[in2dadark]

Originally Posted by darstar

After reading all these posts about the Sunshine state, I can only say one thing........Get the hell outa there !! I did.

There was a time 26 some years ago, when I thought living in Florida would be great. Year round warm weather ( came from Chicago) , easy going lifestyle. Could sail my boat all the year round, just live off the land, and retire early. I was only 40..................It was fun for a while, but then came the need to go back to work , full time, the big blows ( rode one out on the boat , that was scary)...then , work,work, no time to sail anymore, and when there was time , I had to strap on the old tool belt and fix things. I envied the tourists,.they had all the fun !.........We had a lot of good times, and experiences, I would not want to forget , some , I would not want to repeat. Overall , between , the bugs, the summer heat, mold,old people,( now I am one) , the long drive out of there for business, and the rednecks, when we away from the water., we had all the Florida we could stand, it was time to move on, and , we did.
Now , when we go to Florida ( mostly the keys), every few years, we enjoy it , just like the tourists, cause we are one !

The rednecks are a big pet peeve of mine here on the Treasure coast. I don't get the mentality. They have a dress code or something. Seems like all of 'em have very few teeth and drive beat up old (jacked way up) pickups that they like to tail gate people with.

Another thing I don't like. When I want to get away for a change of scenery for a weekend or so, I can drive 3 hours and still end up in a place that looks exactly like the one I started from!! I hate that about S. Fla.

When I'm in Pa in the summer and fall, I can go to the beaches of NJ or the big city in NY /Phil. Or I can enjoy a ride in the country. In Fl, you could swap Daytona for PSl and I might not even notice for a couple of hours..

[Margel]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Otherwise if Florida keeps screwing things up I will have to join some of you in the midwest, Georgia or Tennesee. Who wants a 6'7" neighbor with a bowling alley at home?

Tallrick, I would love to have you as a neighbor. I will be relocating to Odessa soon. You care about your family and your home. You're big and I am sure pretty handy. It's good to have a neighbor I would feel safe with and who maybe could fix things for me without finding some illegal as a handyman!

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by Margel

Tallrick, I would love to have you as a neighbor. I will be relocating to Odessa soon. You care about your family and your home. You're big and I am sure pretty handy. It's good to have a neighbor I would feel safe with and who maybe could fix things for me without finding some illegal as a handyman!

Well thanks! And a I have a shed full of tools and a Bobcat and small dozer. My parents are the only family I have and I want them to enjoy their retirement. I will be going back to their home this weekend to finish the roof repair and replace the exhaust fan. It's a shame that there's only one friendly neighbor on their street because there's just no one willing to help. I do give some credit to Miami though, no one has given me attitude there for a very long time!

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by in2dadark

The rednecks are a big pet peeve of mine here on the Treasure coast. I don't get the mentality. They have a dress code or something. Seems like all of 'em have very few teeth and drive beat up old (jacked way up) pickups that they like to tail gate people with.

Another thing I don't like. When I want to get away for a change of scenery for a weekend or so, I can drive 3 hours and still end up in a place that looks exactly like the one I started from!! I hate that about S. Fla.

When I'm in Pa in the summer and fall, I can go to the beaches of NJ or the big city in NY /Phil. Or I can enjoy a ride in the country. In Fl, you could swap Daytona for PSl and I might not even notice for a couple of hours..

give me the FL rednecks anyday!!!. Where I am now is inane- I do NOT exaggerate. I manage an office where they come in ""ghettoized"" white trash with corn rows (I do NOT get it) ; pants falling off (fired 5 people last week for that issue) and they think its cool. I swear something is in the water here- or the generations raised in trailers. Swear to God I am not making this up. I am from NYC and it takes alot to offend me- and never even EVER saw anything that offended me in Miami to equal this!

sunny

[Granny Sue]

I've always wondered what "redneck" really means anyway. I've come to the conclusion that's what people call other people to feel better about themselves.....god how I hate that term.
As for the free time.....you can make the time if you want to....25 yrs here, 2 bluecollar job family, two cars, and house and a harley....we don't do the "touristy" things, we'd rather experience the real Florida, the beach, the rivers, the forests and even the swamps. They cost the gas $$ and maybe some bait.
Are we staying after retirement? No, but that has more to do with wanting something different, out of the city and someplace not so, well....flat.
What you get out of life is really up to you.....make the best of what you have, deal with the problems.

