3 years in and here is how I feel now. (Tampa: school, beach)

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by WinterK

NPG, you've only been here 3 years? How the heck did you get to be a moderator?

I've unfortunately been here in Pinellas for 45 years. Maybe that's why I'm not happy, I can remember it before our current population explosion. Make no mistake, if and when we get hit by a major hurricane, things are going to be very ugly for a long time.

Well, you can always move to somehwhere else you think is better. In the meantime it would be nice if you didn't pee on someone else's parade....

[WinterK]

Love to. I hate it here, should have done it nine years ago after my husband died. Anyone want to go to Michigan with me? I'll be in a better mood when I'm not sweating all the time in this humidity.

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by WinterK

Love to. I hate it here, should have done it nine years ago after my husband died. Anyone want to go to Michigan with me? I'll be in a better mood when I'm not sweating all the time in this humidity.

I'm so very sorry for your loss. At this point, what is holding you back? I definitely would never live in an area I did not like and we are so appreciative that we are having a chance to live here in our dream location. I wish the same for you. I cannot imagine the pain you must have gone through. Best wishes to you.

To answer your question on how I became a mod - First you need to be recommended and for me that came with two years of positive contribution, zero infractions and a personal request to be able to contribute to something in order to help people, as I lost and am losing so much with failing health.

[WinterK]

Thank you for your kind post, and sorry to hear you are not well. I'm afraid to move alone, have never done that (out of state). I have no family left up in Michigan. I don't make friends easily or feel comfortable in groups.

That said, I am starting to pack and get ready to sell my villa. I'm making a move somewhere, even if it's just local. Maybe I'll get a burst of courage to go once I'm ready. It sure would be nice to experience a beautiful fall, winter, and spring again.

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by WinterK

Thank you for your kind post, and sorry to hear you are not well. I'm afraid to move alone, have never done that (out of state). I have no family left up in Michigan. I don't make friends easily or feel comfortable in groups.

That said, I am starting to pack and get ready to sell my villa. I'm making a move somewhere, even if it's just local. Maybe I'll get a burst of courage to go once I'm ready. It sure would be nice to experience a beautiful fall, winter, and spring again.

I truly wish the best for you. A local move may be the ticket for you. Maybe an area with a different flavor, but not so far that it is that scary. Something to give you confidence about moving bigger, later. Small steps. You will get there.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by WinterK

NPG, you've only been here 3 years? How the heck did you get to be a moderator?

I've unfortunately been here in Pinellas for 45 years. Maybe that's why I'm not happy, I can remember it before our current population explosion. Make no mistake, if and when we get hit by a major hurricane, things are going to be very ugly for a long time.

NPG is such a great guy, that's how.

I also feel privileged to live in Florida, and I have lived in this state since May of 1976. I spent most of that time in Miami, and while I was happy to move to the Gulf coast I did meet my soulmate in Miami, raised a family and worked there, had many interesting experiences and met many many good (and a few not so great, but that is life anywhere) people there. We're settled into our retirement house on the Peace River just down the road from you all in the Tampa area, and feel grateful all over again each morning when we wake up.

I understand what you mean about newbies facing a hurricane, especially in a densely populated area. That was us in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit Miami, we lost most of our house, and the next two years were hell as we, along with many many other folks worked to rebuild our lives. Later hurricanes came along, but they didn't affect us nearly as much as did Andrew, as they were more of an inconvenience to us than anything else. Looking back at those times I believe that the awful times we went through after Andrew provided learning experiences, gave us strength, and I have never lost that feeling that I can face anything now and get through it.

I don't know how you can get this message across to someone who really has no idea how bad hurricanes can be, and who assumes that one will never hit an area because it has been so long since one has hit there. From all I have read, and seen, there is not one part of Florida that has no chance of being hit by hurricane force winds. Sure, inland areas of central and north Florida might be less likely to get hit with the brunt of those winds, or by storm surges from a storm coming onto the coast of Florida, but ask folks in Orlando, and other inland areas how they fared during some of those hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004 and 2005 ( three in 2004 that I remember, including Irene, and Charley, and Wilma and Katrina in 2005). Charley could just as well gone on up the coast some and made a direct hit on Tampa, and one day there may well be a storm that does just that.

