Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Is there a way to save a post that I'm typing if I want to stop and return to it later or am simply writing something long and it takes me some time. I ask because I was just about finished with a rather long post when it disappeared on me. Don't know if it was something I did with my computer or this forum.
That happens sometimes. If I want to save it, I paste it into a Word doc and then paste it back. I've taken to block-copy to be sure long posts don't do the disappearing act.
Random question: How many women here have been divorced, widowed, never married? How many have kids?
For the record, I've never been married or had kids. I'm sure I'm in the minority here.
Karcon here. Married & divorced - twice - married to first husband ten years, father of my children; second - after several years as single parent took the leap again to find it was a total disaster - Brady bunch from hell! - that was 23 years ago. Sort of a "widow" now as my significant other/partner/companion/live-in passed away in December 2000. No one special or lasting since. Kids are now 31 and 35 living their own lives. Daughter flight attendant who travels for business and personal all over the world; son who is now travelling extensively (and for unknown length of time) throughout Central America with his girlfriend. They left early March are are now in Nicarauga (via Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador) - next stop Costa Rica then Panama. Who knows where after that! Of course, my kids have significant others but no children. And will never be parents! Does make it easier to live the life you want. I raised them to be adventurous and open to new experiences. We are all close, stay in touch regularly via email, phone (inclulding Skype). My son even called on Mother's Day from Nicarauga with his Skype phone! Think I raised them well!!!
Married 9 years - that was 9 longer than I originally intended. I have 3 of the most loving, obedient (er - well....) -- always happy to see me and be with me - great cuddlers at bed time too - 4 legged kids (2 dogs, 1 cat).
Still keep in touch with my ex - we make better friends than partners. He's coming for a visit in July and may bring his dad - I always liked his dad.
I've been reading bits and pieces of this thread and see there are many others in my boat, that is, wondering what move to make next.
To join the "survey", I'm long-ago divorced (was married 6 years, no human kids). My two shelties are truly my family. The human family I had once (parents, aunts and uncles) is all gone or out of touch - except for an uncle back east and a cousin in TX I keep in touch with. Enough history.
Unless I change my mind again, my next move will be to Prescott Valley, AZ, as soon as I can get my house sold here (western CO). Colorado has been my favorite state since 1970, but it has changed unfavorably and is unreasonably expensive in most places I'd want to live in.
I just got back from AZ -- hadn't been there since the early 90's. This trip reminded me how beautiful AZ is. NM is wonderful too -- used to have a building lot in Ruidoso, but sold it in 2001. Sometimes I think about going back there and just finding an existing house to buy. I get very sentimental about Ruidoso when I hear music that reminds me of those days when I owned the property. I was living in TX at the time I bought my lot in Ruidoso. I was looking for a pretty mountain/ski town between TX and CO. In the end, I chose CO, but it was not the right decision- so I'm moving on after 9 years of trying to get happy here. I do not want to waste any more time.
My quandary is that I need more stuff to do than small towns offer, but I don't want to be in a major city again (like in my working life). Prescott/Prescott Valley seems to be a good balance -- they have tons of shopping/amenities, yet are very close to hiking trails, lakes, and beautiful scenery. I do know some people there, but that's not really the attraction for me, just a coincidence.
The idea floating around this thread recently about going into joint ownership of a mobile home or other type home sounds good at first glance, but it would never be something I would sign on to. I've never heard of a group doing that where big personality/financial problems didn't surface. In my case, I'm set in my ways and do not care for the "togetherness" a joint arrangement would require, whether we're talking about social aspects or financial aspects. I guess I'd rather make my own mistakes by myself and not have other people to worry about when things go wrong. Like marriage, I think going into financial arrangements with friends/associates is a good way to ruin friendships.
