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Wouldn't you know it! Now that I've finally got stuff to post and am being productive again, here comes a disruption, A Really Big One. Understanding Spouse has been transfered from Columbia SC to Clearwater Fl. There's not a pay increase but they are picking a large chunk of the moving cost. Additionally, there has been talk of closing the office here in Columbia anyways. Better a job in Fl. than unemployed in SC if you know what I mean. Plus the standard of living is about the same or so I'm assured by the web.
Problem is we know nothing about the place except though the web. I know some of you ladies live in FL. Can you give any helpful advice? It appears we're going to have make a trip there to set things up and then travel back to actually move our stuff. Anything to lessen the expenses would help. Of course this is right at holiday time too, oh joy!
hugs!
Grover
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I don't know what kind of rates....
They would have for it, but I would think that renting a U-Haul truck would be a pretty good idea. You can pick it up in one location and drop it off in another, so that way you don have to drive back across the country to take it to where you got it from
Peace be with you and Blessed be
(and here's hoping you have safe travels and a smooth experience in moving Grover.)
Peace be with you and Blessed be
Clearwater
Its been quite a few years since I was there, but it seemed to be fairly close to Tampa. It was beautiful, and a huge tourist trap, so the cost of living would be high I would think. Clearwater/St. Pete (Petersburg) ran fishing, sponge diving, scuba, etc. Not all that far from Mouse world and group. No idea what housing would be like, since its been so long since I was down there. Didn't seem to be any industry around, but I wasn't looking for it. Farms and orchards would be present I would think. Motels, and related everywhere. Gorgeous beaches. Good luck.
Beware the...
Scientologists.
I've had family that used to live in Clearwater once, and when they came back north their biggest complaint was about all the Scientologists... Exactly what they do that's so annoying, I never really got a clear picture, but...
Anyways, other than the weird people who subscribe to Scientology, I understand that they rather loved it there.
Abigail Drew.
Abigail Drew.
Mermaids and Scientologists
Scientologists are quite rambunctious. They jump on the furniture.
Tom Cruise and John Travolta totally wrecked my couch the other day!
Other than that I guess they're okay as long as you keep the conversation
steered away from religion or psychiatry.
But the good news is that a few miles up the west coast of Florida, in Weeki Wachee Springs
(and no I didn't make that up...) I hear that you have actual MERMAIDS for neighbors.
How cool is that?! http://www.weekiwachee.com/ (Always wanted to go there;
I just love weird, run-down unfashionable little tourist traps.)
Good luck with your move and I hope you and Understanding Spouse love Florida and the new job...
~hugs, Veronica
And remember...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifLqzLEB3E0
As a kid
I went to Weekiwachee back in the late 60's. The show was like an underwater ballet of Sleeping Beauty I think it was. Of course I loved it even though I still sink like a rock in the water. It's one of the few older parks that are still open. Many of the roadside attractions has faded away in the Florida sunshine. However, I remember Rainbow Springs (semi-submerged subs), Silver Springs (Glass bottomed boats), and even Six Gun Territory (Old West attraction, although what that was doing in Florida I haven't a clue.) My Mom still has a photo of me at eight with the saloon girls that she trots out to embarrass me! I might had been blushing at the time.
Perhaps now that we'll be closer to that stuff, I can relive and make some new memories. An up side to all of this.
Thanks everyone!
hugs
Grover
you'lkl be near me
You'll be near me so you may want to reconsider.
Clearwater is awesome... not really a tourist trap (that's why we have orlando 100 miles away). Nice beaches, great people, 2 local papers (If you order the st. pete times let me know i can get you a deal) a growing arts community. A tg night at a bar in Dunedin. AND ME!!!! Depending what you are into I could be more helpful.
K.T. Leone
My fiction feels more real than reality
Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)
Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life
Good ideas
Thanks everyone for the good ideas listed here as well as the ones PM'ed. This is Day 2 so information gathering is in full swing. As a separate note I am going to try to keep up with posting what stuff I have on Thursday nights. Hopefully keeping my mind busy on other things from time to time will keep me from worrying about all the details I can't do anything about.
Thanks again!
Grover
My Recollection...
My Recollection - when I was working down there in the Tampa area - was that it was fairly nice. If memory serves, folks were telling me that cost of living was lower on the Tampa side of the water than the St. Pete... (But the bridges were a pain for commutes! I was put up in hotels on both sides for different weeks.)
Culturally it's a mixed bag, as is most of Florida... But then, I'd expect you're used to that already.
Best wishes. (BTW - it's not a long drive to visit Micky Mouse - and that places is probably one of the MOST welcoming you can imagine!)
Anne
'Tis Anti GLBT
Florida is very anti GLBT. As an example, the Huffington Post a few days ago had a news article about a Lesbian married couple being refused driver's licenses. Its laws are one of the main reasons that I moved to California in 2007 instead of Florida.
shalimar