NOVEMBER 2026
Trip from Massachusetts to Florida - It was a 3-day trip this year as we had to wait to leave until after my 8:30am appointment in Pittsfield. That’s a very late start for us so we decided to spread it out. The other two mornings, we were on the road at 5am, stopping in Winchester, VA and Hardeeville, SC. We came upon two slow downs - a jackknifed tractor trailer vs. automobile (on the other side of the highway) and two busses pulled over with a sports team unloaded.
We arrived in Bradenton at 11am on Saturday morning, so no weekday 5pm traffic like we hit last year. The price of gas in Georgia was $2.97 at one station.
When I wasn’t driving which was 95% of the time, I worked on a crochet project and listened to The Dutch House, written by my new favorite author, Ann Patchett, and narrated by Tom Hanks. What a pleasure it is to listen to this meandering story about the influence of growing up in an old Dutch house and then how the inhabitants got to where they ended up with all its twists and turns along the way. You just never know where this author is going to take you with her fascinating choice of words. And with Tom Hanks performing it - WOW!
Examples of her skills:
“The dinner was a huge production, with kids stashed in the den to eat off card tables like a collection of understudies who dreamed of one day breaking into the dining room.”
"I had not been born with an imagination big enough to encompass what was happening this moment.”
As I was still listening to this book, I was planning to listen again. I was so caught up in the storyline that I dreaded it coming to an end. When it ended, I cried…
Went to Acapulco Restaurant for a margarita and a meal. My Pollo Con Mole was delicious and I took 1/2 home.
Settling in - Only took us two days to unload the car and set up the condo. We sure got our exercise up and down the stairs a dozen times at least. I’ll start water aerobics, walking and line dancing tomorrow.
Transitioning - Really pacing myself to get back into the Florida lifestyle. Water aerobics wasn’t in the community calendar, so I didn’t plan to go. Then I decided to step out front to see if I could hear leader Terry’s loud music while calling the drill. Lo and behold, 8 regulars were there doing their thing. It was too late to join them, so I walked over to say Hi and settled in to one of the new lounges to watch them work.
Switching internet service from Spectrum to Frontier (Verizon company) was the task of the morning. It took the tech a while, but we are now up and running with no router or modem. We have an individual fiber connection at a lower rate locked in for 5 years. Free installation too. Also got a $15 monthly discount on Verizon phone lines. It works very well and we are happy.
Since that set up took longer than expected, I missed line dancing. But the next morning I took my first walk around the loop sans the little off shooting loops. It ended up being a 1.6 mile walk with a gentle breeze cooling me down.
Aloha Ukulele practice for holiday performances was a time to catch up as they have been practicing for a couple of weeks. Thankfully, many of the 19 songs were repeats from last year. The group has grown and we will have to learn and remember more names. The sound is always fun and exciting.
Elks Lodge staff has changed - Daniel is the new bartender replacing Johnny. The kitchen is now run by a catering service and Carol tells us the food is excellent. Our first trip there was a Wednesday (no kitchen on Wednesday and Thursday) so we’ll have to check it out another time. Carol is struggling with sciatica and uses a cane. She still wins $500 pretty regularly at the machine.
My maiden voyage to a Panda Express was fruitful - a lot of good Chinese cuisine at a decent price. They have built so many new box stores and restaurants at the entrance of Heritage Harbor that it is hard to believe. And the traffic reflects it. Costco, Whole Foods, Target, Hobby Lobby, Seasons 52, Longhorn Steakhouse, Miller Ale House to name a few.
Walked through Whole Foods - I think they were crazy to open this store 1000 feet from Costco. I know they are healthy and organic, but way to expensive for my taste. From there, we went to Costco and got good deals on staples that we use.
Went back to check out the menu at the Elks - I got a BLT with homemade chips. It was very good.
Another glorious day in paradise - no sign of Alley the alligator yet…
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