Living the life most people just dream about~

Man-o-man….. talk about one extreme to another.
Hurricane Maria roared through our future home and just absolutely devastated it. While our hearts go out to the people of USVI it also means the plans we have been making for the last year or so got blown away with Maria.
A lot of scrambling in the last 2 days has now got us landing in the Cayman Islands. Don’t have a lot of details yet – as it takes time to get confirmations for everything.
Not sure what we’re gonna do when we get there. Going to have to look into getting visa’s now – and Lord knows what else. This is now turning into truly an adventure, but we are amped and looking forward to it.
Keep checking in here for details – it’s gonna be a wild ride –
Oooh-Rah~!!

Wow – what a week….. so many people to see before we fly out…. so much fun and even more memories. Got to spend several really fun nights with Sisters and Brother-in-laws, eating, drinking and good times. Calendar is rapidly filling up with remainder of friends and family we want to see before flight time  : )
Our new home has been taking a whuppin’ with hurricanes lately and damn if there ain’t another on the way. Keeping our fingers crossed for the people of our new home – and that it don’t louse up our travel plans to get there…. but one way or another – we will get there.
Really busy week this week – but will happily stop to chat with any family or friends that want to stop by, like a surprise visit yesterday from a working acquaintance and friend who dropped in to wish Bon Voyage….
Always happy to see you…. here – or in the islands~!

Wow – that was one quick week… almost like I’m working again…. but I’m NOT 🙂
Had a night out with oldest Sister and Brother-in-Law last night, with them saying “Bon Voyage” before we fly out. Many more of those coming up this last 2 weeks. I hate to leave these people behind – but I have to go. Most of my life has been about other people and their needs. Now it’s MY time, along with my Queen, to live what I consider a life we both have earned.
I have never been one who put a lot of merit into entitlement – I think entitlement has been abused entirely too much this past decade, but I dang sure think we earned this – and I say that proudly.
So, if we can keep the hurricanes away – we fly out 2 weeks from today – woohoo~!!!

 

About this time 3 weeks from now – we should be sitting on a beach [drink in hand] in St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands.
Spent portion of the time today hauling off a closet full of clothes to a local mission, getting inventory down to a couple of suitcases worth.
Scheduling a bunch of nights out with family and friends to see them one more time before we fly out – still several I need to book. Been waiting for this for a really long time…have GOT to believe it will be worth the wait and time investment.
Catch ya next week.

Well…. the house is not sold yet – but we are taking off anyway~! We are now the very proud owners of 2 ONE-WAY tickets to St. Croix~! A nice little cottage on the beach has been booked and confirmed for a place to stay while we hunt for our first residence on the island.
My mind is starting to race.. and I love it. SO many things to do before we take off. Not sure how much I will be on here during the time we are preparing to leave – but will update as often as I can, so stay tuned – it’s fixin’ to get real up in here 😉

“I said to my son Emmitt ….. Godammit Emmitt~!” — another saying my Dad was fond of. Not sure where it came from but Dad used it a lot. Find it to be a great saying for times of exasperation.
We are doing everything we can think of to sell this house. We have added an $1000 “agent initiative” and also offering $1000 cash for a lead that results in a closing on the house. Kinda funny – we kinda thought the town would pitch in to buy the house just to get us out of town (long story I’ll share later) but no dice.
So here we continue to sit….. pining to head to the land of crystal blue waters,constant warm temperatures and sunshine……waiting….waiting….waiting~
Godammit Emmitt~!

Well crap… as I sit here and ponder what can only be the life I have dreamed of most of my working life, I am trying not to get discouraged. It’s hard not to do. As the sounds of freedom ring loudly in the air today, celebrating the freedom of this great country, the strings of my new freedom (retirement) are being pulled to almost their limits waiting to start the next chapter of my life. Guess for the time being, I don’t have any other choice than to hurry up and wait. In the meantime – Happy Fourth of July~!

Until the next round, take the time to appreciate the freedom you have today and the time to appreciate all who made that possible. God bless the U.S.A.

 

BALLS cried the Queen — if I had two, I could be King~! The King laughed because he had too (two)   😉
For reasons I never got – that was one of my Dad’s favorite expressions. I guess I’m thinking about my Dad more than usual now that Father’s Day is almost upon us. It is also fitting in that – that is what I’m feeling, sitting here waiting to get the house sold so we can head off to blue waters.
We have another OPEN HOUSE coming up (Sun 6/25) Ideally have it sold before then – but hopeful the Open House produces a sale if it doesn’t sell before then.
Hoping now to be in St. Croix by the end of July – – Until next time – Balls~!!!  …and Happy Fathers Day to all you Dad’s out there~~

Well hells bells…… been retired 1 month as of today…… have found a place on St. Croix that I would jump on in a heartbeat if we were there. IF – if the house was sold…. dammit…..

Realtor has set up an OPEN HOUSE for this weekend and we are keeping our fingers crossed that we get a hit. In the mean time – we will hurry up and wait…. maybe…. working on a plan to get out of here whether house is sold or not. More on that as it develops.

Well, 3 weeks into this gig now – and still sitting around waiting for this place to sell. Had another showing, but buyers wanted a lot more than what this place had to offer….. jeez people – didn’t you look at the listing before you came to look at the place?? Weather sucks…. 58 degrees and raining. Makes it that much worse knowing the island we are headed for has an average daily temperature of 81 degrees. Talking with the realtor about having an open house. Gotta do something to move the house~! All the other plans are in place, then look out St. Croix — here we come~~