I've also thought about doing the "full-time RV" thing, but so far have not been able to embrace that idea. While building a house in the summer of '06, I had to live in an RV park for 9 weeks, and I think I permanently ruined my former love of the camping life. I lived in my pickup truck, basically, keeping all my clothes and other junk in a tent. Believe me, it was no picnic, especially since I was constantly aggravated fighting with the builder. What could have been an idyllic summer turned out to be one I wish I could forget. Even if I would have had a luxury RV, it still would have been a miserable summer with all the aggravations I was beset with concerning the house build. I became friends that summer with many of the retired couples who were working at the campground, and they, too, had a miserable summer because the campground owner was a total jerk. So, from that I learned things can go wrong no matter how good a situation looks to you from the outside. No one ever learns anything with their nose pressed up to the glass looking in.
Anyway, I hope you all find your utopias. I've been looking for mine since I early-retired in '95 at the age of 49. Real contentment, I've found, is highly elusive, and you don't know what any lifestyle will be like until you actually try it. So, look before you leap -- and then do the best you can. If your new plans don't work out, then set about developing new ones. I tell people who know me and think I'm nuts for moving around so much that I'll quit moving when I'm dead -- and not before. It's better to endure hassles trying to find your ideal life than it is to sit and go nowhere -- like most of the people I knew growing up in Jersey who think you have to stay in the same house and town all your life.
It would be fun to meet you all in person to compare notes and meet the furry friends. I'm not suggesting that will ever happen, just that it would be a fun time with lots of conversation. In the meantime, there's this thread -- and it's a good one.
I guess summer is here and I wake up earlier. The last 2 days, I took a little afternoon nap so maybe that's why. I like the early morning too. Especially in summer when it is cool and the dew is on the grass.
50-50 - some wise words. I think that if folks were going to try the fractional ownership ideas floated, they would have to be drawn up as formal business partnerships. Tho the breakup of a business partnership can be as stressful and acrimonious as any divorce. Like 50-50, I'm leary about getting myself into a situation that will be difficult to get out of if I find I'm not liking it anymore. One of the big, big attractions to my upcoming retirement is the complete freedom it will afford me. For the first time in my life, I will be free to walk away from any people or situations that I don't like or are not really good for me. I don't have to suck it up any more. Whoo hoo!
I have a good friend who has 2 vacation houses he co-owns with his 2 siblings. It is fine for him but from what he says, he spends most of his vacation time working on the houses when they are there. He's ok with that and it is a change of pace. But, for me, I have more than enough to do just maintaining one house and property. It may help me that I have a bit of land and am out in the country so it is kind of like a vacation house year around. I think he's rented it out but mostly, it is just an expensive vacation place. The other thing that is unattractive to me (but not him) is that for every vacation, they go to the same 2 places. They join with their families and it works for them, but ... I like to see new places. On the other hand, he is getting itchy feet lately and taking more trips to new places. And he is not retiring (eligble since last year) because he isn't sure that he can afford to take these more exotic trips he wants on the money he has.
Tesaje and MN2CO thanks for letting me know it's not just my baaddd computer karma. Really - the IT guys at my job used to wonder what I had done to crash the whole network, said it couldn't/shouldn't have happened but I manged it more than once. Without even trying.
Thinking I might try a blog here so I can write lots about living in this place, my work with dogs, etc and maybe even try to post some pix of same.
Married 9 years - that was 9 longer than I originally intended. I have 3 of the most loving, obedient (er - well....) -- always happy to see me and be with me - great cuddlers at bed time too - 4 legged kids (2 dogs, 1 cat).
Still keep in touch with my ex - we make better friends than partners. He's coming for a visit in July and may bring his dad - I always liked his dad.
Funny, I was also married for nine years, and still keep in touch with my ex, who is remarried. We definitely are better as Email friends than spouses.
(He comes from a foreign country, and we met in Africa on a job)
Unless I change my mind again, my next move will be to Prescott Valley, AZ, as soon as I can get my house sold here (western CO). Colorado has been my favorite state since 1970, but it has changed unfavorably and is unreasonably expensive in most places I'd want to live in.
I live in So. Arizona and am looking to move to another state. Colorado is high on my list, so I'm wondering where you are there, and what changes make you dislike it now?
I've been in AZ for 26 years but also find it is no longer attractive to me.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Rhodies
Good Morning and Happy Memorial Day!