But all we can do is be as prepared as we know how for such events, and if we are lucky it will never happen, or if it does it won't be as bad as it could be. That includes having your hurricane supplies on hand, and having a plan for evacuation well in advance should that be necessary, gas in your car and cash on hand just in case, plans for shoring up your property ( including hurricane shutters and getting stuff out of your yard that might become flying debris in a storm). Then a half-eye towards the tropics during the hurricane season just to keep yourself aware of what might be out there, and more attention if there is a storm out there.

I was a basket case during hurricane season for a number of years following Andrew, and think I may have some residual PTSD from our experience during Andrew, but I find that being as prepared as possible, being aware of what's in the tropics (and what is not, whew), also realizing from long experience that most of those tropical systems out there will either downgrade to a rain event, fizzle out or go elsewhere, helps a lot with that anxiety.

[cybersecretary]

hey n.pinellas guy!

I have wanted to move to Fl for 4 years. ever since kids went to college..well..I am coming in September! by hook or by crook. our house is on the market here and if it does not sell soon i am coming down and getting a little apartment in a nice area of St.Pete , find a job, volunteer, in the warmth with all the activities and flora you all have there..

.I think I would love the old north part of St. Pete.. i get very depressed and isolated and do not go out in the cold anymore..and my health and marriage is always good in the summer..soon as the cold and gray start I get that SAD, seasonal depression and I am a monster! Not going to happen to me this year!

no brainer..gotta move now.saving my pennies….not going to be shut in and bored and crabby any longer !

life is too short!
if hubby has to stay here for work and to finalize up the sale…(hope it sells people. cross your fingers! .it is a beautiful place, just not for me any more..) being apart for a few months is better than loosing my sanity and divorce!

i would rather go crabbing than be crabby!

glad you are happy N P Guy!

[Beachgoer44]

Originally Posted by cybersecretary

hey n.pinellas guy!

I have wanted to move to Fl for 4 years. ever since kids went to college..well..I am coming in September! by hook or by crook. our house is on the market here and if it does not sell soon i am coming down and getting a little apartment in a nice area of St.Pete , find a job, volunteer, in the warmth with all the activities and flora you all have there..

.I think I would love the old north part of St. Pete.. i get very depressed and isolated and do not go out in the cold anymore..and my health and marriage is always good in the summer..soon as the cold and gray start I get that SAD, seasonal depression and I am a monster! Not going to happen to me this year!

no brainer..gotta move now.saving my pennies….not going to be shut in and bored and crabby any longer !

life is too short!
if hubby has to stay here for work and to finalize up the sale…(hope it sells people. cross your fingers! .it is a beautiful place, just not for me any more..) being apart for a few months is better than loosing my sanity and divorce!

i would rather go crabbing than be crabby!

glad you are happy N P Guy!

Right on, Sista!

[rd711]

We've been here almost 2 years and I believe the honeymoon phase has passed. After spending many years in the millitary and traveling all over the country and world we narrrowed our search down to Texas and Florida(Houston/San Antonio or Orlando/Tampa). These states were picked by my husband primarily for the access to sports both to watch and for our sons to play, preferable year round. I'm from Buffalo, New York so I was in it for the weather (I'd rather be hot than cold any day. I go home to see the snow) We also wanted someplace neutral being I'm form Buffalo and he is from Pascagoula MS, honestly as I applied for jobs Tampa came with the highest pay and the best relocation pakage.

We really enjoy it here, my boys get the year round sports (that includes my husband) I get the weather and yes its hot as fish grease in the summer its worth it to not deal with shoveling snow in below zero weather.

It seems everyone on here hates Tampa and I guess if you've never experienced anything else you may get to feeling that way or if living here isnt what you imagined the dissapointment could turn to hate.

Anyway, it's all good for us and to those who worry about a major hurricane. We lost our home during Katrina, nothing left but just threee steps and a slab, this are bad then they get better. ***t happens regardless of where you live, I say if you hate it make a move, life is too short to be miserable.

[MortonR]

Been here since 1996, with a short respite back to the Midwest from 2008-2010 (boy, did that reinforce why I moved to Florida!)

It's far from perfect, but it's the best I've found so far. I can always find something negative about the places I've lived, but try as I might, I find fewer and fewer negative things about here than any other at this point in my life. It would be lovely to be able to summer in the Midwest and winter in Florida, but if I was forced to make a choice it would be Florida, hands down.

Even in the near 20 years I've been here many things have changed, but not all for the worse. Whenever I start to get bothered by something like the warm weather, I just think about the hassle of shoveling snow or having to carry jumper cables in my car, and those worries just evaporate....

RM