If NE Florida is not Full, it sure will be soon!

[MichaelB]

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Originally Posted by teejayevans You have just cursed the NE Florida region, now it’s almost guaranteed they are going to get hit this year.

As long as it’s not South Florida ...

[Badger]

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Originally Posted by aja8888 No one ever talks about the bugs in these threads. We have our share in Texas too.

Not only are there "bugs" (2-2.5" cockroaches, scorpions, disease carrying mosquitoes, etc.) but also coyotes, poisonous snakes, and alligators (sometimes referred to as mobile speed-bumps) all over Florida. Then you have all the tourists who have forgotten how to drive, the hurricanes/nor'easters, and 90+ humidity.

I've lived here since 1960 and my wife since 1950.

Florida ain't for wimps.



Cheers!

[Bestwifeever]

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Originally Posted by NW-Bound Just a short while ago, in a thread about Florida, there was a long list of bizarre transgressive acts by "Florida man" and "Florida woman". I thought that it would make a good deterrence to keep people from moving there.

I am just now listening to my favorite funny Florida fiction writer Tim Dorsey's "Naked Came the Florida Man." It's the 23rd in his series about Robin Hood-ish serial murderer Serge Storm who drives all around Florida and kills in very creative ways only the folks who have it coming. The plots have all blended together, but still funny. We don't have a Florida road trip planned this year (we are going twice, but flying this time)--we usually listen to them while driving there.

[braumeister]

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Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I am just now listening to my favorite funny Florida fiction writer Tim Dorsey's "Naked Came the Florida Man."

I love Serge and Coleman, and I've read all of them, but haven't seen this one yet. Thanks for the heads up!

[ShokWaveRider]

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Originally Posted by Badger I've lived here since 1960 and my wife since 1950. Florida ain't for wimps.

+10 We could not agree more. So... All the whiners, complainers and weather wimps who are too thin skinned to stand a little humidity, and all those scaredy-cats who are afraid of a few critters should keep well away, and refrain from posting the same old things time after time just for the sake of it, we heard the first time. Florida is better off without them, we have enough of our own.

[Sojourner]

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Originally Posted by Which Roger I'm solidly in the "I just don't get why anyone would want to live in Florida" camp.

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Originally Posted by Badger Not only are there "bugs" (2-2.5" cockroaches, scorpions, disease carrying mosquitoes, etc.) but also coyotes, poisonous snakes, and alligators (sometimes referred to as mobile speed-bumps) all over Florida. Then you have all the tourists who have forgotten how to drive, the hurricanes/nor'easters, and 90+ humidity.

+1000

Unfortunately for me, I have a number of close relatives who live in FL, so I have to endure it for a few long weekends every year or two. Otherwise, I'd never set foot there. Fascinated by it and loved it as a kid, but those days are long gone.

[misshathaway]

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Originally Posted by Badger Not only are there "bugs" (2-2.5" cockroaches, scorpions, disease carrying mosquitoes, etc.) but also coyotes, poisonous snakes, and alligators (sometimes referred to as mobile speed-bumps) all over Florida. Cheers!

OTOH Palmetto bugs make excellent cat toys.

[Dtail]

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Originally Posted by Badger Not only are there "bugs" (2-2.5" cockroaches, scorpions, disease carrying mosquitoes, etc.) but also coyotes, poisonous snakes, and alligators (sometimes referred to as mobile speed-bumps) all over Florida. Then you have all the tourists who have forgotten how to drive, the hurricanes/nor'easters, and 90+ humidity. I've lived here since 1960 and my wife since 1950. Florida ain't for wimps. Cheers!

In my 2.5 years here, I haven't seen a scorpion yet, but who knows....

[NW-Bound]

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Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I am just now listening to my favorite funny Florida fiction writer Tim Dorsey's "Naked Came the Florida Man." It's the 23rd in his series about Robin Hood-ish serial murderer Serge Storm who drives all around Florida and kills in very creative ways only the folks who have it coming. The plots have all blended together, but still funny. We don't have a Florida road trip planned this year (we are going twice, but flying this time)--we usually listen to them while driving there.

A funny fiction about a serial murderer? Do I want to check this out?

[Bestwifeever]

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Originally Posted by NW-Bound A funny fiction about a serial murderer? Do I want to check this out?

There is not a lot of socially redeeming value to these books but they are laugh out loud funny--the victims are usually scammers of poor or old or very young people. Maybe an acquired taste: “Dorsey’s novels are unfailingly entertaining... Serge is, hands down, the most smoothly charming, irrepressibly goofy, joyfully out-of-his-mind series lead in contemporary mystery fiction.... Don’t miss this one.” (Booklist )

I have never actually read any of these books but have listened to all of them (thanks, Public Library downloadable audiobooks!) and they make me look forward to a nice long road trip.

[Lewis Clark]

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Originally Posted by socca Some Florida license plates sport the slogan ENDLESS SUMMER. I'm still waiting for the Florida DMV to release a plate adorned with ENDLESS TRAFFIC.

Not all of Florida is endless traffic. And many states have regions with more traffic than most of Florida.

