Making Progress

The weather is starting to cooperate, we have been able most evenings now to go outside for HH and a cigar, very pleasant.  Jan is still creating wonderful dinners every evening, I even contribute once in awhile:-)

Last year we found a local restaurant, The Lobster Pound, yeah, here in Florida that has in addition to warm water fish, also a lot from New England,  We stopped in for an excellent lunch, delicious clam chowder, maybe better than any we got in Maine, a fried haddock sandwich, but the star of the show was Jan's pan seared red snapper sandwich!

We completed a few small repairs and ordered a few parts, our fresh water hose needs to be replaced, it only lasts about 4-5 years because it spends its entire life out in the sun and gets brittle, in fact we had to cut 9' off to get to flexible hose.  

One of the big things we have done is to shorten our time here in Florida by two weeks, we felt that as things keep developing up in Atlanta we need to be there not here.  And speaking of that we have made real progress on the house plans, the final floor plan is done and over to the builder for his estimate, fingers crossed.  Hoping to hear in a week or so.  We made reservations in the Atlanta area to cover us if, or I guess I should say when we start building, back to those fingers crossed.

Then since our time here is waning we wanted to go a very favorite, actually two very favorite places, the first Saigon Bistro in Lakeland, we discovered several years ago, they make an incredible pho, and for me to go to Parkesdale Market near Plant City for the very, very best strawberry milkshake in the entire world, not that Jan agrees, she doesn't like strawberry milkshakes, can you imagine:-)  No picture of the pho, I forgot.

We've met up with BIL Tom a few more times for lunches.  Ran up to Earth Box Store nearby to get some supplies for a change, hoping to grow some veg this year, and looked over appliances to try to get familiar going forward.

A new restaurant opened up across the street, a small chain called Seasons 52, so we gave it a try, we were both impressed.  Starting with a cup of amazingly delicious, rich savory mushroom soup, then Jan had a flatbread and side salad, and I had a tuna salad, very, very good.

We still have several more things on our agenda while here, numerous restaurants to go to, what can I say, washing the motorhome once the pollen stops, and other little chores.

When we stayed at Royal Coachman in Nokomis all these years we were very used to seeing gopher tortoises, in fact, there was a preserve right in the park, so we were very surprised when we went out the other afternoon and came face to face with an inquisitive guy right here in Bradenton.

So I'll ask you to cross your fingers for us as we are hoping for big progress in the next week or so.

Over the First Hump, and Finally Warm Florida Weather

I hate to say it but I have 4 doctors here in Florida, and all their appointments were jammed into the first two weeks of Feb.  And all but one are in Venice, a mere 35 miles away.  So we tried to connect the docs with lunches down that way we enjoy.  First up, a favorite, Star Thai, where i had an absolutely delicious duck salad that I never had before, and Jan had a great pork larb.

It was a great lunch made better by the fact we both had to fast for our labs that morning:-)

The weather up until 2 days ago was too cold to sit out, even walking around was a challenge, mornings were in the 20's and 30's, in FLORIDA!  We did manage to get our hut up and ready for warming weather.

We have been able to meet BIL Tom several times for lunches.  Good times.

I can proudly say I can now put on my socks and shoes myself, even my left one, and my walking is increasing all the time.  Another doc of mine is in Sarasota, so we went out to Walt's after and had a great lunch, good conch chowder, tasty grouper bites, and amazing seared tuna sliders.

Two days ago we were able to have our very first outdoor HH in months and months, and luckily, the forecast looks good to continue going forward, after all if we are in Florida we should enjoy some of what it offers:-)

So barring anything unexpected, we both got another year on the doctor front.  We are making progress on our house plan as well, we got the first and second draft so far and feel it will only take one more to have plan in hand to be able to use.  Hopefully in several more weeks we can put all the ducks in a row to pull this thing together, fingers crossed.

On to Sunny Florida, or.......Record Cold

We have actually gotten a tremendous amount of things done while fighting the weather.  Cold as in almost single digits, torrential rain, ice, wind, astonishing.  And leaving for Florida on Saturday the temp at our first stop in Madison, FL is supposed to hit 20, and arriving in Bradenton on Sunday they are calling for a high of 49 and low of 38!  This global warming is killing us:-)

I have been fully released by the surgeon and have finished PT, I can tackle stairs normally now but I'm pretty sure getting my left sock and shoe on is way out in the future.

We are making progress with the house build, we have finished up our plan and met with an architect to make finishing touches and a buildable plan that should be accomplished in several weeks, we have essentially picked out the builder, had numerous conversations, looked at 7-8 houses on the outside he has built and toured 3 on the inside and we like his reputation, answers, and what he does, we just have to put it together once we have hard plans in hand.  Fingers crossed.

Just so you don't think you are getting away without a few food pictures, we have been getting out for lunch and even dinner more and more as I heal.  Starting with delicious sushi at Yoon Sushi in Canton.

With all the cold weather we decided nothing would suit us quite like a bowl of warm and delicious pho which we found at Super Pho and Boba in Cumming.

We had the forecast of an incredible ice storm coming in with the potential of shutting down the city, doesn't take much here, and calls for as much as 1/2" of ice which could cause extensive power outages, the storm was forecast for Sat night into Mon morning, so on Saturday afternoon we wanted to get out and were able to meet friends, John and Diane at a local cigar bar for a cigar and a beer, and were later joined by OD and Tammie, it was a pleasant break before all of us would be hunkered down for two days.  As it turned out we got freezing temps, but the rain didn't fully align with the cold temps so thankfully we got just a little ice, but about an inch of rain coupled with wind, and when it all came to an end the icing on the cake was an overnight temp of 11!

We had a good lunch at a Chinese place we hadn't been to in years in Kennesaw, Fire Stone.

These are crunchy, tasty morsels of chicken

Then we discovered a hidden delectable item at a BBQ place we have been to many, many times, Williamson Bros, these are the most amazing onion straws I would say we have ever had anywhere!!

Just wow!

So we are meeting friends for lunch and a visit today, John and Diane, and Ted and Pattie, and tomorrow get all set up to leave early Saturday, the Friday overnight temps are calling for 23 so we want to be ready.  

John, Diane, Moi, Jan, Pattie, and Ted

See you all in Florida.  Oh yeah, a picture of our drive, and Yes, this is in Georgia!!!

Welcome to 2026!

Thought I'd do a very quick update and let you know we are still alive and kicking.  It's been a little over 6 weeks since my hip surgery and I am returning to the world of the living, and am truly amazed that pain in my left hip joint which precipitated this whole thing is completely gone.  I know it should be, but it's still incredible.  I have been diligent with my exercises, twice a day and the physical therapy and am doing quite well now.  I am confident it will only get better and better from here.

We have moved south from Ellijay to Cartersville, closer to our land, and have been working on a house plan that Jan and I are about 95% pleased with, now all we need to do is convert that into a real plan, find a builder to execute it, all within our budget.  Easy peasy, yeah right.

Jan's sister Karen is here with us for another week or so, and we have been enjoying visiting, HH's, and meals together although it has been bitterly cold for GA, even into the teens a few nights!

I've got a few more PT sessions, a doctor's appointment, a meet with at least one builder, all hoping to be done before we leave for Florida at the end of the month.

That's about it for now.