  It was also time to change the A/C filter. Things continued to go fairly smoothly until I heard my wife yell out a scream.  There in the middle of our hallway was a 4 foot long snake.  I think it must have slipped in when I was unloading stuff from the car.  When we have several trips to make from the car to the condo we usually leave the front door open until we're done.  

My wife gave me a blanket to throw over it and the plan was I would gather it up and toss it outside.  As we approached our little friend he slithered into the front bedroom and hid under a bed.  We decided to close the bedroom door and seal the bottom with duct tape.  Then we called our property management company.  They sent someone over but when we went back in the bedroom we couldn't find the snake.

Our next step was to call a company that specialized in removing wildlife from people's homes.  They came over the next day and were able to locate it and get rid of it. That meant we had to spend the night with a snake trapped in one of our bedrooms.  I slept fairly well but my wife was up off and on all night.

After that we were able to continue with our chores and prepare our condo for a long period of absence. But all in all it wasn't one of our more relaxing trips.