When I lived near Charleston, SC, the summers were hotter and more humid than in most of Florida.

Different strokes for different folks. Every area has both pros and cons. Live wherever you like.

[kjpliny]

Not sure where we'll retire to, but I don't think Florida will be it. One thing that those zillow listings reminded me of is how much I despise newly built large homes squashed onto tiny plots where you can basically almost touch your neighbors house. They should be building on 2 acre lots with lots of privacy and green space...less noise. No way will I consider moving to sardines-ville. Not a chance.

[NW-Bound]

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Originally Posted by Bestwifeever There is not a lot of socially redeeming value to these books but they are laugh out loud funny--the victims are usually scammers of poor or old or very young people. Maybe an acquired taste: “Dorsey’s novels are unfailingly entertaining... Serge is, hands down, the most smoothly charming, irrepressibly goofy, joyfully out-of-his-mind series lead in contemporary mystery fiction.... Don’t miss this one.” (Booklist ) I have never actually read any of these books but have listened to all of them (thanks, Public Library downloadable audiobooks!) and they make me look forward to a nice long road trip.

I have not read any fiction in a while, as I am a non-fiction reader.

However, you talked me into this. "Naked came the Florida man" on hold for me at the library (I prefer to read paper books).

Thanks.

[teejayevans]

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Originally Posted by kjpliny Not sure where we'll retire to, but I don't think Florida will be it. One thing that those zillow listings reminded me of is how much I despise newly built large homes squashed onto tiny plots where you can basically almost touch your neighbors house. They should be building on 2 acre lots with lots of privacy and green space...less noise. No way will I consider moving to sardines-ville. Not a chance.

Wyoming or Dakotas are calling your name.
Actually you can find this in Florida too, but you won’t be near civilization. As you age, living where you have services (like Uber, hospitals...) becomes a necessity.

[Scuba]

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Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider Sounds Like SoCAL where we moved from in 2003. Main reason we left SoCAL was traffic! That and there were simply too many people everywhere. The HCOL never bothered us as one gets what one pays for. But the Traffic and sheer volume of people is a different story. What we do miss is the weather.

Traffic & crowds & other urban problems motivated us to move from Coastal So CA to Palm Springs. Still relatively HCOL but lower than the Coast, no humidity, hurricanes, or bugs.

[Andre1969]

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Originally Posted by kjpliny Not sure where we'll retire to, but I don't think Florida will be it. One thing that those zillow listings reminded me of is how much I despise newly built large homes squashed onto tiny plots where you can basically almost touch your neighbors house. They should be building on 2 acre lots with lots of privacy and green space...less noise. No way will I consider moving to sardines-ville. Not a chance.

That would actually be my dream house...large house, 2 acre lot, lots of privacy. Only problem is, with land prices being at such a premium, you're not going to get that in any of the more popular zipcodes. Unless you pay dearly for it.

Also, the positioning of the house on the lot makes a world of difference. There's a luxury housing development near my old house that went up before the housing bust. Most houses on maybe .7-1.0 acre lots, and they tended to be in the 5,000+ square foot range. Normally, that would sound like a fairly decent lot to me. But, the houses were usually set back pretty far from the road, so you had a lot of front yard, but not a lot of back yard. And, the houses were so big, that even though the lots were fairly large, they still felt a bit cramped together. And since it was a new neighborhood, built on an old turf farm, there really wasn't much privacy, as it had all been clear-cut.

I think a lot of people really don't want a large lot. They might like the idea of the privacy, but then once it comes time to maintain it, the charm gets lost. Of course, some people enjoy gardening and yardwork, and others can afford to pay for a lawn service. But, still, it's not the life for everyone.

Oh, one advantage of Florida...if those cockroaches really are the size of Matchbox cars, seems to me it would be easier to keep them out! Although, I imagine they still manage to find their way into some pretty small crevices.

[JoeWras]

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Originally Posted by misshathaway OTOH Palmetto bugs make excellent cat toys.

Very true! Cats love 'em.

My favorite trick of these guys is when they decide to take to a drunken flight. They don't want to land on you, but they are so inaccurate, your hair may get in the way.

One of my neighbors from NY moved back after 6 months due to two things: 1) bugs, 2) crime. I think the bugs bothered her more.

[JoeWras]

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Originally Posted by Andre1969 Oh, one advantage of Florida...if those cockroaches really are the size of Matchbox cars, seems to me it would be easier to keep them out! Although, I imagine they still manage to find their way into some pretty small crevices.

They will find a way in. They can get through the tiniest slits. And I've even had them fly in behind me when I had the door open. Yes, fly.

[Dtail]

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Originally Posted by JoeWras They will find a way in. They can get through the tiniest slits. And I've even had them fly in behind me when I had the door open. Yes, fly.

The infamous flying Palmetto Bugs.

[ShokWaveRider]

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Originally Posted by Scuba Traffic & crowds & other urban problems motivated us to move from Coastal So CA to Palm Springs. Still relatively HCOL but lower than the Coast, no humidity, hurricanes, or bugs.

We liked Palm Springs also, but missed the beach vibe. Otherwise we would be there too.