[Nirvana-Guy]

Originally Posted by in2dadark

I tend to agree. You need to decompress often if you live in these areas. Being self employed, I have plenty of free time. But mostly plan my day so I can be where the idiots aren't. And spend alot of time home. I hate going to some of the local grocery or health food stores as it just seems like people who are hell bent on making others miserable have taken jobs there. I often think to myself, 'if you're so unhappy at this job why not quit rather than make such an effort to upset customers and coworkers'...

I work out of my home and could not imagine what I would be like if I were imprisoned with some of these idiots on the job. If stupidity and ignorance are contagious, then you may need to wear a hazmat suit here in S. Fla..!

Fortunatly I get to get away for over 5 months to Pa. But I may one day leave Florida for good.

You are one lucky person!!! I would LOVE to work from home! No more leaving foir work at 7am and being greeted by 80 degree heat!! No more 45mins each way on I-4 to drive 9 and 1/2 miles!

If you leave FL from May - Sept and just come back in Oct, you should be one happy camper!

You are a lucky one, I tell you. What kind of work do you do? Maybe I should try to get into the industry as well.

Come, share the tip! What do you do?

[in2dadark]

Originally Posted by Nirvana-Guy

You are one lucky person!!! I would LOVE to work from home! No more leaving foir work at 7am and being greeted by 80 degree heat!! No more 45mins each way on I-4 to drive 9 and 1/2 miles!

If you leave FL from May - Sept and just come back in Oct, you should be one happy camper!

You are a lucky one, I tell you. What kind of work do you do? Maybe I should try to get into the industry as well.

Come, share the tip! What do you do?

I am very happy. So far it's a blast being a snow bird at age 48 (started last year). But I try to be careful in the real world and not let too many people in on it ( the happiness police are everywhere ).

One thing that was really hard to do was buying a brand new vacation home in Pa (took me a few months to find it and close) and living it only 2 months and then leaving to head back to Fla to work..


What I do is no secret. It is posted on my profile. Alot of people think they can do my job. Even more wouldn't want to. I've been doing it for 20 years (straight commision sales for 13). Not all are cut out for it.. Good luck though..

[in2dadark]

Originally Posted by captnemo62

I've always wondered what "redneck" really means anyway. I've come to the conclusion that's what people call other people to feel better about themselves.....god how I hate that term.
As for the free time.....you can make the time if you want to....25 yrs here, 2 bluecollar job family, two cars, and house and a harley....we don't do the "touristy" things, we'd rather experience the real Florida, the beach, the rivers, the forests and even the swamps. They cost the gas $$ and maybe some bait.
Are we staying after retirement? No, but that has more to do with wanting something different, out of the city and someplace not so, well....flat.
What you get out of life is really up to you.....make the best of what you have, deal with the problems.

Actually, I didn't really know what a redneck was till I moved to Florida and got involved in a few interracial relationships. Then the rednecks made themselves known to me with a few terms of their own. I guess they say those things to make themselves feel better

But me and my friends make the best of a hateful world that is stuck in the civil war..

God rednecks suck..

[Angelrocks]

I just drove 13 miles. It took me one and a half hrs. Every single highway and back road was gridlocked for miles. It usually only takes 20 minutes. Or, should I say it used to take 20 minutes.

[dreamer1]

I live in Buffalo Ny and right now i'm sitting in my house while it's cold and rainy and dirty from all the snow. If you think Florida is so bad, move. I sit in the house 6 months out of the yr because it's so cold all the time unless you like winter sports. You have huricannes, we have winter storms which we had on Oct 13 which left people without power up to 10 days in the cold. Our taxes are just as high or higher. I have a vacation home in Davenport and it's only a manufactured one yet no damage from hurricanes.We have great prices for vacationers and the home is only 2 yrs old so you need to do research as far as vacations. Also. if you live near the beach, i'm sure it doesen't cost anything. Maybe look for a cheaper place to live.