I haven't posted much about life in the past year or so. Plus I need to try to use Postimages since Imgur has become cumbersome.

Anyhow last year in May I got laid off from my job at Sanofi/Genzyme after 29 years. We had already bought our house in the Villages so we decided to just take the plunge and retire early. Sold our house in Massachusetts and moved here full time.

For 6 months or so it was party time, but we quickly learned that we needed to get into activities and stop drinking 3 nights a week. So now I play street hockey 2-4 times per week, pickleball about 6 hours per week and we also just started golfing (we are really bad) about 1/week. I'm down 57 lbs from my heaviest. Granted the fat pic is at the end of Covid but I was still hitting 220 in December. Now I'm down to 180 (okay 185 after this cruise in the second picture, but I'll lose that fast).

Anyhow loving living in a free state and getting more exercise now than I ever have. No pills, no shots. I hate pharmaceuticals.


First Pic Fat Jim

Second Pic Star of the Seas Cruise a couple weeks ago. Got to dress up and not feel like a slob.





Oh and I rescued this viscous pit bull/boxer mix. She'll rip your face off. LOL, she's an absolute angel.

Glad to hear it is working out so well for you.
Are you adapting to the Fl heat ok?

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
Glad to hear it is working out so well for you.
Are you adapting to the Fl heat ok?

Loving the heat. I have a pool so I can cool off quickly, but I already seem to have a high tolerance for it. Upper 80s just feels warm to me and 93 is fine.

What color loofah do you have?

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:
What color loofah do you have?

Not gonna lie, that joke is older than the Younger Dryas.

I kinda get sick of hearing it every single time I mention the Villages. Often I have to explain a long story of the rumor, how it started, how loofas got involved.

But the short version is old folks can't find their cars so the put loofas on the antennas (not so much these days as there are not antennas).

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:
What color loofah do you have?

Not gonna lie, that joke is older than the Younger Dryas.

I kinda get sick of hearing it every single time I mention the Villages. Often I have to explain a long story of the rumor, how it started, how loofas got involved.

But the short version is old folks can't find their cars so the put loofas on the antennas (not so much these days as there are not antennas).

Welcome to the great state of Florida,

My dad always had an orange ribbon on his antenna, I remember when they started building the Villages, mind boggling how Florida has changed since I was born. My great grandmothers house is down in the Pinellas County Heritage Village and it always made me wonder how the heck they survived without AC.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:
What color loofah do you have?

Not gonna lie, that joke is older than the Younger Dryas.

I kinda get sick of hearing it every single time I mention the Villages. Often I have to explain a long story of the rumor, how it started, how loofas got involved.

But the short version is old folks can't find their cars so the put loofas on the antennas (not so much these days as there are not antennas).

Ok, you keep your secrets. I get it, The Villages have Skull and Bones traditions.

Congrats on escaping Massachusetts. Things are only getting worse there.

If I recall, I grew up a few minutes from where you were living in MA.

quote:

Originally posted by Graniteguy:
Congrats on escaping Massachusetts. Things are only getting worse there.

If I recall, I grew up a few minutes from where you were living in MA.

Yup we were in Westminster. Pretty close to the Rindge area. I did love it there, but the snow was god awful. We are having a blast down here.

Congrats, glad you like it there

BTW, I know your doppelganger from the first pic

Sounds like you guys are having a great time, enjoy the villages and central Florida, you have a good central access to both coasts to find things to do is pretty easy..

Have you had the opportunity to buy any guns easily yet....

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Sounds like you guys are having a great time, enjoy the villages and central Florida, you have a good central access to both coasts to find things to do is pretty easy..

Have you had the opportunity to buy any guns easily yet....

Been so busy I haven't done any shooting. We have visited Shooters World and I actually sold a few of my guns that I didn't really use much. But I was definitely in awe of all the options I now have and can't wait to get into some cool stuff.

I'm just a bit south of you by Groveland. Welcome to Florida, and glad you are enjoying it. I too, am a Massachusetts refugee. Lived in Chelmsford, worked in Boston. Moved to Florida in '02.

ETA: I have a 100 yard range on my property. Just sayin...

ETA2: You have email.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ArtieS,

I'm happy you're enjoying an active life in Florida!

Congrats, especially on losing the weight. Glad you are enjoying the new area.

FL. would never work for me, especially something like the villages. But to each their own.

Good to hear from you.

Seriously looking myself - spouse and I are mid-70s. $20k annually in property taxes, $3k in car registration and -10F every winter is wearing a bit thin. Spent a year in the panhandle in my residency, and 8 years between Biloxi, MS and Valdosta, GA so not unfamiliar with FL and the Gulf coast - and hurricanes (we call it a moderate breeze here in tornado country). Glad you're settled and might be joining you!

Hope to join you in a few years. I love golfing, and a big Royal Caribbean cruise fan. I just need to bite the bullet (no pun intended) and look at a second property in The Villages. Every winter tells me to move south!!!!

Sounds like a good fit for y'all - congrats! Met some neighbors who have a place there and spend about half there time, and love it there.

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
BTW, I know your doppelganger from the first pic

Mike Leach passed away.

How's the homeowners insurance rates? I seem to remember that State Farm quit selling homeowner's insurance down there a few years ago.

Nice pup too. Now that I think about he is the best part